HG-P407 "Bruiser Clone" Arrived Today!

[Dadio]

Ha ha ,I did think of a Scooby Doo villain in the back , something classic like the Creeper

[XLR8]

Ha ha ,I did think of a Scooby Doo villain in the back , something classic like the Creeper

hehe.. Dadio, I think you and I are at least a generation apart (maybe two?). I saw your "Scooby Doo" as just a very (very) skinny Jethro Bodine.

brain surgeon.jpg (5.19 KiB) Viewed 1130 times

brain surgeon.jpg (5.19 KiB) Viewed 1130 times

Anyway, I'll need to google the Creeper to see what that's all about.

[Dadio]

I just had to look up Jethro Bodine, the Beverly hill billies never really got shown much over here in the UK, I know the programme so I must have seen it at least one episode though, I'm fast approaching 50, the driver is meant to be Shaggy and Scooby Doo is on the seat next to him.

[XLR8]

... the Beverly hill billies never really got shown much over here in the UK...

Count yourself as fortunate, the photo I posted pretty much sums up the entire series.

So Scooby's the dog - got it.

[BigSpecht]

How do you tell the originals from the clones? I’ve been looking for some parts for my mountaineer. After reading this thread I’m thinking about getting one of the clones so I will not feel as bad about cutting it up to make it they way I want

[Dadio]

There are a fair number of minor differences , the half shafts on the Tamiya lock into the diff with a spline and the HG has a flat on the shaft , inside the gearbox the spur gear locks into the eccentric gears differently so the upgrade Tamiya slipper clutch is not compatible , all the gears inside the HG gearbox are metal and the Tamiya has some plastic gears , the Tamiya rear window for the cab is not quite a perfect fit in the HG but can be trimmed to fit , I'm sure there's more but I can't remember right now .

[BigSpecht]

But there is not whole lot visible with out tearing them apart? How do you go about getting parts for them?

[Dadio]

Try Banggood or eBay for parts ,usually everything is easy to get ,HG seem to be expanding their range of cars and doing well.

[XLR8]

You really don't need to disassemble the truck to identify its manufacturer.
Tamiya's have inspection holes in the gearbox with black rubber plugs while HG's don't - very easy to spot.
Also, Tamiya's use phillips head screws throughout while HG's use hex hardware (except for bumper mounts and wheel screws - these are phillips).
Otherwise, the two trucks are nearly identical and many parts will interchange.

[BigSpecht]

Yea wondered out the tranny plugs and Thanks for all the help guys I’m sure I will need some when it shows up and stuff don’t work right lol

[XLR8]

Did you buy the RTR or kit?
If you've read this thread and others, you already know that the shocks are junk, the steering is sloppy and some have reported bearing failures. Also, the front wheels on my runner are about to fall off - the front hubs and just about every steering part is very loose from having too much clearance when they were manufactured and from normal wear. It's certainly not Tamiya quality.
Still, for less than 200 bucks shipped for a kit, it's a bargain. The transmission can be a little fiddle to shift but it's super smooth running.
Just charge the battery, go out and have fun and if it breaks, just fix it and go again. Meanwhile, your high value Tamiya original can remain safely on the shelf.

[Dadio]

As above , its not Tamiya quality but having said that its great value for money and kind of expendable , looking at the new stuff HG are doing I think this was a business starter ,just something to make them enough money to invest in their next models , the Hummer and 6WD truck they sell are much more expensive but way better quality , opening doors with working door handles , fully detailed interiors and engine bays , not really my thing but you have to admire the quality of their other products , it also kind of explains how they managed to come from nowhere and create a Bruiser clone , I mean let's face it the Bruiser is not the easiest car to copy !
Have a look at the HG P402 and HG P408 !

[BigSpecht]

I’ve read a lot of the post around here on these trucks. And I’m looking forward to having one that I don’t have to worry about cutting up

[Basher67]

I've been caught up in racing for the last few months and haven't posted much lately, especially on this thread. I have been playing with the truck when I have time. Nothing serious---mostly mild backyard bashing and crawling. There is an upcoming crawler event near me around June that is only for "hard body" trucks and I want to enter with my HG P407. I would like to rekindle the fire of this thread and share some input of the experiences, mods, breakages, etc with everyone who has purchased and been running this truck. Since my last post, I haven't done too much to mine. I added wheel spacers to the front to widen the front track to match the rear (big thanks to Dadio!). Got a decent interior with driver. Modded the stock front bumper (thanks again to Dadio). I'm happy with the performance of the Integy motor and the Hot Racing shocks. The tires are good for all around use and are a huge improvement over stock, but I will be looking at options for mounting some real crawler tires. The esc I'm currently using cannot supply enough power for the protek steering servo I'm using and also does not have a drag brake, so I will be changing that out in the near future. I have noticed a lot of play in the bearings of the input shaft of the front axle. I've heard of bearings failing here, but not sure. I will be addressing that soon. By the time I attend the crawling event, I want to have the best version of this truck I can get and see how it fairs in an event like this.

[XLR8]

Sounds like fun, I think you should do well. Mine's been on the shelf since last winter but I hope to have it out again soon.
This past fall, there was a competition here in Alabama and close to where I live but, as these things always go, I didn't find out about it until it was over. GCM covered it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf2xuDAHILQ&t=328s
Have you locked the diffs?