Does it Come in Black? (TXT-2 Related Content)

[Prescient 671]

I managed to purchase a used TXT-2 a few weeks ago for a bargain price to restore as a runner. The advert was a bit sketchy, the pictures were average and out of focus but the seller had good feedback. I was expecting a well used TXT-2 with a reasonable amount of body and chassis wear. What actually arrived was a pristine truck which can only have been run a handful of times on grass. After opening the gear box and axles up, it was fully ball raced and had no signs of wear internally or externally. It also had two new sport tuned motors fitted and a dual motor Tamiya ESC. 

As most know, the TXT-2 was designed to commemorate the Bigfoot 18 world record attempt monster truck long jump (214 feet achieved in 2012). Apart from the colour / decals and some minor body changes to avoid licensing issues the TXT-2 is almost bang on the BF18; from the black side plates with sponsor decals through to the slightly narrower tyres. 

I appreciate a lot of people mod the TXT-2 with the clod wheels and tyres but BF18 used a narrower cut Firestone tyre for the jump to prevent distortion on approach and takeoff. They are still 66" diameter though. 

The other aspect to the TXT-2 is that it is not really a 1:10 truck it is circa 1:11.4. BF18's body is 18 Foot long and the TXT-2 body is 19" (it would need to be 21" to be 1:10 scale). Although the TXT-2 bumpers mean the truck is longer than 19", these are there for the servo mounts. The TXT-2 tyres are 5.8" which makes the tyres 66" scale at 1:11.4. 

I will be creating a BF18 replica body at some stage but I will use a new body for this. I have used the existing one for experimentation and to get the cuts correct. 

I stripped the polycarbonate paint using Screwfix's no nonsense paint remover which is both lexan and styrene safe. After an hour of being left on, the paint just peels away. It is also safe on stickers providing you wipe it off within a few minutes which meant I could leave the front and light stickers in place. 

I have resprayed the body black as it suits the truck and hides many imperfections on a stripped / used lexan body. I always had this colour in mind along with a couple of other mods done so far:

1) I have cut the grill out and cut the wheel arches much higher. The TXT-2 lexan seems extra thick here annoyingly so this took a lot of effort and patience. 
2) I have painted the roll bars / rear space frame in silver as this works with the black
3) I have painted the wheels black and the wheel nuts have been detailed in metallic silver paint marker.

I will be updating this thread as I rebuild it. The truck is stripped down at the moment and I have completed the axles so far.

I thought some of my unbuilt monster truck kits would make an appropriate back drop. 

 

 

[Mokei Kagaku 2706]

4 minutes ago, Prescient said:

As most know, the TXT-2 was designed to commemorate the Bigfoot 18 world record attempt monster truck long jump.....

Totally unknown to me. Where is this information from?

[Prescient 671]

A long standing and well established Tamiya dealer. 

I was dubious until you compare the truck body, side panel decals, space frame (including black colour and black side panels) and tyres to appreciate it.

The word Agrios means wild/savage/fierce (greek) which could be paralleled as homage to the Bigfoot name. 

[berman 5315]

At one stage i would like to get one. Would be the only one of my Tamiya monster trucks I would probably not leave stock. I dont like the stock wheels and tyres, but I also think Clod/TXT-1 tyres look far too big...

Painting the wheels as you have done has certainly improved the aesthetics.

[Prescient 671]

I'm currently making on-axle servo mounts rather than using the standard bumper ones so I can remove the bumpers.

I am prepping a template in card to cut out in CF sheet as one option (pic 1).

The alternative method seems to be using 10mm alu box section bar extending out from the axle, mounting the servo on one bar then take a plate off another bar on the opposite side which will allow the other end of the servo to be mounted. Sprayed black it would look good (pic 2). 

It's also possible that it may be sufficiently rigid to mount off one bar only as shown since it is lateral force not vertical. I may try this first as it is a really easy way of doing it. This is easily combined with a wrap around carbon plate (pic 3).