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marhun

Monster Beetle Wheels

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Hi folks,

This is my first post so please go easy on me if it's a rather dumb question. I'm doing up my original 80's monster beetle and have been acquiring parts over the last little while to get it back in mint condition, decals, white body set, BNIB gold wheels/tyres and other odds and sods that have come along as well.

But I've had a pretty cool idea and instead of doing a boxart version I'm going to do something a little more bespoke and if it comes of it could look pretty special. However as part of the look I am going for I am going to need new wheels and not the gold ones, preferably white but another colour would do and I can then paint them but there's no way I'd paint the gold ones. Is there a kit out there than comes with white wheels of the correct size and drive mechanism or is there another one out there that has the same drive mechanism but a different colour that I'd need to paint.

Your help would all be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

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If you definitely want white without having to paint then you could use Nissan King Cab wheels. Front and rears will work just fine as direct replacement.

Or Stadium Blitzer rear wheels for a spoked look.

Or Dual Hunter wheels.

All those wheels come in white and are the same dimension as the MB wheels though Stadium Blitzer front wheels are narrower. You'd have to use rears on the front and just custom fit.

And if you're not sure of the answer then it is not a dumb question! Better to ask than to make a mistake I always say. :D

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How about Vanessa's Lunchbox/Midnight Pumpkin wheels? Due to the re issue very easy to get hold of.

Is it going to be a Monster Herbie?

Paul.

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D'oh! I must have been drunk, none of those wheels I mentioned will fit directly!

You'd need a hex adaptor for the back wheels!

Paul's right, Lunchbox and Pumpkin wheels will fit without any mod needed.

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But you can use the Lunchbox and Pumpkin tyres on them, of course :-)

Paul.

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Hi, I just thought I would get some real pictures in to show this idea off. The Lunchbox is a 1/12th and the MB a 1/10th, but these scales are a bit out there, as both are large oversized trucks with outsized parts. Exact scale shouldn't be an issue here. The Lunchbox wheels are slightly smaller, however, when shod with the Lunchbox tyres (which are wider than Monster Beetle) it gives the car an aggressive look and lower centre of gravity. Now you might worry that the speed will be reduced, however, you may be able to increase the size of the pinion to do this, as although the Monster Beetle was only recommended with a small pinion (due to the size of the tyres) the gearbox is the same as the Frog, Brat etc, which should be able to be improved with more teeth.

Here are some pictures to show what I mean wheel and tyre wise:

DSC_0307.jpg

DSC_0306.jpg

DSC_0308.jpg

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I have a set of Blue ones about the place.

Imex made direct copies of BF/MB wheels in the '80s, in blue, pink, lime, black,white, orange and straight chrome. I have blue ones!.

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Hi Guys

Thanks very much for all the info, I might have a look for the imex wheels or the ones off the king cab and get the hex adapters. I've got an orginal VLB as well and I think I remember putting those wheels on the MB back in the day but then having and issue with the steering.

I recently dug out my old MB and have bought a bunch of spares in the idea of doing a boxart shelf queen but then I had a thought. I fancied doing a sand scorcher cross, the SS colour scheme in red and white, with white wheels and with the red chassis I thnk it could look pretty special once done. Hopefully over Christmas I'll get the time but it now means I've got a new white body, original decals and gold wheels I shelled out good money for for nothing really, but I suppose it never does any harm to hold on to these things. Once it's done i'll pay for the sub scription and upload some photos and we'll see if it actually came off.

Thanks

Mark

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