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JennyMo

WBO2014: You say Tow Mater, I say Tam' ata' !

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I was wondering if you had anything in mind to make it rumble and vibrate like an old truck?

Now now - thats a bit Anne Summers lol

I went to google this lady thinking she might be a relative, I hope not... wouldn't want any xmas gifts from her! :blink:

The m06 handles superrrbly with the trf style M chassis alloy shocks. I couldn't believe the slop and springiness in the rear with the pogos!

Jen I might have a spare (how do I say this without it being awkward) vibrator unit from the tractor trucks floating around if you want to do what the boys suggested above. I would imagine you might be able to put the positive and negative on the motor wires or even run it off a seperate battery if you want it to rumble at idle.

*wipes brow*

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You diiiirty ol' man! :D

I was just thinking of a motor with an off set weight, or deliberately uneven wheels. Actually the hood could have enough room for a 380 with a weight that knocks against something.

sorry but it was hard to resist that one :lol:

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I went to google this lady thinking she might be a relative, I hope not... wouldn't want any xmas gifts from her! :blink:

The m06 handles superrrbly with the trf style M chassis alloy shocks. I couldn't believe the slop and springiness in the rear with the pogos!

Jen I might have a spare (how do I say this without it being awkward) vibrator unit from the tractor trucks floating around if you want to do what the boys suggested above. I would imagine you might be able to put the positive and negative on the motor wires or even run it off a seperate battery if you want it to rumble at idle.

*wipes brow*

Lol Berman - but now you know is more of a lady's toy store .

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You guys!

I hadn't really considered the possibility of having some sort of vibration unit installed, but now you mention it, that sounds like a really fun idea...

Berman - do drop me a line with how much you would want for the unit you describe, although to be honest it will probably cost more to ship it from NZ to the UK anyway?

Alternatively, I do like the idea of rigging something up like Mr Crispy suggests - perhaps an eccentric weight on a small motor like you suggest - that wired to the speed controller/motor, would actually vibrate faster in relation to the 'engine' speed... mind you, I can see the car soon shaking itself to pieces if I'm honest!

As far as the other electronics are concerned - the good news is both my skinny tyres and the radio gear I ordered last week arrived this afternoon, and the truck is on it's wheels and driving under it's own power at last... I have to say, I can see what XV Pilot means - it's a rapid little bugg*r isn't it? and especially a hoot on the skinny tyres front and rear - donuts galore on the kitchen floor!

So, time for a few more photos...

I spent yesterday beating up the body shell a little with the Dremel (this will add a nice 3D texture and depth to the salt/paint rust effect to be applied), plus filling all the extra body mounting holes:

P1020394_zpsa7499b7c.jpg

I like to use Araldite (epoxy resin) initially, as it seems to stay semi-flexible (thus less prone to cracking in the event of a crash) and then go over the top with a fine layer of P38 body filler to sand smooth.

I also have removed the side running boards (I did consider covering them in some scale chequer-plate that I have, but ultimately Mater doesn't have running boards, and I think the car looks more authentic without them anyway - I did the same thing with the STUMPkin too), and chopped down the tailgate level with the rear deck, to make it more of a deep cross-member/bulkhead:

P1020393_zps458256ff.jpg

You'll also notice that the roll bar is black rather than the chrome version you get in the kit... not that it really matters as either would ultimately be painted anyway, but I thought it was nice to utilise the original part from my STUMPkin set from all those years ago... The original front bumper too will be used (and painted/rusted as per Mater), particularly as it is already scratched and chipped adding to the authenticity...

You'll also notice above that I have filled in the cut-out in the rear deck with a piece of styrene... I'd been scratching my head all evening on Saturday thinking how and what I might use for a crane boom, and whatever I tried, proportionally it always came down to that being the perfect position for the boom hinge/pivot.

After rummaging though my spares box for seemingly hours, I finally hit on the following idea, that so far uses all Tamiya parts...

P1020398_zpse79380c7.jpg

That is two body mounts from the Wheelie bus kit, bolted together - plus two shock tops (I guess all that talk about the rubbish shocks that come in the kit had made me pining for the older friction style it seems!), and a pair of stepped screws, that tap into a short piece of aluminium tube that acts as a pivot.

Drilling a pair of 9mm holes in the styrene allows the cylindrical part of the shock top to slide though the body, and by a stroke of good fortune, a pair of large body pins through the existing screw holes are perfect to hold them in place!

P1020402_zps8029e7ed.jpg

This is the result from the outside:

P1020405_zpsb316d68e.jpg

The depth of the holes in the two shock top/supports means I can't level the rear deck completely as two layers of styrene would be too thick - however, once it is all painted up with rust, dirt and oil etc. I think its going to look very authentic? - and of course the complete boom assembly is actually removable, so I could always run the car as a regular pick-up too if desired (and yes, I do have an off-cut from another Pumpkin rear deck that I intend to shape as an infill piece ;o)

For the moment, I'm working on the idea of incorporating a Wild Willy winch for the main crane cable - and will most likely fabricate a pair of roller tubes that will locate between the upright sections on each end of the boom, to effectively guide the cable.

P1020409_zps66e34982.jpg

So this is overall result with the boom held up (by magic at the moment) - ultimately there will be some scale chain and hook rigging between the end of the boom and the roll bar on each side, together with the main chain from the winch to the towing hook:

P1020408_zpsc2251530.jpg

I also treated myself to a pair of beautiful scale shackles for the rear crossmember:

P1020401_zpsf1e205b7.jpg

And finally for now, a few shots of the truck on it's wheels to give you an idea of the overall proportions:

P1020406_zps33e46eeb.jpg

P1020411_zps501d060f.jpg

P1020413_zps6a3f3c42.jpg

I can't wait to start getting some paint on it now! - I just need to go and buy a BIG bag of salt... ;o)

Toot toot!

Jx

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That looks fantastic (as always) so far Jen. Why on earth Tamiya didn't see fit to ship the kit with those tyres in the first place beggars belief, they suit the body so much better!

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That looks great as is, looks a lot less comic that the standard kit. Can't wait for the rest of the transformation.

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Nice work Jenny.

I started my own Mater back in March but other projects and life got in the way, albeit I went with a lunchbox chassis !

93223987-BA50-4896-BB6C-48DF02A04772_zps

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Jenny I wish I had even half your skills! Amazing work as usual! :)

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Great work so far - can't wait to see more! :D

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That looks fantastic (as always) so far Jen. Why on earth Tamiya didn't see fit to ship the kit with those tyres in the first place beggars belief, they suit the body so much better!

I agree - although I guess the traditional 'low rider' look is fat low-proile tyres tucked in under the body?

Certainly I think Tamiya might have been better releasing this shell as more of a 'retro scaler' style kit, complete with period tyres - it would look lovely with some pastel 50's paint and a full interior for example.

Regarding the wheels/tyres combo, I soon realised I'd seen something similar before as part of this custom build that il maligno did as far back as 2008: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=77441&sid=4487 - and they also have a how-to regarding narrowing the Beetle wheels so the tyres stand taller: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=76095&sid=4487

Personally I think they look fine (and slightly fatter) on the stock Beetle rims, but I see their point - narrowing the wheels by about 5mm or so gives a nice rounded sidewall, and a little more overall height.

While they machined a section out of the centre and glued the parts back together, I would have thought an easier option would be to just cut the last quarter off the inside of each wheel, and use what was the inside flange that holds the tyre as the outside flange if you see what I mean:

Stock wheel has four flanges to locate the tyre beads:

P1020414_zpse339b4a0.jpg

If you effectively cut this inside section off, the tyre would then seat against what was the inside lip of the inner flange on that side:

P1020415_zps62f53bd8.jpg

Squeezing the tyre a little so it stands taller and with more bulge to the sidewall:

P1020416_zps63c51cf8.jpg

Ultimately this is something I might do as part of this build too, although then the handling would be even more squirrelly than it is already!

Jx

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Nice work Jenny.

I started my own Mater back in March but other projects and life got in the way, albeit I went with a lunchbox chassis !

93223987-BA50-4896-BB6C-48DF02A04772_zps

Ha ha - that is stunning Percymon - perfect proportions!

The daughter of a friend of mine has the brown version of that Mater, and the moment I saw it I thought 'chassis conversion'!

Maybe you need to reboot that project again?!

Jx

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That looks great as is, looks a lot less comic that the standard kit. Can't wait for the rest of the transformation.

Thanks Nobbi - yes, that is what I was hoping to achieve with this build - not exactly a genuine scale build, but something that stands up as a model in its own right, as more of a homage to the Cars Mater than a true replica.

I have so much admiration for those builders who can detail a model so accurately in 1:10 scale... and I've always been torn with using Tamiya kits as a base - as I feel their RC models always seem to have a clear bias towards actual driving/using rather than 100% scale accuracy? (but then they are RC cars after all!)

Of course it is always possible to have both - but that usually comes at a price (such as the RC4WD Trailfinder and Gelande kits etc.) and certainly those custom builders/designers (for example Toykid's latest Sand Rail project) who go to such lengths to hide the RC components produce incredible results!

So ultimately this particular project is always going to compromised both by the chassis (which at least will make it fun to run) and my ability to truly replicate an authentic finish constrained by talent, time and the amount of money I'm prepared to invest on something that if I'm honest started out on a bit of whim really!

That said, I'm really enjoying sourcing the detail parts and planning the paintwork for this build now... I just worry I also have three other projects that I really ought to finish too, and that deserve similar attention...

More soon!

Jenny x

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... snip ...

Ultimately this is something I might do as part of this build too, although then the handling would be even more squirrelly than it is already!

... snip ...

If you land up with squirrelly you can throw a gyro at it (I have one of these on my Subaru Brat: http://www.modelsport.co.uk/skyrc-gyro-for-rc-cars/rc-car-products/384586). I know that is like papering over the cracks, however they are an easy way to sort out something that is quite giddy so that it's fun and enjoyable to drive at any speed.

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Ha ha - that is stunning Percymon - perfect proportions!

The daughter of a friend of mine has the brown version of that Mater, and the moment I saw it I thought 'chassis conversion'!

Maybe you need to reboot that project again?!

Jx

Having talked to David the only thing that stalled this build was the need to extend the rear bed . I'd love to see it finished .

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Can't wait to see the mountains of salt used to create this rusty masterpiece!

Cheers,

Skottoman

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I didn't know Tamiya made a lowride Pumpkin, it's something i always wanted to make but after seeing this thread i think i'll go out and buy a kit.

Looking forward to updates

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Just a quick update - this past week seems to have run away with me finishing off work stuff and getting ready for Christmas, so I've not done as much as I'd have liked...

But it's getting there:

P1020474_zps8b54bebb.jpg

Chain and hooks arrived from Don's Place on ebay (I actually ordered the smaller chain, which is on it's way), plus I rigged up a winch and a pulley for the cable on the boom:

P1020470_zps96422b7c.jpg

...and fitted the pair of shackles and a towing eye (as a keeper for the main crane hook eventually) on the rear cross-member.

Finally, I've also modified the front grille to replicate the 1:1 F100 more accurately:

P1020477_zps2bb3fb09.jpg

1955_Ford_F-100_front_zps9db46373.jpg

So, this little fella is going to have to sit on the shelf for a week or so while I get all these festivities out of the way, then it will be out with the rattle cans and salt!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Jenny xx

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Don's a great guy Jenny and sells some great scale items . i've known him for a few years now . This is starting to look great - but what else would we expect from you ?

Merry Christmas from Arron , Rosemary and Snoopy the Wonder Dog x

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Good luck with the salt and rattle cans. You aren't a Dr. cranky fan, are you?

By the way, if you want to trim those body posts nicely, ABC hobby make a wonderful tool for the job.

Dorvack.

Thanks for the lead Dorvack - I'll take a look...

In the past I've always tried to find/use the correct length posts (as I sort of like the rounded end) - but only really like to have a single hole showing, and that's going to be impossible with the Low Ride Pumpkin... similarly I also need to trim the front posts of the STUMPscorcher, so I may invest in a decent tool for that (although I'm sure a Stanley knife and a steady hand would do much the same job ;o)

Jx

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Love the edge it gives you.

I am going to dig out one of those double pencil sharpeners and see if that works

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Well... winter seems to be rapidly receding, and as the end of the month draws closer, I thought I really ought to get on with this little project eh?

So to recap, my idea for the Winter Build-Off was to create a homage to Mater from the Cars movie (which also neatly doubles as a working vehicle, low-rider, zombie apocalypse, hero and pretty much every other theme that was mooted at the time... ;o)

Using the good-value M-06 Lowride Pumpkin kit as a base, I wanted to try and use as many additional Tamiya parts as possible - and of course this being a Ford F100, it was going to be less of a true replica, but more 'realistic' perhaps - indeed, I wanted to incorporate as many 'scale' techniques as I could, before putting my own twist on it at the end (...you'll have to wait and see ;o)

So, having Dremel'd various panel joints to add to the crusty rusty nature of the vehicle, it was time to get some paint on the various parts...

P1020577_zpszhbjgikb.jpg

You can see here I have used a mix of red-oxide primer, together with an orange (VW orange I think - same as the Fro-Sco) - this way, there will be slightly more texture to the rust, once the salt and faded paint is applied on top - and the brighter orange on the whole is the more intense rust areas, along the body panel joints.

P1020578_zpsvvaeifbf.jpg

I have also narrowed the wheels (as discussed in the posts above), and rusted the grille and the crane boom too.

P1020580_zpsquwyp1vj.jpg

You might also notice I have incorporated a fuel filler into the left-hand quarter panel (just like Mater ;o) - this is actually designed for a Land Rover, by Don's Place.

Simply glued inside (although I'm probably not going to be able to take the roll-bar off anymore...):

P1020604_zpslkpkqzxc.jpg

So with that, it was time to get the Saxa out, and go to town!

P1020582_zpstj6bi7uh.jpg

I tried to concentrate the main deterioration along the panel joints - but at the same time, since Mater is essentially completely rusty, I also added more and more sprinkled salt between the layers of primer, trying to build up a 3D effect...

cont.

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cont.

Once I was happy with the red-oxide primer coats, it was time to mask various panels and put some 'top coat' on - although the idea here of course was to have it faded and peeling anyway, so I wasn't too concerned about trying to get a smooth or consistent finish...

P1020591_zps5ooys9jp.jpg

If you are familiar with Mater, it appears he was once a pale blue truck, but has green doors - perhaps in a contrasting colour scheme originally?, or more likely some replacements robbed from an old wreck perhaps!

I've always liked that one-odd-door look you see on scale rat builds, so really enjoyed incorporating these into the build!

With the doors painted (and masked), it was time to add the blue... (you can also see just how much salt I used!)

P1020594_zpsi9m30k8f.jpg

The salt washed off, and the body left to dry - you can see already how effective that weathering technique is!

P1020598_zpshjzl1zln.jpg

I also painted two of the wheels (the rear ones) white as per movie Mater, plus a little satin chrome spray on the lower face of the radiator grille, to replicate the chrome peeling off the top edges over the years...

P1020596_zpsroka2yk5.jpg

I was particularly pleased with how scabby the front bumper looked!

You can see here how I cut the original grill section to more closely replicate the original F100, and used P38 to reshape the V - note. the re-re Pumpkins don't have the V8 badge anymore anyway unfortunately...

P1020609_zpssagxmqei.jpg

The Sand Scorcher front tyres mounted on the narrowed Beetle wheels:

P1020600_zpskygdowsv.jpg

So let's get him back on his wheels shall we?

P1020614_zpsnxucspre.jpg

As a homage to the movie Mater's buck front teeth, I filled in the two lower radiator panels with dirty white paint ;o)

I also rusted the off-side headlight bucket, and will fit a lens to the near-side (complete with single LED bulb):

I trust you'll agree, he's getting there?!

P1020616_zpsbzlzntly.jpg

cont.

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