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JennyMo

Retro Stanley (previously 'Retro Desmond', and also 'The Big BJ')

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So after the cage disaster (I like to think of it as an experiment, to know what not to do next time ;o), I bit the bullet and have ordered the version I should have done originally... fingers crossed it will fit the way I want it too with minimum modification.

I've also splurged on a set of ProLine BFGoodrich tyres for this beast - not that I don't like the Maxxis style ones on here (and which I use and am pleased with the performance on my ebaYJeep too), but that the narrow Gmade wheels really could do with a slightly more narrow tyre too, so the side walls don't bulge quite so much.

for info. I've ordered the G8 4.35" (110mm) size, which are nice and narrow, and slightly smaller overall diameter, and with the outline lettering, I'll be able to paint the sidewall lettering in much the same why as I've done with these in 120mm size I have mounted on a set of dished wheels, which I've temporarily fitted:

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photo. I love these tyres, it's just I feel this version (the 4.75"/120mm Axial ones) are slightly too fat and a bit too large overall for this particular application. The do look kewl though!


Along with a pair of RC4WD K44 axles, front and rear leaf springs and those wheels, plus our friend Stan behind the wheel now too - well, what was a budget 'retro' re-body of a cheap crawler build is rapidly become an expensive scale build after all... still, I factor to do this body justice, it's been worth spending a bit of money on getting exactly what I want for this project - and lift it to the quality I've been striving for with my more recent builds.

So while I wait for the new parts to be delivered, a few more details:

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photo. I ordered these Gmade steel wheels in the raw (uncoated) finish, which meant it would be really easy to weather them, rather than have to scrape off the powdercoat. Salt and matt white paint used initially...

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photo. ...then a splash of the rust activator solution, and almost immediately they start to discolour.

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photo. leave them for a few hours, and presto! - genuine rusty white steelies.


While all that chemistry was happening, I thought I'd also dial in the chassis - sort the diff angles, hook up the prop shafts and the steering, and fit the 80mm dampers.

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photo. this is still the original 'Desmond' chassis - essentially a copy of an RC4WD Gelande/Trailfinder chassis with a series of additional holes for mounting whatever wheelbase/suspension combination you choose. I like them for this sort of custom build particularly. 

I've also retained the previous [Ebay] 3-gear aluminium transmission housing and heavy duty prop shafts, and a cheap 70T brushed motor from the very original Mad Gear Cliff Crawler donor vehicle... indeed, the only other Mad Gear part which remains is the steering servo now those big 2.2 wheels & tyres have been removed!

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photo. chassis mounted servo (using Tamiya plastic mounts, which I'll replace with aluminium RC4WD Gelande ones at some point) and relocated shock towers with 80mm internal spring dampers with the springs removed.


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photo. similarly at the rear, 80mm dampers fitted (although 90mm would fit and offer slightly more droop) on skinny shock towers.

I'm pleased with how the chassis is sitting now. I dialled in the rear diff angle using the wedge shims you can get from RC4WD (ideally I'll tweak the front diff angle slight too, but need some thinner shims), and everything feels rock solid. Initially the steering did have a degree of bump-steer on the right hand side, but I've managed to almost eradicate that now by using a stepped servo arm and spacer to mount the drag link lower and more horizontally.

So with the metalwork done, it was time to refocus on those body mods:

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photo. rear arches filled with a round profile using 1.5mm styrene and a lot of glue and filler!

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photo. inner arches extended inboard (since the axles and wheels are now much narrower than before) - I was pleased I've been able to retain the majority of the wooden floor I'd created previously.

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photo. the seats have also been repositioned 7.5mm further forward (giving extra space for the roll cage to be mounted behind) and the passenger seat narrowed so both can be mounted closer together and that the driver's seat is now properly centred with the steering column.

I'm currently waiting for the paint to dry on the modified engine bay/battery tray, then I can re-mount all the electronics and get this thing rolling again...

Oh, an I guess all those body repairs are going to need some paint too.

More soon!

Jenny x

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So the new cage arrived - similar overall dimensions to the previous version, but slightly lower/flatter overall (which I wanted) and visually less clumsy looking too with the lower rear side hoops:

i-v65WgD3-XL.jpg

photo. new style cage - still needs to be narrowed so it mounts at the correct height inside the narrowed body.

This alternative cage will still need modifying/narrowing around the middle hoop, but at least the rear stays will be much easier to bend inwards slightly to fit inside the rear aches. Fingers crossed I won't mess this one up!

I also sprung for a new set of tyres - slightly smaller diameter than the 115mm chevron tread ones fitted to the steel wheels initially, but fundamentally more narrow too, so they won't bulge so much nor rub on the steering uprights. Indeed, having test fitted them, they actually now fit with regular (7mm wide) hexes - although the diameter means they do end up rubbing on the springs/chassis on full lock... I've also got some 12mm wide hexes coming, which ought to sit the wheels at a good compromise distance.

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photo. I really like these BF Goodrich All-Terrain pattern tyres, and the ProLine versions are very soft/grippy and realistic.

 

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photo. comparison with the previous tyres - they are around 4mm more narrow, not a huge amount, but sit far better on the narrow (21mm) rims.

 

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photo. custom engine bay/battery tray/cabin floor assembly - constructed from 1.5mm styrene.

 

One other thing I did was fit shorter [genuine Trailfinder II] shackles to the rear springs - lowering the rear ride height so the vehicle is more level:

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And finally installed all the electronics in the revised engine bay:

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With the electronics re-installed, I hooked up a battery (I'm rather pleased with the design which means the body shell holds the battery in place on the tray once the two halves are screwed together), and took it for a quick run around the garden, and feel the leaf-springs are going to be more than capable for this kind of trail truck.

There is still some body finishing to do - prepping and painting all those areas I've modified, although currently my idea is to leave parts of the bodywork in primer, as if it is in the middle of an ongoing restoration? Oh, and finally get that new cage installed... wish me luck!

Jenny x

 

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After the disaster with bending and ultimately snapping the original cage, I spent a nerve-wracking session in the garage earlier this week, and am pleased to report the new/replacement cage now fits - best leave it there I think!

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Indeed, it actually fits better than the previous version - not just the overall height, but that the A hoop now perfectly against the footwell floor with no need for trimming - I'd call that a success!

note. If I were being picky then it still seems the cage section around the cabin is slightly shorter than it really ought to be perhaps - presumably to clear the dash assembly when installed in the full RC4WD kit... however, if you try and move the A hoop closer to the screen, the B hoop starts to block the doors (and the cross brace means the seats would need to be moved too far forward too), and the rear hoops would also stop short of the rear body corners. Personally I can live with that gap between the screen as the overall proportions seem right to me this way round.

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photo. styrene fabricated inner arches, cardboard template floor.

I decided that rather than try and make the original floor panel fit, I'd completely replace the rear load-bed with a one-piece panel, and then re-trim it with some more wood and aluminium rod as runners.

It was then time to mask the original paintwork and weathering/lettering I wanted to retain, and carefully repaint those repaired and remodelled sections:

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photo. salt used to between coats to replicate corrosion and faded/worn paint.

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photo. I used a mix of red-oxide primer, grey primer (as a middle coat) and Tamiya TS29 green top-coat. I also used the Modern Masters Metal Effects paint (and activator solution) to create real rust in those typical joint areas.

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photo. fabricated full depth rear bed - 2mm styrene floor and 1.5mm styrene for the wheel-arch boxes. Salt used again to add some weathered texture while the floor will be ultimately covered in wooden planks again.

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photo. you can see how effective the salt technique is (even with just two colours) along the bottom edge of the centre console - and this is before any dry brushing and powder detailing.

Since this is now an open-topped vehicle, I felt it more appropriate to also paint the footwell part of the under tray the same colour as the body:

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photo. although the battery is hidden beneath the scuttle panel, it only requires the two screws on each side to be undone to remove the upper body.

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photo. Stan is held in place with a set of 'Corbeau' harness seatbelts, and I also assembled another to hang loose in the passenger side.

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photo. seat installation - the new roll cage has a cross bar behind the seats which works as the perfect location for the upper harness belts.

To further detail the otherwise rather plain dash panel, I also fabricated a glove-box lid... 

i-QrjxPZs-XL.jpg

...and yes, while I could have made it actually open, decided to trim the hinges down and mount it in the closed position - note the head of the allen screw used for a turn-knob has been filled and will be painted silver to replicate a lock:

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photo. gear shift and transfer lever relocated to the trimmed dash panel.

So it's getting close to finished now... the lights are wired and the hood emblem attached... and I fitted 12mm wide hex hubs to improve the overall stance. All that is really left is to replace that wooden rear floor then hit the trails!

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photo. raised sidewall lettering painted white of course!

More soon!

Jenny x

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2 hours ago, JennyMo said:

note. If I were being picky then it still seems the cage section around the cabin is slightly shorter than it really ought to be perhaps - however, if you try and move the A hoop closer to the screen, the B hoop starts to block the doors (and the cross brace means the seats would need to be moved too far forward too), and the rear hoops would also stop short of the rear body corners. Personally I can live with that gap between the screen as the overa

You could always fold the screen flat on the bonnet and you wouldn’t notice the gap at all?

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Sorry meant to say loving it. The more scale look really suits it. It has a lovely lived in look.

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13 minutes ago, Busdriver said:

You could always fold the screen flat on the bonnet and you wouldn’t notice the gap at all?

Yes, funny you should say that... I was thinking much the same, and I'm sure if this (when!) it rolls over and the screen gets any damage that will be the way to go.

I'm currently toying with a few accessories - the sand ladders in the rear (photo above) work well on either side of the rear cage hoops, and I have another of those scale HiLift jacks which would work well across the bonnet like I've fitted to the YJ Wrangler... I guess like pretty much all of my models it will continue to evolve through wear and tear, but yes, I am very pleased with the new proportions compared to the original oversize wheels and slightly gawky truck cab look.

Although poor old Peter is going to have to find a new ride now of course!

Jx

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Another quick update - it really is very much finished now, other than buying another LiPo battery for this one too, and possibly fitting a 55T motor rather than the current 70T.

Although the original wooden rear floor fitted reasonably well, there were now gaps where the old suspension tower bulkhead was, so I decided to replace it all with new wood and aluminium rod as runners:

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photo. 1/2" x 1/16" (hark at me all American now...) strip wood, cut to fit using a cardboard template.

 

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photo. 2mm diameter (gone metric again) aluminium rod used as runners - the deck is assembled on masking tape to hold everything together, then the tape glued onto the load-bed.

 

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photo. before...

 

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photo. ...after. The bare wood was lightly stained with brown acrylic paint, then polished with linseed oil.

 

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photo. Stan is pretty pleased with the overall result!

 

Right, I've got a Land Rover to replace the axles on, and a Rock Buggy that needs some bodywork... tune in to those respective threads for an update soon!

Jenny x

 

ps. since the above photo was taken, I've also blacked-out the front grille mesh, and also replaced the rear prop with a CV jointed (rather than UJ) version, as I was getting some chatter from the rear axle which may well be due to the quite steep angle of the props using a high centre-mounted transmission on this short wheelbase. I'm confident that will cure it, so will also end up replacing the front prop too with a similar design - if only to visually match and ultimately look more scale too of course.

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A few more details:

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photo. suitably retro fire extinguisher.

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photo. fuel cans and workshop junk in milk crates.

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photo. front and rear prop shafts with CVs rather than UJs to smooth out the running through some quite steep angles.

And I'm currently piecing together a shorty radiator (cut down from an Axial twin fan version) for the space between the headlights behind the grille... you won't really see it, but I'll know it's there ;o)

i-GMzQ6KM-XL.jpg

Since this already has a [Hobbywing] ESC with a LiPo cut-off in it, I'll also be converting this one to LiPo along with the Defender 90* which I'm also currently refurbishing...  and ultimately I'll take a series of 'finished' photos, together with a summary of the latest specification of both.

More soon!

Jenny x

*ps. since the Defender is now my only vehicle left of 2.2 size wheels now, I suppose I ought to rename that one 'Desmond' and call this BJ40 something else now, but that would probably just get even more confusing wouldn't it?!

 

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1 hour ago, Badcrumble said:

The Marvel-ous '40?

Ah ha... I see what you did there.

I was thinking of something even more mash-up and obscure... the 'Ku-brick'

Jx

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17 minutes ago, JennyMo said:

Ah ha... I see what you did there.

I was thinking of something even more mash-up and obscure... the 'Ku-brick'

Jx

As in Stan-Lee ‘Stanley’? 

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37 minutes ago, Badcrumble said:

As in Stan-Lee ‘Stanley’? 

Bingo ;o)

20...40: a Toyota Odyessey erm, Oddity!

Jx

Actually, with my really nerdy comic book hat on - I would like to try and keep the mash-up between Ghostbusters (the Venkman's Pest Control decals on the doors) and Stan Lee - and of course Ghost Rider was another Marvel creation* too!

And following that train of thought, stick Lara Croft in the passenger seat and we could then have: "Ghost Raider"!

Six degrees of separation and all that!

*interestingly though, a quick google and it turns out Ghost Rider was one of very few Marvel characters Stan Lee was not involved with... which could also help explain why those movies sucked perhaps ;o)

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There’s another link between your two drivers - Marvel UK published ‘The Real Ghostbusters’ comic in the late ‘80s.

Marvel UK also published a short-lived title inspired by another Dan Ackroyd creation - The Sleaze Brothers!

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Ha - these really are too good not to share...

In keeping with the Ghostbusters/Marvel mash-up theme going on, I thought I'd reinforce the Ghostbusters element with these scale newspapers and magazines:

i-q67mPB4-XL.jpg

Yep, someone has printed 1/10 scale versions of the papers and magazines which were created for the cut-away segment in the film when the Ghostbusters get picked up by the media!

 

Stan has chosen just a couple to read for now:

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To help those long traffic jams just fly by...

Jenny x

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On 11/13/2020 at 6:51 AM, JennyMo said:

 

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All looking great as always 😉

Just to let you know that I’m thinking of doing a 1/14 Flatbed Roadtrain Truck, so I’ll just send the many trailers to you to do the Cherry wood and trim magic on 👍🏻
 

Thanks in advance. 

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A very minor (under the skin) update to this build too... Having bought an Axial Capra chassis for a rock-buggy re-build project recently, I had no choice but to forfeit my usual choice of traditional NiMh 6-cell pack and purchase a shorty 2S LiPo battery (and associated charger) so that it fitted in the diminutive battery compartment... and as I mentioned in that thread, I'm now a total convert to LiPo - well, at least going forward*

*I've decided that to keep things simple, for now at least, The EbaYJeep and the 4Runner (which have a 6-cell NiMh battery widthways under the scuttle panel) will remain NiMh powered for now - so that those batteries can be charged in situ safely, and so too with the Baja Blazer and Hopper's HiLux, since those use odd-shaped battery packs anyway (and again really need to be charged in situ too due to the way the batteries have been intricately hidden away).

The Capra is LiPo powered, and the Defender 90 has already been converted as part of that vehicle's recent updates, so together with my slow-burn Jeep TJ build (new thread soon I promise!), I felt it prudent to convert the BJ40 to LiPo too, as I imagine these will end up being my most used runners most of the time... and fortunately this build already incorporated a suitable ESC with selectable NiMh and LiPo (with low voltage cut-off circuit) by simply swapping a jumper pin... it's that simple!

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photo. modifying the original 6-cell NiMh battery tray to securely mount the 98mm long short 2S LiPo pack.

 

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photo. shorty 2S pack installed where the original 6-cell NiMh battery used to sit. I intend that all my subsequent builds will feature this size battery in future.

OK, so I realise that was probably a lot of words to describe two rather lacklustre photos wasn't it? Hey ho...

However, I'm really enjoying the way this vehicle drives on leaf-springs, especially now they've bedded-in a bit - and will endeavour to get some posed and scenic shots as soon as I can, and add them here of course!

Jenny x

 

 

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In an effort to wrap this build up too before Christmas - I've painted the new LiPo mounts, and installed the cut-down Axial Exo radiator in the front of the BJ:

i-HmcNgb6-XL.jpg
photo. you won't ever see the fan, but I'll know it's there!

Initially I'd considered mounting the radiator on some sort of frame or stand offs so that the fan was on the front face and visible through the grille, but I decided the radiator itself fitted much better flush against the body panel, which meant the fan and cowl is now hidden from view - ah well, it's those hidden details which make these things such fun isn't it?!

The only other thing I intend to fit to finally finish this build is a set of the metal emblems from RC4WD - then I'll take a few photos and summarise this current evolution as part of an extensive Showroom update in the New Year.

Merry Christmas!

Jenny x

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Having splurged on a few [expensive!] finishing touches for various models in an effort to update my showroom this year, this included some metal badges for the BJ40...

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After all, it's the little things which matter, right?

Jenny x

 

 

 

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In the words of Columbo: "Oh, and just one more thing..."

Having decided the Mega-Bug project would be best served with a traditional SRB gearbox after-all, it meant my rather fancy (by that I mean expensive) genuine Axial SCX10 II gearbox was now superfluous to requirements, and with no other project I could utilise it for on the horizon, felt it would be best used to replace the cheap [eBay] metal transmission I'd used since the original days of Desmond [the 2.2]...

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photo. the Axial transmission casing is nylon/plastic, with all metal gears inside...

 

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photo. since the [centre] transmission on this build is semi-visible anyway, I felt the moulded casing designed to look like a traditional bell-housing would work particularly well in this instance.

 

Along with swapping the original 9Kg steering servo for a 20Kg version (which came out of the Defender in which I recently fitted a more heavy duty 35Kg version), I've realised the only part left from the original Mad-Gear Cliff donor vehicle now is the cheapy 70 turn motor! - and while admittedly it works very well in this application with the transmission/axle ratio/wheel-size combo, even that might well end up being swapped for a better quality 55T version in future - if only to offer a little more trail speed like the TJ Wrangler currently has.

However, finally - for now at least - Stan is happy:

i-8P55Djt-XL.jpg

 

...and so am I!

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Toot toot!

Jx

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The level of building here is amazing.

Shoe polishing chrome paint is my limit of weathering.

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May 2021: Another update...

Having added more and more working/scale details and accessories to a couple of other builds recently, I felt the BJ was now looking rather simple in comparison; so I thought I'd have a go at making a working folding windscreen - and also construct a snorkel to add further detail...

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photo. it doesn't look all that different, but it's the little things... right?

Since I'd chopped the original RC4WD bodyshell around (narrowing it 25mm and lowering the roof approx 10mm), this meant I'd also had to fabricate my own [shorter] windscreen surround, and made up some fake hinges for either end of the scuttle panel:

i-QK2fXSC-XL.jpg

Fortunately the lower edge of the screen surround also coincided with the top of the dash panel I'd fabricated, so it was easy enough to just run the Dremel cut-off wheel along the crease and remove the whole screen:

i-73n4LCs-XL.jpg

I then cut some working scale hinges (from Locked-Up RC as I recall) diagonally to fit the recess, and cut down the opposite tab so that it would fit under the windscreen - hopefully holding the screen at a similar angle to the original. To further secure the screen in the upright position, I also fabricated a simple draw bolt on each side - using a short length of tube with a smaller diameter rod inside, bent as a bolt - and recessed the sides of the screen so the bolt would not fall out when withdrawn:

i-kZVd4Bz-XL.jpg

At the same time, I also constructed an 'old school' style snorkel using some larger diameter aluminium tube, and some spare plastic parts I had - the flexible hose is from a scale engine air-intake set, and the cap is actually an Axial light bucket, with the back filled in and a mesh grille cut to fit the lens recess:

i-zrDZjbw-XL.jpg

Rather than try and fabricate metal straps or use zip-ties to secure it to the cage (note it's secured the cage hoop so that the screen can be folded up and down of course), I elected to tap the tube and use M3 set screws and nuts, plus a dollop of epoxy to create a mount which would interface with a similar M3 tube glued to the cage - again using epoxy to simulate a welded connection:

i-jD4G9z2-XL.jpg
photo. set screws locate in short tube/ mounting lugs on the cage, and are glued in. note also the foam weather strip to seal the gap between the scuttle and bottom of the folding screen, and the small tubes for the draw bolts to secure the screen when upright.

Because the back/inside of the windscreen was now likely to be visible more of the time (when folded down), I also elected to trim the inside in a similar way to that which I'd done on the outside - using 2mm 1/2 round styrene strip as a screen rubber:

i-MRnrGCg-XL.jpg

And then masked everything to make painting in the tiny diameter rubbers (using Tamiya XF-85 'Rubber Black') a breeze:

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A couple of dabs of superglue and the screen was reattached using the new folding hinges, and the draw bolts hold it nice and secure in the upright position:

i-RLsLvNH-XL.jpg
photo. I took the opportunity to add a little crusty rusting too... of course.

...meanwhile when the screen is down, the draw bolts are held in place in the recess on each side:

i-z4DCH94-XL.jpg

Fortunately, because the existing wipers are those fancy metal kind with actual springs in them (so they snap nicely against the windshield), if you move them to the vertical position prior to folding the screen, they just bend forward when the screen is folded down - although they could also always be removed of course...

i-nmrprxG-XL.jpg
photo. Because my screen is slightly shorter than the original version, it doesn't sit on top of the dedicated bonnet catches in the same way when folded down - however, it was actually simple enough to make up a bungee with a central hook to hold the loop I'd embedded in the top rail of the screen instead.

I also took this workbench opportunity to incorporate a few more scale details - some additional items in the load-bed, and being more and more an African outback style truck these days, complete with Stan Lee driving in his safari suit - added some suitable decals on the rear fender... 

i-vf8fZC3-XL.jpg
photo. Wakanda Forever!

i-7HXcMLV-XL.jpg

I hope you like these latest (if subtle) mods!

Jenny x

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Forgotten update! (1/11/23)

Yes I know this is an old thread - but I realise I'd forgotten to include some photos of what I consider is a pretty useful update which I made over two years ago now, and also took this opportunity to change the thread title [to reflect the new driver], not least as there is very little of my original 'Desmond' crawler left now of course - in fact only the chassis rails and skid plate as I recall!

Following on from my bonnet mods to the ebaYJeep towards the end of 2021, I thought I might also do something similar to the Land Crusier so that I wouldn't have to remove the body each time to change the battery:

i-4cd8LVC-XL.jpg

photo. It still looks surprisingly 'standard', however...

 

i-6gHBD8s-XL.jpg

photo. ...the bonnet is now hinged it for easy access to the battery compartment (and other electronics) without having to remove the body each time!

 

Having the battery (a shorty 2S Lipo hard-case in this instance) mounted up under the scuttle panel means it was feasible to cut out the original bonnet along the crease lines, and reattach it with some working hinges - suitably modified to try and ape the original moulded detail:

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photo. painstakingly shaped to match in with the tongue portion of the moulded tabs.

 

I also took the opportunity to jiggy the various badges and decals around, and get some new 'personal' plates made up to reflect the new owner:

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Plus one for the front end too:

i-7cRw8T4-XL.jpg

 

Right, that is this thread brought right up to date - and I trust you'll appreciate these latest mods!

Jenny x

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