MOC: Minifig scale classic VW Beetle

[Ralph_S]

Last week fellow Eurobricks member Dennimator challenged me to building a minifig scale Volkswagen Beetle. Normally I don't really respond to challenges like this, but Dennis is a nice guy and perhaps more importantly I have a thing for VW Beetles. I also do not like other people's minifig scale Beetles much, but then again, this is not an easy sort of thing to build!

We agreed to post them more or less simultaneously, without having seen each other's efforts first.

Cheers,

Ralph

[Dennimator]

It´s really great!

I love how you built the front with only plates and slopes. That windshield is perfect for the Beetle (same as I used), but what I love most with your one is the back.

It´s incredible, as it´s authentic yet doesn´t "disturb" the build of the rest of the car. I feel that the back is the weakest spot of my Beetle, but yours is great.

But you might want to replace the black 1 x 2 modified plates at the bottom of the car with bluish gray ones, and the wheels look a little out of place on an old vehicle like this.

This looks partially more like a redesigned Beetle.

Great work!

[Ralph_S]

It´s really great!

I love how you built the front with only plates and slopes. That windshield is perfect for the Beetle (same as I used), but what I love most with your one is the back.

It´s incredible, as it´s authentic yet doesn´t "disturb" the build of the rest of the car. I feel that the back is the weakest spot of my Beetle, but yours is great.

But you might want to replace the black 1 x 2 modified plates at the bottom of the car with bluish gray ones, and the wheels look a little out of place on an old vehicle like this.

This looks partially more like a redesigned Beetle.

Great work!

Late model Beetles did come with some pretty snazzy chrome rims as an option. I considered using dark bley for the running boards, but they were pretty dark on the real car. Thanks for this challenge. It was difficult, but fun and I'm happy to have a Beetle in my collection.

Cheers,

Ralph

[MetroiD]

What a wonderful Beetle - the challenge itself is obviously a great idea, it portrays the typical MOCcing style of both o'ya :)

I really LOVE the work you've done on the rear of this done! And what's more, this reminds me that I should finally get around to photographing & posting those Type 2's of mine...

[Ricecracker]

It looks great, Ralph! I especially love the headlights and the hood. But, ah, isn't he driving on the wrong side of the road (I kid, of course )?

When did you decide to start taking your pictures with the road? I think it looks very nice.

We should have a building challenge sometime.

Edited December 24, 2009 by Ricecracker

[Ralph_S]

What a wonderful Beetle - the challenge itself is obviously a great idea, it portrays the typical MOCcing style of both o'ya :)

I really LOVE the work you've done on the rear of this done! And what's more, this reminds me that I should finally get around to photographing & posting those Type 2's of mine...

Thank you. I'm not totally convinced by the front, but couldn't get it to look rounder without a total redesign. I would love to finally see that type 2 of yours. It's been months

It looks great, Ralph! I especially love the headlights and the hood. But, ah, isn't he driving on the wrong side of the road (I kid, of course )?

When did you decide to start taking your pictures with the road? I think it looks very nice.

We should have a building challenge sometime.

Perhaps we should, although I take part in so many challenges (on the flickr military group and LUGNuts) that I sometimes have a hard time finding things to build that are my own idea This one was attractive because I liked Beetles.

edit: I forgot to answer your question about the road. I built a road section to go with my Routemaster bus a little while ago, because I wanted to use it to mimic Firas' photo style and decided to hang on to it. I'm glad you like it. He is driving on the wrong side of the road because I want the car to fit into my little Lego part of London.

Cheers,

Ralph

Edited December 25, 2009 by Ralph_S

[Rick]

Given that Lego doens't lend itself at all to building a VW Beetle, you've done a terrific job. I really like that a minifig fits in, which many of the 'rounder' version don't allow. I agree with Dennimator that you've managed to capture the back side really well. The front is a little 'blocky', but I wouldn't be able to offer a suggestion how to make it rounder. Really nice job.

[lightningtiger]

You and 'Dennimator' choose one of the hardest vehicles to MOC, you both took a different approach to it, he pulled it off and so does yours !!!

Very nicely done 'Ralph_S' - great use of green - although I think they came out in a more darker green than that.

With the headlights at that position I feel it has a Superbug feel to it.

I have driven a 1963, 1971 and 1973 beetles in the past 25 years and lived and breathed them for over 10 of those years so I know my VW's.

Keep up the great work, 'Ralph_S' !

Hope you and everyone reading this is having a great Christmas day !

[Milan]

Nice to see a challenge here!

Your beetle here is nice and similar to the real model, maybe the best minifig model of the car.

I would maybe change the middle section of it, it looks too long, especially looking at the second picture, also I would enhance the roof's roundness.

If I had to choose from yours and Dennimator, I would choose yours for being realistic.

But I would also chose his for the winner regarding nice ideas.

[Ralph_S]

Given that Lego doens't lend itself at all to building a VW Beetle, you've done a terrific job. I really like that a minifig fits in, which many of the 'rounder' version don't allow. I agree with Dennimator that you've managed to capture the back side really well. The front is a little 'blocky', but I wouldn't be able to offer a suggestion how to make it rounder. Really nice job.

I fiddled with the front a bit, but with the headlights and everything and the limitations in the sort of parts I have in green I couldn't make it happen. I could probably make a VW Beetle model that is rounder, but indeed would have to give up on it having enough space inside to fit a figure.

You and 'Dennimator' choose one of the hardest vehicles to MOC, you both took a different approach to it, he pulled it off and so does yours !!!

Very nicely done 'Ralph_S' - great use of green - although I think they came out in a more darker green than that.

With the headlights at that position I feel it has a Superbug feel to it.

I have driven a 1963, 1971 and 1973 beetles in the past 25 years and lived and breathed them for over 10 of those years so I know my VW's.

Keep up the great work, 'Ralph_S' !

Hope you and everyone reading this is having a great Christmas day !

Thank you. My father used to have a '69 Beetle in dark green. The regular green indeed is a bit bright. I had a hard time choosing a suitable colour to build this thing in and this was the only colour in which I had both the brackets for the headlights and the hinge part to attach the front window. I agree about the superbug look, with the very straight headlights and the big rear lights as well. I think that if I wanted to go for a really early version I should have chosen different wheels for it too.

Nice to see a challenge here!

Your beetle here is nice and similar to the real model, maybe the best minifig model of the car.

I would maybe change the middle section of it, it looks too long, especially looking at the second picture, also I would enhance the roof's roundness.

If I had to choose from yours and Dennimator, I would choose yours for being realistic.

But I would also chose his for the winner regarding nice ideas.

He has definitely been more creative in his parts usage, while mine is more conventional. I agree that the middle section is a bit long, but when I tried to make it shorter the distance between the mudguards looked too short and I had trouble fitting the figure. Building a car that is this curvy and that can seat a minifigure obviously requires a lot of compromises.

I think that the must fun about this has been how different our solutions were.

Merry Christmas to all of you too.

Ralph

[Ricecracker]

Perhaps we should, although I take part in so many challenges (on the flickr military group and LUGNuts) that I sometimes have a hard time finding things to build that are my own idea This one was attractive because I liked Beetles.

I'm sure we could come up with something.

edit: I forgot to answer your question about the road. I built a road section to go with my Routemaster bus a little while ago, because I wanted to use it to mimic Firas' photo style and decided to hang on to it. I'm glad you like it.

OK, good idea to keep it

He is driving on the wrong side of the road because I want the car to fit into my little Lego part of London.

I know, I was just joking

[Rick]

I fiddled with the front a bit, but with the headlights and everything and the limitations in the sort of parts I have in green I couldn't make it happen. I could probably make a VW Beetle model that is rounder, but indeed would have to give up on it having enough space inside to fit a figure.

[...]

He has definitely been more creative in his parts usage, [...]

I think that the must fun about this has been how different our solutions were.

That's indeed what I like about Dennimator's model: the creative use of rounded parts for the front, but I probably would have also chosen to have a (full, cause he says half a fig will fit ) minifig being able to sit in the car. Overall: I like how both Beetles turned out.

[BlueBard]

Great Beetle design, specially being a MF scale one!

[prateek]

Great job! I like that it is kinda simple, and I like the green too. It's a Beetle conspiracy!

[Bonaparte]

I like the behind and roof of this car more than the Dennimator version but for the front I choose the one from Dennimator. Maybe you guys can make a 3rd version combining the best of both MOCs

Overall, an impressive result! And I love the color.

[Legostein]

Hello!

Gladly I start the second page of comments for this great creation! It's quite tricky to get a nicely rounded shape by using mainly plates and only few slopes. You did a great job and it's very authentic looking. Also the choice of colour is fantastic, as it shows some very rare green 1x1x2/3 slopes.

Cheers,

~ Christopher

[MdrnMrvls]

I love the back of this thing, it looks perfect. Of course, the rest is awesome too.

[Ralph_S]

That's indeed what I like about Dennimator's model: the creative use of rounded parts for the front, but I probably would have also chosen to have a (full, cause he says half a fig will fit ) minifig being able to sit in the car. Overall: I like how both Beetles turned out.

Obviously trying to fit a figure inside seriously cramped my style. He did tell me he could only a figure with the legs removed, so I suppose I could have doe the same. Since all my other minifig scale cars can seat at least one figure without having to amputate bits, I wanted the same for my Beetle.

Great Beetle design, specially being a MF scale one!

I have built larger models of them before, including a green one.

That was a pretty difficult thing to pull off, but making it good on minifig scale is probably harder. I was never too keen on most of the minifig scale ones that I know from brickshelf and flickr. I decided to ignore all of the ones that I know and simply do my own thing.

Great job! I like that it is kinda simple, and I like the green too. It's a Beetle conspiracy!

Thank you. Beetlemania!

I like the behind and roof of this car more than the Dennimator version but for the front I choose the one from Dennimator. Maybe you guys can make a 3rd version combining the best of both MOCs

Overall, an impressive result! And I love the color.

We could call it the "Frankenbeetle"

The thought to use curves mounted at an angle like that would have never occurred to me and as I mentioned in a comment on his VW I don't like how the they are integrated into the rest of the car. They do look very good from the front. I did consider using curves for the 'nose' of the car, but had colour issues. I wanted to use the small brackets to mount the headlights and only have those in light and dark bley, dark red and green. I do have large curves in dark bley, but not the hinge parts I needed for the windscreen. Unfortunately these curve don't exist in green (at least according to bricklink).

The brackets do exist in white, but I couldn't get them in time.

Hello!

Gladly I start the second page of comments for this great creation! It's quite tricky to get a nicely rounded shape by using mainly plates and only few slopes. You did a great job and it's very authentic looking. Also the choice of colour is fantastic, as it shows some very rare green 1x1x2/3 slopes.

Cheers,

~ Christopher

I was so happy when those finally came out. I was even happier when I was able to get my hands on a large enough number to use them with reckless abandon. I just counted them and realised that this model uses 12 of them!

I love the back of this thing, it looks perfect. Of course, the rest is awesome too.

Thanks Chris. The back is probably my favourite part of this too.

Cheers,

Ralph

[Badsneaker]

mmmm....green cheese slopes!! I love it!

[sens1992]

WoW! I love your beetle. Aside from the new Small Car set, LEGO should have came up with a mini beetle for the city line just like the VW Beetle 10187. One in a while, cars that are out of the ordinary should get a city LEGO set. Meanwhile, yours does the job for me!