Battered Beetle

[The Mechanic]

Hi All

Sorry not to have been around for a while, but things have been a bit busy for me.

Well here's the latest car that I have finished, just managed to get the photos done over the weekend. It's a 1956 VW Beetle which has been sitting around partly done for about two years. I decided to get it finished towards the end of last year to look like a Beetle thats seen better days. Hope that you enjoy it.

Mick

 

[Dingo]

NIce work Mick, pity about the old girl she looks like she needs a rebuild and real soon hey.

Dingo :smile11:

 

[Bluewavestudios]

Hi Mick,

I will certainly agree with Dingo above - nice work and very realistic too. If this was the real thing I doubt it would stay like that for long though, There are plenty of Beetle enthusiasts out there who would have this one fully restored in no time !! I would imagine 1956 models are very rare now too !!

Regards..........Mark.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Superb weathering job. Can you tell us a bit more about how you achieved some of the effects, particularly the rusting?

 

[The Mechanic]

Thanks for the comments. It was fun making a car look bad instead of nice for a change. I will have another with some other car in the future, once I've decided on which one. So here is how I did the tarpaulin and the rust holes.

The tarpaulin is just a piece of 80gms paper cut to size, in this case 8 foot by 12 foot. Painted on both sides using Revell Aquacolor paint, green in this instance. Once it was dry, I pierced 6 holes for the ropes and the screwed up the paper, then opened it up again. I repeated the screw up and opening up a couple more times, flattened it out the added the ropes. Then just glued it onto the roof, leave it to dry then work out how it would lay when tied down and glue the where the tarp folds.

The rust holes were done by grinding away the plastics thickness by 75% where you want the rust to be from behind. Then put a sanding drum in the mini drill and with a slow speed, slowly wear the remaining plastic away until you get the look that you want.

I how this will help you? I plan to put a few tutorials up on my website when I've got a bit of spare time to do it.

Mick

 

[mikef350]

Wow!

 

[spanner570]

Just supreme quality. Don't know how I missed this , but I did!

Very well done,

Ron

 

[sally]

Its eye-catching and has an appealing rustic look about it. Love the alfresco driving mode too,

 

[papa 695]

Mick hurry up Motor Nation are doing a swapage deal, time to get rid of the rust bucket :laughing:

A great build well done

 

[AJay]

Really love the rusting effects on the rear wing. I'd say she's about ready to be bought by someone and turned into a rat-rod ; ) P.S. the tarp is nice, too.

 

[tommy1drop]

Hi Mick Just got to see this, what a wonderful build the kit looks as if shes a barn find! I love the effect of the rusting and the weathering is superb, what a great build. Tom