The Fro-Sco returns - as Willy's new desert beater!

[JennyMo 3526]

Ok, so I'm calling this one done for now!

First up, Welsh [Moto] Willy gets a steering wheel to hold too:

This is the wheel from the Samba Bus driver set (as a homage to to the original Scorcher wheel that has holes it the spokes too), and a column from the regular WW2 driver parts - the wheel is superglued between his hand and knees to hold everything in place... you can also see I've left off the lower part of his right foot so it clears the steering servo.

Installed in the Fro-Sco:

Helmet peak is one of Toykid's Moto Willy parts, driver name sticker a left-over from some 1:32nd scale water-slide decals I had. Rather than waving I've positioned his right hand as reaching for the stereo... of course now I need to incorporate a dashboard too! ;o)

Close-up of the scabby roof...

This effect was created with the salt-layer technique, together with some light dremel work with a pointed tip - and highlighted in silver to replicate bare metal. The side window parts have been coved in aluminium self-adheseive foil to replicate metal panels replacing the glass... similarly, the body trim, door capping and handle are coved in foil, and sanded with fine 1200 grit wet&dry paper to produce a more satin/weathered finish.

On all four wheels at last!

A few distressed stickers, and a dented door (with a heat gun and my thumb) add to the Baja look... I was particularly pleased with how the wheels turned out using the salt technique to excess this time!

Side on:

I love the proportions of the Fro-Sco, especially on the Rough Rider/FAV diameter wheels.

Toykid's VW steel-wheel covers are excellent and fit perfectly:

They really transform the scale appearance of the stock wheels. I also incorporated M2 allen bolts for wheel nuts.

At the rear:

We've seen this detail already, but to recap - the original engine cover was cut out carefully and repositioned as a 'scoop', with a metal mesh insert (bodywork repair mesh from Halfords). I have also trimmed the rear arches in a similar style to the STUMPscorcher, and removed the original (Blitzer Beetle rear window glass. Ultimately I will be fitting 2.4gGHz radio gear - minimising the 'dodgem' look of the current 27MHz aerial.

Classic Beetle:

I just love the rear 3/4 view of the Beetle shell - surely the best looking Tamiya of all time?

Flakey paint:

I just love this paint effect! With a little subtile dark pastel/power weathering the effect is even more pronounced.

The Fro-Sco - evolution!

more...

[JennyMo 3526]

Let's take this outside shall we?!

Matt black bonnet is faded and scratched (and touched in), as it would be having lapped the Mojave Desert time and again...

Minimalist front wheelarches covered in aluminium foil and distressed to replicate hand-beaten aluminium sheet panels.

Detailing includes dirty windscreen, out of date tax-disc, wipers, corrosion and flaking paint around the window rubbers...

Love this view of the car! Note narrowed rear tyres on the front wheels...

I considered fitting a micro servo inside his shoulders so that Willy's head turned with the steering - however, the peak on his helmet is a little too close to the roof for this to work comfortably... so, something for another model perhaps ;o)

Sanded front edge of the nose cone reveals previous colour scheme/s... I decided to leave it like this to replicate a botched fibreglass repair - I guess Willy ran out of paint!

Ready to rock again! - you may notice I have modified the narrowed rear tyre's lettering to read 315 in a homage to SRB Bloke ;o)

Toot toot for now!

Jenny xx

[Grastens 2795]

I can smell the oxidation from here! Somehow, you have managed to top yourself with this one - fantastic work!

[Skottoman 306]

Absolutely crappy! (In the best possible way!)

You have the salt weathering mastered, and this creation is perfect!
I will concede that you may have out rusted me on your wheels! Spectacular!

Another great creation!

Cheers,

Skottoman

[JennyMo 3526]

Hee hee - thanks Scottoman, that is praise indeed!

I have to say, I have always been a bit sparing with the salt - but having looked at your VW bus again recently I saw the depth you went to on the wheels and the bumpers particularly - they are so scabby it inspired me to use a bit more salt this time and also layer up the paint some more... as you say, the results are amazingly realistic when you commit ;o)

For my next project, I'm also going to take a leaf from your book and weather the STUMPkamper in a similar style - although I doubt I will have the patience or skill to complete an interior to the same degree of detail you did!

Thanks again for raising the game and inspiring us all to get crappy!

Jx

[s2-g2 432]

Wow. just wow. I just learned a ton about weathering and can't wait to try some of the techniques you showed to really rust up the beater WW body I'm working on.

So cool!

[XV Pilot 1936]

That looks great!

What I particularly like is that you have considered the materials that would have been used on the fullsize, and weathered the model accordingly. So often we see rusty weathering effects being applied to panels that would be made of fibreglass, but not here! The metal is rusty and the fibreglass is worn, as it should be.

The sanded-down bit on the nosecone also looks very apt. I had a patch like that on my fullsize Baja bug after I had a minor collision with a trailside rock. When I got home, I carried out a structural repair using mat and resin, and filled the surface imperfections with bodyfiller, but it looked very much like that for a few weeks while I saved up for paint.

[4ferraras 19]

This looks awesome! Thanks for the ideas!!

[JennyMo 3526]

Ooooh, this is one from the vaults!

I've not updated this thread since Summer 2014 it seems - although I did start a supplementary thread about converting the ORV front suspension to SRB here - which describes the latest modifications in more detail...

So, as of January 2017 - this is what the Fro-Sco currently looks like:

The latest modifications revolve around fitting the complete SRB front suspension (replacing the torsion springs with proper internally sprung OME scale dampers - 70mm long if you're wondering), using a custom aluminium sub-frame/skid-plate - more details in the suspension thread link above.

I was particularly pleased that I could still retain the front mounted spare wheel with the SRB suspension in place - it is only a little higher than before - while I converted the single front mounting point to twin body posts, modified to fit to the top of each suspension upright.

This is still one of my favourite models, and most recently the project has come full-circle in that I finally found a home for the otherwise redundant Brat body-shell that came with the original donor chassis kit.

I hope you like the latest modifications!

Jenny xx

 

[Novastar 241]

An amazing, realistic looking and unique build  The attention to detail was definitely worth the effort !

[Chilihook 51]

This is a vision of rusty gorgeousness!

[pastimesteve 49]

Looks fantastic Jenny! This bug is one of my all-time favorite projects on TC. I've been meaning to ask you, how does it drive with that SRB front end?

 

 

[JennyMo 3526]

3 hours ago, pastimesteve said:

Looks fantastic Jenny! This bug is one of my all-time favorite projects on TC. I've been meaning to ask you, how does it drive with that SRB front end?

 

 

Hi Steve - much the same as before to be honest, although the steering appears to be more accurate and a little sharper - a combination of less fore-aft sway in each axle and the slightly narrower track I imagine? Certainly the first time I took it out it tuck-rolled on the overrun into a tight corner, so I added a little toe-out to the steering and it's much more neutral now.

It really does track beautifully over rough ground - the soft[er] front springs (individual 70mm internally-sprung damper/shocks) really seem to work well in that regard, although I've noticed it does have more sag at the front now - rather than the suspension being at full extension when stationary.

It has a real feeling of 'precision' if you know what I mean? - although is still very tail happy!

Jx

 

[Johan 182]

Why oh why do you live on the other side of the world... I have been following all your builds... I would love to make some video's of this or any of your other great cars..