You might remember the article we published called "Rustic Perfection" for Dented Speed Shop, where we featured the incredible work of Kevin Dent. Kevin is well known for his skill in painting RC body shells with a realistic patina (weathered) effect. Since that article back in January, Kevin hasn’t slowed down. In fact, he’s taken things to a whole new level with his latest creation – and it’s turning a lot of heads.
At Round 1 of the 2025 Iconic Cup, the 100+ racers attending were in for a real treat. Kevin revealed his newest build – a race car with a twist – just in time for the race and the concourse competition.
He entered the Iconic M-Chassis class with his M06 chassis, topped with a beautifully weathered Karmann Ghia body shell. But that wasn’t all – Kevin wanted to make a real impression. To present his race car in style, he built a custom Kombi Corujinha Pickup (Long wheelbase VW camper pickup truck) to carry it. Now, you’re probably thinking – a flatbed camper? That doesn’t even exist as a Tamiya model! And you’d be right. Kevin had to create both the chassis and the body shell for this one-of-a-kind build. His inspiration was the electric model created by exotic electric car converter Carlos Figueiredo. You can read more about his full-size creation, complete with its Gulf Porsche livery, here: https://garagemmaster.com.br/en/kombi-corujinha-pickup-1975-an-electric-masterpiece-and-its-rare-trailer/
His hard work paid off – the creation was a massive hit and earned him first place in the concourse competition. Photos of both the race car and the recovery camper quickly started making the rounds on social media. Luckily for us, Kevin got in touch and gave us the full story behind the build. So here’s how he did it…
The chassis is based on a Tamiya M06, but with a custom extension. The body shell is also Tamiya – the classic VW camper, with the flatbed section cleverly crafted using carefully folded sheets of Lexan. One of the great things about the M06 is that the chassis is made from two separate plates, which makes it easier to modify. It also has a built-in feature that allows you to adjust the wheelbase from 210mm to 239mm, making it ideal for creative custom builds like this one.
Q&A with Dented Speed Shop and his Long-long wheelbase M06
How long did it take to create the chassis and body shell?
I'm an engineer by trade and have been into RC for over 30 years, so when I looked at the chassis, I had a good idea of how to extend it. The M06 is perfect for that – it really lends itself well to modification.
The body was a different story. It’s the Lexan Tamiya VW camper, and that took a few hours just to measure and mentally plan how to get the result I wanted. I designed everything in my head first. The full build was done in short sessions, a few hours at a time over a couple of weeks.
What problems did you encounter creating the extra long M06 chassis, and how did you overcome them?
The only real challenge was keeping the original look, especially the angled sides of the chassis and tub. I ended up using 1mm sheet aluminium for the sides and tub, and 10mm angle aluminium to create a reinforced central spine for the extension. That gave it the strength it needed without losing the style.
What’s the very long Tamiya M06 like to drive?
It actually drives really smoothly, to be honest. You do have to think a little bit about what you’re doing, but I’ve driven longer Tamiya trucks before, so it’s not that tricky.
How fast does it go, and have you made any unusual setup changes?
The pickup wasn’t designed to be fast – it’s built for scale speed, more for show than racing. I did have to increase the rear springs and raise the ride height on the pickup chassis.
The Karmann Ghia, on the other hand, was actually raced in the M-Chassis class at the Iconic Cup, so it was set up more for performance.
What was the reaction like at the Iconic Cup when you unveiled it?
Since it was a race event rather than a scale event, I wasn’t sure how it would go down – but it got a LOT of attention! People were taking photos, asking questions… I even had someone say, “That’s a static model, right?” Then I drove it over to the concourse line-up – that got a few surprised looks!
Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to make unique Tamiya models like this?
Yes – research is key. Study photos of the full-size vehicle you’re trying to recreate. Think about how you might modify the existing body shell and how you’ll support any changes. When it comes to weathering, it’s all about looking at where the real car tends to rust and age naturally.
Are you going to be attending any more Iconic Cups or other events?
I’m booked in for all of the Iconic Cup rounds this year. I’ll also be running with my good friend Crusty – who’s been featured on Club Hub before with his Rothmans RC collection – at the RC track during the Viva SkegVegas show in Lincolnshire, which is easily one of the best VW shows in the UK.
Do you have any more fun projects lined up?
Always! I’ve usually got a few weird and wonderful ideas floating around in my head. You’ve probably noticed I’m really into my VWs – but I might have something totally different on the way… it’s not even close to a VW!
We really can’t wait to see what Kevin has planned next, and we’re looking forward to sharing more updates on his progress in the Iconic Cup. It’s brilliant to see both sides of the RC hobby – racing and creativity – come together like this. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more passionate racers like Kevin and his mate (and rival) Crusty!
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ClubHub Steve