THE BUG BOX - Sand Scorcher 2010 english

New Videos

2011-10-26T12:12:00.001+02:00

Sand Scorcher in the Volks World USA

2011-05-02T10:49:00.005+02:00

Instant Playground

2011-01-20T10:48:00.006+01:00

We have to thank our friend Randy Carlson in California who finally made it happen! Because of his help it was again possible to get the correct tires for our projects!

The manufacturer was and still is very hard to deal with as are a couple sponsors from our last project. They don´t get their benefits and only see the success our cars have. Jealousy is a bad habbit!
This time it took me around 20 e-mails to the seller to finally give up and ask for the help of Randy to go out and buy the tires!

His last e-mail: Success!!! I finally managed to get all the tires. Boy, that guy is even tough to deal with face to face with cash in hand!

Here is a small video about the correct use of Padla Traks:

The most important feature!

2010-11-25T13:38:00.003+01:00

It is always an honor for us when somebody somewhere talks or writes about our work, but for me personally a feature in the english VOLKSWORLD magazine is the kicker!
Using Stefan Bau´s unbelievable good pictures, Cathal O´Tool put together a brilliant feature! Thank you Volksworld!

Let´s go!

2010-11-25T13:29:00.004+01:00

Haven´t finished my thought we already had a car! Our friend Tom of Wheelerdealer fame found a body!

After a long hunt looking at numerous overpriced cars we got a base car. This 68 sunroof beetle is from the Frankfurt area was the only sunroof / steel dash car for a reasonable price.

Tobias is cutting the florr pan halves out of another 68 but IRS floor pan. After blasting the pan they will be substituted by a pair of high quality Wolfsbürg West repro floors.

THE FUTURE

2010-11-25T13:06:00.004+01:00

Soon after shipping the car to Japan the best was yet to come. There were many more or less serious inquiries for a SCORCHER from Wolfsburg to Qatar. I always said that I would do a maximum number of 3 complete cars and an extra body if there was request. Building a Baja to our quality standards is often underestimated and that is why it is not suprising that the euphoria of the most people inqiring came to a sudden stop when there had been a conversation about the costs of the built!

One day after business hours the phone rang without stop. I finally picked it up and on the other side somebody introcuced himself as: "I´m the biggest RC model car collector in the world!". During the following conversation it became clear, that my counterpart was serious!

He said: "I want to open a RC model car museum and need an eye catcher for the entrance hall! What do you prefer to build? A second Scorcher or a Wild Willy?"

BOTH!!! I already have the Willy and I´m sure to find a base car for a Scorcher in the near future!

Sometimes there must be somebody up there watching us with a big smile on his face...!

Rock´n Roll!

SCORCHER`S PLACE OF BIRTH

2010-11-25T12:46:00.003+01:00

We were honored the most when Mr. S. Tamiya himself asked if the Sand Scorcher could come to JAPAN to be on display in the entrance hall of the TAMIYA headquaters in Shizuoka! Right after the "First of May Show" in Hannover the car went on it´s long trip to the land of the rising sun. Soon after landing in Japan we got news from Mr. Mochizuki that the Scorcher got there safely and in one piece and got on display right after the wheels were mounted back on the car! I still hope to make it down there one day to visit TAMIYA and the Scorcher! I don´t think there is a better place on earth to present "our" Scorcher to the public!

A few weeks later Mr. Mochizuki sent us a self-built model of the Scorcher in exchange! MANY THANKS! We are overwhelmed!

SCORCHER PIN UP

2010-11-25T12:38:00.002+01:00

Whenever Stefan Bau http://www.foto-bau.de/ shows up at THE BUG BOX some spectacular pictures are in the pipe line!

Even the darkest day turns into a sunny day! Stefan´s pictures can be appreciated in the VOLKSWORLD issue! http://www.volksworld.co.uk/

Many thanks to the people responsible for the tourist attraction Monte Kaolino in Hirschau for the one off location! http://www.montekaolino.eu/

Next one: France

2010-08-18T20:03:00.005+02:00

The legendary Super VW Magazine from France has the BUG BOX Sand Scorcher on the cover and in the mag this month (#253/September 2010). It is featured on six pages and they used the fantastic action shots of photografer Stefan Bau.

We are really pleased with the result and want to thank Stefan and the Super VW crew! You all did an awesome job!

The BUG BOX Sand Scorcher conquers Europe

2010-06-16T13:56:00.002+02:00

Our Sand Scorcher graced the pages of several english, german and mexican magazines - know he made it into an italien mag. The current issue of Evo Italy features the big toy beetle on six pages.

France, Japan and the US will follow. And another big german magazine is preparing a feature as well. Stay tuned!

More press

2010-05-27T08:51:00.002+02:00

Today we received an envelop from Paul Etherington, a hard-core Sand Scorcher fan and owner of Zippyracing, with three Racer Magazins from England. That mag is about RC cars but they made a exception for the Bug Box Scorcher. It's the first 1:1 car that graces their pages - and the cover! Thank you guys!

Fusca Ativo Magazine from Brazil

2010-05-19T11:38:00.005+02:00

We just found out that the Fusca Ativo online magazine did a double page on the Sand Scorcher. Very nice, well done and thank you guys!

Maybug

2010-05-05T15:12:00.003+02:00

30th of April and we are heading towards Hannover for the traditional DFL May Cruise Madness and the 1st of May Show - the german season opener. Besides the Scorcher two more cars were allowed to join the fun - Walters 15 window Split Bus and the cool Veep (a Jeep with VW engine, build in the 70s in the USA).

In the morning of the 1st of May a huge crowed surrounded the Sand Scorcher. Questions upon questions were asked by the people and if we didn't answer all of them - grab one of the next issues of the german Motor Klassik magazine and you will get all answers by reading the great feature on the Sand Scorcher.

Helge Ohmes, long time VW treasure hunter and the man who awakened Walters interest in building a real size Sand Scorcher took a seat behind the steering wheel - what a smile!

Walter at the show stage. He answered all the questions presenter Otto Meyer-Spelbrink was asking, who seemed to be impressed by the perfect Baja Bug.

It got a bit quieter in the afternoon and the little Scorcher came out for some suntan.

By the end of the day Walter got another award for the big toy. Posing proud in front of his creation for the last time, as the car is going on a world tour - first to the US, then to Japan.

Retro Cars magazine feature

2010-04-21T11:01:00.005+02:00

Today the new Retro Cars mag arrived, also a Brit magazine. Looks even better than in Evo - in our opinion.

Evo magazine feature

2010-04-21T10:57:00.003+02:00

The first magazine feature of the Scorcher in the british Evo mag. Well done Jonny and Stu!

Package leaflet

2010-04-21T10:43:00.002+02:00

We found this nice little letter saturday morning at the Volksworld Show in the Sand Scorcher:

We would love to know the author!

Smile of a winner

2010-04-15T14:09:00.003+02:00

We found this picture at the DAS VW Club blog - thanks guys! Walter and his son Max receiving the awards - one "Top 20" and the "European Bug-In pick". Happy faces!

Sand Scorcher in action

2010-04-07T15:17:00.005+02:00

Sandscorcher from The Bug Box on Vimeo.

Volksworld Show 2010

2010-04-01T11:17:00.004+02:00

Finally the Sand Scorcher arrived in Esher at the Volksworld Show. Peter Köhmann from Custom & Speed Parts bought us a nice spot next to his stand - a little sandpit. Every other spot would have been possible without the R/C - but we wanted that with the car of course!

The cans were commissoned by the Volksworld team and made by Stéphane Dendievel from iCans. It is the smallest amount of cans made so far, so it will be more thought after than any other of the EBI cans.

Everybody seems to be crazy about the Scorcher. Nearly everybody wants to have a picture with the Scorcher, with the kid and the Scorcher, with the wife and the Scorcher... Meanwhile Silvia is selling Sand Scorcher-Shirts and hands out stickers as a giveaway.

After the show is over Mike Pye from Volksworld magazine has to remove the traces on the Padla Traks. Talk about tire porn...

The conclusion? Everybody seemed to love the Scorcher, not just the visitors. The judges voted the Scorcher into the Top 20 and the European Bug-In Organizers Choice was also ours! Thank you all for the awards!

And thanks again to the sponsors Custom & Speed Parts, Dieter Schmidt-Lorenz , Wolfsburg West, Repro Net, Berner, Blaschewski, Newstyler.de, Edelstahlfritze and Enslein & Schönberger, without them it wouldn't have been possible to realize that project.

The curtain drops

2010-04-01T09:07:00.002+02:00

Just before everything was loaded and the trailer closed, I took some pics of the new details we fabricated for the Volksworld Show.

The panels in all their glory! We had to ditch the Empi panels as they were neither fitting exactely nor did they fulfill our expectations quality-wise.

Little handmade frames under the door openers to compensate the height difference.

A picture of the rear fenders in their final version. The tail lights sit straight and there is more space between wing and wheel next to the running board.

Off we go to the Volksworld Show

2010-03-24T18:58:00.004+01:00

What a day! We got the new rear wings from the painter at the last moment. At the same time the car finisher took care of the Scorcher, to give it a last good polish. Besides that a packing list has to be made, we have to think of everything.

Doing the hoovering, the polishing, the wrenching. Don't forget anything, don't scratch anything...

Markus is taking care of the billboard, mounting brackets and chains.

The others try to build up the huge banner - our box replacement - for the first time. "Ok, let's see, we have to put A into B and then..."

Done! Jörg and Herbert proudly present the banner, while Walter is still working on it.

Now we have to load everything. That is going to be a long night for sure. Tomorrow at noon time we will leave for Calais.

New shirts

2010-03-18T08:47:00.008+01:00

The brand new limited BUG BOX Sand Scorcher 2010 shirts arrived today. Looking good! We used high quality "Fruit of the Loom" shirts with the silk-screen printing on the front. They are 19 Euro each plus shipping and they are available in the following sizes:

Men: M, L, XL and XXL
Girls: S, M and L
Kids: 104, 116 and 128

Order one now from Daniel (daniel@bug-box.de), while stocks last! Or pic yours up at the Volksworld Show in Esher at the last weekend in March!

Sign of life

2010-03-10T20:14:00.002+01:00

The BUG BOX Sand scorcher will be in the comming print issue of Evo magazine. As a teaser the Brits put a short video of the Scorcher on their website. It shows the first test run so don't forget to turn up the sound.

We think the Scorcher is the only Beetle we wouldn't be embarassed running it with a stinger on official German roads.

Wing commander

2010-03-10T20:11:00.003+01:00

The Scorcher spend the last days at the paintshop do get some minor scratches touched up. Now it is back at the BUG BOX and we are working on it again. Some already noticed the limited space beteween the rear wings and the tires in the area close to the running board. We noticed that as well, but didn't want to do anything against it before the Toy Fair. Now, as the Volksworld Show is coming up next, we want to make everything fit. Therefor we ordered a pair of 10 centimeter inner widened fibre glass wings from CSP. Out of these fenders we cook up our own Scorcher wings.

No Robert, you can't fit the tire with that fender on. Walter wonders already where and how we cut the fenders.

Walter aka "Tship Fus" skillful draws the new lines. If this is going to look good? We are sceptical.

With the wing roughly cut off the tire and wheel combo can get back on to the car. Now we can finalize the new lines even better. Well, we will see how the work progresses in the following days and if the idea with the Beetle wings is really less labor-intensive than modifying Baja fenders.

Three times

2010-03-10T20:10:00.003+01:00

The local newspaper DER NEUE TAG dedicated some lines to the BUG BOX Sand Scorcher as well. In overall three editions the journalists cover our project, the temporarily last time in the issue from February 19th. Good to get so much positive feedback.

Pure indulgence

2010-03-10T19:57:00.004+01:00

Finally there is time for us to enjoy and photograph the Sand Scorcher in every detail. We don't write anything to the photos, because pictures are worth a thousand words. Enjoy!

Over

2010-03-10T19:56:00.003+01:00

Monday, February 8th: We pick up the Scorcher to bring it home again. Enough of "beeing in the spotlight". And moreover little Sand Scorcher is waiting in Weiden for his dad. A last souvenir photo is beeing taken, together with Markus (left), Konrad (middle) und Daniel.

The boss himself

2010-03-10T19:29:00.002+01:00

The international Toy Fair opens the gates officialy. Die Spielwarenmesse öffnet ihre Tore offiziell. The first day seems to be the busiest day like on every exhibition. And all the bosses are there as well - they want to see how their stands turned out. Suddenly he is there - the man: Tamiya Shunsaku-san, Chief Executive of Tamiya, Inc. and son of founder Tamiya Yoshio-san.

Like everybody Tamiya-san asks if he can take place in the Sand Scorcher. Why certainly! He praises our work and the execusion of the car. Entire in the sense of Tamiya, whose model kits are also well known for their high quality. The next thing we knew a cluster of people were surrounding Tamiya-san and Walter, all trying to take a picture of the two.

And, of course, the Tamiya boss has to sign Walters Scorcher box as well - there is no way around it.

And eventually the two lined up for the obligatory shakehands photo. Do you know who is pleased more?

Enthusiastic reception

2010-03-10T17:39:00.003+01:00

After one and a half hour drive we are reaching Nürnberg. You can't miss the exhibition area, there are signs everywhere.

We just have to turn right and we are there. At the Toy Fair - cool! Usually it is open just for dealers and the press. But this year we can have a look as well...

Just a few more meter to go and we are at the huge Tamiya stand. The trailer is opened up and the first people stop dead in their tracks. You don't see cars like the Scorcher here very often, most of the time the exhibitors use super cars like Ferrari or Lamborghini.

The Scorcher rolls in the direction of the Tamiya stand, one of the biggest in this hall.

Unfortunately we have to clean the car, some kind of dirt came through the blankets of the trailer. Franz buckles to work.

There he is, the first Tamiya celebrity. 30 years ago Taki Fumito designed the original Tamiya Sand Scorcher. He was overwhelmed from the 1:1 Scorcher. It must be a fantastic feeling, when you know, that the toy you developed is an icone today. And then there is a guy like Walter who build the car for real.

Taki-san just had to take place behind the steering wheel of the Scorcher. Look at his face - he is one happy man!

The glovebox lid is a favourite place for autographs. Taki-san signed the Scorcher with name, date and time.

Now they are all here: The real size BUG BOX Scorcher and Tamiyas re-release Scorcher. They will stand there for the next five days. And in front of both is the box of Walters kit - also signed by Taki-san.

Travel arrangements

2010-03-10T16:15:00.002+01:00

Today the Scorcher goes on its first big journey. Of course in a closed trailer, because we don't want to clean it for hours in Nürnberg at the international Toy Fair.

I think Jonny is of another opinion. He would preferebly drive to the show. :-)

We carefully load the Scorcher onto the trailer, watching out for the Padla Traks, because they are really close to the edges. Hopefully we don't blow it and scratch the white tire letters.

"Daddy, daddy, I want to come with you." "No little Scorcher, you stay at home!"

Thorough rigging is obligatory, because we don't want to have dents in the freshly painted Scorcher. But Konrad and Franz know how to do it, so we are not worrying.

Ok, now we just have to close the trailer and off we go to the Toy Show.

Boulevard bomber

2010-03-10T16:00:00.003+01:00

Germanys biggest popular paper puts the Sand Scorcher on the cover page of their website. Who would have thought that?

We do not want to deplore ourselves, this helps the whole scene eventually. And the scene is not only hobby and fun, it's also about jobs and earning money. That way we get recognized by the puplic, they can see that there are Beetles and their fans. And myabe one or the other will be inspired, thinking about buying one of those old aircooled cars.

Second photo shooting

2010-03-10T13:56:00.002+01:00

The Brits are in the house! They flew in from London and arrived in Nürnberg Monday night around 10.30 a.m., then got into the rental car and drove down to Weiden through a blizzard. Now they sit in the warm workshop (Jonny Smith to the left, Stuart Collins to the right) and wait patiently for us to finish the Scorcher. We just have to do some little improvements...

Now Scorcher and Acoms are where Stuart wants to have them for the shooting. While he is doing his work, Jonny is gathering information from Walter and Georg.

Say cheese! Meanwhile Walter is used to do that. He eventually did that more then once in the last 16 years. We had over 58 BUG BOX build cars in magazines all over the world.

At the end of the shooting Stuart mounts his tripod to the Scorcher to simulate fast action shots. How that works? It's a photographers secret, but you can admire the results soon in the british Evo magazine and in Auto Expres s.

Toy workshop?

2010-03-10T12:25:00.002+01:00

These two pictures seem so unreal. One doesn't know if this is a toy workshop on a scale of 1:10 or the real thing with a 10:1 radio control. Especially the upper picture seems to be a scaled down workshop with the roof taken of for the potographer.

TV day

2010-03-10T11:00:00.005+01:00

Felix delivers the radio remote control just bevor the Janus TV team arrives. What a monster! It will bring the real size Scorcher to bear.

Daniel and Konrad examine the R/C very critical, but can't do anything but raising their hats to Felix's work.

The Janus crew starts filming directly after their arrival, not wasting any time. It's going to be a long day for everybody. The last workings will be filmed, that means they will take longer than without a camera, because you have to stop for a different angle, or redo a step and so on.

Now it's getting thrilling. The stickers are here. Markus "Maeggs" Luber (left) from Repro-Net traced every single sticker that is shown on the artwork. Now he sticks the big ones to the real size Scorcher, while Michael Mehrl holds the box with the artwork for reference.

The last little things get attached to the car, always monitored by the camera. That doesn't bother Franz (right) - he is cool with it. Or at least he does, as if he wasn't excited.

Finally Thomas Peter, Senior Marketing Manager of Tamiya Germany, arrives. He's not only bringing back Walters vintage Scorcher, he has also a very special surprise for him.

Walter gets the very first re-release Sand Scorcher kit as a gift. With all the bells and whistles and naturally signed by Mr. Peter. He is really delighted, but tries to look cool.

Now he knows what to do at the weekend. Walter and Max will build the new Scorcher and after finishing the build, they will fold the box and put it in the trash can.

Okay, just kidding!

Daddy Scorcher and little baby Scorcher posing for the camera - of course both with a corresponding Acoms R/C.

Finally we have to make the Scorcher alive. Walter turns the key and the trusty aircooled engine starts up right away, with a throaty sound coming from the chromed stinger. To bad that you can't hear it...

A long day comes to its end, but there are satisfied faces all over the place. Robert (left) and Franz are happy about the positive feedback. Can you get a better acknowledgement for your work than a huge media interest? Who wouldn't be happy to have a magazine or a TV station featuring your car after years of work?

Last impression of that eventful Friday. Now there will be three days of peace before we will hit the road to the Toy Fair in Nürnberg, Germany.

First photo shooting

2010-03-10T10:01:00.002+01:00

Thursday, January 28th. The BUG BOX Sand Scorcher has its first appearance. Jens Koch (to the right) flew in from Berlin to take pictures of our Beetle for Bild.de and for the print version Bild and/or Bild am Sonntag.

There isn't much space for the photo shoot, because we have to stay inside. Outside there is tons of snow. No problem so for a pro like Jens. He does his magic even in confined space. And at least everybody had fun!

During the day it was noticable that the Scorcher looks realy brut from the rear. That's why we have taken another picture of the back view.

Done! Well, nearly...

2010-03-10T09:09:00.002+01:00

Okay, we are ready for Jens Koch's visit tomorrow. The Bild newspaper photographer will be happy with the Scorcher - hopefully. The car is done, but we didn't have the stickers yet. They will be here in two days - Friday. The Scorcher won't be really finished until then. But the newspaper people said it's ok for them without stickers. And for us almost as well. Without the stickers the car has got so much more 70s flair. Especially the side view shows the US influence of those years. Isn't it beautifull? Look how exactely the line between the white and the blue follows the line of the chrome trim. Sigh, we are really proud on our baby!

Nightshift

2010-03-10T08:38:00.002+01:00

We did expect to have anothe five work days to finish the car, but Germanys biggest popular paper Bild put a spoke in our wheel. The guys from Bild.de checked our blog on a regular basis and gave us a call today. They would like to feature our Sand Scorcher and asked, if it would be possible to take some pictures before the end of the week. Sure, if we hurry up!

Okay, so go for it! Five days become two, but with some nightshifts we even accomplish this task. Konrad, Robert, Jörg and Franz don't give themselves any peace, hour after hour more progress is made. In the evenings Gerald Lang, the electrician, Walter and Silvia join the crew.

It's not much missing now and we still have another day. In fact Silvia started late at night to polish the windows. That's teamwork!

Remotely controlled

2010-03-09T17:59:00.004+01:00

It's not just us working night and day on the Sand Scorcher project, Felix Landmesser also puts his best foot forward. Today he send us some pictures - and what can we say? Awesome!

We can't wait to see the 10:1 scale Acoms AP-227 finally in the flesh. It's finished, except for the device designation in the lower part - but he is working on that already. Aside from that he split the R/C in two parts. That way you can better handle and stow the unit.

Goody bag

2010-03-09T17:03:00.002+01:00

Today we received another one of those unremarkable grey boxes from way up north, filled with small but very delicate NOS parts. We have to call Dieter nearly every day, because we need more stuff that we either don't have in our stock or just as a used and shabby part. And Dieter has it all - almost. And he sends it right away. Good, if you have someone you can count on - especially with our limited time to finish the Scorcher.

The second parcel we got today is a bit more colorful. Sand Scorcher valve covers from CSP - again a one-off for our project - cool!

Impressions

2010-03-09T16:05:00.003+01:00

Could it be better? Tamiyas Rough Rider in the front with the original Sand Scorcher behind, the old box for the accessorie body to the right. Then, behind the counter, the real Padla Traks with white tirelettering and in the background the big Scorcher. What a epic picture!

Nearly the same angle, just without the counter and with a view on some parts, freshley painted and ready to assemble.

Tire porn 2

2010-03-09T14:14:00.002+01:00

"Tire lettering, tire lettering" claim the users on various forums. They don't have to worry, we would have done that anyway. Without tire lettering the hoops would be just half as cool.

Walters girl Silvia gets the job. We give her tire paint and brushes. And coffee. One letter after another gets the treatment, Silvia works very carefully. If you are into tires, you will understand why we spend the extra time. This is the only way to go. If you look at them with the lettering you feel like you were back in the 70s.

High and mighty

2010-03-09T13:39:00.002+01:00

No, we are of course not high and mighty. But the Scorcher is high - and looks mighty. The difference between the off-road tires and the sand tires is unbelievable. Especially from the rear the Scorcher with its Padla Traks seems to be wide, really wide. Something like that hasn't been seen for a long time, particularly not in Germany. If people in Europe build Bajas or Streakers the usually put off-road tires on - for the sake of road traffic regulations and road handling. We could put all that aside, because our Scorcher just has to be a copy of the Box Art car.

Blanket Art

2010-03-09T12:12:00.002+01:00

The artwork for our blanket is ready. The blanket will be displayed behind our Sand Scorcher at the various shows and events. It's a kind of box replacement. We have - in the style of the original Box Art - a new description added plus a list with all our sponsors.

1/1 Real Size Car Suitable For Human Control

Already assembled 1/1 precise 1968 model
Forward and reverse 4-speed gearbox
Requires gas, oil and a skilled driver
Comes with engine
4 wheel independent suspension system
Precisely restored steel body
All new seals on body keep driver and gear clean and dry
Motor and transmission are stock 'cause it doesn't matter

Wedding of the year

2010-03-09T12:00:00.003+01:00

A lot of people were waiting for that fusion, for us it's the wedding of the year. Jörg tackles the body up front, Walter in the rear to the right side and Konrad to the left side. In the video Daniel and Georg (who was supposed to take pictures) come to the rescue. Luckily after a few minutes everything sat perfect in place, with no one harmed, neither car nor human.

Kit car for grown-ups

2010-03-09T11:01:00.002+01:00

We had to take that picture: Neatly draped and seen from above our Scorcher seems to be a little model kit. The only things missing is a real size box and a plastic tree that holds the parts.

Accuracy

2010-03-09T10:49:00.002+01:00

Like we said, we do not leave anything to coincidence. You can take for granted that the Scorcher gets the same license plates as shown on the Box Art. Real ones from California, for 195 Dollar the pair. Plus tax. Plus customs duty. And in the end we will have the correct registration stickers on the plates as well. October 1971 - a good year, a good month.

The ash tray will never again be used, that's why we had it yellow chromated as well. It's really fun to put all these clean, shiny parts together.

Attention to detail

2010-03-09T10:01:00.002+01:00

You can clearly see that we try to think of everything when you notice the details.
CSP branded one of their shifters with the Sand Scorcher lettering, made especially for us. The one-off will be soon at it's final destination.

There are no images of the interior on the original Tamiya box, but the car in question is an US model. That's why it needs a mph-speedometer. And yes, we thought about that as well. It's of course a NOS part - from Dieter Schmidt-Lorenz. Cheers, Dieter!

Homecomer

2010-03-09T09:35:00.002+01:00

We can start with the final completion, the body is back home in the BUG BOX workshop. There are still two more weeks left to reassemble the Sand Scorcher. Now we have to be very careful not to scratch the freshly painted shell.

Piece by piece everything joins, the tape seen at the pictures are for protection reasons, while we assemble the Scorcher. Somehow we all feel like living 1:10 humans, building a Tamiya R/C kit.

On- and off-stage

2010-03-09T09:08:00.002+01:00

While Konrad mounts the body lift in front of the Abenteuer Auto camera, more and more parts arrive in the receiving area. Today we got a shippment from Dieter Schmidt-Lorenz, who provides us with lots of NOS parts. Always a pretty sight, these old, never used things.

Although Dieter has really a lot in stock, he can't supply every single piece we need.
Then we are searching for them elsewhere. We want NOS parts if possible and that equates with the word EXPENSIVE. Yes, even parts for a "young" 68 Beeetle aren't cheap anymore.

Ready, steady, go!

2010-03-09T08:38:00.003+01:00

Here we go! The printers team are spraying pure white on the body, doors and hood. This is a one-layer lacquer, that usually needs no clear coat anymore. Nevertheless it will get some clear coat in the end, just like the blue parts. But before they start with the masking for the blue color, the white parts have to be polished.

Now the blue is on and as long as it is not dry the printers crew is getting rid of the masking tape. If they would wait until the paint has dried, they would risk to chip it while removing the tape.

Watch out for the masking tape! If it hits the painted parts, they can start all over again.
Always difficult to paint is the part behind the air vents. They used some very fine brushes to correct some small imperfections.

Finally two layers of clear coat refine the Scorcher. Now not only the parts are shining, our eyes do that as well. We can't wait to finish our car puzzle.

The painters needed over 180 hours for their work! The result is accordingly high-quality.

Show your colors

2010-03-09T08:01:00.003+01:00

It's mid of January and the body finally is at the painter. While the body is waiting for paint, the two ladys from the local newspaper and from the TV station exchange their research.

A first view on the all white parts plus the two tail light housings painted plain blue. What a nice color combination - white and blue. Every Bavarian will confirm this (they love their national colors white and blue).

50 percent pleasure gain

2010-03-08T19:44:00.004+01:00

WICKED! What a difference to the off-road tires! Now the chassis really comes to advantage. The STU tires make 50 percent of that car - dead certain!

Like said before, the first mock-up of the Scorcher didn't knock everybodys socks off - it looked so familiar with the off-road tires. Now with the STU hoops everyone in the shop can't wait to put the finished body on the drivetrain because it looks like nothing we have seen before.

Padla Traks on chromed 12x15 inch wheels - mad! We haven't seen tires like that on the rear wheels of a Beetle in years.

A lovely detail shot of the pedal assembly.

Tire porn 1

2010-03-08T19:34:00.002+01:00

The guys at the tire shop are always happy when we have a new job for them. They know that we usually have unusually tires and/or wheels for them to mount. That gives their daily routine a nice twist. Same this time. No wonder, because they never saw sand tires in their life but had fun fitting them on the wheels.

Good things come to those who wait

2010-03-08T19:16:00.003+01:00

You are not going to believe this: We finally received the Sand Tire Unlimited hoops! And what mighty fine tires they are!

Up front we will run 6.25-15 Smoothee 2s. That is something comletely different compared with the off-road tires we had as dummies. And like we said: They were never available with grooves as shown at the Box Art.

The diameter of the Padla Traks is smaller compared to the off-road tires, but they are a lot wider. We can't wait to have the tires mounted to the chromed wheels.

Another interesting detail: We found that sticker on one of the Padla Traks! Saved by the bell! Who knows when STU is producing the next batch of Padla Traks.

Color sensitive

2010-03-08T17:23:00.003+01:00

How can one find the right color with all these samples? Our reference is Tamiya TS 10 French Blue. But you can't use it for the real size Scorcher because the color looks completely different on metal. A problem, that we have to consider with other brands as well. Eventually the color has to cover sheet metal, new glass fibre and some 40 year old glass fibre. Will the color look the same on the different materials?

But now we had to find at first a color that comes as close as possible to French Blue. After some lengthy discussions we finally agreed on one of the options - thank god!

Done

2010-03-08T16:50:00.004+01:00

The first week of January lasted out to complete the chassis. We combined the Trekker spindles with an adjustable front beam - a beam that is truly heights adjustable.

While we mounted stock drums in the rear, CSP supplied disc brakes for the front. We had the hub powdercoated in black to simulate the drums of the Box Art car. At first glance it looks like four drums were used on the Sand Scorcher.

At the end of the day Jörg sits absentmindedly at one of the huge off-road tires. Is he already dreaming of STU hoops? Yes he is, and full of anticipation. Why? Walter made it happen and organized two 16.50 Padla Traks and two 6.75 Smothee 2s. Therefore we had to send a check (wire transfer and credit card were to complex for STU!!!), hire someone to pick up the tires at the STU headquarter, and so on and so forth. It wasn't a pleasure to deal with Sand Tires Unlimited.

Surely some readers have seen the 4.50 Smoothees of the Box Art Scorcher equipped with grooves - different to what we ordered. It must be said that STU never did Smoothees with grooves. The reason for choosing the different tire size is to compensate the bigger gap between tire and fender due to the body lift.

Annual closure 2009

2010-03-08T16:10:00.002+01:00

Today is the last day of the year 2009 and as a nice ending we got our handmade Baja bumper back from NEW-Styler - properly chromed. Can't wait to see it at the finished Scorcher. But that has to wait another four weeks - if everything goes to plan.

Knock on wood

2010-03-08T15:35:00.002+01:00

While we at the BUG BOX are taking care of the Beetle, Felix is busy working on the 10:1 Acoms radio control. Plywood and fiberboard are the basic materials, in addition with a lot of imagination. Felix says: "I will construct the aerial from wastewater pipes for instance and I have some other really good ideas." Anyways, the first pictures look promising. And we are assured that the Scorcher won't be perfect without the radio control!

Bling bling

2010-03-08T14:59:00.002+01:00

More and more new componetns are reaching the workshop. Shiny spring plates and corresponding caps, along with bright red Urethane bushings.

From the outside the stainless steel spring plate caps can convince with a mirror like surface, the inside shows a very well executed weldseam.

Another 29 boxes with galvanized and yellow chromated parts take some serious space on the workshop floor.

Some might moan about the fact that our Scorcher is going to be a show car and not a real Off Road vehicle. The thing is: we want to build a show car. We just want to build an exact replica of the 1:10 Scorcher. No more, no less.

Over the moon with the undercarriage

2010-03-08T14:39:00.004+01:00

Finally we see some progress. Today the guys of the painters brought back the chassis - covered in deep black paint.

Now we have to start with the assembling of the running gear immediately, otherweise we are behind our schedule.

Yellow phase

2010-03-08T14:04:00.002+01:00

Galvanized and yellow chromated parts look really nice, especially when combined with black suspension or other technical components. We got a table full of parts from the galvanizer today.

Starting with the fan, to the pedal assembly, sway bar, backing plates right through to countless nuts and bolts. The boys in the workshop can't wait to put all these clean parts onto our Scorcher.

All in a blaze

2010-03-08T13:13:00.002+01:00

More and more parcels arrive from our sponsors CSP, Dieter Schmidt-Lorenz and Wolfsburg West. Wherever possible we use NOS (New Old Stock) parts. Not only rubber seals and other rather unsightly things, but also some eye candy, like that chromed steering box and shaft coupler. Additionally the Scorcher gets a cross shaft to connect the steering box with the steering column. That is needed because of the body lift.

The old Bug Eye nose cone from the 70s gets new headlights. It's not that easy, because the glass fibre part has no mounting brakets at all. Like so often we have to develop something ourselves.

Rust converter

2010-03-08T10:50:00.003+01:00

After a few days without the Scorcher it returned today from the sandblaster. There is not much welding needed - just as we thought. The body may has looked horrible at first glance, but proved to be very solid.

Oh, and we got news from the tire supplier: Meanwhile STU is willing to ship overseas. Fantastic!
"But only if you take 10 pairs of Smoothees and 10 pairs of Padla Traks." Yes, sure, we have a Sand Scorcher mass production. Are they crazy?

Bumper build

2010-03-08T08:49:00.003+01:00

The last three days Konrad abused the pipe-bending machine, bringing steel tubes to shape. Inch by inch a (nearly) priceless front bumper arose on the workbench. Today we can trial fit it - fits! There is just the final layer of chrome missing - but we will have that soon.

Cal Look fans certainly noticed the flat Lucas indicators. They are a typical detail for VWs modified in the 1970s. They are seen on the Box Art and will be of course on our car as well.

And we have an update regarding STU: They usually do not ship overseas. And also no payment via credit card... hello? Where are we? In 1971? Well, we don't give up hope!

Stick to it

2010-03-01T17:09:00.002+01:00

After finishing the glassfibre parts a first completion of the Sand Scorcher is on the agenda. We put a motor with a Baja header and stinger in, mount the Empi bars front and rear. Everything is how it will be in the end but the Chrome Spoke wheels. They still wear the dummy Off Road tires. We made a first contact with Sand Tires Unlimited (STU) and try to organize the Smoothees and Padla Traks.

But there is more to do. The first mock-up proves us right, that the front Baja bumper doesn't look good. Together with the body lift it even looks worse. The only solution: We build one from scratch. Konrad gives thought to a new version. It's not just plug and play, as you can see!

Fibre fever

2010-03-01T16:55:00.003+01:00

As already mentioned the glass fibre parts either lack accuracy of fit or desired shape. That's why we had someone in the workshop today, who is familiar with glassfibre. He revamps the Baja parts to our liking.

While the front wings need little work, the rear fenders have to be heavily modified. Shape and width change as the day progresses. Even the vintage nose cone and deck lid get some minor alterations.

No one will see the amount of work that went into it after everything is painted. No one will notice that this is more or less a one-off Baja kit - unless you know.

Bill-board

2010-02-25T14:53:00.009+01:00

Yes, we have to pay the bill for the butchered dasboard! It is mid November and we make great progress. Today Franz is welding in a donor dashboard. He had to cover the hole that one of the former owners cut into the old dash. Now it looks like nothing has happend - well done, Franz!

Up and up

2010-02-25T14:53:00.007+01:00

While we used just the front and rear part of the body lift for the first pictures of the "assembled" Sand Scorcher, we now have the completed steel frame available. Therefore we had to weld the four pieces of the Empi kit together. Because of the body lift the Beetle shell will sit around 7,5 centimeter (3 inches) higher than before.

Franz and Konrad are mounting the wings to the body, checking the clearance of the huge tires.

Now you get a first impression. It doesn't look as spectacular as we expected, after all everybody has seen a Baja Beetle before. But Walter believes in it: "That car will be different to every Baja you have seen so far!"

Role models in the spotlight

2010-02-25T14:52:00.005+01:00

There is not much to see right now, therefore the Abenteuer Auto crew takes care of the role models. The 1:10 model really is Walters old Scorcher from back then.
However it is restored today, because the tough service on upper palatinate fields left it's marks on the car.

A matching 10:1 Acoms AP-227 radio remote control - 30 years ago recommended by Tamiya - will be build as well. Felix Landmesser takes care of it. He is the one who appears on the scene if everyone else said "we can't do it". Nothing is impossible for him. Here is a picture of the small reference he uses.

Fitting

2010-02-25T14:51:00.005+01:00

If you think we just ordered a Bug Eye Baja Kit and put it on, you are wrong! The available kits are from a horrible quality and the rear body part is completely different to the one on the Tamiya Sand Scorcher. What should we do? Locate original 70s kits on the internet.

On the pictures you can see the today available nose cone, but we deceided to use a 40 year old part from a vintage Baja kit. Same goes for the rear deck. We will also modify the shape of the wings, to be as close to the original car as possible. The front Baja bumper will be build from scratch, because the bought one doesn't match the one from the scale car.

We also decided to use a body lift to allow the planned rear tires enough space to rotate. A body lift is a steel frame, bolted inbetween the body and the chassis. That will be different to the Box Art, but it's the only way to tuck the Padla Trak hoops under the rear wings.

Hard to imagine

2010-02-25T14:50:00.005+01:00

It's hard to imagine that this varied selection of parts is going to be a replica of the legendary Sand Scorcher. Walter has a confident smile on his face, but is this going to work? Anyways, Anja and her team filming as much as possible.

Meanwhile the BUG BOX crew takes care of the Trekker chassis. The floor pans have to go for two reasons: They are rotten and they are wider (same as on a Type 14 Ghia) as on a regular Beetle. In the following days the floor pans fitting the Beetle body will be welded in. And because a stripped chassis doesn't look to good, we added some jewellery in the form of 6 and 12x15" Chrome Spoke steel wheels complete with off-road tires.

Gaining ground

2010-02-25T14:49:00.006+01:00

We are still missing the chassis. Coincidentally our buddy Ralf "Ralle" Winkler want's to get rid of his Trekker (or Thing, or VW 181, or what ever name it has) and suggests a barter business. Walter and Ralf struck a deal, because the Tekker is of good use for our project. It features special spindles, increasing the ground clearance by five centimeter (around two inches) compared to Beetle spindles. And up we want to go!

Up is the keyword, as we want to ask Tamiya Deutschlands leadership for permission regarding our Sand Scorcher. We want to make sure not to violate any rights by building the real car. Senior Marketing Manager Thomas Peter has nothing against it, but dubble checks with the headquarter in Japan. Shortly afterwards a phone call from the boss himself, Tamiya-san. He is very pleased with our project, furthermore, he was keen to have the full size Sand Scorcher on display at the international Toy Fair in Nürnberg, Germany, in 2010. The reason? Tamiya is celebrating the 30th anniversary with a re-release of the legendary Sand Scorcher buggy.

Of course we didn't say no. And we didn't say no when Anja Montag from the TV show Abenteuer Auto (on Kable 1) asked, if she could do a report on our Sand Scorcher.

Getting started

2010-02-25T14:47:00.005+01:00

As there are different ways to build a Sand Scorcher, we decided to recreate the Beetle shown on the packaging (internationally known as Box Art). Everything was clear body-wise, we had to get a shell from a 1968 to 1970 Beetle. We found what we needed at the Bugnet website. It was a sad looking car body with molded on wings and butchered dashboard but otherwise quite solid and with a sliding steel sunroof - just like the reference.

BUG BOX Scorcher's Beginning

2010-02-11T09:26:00.005+01:00

On a grey October day in 2009 the phone rings in the BUG BOX workshop in Weiden, Germany. Walter Jelinek, owner of the well known restoration shop, answers the phone. His friend Helge Ohmes is calling, telling him about his rediscovered love for scale cars, especially for R/C models. And about his dream owning a Tamiya Sand Scorcher one day.

Walter had exactely that Beetle when he was just 11 years old. The revolutionary model is a milestone in R/C car history, because it was the first - besides the sister model Rough Rider - with a completely sealed and water proof radio box. That means you could run it through dirt and water without really worrying about the radio system beeing affected.

Walter wanted that Beetle badly, but there was an obstacle between the dream and reality: the price tag. His savings didn't stretch far enough, but he conceived a plan. He sold his beloved Revell Jeep model and his roller skates to the boy next door to make his dream come true. In the following years the Sand Scorcher got used a lot, the body showed signs of wear, but he kept the suspension and rado box in good nick. And one thing came to his mind time and time again: "What would it be like to have a real size Sand Scorcher?"

After hanging up the phone Walter's mind is made up: He has to build a 1:1 Sand Scorcher!