Inspired by my 10265 alternative, the idea was now to build a pickup from the 10252 Beetle set as well after the Offroader creation earlier on. Because the parts seemed more suitable for a vintage model, this car is based on American pickup trucks from the 1930’s. During that time several car manufacturers produced pickup trucks among which Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Plymouth, Diamond and International. They have slightly different details, but in general they all look rather similar. So my objective was to convert their most common features into one archetype from this era.
This was another tough nut to crack, limiting myself to the parts from just one set. The original Beetle set contains very few big, structural elements, but instead many small pieces which presented quite a challenge. In the end the model uses over 80% of the set, and that is without the surfboard which can still be built with the remaining parts. Normally I try to avoid using spare parts, but in this case that was not possible, because the spare 3L black light sabre bar had to be used for the headlight. This however is the only spare piece required; all other parts are also used in the original model.
Design wise the tapered bonnet together with the front wheel wells caused most problems. Figuring out how to shape this section with a solid solution took some trial and error. Despite this together with the limited number of structural elements the model turned out very rigid in the end and can easily be picked up and played with. Features include opening doors, bonnet and tailgate, detailed interior with the iconic bench and an engine under the hood. And as mentioned before the surfboard can still be built as well. Just like with my other models, easy to follow, step-by-step building instructions have been carefully prepared and are available through Rebrickable for a small fee, so you can build your own copy too!
Some sample pages (presented in low-res):
Final picture together with the other pickup truck from set 10265.
Pingback: Classic 911 | NKubate