CC-01 1973 Ford Bronco

[Effigy3]

My new tires arrived tonight. They're mounted up but need gluing before I can put them on the CC-01. These 90mm outer diameter tires look much better!

[Effigy3]

It finally warmed up enough this weekend to paint the body. Obviously there's still work to be done but progress!

[appleby20]

Lucky you, here in Luxembourg it's been freezing until last Sunday. Then rain.

I like your Bronco. Not finished yet, but already nice. Good job so far.

[Effigy3]

I've been working on the Bronco body. Currently I'm mucking about with the LEDs for the head and tail lights. I know a lot of folks tape the control box to the body but I don't want to have any weight on the body and I'd like to have a tidier wiring job. In my head a body mounted LED controller module would look like the flying spaghetti monster was stuck under my hood! So I elected to try and tape it into the former speed control servo mounting location like so:

One downside I can see with this location is that it's vulnerable to water damage. Puddle water could splash up, pool in the chassis tub and short out the LED controller.

The included Tamiya plug battery pass-through won't work for me since all my rigs use a Deans plug. I'm considering soldering the battery lead wires to the ESC line. Option 2 would be to make my own Deans plug battery pass-through adapter. Any suggestions on this? Something I haven't thought of?

[Disco]

I just used a spare slot in the receiver to power the LED's works just fine....but your solution will work OK too its just that the LED's are tied to one ESC.

[Effigy3]

I just used a spare slot in the receiver to power the LED's works just fine....but your solution will work OK too its just that the LED's are tied to one ESC.

I expected the LED controller power lead to do exactly that; plug into the Rx but nope. I don't really expect to move this ESC out of this truck but you never know what will happen down the line. I'm going to mull on this one for a bit. I'm going back and forth with the Pros/Cons of using a Rx slot to power the LEDs or fabricating a Deans plug battery pass-through adapter.

[speedy_w_beans]

A few thoughts:

1) Tamiya attaches the TLU-01 to the inside of the roof of the body, and then they run the wiring to the LED buckets in each corner. They use aluminum tape to secure the wiring to the body and route the wires down the A-pillars and C-pillars typically. Tamiya USA had finished bodies with LED lighting for ~$40 at one point in time; I have the RX7 and R34 Z-Tune GTR, and this is how they do it in the factory.

2) Different color LEDs have different forward voltages associated with them; typically red/amber/yellow/green LEDs require about 1.7V at 10-20 mA of current, and blue/white LEDs require about 3.5V at 10-20 mA of current. The voltage at the radio receiver terminals is about 5.0V. As long as a set of LEDs has an appropriate series resistor you can plug them into a 5V source directly. If you have a set of LEDs that doesn't have a series resistor, then you can either add one or use an LED controller to power them. The TLU-01 (and other LED controller from 3Racing/Hobbyking/etc.) typically have a constant current source built into them; this means the box will correctly "push" 10-20 mA per LED regardless of the forward voltage rating of the LED. The voltage rises until the box senses it is delivering the correct amount of current. Certainly series resistors are much less expensive, but the cost of the lighting controllers is in the constant current source built into them and sometimes the extra microcontrollers programmed with lighting effects (brake lights, turn signals, bright headlight beams, etc.).

3) One thing you could do is add some miniature bullet connectors to the Dean's plug and the TLU-01 so that the lighting controller can be disconnected or even moved at a later date more easily. Hobbyking has some 2 mm bullet connectors that are relatively small; they include plastic shrouds so it is easy to make polarized, mating pairs. I find them handy for modularizing a lot of wiring to accessories.

[Effigy3]

I've finished up the body and the chassis. I'm still pondering on exactly how I want to power the LED controller but I'm leaning towards making a Deans plug pass through. I think that'll be the most flexible option. I used some servo tape to act as a cushion under the mirrors. I've got the rear suspension travel extensions on order. Once I drive it on the trails I'll decide what the next hop-up should be. Steering upgrade (which will come eventually), metal motor mount and possibly a 20T pinion to slow it down, barrel spring set... Such fun!

[XV Pilot]

Nice job on the body - that looks great!

Picking and fitting hop-ups is a big part of the fun with a CC-01 as there are so many options out there. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next!

[appleby20]

Well done!! Really nice job!!

I like the simplicity and the details.

[backtomyroots]

I've been working on the Bronco body. Currently I'm mucking about with the LEDs for the head and tail lights. I know a lot of folks tape the control box to the body but I don't want to have any weight on the body and I'd like to have a tidier wiring job. In my head a body mounted LED controller module would look like the flying spaghetti monster was stuck under my hood! So I elected to try and tape it into the former speed control servo mounting location like so:

One downside I can see with this location is that it's vulnerable to water damage. Puddle water could splash up, pool in the chassis tub and short out the LED controller.

The included Tamiya plug battery pass-through won't work for me since all my rigs use a Deans plug. I'm considering soldering the battery lead wires to the ESC line. Option 2 would be to make my own Deans plug battery pass-through adapter. Any suggestions on this? Something I haven't thought of?

Reference that last photo in your post: I always solder those two wires to the point where my battery connector meets the wires to the esc (I use Traxxas plugs). So in this case they would be soldered in underneath where your shrink wrap, if that makes sense.

Nice truck.

[Effigy3]

Reference that last photo in your post: I always solder those two wires to the point where my battery connector meets the wires to the esc (I use Traxxas plugs). So in this case they would be soldered in underneath where your shrink wrap, if that makes sense.

Nice truck.

Thanks!

Yeah, that was what I was thinking to do at first. Remove the heat shrink, desolder the Deans plug, add new heat shrink, resolder the Deans plug with the addition of the LED controller power wires and reshrink the tubing. That seems a lot of work! As Disco pointed out, that limits the use of this one ESC to the truck. Not that I expect to swap out ESCs mind you but things break, or unexpected things happen which necessitate swapping bits about. I think if I'm going to have to do that much soldering, I might as well make a pass-through adapter which will allow more flexibility.

[XV Pilot]

The Bronco is but one of the many great shells that you might wish to fit to your CC-01, and you may wish to get a second different one for some variety. Or like me, you may get two identical shells and have one for running and one for display. A pass-through adapter would make both these scenarios easier.

[Theibault]

I recommend making the adapter. It's quick and easy makes it available to be used on many vehicles. Here's one I soldered up a couple months ago.

[Effigy3]

I recommend making the adapter. It's quick and easy makes it available to be used on many vehicles. Here's one I soldered up a couple months ago.

Yep, that's EXACTLY what I have in mind. Just waiting for the connectors to arrive in the mail.

[Effigy3]

The Bronco is but one of the many great shells that you might wish to fit to your CC-01, and you may wish to get a second different one for some variety. Or like me, you may get two identical shells and have one for running and one for display. A pass-through adapter would make both these scenarios easier.

I'm seriously considering doing a "show" body for this rig. I still want it to be a Bronco but more scale. Now that I've built one up I know it's quirks and can make the 2nd one even nicer. Another plus of having one to show and one to go is that I don't have to be shy about running it hard in the woods for fear of wrecking all my hard work.

[Effigy3]

OK, I took the Bronco out for it's maiden voyage today. I walked for like an hour on the hiking trails in the state park near where I work. Amazing trails for the CC-01 and it worked like a champ! I'm going to need to quieten down the body noise a bit. Some foam donuts on the plastic spacers I use on the body posts should do the trick. Here are some pics! I hope you like 'em.

This pic is a perfect example of why I need the #54519 Stroke Extension Link kit!

Cheers!

[JennyMo]

That looks fantastic on those wheels - I love it!

Jx

[Terz1]

Beautifully done cc01 . It looks great on those trails and that blue body with white wheels is a really good combo. The more of these cc01 builds I see the more I want one.

I have to admit in the shot with it on its side I was thinking, nooo the wing mirrors!

[Percymon]

I have to admit in the shot with it on its side I was thinking, nooo the wing mirrors!

The secret to wing mirror survival is not to secure them with the bodyclips.

Use a piece of elasticated string between the two mirrors - taught enough to keep then in position without pulling the sides of the body, but with enough stretch to allow them to be pulled out of the socket and flat to the bodyshell in the event of an accident

[ChrisRx718]

That looks great.

I'm going to put my Amarok lexan body on my other CC01 as a result of your thread. The blackfoot shell just isn't coming along as quickly as I'd hoped and I need a CC01 with a tough body that's actually going to get used, the hardbody ones tend only to get driven very gently as I'm too scared to damage them!

[Terz1]

Are all the cc01 kits the same spec wise? I've seen quite a price difference from one kit to the next. Is this purely down to the body which comes with the kit? Also which are hard bodied and which are lexan?

I like the look of this one but it's the most expensive by far.

https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/tamiya-rc-toyota-land-cruiser-40-cc01-st-custom-mo/?gclid=CjwKEAiA58a1BRDw6Jan_PLapw8SJABJz-ZWPlwiBO-Sv_d0eM3PWJ1FH59vmFFP8zUQ1G96-rlRqRoCfdHw_wcB

The hard bodied mitsubishi pajero is nice too but I can't seem to find those.

[Percymon]

Are all the cc01 kits the same spec wise? I've seen quite a price difference from one kit to the next. Is this purely down to the body which comes with the kit? Also which are hard bodied and which are lexan?

I like the look of this one but it's the most expensive by far.

https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/tamiya-rc-toyota-land-cruiser-40-cc01-st-custom-mo/?gclid=CjwKEAiA58a1BRDw6Jan_PLapw8SJABJz-ZWPlwiBO-Sv_d0eM3PWJ1FH59vmFFP8zUQ1G96-rlRqRoCfdHw_wcB

The hard bodied mitsubishi pajero is nice too but I can't seem to find those.

Pajero hardtop is pretty rare and commands the highest price. The black FJ has a preprinted body hence its high price. The chassis are pretty much the same in terms of spec (plastic cva shocks etc),

There used to be differences in the wheelbases of some kits - Pajero rally was the shortest, Touareg rally the longest off the top of my head.

[Effigy3]

That looks great.

I'm going to put my Amarok lexan body on my other CC01 as a result of your thread. The blackfoot shell just isn't coming along as quickly as I'd hoped and I need a CC01 with a tough body that's actually going to get used, the hardbody ones tend only to get driven very gently as I'm too scared to damage them!

That's exactly why I didn't put a ton of effort into this body shell. I want to really run it without fear of it tipping over and causing a scratch or ripping a mirror off!

[Effigy3]

Pajero hardtop is pretty rare and commands the highest price. The black FJ has a preprinted body hence its high price. The chassis are pretty much the same in terms of spec (plastic cva shocks etc),

There used to be differences in the wheelbases of some kits - Pajero rally was the shortest, Touareg rally the longest off the top of my head.

The chassis has different mounting points for the rear suspension which I suspect is how the wheel base is extended or shortened. There are also multiple mounting points for different body posts in order to accommodate the different bodies available. I suspect that if you wanted to use a variety of body shells it would require adjustment of the wheel base (including the appropriate prop shaft) and having the appropriate body mount posts/apparatus. For example, I have seen that the Pajero hard body has a very different mounting system than does my Bronco.