CMK 1/35
VW Typ 92 SS Interior Set

This resin and PE set is designed by CMK to super detail any one of their 4 versions of the Volkswagen Beetle that they market. It also will work on the Italeri VW Typ 87 kit, that is a re-pop of the CMK molds.

The kit comes in a small end opening type box. The box art shows a color photo of the typ 87 VW Beetle with the balloon tires and sun roof. It is in the markings of the Rampke Battalion. It shows the driver’s side door ajar. You get the doors in the set to replace the molded in doors on the body shells in CMK and Italeri’s plastic kits. A small square in a corner shows another color shot looking down through the sun roof of this model.

Inside the box is a zip-lock type cello bag full of light tan resin parts. Another sealed cello bag holds a fret of steel PE parts and a photo negative transparency of instrument panel gauge faces.  The small instruction sheet completes the kit’s contents.

The instructions consist of a single small sheet of  4 ¼” x 5 ½” format, printed on both sides.

The face side of the instruction sheet begins with a list of colors and what parts to paint those colors. This is followed by parts tree drawings and some international assembly symbol explanations. The reverse side of the instruction sheet has a very busy exploded drawing to use for assembly.

The light tan resin parts provide: 2 doors (which you will have to whittle the thin resin out of the windows of), 3 seats that have rolled and pleated backrests and quite frankly look like Lazy-Boy recliners. The CMK and Italeri kits have seats that are in 3 parts: seat, back and legs and may be more preferable to these resin replacement ones – your choice.

There is a jerry can that needs thin resin whittled out under the 3 handles. A modeler may just opt for a good plastic one he has, rather than try and whittle out that excess plastic and probably destroy the handles in the process. There are window crank handles that are so small and fragile that they are broken in my set and half gone. So, virtually useless. There is a rolled up canvas roof cover to use on the CMK VW Typ 87 kit and the Italeri re-pop of that car too. There is a folding map table that mounts under the glove compartment, and step plates that go under the doors. (15 parts) Most of these parts have a heavy pour plug to be removed.

The small steel PE fret holds: the instrument panel, wall mounting brackets to hold the MP40 machine-pistol in CMK’s and Italeri’s Typ 87 kits, hinges to go on the resin folding map table, and various other clips and brackets (19 parts)
The photo negative sheet gets sandwiched behind the PE instrument panel parts to show the gauge faces. There are 2 gauge faces on this sheet, marked A & B.

This kit is good, in that it gives you separate doors, that you can now show open on the CMK plastic kits of any of their four VW variants…and of course the Italeri re-pop. I have mixed emotions about the replacement seats and it is too bad the window crank handles are worthless. I will probably use a different plastic jerry can on my kits too. I cannot see that much improvement over the canvas sun roof covers offered in CMK and Italeri’s Typ 87 kits with the resin one in this kit either. If CMK had just provided the doors, door step panels and folding map table in resin, it would have been sufficient – in my personal opinion. The PE and photo negative sheet are welcome.

This kit will really dolly up any of the CMK 4 versions of the VW Beetle that they market (Italeri’s too). Along with CMK’s kit of the engine compartment (also in resin and PE) these sets will turn Beetles into show pieces.

Recommended to modelers who are experienced in working with dissimilar materials and super glue.

I purchased my set, years ago, from Greatmodels, who still has it in stock.