1968 Volkswagen Beetle Rat Rod

[Alex Flint]

I call it WAR MACHINE. It's my Vietnam War veteran tribute build. It started out as a Revell 1968 Volkswagen Beetle. I cut off the fenders and the running boards. The wheels are Daft Designs Black Rhino Armory wheels with vintage military tires and are printed in flexible black resin. The body, front hood, interior, front axle, rear suspension, wheels are all hand painted in an acrylic craft paint called Foliage Green. The star on the side is painted on using a stencil and a paint brush. The front axle is a Matty's Custom Scale design and purchased from Iceman Collections. The engine is a Black Box STL Flat 4 engine with a turbo upgrade and is 3D printed and purchased from Iceman Collections. The skull on the engine is one I 3D printed myself and resized to fit the specific engine I used. The wiring is copper bead wire. The drive belt is a real rubber belt. I had to modify the position of the rear suspension in order to get it to sit low. The fuel tank is a 3D printed Vietnam War era military bomb. The chain link steering wheel, the bomber seats, and the grenade shifter knob are all 3D printed. The shifter boot is made from a couple of tiny rubber o-rings. The shifter handle is a sewing pin. The seat cushions are made from some army green EVA craft foam. I had to cut a hole in the middle of the back seat to get the engine to sit level. In order to cover it up I 3D printed an ammo box and painted it to look like a Vietnam War era box. The 50 caliber ammo belt and bullets are also 3D printed. The rear fender wells are made from scratch styrene sheets. The visor above the windshield is a Black Box STL design and is 3D printed and painted the same color as the body. I wanted the body to look like a Vietnam War era army helmet. This is my 4th version of the Revell 1968 Volkswagen Beetle kit and I have a lot more to come.

[stitchdup]

Cool build, and a refreshing take on bug hotrods with the wheel and tyre choice.

[PatW]

Yes really kool!

[rrb124@sbcglobal.net]

Really liking the long, stretched out front end chassis and stance. Great model. Would be fun to see it in person.

[XYHARRY]

Well done Alex, that looks cool and would have been a lot of fun to build. 

Cheers, 

David. ??

[H.A.K]

Neat build

[espo]

Glad you described all of the details of this build, makes easier to see and appreciate all of the details. Very creative build. 

[Koellefornia Kid]

I'm not a military guy but this one looks awesome! Well done!

[ewetwo]

This is really great.