The Frankenbuggy

[tecnica2001]

So I don't know where this is going, or what it'll be,

Moderators, please feel free to move this to the appropriate forum....

so here's a rundown of what I have so far,

Parts:

Tamiya Lunchbox transmission
Tamiya Grasshopper wheels and tires
Associated cut noseplate, shocks, arms, castor blocks
Associated rc10t steering
Traxxas cut bulkhead, steering knuckles
Aluminum plates, brackets and pieces....

I got the front wheels wheel base to tuck in the Tamiya Bettle body, so it'll probably end up being a beetle....

[dsmith]

custom. some kinda sand rail?

[tecnica2001]

It's going to be some kind of something, leaning torwards beetle....

Here are some progress pictures,

Added front shock tower and springs, I might go shorter and straighter, to accommodate the beetle body without jacking it up too high....

[dsmith]

cool ...set the body on there and get a pic for us....once you get the body on there no one will even be able to tell its a custom...until they see the chassis....lol

[Coelacanth]

That looks like it would fold right up in the middle, right where the vertical angle pieces attach the front end to the belly plate. That Meccano-style sheet aluminum looks none too sturdy. For that matter, the rear shock towers look like they'd fold right inward too--unless you had some kind of bracing between them.

[tecnica2001]

Thanks for the critique,
Keep in mind, if it breaks, or folds, or bends, or works for 3 seconds, I've only paid $30 so far, everything else I had laying around........

[jwscab]

You could make up some links that criss cross from the top of the shock to the screw on the opposite pivot mount and it will stiffen the back up a bunch. Then make some braces that ti in the front bulkhead to the front of those rear shock towers.

[yellowdatsun]

Is that.....is that an Erector set??

[TRX-1-3]

I think it is a striped towel.

[tecnica2001]

Yes,
it is a stripe towel.....

[tecnica2001]

Is that.....is that an Erector set??

Yes,
From Lowe's R Us

[tecnica2001]

cool ...set the body on there and get a pic for us....once you get the body on there no one will even be able to tell its a custom...until they see the chassis....lol

Here we go,
Some unmounted body on pics with 2 different sets of wheels....

[Diggley]

Looks like fun!

[tecnica2001]

So I got around to setting the right wheelbase, choosing the right wheels and tires for the build and mounting the body....

Thankfully, I didn't have to drill new body mounting holes, and I used the stock Monster Beetle body mounts all around, without any mods to the mounts....

I think she's sitting at the right body height for the tires/wheels, now I have to cut the nose down in order to fit it in with the nose plate, brace up the chassis, and throw in some electronics....

[tecnica2001]

Still lots to do, but it's all details, the hard parts are done....