21 window vw bus

[mnwildpunk]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place for this but here goes. Does anybody make a 21 window vw bus? I should rephrase that I found one at my LHS made by a company I'd never heard of and they wanted $85 bucks for it. I just can't afford that

[Craig Irwin]

Yes, look for a Revell boxed one, still not cheap but no where near $85. Very quickly found one on ebay for $26.99 just now.

[VW Dave]

Unfortunately, nobody currently produces a kit of the 21-window; the Revell and Hasegawa kits are 23-window Buses. Revell made one back in the 1960s, based on their original 1950s-issue 23-window, and it was later modified and reissued as the 'Rubber Duck' and then 'California Roller' custom panel Buses. To show the difference between the 21 and 23, I did a little Googling.

21-window(model years 1964-67):

23 window (model years 1950-1963):

The 23w shown is actually a pre-'55 'Barndoor" Bus, but the narrower rear hatch and corner windows are pretty much the same all the way through 1963. To properly count the windows on a deluxe Microbus, the front doors(which contain 3 pieces of glass) are considered 1 each; there were 13, 15, 21 and 23-window varieties.

[martinfan5]

Learn something new everyday

[Edsel-Dan]

Looks like you can convert the Revell 'Flat-Pack" new tool Samba into a 21 Window

version by filling those rear corner windows.

Hasegawa did the Smabi & Combi Cargo version with 1 piece bodies, butt hose kits are Curbside.

No engine. And Yes, They do get Expensive!!

I think new they started at almost $30.oo and now are double to triple that

[Foxer]

The newer Revell kit is far better (it has interior panels and details) and should be easy to find as it's only a few years old. It has a mufti-piece body but builds up easily with the seams at the 1:1 panel seams. Thee detail far out weighs the Hasegawa kit.

The Hasegawa kit is older but still a good one. The problem as I see it is they are charging outrageous prices for what is an old, reissued kit and no longer worth the money.

Here's a link to a build I'm still on of the Hasegawa 23 window.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Foxer

[mnwildpunk]

Thanks guys I'll start looking for the Revell kit

[VW Dave]

Looks like you can convert the Revell 'Flat-Pack" new tool Samba into a 21 Window

version by filling those rear corner windows.

Not exactly, as the pre-'64 had a much narrower rear window & hatch than the later models.....I would graft the rear corners and hatch section from the Hasegawa '67 panel into a 23-window body to do it 'right.'

I agree the Hasegawa kits have gone through the roof, but the other Revell Microbus(not the 'flat pack' one) is the same kit in their box; I'll also assume their soon-to-be-released panel is also a repackaged Hasegawa as well. Here's the Revell kit that is all Hasegawa inside - for about half the price:

[VW Dave]

I Googled a couple more pics to help illustrate the rear hatch differences....using a Barndoor in my first reply was a bad choice, as an opening rear hatch was a dealer-installed option.

Here's a pre-64 rear hatch, which is the same width as the engine lid:

And a '64-up version; the engine lid width did not change:

[Rob Hall]

Not exactly, as the pre-'64 had a much narrower rear window & hatch than the later models.....I would graft the rear corners and hatch section from the Hasegawa '67 panel into a 23-window body to do it 'right.'

I agree the Hasegawa kits have gone through the roof, but the other Revell Microbus(not the 'flat pack' one) is the same kit in their box; I'll also assume their soon-to-be-released panel is also a repackaged Hasegawa as well. Here's the Revell kit that is all Hasegawa inside - for about half the price:

From what I've read, the upcoming panel is based on the recent RoG Samba kit, not the Hasegawa tooling...

[chevyfever2009]

Theres a cool one on ebay someone made a limo out of on ebay heres a pic of it

Edited March 11, 2013 by chevyfever2009

[beeRS]

I have both the new Revell kit and the Hasagawa one in my collection of 'yet-to-be built' models. They're both good kits, but the Revell has more detail + engine & opening doors, so this is the one that I will probably end up building (... someday).

[Foxer]

or ... I did this making the rear window smaller for a '56. I just did it by eye from photos.