Builder's Notes: SCX24 Playmobil Volkswagen Kitbash

[TheBakedBeans]

I just finished this SCX24 kitbash project using the Playmobil Volkswagen Beetle. I still need to figure out why my Dasmikro sound/lightboard won't flash, but overall I think it came out pretty good! I'm in the process of getting all my footage, photos, and notes put together so I can make a full write up. But here is a quick look.

I found all the .stl files on Thingiverse but had to do some modifications along with a lot of testing to get the right scale. I'll be posting the files back on Thingiverse when I'm done as a free kit to print at home. I'd love to see other examples of this. Stay tuned for more including a full parts list with links.

SNEEK PEAK VIDEO
https://youtu.be/TKqZftd2dH0?si=grIqKVyGthmHXEi6

UPDATED LINK QUICK DRIVE VIDEO
https://www.reddit.com/r/SCX24/s/4G8n4Mwfc9


PARTS LIST
Playmobil Volkswagen Beetle - https://a.co/d/6h8SQpl

Meus Racing 1/24 Chassis - https://a.co/d/2uHjV1V

Skidplate - https://a.co/d/0PmYAWd

Injora Flex Blades - https://a.co/d/92J7VC3

Injora Oil Shocks - https://a.co/d/a3wLmqC

Meus Isokinetic Axles - https://a.co/d/cg8AfYw

Rock Rails - https://a.co/d/fzIQsSe

DJCrawler Wheels - https://a.co/d/ePzPl4X

RC4WD BFGoodrich T/A KM3 - (rear tires) https://www.amainhobbies.com/rc4wd-bfgoodrich-t-a-km3-1.0-micro-crawler-tires-2-rc4zt0200/p1274015

RC4WD Rok Lox Micro Comp Tires (X3) - (front tires) https://www.amainhobbies.com/rc4wd-rok-lox-micro-comp-tires-2-x3-rc4zt0028/p390868?v=260767

Links - (used the rear lowerstock links that came with the chassis, the rest were made) https://a.co/d/cXD4Cg7, https://a.co/d/9Bim4A6, and https://a.co/d/bO4rIpO

Axial Stock Drive Shaft - (cut down to size) https://a.co/d/78FPF7s

RampCrab Servo - https://a.co/d/asNYF5Z

Furitek Stellar Transmission with Komodo - (the Komodo has been discontinued, this link is for the Mini Komodo Stellar https://www.furitekusa.com/collecti...on-with-mini-komodo-brushless-setup-for-scx24

Furitek Lizard Pro w/Bluetooth - (I used the older Lizard with no case, the link is for the version with the case) https://www.furitekusa.com/collecti...ushed-brushless-esc-for-1-18-1-24-rc-crawlers

Radiolink R4FGM Receiver - https://a.co/d/79bBTlX

DasMikro TBS Mini Sound & Light Unit - https://www.ebay.com/itm/145466659...INwjdTDIkZNMVvF1YsMkD/0rY=|tkp:Bk9SR7rywbSoYw

Audio Speaker - https://a.co/d/bSH95VX

Thingiverse Link to FREE 3D file - (coming soon)

 

[B-MOW71]

So cool! I gotta build one of these! I'll have to check out Thingiverse when you post them.

Cool vid and catchy tune!

 

[JatoTheRipper]

This is awesome! How heavy is that Playmobil body?

 

[TheBakedBeans]

So cool! I gotta build one of these! I'll have to check out Thingiverse when you post them.

Cool vid and catchy tune!

Thanks Bmow, should be up soon!

 

[TheBakedBeans]

This is awesome! How heavy is that Playmobil body?

Thank you! Not sure, but I’ll try to weigh it tonight. If you were thinking comp rig, it wouldn’t be too bad with the shell only.

 

[OutLore]

That is awesome! Haha when I was a kid back in the UK, my Dad would work in Germany a lot and he would often pick playmobil sets up for my sister and me, they weren't as big as they are now, I'd never thought about using them as bodies... we had a ton of them back then! I bet my parents still have them, too!

Love this!

 

[JimK]

Nice....that's a sweet little bug for sure!! "thumbsup"

 

[Tossedman]

Oh just stop it! I've made enough RC Beetles. You're just teasing us with more ideas. The Bug looks great by the way. Well done. I may have to make one though...

 

[hnoroian]

Oh just stop it! I've made enough RC Beetles. You're just teasing us with more ideas. The Bug looks great by the way. Well done. I may have to make one though...

They are on sale through Amazon right now.

 

[Tossedman]

They are on sale through Amazon right now.

You're not helping... :mrgreen:

 

[discgolferlee]

WOW!!! Incredible work and detail. I love that you magnetized things for easy removal. A lot of time and work in that thing and very unique. Very well done !!

 

[TheBakedBeans]

That is awesome! Haha when I was a kid back in the UK, my Dad would work in Germany a lot and he would often pick playmobil sets up for my sister and me, they weren't as big as they are now, I'd never thought about using them as bodies... we had a ton of them back then! I bet my parents still have them, too!

Love this!

That's awesome! Always cool to see a childhood toy make a come back "thumbsup"

 

[TheBakedBeans]

Nice....that's a sweet little bug for sure!! "thumbsup"

Thanks Jim!

 

[TheBakedBeans]

Oh just stop it! I've made enough RC Beetles. You're just teasing us with more ideas. The Bug looks great by the way. Well done. I may have to make one though...

Go for it!!! I'd love to see some other versions of this!;-)

 

[TheBakedBeans]

WOW!!! Incredible work and detail. I love that you magnetized things for easy removal. A lot of time and work in that thing and very unique. Very well done !!

Thank you... and yes... a LOT of time and effort. But the final result was worth it!"thumbsup"

 

[TheBakedBeans]

Ok, the parts list has been added. Next, I'll start typing up my build notes and wrap it up with another YT video. Enjoy!

 

[TheBakedBeans]

"This is my Beetle… there are many like it, but this one is mine…"

…and here we go!

So, I obviously started with this cute little toy Volkswagen Beetle by Playmobil.

Yes, the little kids toy company! Early last year I started to see versions of this kitbash showing up on YouTube. The first few I saw were super comp style. All cut up to allow maximum performance. They were cool, they caught my eye, but not really my cup of tea.

I've always liked the Tamiya Sand Scorcher but I'm not into Tamiya style RCs. With that said, I know you all have seen @imthatguy at SBG Dippy build. That thing was ABSOLUTELY phenomenal! I'm not sure if he was the first person to make that conversion, but he sure did bring attention to it! But again, it went onto an RC platform that I'm not invested in and so I knew I wasn't going to pursue that route.

Then I started to see some early Playmobil scale builds from creators like Vermont Scale Customs and O Brothers RC. This had me paying closer attention. And of course, there was a flood of builds that hit IG and the other socials. So, I knew it was time. I bought all the parts just to drop them in a box and push them under the bench. And then one day, while sipping on coffee and scrolling IG, I saw one that really stood out. It was by a creator using the handle @24yep. His build lit my FOMO on fire, so I pulled the box out and got started!

 

[TheBakedBeans]

This build also brought me into the realm of 3D printing. About a year ago I purchased an Elegoo Saturn 2 8K resin printer but it had been sitting in a box ever since. I read up all I could about resin safety, and I even talked to some engineers at Northwestern University. They reaffirmed my suspicions that I shouldn't just let it sit on my workbench (as I've seen on so many YouTube channels) and that I needed to create a dedicated safe workspace.

Now, some of you may call my setup overkill, but I've already had one major illness in my life, and I don't want another one. The engineers at NU gave me an A+ for my setup and methods so that's all the justification I need.

I started with a 2x4 tent that is usually used for cultivating Cannabis. I placed it in my laundry room and have a 450cfm fan venting straight out of the house. When printing, the air quality meter INSIDE the tent is solid red. Outside the tent it's solid green. So that tells me it is working. You can even see the tent suck into itself with negative pressure when I zip it up. My wife spends a lot of time in the laundry room, so her safety was also at the top of my list. I can't speak as much to all the dead birds sitting outside next to the exhaust vent (JK... )

The tent had enough room to put in a metal bookshelf and I can store most of my supplies inside. I also added a small USB powered heater (with auto shutoff) so I can regulate the temperature. These photos were taken some time ago and a few things have changed... but you get the point.

 

[TheBakedBeans]

Now that I had the 3D printing station setup, it was time to get started with the Beetle files. There is definitely a major learning curve, but I had been researching this for a long time. I settled on just using the Elegoo slicer called Chitubox (or Shitbox as I say) and I'm using Shapr3D for modeling because it works so well with a touchscreen and pen. I'm using the top tier Surface Studio laptop as my mobile computing device, and it has all the horsepower I need for 3D modeling and production. But I still tend to use my desktop the most and that simply means I'm getting my exercise as I run up and down the stairs, back and forth, from the hobby room to my office.

I found all the files I need on Thingiverse. If I had to guess, it looks like someone scanned an uploaded the Tamiya Sand Scorcher parts. It was perfect! I was able to find the engine, engine cage, muffler, and mirror brackets. I also found some unrelated files that would compliment this build. I found bucket seats, a steering wheel, dashboard, some jerry cans with carriers, and a shovel. Wow, I'm so amazed and happy that there is a free collection of 3D files online!

I was able to load up all the parts into one print batch. Each batch takes about 12 hours to print on my current settings. It took me about 5-6 tries to get everything to the right scale. I started off using the Elegoo 4K water washable resin. I was soooooooooooo damn disappointed with the results. I mean the resolution was amazing... like porcelain. But the durabilty was a pure joke. Any parts less than 5mm thick would just crumble. I could crush it in my hand like a pringles chip. The objects like the dashboard and bucket seats were sturdy, but it was the engine I was worried about since it was located in a place that would definitely take a knock or two.

Now, from these photos, you'll obviously see that I have two types of Beetle bodies. If you want info on the other one, you'll just have to wait. I'm already backlogged until 2027,

 

[TheBakedBeans]

At this point, I almost gave up on the resin printer. I was even online looking into FDM options when I saw the Elegoo ABS-like extra hard resin. I ordered a bottle and ta-da! It was a thousand times better. Still breakable, but extremely strong in my opinion.

I got the printer ready to cough up a couple batches, and shifted my focus to the action figures I was going to use for this project. I decided on the Salena Kyle 3.75" Batman toy. I've used these in my Micro Sharks and they are a good fit. So I started doing some tests.