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I have already a Fantom, but my son is actually taking it more and more when there is a vintage event and the possiblity to drive it on the track. And since it is probably my favorite onroad racer, I had to solve this...

Here comes the 60th anniversary EXT gold version. I have it sitting under my desk for a few months waiting a day where I do not have motivation to do CAD, and where the weather outside is crap. That was today.
This car will be a runner (and I don't mind running a 60th anniversary version : for me those cars are built to run)...

The ESC will be a Kyosho Le Mans (and although beside the color it is the same as a Performa P1 ESC, the performa programmation card doesn't work with it). The motor will bea 21.5T brushless. I did not decided yet for the battery, but it will be likely a shorty Lipo pack ...


When you open the box, it is quite a call to build it : no blister, just bags...



And there is a change in the instructions for the ball dif compared to the manual...


The first step is like the Fantom EP4WD : you assemble the front carriers... One key thing to note is again the right side as an inverted thread compared to the left side (so be careful to the groove and markers for the right side)


Then we lay out all the parts to assemble the center piece of the front train, including the one way that allows to deal with the smaller wheels on the front side...


The assembly is pretty simple... But as there is gaps between the knucles you are advised to glue the bushings on the sides (something you don't need to do on a Fantom non EXT).


Then we place the knuckles on the ends, with a spring which acts as a suspension... Hint: start with the top and the spring.


Next is tie rods and steering servo... The servo saver is mounted directly on the servo, which is different than for the first version...


The sevro is mounted on a chassis, and it can be adjusted so it is in plan center.


Next come the ball differential...


The next part is the motor mount and the rear axle holder...


The ESC is fixed to the bottom plate and sandwiched with the upper plate... At this stage, I did not made any of the motor wiring as I need to decide about the battery...


I then assembled the shock and it is fixed at the rear and not snaped at the front at this stage. I'll do this once the electronics are fully set in place...


I trimmed the bodyshell and I'm yet to decide for the battery... This car needs to be operational the latest early september, but I may have an occasion to run it sometime in July, which means I may want to finish earlier...

Very nice I'm bummed I missed this one. I have the regular ext still nib but really wanted this one.

mikea96 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 1:07 pm Very nice I'm bummed I missed this one. I have the regular ext still nib but really wanted this one.

Technically, the only difference is the ball diff on the EXT Gold. I think the regular EXT has the same gear diff than the non EXT...

I think you are right. I priced out all the gold parts separately and it's more than the standard kit.

I ordered some lipo 2S HV packs to use with this car and the Optima Mid 60th that I intend to build as well...

In the meantime, I borrowed the bumper of the Fantom (I reprinted one in TPU for my son) to test with the EXT bodyshell...


The plan is to do some extensions in the front side, and to also to make it slightly nicer on the design side...
As Lipo pack will be different, I also have the intention to review the chain guide I designed for the first Fantom EP-4WD chassis to fit the EXT and flat lipo packs. Rear led holder will be also different : the added shock require some changes in the rear addition as well...

I modified the bumper to suit the EXT bodyshell (not the very last version I did before printing it)


I printed it in TPU and here is the result... It fits perfectly under the bodyshell and will provide added protection... I will just have to apply chrome inside the led buckets and mask opening before painting...




I also modified the rear leds holder/bumper to fit with the shocks and its impact... What I did not took into account is that the EXT bodyshell is shorter at the rear...


I modified the part accordingly. This way, the support can be used with a bodyshell trimmed with the rear side removed (which I did, as it will ease the paint of the side wings). You may note the exhausts added in the center... The print is ongoing...


Next is the chain guide... The layout is slightly different so I did something different. The target is to use this to lock the battery with side extensions. I should be able to make those for multiple batteries, but to finish the setup, I need the batteries to arrive first, as I need to be able to define the position of the bullet connectors... On the right side, the extension will include something to go between the battery and the chain so the battery is protected from the chain rubbing against it (the battery is supposed to arrive tomorrow, which means I'll work on this tomorrow evening).

The rear leds holder is printed (TPU again). It seats on the rear motor holder.


Once the bodyshell is on, it fits exactly where it should...



This will give a very nice rear view to the drivers behind


I launched the chain guide print as well...

It seems odd to see you bolting together factory parts

The battery I plan to use arrived today... I finally opted for some Lipo HV packs. Probably overkill considering the 21.5T brushless motor, but it should allow plenty of run time on track within a single charge.


I designed extension to be added on each sides of the chain guide to fix the battery... 2 M3x10 screws will be used to fix those parts. The connexions will be easy to do. I worked out the right side to be able to protect the battery from the chain.


I launched the print, and I hope to test that later.

I did work from home today, and I had a chance to check that the parts were good, and they are perfect (I'll take picture later, once I finalise the electronics on the car - still waiting the delivery of bullet connectors)

In the meantime, I worked out a version for 25 mm thick packs and one for stick pack (my packs are 20mm thick)


I'm looking forward to finish the build. Those parts will be published at some point when the build is over, and I'll probably provide steps for the hard pack as I have some doubts that hard pack heights are universal...

Time to install electronics (leds excepted, i'll do that later)...

As my battery is 20mm thick, there is just enough room below the battery to pass the cables. I opted for this as it eventually allows to remove both ESC and motor without cutting or unsoldering any cables, plus it will make it quite clean...


The battery is installed and fixed thanks to chain guide extensions made for that...


Small note, as it is a lipo, I do not intend to charge the battery while on the car. I put some M3 inserts in the print to make it easy to manage...



Trims are set, and car is ready to run...




Only leds and paintjob are now still missing to be able to say it's done...

Car is looking great

I put the files on cults3D this morning
https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/fantom-ep-4wd-ext-accessories-for-chassis

I'm not decided yet on the paint, only thing I'm sure of, it won't be box art...