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XLR8 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2024 5:28 pm Those lexan light buckets don't offer a secure mount for the leds so I was thinking about using hot glue to hold them in place.
Is there a better way short of having something 3d printed?

Clear double-sided tape. Or clear mounting tape, it's a lot thicker.

...Backing it with aluminum HVAC tape secures the LED from all sides, acts as a reflector housing, and keeps the light from bleeding out under the body. Plus if you scuff up the tape before you put it on you can paint it so it looks better with the body off.

Can also use clear liquid electrical tape.

...Paint it on until you're confident the light will stay put then back it with silver paint followed by black for increased light reflection.

XLR8 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2024 5:28 pm Those lexan light buckets don't offer a secure mount for the leds so I was thinking about using hot glue to hold them in place.
Is there a better way short of having something 3d printed?

That's what I did with my Kyosho Beetle, the hot glue works well.

Also, drilling the hole smaller than the LED, and then using a body reamer to get a perfect fit for the bulb, so the LED rim seats on the mounting/bucket surface flush all of the way around, makes the beams point straight ahead, not cross eyed or crooked - learned that one the hard way .


Buckets in Alclad II chrome. Will let them dry a bit longer, and get them cut out.

Here's a weird one. The HPI 1978 Firebird body is completely licensed by Pontiac, and it has every decal for this body on the sheet - it would seem, but it's missing (3) major decals.

The one over the license plate, and the (2) on each side under the side scoops - that all said Trans-Am:




The trunk lid Trans-Am decal,and the side scoops aren't on the sheet.


Every other decal is on there, down to the tiny little Pontiac emblem that goes to the right of the missing Trans-Am on the trunk lid.



Or are those decals missing??


This seems very deliberate, anyone care to guess what happened here?

Going to make the (3) missing Trans-Am decals, out of that word jumble.

I've gone back and taken another look at your photo of instruction sheet and decals and correct me if I'm wrong but "Trans-Am" doesn't appear anywhere.
My guess is HPI wasn't able to secure the necessary license from whomever controls the trademark.
As you've noted, they have given us a very clever work-around. It's sorta like making TOYOTA from TOYATO.

Just had a better look, and I added the hyphen for some reason, I had thought I had seen that long ago, no hyphen:


Bandit I doesn't have the hood Trans Am decal, this means the HPI decal sheet has everything that's necessary.


Doesn't have the side scoop gold pin stripe decal either.


Should be ready to complete this now that I know what it's supposed to look like.

XLR8 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2024 7:22 pm I've gone back and taken another look at your photo of instruction sheet and decals and correct me if I'm wrong but "Trans-Am" doesn't appear anywhere.
My guess is HPI wasn't able to secure the necessary license from whomever controls the trademark.
As you've noted, they have given us a very clever work-around. It's sorta like making TOYOTA from TOYATO.

that's what I was guessing, HPI paid Pontiac, but Trans Am wanted too much. This all makes me love HPI even more.

Light buckets chromed and backed in black, ran out of black, PS-23 gun metal actually.


Alclad II is very fragile until the backing paint is on.


Looks like stainless or nickel in some light.


Got the see-through headlight bezel decals on.






No see-through rear bezel, just this one, but the light should still look red (no reverse).


Red LED's in the rear buckets.




Front buckets ready for dual beams.


The decal squeegee should be here tomorrow, then I can get this all finished up.

Oh wow... When XLR8 asked about the lights I didn't know the body came with actual light buckets. Hats off to HPI for that level of detail.

Ok so is the body that comes with the kit a Trans Am like AE says on their site or is it a Ford Mustang like the Fakebook Mafia swears it is?

Sorry I am late to the "Trans Am" discussion.

Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) owns the name Trans Am. Pontiac licensed it from them. It is rumored that there were a lot of years in which the royalty check from Pontiac was the biggest item on the SCCA's books.

Brendan2904 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 10:45 am Ok so is the body that comes with the kit a Trans Am like AE says on their site or is it a Ford Mustang like the Fakebook Mafia swears it is?

Yes.
It's AE's rendition of the Mustang Tommy Kendall drove in the SCCA Trans Am series.



Thus, it is a Trans Am Mustang.

Dangeruss wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 3:31 am Oh wow... When XLR8 asked about the lights I didn't know the body came with actual light buckets. Hats off to HPI for that level of detail.

I agree; very happy to see this.
It would have been better with actual molded plastic buckets with chrome plating, sockets and screws but as GreenBarOn is showing us, the lexan ones will work just fine.
BTW, my HPI TA copy is scheduled to arrive this morning. I'm gonna wait on that one and watch Mr. BarOn finish his since he clearly knows what he's doing.

FWIW, I also have a couple of these Grand National bodies that use similar lexan light buckets - they're uncut and still in the packaging somewhere in the attic. I plan to do one of them as a Bobby Allison NASCAR tribute car. Probably a good excuse to buy a second DS.

XLR8 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 11:28 am Yes.
It's AE's rendition of the Mustang Tommy Kendall drove in the SCCA Trans Am series.
Thus, it is a Trans Am Mustang.

The Jon Gooding version is better looking IMO. I think I am going to just go with the stock body and try to pay tribute to it (minus the big wing).

I actually Picked up this Pontiac HPI body last night with my DS as there was one on the body rack at my LHS. Your build showing how nice this body is really set it up for me.
I did briefly consider going with the Kyosho Skyline 2000 GTR but was unsure of fitment and it was twice the price. Maybe later, you can never have too many bodies!

XLR8 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 11:28 am

Brendan2904 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 10:45 am Ok so is the body that comes with the kit a Trans Am like AE says on their site or is it a Ford Mustang like the Fakebook Mafia swears it is?

Yes.
It's AE's rendition of the Mustang Tommy Kendall drove in the SCCA Trans Am series.



Thus, it is a Trans Am Mustang.

So to reiterate, Trans Am is the racing series the car ran in not the name of the car. There's a bit of weirdness with the naming in RC world to get around licensing. I still think it's funny that the 2nd car on the Box Art was changed to the Mustang body as well when it was originally a Mercedes. Also note that there's no Ford logos in the sticker sheets and All Sport was replaced with Dual Sport. All for the sake of not being sued, I'm sure.

morrisey0 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 12:16 pm

XLR8 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 11:28 am Yes.
It's AE's rendition of the Mustang Tommy Kendall drove in the SCCA Trans Am series.
Thus, it is a Trans Am Mustang.

The Jon Gooding version is better looking IMO. I think I am going to just go with the stock body and try to pay tribute to it (minus the big wing).


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This is the scheme I'm planning on for that body. Although I might give it a twist and switch it to Baja Blast colors.