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speedy_w_beans

Speedy's Sport 3.2 Hot Wheels Homage

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I think I'm going to grab a tub of popcorn now, as this project is 99.9% done!

I finished detailing the shell and getting the magnets in position over the past few evenings, so that's about it.  Unfortunately it's raining and will continue to do so for another day or two, so the final glamour shots won't be posted until then.

The magnet mount setup worked better than expected.  When I designed the body posts earlier for the magnets, the depths of the magnet cups were set to capture both the chassis magnets as well as the body magnets so the body wouldn't wander while driving.  I just left the body magnets in position on the chassis and attached a pair at a time.  Initially I peeled the protective film off the servo tape for the front magnets, put a wedge under the front of the body to hold it up, aligned the rear, pinned it in position with external magnets, double-checked alignment all around, and then lowered the front nose a few millimeters so the body contacted the servo tape.  Some pressure seated the magnets onto the body, and they lifted off the mating chassis magnets with no problems.  With the front aligned, it was easier then to peel the film off the rear magnets, connect the front of the body to the chassis, and then lower the rear into position.  Again some pressure seated the magnets onto the body, and everything was good to go.

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For a street-driven casual car, I'm really liking the setup.  The body is held in place by the magnets firmly enough to lift the whole chassis by the body, but separating the body from the chassis and putting it back in position again is pretty easy for battery changes or accessing the power switch.  This is my first time using magnets, and I think I'll have to use this method more often!  It doesn't make sense for offroad bashers or racers (body clips are more secure), but for an onroad fun model I'd certainly go this route again!

Here's the finished body.  ABC fine line tape (0.3 mm width) filled the main body line, the door lines, and the top vents.  Vinyl cut on the plotter finished the air vents, window trim, and headlights.  I also used vinyl for the fuel filler, red trim line on the bottom of the shell, and red Hot Wheels logo on each fin.  All of this helps give the body more definition and cleans up the paint transitions between the main orange and translucent blue.

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Front shot...

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Top view...

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So I just need some sun to get nicer pictures and maybe shoot a short running video.  Stay tuned for one last post, and then we'll call the project completely done!

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Fabulous! A loving homage to a classic Hot Wheels car could only be this well executed by you. I am quite taken with the result :wub:

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My New Campaign: Let's Save the Standing Ovation | Paul Nugent

SPEED, 

Mattel could not of done better.

Those wheels deserve an Emmy, maybe an Oscar, or the Lombardi Trophy, a Title belt maybe, or you'll just have to know that us Golden Tamiyan Citizens appreciate your talents you shared.

Thanx a bunch..........................................................................Dang! popcorns gone.

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This is absolutely fantastic!  Very well executed, great descriptions and photos.  I look forward to the outdoor shots and video.  Thanks for sharing!

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speedy_w_beans

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  • speedy_w_beans
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I like where you're going with the Protoform ATS-V body and the corresponding Hot Wheels car.  I have a RJ Speed Porsche 962 shell I want to paint in the same style as an old Hot Wheels Porsche 917 'Flying Colors' car I have:

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Remember this, dated almost three months ago. 

To Hot Wheels, Hot Cars, Hot Women and to Hot builders!

 

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Lucky me, the sun broke through the clouds for a few hours today and I took full advantage to take some photos and capture some video!  Here's the finale, folks!

A day or two ago I called up my dad and asked if he had any photos of me playing Hot Wheels when I was a child.  He found one, and here it is.  We had a modest amount of orange track and purple track connectors:

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We all look way different now!

The original car, 47 years later.  It was loved and played with a lot back then, and I remember popping the rear window and clicking it back into place several times.  I'm sure that's why it's lost now.  I've looked at other examples online, and it seems like some others suffered the same fate:

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But, here are some sunny shots to brighten the day:

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So I took it for a test drive while the cameras were charging and all seemed well.  My neighbor is a huge Porsche fan and the 962 is his favorite, so he wanted to see the car too.  I asked him to run the camcorder and capture some footage while I drove it around.  After he was situated I switched it on, and a few second later there was smoke coming out from under the body shell!  Then the car launched itself across the street into a neighbor's front grass and the motor kept going even though the radio wasn't sending any throttle to the receiver!  Fortunately the magnet mounts let the body break away and there was no damage to it, but the ESC was charred and badly melted:

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Not a problem, I had another ESC and a half hour later we were back in business.

I'm really pleased with the handling; the rear end is pretty well planted.  The F103GT is a bit loose in the rear and needs some careful rolling on the throttle.  The RM01 Stratos I made some time ago needs a gyro to make it manageable.  But this chassis is pretty amazing.  Even without changing springs, even without any form of damping, the rubber F1 tires hooked up with the asphalt and it was very nice indeed.  Take a look for yourself:

If it looks good and drives well, there's not much more to ask for.  This project is done!

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Wow such a relief getting off lightly with the slight technical hitch with the ESC 😱

A superb build it must be a very satisfying for you 👍🏻 Great job. 

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On 4/16/2020 at 3:54 AM, speedy_w_beans said:

I measured quite a few features on wheels tonight.  Below are some notes; maybe these will be helpful to someone else someday. 

This helped me a lot today as I was quite confused about the wheel offset (as usual). 👍

It's stunning looking car that you have build. I really love it!

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