TheSamba.com :: View topic - The only way I'll ever have a barndoor.....make my own.

Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:59 am

The recent thread about splitty model kits made me dig up two of my stalled model projects, and snap photos to share. I am converting two of the Hasegawa Bus models into barndoors; not an easy(or cheap) task.

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:12 am

Having trouble posting photos today....let's try for more

'Donor' kits are a good thing when filling large holes :D

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:15 am

And maybe a couple more?

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:17 am

The chassis wasn't intended to have an engine(or battery), so I'm in the process of making it work better. A Polar Lights 'Herbie' kit will donate the engine.

I filled door handle recesses, shaved the rear fender lip, and even removed one engine cooling vent for accuracy(kit was a '63).

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:23 am

This one shows the peaked roof I added to both the panel & the 23

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:27 am

plasticman1432 wrote: The chassis wasn't intended to have an engine(or battery), so I'm in the process of making it work better. A Polar Lights 'Herbie' kit will donate the engine.

I filled door handle recesses, shaved the rear fender lip, and even removed one engine cooling vent for accuracy(kit was a '63).

Need high hinge cargos door too....

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:28 am

Looks nice. :)

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:29 am

Ian - Thanks!

Long-roofs - I shaved the upper hinges from their molded-in locations(look close & you'll see they're gone), and will add new ones before final paint prep.

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:31 am

plasticman1432 wrote: And maybe a couple more?

Need big doglegs on too....

It would be cool to make the deluxe pre-rear bumper, add some body chrome.

Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:39 am

The doglegs I'll probably leave alone, as they're so small in comparison.....and there usually aren't so many Type 2 experts at the model shows I attend anyway.

The bumpers are still 'up in the air;' I haven't decided which ones to use yet.

The chrome trim was offered as a decal in the kit, but I'll be fabricating it from strip styrene & installing it before paint.

Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:26 pm

When you're finished, you can do my real bus. And you don't have to sweat the dog legs either. :wink: Looks really good. Don't forget to post a finished pic too.

Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:41 pm

this shiat is making me horney!!

Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:51 pm

I remember dreaming of skills like that when I was a kid globbing together model kits...A friend of mine kitbashed a vanagon crew cab from a standard kit like that...definitely post finished pictures...

Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:30 pm

Thanks for the kind words, you guys; I knew that this would be the toughest audience for any of my Bus projects, and I'm glad you dig them. I normally don't show any of my stuff off 'half finished,' but I'm very proud of how these two are going so far.

Here's one more shot comparing the roofs of the original '67 panel, and my Barndoor-to-be.

Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:48 pm

UZI wrote: this shiat is making me horney!!

Christ Gibbs.......(I hope that's a compliment).... :lol:

Those are looking sweet PlasticMan...

Line me up for a BD panel....if your into doing logo'd ones too, I have one in mind..

Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:10 pm

Nice work! On both Barndoors the door handle area should be flat and no recesses. Al

Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:10 pm

Hella Bro wrote: Nice work! On both Barndoors the door handle area should be flat and no recesses. Al
Thanks! I do plan on filling them, but ran out of time before the move this past fall. I just dug them out for pics to share what I'm into, after the thread last week about splitty model kits.

Before anyone points out the incorrect cooling vents on the panel, I'm cutting up a Revell 23-window for the vent portions, and I'll lop off the bottom one on them like I did on the BD Deluxe.

I have a resin-cast Hebmüller on the way from a supplier in South Africa that will serve as the master for my dashboard pods; I'll be scratchbuilding the remainder of both dashboards. The one for the Deluxe is already cut out, waiting for the pods; the panel one is nearly finished(it was easier anyway).

The panel with the gaping holes in it will be giving up a portion of its driver's side behind the fenderwell, as an engine lid for one of the Barndoors; the same goes for the 23 that will be giving up its engine vent areas. I really hope I finish these two Buses......this has gotten expensive. :? I'm pretty sure that about 13 kits are involved in the entire build, counting the 2 that will ultimately be Barndoors......and three of those 13 were body parts donors(total writeoff afterward).

Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:31 pm

coming along nicely! dont forget the wiper shaft indents =)

Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 pm

Kommercial wrote: coming along nicely! dont forget the wiper shaft indents =)
I knew that was coming too :wink: ....filling those is on the 'to do' list as well; I noticed those in Laurence Meredith's book 'Original VW Bus' over the summer; doing research during my seasonal down time is a good thing for sure.

Neat little tidbit about the Hasegawa Bus kits: the front floor is already correct for a Barndoor; perfectly flat all the way to the nose. I'm sure they had reasons for not kicking it up, but it means one less thing I have to modify on the kit. 8)

Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:31 pm

man, how much would you let one of those barndoors go for?

see, ill encourage the cutting up of model vw's, but not real ones.