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JennyMo

WBO2014: You say Tow Mater, I say Tam' ata' !

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On 30 October 2014 at 4:28 PM, JennyMo said:

Mind you, here's one I'm going to throw out there for free to someone - how about a Low-rider Pumpkin with a missing hood, a crane on the back painted up like Mater from Cars?

That way you've got On-screen theme / Working vehicle / Low-rider / movie 'Hero' and Zombie Apocalypse all in one ;o)

 

As you may recall, I threw that idea out there before the theme was chosen (thinking I could pretty much cover every base), and subsequently in a fit of pure selfishness, rescinded the offer almost immediately!

So look what the postman bought me yesterday:

P1020354_zpsaaf5bf81.jpg

And what I bought today:

P1020359_zpsb2220f4b.jpg

(these are just some of the colours I'll need - I also have some left over dirty yellow and pale blue from other projects that I will put to good use in an effort to be as authentic as I can... one thing is for sure, this will be the most elaborate paint-job I will have attempted so far!

Having opened the box to inspect the contents (ah, new-kit smell!) - I was surprised to see how many components this kit has - the M06 really is quite extensive (certainly compared to the SRB chassis I built recently), so it's not going to be something I can knock up in a couple of hours - well, you know what I mean.

I'm just waiting on a steering servo to arrive (plus a few other bits and bobs - see below), then I can get to work...

I had planned to pre-build a lot of it before starting a thread so the photos/build stages could come thick and fast, but instead I guess it means I'm going to have a busy weekend ahead of me!

So lets get this started shall we?

Jenny xx

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Ace! I love the Cars films.

I saw a full-size replica of Mater at a car show in Bedford during the summer

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Live this thread already Jen, I hoped you'd do this when I first saw you suggest it (even before you stole the idea back ha ha).

Are you going for 'Classic' 'mater or one of his secret agent 'disguises'?

http://youtu.be/2zbjIQaVWUg

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Ace! I love the Cars films.

I saw a full-size replica of Mater at a car show in Bedford during the summer

Hee hee - funny you should say that, this was my inspiration (and crib sheet for the colour scheme)...

TowMaterDisneyParade_zps8e6986b7.jpg

More soon!

Jx

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On 13 December 2014 at 11:03 AM, SteveU30 said:

Are you going for 'Classic' 'mater or one of his secret agent 'disguises'?

Ah, the perfect way to introduce the project - thank you Steve! ;o)

So as you all probably know, I happen to already have a rather scabby pick-up truck in the shape of the STUMPkin:

P1040344_zps2a51cd92.jpg

And having further embraced all things weathered and rusty with regard to the rest of my collection (inspired by a number of excellent examples of weathering here on Tamiya Club - not least Skottoman's awesome VW Bus project), I was really hoping I would be able to apply those techniques to the Winter Build-Off once the theme was decided...

Once the On-Screen theme became the clear winner, I knew immediately what I wanted to do - not least because Mater is the scabbiest on-screen car I can think of, but also because I just love the scale appearance of the F100 shell - and not least what other people have already done already with the Pumpkin in regard to low-ride and scale builds (yes, I realise there are rarely any genuinely new ideas here on TC ;o)

Of course I know what you're thinking, Mater isn't an F100... and not least it would be very difficult to accurately replicate the Movie vehicle anyway without some serious use of a heat gun and plenty of P38!

So my WBO project is more of a homage to the original Mater - using the key styling cues and as many of the details I can realistically incorporate with regard to both time and budget.

Lets have a look at the fella shall we?

mater_sm_zpsb0ca66db.jpg

This is the classic Movie image, and shows many of the details I hope to include in my own build.

There are very few rear pictures of Mater, but I found this one of a toy:

mater-infinity-figure_zps7f5fd3b8.jpg

Which reveals a yellow cheveron rear panel, a pair of shackle/hitches, and also a pair of round rear lights - all of which should be straightforward enough to replicate.

There is also an amber [rotating] beacon and a single* work-lamp on the rear roll bar - again, easy enough to replicate with off-the shelf accessories - and indeed since Mater traditionally only has one working headlight, it is actually feasible to incorporate a single pair of white LEDs - one for the right hand headlight, and one for the work light - keeping the wiring simple and cost-effective, as I already have a suitable string from Axial I can use.

*I have since realised there are two rear work-lamps, one high, and one lower (as if it's bent/broken), but for simplicity, I'm going to stick with just the high one for now...

Fortunately the Pumpkin already comes with a roll bar in the rear bed as standard, so this can be modified into the support structure for the crane, while some judicious use of the Dremel ought to see the body seams and joints suitably distressed, before the rusty paint effect is applied. I will also fill all the unused holes in the shell, and glue the front and rear body panels in, rather than use the clumsy looking screws that I feel detach from the scale appearance.

The crane boom itself is still a work in progress at the moment... I'd like to keep things Tamiya, and initially considered using a wheelie bar from a WR-02, although that does look a bit toy-like... alternatively I also have some spare WR-02 chassis rails that might actually make an excellent boom, together with a pulley wheel and suitable over-sized hook (I'm thinking a Lego Technic one will be perfect).

I also intend to use scale chain link for the crane rigging, and while initially I was tempted to buy a working scale Warn winch while I was in the USA recently, have decided that (for the time being at least), one of my many Wild Willy II winches will be employed on the rear deck, suitably modified to hold the end of the chain.

Of course one of the key features of the cartoon Mater is his huge grinning grille, and lack of bonnet/open engine bay - both of which would require a lot of fabrication to authentically replicate, and personally I feel since the Pumpkin is not technically the correct base-vehicle anyway, it would all rather be in vain?

Instead, I feel I have come up with a rather neat solution for the grin, which will be immediately recognisable... while I shall play the nerd card regarding the missing hood and refer you to the end credits of the original movie, where Mater goes fishing in the canyon with his hook and finds his old hood from years ago and refits it... only to sneeze and it comes flying off again into the abyss!

So that is a summary of the concept... I suppose now I ought to try and start making it a reality?

Jx

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Very cool and ambitious Jen... Looking forward to seeing this one come to life! :)

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So having submitted my initial post in this thread late last night, I woke up early and dived into the initial chassis build...

I was surprised just how many parts go to make up this Low-ride Pumpkin kit, which after all is at the budget end of the Tamiya spectrum. The M06 chassis features adjustable upper suspension links and steering rods, allowing a fair degree of adjustability (this is new to me coming from a background of lowly TL-01 and WR-02 based vehicles ;o) - although admittedly these parts would be far more enjoyable to assemble and adjust if they had precision metal rod-ends rather than plastic - still, that's an upgrade to consider in the future perhaps...

P1020361_zps8bbae935.jpg

Have a few spare 850 and 1150 bearings to hand, I took the opportunity to fully ball-race the gearbox and the rest of the transmission, rather than use the suppled metal and plastic bushings. While this might seem a bit of overkill for a project that is primarily visual - fundamentally I like all my RC models to be runners if required, so it made sense to do this particularly as the rest of the chassis has potential to be quite fun to drive after all?

The gearbox and subframe went together easily enough:
P1020363_zps233874fe.jpeg

Rear suspension and connecting to the main chassis:
P1020364_zps525166ac.jpeg

I was pleased to see that the M06 kit comes with the alternative parts required to lengthen the wheelbase from 210mm to what looks like 225, 240 and 250mm (or thereabouts)?

Front suspension - adjustable camber will be particularly useful for giving the authentic/exaggerated Mater look!
P1020367_zpsf1320c46.jpg

Oh yes, and in that regard, one decision I made on immediately opening the box was to try and source some more appropriate tyres in a suitable size...

Fortunately the (VW Beetle I think?) wheels supplied look pretty authentic already (once they've been rusted up of course ;o) - but the low profile street tyres really weren't going to work for what I had in mind... a quick eyeball measure (and confirmation with a tape) and the wheels are approximately 1.5 inch diameter - so I tried on a spare Sand Scorcher front tyre and hey presto, it fits!

P1020357_zps4f244b6d.jpg

As soon as I did this, I recalled seeing this had actually been done before (as part of a scale F100/Pumpkin build) and sure enough, subsequently trawling of the showrooms here on TC revealed all manner of handy hints - thank you all! Personally, I actually quite like the 'hot rod' style of the narrow tyre on the wide rim - however, one consideration I am contemplating is to narrow the front wheels, and use the remaining cut-off to widen the rears, and fit dual tyres... I'll let you know if that works as soon as my new tyres arrive ;o)

cont.

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cont.

While I was impressed with the overall M06 chassis design and spec... the supplied shocks are, quite franky, shocking... (note. I have used a bad pun rather than an expletive to air my disappointment ;o)

P1020368_zps2fce7646.jpg

They are embarrassing to be honest - at least the old friction shocks you get with a WR-02 etc have a metal rod and some semblance of sliding action... these click and twist assemblies look (and feel) like they fell out of a box marked 'my first Tamiya ages: 0-5'! Even the springs are 'colour coded' (read: mismatched colours) so you know which are front and rear... why not just make them all the same, especially since the shocks themselves are the same length anyway?!

That said, once fitted, they actually aren't all that bad - but if I do decide to run this regularly, I feel even a budget pair of Ansmann alloy shocks would be far more appropriate?

P1020369_zps6d697510.jpg

So with the chassis finished and body posts in place (too long, so will need to be cut - how I hate that), it was time to fit the shell and get an idea of where to go next...

P1020378_zps73cbd55b.jpg

Actually I think where to go is into the workshop with the Dremel... then start to get some paint on this bad boy eh?

More soon!

Jenny xx

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Great thread so far Jenny & I love the concept :) Im really looking forward to seeing how this comes together. Those shocks are the same as supplied in the TT02... truly awful!

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loving this Jenny - but rather than a lego tow hook maybe a rc4wd king Kong hook would look better ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ONE-RC4WD-King-Kong-WINCH-Hook-10th-scale-Metal-VERY-strong-3-Colours-2-Sizes-/110854802890

I've seen these before, but wasn't sure of the size... although I see they do them in small (regular) and XL sizes too - perhaps the larger would be sufficient, although I really wanted something more cartoon in nature...

Looking at the price here, now I wish I'd bought one of those along with their working Warn winch when I was in the USA... ;o)

Jx

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i know - the prices here are far too step . Ok so they have to ship them over and pay tax and all that other testicles but sometimes i do feel retailers this side of the pond are taking the micky

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Good to see you jumped on board the WBO Jenny :) Looks like a great project and I can't wait to see what you do with this... :D

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I will be following this thread closely! I came across this image earlier this year and I've considered building one of my own.

Posted Image

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Thank you everyone!

Things are progressing nicely... I've been attacking the bodywork with Dr. Dremel, and sorted out a suitable crane boom after an inspired moment rummaging in the spare parts box - photos to follow soon!

Jx

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I will be following this thread closely! I came across this image earlier this year and I've considered building one of my own.

11e82b8e6238087e0ede5084551157f5.jpg

Nice find Volvotech!

That looks like the body-shell from the large talking toy version of Mater, but mounted on a different (better) chassis perhaps?

I was tempted to try and find one of those on ebay to use the crane - but felt it would be sacrilege to chop it up really...

Jx

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The drift car looks awesome.

There's the benchmark then Jenny!

And how long before you have to build a Lightening McQueen to go with it?

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Got a Lowride in my Xmas stocking - cant wait to build it :)

Cant believe (or should that be - I can believe) the body still has the holes for the Midnight Pumpkin chassis!

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The drift car looks awesome.

There's the benchmark then Jenny!

Using a pre-made body is a bit of an easy option though... this one is going to be strictly custom, with a twist ;o)

Jx

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Cant believe (or should that be - I can believe) the body still has the holes for the Midnight Pumpkin chassis!

Yes - I have to say having assembled the chassis and fitted the body, the kit as a whole doesn't really have the air of completeness about it that other Tamiya models seem to do - even the budget re-re Holiday Buggy seemed to go together as more of a 'whole' despite being fitted to a completely different chassis - whereas the LR Pumpkin is clearly a [factory] cobble together of two very different vehicle types...

The M-06 plate style chassis is very race/drift car biased (ok for a low rider truck I suppose), with very little ground clearance and limited suspension travel - but in this instance also seems partially finished here and there... for example there are a couple of tab brackets they instruct you to fit at the front and rear, that don't actually seem to do anything?! - while the cover that holds the battery in position is only held with two posts and clips, although it has holes and the potential location on the chassis for four... these are not really complaints of course, merely observations.

That said, once the Pumpkin shell is fitted (which as you point out, still has the original mounting holes in it as well) in the lowest position it doesn't look too bad - although if you raise it on the posts at all, you soon notice the disparity between the scale body and rather derivative drift car style chassis underneath... and either way I'd say it is essential to fit some larger wheels or at least more period style tyres - as it looks like a roller skate otherwise.

I guess at the end of the day it is an affordable way to get a 'scale' looking vehicle as the basis for a custom build (which is why I bought one for this project), and of course it comes with a nicely detailed hard body, which at this price point is fantastic really... But I think ultimately if I wanted to build a more realistic looking vehicle I'd want to use a different chassis - even something like a shortened TL-01 would be more appropriate I feel - and of course for a truly scale build you'd want some sort of ladder chassis and live axles...

Mind you, once I get this running* with it's 540 motor and perhaps some decent shocks, I might very well eat my words and learn to appreciate the car-style chassis after all ;o)

Jx

edit. *and as if by magic, the postman has just appeared at the door with my radio gear and the tyres I ordered... stand by everyone!

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It does make you wonder if Tamiya has a room full of employees just trying to fit different parts together to see what happens, and occasionally they put them up for sale. At least the didn't release the Pumkin Lowrider on a DT02 chassis :)

I was wondering if you had anything in mind to make it rumble and vibrate like an old truck?

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I was wondering if you had anything in mind to make it rumble and vibrate like an old truck?

Now now - thats a bit Anne Summers lol

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You diiiirty ol' man! :D

I was just thinking of a motor with an off set weight, or deliberately uneven wheels. Actually the hood could have enough room for a 380 with a weight that knocks against something.

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I think that once you have it fitted with a half-decent set of shocks, you'll come to like the M06 chassis. I also had initial misgivings about its capability - it seemed too busy, too fussy compared the M03s and M04s I was used to. However with a set of Mini CVAs fitted in place of the stock pogo sticks, it gets a bit more ground clearance, and becomes rather an enjoyable rally chassis, equally at home on tarmac and gravel. I am thoroughly enjoying my M06 Renault Alpine!

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