Corgi 256 Volkswagen Beetle saloon 1200 Diecast Custom Restoration

A full custom restoration of a very complex Corgi Toys 256 Volkswagen Beetle East African Safari rally car and it came out really nice i think. This was made sometime between 1965 and 1968, The car has a broken steering wheel and is missing a front axle. And to repair these I used a back axle from a scrap Corgi Series 3 Land Rover.
I also used replacement transfers from a Matchbox Heinkel 111 Kit that were never used when I built that model.

[@maxpayne7238]

Wow really really really nice vw 👍👍👍👍👍number 20 🏁 takes first place woohoo.

[@PhilipDjaferis]

great job! the 'thing' sticking in through the bonnet was designed to jut through the hole when when pressing on the suspension in order to open it...had one as a kid...still have it! by the way, the number plate light at the 'engine cover' ought to have been body-coloured...

[@barry144]

I like your work, and your narration. Very meditative to watch and listen. Keep up the great work.

[@diecastrescue3597]

Thanks Barry just doing things my way i am not always successful but i show the rough with the smooth so to speak :)

[@lemateurfou]

Very nice restoration ! Mine is blue, it is a 1300 saloon with no opening parts, yellow interior (and no steering wheel inside !), a steering wheel is on the roof, it is the "Corgi motor school" version.

[@brianfearn4246]

It sounds like the one I've got . As a driving instructor I actually use it as a incar teaching aid. It was manufactured around 1976 😷😁

[@hideouslyugly]

Nice resto my friend. This came in green and white as a police car, with POLIZEI on the doors.Ihad this one in original box, but sadly had to sell it.

[@diecastrescue3597]

:(

[@braunx25]

Well done.

[@brianthornton8312]

Great job

[@carstenkoloc5226]

Yipp, l love your work. WOW!

[@alantraish3368]

Great restoration! Allways wondered what they looked like inside. I have this mint boxed and the Polezi mint boxed. This came first. There is the Dutch white versions to look out for too and others. The stud for hole in the bonnet is to help release the bonnet when you press on the front suspension. I was lucky enough to meet the late Marcel Van Cleemput who was the chief designer at Corgi Toys at a toy fair. All that work just for a kids toy! Their parts bins must have run into thousands! And all the different paints too! More please thank you.

[@diecastrescue3597]

Thanks Alan well that is the pin mystery solved! :) I have a few Corgis, Matchbox and Dinky's lined up ready to go under the camera :)

[@markdobell2677]

Man!!! What A Difference!!! Thanks!!! Very Exciting Release!!! Cheers!!!

[@2H80vids]

Excellent restoration on a surprisingly complex little model.👍

[@retrocat1]

I love that you don't wear gloves so that your sense of touch is unhindered.

[@chubbyschoices9701]

A fine piece of work on a surprisingly ornate model. Thanks for sharing and great job

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

I had a similar car as a kid in the '70s, it was my favorite to "drive" around. It was blue with a steering wheel on top and the hood and trunk did not open.

[@markzehetmeier195]

I also had a blue one, it was a driving school version and came with a couple of traffic cones.

[@brianfearn4246]

I too have the blue driving school version . It was manufactured around 1976 . As a driving instructor it's been a great incar teaching aid .I think it's a smaller scale than the one he's renovating. I also had a steerable Austin Cambridge with a red circular steerer on roof . Sadly that went missing some years back. If anyone sees it around please let me know. Many thanks. Brian.

[@jakerademacher4258]

Fantastic job on the VW, loved it, a lot going on under the body👍👍👍👍👍, well done.

[@ianhow100]

The little post is to open the boot when you press down on the suspension

[@brianfearn4246]

Great job . I have the driving school version which as a driving instructor it's been a fabulous training aid over the last 30 years. I also had a Austin Cambridge with a red circular steerer on roof but it went missing a number of years ago. If anyone sees it around please let me know. Kind regards. Brian.

[@CliffLewis28]

Nice work! Quite a complex piece of kit that! Very satisfying to see that little Beetle in it's former glory.

[@brianartillery]

I was a child in the mid to late 1960's. I never owned this version of the VW, but did have the German 'POLIZEI' version, which had two figures inside. I never understood why this version had no drivers in it. 04:24 - the little post that pushes through the coil of rope next to the wellies, is there, so that when you push on the front suspension, it lifts the bonnet enough for you to lift it up. Corgi used this idea on several models, which allowed the models to have realistically flush-fitting bonnets, with no obvious lifting tabs. Your finished restoration looks better than the original. Lovely job.

[@raymonde4272]

Such an amazing build, there are so many unique things about this model that set it above the rest. So clever using the spare wheel of a rally car as the steering wheel.

[@andrewturnbull5897]

A fabulous little model! Easily one of the most complex I’ve seen. Lovely work!

[@grahamparr4710]

Sweet little model, well done.

[@seokidiecast6131]

Nice Volkswagen Beetle 👍

[@diecastrescue3597]

Thanks you cant go wrong with a beetle :)

[@davidcanetti6927]

hi, bought one of these from a car boot years ago, then i saw this vid and decided to do it up. i took it apart repainted it and then i put it back in the "scrap box".because i could not remember how to put it back together. so your vid has given me the insperation to finally finish the job. i will send you some plcs when it is finally done. david canetti

[@BobWilliscorgi]

Good job, I’ve just finished one of these, nice little model . Will be up Friday 👍

[@diecastrescue3597]

Thanks look forward to seeing it :)

[@margaretasaarenpaa3019]

Great work!!

[@PaulRestorer]

Piękny modelik, super naprawa, pozdrawiam Paul Restorer.

[@CDMJDMHHC]

well done such a hard restoration

[@martindaredare]

You have made a great job of this one , not the easiest with all those pasts.

[@diecastrescue3597]

Thanks Martin i think its the most complex diecast i have come across so far.

[@brianfearn4246]

My mum worked at dinky on binns Road way back around 1969-70 and always remember her saying you had to be quick on the assembly line and most parts were hand fitted and I guess stickers where used as they could be fitted quicker than transfers. I guess corgi had a similar process..

[@diecastrescue3597]

Yes we forget time was money etc

[@daverice8558]

Black underneath? Underseal. Should be matt black with a little gloss to highlight the oil leaks 😄 Good work!

[@billsdiecastkustoms7125]

lovely work mate i have one myself that needs fixing,same problem as yours with the roof steering thanks for sharing yours, will do the same as you i am missing boot lid mite leave it off and do a kustum or something

[@johnp1657]

It's a winch under the bonnet, nice job

[@anthonybollini3699]

Nice job reusedparts

[@GrahamOrm]

The mystery ‘thing’ under the bonnet is to pop the bonnet if you push down on the front suspension.

[@aib0160]

Isn't the round thing under the bonnet meant to represent a tow rope?

[@pimpmydiecastsdiecastandto3176]

the first version of the casting was a german police car , so the wellingtons would have been for the policemen and I think the round thing was some sort of traffic equipment

[@diecastrescue3597]

I thought the police car came second? i must check that out you have me thinking now :)

[@pimpmydiecastsdiecastandto3176]

if it was originally intended as an African rally car I wonder if it was a specialist piece of equipment for getting the car out of deep mud on their bad roads hence the wellies

[@pimpmydiecastsdiecastandto3176]

think I worked it out , wellies , tool box folded handle on top of the tool box and an extended range fuel tank as the bit leading off the circle seems to head into the top of the transverse front mounted tank so you are probably right that it was the rally version first as that equipment makes more sense

[@diecastrescue3597]

I think your right its fun to imagine what they were thinking at Corgi when developing this :)

[@thatsdavid2u]

Nice job.That was a complicated model...

[@TITANICSI]

Loved watching that restoration. Can I ask what rivets you used and drill bit sizes as I’d like to have a go at restoring an old Humber Hawk police car 👍

[@SvendSeegert]

Imho you should have kept the original paint, and just done at spot-painting restoration. :-)

[@rondobongodouglas1591]

Really enjoyed your video, excellent work, if you don't mind a wee bit of constructive feedback which is not a criticism, I found it very hard to hear your voice, it's a bit too quiet and bassist. But well done.

[@diecastrescue3597]

no problem ah some people say i send them to sleep :)

[@maartenyzer4121]

I have one in blue,but nothing opens on my model..probebly newer cast..

[@PerAnkh418]

Great job on the VW. Must ask, who is the music by in the background?

[@diecastrescue3597]

Sunspots from the youtube music library

[@wegu8790]

Great work !!! Looks perfect! How to order the spare parts ? Any Info for me ? Thank you

[@diecastrescue3597]

you can get them on ebay or model-supplies.co.uk/ who are very good

[@gomosh6967]

Wow! This is very beautiful after restoration. Good job! Are you intend to sell it? We can discuss in email. Thank u. Jeffery (Singapore).😉

[@kritromulus6851]

Yestercars..BEST 1/43 VW OF SCALE THE ONE !?!

[@brianfearn4246]

Corgi must have cut the cost on the driving school version by deleting the opening bonnet etc also no internal steering wheel and no rear seats.

[@zefusca1]

Tenho um igual a esse falta i capo dianteiro tô atrás de uma sucata que tenha o capo dianteiro

[@ps3fanboy61]

nice job but have to say the focusing in this video messes with my eyes