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Pintopower

Ampro Sand Scorcher Chassis

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Such a cool project, Alberto. Don't know if that stock steering wheel would meet Baja racing standards ;) , but I simply love the engineering and attention to details! Awesome work!

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On 9/9/2021 at 12:12 PM, simensays said:

Such a cool project, Alberto. Don't know if that stock steering wheel would meet Baja racing standards ;) , but I simply love the engineering and attention to details! Awesome work!

Haha! Thanks. I often do weird things like that where I will go full race....and then use the stock steering wheel. The same is true of my 1:1 cars...I have a race car with a full interior...and AC. 

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On 9/9/2021 at 12:02 PM, Willy iine said:

Wow entire interior for my Willy to drive in my upcoming Sand Scorcher.   Great stuff.  Thanks for sharing, @Pintopower!

Any time!

On 9/9/2021 at 10:17 AM, Frog Jumper said:

Wow you have been busy!

LOL yeah. I have a dozen or so more builds that are wrapping up soon. 

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On 9/11/2021 at 1:41 AM, Pintopower said:

Haha! Thanks. I often do weird things like that where I will go full race....and then use the stock steering wheel. The same is true of my 1:1 cars...I have a race car with a full interior...and AC. 

I think it's very cool that the stock steering wheel is correct for the model year(s) of the Bug that the Sand Scorcher body represents. 

I absolutely love what you've done, so it kind of feels wrong to address it, but when we're first nitpicking, I'd like to talk about the dashboard with the friendliest intentions. Also, as freedom of "the artist's impression" has been a Tamiya phrase for decades, it doesn't really matter. So, with this disclaimer about not at all intending to be an unfriendly rivet counter;

Even many VW Bug fans don't care to distinguish further between model years than based on the shape of the rear window (rear: split window, oval window and square window), but the Sand Scorcher body has some distinct details that narrows it down to model year 1969-1970. These are details that are integral parts of the "body-in-white" (the parts of the body welded together as one unit), and which can't be modified without cutting out pieces of the body and welding in new pieces from different model years. In case of the specific details mentioned, they are extremely rarely object to corrosion or other damage unless the whole body is scrap and pretty hard to replace anyway, so are almost never replaced. I'm talking about the introduction of forced ventilation behind the quarter windows (called "lunar sickles" by VW fans) and the notch for the thumb in the front right quarter panel to open the fuel flap. (Before model year 1968, the fuel filler was under the front hood, thus no flap on the right side front quarter panel at all).

The combination of not having lunar sickles and having a fuel flap without thumb notch means that the Sand Scorcher  body can only depict model year 1969-1970. This has implications for the "correct" type of dashboard; From model year 1968 onwards, the horizontal chrome strip on the dashboard was permanently omitted and, the dashboard being an integral part of the body, can't be fitted unless the dashboard is cut from the body and an earlier year dashboard is welded in. A maaaajor endeavor that I've never seen on any real Bug for the 40+ years I've been a dedicated fan of aircooled VWs. Also, from model year 1968 onwards, the fuel gauge was integrated in the circular "combination gauge" and not a separate gauge on the dashboard.

As a true artist, I think everyone grants you the freedom of the artist's impression by combining a pre 1968 dash with a 1969/1970 body. I certainly do, and I can only again emphasize that my post is for fun only, although, I dare say, is technically correct.

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