Dave's Buggy Champ Scorcher build thread!

[redzone]

Hi guys, i've had my Buggy Champ sitting tempting me to build it since 2009, I finally succumbed to the urge over my xmas break! This I have decided to be the replacement for my yellow sand scorcher, which I ran often at boondall and also at the beaches here on the sunshine coast. The Yellow one featured a few mods to make it more useable, I will be building this kit basically stock initially then adding things like direct steering, coil over shocks etc later.

So here goes..

This is where the magic happens, on an old computer desk that we bought from a lifeline shop, it's just the right size

Here I decided to build it with the optional ball diff, taking note of other's recommendations to add extra thread lock and do it up a tad tighter than the instructions suggest:

If you want to adjust the ball diff without disassembling the gear case, you can actually do it via this slot in the side of the outdrive, locking an allen key into the slot in the side of the diff half. This will be redundant on mine though due to the extra thread lock.

One thing that was missing from the rere instructions was to seal the gear casings with some silicone type sealer, this is one thing i decided to do, using some high quality wurth sealer from work (I am an automotive mechanic by trade).

Here we have the gear case loaded with all components installed, and ready to be buttoned up!

Step one completed!

Note the silicone sealer was applied reasonably sparingly, so as not to make a mess:

Step 2 completed, I decided to run moly grease on the torsion bar bushes and rear hinge bushes:

Step 3 & 4 completed:

Step 5 completed:

Step 6, the shocks! Another bone of contention for many people on the rere SRB kits. I built the original shocks with some slightly thicker oil and the essential shock slime on the o-rings and shaft etc. So far so good.

Step 7 & 8 completed:

Step 9, I managed to get the motor wire grommets installed without cutting any of them:

Step 10, front suspension assembly: Moly grease on the MB4 parts!

Step 11 completed:

Step 12 oooooooOOOOOooo:

Step 13, I installed the seperately purchased, taller sand scorcher front post as it will be wearing a scorcher body mostly:

Step 14 & 15, it's starting to look like a car!

Step 16 & 17, servo installation and radio box, showing the wire routing and shorty lipo fitment using a strategically placed foam adhesive block, and receiver:

So that's where i'm up to so far, hope I have been of assistance to some! More to come soon.

[wood5tock]

Great to see one of these put together awesome

[Percymon]

Nice clean build so far. You can always mount the shocks upside down to reduce leakages

[redzone]

Yeah I wanted to see if I could make these shocks actually work as intended, as so many people seem to have problems with them! But yes after a few runs, it will get a pair of gpm losi mini-t rear shocks with longer eyelets on the front, & touring car 55mm dampers on the rear..

[Percymon]

I've got originals on all my SRBs (just as bad for leakage apparently) but i've never had any issues even though the shafts are worn from use - i did use some heavier fluid and green slime but it must be 2 years since some were built (minimal running time !)

[Toykid]

Great build pics.

[SteveU30]

Hornet rear shocks are a perfect fit on the front of an SRB and look very scale, as shown here: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=121086&sid=14925

[steponit!]

Hi redzone

I got some gpm losi mini-t shocks but I don't have any 'eyelets'....would be grateful if you could please tell me know what brand / type / part # of those stuffs, please?

btw, awesome build!

Thanks!

[Tamiya1/10]

never get bore or tire of viewing these classic build. those engineers back then put their heart and sole into it and it shows. the human spirit is more intesting than the computer spirit. old school forever.

[TongueTied]

Do standard touring car 55mm damper shocks give you enough travel for the rear suspension?

[redzone]

Hi redzone

I got some gpm losi mini-t shocks but I don't have any 'eyelets'....would be grateful if you could please tell me know what brand / type / part # of those stuffs, please?

btw, awesome build!

Thanks!

Hi, I have another pair of the eyelets I used on my last one nip at home, I will measure them for you, I got them from a uk ebay seller about 5 years ago but they are a common part, dubro brand iirc. They came in a pack of 4.

In my humble opinion, the alloy gpm mini t shocks are even more scale than hornet shocks as they are a smaller diameter.

Yes, 55mm touring cars shocks are spot on for length & bump travel! I had this exact setup in my old srb & it handled quite well, even with the locked solid axle, this one should be great with the ball diff.

[steponit!]

Great, redzone! I'll be waiting! Thanks!

btw, about the 55mm touring shocks, I think I came across in asiatee's website that they have the 'gpm mini t 60mm shocks'...any idea whether they are suitable for the buggy champ rear?

[redzone]

I wouldn't use them on the rear as there is so much more weight back there! I'll try & get pics of the eyelets up tonight.

[steponit!]

yeah, I thought so too! .....any photo's yet?

[redzone]

Sorry mate, i've been a bit off colour!

They are a 22mm overall length eyelet, the critical measurement though is that they are 17.5mm from the centre of the eye to the end where the damper shaft (2mm) goes in.

I had to remove the ball from the eyelet as it was for a 2mm screw, needs to be attached to a 3mm hole!

Pics speak a thousand words:

[steponit!]

It's ok! Thanks so much for the photo's and your help too ! Really appreciate it !!

[Shodog]

With the shock, I've found the stock dampers work a ton better fitted with coil over springs and collars. In the stock configuration they bind on the rear plus the torsion bars are too stiff. You might want to consider an aluminum chassis otherwise you'll end up with a broken body after a few big jumps

[steponit!]

Many thanks for the advice, Shodog !

btw, cool gallery you got there !!

[Shodog]

Many thanks for the advice, Shodog !

btw, cool gallery you got there !!

Thank you, I work really hard to make them all nice

[TongueTied]

What do you think of these for front shocks http://www.rcmart.com/yeah-racing-dp0004sv-70mm-alloy-damper-buggy-bigfoot-p-21916.html?cPath=389_390 ? From what I measure, the overall length is the same i.e. 70mm hole to hole the only thing is that is has 16mm travel vs what I measure as 18mm on the original SRB front shocks. Would they work? Has anyone tried them?

Edit: I just found these http://www.rcmart.com/yeah-racing-dp1004ti-70mm-damper-buggybigfoot-2pcs-p-25328.html?cPath=389_390 which might be even better as they have 19mm travel and they come with a few different weight springs.

[redzone]

Too large in diameter I think, the beauty of the mini t alloy shocks is they are very small in diameter..

[TongueTied]

Too large in diameter I think, the beauty of the mini t alloy shocks is they are very small in diameter..

Found this old thread where someone has mounted the Yeah Racing 70mm dampers on an SRB. He claims they fit but the do look rather close to the suspension arms. Here is the discussion. If you go to the end you can see the photos http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=66447&hl=

[redzone]

I wouldn't do it, they will look pants & you will have a hard time finding springs soft enough for the front of an srb. The purple springs that come with those gpm shocks are spot on.

[redzone]

Hi guys, it's body time!

I decided a while back to get a Scorcher body post and body set for this, and do the Buggy Champ body box art, that way I can have it looking like that on the shelf or Sand Scorcher style! It will be run as a Sand Scorcher though.

So my original plan was for box art style but with a twist, I wanted a nice 70's style metallic purple, however Tamiya doesnt do a TS spray metallic purple! So while at the LHS I saw Candy Lime Green on the shelf and thought, "yep that's 70's"! Remembering when I got home that I had seen one done this colour before, however not box art style, the scheme was altered..

Anyways, I prepped the shell by sanding the ridges from the front and rear guards/wings/fenders, I didnt spend a massive time on this one filling etc and getting it perfect, as it was always destined to be a runner! So on went some Tamiya fine white primer, then a decent coat of pure white. Waited a week for the paint to cure properly before i masked it!

One thin coat of green and left it for an hour:

Second coat:

Removed the masking after a few hours and let it sit for a day before hitting it with some Tamiya clear gloss to really bring the colour out:

Probably should have let it sit for a week before clearing it as the white floated a tad down the crease between the guards and main body.. Oh well it's only a runner!

I painted in the window rubbers by hand. Also gave it the chrome beltline trim aswell. Used some decals from SPD, they do a generic Baja decal set that includes these awesome old school Cali plates!

Left the front turn signals and mirrors off as it's a runner:

[redzone]

So then it was a mad rush to get the car driveable for a Boondall vintage run last saturday. Had to raid my already built wheels and tyres from my Baja FAV. I am taking the wheel covers from this Buggy champ and another set I have here down to Caloundra to get them Vacuum Metallised (plastic chromed), but I dont like the Buggy Champ style tyres for running, I much prefer the 1.55's so i'll be doing up some of them aswell. I scored a set of those Troll brand front and rear 1.55's so i'll see how they perform at Boondall!

The decals were hastily applied the morning of my Boondall mission (1 hour drive 100km to get there), but i'm pretty happy with how it has so far turned out!

Better pics and more detail to come!