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Ian_Gsi16V

Blitzer beetle rebuild / ongoing runner project

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After finally getting my Monster Beetle back to being a runner late last year and then quickly deciding it was a bit fragile in the gear box area I started using the Hornet again but tbh, as much I love it they are a bit boring to run due the handling (or lack of).

Anyway, I have had this stashed in the loft for many years, it was my brothers back in the 90's and I honestly barely remember it being used but when it was it was used hard, he would have been under 10 years old when these first came out and I remember every time I fixed it we went back out and he smacked it in to another curb :lol:

At some point during the late 90's iirc we decided to convert it to a Stadium Thunder as the original Beetle shell was smashed to pieces. We never actually got it running again probably due to being kids and having no money :mellow:

So this is how it has sat since at least the turn of the century...

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The other night I decided it was going to be my new runner, parts are now available and cheap again and I already have a lexan beetle shell that I bought for my MB but never used so all what required was a strip down, quick clean (it's not a shelfer so not hitting it with a toothbrush) and then order the bits I need!

So, most parts ordered and ready to rebuild! Plan is to build this back up with my nephew as he is interested in them but I built his Lunchbox for him as he was only 4 at the time, he is 10 now so I reckon with a little guidance he could do most of this himself :)

Updates to follow!

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Great runners these Ian.

If you haven't ordered tyres I've got a new set of 4 hiding in my loft, so pm if I can help.

All the best

Simon

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Great runners these Ian.

If you haven't ordered tyres I've got a new set of 4 hiding in my loft, so pm if I can help.

All the best

Simon

Thanks for the offer but I think I am going to go for some aftermarket ones, fancy some more suited to the road as I have a spare set of wheels to stick them on :)

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Got cracking on this today with my nephew, went together a lot quicker than I thought it would and we had it done within an afternoon!

Was missing a few screws here and there and didn't have any in the 100's of spares (as is always the case!) so I ordered a new screw bag so that should arrive sometime in the week. Still waiting on a steel pinion also, didn't have the original anywhere so perfect time to upgrade to a steel one! Will be running my Super Stock BZ once the pinon arrives.

Some pics of where it is at now...

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The eagles eye'd people may spot that the front shocks are not 100% correct, they are actually Super Hornet ones as it was all I had lying around, planning on upgrading them all around next month so they will do for the once or twice it will run until then.

Next job is to finish tidying the body on the edges then get some paint on it I guess, it is very much a parts bin car where possible and I have two tins of Tamiya white paint to that is the colour scheme!

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Nice rebuild .

I have a whole bunch of shocks and springs id be interested to swap for your front springs if you are interested let me know

Thanks but they will getting returned to my Super Hornet once I purchase some hop up shocks.

Which brand is that body?

Parma iirc. Bought it about a year ago and just found out this morning it came with the wrong window masks :lol:

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Thanks but they will getting returned to my Super Hornet once I purchase some hop up shocks.

Parma iirc. Bought it about a year ago and just found out this morning it came with the wrong window masks :lol:

Thanks.. I think it looks real good.

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Started the paint prep yesterday, all cleaned up and then masked the windows, as mentioned in a post above I have had this shell sat in the loft for 12 months and when I finally looked closely at it yesterday it turns out the window masks are incorrect so I had to mask them up myself.

Probably not the greatest job but this is going to be a 100% runner so not worried about it really...

Paint tonight quite possibly..

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Painted the body last night, safe to say that cutting and painting lexan bodies are not my strong suite :lol: My only defence is that I haven't worked with a lexan body since the Stadium Thunder above which was around 1998.

Luckily this is only a basher, shouldn't have bothered trying to paint the rear light buckets as that is where it all went wrong :lol:

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Won't win any awards for prettiness but luckily I plan on making it too fast too see :lol:

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Applied the decals last night and I must say it has come out really well in the end B)

It does resemble another classic Tamiya bug but I have ensured no where on it does it actually say 'Monster Beetle' :lol:

As mentioned in the first post, I had the shell and decals lying around so made sense to use them up :rolleyes:

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Got a couple more bits left to do on it but the final bits are at the post office so will collect tomorrow hopefully and give it a proper run at the weekend B)

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The beetle had its first run last night, only down the side of my house but all indications are that it is going to be great fun! Seemed very spritely with the BZ in and was happily donutting on the spot :lol:

You can see in the pictures that the gearbox is back to the red one, turns out the original had a crack in (that I had missed) which is obviously why it was replaced in the first place.

Proper test run tomorrow B)B)

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Ran this for the first time yesterday and it is fully awesome! Limited on places to run this time of year but a big empty car park 1 minute from my house served the purpose, 30 minutes of punishment with the super stock BZ, donuts, powerslides, full speed runs and it stayed on four wheels the entire time!

Upcoming plans are to do the mod to bring the toe out to a toe in and I want to go brushless for some more speed but that will be in a couple of months when I can take it the beach after work, far to wet there for now.

I have a spare set of wheels which I fancy trying to restore and dye then get some road spec tyres on, I was set on upgrading the suspension but tbh, so far it seems pretty good as is so no rush there.

I think this week I am going to have a go at removing the red paint from the rear as it looks horrendous :lol:

I have a couple of videos of the run, if any are decent I will link to them tomorrow once uploaded. :rolleyes:

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Headed out to the beach today which is my favourite place to run my cars...in summer...turns out soaking wet sand isn't going to result in a car you can shake clean! After a few minutes it conked out, brought it home, fairly extensive strip and clean and had it back out on the concrete this afternoon so all is back to how it should be :D won't be doing that again until the better weather :rolleyes:

Oops

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Much better

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Dug out my spare set of wheels from the loft, plan is to give them a rub down then paint them, going to go for black I think, plan is to get some road tyres for them, thread posted in general chat if anyone can help with some tyre questions..

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Looking forward to getting some upgrades and going brushless in the coming months :wub:

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Few more bits done this week, flipped over the front axles so they now connect from underneath, while doing this I was looking through my bits and bobs and realised in the screw bag I bought the other week was a set of steering rods...as it was from the re-re they are a little longer and enabled me to get ride of the dreadful toe out!

Not many pics of this..but here it is in progress...

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Found a fantastic spot to run it today, an empty spot by the beach with a mixture of very dry sand, gravel and grass, perfect! Got a couple of videos so I will try and stick one up once they upload tonight when my phone is on charge..

Upcoming plans, replace the gearbox with the correct black one, paint my spare rims and get some better tyres. Also got my old 14 turn Yokomo motor to try in it before I go brushless in the next month or two. I fancy doing any upgrades I want before I go for big power :)

Some pictures from today...

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Correct black 'A' parts and some new springs for a 14T motor I have to try in it ordered today, hopefully arrive this week and get them installed :)

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Correct black 'A' parts and some new springs for a 14T motor I have to try in it ordered today, hopefully arrive this week and get them installed :)

Looks good👍
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The Blitzer tub is a real sand trap as you discovered.

For beach or loose dust n dirt running its probably worth putting the radio receiver in a balloon and zip tie it at the neck, and also use some lexan or thin plasticard off cuts to make some inner aches, deflectors to keep some of the debris from the front wheel out - even simple rectangular offcuts attached vertically to the tub with servo tape can keep the majority of crud out

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I like my method

take 1 blitzer beetle, build, sell beetle shell, buy bear hawk shell, paint, sticky up, put on top, less chance for sand and gunk to enter the chassis, job done :D

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Reminds me - I really must try and make an inner tub cover this summer. Won't keep all the sand out, but it must help...

BTW - It's worth getting a pair of curved body trimming scissors off eBay - if you go slowly with them you'll get really nice curves...

Good to see the BB where it beloings - on the beach! B)

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Reminds me - I really must try and make an inner tub cover this summer. Won't keep all the sand out, but it must help...

BTW - It's worth getting a pair of curved body trimming scissors off eBay - if you go slowly with them you'll get really nice curves...

Good to see the BB where it beloings - on the beach! B)

I have two pairs of curved scissors :lol: When I originally cut the body I couldn't find my Tamiya ones and the 2nd pair are not as good. I'm not really bothered though as it is 100% basher!

I fancy doing another body at some point so I will see if that one turns out any better :lol:

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Painted up the silver wheels pictured above last night, key'd then hit with some black plastikote. Still got a few more coats to do this week but so far so good.

About to offload a couple of models and the plan is that the sale of them will fund a few upgrades for this.

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A few changes this week, spare rear wheels painted and fitted with a set of Pro Line Dirt Hawgs :) Also replaced the red gearbox with the correct black one and installed my old Yokomo Pro Stock 14 turn motor.

Gave it good run today but not sure about the motor, marginally quicker but seemed to have quite an impact on run time, more than likely going to go back to the Super Stock until I go brushless.

New rear tyres are great, great improvement over the originals.

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Had a decent run with this today, ordered a couple more LiPo's earlier this week so my nephew had his Lunchbox on LiPo power so he was loving it the 1 hour run time B) plus two cars bouncing around is always more fun than one!

Half way in to the second battery on this and it ground to a halt, a quick look and a nice broken dog bone was on the floor :lol: Luckily I have a few spares from various cars over the years so 5 minutes after arriving home it was fixed.

Earlier this week I also added a LiPo cut off to the car and chucked that and the receiver in to a fetching blue balloon, although the ESC supposedly has LiPo cut off it has yet to cut out and I always felt like it was running too low, either way, alarms installed in this and the 'box.

It seems pretty **** quick with the 14T motor in, could rarely keep it in a straight line at full throttle today, god knows what brushless will be like when I get it.

Unlikely anymore purchases now until payday, trying to keep this a 'sensible' hobby ;)

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:)

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