VroomVroomRC

I was finally able to source some new wheels and tires, only to find that the front wheels are completely incompatible. It looks like there might be two or three variations of the Tamiya front star dish wheels? I have no clue, but tried to make these work by boring the center of the wheel out with a 11mm drill bit, then gluing an adapter in place. 11mm is large enough for the Tamiya hex wrench to reach the nut for tire removal, and a very narrow squeeze for bearing replacement, but it works! Time will tell if this setup is durable enough after some running around. The good news is that the Frog is finally starting to look more like an off-road buggy with the proper wheels installed! As you can see, further changes were made to the body design because the previous revision looked fine of paper, but was very ugly in person from certain angles. The most challenging part of the design has been to cover these very wide areas, without letting it affect the overall shape of the cover.

One more test of the proportions, and possible paint schemes. It's getting close to what I think is practical with the height of the chassis and the very short (for a buggy) wheelbase. Planning to massage out some lumps and bumps, then print one for paint to see what it really looks like.

Thanks! Oh yes, I remember seeing that one a while back and it reminded me a lot of the Kyosho raider (probably largely because of the color). Too bad it's one of the few aftermarket bodies available for this chassis.

Here is the body with some minor changes to the side panels. They are wider and extend further down to partially cover the battery holder. The fit is quite snug against the battery holder plates, so definitely no room for the recess needed for intakes. A slight angle was also added to the roof line. I think the lower side panels help create the illusion of body sitting lower on the chassis! I am going to modify and re-print the rear portion of the body next, with a few minor adjustments and opened scoops.

That paint job is incredible! It looks so sporty and high tech at the same time. Great work!

That thing is ready to crush some cars!!

Everything was previously available on Shapeways, but I was still working on the assembly instructions. Now, I don't have any plans to re-publish on a different platform in the foreseeable future. The reasoning behind the decision is that most ORV owners are pretty die hard vintage Tamiya fans, so it wouldn't make sense for them to tear their kit apart and turn it into something that bears virtually no resemblance to the original kit. This is also why I started building up a new runner on the ORV platform, while trying to keep the chassis as close to original as possible. I appreciate you asking, and sorry if this wasn't the answer you'd hope for.

For anyone interested in printing, I run printed TPU collars with the drive shaft boots to help keep the AW grease in and the dirt out, without using zip ties. I just created a new Thingaverse account where you can download for free, since Shapeways is no longer around for these parts. Example installed on Tamiya Planetary Gear drive cups Example showing installation on MIP Super Ball Differential

Ouch! That's a bummer.

Thanks for sharing this info, @ruebiracer! I will update the original post to include this info.

Thank you, @RichieRich! I'll give those changes a shot and see how it looks. Thank you, @GToddC5! Thank you, @Frog Jumper! I'll try bringing the sides down and out bit bit more and try adding some vents. I like those Italian rockets, but this Frog body may not have the lines needed to carry those vents. hahaha

That is WIDE! Let's see it with the body!

Hi all! I am putting together a Frog from a large pile of Monster Beetle spare parts, and have found myself building a body because they (Frog/Brat bodies) have not been in stock for quite some time. The strange wheel/tire choice is because the original plan was to install a Brat body. It seemed like a good opportunity to make a body that sits lower on the chassis than the original, and also a bit longer to fully cover the gearbox. There are details I want to further develop like opening up the rear side scoops, and adding fog lights and a wing. At the moment I am not sure if the proportions work, or if I should just abandon the project in search of a Brat or Beetle body. In the meantime, feedback would be greatly appreciated as paint and body work has never been my strong suit! Specifically, I am wondering the following: - Is it even possible to create a body that doesn't sit ridiculously high on this chassis? - Should the side pods be widened and lowered to cover the ends of the battery holder, or would it just make the body look slab-sided? Early test fit, showing how low the body is mashed against the chassis (pictured below)

Thank you for the update! It looks absolutely fantatstic. Your design is so elegant, and I don't think it's an understatement to say that it's quite a challenge to fit everything in such a narrow gearbox since the tolerances are very unforgiving. Can't wait to see further updates

It definitely seems that way, unfortunately. I have been waiting for a Screw Bag D for the Frog for ages with no luck.