What to do with an old TL-01B?

[ChrisRx718]

I've acquired a cheap TL-01B and I can't remember why I bid on it.

It's been languishing in my shed for over a year and recently I dug it out. It's a Chinese clone - at least the silver-can motor, turnbuckles and awful body seem to suggest.

The body is toast - too many cracks, the rear spoiler being held together with electrical tape and cobwebs. 

You can't seem to buy a Baja King or Baja Champ body any more, then when they do come up for sale they seem expensive (especially to go on a £20 TL-01B). 

I think I purchased it as a cheap way to do the long-arm conversion on my WT-01N Amarok, but now I kinda like the narrow wheelbase monster truck, despite its' tippy-over nature.

I'd love to restore this, but without a bodyshell I'm stumped.

Are there any Baja truck bodies available, relatively cheaply, which will fit the TL01B wheelbase? (257mm)

Stadium Raider perhaps? Are those bodyshells available?

[markbt73]

Look for one of the old Parma or Frewer 235mm wide rally car bodies, and do a Group B car on the cheap.

[TurnipJF]

The Stadium Raider shell is the same moulding as the Wild Dagger and Sandshaker, as well as the clone Cross Tiger and Bonzer. Maybe try one of those?

[Busdriver]

Sandshaker, Stadium Thunder and Asterion (Chevy) are all 257mm. I have all three and they all fit the same chassis's. I also have a Nascar pickup (£15 e bay special) All builds  are on this forum if you look through my profile.

[Busdriver]

Forgot the Bowler Wildcat as well

[ChrisRx718]

I really like that Chevy body @Busdriver, but I'm betting one of those would cost more than I spent on the whole chassis. I even have some wheels and tyres just like that 

There's a few Chinese blobs on eBay I'm keeping an eye on for now which are sub-£20. 

[Busdriver]

£35 ish

[BP2411]

Baja King is the reason I turned my TL01 into a TL01B but never got round to buying the shell so it just sat in storage for years. 

[wolfdogstinkus]

Make a wide willy instead?. 

You can get a chassis reasonably cheap.

A sub £20 shell will crack on first impact, then you are back at the start minus £20

Will the arms and legs not also fit the comical range?. 

 

[ChrisRx718]

If I'm keeping it I really want to turn it into a Baja style truck, but neither the S10 or the F150 are exactly 'cheap'!

To throw another idea into the mix; I might get a Nissan Titan DT02, stick the body on the TL01B, put the longer arms on my WT01 and save the DT02 chassis for something else (I already have one). But for £75 delivered for the Nissan, it's almost like getting a whole chassis for an extra £30 by the time you factor in bodyshell and stickers. Then a Sand Viper body is incredibly cheap (but I can't seem to find any stickers).

Being at home sure is giving me too much time to think!

[Badcrumble]

There was a similar thread a while ago...

I like the Kamtec Baja bug option....

..but I already have a Kamtec Bowler.

[WillyChang]

Pity you're too far away. All the world's remaining stock of HBX Baja King shells seem to have ended up downunder  still got a bunch unused from back when, if you were nearer it would be easy. 

HBX arms are 1pc different to Tamiya 2pc screwed together. 

[ChrisRx718]

8 hours ago, WillyChang said:

Pity you're too far away. All the world's remaining stock of HBX Baja King shells seem to have ended up downunder  still got a bunch unused from back when, if you were nearer it would be easy. 

HBX arms are 1pc different to Tamiya 2pc screwed together. 

Strange; this has 2-part suspension arms, but everything else points towards it being HBX. It has the longer (550?) motor can with red and black wires, steering links are some kind of stainless steel affair, all suspension is retained with long screw pins (rather than the U-bar which should be at the front).

The "Lovely Lustre" Baja King bodyshell probably could be saved, perhaps it's just as simple as finding a replacement spoiler. Or maybe it would look OK with no spoiler? 

[TurnipJF]

There was little consistency in the clones. Some came with 1-piece arms, others with 2-piece ones. Some used the stock shock mount locations, others used soft alloy shock towers bolted to the stock locations, which in turn had the shocks bolted to them. Plus, the stock plastics were often quite weak and brittle compared to the genuine Tamiya ones, so when they broke, people would sometimes use genuine Tamiya parts for repairs.