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A Hybrid Scorcher

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I'd like to throw this idea to the TC community . While I love the looks of the Sand Scorcher I find its performance and handling a let down . Don't get me wrong , its a wonderful piece of RC history but for a runner its just too heavy IMO .

What I would like to do is build a Hybrid using a readily available Tamiya 2WD chassis and a re re Scorcher body .I'd like to keep to standard parts as far as is doable so that spares are easy to obtain so current kits are a must . My first thought is use a Holiday Buggy or Sand Rover but what would you use ?

Any advice , thoughts or actual conversions would be a huge help guys .

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I agree with you.

You can do many things.

- The first option is the Blitzer Beetle. Nice, fast end enjoyable to drive. Don't you like it the livery? Choose Sand Scorcher livery.

It's to large with too big wheels? Swap the arms with some shorter ones and make it narrow with buggy/Scorcher wheels.

- DT02 chassis, same issues, same solutions.

- Make yourself a chassis for your Scorcher. There are hundreds of possibilities. For example I remember here on the Club an Astute chassis with shortened front end and Sand Scorcher front suspension set and rear narrow configuration. You can do it what you want and like, just need your fantasy and your modelling skill.

Max

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The good news of course is that many more modern chassis are not too far fromt he 250mm wheelbase of the SRB. That gives you plenty of choices, but you either have to keep with a sort of hybrid buggy platform or a 'touring' car one.

Maybe using something like a DF-01/TA-01/TA-02 chassis (that was also used for bigger tyred trucks) would give you suffiicient chassis choice options ? Plenty of used ones on ebay and parts are readily available and cheap.

Then again the DT-02 is cheap to buy and the relatively wide track is easily narrowed as proven many times on here

to me part of the Scorcher appeal is the complete visual appearance complete with the wheels - the problem when using the standard sized wheels is the lack of tyre choice, and what there is is old designs. move to 2.2" wheels for better tyre options and it starts to lose its visuals, even more so with balloon tyres like the Blitzer

best result would be a baja style look with cut arches and mid sized, scaler type wheels - problem then is you increasing cost to get the right look with RC4WD type parts, and you need the full look with light bars, spare wheels and toolkits to really pull it off.

Its pretty easy to drop the Scorcher shell on a variety of chassis - Frog, Hornet are a couple of others that work too, lighter than the SRB but again ratehr archaic in chassis design.

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As it will mostly be running on dirt or the beach David my thinking is more towards a Buggy chassis . DT-02 seems to make sense for a number of reasons . Firstly cost - cheap as chips . Secondly it has a enclosed gearbox and there is a dirt cover available for the tub . Thirdly its easy enough to narrow the width and the wheelbase is almost correct . Lastly - wheels and tyre choice . I ideally want to use Scorcher wheels / tyres as visually IMO their a huge part of the overall look plus I have a spare set already .

Blitzer is not a bad idea though . I actually have one that's in need of a re build and a new body . It could donate most of the parts . Any ideas as to what arms / drive shafts and front hubs I could use to narrow it ?

Hornet or Grasshopper II - same wheels and I have the sand tyres . No idea how wide these two are though ?

Any other ideas guys ?

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I agree Arron , I was only offering the option of a TA02T type chassis as a base if you wanted to go whole desert bug racer. RC4WD do the Mickey Thompson Baja tyres but you're looking at $ 50 plus shipping plus taxes. They are also ca 94mm diameter so you have to go the jacked up scorcher route to make them woek

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David I think the look I want is basically a Modified Baja . I've seen the one's on the forum with the front light pods and roof air scope - quite like them . Recessing the spare wheel into the hood as I think Jenny did also looks great . Basically I love the overall 'look' of the Scorcher and its proportions . I know i'll not leave the body standard as I enjoy modifying too much to leave anything alone lol . The aim is to have a useable runner where the looks match its performance while at the same time keeping the costs within reason . It may be a pipe dream but I think its possible .

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DT-02 seems logical - its basic, cheap and adaptable as you say - if you chop it about too much its not a wallet buster to start afresh ;)

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I've seen a few DT-02 Beetle conversions. Narrowing the track width has been done by many. But where most people struggle is getting the wheelbase right and avoiding the massive gearbox to clash with the bodyshell.

If you want to use classic 3-piece wheels, you need Super Astute front knuckles and re re Frog rear axles (or Team CRP wheel adaptors).

Since the basic DT-02 chassis variants do feature only plastic diff outdrives with slotted diff gears, it's better to take a "pro" DT-02 with steel outdrives along with splined diff gears. This enables you to choose from a wide range of cups, dogbones and axles.

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DT02 range has different levels of spec, from plastic base spec through to reasonable spec in the likes of the sand viper. ( oil shocks, metal diff out drives/turnbuckles and turnbuckles). Hence why it's ca. £110 rather than £70 for holiday buggy. For beach running you might want more plastic and leads metal corrosion prone parts!.

All explained by Craig in first part of this article..

http://www.thercracer.com/2013/10/tamiya-dt02-guide-mods-tuning-and-tips.html?m=0

The Nissan Titan truck might be a decent start point as it'll give you some alternative wheels/tyres for jacked up baja option lol!

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Personally i think i'd start with either a Sand Rover or Street Rover - basic, lots of plastic so good the beach and the body can be used as an alternative to the Scorcher shell. The Sand Rover would give you some ribbed front tyres for the sand, and you could fit some paddles out back at a later date. The Street would give you some wheels to run on road, with either shell. In fact it would give you a Blitzer/Scorcher hybrid in terms of wheel size ;)

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Problem for me with the DT02 is it'll end up too wide for an authentic Scorcher look, you will in effect create an updated Blitzer... which is fine if that's what you're after.

I've been thinking to do this for a while and I'm going to use a TL01 chassis and shorten it by a few cms to fit the scorcher wheelbase just right, as it is standard its apx 15mm too long to fit the wheels comfortable in the arches. I'd drop the prop shaft and front end diff and gears (but hold onto them should I ever what to try it out as 4x4) so it'll still be 2wd and rear engined... well almost :) battery position will stay the same so if should be pretty capable with a low COG. Best of all I plan to make the upper rear suspension arms a little too long so it'll retain that droopy odd camber look of the old scorcher.

You could also use an lengthened M03/05 chassis and run it in reverse and get the same results.

BTW The Hornet/Grasshoppet chassis fits the Scorcher bodyshell very well but obviously it's another basic chassis without the fully independant suspension off the others I prefer.

DSC02089.jpg

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Grasshopper looks interesting - correct wheels / tyres even

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They were Brat wheels n tyres all round, gives it a chunkier feel but I recon the fronts could do with narrowing a bit to be spot on. If I did it again I'd also lower the body a bit more which would mean cutting the very front on the chassis a little and loosing the Nerf bars. There is plenty of room under the bonnet for the front suspension to work tho.

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I was meaning that the original Grasshopper wheels are correct ie narrow fronts and paddle rears . How's the fit at the rear - any cutting of the shell needed ?

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Good ol' Moosey described how to convert a DT-02 Holiday Buggy to

- narrow wheelbase

- classic multipiece wheels with classic tires

http://www.tamiya101.com/article_2010_holiday_buggy_modified.asp

You could use this as an inspiration for a DT-02 baja bug. I think especially the classic wheels and ribbed front/paddle rear tires are an absolute must to make the Scorcher bodyshell look good. Unless you put it on a Blackfoot chassis with spiked Monster tires and call the result Monster Beetle, which is pretty yummy too.

How to adapt the Scorcher body to the DT-02 chassis:

http://fighterteam.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2196&sid=d9c738efb91345cadfa22c2c1dc3c312

German language though, but lots of pictures. And if these don't say enough, there's always Google translator.

If you are feeling really bold, you can also try to scratchbuild a custom made bug body on your DT-02:

http://fighterteam.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2249&sid=d9c738efb91345cadfa22c2c1dc3c312

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Part of the alure of the Sand Scorcher is the bad handling. A Holiday buggy or hornet chassis imo would be a downgrade. If you're really after performance, there have been several people cut down RC10 chassis to fit the scorcher body. For me, I just love the way a solid spool diff gear and high powered motor makes trhe sand roost from the back tires.

TamiyaSocal1.jpg

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I know that your saying Shodog as I have a Buggy Champ . However the performance and handling just don't appeal to me much . My aim is to build a light weight , low cost and easy to maintain fun runner . I might even lock the diff for beach use .

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How's the fit at the rear - any cutting of the shell needed ?

Well bear in mind this is a Kamtec lexan shell but I'm pretty sure they're a copy pulled from a Tamiya Scorcher. Following the mould lines it looked like this.

DSC02090.jpg

Bit too much open space for my liking (one of the reasons I drop it) but like I said earlier the body could be lowered and do with some engine detail. That of course will be a problem with the gearbox design. If you fix it to the bodyshell or main chassis it'll need space to let the gearbox move around and be vulnerable hanging out the back... or fix it to the gearbox but then the whole engine will be rolling about with the rear axle?

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Bah!! all you old fogies with your Turkish delight tinted spectacles on, banging on about sand scorchers and the 70's, :P:D

What you want is a monster beetle on a farm king chassis :D :D :D For the 80's kids (The hip crowd :lol:)

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Another photo of the same Kamtec shell on a ORV chassis..

IMG_0248_zps2db3172c.jpg

Sadly is has even more open space at the rear - you could fit a V12 in !

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I've being doing some research - can anyone confirm to the Blitzer Beetle Chrome Edition use's narrower front knuckles to allow the fitment of the 3 spoke Sand Rover wheels ?

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I've being doing some research - can anyone confirm to the Blitzer Beetle Chrome Edition use's narrower front knuckles to allow the fitment of the 3 spoke Sand Rover wheels ?

It does ;)

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