Hacking a 2nd Gen Scorcher?

[bugster_man 5]

Hi folks,

I have been following this site for quite som while already to get inspirations and today I finally registered, as I need your advice.

Yesterday a Sand Scorcher appeared in a local trading site, it was located in the village I live, bad pictures, very small description but the price was a steal. So I snapped it up, a I thought this is the perfect base for some projects to come.
I was completely surprised when inspecting the car: never driven, just half finished and has obviously been sitting just on the shelf for many years. I compared it to my 2011 Sand Scorcher and found some minor differences which leads me to think it s a 2nd Gen (Re-Scorcher). Given it is such a beautiful state, I'm not sure I want to chop it up. But again, I'm fairly new to this RC world and would need your opinion on things: leave the Scorcher as is because they don't grow on trees or go ahead with modifying it?

What my plan is (or was):
I have a Sand Rover body shell sitting waiting to be mounted on a chassis. I never liked the look of the DT-02 chassis and got inspired by some really cool mods in this very forum putting Sand-Rover bodies on Sand Scorcher chassis. I also do have a Blitzer Beetle with brushless, that I used to learn driving so you can clearly see the results of my training classes with a body having cracks, dings and dongs all over the place so I thought about putting the Scorcher body on the Blitzer.

 

[Grastens 2795]

I get the feeling a chop won't be necessary if you are able to fabricate a custom chassis plate; I remember the Sand Scorcher chassis being quite modular. Here is a photo showing a custom Sand Scorcher chassis plate, for reference:

The front and rear ends are quite distinct from each other; the chassis plate (as opposed to a shaped tub or multiple decks) is really the only thing linking them. Even the radio box is separate, and the Super Champ/Fighting Buggy did not even use one while using a very similar front end and a modified rear.

Thus, if you can make up a chassis plate that the front and rear suspensions can bolt onto, you can get the wheelbase you want for a Sand Rover shell without having to modify the kit-standard chassis plate. That may even be preferable if FRP repairs on such a sectioned chassis are not that strong.

Of course, you would no longer be using the standard radio box, but I think that would interfere with the Sand Rover shell, anyway. The torsion bars on the rear suspension may also interfere, though that is only a possibility. In any case, they do not really provide much function

If you get that chassis plate sorted (and you can cut and drill carbon fibre or even metal to make a new one), you could have your Sand Rover and the parts to convert it back into a Sand Scorcher if you ever feel so inclined. And with that, I hope you are encouraged to go ahead with a Sand Rover-bodied Sand Scorcher

[JennyMo 3526]

Ha - I was just going to say everything that Grastens has suggested!

In addition, Knight Customs (Toykid here on TamiyaClub) also makes a series of accessories - including a dedicated chassis plate - available on Shapeways.

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/knightcustoms?section=Tamiya+SRB+Beach+Buggy+conversion&s=0

Again, you could utilise the SRB running gear, and always convert it back to a Sand Scorcher in future if you wished?

Jenny x

 

ps. note that the main body tub is expensive from Shapeways - but it's quite possible it is the same dimensions as the Tamiya Sand Rover shell, so a bit of work could see them together if you did decide to use his chassis plate? Otherwise if you do make your own version (2mm thick aluminium is what I use for chassis) you've still got the option of adding his scale VW engine and some of the other accessories?

[TurnipJF 9192]

Fibre Lyte is another possibility. Measure up and draw out a shortened chassis plate, send the design over to them and they'll cut you a carbon fibre one for not a lot of dosh.

[bugster_man 5]

Folks,

thank you so much. That is the way forward ! Aluminum base plate is the one, as I then also have the possibility to create a fixture for the body. (or doing the base plate from steel and fix the body with neodym magnets).
As I also have to cut the rollcage, I'll get myself a spare part rollcage for cutting. 
Thank you so much!

 

Edit: and the Scorcher body will be used as second body with different paint scheme for my other Scorcher. I anyhow can't decide which paint scheme I like best, so now I don't have to decide and can have two bodies and run the paint scheme according to my mood.