DT02-N/ Sand Rover into Beach Buggy

[Busdriver]

Does anybody have any thoughts on how to narrow the front and rear track of a DT02?

[J@mes]

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=108826&id=108826
 

remembered this, hope it’s useful

[Busdriver]

3 hours ago, J@mes said:

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=108826&id=108826
 

remembered this, hope it’s useful

Looks just what I’m after. Especially the front end. Just to complicate matters I’m also thinking about a short wheelbase version🤪🤪

[Aerobert]

To shorten the wheelbase you can cut out a piece of the tub. I've done this to get a better look for my Sand Rover. Meanwhile I have a Blitzer Beetle shell on it and the chassis is, although it's glued, strong enough to take a serious bashing. Even with flips and rolls. I shortened the wheelbase for about 1 cm a the standard battery pack still fits. It's a tight fit but it fits.

[Busdriver]

3 hours ago, Aerobert said:

To shorten the wheelbase you can cut out a piece of the tub. I've done this to get a better look for my Sand Rover. Meanwhile I have a Blitzer Beetle shell on it and the chassis is, although it's glued, strong enough to take a serious bashing. Even with flips and rolls. I shortened the wheelbase for about 1 cm a the standard battery pack still fits. It's a tight fit but it fits.

Thanks that was my next plan. I’ve done the front suspension just have to play around with shocks and springs. I’d love to be able to do away with the top of the shock towers!!!!

[Aerobert]

I've built a new shock tower from styrene and installed 1:18 shocks. But I guess mini CVA should also fit and would be a better choice. Shock travel should still be enough as if you build the car for more scale appearance it will be driven on not so rough ground. Unfortunately I have currently no better picture but I think it shows what I mean. Please excuse the poor styrene skills, at that time they were rudimentary, was one of my first mods ever. But it works.

 

[Busdriver]

On 4/17/2022 at 7:10 AM, Aerobert said:

To shorten the wheelbase you can cut out a piece of the tub. I've done this to get a better look for my Sand Rover. Meanwhile I have a Blitzer Beetle shell on it and the chassis is, although it's glued, strong enough to take a serious bashing. Even with flips and rolls. I shortened the wheelbase for about 1 cm a the standard battery pack still fits. It's a tight fit but it fits.

Where did you cut. I was going to go across at the widest point so that I could build back the most strength. I’m going to box up the side’s to fill the gap under the body.

[Aerobert]

53 minutes ago, Busdriver said:

I was going to go across at the widest point so that I could build back the most strength.

That's exactly where I cut. Then glued both parts back together with plastic glue. I'm not sure but if I remember correctly it was Revell Contacta. From the inside I glued styrene sheet to the chassis for additional strength. I've also made a new pin for the battery bracket, so I can still use it. It is not so nice as 3D printed parts but it works.

[Busdriver]

👍

[Busdriver]

So following advice I have both narrowed the front track and shortened the chassis just as it would have been in real lifetime. My inspiration comes from the orange 1/24 scale body. 

next is a screen and a tonneau (fitted with magnets) to hide all the rear subframe. Then paint, guess what colour???

[Andreas W]

14 hours ago, Busdriver said:

Then paint, guess what colour???

Well, what about metallic orange (I think I have read that you love that.).  Then there must be TS-92 or PS-61 with gloss clear. 

 

The work looks wonderful as always. 

[Busdriver]

Those eagle eyed members will have noticed that I changed the title of the thread a few days ago. I have always been a fan of the original Bruce Meyers Dune buggies of the 1960’s which yes I can remember. I have had several models of it in 1/24 scale. This is what’s left of it after I scavenged parts off it for yet another unfinished project 🤫

When the Sand Rover came out I was away from RC so never had one though had seen it in mags etc. It was ok but then by the time I came back they had released the re re abomination on the DT02 chassis. Now don’t get me wrong it’s a good chassis much like the Blitzer in many ways but the way that the body was hacked and the really wrong wheelbase made “orrible” So the original premise of this thread was just can so and so be done.Thanks to @J@mes & @Aerobert I got lots of ideas. So out came Dr Dremel and Harry the hacksaw and before I knew it I had a proper shortened and narrowed ( front only for the time being) beach buggy chassis. I’d already purchased an Sand Rover body but I decided to make or use stuff I had to make a more realistic Meyers  style buggy. That included filling in the holes for the shocks as I’d moved them. I also intend to fill the front post hole and will install a magnetic mount in place but I needed the post in the first place to keep everything lined up. The rear end is going to have a tonneau cover either velcroed or magnetic so that you can get to the rear mount. The wheels and tyres are ok but a bit too wide especially at the front. I’ll just keep looking. The roll hoop and windshield hoop are brass rod/ square section bent to shape. Anyhow it is still work in progress but getting there. Oh I forgot I boxed up the sides of the chassis to hide the gap.

A fresh tin of Volkswagen Brilliant Orange is waiting in the wings!!!

[Aerobert]

Looking good. Brilliant orange will suit the body very well. I like the idea of tonneau cover, very nice.

For the wheels you can find SRB Sand Blaster tires on many Sand Rovers /Beach Buggies. But I like the wide track of yours.

[KEV THE REV]

26 minutes ago, Busdriver said:

I also intend to fill the front post hole and will install a magnetic mount in place

Phew !! , I was hoping you'd do that , good choice . I love this and the stance is great , great mods by all of you . I'll probs have a go at this at some point

[J@mes]

I saw a 1:1 of these on the road a couple of days ago  & now the weathers improved there’s all manner of cool cars out & about. Hooray for beaches & sun 

[Busdriver]

10 hours ago, KEV THE REV said:

Phew !! , I was hoping you'd do that , good choice . I love this and the stance is great , great mods by all of you . I'll probs have a go at this at some point

Yes the post is a bit like a unicorns horn!! Jus need to play with some magnets. Need to make sure it doesn’t raise the nose up. I would love to lower it slightly but my home made shock tower just touches the body underneath. Talking of which to get this all set up I used a set of pogo sticks from and M chassis that I will replace with cva’s eventually, hopefully with some soft springs.

[Busdriver]

7 hours ago, J@mes said:

I saw a 1:1 of these on the road a couple of days ago  & now the weathers improved there’s all manner of cool cars out & about. Hooray for beaches & sun 

To me these and Mini Mokes are the original summer cool cars. There were also a few French cars with Surrey carriage roofs but can’t remember which ones. 

 

10 hours ago, Aerobert said:

Looking good. Brilliant orange will suit the body very well. I like the idea of tonneau cover, very nice.

For the wheels you can find SRB Sand Blaster tires on many Sand Rovers /Beach Buggies. But I like the wide track of yours.

Yes but I don’t like the ribbed front tyres. I tried my ORV wheels (Brat) but I think I need longer axles at the back? The adapter is quite deep. The best stance is with the original Titan wheels but I think the wheels are the wrong style. If I get a chance I’ll post a picture later after work.

 

[KEV THE REV]

9 hours ago, J@mes said:

I saw a 1:1 of these on the road a couple of days ago  & now the weathers improved there’s all manner of cool cars out & about. Hooray for beaches & sun 

There's a guy near me has a candy red beach buggy ,  awesome. 

[Aerobert]

2 hours ago, Busdriver said:

There were also a few French cars with Surrey carriage roofs but can’t remember which ones. 

One of the best is the Citroen Mehari along with the Mini Moke. 

2 hours ago, Busdriver said:

Yes but I don’t like the ribbed front tyres. I tried my ORV wheels (Brat) but I think I need longer axles at the back?

I have the Brat tires on my Sand Rover but with modified M-Chassis Beetle wheels. I can't say anything to ORV or SRB wheels unfortunately.

[Busdriver]

17 minutes ago, Aerobert said:

One of the best is the Citroen Mehari along with the Mini Moke. 

I have the Brat tires on my Sand Rover but with modified M-Chassis Beetle wheels. I can't say anything to ORV or SRB wheels unfortunately.

Got a picture of wheels and tyres?

[Aerobert]

No Close-ups. A look from above you can see in the picture I posted above. I will take some better pictures this evening.

[Aerobert]

Here are some pictures from the wheels and tires. I've made them out of necessity as on one side I wanted VW wheels on my beach buggy and on the other side hobby budget was small. So I searched the hardware stores for some suitable plastic tube and finally found some. I cut small slices from it an glued them on the wheels. After that I shaped the edge to make it look like a rim flange. Some silver paint and it was finished. The middle part of the front wheel was trimmed and both halves were glued back together. Same with the front tire. As it was made at least 8 years ago I think they need a little overhaul.

[KEV THE REV]

Excellent work on those wheels  :)

I need to try the narrowing down of the 915's to 315's . Any tips , other than brown trousers

[Aerobert]

Take your bravery pills and start. 

You need to cut left and right from the middle row. As I find it almost impossible to cut a straight line you maybe need to trim both halves afterwards and test after each cut if they fit together. I used a pair of scissors for that as cutting wobbling rubber with a knife just don't work. When you are happy with the fit glueing is not a big deal.

It is expectable that cut and glued tires are not perfect round and may have a slightly unbalance but I used mine on the beach for scale driving a Sand Rover and didn't notice any problems with that.

But those 915 tires are also looking cool uncut on the front:

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=114086&id=9813

This is one of the role models when I build mine.

[Grumpy pants]

Great thread @Busdriver, really enjoying your recent multiple builds and this beach buggy thread 👏