2014 Kyosho Beetle

[silvertriple]

For what it's worth, I just checked on the Tomahawk (and I set it up exactly like my Turbo Scorpion, and it is definitely easier to set it right when you have already set up one) : I do not have bumpsteer, but bumpcamber... (And it is super difficult to take a picture of this properly due to parallax when you have only one hand available because you push the car down with the other hand, so sorry, no pictures)

[GreenBar0n]

These knuckles were what I think I didn't have set correctly. It feels like I should've left the tie rods the lengths stated in the manual, and then adjusted these knuckles until everything lined up.


I shortened the tie rods before adjusting the knuckles, but eventually arrived at the correct looking settings.






There is toe in at suspension bottom.


Do you guys have any toe in, at the top of the suspension?

[GoMachV]

The pieces you point to in the last post are caster locks, and yes I would adjust the holes to the manual and rotate them to set the caster. By shortening the links you change the caster gain and while it's likely not a huge deal, you could get further out on other adjustments by fussing with it. These front ends were tricky

[GreenBar0n]

As well as caster, those changed everything at once for me, camber and toe included, depending how they were set, whether more forward or rearward.

[GreenBar0n]

Got the window masks in.


I like that the driver will have a glossy jacket from being painted on the inside, and that the seat belts are decals.




The head splits the opposite way that Tamiya's drivers do, right up the middle. Looks like I should've sanded the head halves prior to gluing them, in order to avoid this gap.


Will putty that gap, then let it dry overnight. Looking forward to painting the driver and body tomorrow.

Just need the Rx to complete the chassis at this point, should be here soon.

[XLR8]

Such a neat Beetle.

I'm certainly not an expert painter but, FWIW, I usually brush-paint my driver's suit on the outside so it looks a bit more like fabric. Sometimes when I use a light color (most of mine are painted white), I'll lay down a quick coat of black first then followup with the final color letting the black show through in the suit's wrinkles. It kinda sorta makes the suit look worn.

Of course, painting the inside is fine as well.

Here's an example by OoALEJOoO - a member over on TC. The level of detail is just mindboggling. Compared to this, my work looks like crap.

If I stare at that image long enough, I swear I can see those guys move.

[GreenBar0n]

Such a neat Beetle.

I'm certainly not an expert painter but, FWIW, I usually brush-paint my driver's suit on the outside so it looks a bit more like fabric. Sometimes when I use a light color (most of mine are painted white), I'll lay down a quick coat of black first then followup with the final color letting the black show through in the suit's wrinkles. It kinda sorta makes the suit look worn.

Of course, painting the inside is fine as well.

Here's an example by OoALEJOoO - a member over on TC. The level of detail is just mindboggling. Compared to this, my work looks like crap.
drivers.jpg

If I stare at that image long enough, I swear I can see those guys move.

That's excellent work! Is there someone selling the printed interior/dash for the Beetle, or did he custom print and paint that?

I like the idea of using the contrast between painting the lexan on the inside, and the outside. I hadn't considered that, but I did notice the gloves looked weird when painted brown from the inside, when looking at search images I found. Gloves will definitely be exterior painted. Thanks!


Since this is a 70's style model, a glossy satin fireproof jacket to match the body color is mandatory . This one will not be boxart yellow, instead this one will match the first VW Bug I ever saw or rode in around 4 or 5 years old, my Aunt's early 70's Super Beetle.

Ready to sand, and paint. The decals come with a visor sticker that is supposed to cover the driver face entirely, but I'm going to try something different.


Painted the seat from the inside, PS-5 black, to give it that 70's pleather shine, and to divide it from the jacket color.


Considering the headlight kit, painted the light buckets PS-41 Bright Silver.


It's 70 degrees out back, at noon here, time to get the body painted.

[silvertriple]

You may have a look at my thread on the Tomahawk, I did a custom visor, using a simple sheet of transparent and two M1. 6*4 screws...

[GreenBar0n]

You may have a look at my thread on the Tomahawk, I did a custom visor, using a simple sheet of transparent and two M1. 6*4 screws...

I certainly will check that out, thanks!


This is what my Aunt's Super Beetle looked like, this is not hers, but similar. I remember she had lady bug floor mats, and it was amusing to me that the car was called a "Bug", being 4 or 5.


A lot of you are probably aware that the Tamiya Metallic paints, like PS-16 Metallic Blue, and PS-17 Metallic Green, are translucent. I've been experimenting with the backing colors to put behind the metallic.


Used PS-41 Bright Silver behind the body, and PS-23 Gun Metal behind the driver.


Before peeling the outer wrap, you can see the difference the backing color can make.


Peeled.


Flash lighting.








No Flash, natural light.


Some old and new friends.


Driver is up next, the head is still drying. Going to paint the gloves white on the outside, the helmet was painted TS-45 Pearl White, plan to add a second color on the horizontal band.

[Dangeruss]

Your Beetle looks like fun just sitting there. The green came out slick. Pretty good color match right out of the can. I like looking at Beetles and Sand Scorchers online for inspiration, some of them have really awesome paint jobs. Like, have you seen the May issue of RCCA with the Sand Scorcher on the cover? Such a cool looking car...

[RC10th]

That reminds me of this great magazine

[GreenBar0n]

[/quote]

Your Beetle looks like fun just sitting there. The green came out slick. Pretty good color match right out of the can. I like looking at Beetles and Sand Scorchers online for inspiration, some of them have really awesome paint jobs. Like, have you seen the May issue of RCCA with the Sand Scorcher on the cover? Such a cool looking car...

Thanks! The green wasn't looking right without the bright silver to reflect the light back through it. That RCCA cover Sand Scorcher is really accurate, amazing work'; baja orange was huge in the early 80's, around here.

I have to do the Sand Scorcher coming up in boxart TS-26 white, and TS-10 French Blue, can't stray from that, always wanted that exact one.

That reminds me of this great magazine

Hot VW's is still out there, and has a great Youtube channel too. The mid-90's was the last bikini contest at a show I went to, at Kelley Park in San Jose. Got some doors for my real Bus that day at the show. Here's a fairly recent air cooled cruise to Mount Diablo, I had the only split bus there that day.


I setup a monitoring station for flying a drone in the blue and white bus above.




Made this movie with the footage of that cruise. There was Canadian wild fires that day, the smoke was all the way down to the Bay Area, so visibility was not as good as I had hoped for the drone footage. This is the first drone video I made, a bit boring, as I was learning the ropes of the flying and the DaVinci Resolve free editing software.

[XLR8]

That's excellent work! Is there someone selling the printed interior/dash for the Beetle, or did he custom print and paint that?

I'm not certain but I have seen other examples of his work and I believe everything you see is hand-painted. The guy is an artist!

Anyway, I think Tamiya Metallic Green is an excellent choice for your Beetle. That color is so rich and beautiful - I want to use it someday when the right build comes along.

[GreenBar0n]

That's excellent work! Is there someone selling the printed interior/dash for the Beetle, or did he custom print and paint that?

I'm not certain but I have seen other examples of his work and I believe everything you see is hand-painted. The guy is an artist!

Anyway, I think Tamiya Metallic Green is an excellent choice for your Beetle. That color is so rich and beautiful - I want to use it someday when the right build comes along.

Thanks for the encouragement, I really appreciate it. Green is a not a color for everyone but that and purple have always been my favorite.

[XLR8]

Wagner! I love it!!
Every time I hear that piece it reminds me of Apocalypse Now. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." "It smells like -- victory."
Great drone video and a great view as well.