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mr crispy

TL01 Baja Bug

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I've had this Kamtec Baja shell floating about since I sold the King Blackfoot chassis it was on last year. Wanting to create a budget Scorcher look-a-like I was thinking to fit it onto a GH chassis and resurrect my old Sand Hopper but I wasn't keen on the handling it had. I also had a left over donor TL01 chassis with long arms from my BF3 build, but it's wheelbase was about 15mm too long for the shell. Having shortened a few TL's in the past I was umming and ahhing about doing it again. But since Bromvw started his Scorcher build on a Frog chassis I couldn't stop thinking about fitting the Baja to the TL so a few weeks ago I bit the bullet and got choppin :)

Chassis was prepped and the cut lines marked

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This time a staggered the join to help retain as much strength as I could. All the bits removed with a fine hand saw and the join cleaned up with a file.

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I rejoined the chassis parts with Plastech motorcycle panel repair kit, it's very tough and Ive yet to break one. Did one side and let it dry over night, once cured I fixed it to the other side with a little cellotape between the halfs and did the 2nd side too. Fully cured & sanded its "Strong like bull!"

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As I only removed 15mm I was able to retain the electrics shelf in the servo bay. Checked against a ruler and the wheelbase is now spot on.

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I also like how the battery is now dead centre. A fresh set of TL01 arms arrived and helpfully the frames included the body mounts. Amazingly the front bonnet holes from where I'd mounted the body on a KBF chassis were in the correct place for the standard front TL mounts! The rears just needed 2 holes drilled either side of the split window this bodyshell comes with. After cutting the windows out it was getting there.

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I chose not to remove that rear window as it was so close to the mount holes. I've decided I'm going to fill them in and fab up an air scoop to explain the missing window.

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Ordered a cheap set of 1.9 rally wheels & tyres from ripmax which arrived today but they just don't have the look I want.

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I'm pretty much certain I'll need to go for a set of Grasshopper wheels and tyres or maybe the FAV's. Of course that means fitting the old style wheels to a 12mm hub, but checking out the options and fiddling with my spares box I think I've sorted the rear end.

I have a set or Brat tyres on my Grasshopper so using those as a guide I found I had an axle extension kit with extended wheel nuts... don't really know how to describe them so I'll let the pics below do the talking.

Standard TL rear end and axle minus the 12mm hex hub.

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I filed off the slight ridge on the Grasshopper hub as it was binding, next to it is the extended "nut"

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Fit the GH hub on the TL axle and locate it on the pin. You can see that normally the threaded section of axle won't be long enough to pass through the wheel.

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Lucky for me this extended nut has a 5mm diameter so it fits through the Brat wheel nice and snug and screws onto the 4m axle. It is apx 4mm too long but as it happens they came with a washer/spacer which doesn't look too bad.

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I might trim it down to lose the spacer but that has worked out surprisingly well I thought, looks clean and has moved the wheel out to just where I wanted it :)

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The front end is a where I'm at now. It's already converted to RWD by loosing the propshaft, dogbones and front diff. I replaced the drive cups with free wheeling hubs so I'm now working out how to fit a bearing type front wheel to a 12mm hub... or whether it's best to ditch them and modify a Grasshopper or DT02 knuckle to fit the TL arms. I'm happy with how the side profile looks tho in mockup

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And that's how far I've got. It'll probably get a Willy driver figure as I have a few spare and I want to give it some cockpit detail and a roll cage. Also need to make an air cooled engine to fill up the rear end and fit some lights. Paint wise it'll be a weather worn Baja racer so faded panels and copious rust spots.

I'll keep you posted.

Nic

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Those wheels definitely don't fit - grasshopper would be ideal.

You could use some M03 front hubs to fit the wheels...

It looks a tad 'empty' at the back too - is there anyway you can fit a rear cage?

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I am loving this! I have some serious love for bugs at the moment with my own project coming along nicely and so many different cars on here to look at!

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Gruntfuggly - you must've posted while I was editing my post :) Great minds think alike eh?

Defo on the roll cage, it needs it and I'm hoping nice big engine will fill that gaping rear end, maybe with a spinning fan? Aren't the M03's hex hubs all around?

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This is very cool. shell is nice and deserved a chassis to sit on. I did wander how the prop shaft length was altered then realised you were running rear wheel drive. So How does the TL01 handle with power to the rear is the balance OK now it's shorter? I think your best option with the front is using different hubs but you'll prob have to play around with different options. I did it a while ago on a tt-01 but can't remember how and it's back to stock now. The M03 is hex all round they should be a straight swap. I know your not happy with the wheels but I like them.

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Fantastic! - I love the stance now you have it on the Brat/Grasshopper wheels... very low and mean!

I actually don't mind the truncated look of it not having a VW engine out the back (although that would look excellent of course) - if you are considering building an internal space frame style roll-cage, then an alternative might be to fab up a comedy 'mid mounted' motor that you can see through the rear side windows?

Watching progress!

Jx

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I was going to say - half those pictures weren't there when I posted! :P

You're right about the M03 hubs, they are hex. What about blitzer beetle hubs? I went the opposite way round to put hex wheels on my blitzer...

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Can't beat the look of a yellow VW bug!

Using that chassis I can see you have multiple ways to install some sort of cage there.

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The Wild Willy II uses adaptors to mount 2WD stub axles on front. However, they will not clear the Grasshopper/Scorcher front wheels, so you will have to shave off some material from the steering knuckle, weakening them. Or you can get away putting them on long (Blitzer, Mad Bull, King Blackfoot) front stub axles, and space them. This will widen your front track width though. Maybe you end up having better luck using Wild Willy II rear axles, as they are longer than usual? At least give them a try to see if they are any help.

The Grasshopper front stub axles may or may not allow enough steering throw with the Willy II front adaptors. I'm not sure about that.

If you have some Super Astute stub axles at hand, try them as found in this guide:

http://tamiya101.com/article_2010_holiday_buggy_modified.asp

And yes, every Scorcher needs appropriate oldschool 2WD front ribbed tires and wheels. :) Other new-ish 2.2" 4WD/2WD buggy wheels are killing the looks, unless you put the Scorcher shell on an ORV chassis with Blackfoot or Lunchbox wheels.

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Looks very good so far. As an ex-driver of a fullsize baja, it pleases me greatly to see so many baja projects on the go. Your colour choice is particularly appropriate. The YBDB would welcome you with open arms!

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Looks great so far! Awesome work on shortening the chassis.

On a side note, how did you cut out the body windows? I've got an ABS Kamtec shell arriving.

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Great stuff Mr.C, those Brat rear wheels certainly look like some 80's/90's baja bug wheels that lots of the UK bugs sported, I think they were called 'Weller's'.

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Thanks peeps. I'll try an answer all the points raised (note to self, check your threads for reply post more often :) )

Will, re the window cutting I had previously painted the windows in black for a quick fix to go on a beach run so I used that as a guide. It's worth at least running an outline in permanent marker along the contours as I find it helps when the plastic starts to fly. I used a Dremel with a 3mm drill but, a tiny circular saw blade and a couple of sized sanding drums.

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Drill close to where you want the corners to be then cut out the main area with the saw disc a good 2-3mm in from where you want the final line to end. Punch out the unwanted plastic and use the sanding drums to gradually work your way into where you want the edge to be. Finish off with files and sand paper. It makes a load of mess so keep a hoover nearby and don't do it over a deep pile carpet as it'll never come out :)

Mongoose, yeah a wasn't sure what colour to go with, yellow was the quick spray job I gave it last year and it's works well. I was thinking to fill in a few white panel similar to a box art scorcher and then distress them. I want this to look like a well worn desert racer and as it picks up scraps I'll fill them in with rusty effects, embrase the damage!

GregM, I agree it needs the scorcher/grasshopper wheels. I tried a 90mm tyre on a DT02 2.2 star dish but it looked way too big to me :(

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Not right at all. Old skool wheels for me, I just wish some after market manufacture would make them with a 12mm hex fitting!

Jenny you little minx, a mid engined monster... now that sounds like a challenge :)

Lentner, I've not actually run this one in RWD yet but the shorter mini sized TL I made was a lot of fun in 4x4, RWD and FWD. That's the beauty of the TL01, it's so easy to reconfigure it and all the parts are already there. I will shorten the propshaft as I've kept all the 4x4 gubbins do I can rebuild it to its original spec, other than being a bit shorter :) Shortening the propshaft is a simple matter of cutting and drilling a 2mm hole.

Thanks for suggestions re the steering hubs. I thought I'd cracked it with the DT02 front C hubs and knuckles but as Greg said they rub the smoothee wheels and I don't want to weaken them. WW2 had the same problem and of course the shafts are too long on them and the Blitzers. As it stands the wheels are as wide as I'd want them. I do have a couple more of the extension nuts that are 5mm diameter so if a can fix them into the TL hubs permanently I could hold the wheel on with a 4m bolt? I'll have to tinker and see what works best.

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Crispy this is spooky . Your colour choice is exactly the same as I'am thinking - and on the same Kamtec shell :blink:, all be it very modified in my case . I was going to go for all white but having received my decals I have come to the conclusion that it will look too bland .

Currently I have some Alloy Buggy Champ wheels fitted with Grasshopper tires stretched over them - just to set the shell ride height up . I'am undecided about how they look as I have had to use metal scorcher wheel adapters to fit the rears and it reduces the rear track quite a bit . Your Brat rear / Grasshopper front combo looks better I think and i'll see how it looks on mine if you don't mind ?

Ultimately I think I may end up with a set of Toykid's 5 lug Scorcher wheels with Sand Blasters on the rear and some SRB Blokes narrow Sand Blasters on the front again with 5 lug covers - but that's in the future when funds allow as is one of his FAV / Wildone engines when he releases them via Shapeways .

I have also being wondering if a FAV / Wildone cage could be adapted to fit within the shell with a basic interior simply by bonding in some attachment lugs and adjusting the width to suit ?

Very interesting to see two different slants on the same basic Kamtec shell - BTW designed by TC's very own BadBoy !!!!

I'am useless at posting Photo's but i'll do my best to get some progress shots on my thread at the weekend .

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I've said it before we have very similar tastes Bromvw. I've been holding off posting this build thread as I didn't intend to clash with yours... but I just couldn't wait any longer. Sorry mate :) Personally I find it interesting to see how 2 people use different methods to come to relatively the same result. Be good to see some pics of how your build is progressing. I too would use the allow wheels if my budget stretched that far, hopefully I'll get them at a later date. I've just ordered a set of Grasshopper wheels & tyres to go with mine for now. Your Buggy champ wheels are they the same size as the FAV, slightly larger than the GH's I think? How hard was it to stretch them over? I'm undecided whether to stick with paddle traks on the rear or use the FAV/Buggy Champ tyres. It may depend on the running surface I guess.

I've sorted the front wheels this morning having rummaged through my spares I came up with a few options. First I had a good look at my WW2 front adaptors & C hubs and confirmed you can use them with the GH knuckles, they will actually bring the front wheels in apx 3-4mm than they are on the standard TL01 hex hubs. For anyone interested in this you will need the WW2 E parts linked below

http://bit.ly/1ho16xT

It would be a simple mod of swapping over all Tamiya parts with no actually fabrication of parts needed.

I'm a tight git though so looking at my spares a had a few other options pictured below.

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The black steering knuckle/hub in the centre is the TL01 standard part. One option would be to take the Lunchbox steering knuckle at the bottom and cut off all the excess plastic to allow it to be push fitted into the back of the TL knuckle. Fill it with epoxy glue and it should work I think.

A prefered option was to use the spare Lunchbox rear axle and fit it into the bushings in the TL knuckle and measure where the pin hole comes through the shaft. You could then drill a corresponding hole thought the knuckle and use a brass rod pin to capture the shaft in place. Then cut off the excess axle behind the bushings.

But I've chosen to use the remaining pair of those extension nuts as axles for the GH wheel to ride on, here's how I've done it.

Slipping them into the bushings from the rear I found the extension nuts were a few millimeters too short so I flipped the TL knuckle over and removed the inner bushing.

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With the 2 washers it stopped the nut pulling out and gives it just the right depth

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With the GH front wheel in place it leaves just under a millimeter of wiggle room so it won't bind on the bolt but also doesn't wobble either.

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The only downside I can see to this arrangement is you need to at least partially take off the knuckle to remove the wheel by gripping the head of the extension nut.

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But I can live with that as it's such a clean solution. All fitted and it sits just right.

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All ready for the new wheels & tyres :) Now does anyone know a cheap place to get the little 3 peice wheel nuts and bolts? I assume you could use standard items and not have to payout for Tamiya inflated prices? Are they 2mm bolts?

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lol you beat me to it . i'am also after the nuts and bolts . The Grasshopper tires where a bit of job getting them to fit over the Rough Rider rims - lots of four letter words involved . Still not convinced its the look I want though . I have a full set of Rough Rider / Buggy Champ wheels in the spares box . Their a bit tatty but i'am tempted to spray them white and see how they look . I think i'll maybe have two sets in the end - the Alloys with sand paddles for the beach and maybe Brats for over surfaces ?

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Yes Grunt - those :D. Give Crispy first shout though mate . This is his thread .

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Thanks for the offer Gruntfuggly but I'm gonna need at least 20 for the full set of wheels so I've gone ahead and ordered from that eBay site. Brom you're a good gent :)

I actually used my brain for once and checked the Grasshopper build manual :) They are 2mm bolts, the fronts are 8mm long with the rears needing 10mm length. I've ordered the 10mm jobs and I'll grind them down for the front wheels. 50 for under £3 with free p&p!

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:) well if they are 2mm this eBay seller does them in all different lengths. Prices look a lot more reasonable too

http://bit.ly/1ejB92y

I think this might have been where I got mine from... another option (which I think looks nicer) is to get the 2mm screws with a socket allen head - then they look more like real wheel bolts?

I imagine that seller (or similar) would have them with a variety of heads - as I recall you need M2 x 8mm long for the fronts and 10mm long for the rears, and plain M2 nuts...

Jx

edit: I should have read to the end of the thread first - Mr.C already confirmed the dimensions!

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