Custom Hot Wheels VW T2 Part I

Since it’s so nasty and dreary outside today, I thought it’d be a good time to start a new custom. I love doing the VW’s, but I was really hoping to try something different this time, I just couldn’t decide which direction to go. So, instead of overthinking it, once I knew that I couldn’t make a quick decision, I picked up VW T2 truck and started giving it some thought. A lot of people use this casting for customs, so I don’t want to do what somebody else has already done. I’m not 100% sure of where I’m going with this one, but I’m going to start heading that way now. First, the basic stuff, removed the body from the chassis by drilling out the mushroom post on the front and back. I used a 2-56 tap and drill to drill the post down to accept the 2-56 x 3/16″ button head screw when the project is finished. It’s easier to do this before you disassemble the vehicle. Once the post is drilled and tapped, I use a 3/16″ drill bit to remove the remaining mushroom on the post. This is where a lot of people make mistakes. You need to drill slowly and straight, only removing enough of the mushroom to pry the body from the chassis. The base of this vehicle is plastic, so patience is mandatory. Once I drill enough of the mushroom away, I use a curved pick to slowly pry the chassis from the body. I really wish the windows on this casting were clear, but we’ll have to work with what we have. So once the vehicle is completely disassembled, I start looking over things that need to be added, changed or removed. This particular casting has those 6 intake holes in the front along with a indention. Once the paint is stripped, I’ll fill this area in with super glue and baking soda, then sand.

I use Rust-Oleum Aircraft Paint Remover to remove the paint from the casting. Of course, read the directions, but I just give the body a pretty thick coat of the remover, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then use the air compressor to blow off the paint that’s pulled away from the metal. Takes about 10 minutes. Some times, you may have to do this twice or take a small brass brush to get into the grooves of the casting. Once the paint is removed, I start working out the imperfections on the body and filling in areas with the super glue/baking soda mixer. I hope to get some video of this process soon, but it’s super easy and the excess sands away easily. After the first application of the super glue/baking soda mix, I file away the excess with diamond encrusted mini files (found at Amazon), then give the area a good sanding with 600 grit sandpaper. After a light coat of primer is applied, I can easily see the areas that I missed and will have to fill in again. This is where I’m going to stop on this part of the project. Part II coming soon! If you have any questions, please feel fee to ask.

Liked it? Take a second to support John Boyd on Patreon!
Become a patron at Patreon!

by

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.