Hirobo 44Bs and Zerda :-)

[silvertriple 4084]

This morning, I finished the 44B long chassis... I did not have the original steering rods, so I adapted something using piano wires...

Then shortly, I added the shocks... (same principle than for the 44B hilux at the front, on the rear I had to change the screws as the arms where mounted before with 3mm self tap screws for the shocks...

I printed the bodymount (the Lancia 44B should use the same as the Hilux, or the lower version, I'm not sure yet).

Here is the 3 chassis together

While I was at it, I printed a second set of 44B Hilux bodymounts, so I can have both bodyshells mounted properly on chassis...

I will have to trim the Lancia 037 touring bodyshell and add some electronics in the 44B Long wheelbase chassis at some point...

In the meantime, I could take some pics of both 44B Hilux together (there is a lot of work on the second 44B Hilux chassis, and I have no clue what is under the black paint of the red parts).

It's clear that I would do some stuff diferently now... Not all is coming from the modelisation, though, as the first Hilux came with an incomplete bodyshell, but I believe that with the knowledge I gathered later on doing the 44B Racing Baja body, I would do better. That will be for my next projects, maybe...

[silvertriple 4084]

This morning, I reconfigured the long chassis in 44B City form for some reasons :-)

And I also did a quick print to add a brace on the front between the shocks upper mounting point. This is an easy to do and quick reinforcement... I've applied it to both 44B chassis.

I will also do a minor modification of the rear shocks ro remove 1 or 2 mm of range as the upper arm is touching the belt on the rear side, and I don't like this.

Once done, and electronics added to the 44B LWB chassis, the chassis will be completed and there will be only remaining work on the bodyshells...

[silvertriple 4084]

I did some support, and one french guy I'm in contact with has asked if I can do a batch for him as he has many 44B chassis... I'm willing to jump on the opportunity to refine my support and make it slightly more meaningfull...

I modeled Hirobo logo to try something...

And then I tried to print it in black and red as this will go good with the 44B chassis colors (I may have done the Hirobo logo in blue, but I did not have blue filament available).

I may need to do it as well for the Rock'nCity, Rock'nVega, Lancia, Racing Baja, Zerda and Alien (and why not Bearcat SS, Bearcat and Tomcat)... This could be either set on the side of the chassis support, or anywhere else...
 

[silvertriple 4084]

As mentioned in the post thread, I received today a bodyshell I was no longer expecting to find, and it is in very nice state... I was not long to put it on its second half (previous owner told me "I have abodyshell who is bored and searching for its second half" ).

I'm questioning myself about keeping it the way it is or paint it (Always had a preference for same body in black), but I guess I'll need to order stickers first and then decide...

I also finished to print my sample signlaetic plates that will go with the chassis support... I did redraw the Zerda name, used approaching fonts form most of the others, and for the Mid, as I did not have clean stuff to start with, I used a font which is in phase with the alien theme)...

And since this is now done, it is time for a familly picture while this project started now a bit more than one year ago...

And with a lateral picture of each of the cars...

Now, don't ask me which one is my favorite of those three cars... First, because you might be disappointed, and second, because I would not be able to respond :-)... But one thing I must say : when I started this project, I was not expecting to get that nice results at the end.
I still need to figure out a support for the Bearcat SS (and its two brothers), but this should be easy enough, and I will also do the signaletic plate, for them... And now that the pictures with the 2 Hilux bodyshell have been taken, it will be time to dismantle the second Hilux chassis to restore it, and get it in a box, ready for a rebuild (which may not wait that long, who knows)...

[silvertriple 4084]

I had a discussion with my friend at Loisirs Creations RC ( https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100048098785760) earlier this week. He requested me to work out the accessory parts to get them splitted in halves so he can work out something with very basic setup to do accessories with a silicon mold.

This is easy to do splits on a plan, so I did...

And I put all of this is a small bag. The only parts I did not split at this stage were the search lights...

I guess I'll have to prepare a shipment to my friend very soon...

[silvertriple 4084]

Someone asked me if I can do a Vega Bumper model. He has one brand new in a box, and he has a Vega without Bumper. Challenge accepted... He gave me meausrements and I started to model it.

Then asked for a few additional measures, in particular to determine than angle of the fold...

A chat and a print later (TPU-95A)...

The print quality is surprisingly good (I think I never got such result with a TPU print)...

[silvertriple 4084]

Someone happy to find files to repair a Nichimo Luminous contacted me recently to ask me for my mail address... 
And yesterday, I got a nice surprised in my mailbox

An sticker sheet, original, from a 44B Rock'n City. I will have to plan for a paintjob at some point (likely during spring, as temperature is too low for this currently). I'm thinking about gun metal or dark gun metal...
In anycase, I sent a mail back to the sender to thanks him as this is great. And it is also great to see printed parts on a repair car when people take the time to send you pictures and tell you they are happy with it.

[silvertriple 4084]

The red bodyshell from the second Hilux was sent to my friend at Loisirs Creations RC so he can do a reproduction of it...
He made a mold from it and few weeks ago he sent me a picture he published also on facebook while he was adjusting the depressions here and there to make it work...

Few days ago, when coming back home a big box was awaiting for me, with two bodyshells in it... I trimmed the first one, it's not prefect: I followed what was cut on the original bodies I had in hand, but I could have done better. I'll do better on the second one (and the two others that will come later).

I still need to position the holes for the mirrors and finalise the front end, and also print the other version of the roll bar... I'll do the paint after all of this (it's too windy today to do a paintjob anyway :-) )
 

[silvertriple 4084]

Had to reorder some Black PETG as I finished a roll quite a few weeks ago to print some stuff for the Hilux bodyshell

The front end is now fine, as well as the roll bar (original version, just modified for the interface between the main parts and the side bars, and the exhausts. The mirror are lijely to require some mods...

Roll bar was printed splitted with adaptative layers, and the result is good.
I need to rework the mirrors and make those files available both as cluster and for home printing...

[silvertriple 4084]

I printed the mirrors twice. Support removal is a pain, whatever the orientation of the print. Powder base process will be definitely better, with potentially the possibility of relying on polypropylene which would give a lot more flex to the part.

The cluster files are already good to go. I also prepared some masks for the windows, I'll probably share the file somewhere (cults3D with the stl files?).

Next : clean the body, masking and paintjob. I'm not sure to be able to do this within this week-end. But i'm targeting to have this done soon...

[silvertriple 4084]

Now that I have the insurance to have bodyshell for this car, the next is to make sure I can pull parts easily (specially the one which tends to break easily). The way the design is done does not make room for many possibilities to split and fix splitted parts... This ran in my head for a few weeks...
And if the solution was not to split but to do something else?

I decided to add two small triangle at the front to ease printing stability in an optimal position. And went for some test print...
Auto orientation in slicing with tree supports...

I launched a test in PETG... Here is the results

After support removal : 

Last step was to removed the sacrificial added parts and to see

The result is quite satisfactory, and it opens quite a few possibilities. I'll order PC for those parts as this is the material known with the better layer adhesion. On the arms, I may think about PP or PC to build a reliable 44B runner...

[silvertriple 4084]

I painted one of my Bodyshells yesterday, and sent the pics right away to my friend at Loisirs Creations RC so it can be published soon... What a change compared to how it was when I started the project !

I will probably paint the other body in a lighter color, and since I have only one set of stickers at this stage, I'll have to take care of this as well...

[silvertriple 4084]

Today, I did finish the first of my 44B projects. And considered how this project started, while there was no reproduction of the bodyshell available anywhere at that time, and the state of that bodyshell, this is totally unexpected result...





For those searching for the Hilux 44B bodyshell, I'll share the link from Loisirs Creations RC once I have it. I sent him the pics of the finished body, so he can use it in the publication. It should be very soon...

[silvertriple 4084]

Nylon PA12 MJF Printed clusters arrived for the bodyshell today...

As usual, the surface is a bit grainy, but that is very nice compared to FDM results....

Here is a comparison for the mirrors. Whatever orientation, supports are needed, unless you split the part in the middle of the pipe, which is not perfect either. Here the FDM parts were printed on the top half back of the mirror. To get better result, sanding is required. FDM parts were printed in PETG with adaptative layers. The main issue remains the supports. On the MJF side, the result is homogeneous and nice.

I will have to paint the second body and rebuild as well the second 44B Hilux.

[silvertriple 4084]

Loisirs Creations RC put the bodyshell online this morning on ebay.
As promised, for those searching a Hilux bodyshell, here is the link: https://www.ebay.fr/itm/226086719942
My friend is usually doing 1/8 and bigger scales bodyshell, and he is not fully convinced there is a big market on 1/10, because he doesn't really know about 1/10. Hopefully, he sells quite a few of those, as it may allows me to convince him of the interest to do some very specific 1/10 tires (he is already doing some 1/8 vintage tires and have the capability for it).
I've put the files for the accessories on cults3D ( https://cults3d.com/:1914996 )

[silvertriple 4084]

Added the mirrors on the car, and re-supply some tamiya PS paint for the second body, and many other projects...

[silvertriple 4084]

There was some details missing on the Hilux and the City, and I had some remaining work on the Zerda...

The Hilux got some paint on the tires, it looks even better this way...

I had to do the paintjob on the Zerda, it is only the driver figure, and it actually did not took much time... I decided to keep in the red, white and black theme... I also add a bit of paint on the tires, which will do the job until I print tires for this car...

Finally, I added some paint on the tires of the Rock'nCity, which is still missing a steering servo and an ESC. This is easier than to fnd a City bodyshell, so i'm not worried....

I will have to take the time to take a picture of the 4 Hirobos together (as there is also the Bearcat SS)...
 

[yogi-bear 2468]

some very cool projects there, that are finally finished.

[silvertriple 4084]

8 hours ago, yogi-bear said:

some very cool projects there, that are finally finished.

I still have a Hilux 44B to rebuild, likely with printed parts, and once this will be done, I should be in situation to take a count of the remaining parts to udnerstand what is required to complete another 44B with long wheel base... (so, obviously the overall project is not over, but it is good to complete some part of it)...

[JimBear 1070]

On 4/11/2024 at 6:46 PM, silvertriple said:

Loisirs Creations RC put the bodyshell online this morning on ebay.
My friend is usually doing 1/8 and bigger scales bodyshell, and he is not fully convinced there is a big market on 1/10, because he doesn't really know about 1/10. Hopefully, he sells quite a few of those, as it may allows me to convince him of the interest to do some very specific 1/10 tires (he is already doing some 1/8 vintage tires and have the capability for it).

I looked at the selection he's selling, and I mean he could just start with one or two 1/10 (or 1/12) classic onroad bodies with say 257 mm wheelbase - just to gauge interest. How big is the Hi-Lux (wheelbase, etc)?

Edit: I saw now that it says 210 mm wheelbase, so it could perhaps fit an MF-01x with some nice rims/tyres.

[silvertriple 4084]

Here is the current state of my rebuilt Hirobos...

Now it is time to take care of the others. I'm not building my Hunter Prototype, because I do not want to start until it has a bodyshell.
From all the parts I have, there is room to rebuild a 44B Hilux, and I have a bunch of parts that could allow me to rebuild a 44B LWB chassis, with some little adjustments (there will be probably missing transmission components, but I'll know only when the 44B Hilux will be rebuilt). But since I want this 44B Hilux to run, I intend to print all the suspension components and gearbox walls... And for this, I'll use the same principle as done for the front gearbox wall which was a proof of concept: the idea is basically to add elements to the parts to sit them on the bed with proper orientation and to print them with tree supports (no slicer likes when you don't have any surface on the part to stay on, and that's what I'm trying to solve here...).

And then this will go within the slicer with tree support, and finally, I'll be able to launch a print...

I got all the suspension parts together for both the Zerda and 44B chassis, parted in Common parts, 44B parts, and Zerda parts, and I'll print at least the two firsts plate. And those will be printed in black PETG for the time being (have nothing red except PLA, so I will have to order some red filament, but not sure yet what I can find - no emergency anyway, I want to see how PETG will resist in run for another project).

[silvertriple 4084]

40 minutes ago, JimBear said:

I looked at the selection he's selling, and I mean he could just start with one or two 1/10 (or 1/12) classic onroad bodies with say 257 mm wheelbase - just to gauge interest. How big is the Hi-Lux (wheelbase, etc)?

Edit: I saw now that it says 210 mm wheelbase, so it could perhaps fit an MF-01x with some nice rims/tyres.

Wheel base is 210 mm, tracks are 170 mm. Similar Wheelbase than a M-chassis or a Lunchbox, for example... However, the track are quite large. You may need to have larger arms for your MF1-X as well. I may need to think about something for my M06. I don't have a MF-01X at the moment...

[silvertriple 4084]

First plate printed...

A bit of support removal and parts are good to go. Only the bottom of the arms are not that nice on the middle bar, but I paid attention to do two symetric parts while it is not required except for this exact reason : finish. Everything else came out perfectly...

I slightly modified the right part that goes around the motor to take into account the size of the current motor cages. I'm lauching the 44B specific parts print right away...

@JimBear, took the time to take to pictures for you:

 

[JimBear 1070]

Thank you very much, @silvertriple - it looks a bit bigger (the Hilux is 1/10 size while the Lunch Box is 1/12 so that makes sense).

[silvertriple 4084]

Second plate is as good as the first one...

And the parts are definitely usable... With the same issue as the first plate for the suspension arms, but as I made a symmetry, the top side is good on both arms when positioned for right and left...

And as I needed additional datapoints, I also printed the third plate for the Zerda, and the result is basically the same...

Same results for the parts...

And just to state the obvious here, the parts are not perfect, and may not do the job for shelf purpose, but to run a car this will be perfect...