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More Airfix Beetles

227355 Views 5398 Replies 74 Participants Last post by  chappyman66, 
T
This is what happens when passion gets out of hand. A clutch of Airfix Beetles on PCS chassis. Despite appearances no two are the same, and all have different characteristics on track. Fun to build but tricky in parts. Thank you again for your time in looking.

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Zippy D
beardy56 said:
Force 10 protection 😂

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Wearing those and being so inconspicuous I think the laws of Physics may well be re-written and a Force 11 (very Spinal Tap!!) could well ensue. Maybe skin tone would sell better and be safer.

I will keep my eyes peeled for News reports of extraordinary siesmic activity, or whirlwinds of a body and Beetle/slot car parts in the 'erefordshire area later today.
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Zippy D
Trisha said:
Coachbuilt Beetles that didn't really catch on. View attachment 334442 View attachment 334443 View attachment 334444 View attachment 334445
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I believe, although I could very much be mistaken, it was around the same time the VW Marketing guru's were experimenting with a new slogan.

This one at the time read "Vorsprurch Dung Technik" and proved to be just as unpopular.
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Zippy D
Trisha said:
Ow Gawd, and another rediscovered artefact in the form of a Pitlane chassis ready to go. Gosh, the things you forget when you're in a hurry to remember where Hungary might be these days. View attachment 334535
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It takes years to master the skill of feigning disappointment at someones imminent departure and there is a fine line between success and failure.

Show keenness and be too eager to offer help to plan their trip and pack the suitcase caravan, and you receive an earbashing..."Are you trying to get rid of me?" or "What are you planning to do while I'm away? You better not be partying with your idiot friends".....etc, etc.

Show too much disappointment and it blows up in your face when you hear the reply....."Awwww you're going to miss me? maybe I shouldn't go then?"

Dohhhhh!!!

So far it sounds as though you have it about right (y)
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Zippy D
Careful with that axe Eugene.

Only 2 hours gone and already up to no good!
Just as well you don't own a chainsaw.

You, err......don't own a chainsaw do you, Laurence?

Maybe we should call Uncle Bonkers to come and supervise......then again.
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Zippy D
chappyman66 said:
Let's just say that three fingers of the local spirits have me in a celebratory mood.....but no chassis / body mounting tonight. That would be an odd car indeed.
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Just think, it could have been a measure of 4 fingers and a thumb, had it not been for an earlier mishap with that axe!
I always try and make sure the person at the bar serving me has a full set of digits.
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Zippy D
Something to take our minds off axes and alcohol.

Only Beetles allowed, and possible inspiration for a wider choice of colours for forthcoming Beetle projects, even 2-tone/colour.
Not only do these look good, they sound good and go well to boot, even recovering from a seemingly unrecoverable tail slide at a few points along the way.
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Zippy D
Foiled by a Beetle.
(Warning to those of a sensitive disposition before watching, it's not black!)

All the very best, Laurence.
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Zippy D
Trisha said:
Snowed in day 2 and Mrs Grumpy remains in residence. From my viewpoint it's the same as being stuck down a hole in the fog with an owl. Will try and paint a bodyshell later. Won't be popular - again. Ne'er mind. O'er the hill to the next slot car. Onward. View attachment 340444
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A perfect scene for a Christmas card (soon it will be once again!).

I hope Uncle Bonkers does not have possession of a snow plow, otherwise mass destruction may ensue.
Just as well you took this snap, while still picturesque.
Snowball fight anyone?
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Zippy D
KensRedZed said:
Oh? And where exactly is this "slot car heaven" located? Just out of curiosity of course. Not that I plan to visit. Or buy the place. Or move in permanently. :cool:
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Trisha said:
The world's first residential home for slotters, bewildered or otherwise. Comfortable accommodation with bog en suite, bamboo loo paper, a radio that is pop music disabled, and 300 miles from the nearest human habitation. Beer on tap, 5-star cuisine, no celery, mueseli available after medical advice, and a chap with a Lotus 7 to advise on the folly of escape to the real world. A good start. View attachment 340634
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Similar to Shangri-la and other such Utopian places, there are no published maps or sign posts, otherwise all kinds of non-slotting riff-raff and undesirable types would likely descend.
More likely, you will receive a personal invite via slot mail and will be sworn to secrecy thereafter.

PS: Your personal invites are in the post ;)
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Zippy D
Trisha said:
Several coats of paint later, it seems that the second Beetle prototype can be left to dry. There's hope yet of actually finishing these two important cars. All that remains is to don ear protectors, and swearing filters, in an attempt to weather this evening's Force 10 for having stunk the house out with paint.

Guilty as charged. View attachment 342406
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It would be most helpful if there were any Industrial Chemists among our slot throng, with the ability to alter the smell of spray paint to resemble something more appealing to the "other 'arfs", say Chanel No5 or other expensive "eau de stink". That way, when spraying with abandon there would be no more Force 10's due to paint fume pong.

Then again, if arriving home for dinner after a spraying session, you may still be on the receiving end of a Force 10 and an accusing finger from those less trusting partners, due to you smelling like a boudoir.

Well it seemed like a good idea initially.

Baldrick!! We need to come up with a better cunning plan.
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Zippy D
Trisha said:
A chap sitting this closely to a V12 Auto-Union engine might be wise to invest in a box of paracetamol tablets, both before and after driving. A small price to pay, though. Perhaps. View attachment 342587 View attachment 342588
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Reminiscent of the Yuletide song with slight variation sung I think by Bong Crispy (you know who I mean!).....

"Toasting (chest)nuts on an open can motor........"

or

Could it be an alternate method of engine braking....I hope not for driver comfort sake.

Impressive you are managing to shoehorn everything in such a small space Laurence. Nice job and I hope it goes as well as it's looking. I'm sure it will, it's a Beetle!
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Zippy D
mickey thumbs said:
Just catching up after a warming trip to the Caribbean- Bonaire, NA. Post 4,864 by Trisha reminded me of the famous ad that ran in the US.
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That looks like another "Will it start" Ytube video opportunity for Mustie1, especially as it's a VW
(Recommended watching for anyone with a liking for seeing clapped out, well worn motororised items being brought back from the brink. Even a couple of vids on slot car sets if you search).
Plugs out, hit the starter to clear water from cylinders, drain and change the oil, a few squirts of WD40 or other similar moisture dispersant on the points and other electrical connections, fresh fuel and I bet she would fire right up!

@beardy56
Keith,
Your photo reminds me of a time many moons ago when starting out welding and being warned of the effects of "Arc eye" when the arc is struck or welding is in process and viewed without visor/lens . Suffering the discomfort of having hot sand thrown into your open eyes for several hours can be likened to the experience and should not to be repeated.
I think I may suffer a similar experience in a few hours, having just viewed that brightly coloured Beetle example, so damp tea bags/towel are at the ready to help soothe sore eyes.
Lets hope the next one you/we see is.........Black!
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Zippy D
RikoRocket said:
They are Parma road rollers, I have some orange ones somewhere...


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Blimey, we're going to need bigger wheel arches!

Riko, do you run more than one of these at the same time as I would imagine getting close to or even overtaking your rival would be difficult with fun and games in the corners, nerfing them off?

Agree with comments above on Franks find. Looks in amazing condition.

Laurence, what was the source of your driver figure in your most recent build?

"Strangely" enough, your driver seating position reminded me of another thrilling ride. Unfortunately for the driver in this case, although he may have "loved" it, one way only! Due to the impact he would definitely need to see a "Doctor"! (No prizes for guessing the movie after all those clues)
White Hat Mountain Sun hat Travel


I heeded your advice from another posting I read a while back and purchased a joblot of mixed Airfix 1:32 military figures and some sets of Tamiya 1:35 military miniatures on the sprue. I look forward to tackling some driver/figure sculpting in coming weeks/months.
Thanks again for your post suggestion, as 7.12 pence per figure for the Airfix joblot is a bargain and it won't be too painful on the wallet if a few are messed up during the conversion process.

Cheers (y)
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Zippy D
I'd rather be in the shower than the drying oven on the production line
I've made several visits when I was in Automotive to UK plants to resovle issues with heat seal plugs not melting/sealing while going through the ovens after painting. Toasty!
Another issue was airvent leakage during the water test.
On the subject of airvents, I believe ours were designed to allow some air pressure release when closing doors etc so you didn't pop your eardrums. The air has to go somewhere so better to be expelled from the car through the vent flaps, than into your eardrums.
Then again, not having to listen to backseat drivers rabbiting on due to poor hearing could have its advantages!

Also, it's common to find parts stamped or moulded with VW, Ford etc logo's on them appearing on a number of different vehicles in the Group.
Back in the day when Ford introduced their World wide part numbers beginning with W instead of E, it was surprising how many parts were common in Ford's case on a Jaguar, yet you were still being charged the elevated Jag price on a new vehicle.
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Zippy D
Trisha said:
More information. Thanks, Michael. And touch screen gloves. I didn't know that such things even exist.
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I tried a pair from "Ally's bubba" and when they arrived they turned out to be fingerless mitts. I was not impressed.
Sports gear Gesture Finger Material property Thumb


Based upon your recent find of another slot treasure stored in a "safe place"(post #4997), it would be wise to discourage any "Easter egg hunts" by visiting Grandchildren and adults alike this coming weekend.
There is a likelihood of them accidentally unearthing more than just chocolate eggs and once they have departed for home you will be in for a series of Force 10's from Mrs G and some explaining to do, based upon the discovery of yet more slot paraphernalia.

Just returned from the weekly shop and was disgusted to find my usual EV Olive oil is over £10 per litre.
I bought a few bottles but if it increases any further I will be making my pasta, salads and cooking my chips in Castrol R.
Not only will it smell good, it may make me move a bit faster as well!

(Disclaimer and Note for the special few: Do not consume motor oil as it's bad for you).

Happy Easter Everyone.
Cheers
Martin
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Zippy D
Many years ago, more than I would care to remember, I was gifted for a birthday or Christmas a plastic motorised model race car kit in British racing green requiring full assembly and soldering of motor wires.
Needless to say, due to having no soldering iron at that young age I thought an appropriate solution would be to use a knife, heat it on the gas stove burner and attempt to solder said wires. I was unsuccessful.

The following day I received such a thrashing after discovery of one very blackened, tarnished and slightly misshapen knife......from my parents barely used wedding gift set!

I now mostly only use the right tool for the job, but have been known to stray on occasion.
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Zippy D
Could be called "charcoal" humor, under such circumstances, Laurence.

Dark and very crispy!
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Zippy D
In Keith's video I'm pretty sure the guy with no helmet on the bike at 8:42 jumped the start and red lighted!

I noticed that some of the vehicles appeared more directionally sensitive than others.
Is there any affect from the increased rear tyre width causing this and does this carry across to the smaller scale Beetle versions?

Sad to see across automotive the continued decline in something that at one time was strived for and marked a significant difference between the best and the worst.......Quality and reliability.
Quality costs, and with one cost saving "initiative" after another, be it Lean, Six sigma etc, or the ever increasing introduction of more and more electronic guff and gizmo's making cars more akin to infotainment systems on wheels than modes of transporting you from point A to point B, or designed to make things as cheaply as possible while maximising profits, sooner or later something has to give and it has......Quality, or fitness for purpose and reliability.

Given a choice, I think I would now purchase a vintage pre electronic ignition vehicle with an adequate heater and hand wind windows that at least if it breaks down, you can tackle and fix yourself with a basic set of tools and spares at the side of the road. Much preferred in my view over the poor "advanced technology" offerings of today.

My vehicle of choice?

A Beetle of course or an A35 with an IC engine.
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Zippy D
I watch Mr McFarland's Ytube efforts and others on the USA drag strips and am intrigued and amazed at the effects of anything and everything when it comes to drag racing performance, where the exact same setup gives different results from one run to the next.
I guess that's what makes it such fun and the challenge that it is. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Your lastest completed Beetle looks the business. Have you had chance to run it yet?
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Zippy D
Trisha said:
A similar picture here, Paul. Snow, howling wind and a deluge of driving rain followed by summer conditions next week, apparently. I'd like to go out for my daily walk, but daren't because I know I'd be blown to some Gawdforsaken place in Norway, and have to hitch a lift home - again.

Below, a pic of snow on the nearby mountains of Wales 'smorn. Ah, well, another chapter of The Three Bears 'safty. View attachment 344077
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Could be a "Change in the Climate", or Butterly effect.

If it is said that if a Butterfly flaps its wings in Peking, it could cause a hurricane in Texas then think what potential weather effects all these onshore and offshore wind farms have, especially those monstrosities at Santa Pod.

Apart from the obvious one of causing unsatisfactory painting conditions of Beetle bodyshells, of course.
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