SuperChamp82 743 Posted June 8, 2020 Ok so apologies in advance for this not being my usual red n blue but my eldest daughter just made her first build request unprompted (!) and I know nothing about the chassis / whether it would be a fun build to do together ? Or what would need hopping up, best batteries, r/c etc ? Even where I’d find scale ‘Hawkins police’ decals / period US police lights ? Any thoughts much appreciated 👍 Plotting a Father’s Day purchase + lockdown build 😬 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Problemchild 2149 Posted June 8, 2020 Have you seen @JennyMo build? JJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperChamp82 743 Posted June 8, 2020 I have now ! Thanks JJ @Problemchild 👍 Stunning as usual @JennyMo 🤩 That reads like an RC4WD Trailfinder 2 chassis with their Blazer hard body is the way to go ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted June 9, 2020 11 hours ago, SuperChamp82 said: I have now ! Thanks JJ @Problemchild 👍 Stunning as usual @JennyMo 🤩 That reads like an RC4WD Trailfinder 2 chassis with their Blazer hard body is the way to go ? Hi Superchamp - it's going to depend... if you want a really detailed scale build, then yes, using the RC4WD chassis and Blazer body set is the way to go, but that will end up quite expensive buying the Trailfinder II chassis and Blazer body-set separately, plus the motor and other electronics you'll need to complete the build. (note RC4WD do sell an RTR Blazer, complete with their aluminium scale V8 engine and twin shocks up front, but that is $800 USD). The nice thing about the RC4WD body is not only is it a proper hardbody (not lexan), so easier to customise and arguably easier to paint & weather; but you also get a full interior which would be ideal if you want to put a Hopper and Eleven, or any of the other kids from Stranger Things inside as passengers... However, that said the Traxxas Blazer body is very nicely detailed for a lexan shell (as is their Bronco version - especially the pre-painted version), but it will need some sort of interior, plus you'll have to cut the windows out if you want them wound down etc. The other thing to consider is how each of them drive - the RC4WD Trailfinder II chassis has very scale axles and proper leaf-sprung suspension, but as you might imagine that is not going to give it the same off-road 'crawler' ability of the coil spring/4-link Traxxas chassis, plus the Traxxas has portal axles and locking/unlocking front and rear diffs in the axles, making it very versatile. Oh, and it also has their 2-speed transmission too as I recall. So really you need to decide what you want from the project - if you want to build a true-scale vehicle with some pretty lifelike passengers, the RC4WD body is definitely the way to go - and you want to look on ebay for the McFarlane Stranger Things 7" action figures (note. the kids are closer to 6" tall, but they are still listed as 7" for the scale size, which Hopper himself is) - be aware though that their increasing popularity amongst scale builders means the prices are going up... Date Night Hopper I bought originally for under $20, but the original police outfit version tends to be around $35. Also if you want Dustin (and I'd say that is the best detailed figure of them all - and it so happens he'll be driving my latest project), those are often $35-50 or sometimes more now - I fear it's a bit like how everyone bought up all those Jack Osbourne figures a few years ago once it was revealed he was the basis of Moto Willy. However, if it is more about it being a trail runner - then that Traxxas TRX-4 chassis is excellent (I've driven the Bronco version) - comes RTR so you can concentrate just on the paint and custom features, and you could fabricate your own styrene interior perhaps - or even customise the RC4WD interior set (you can buy the various body set parts separately as desired) so that your driver and any passengers can be mounted securely. Hope that helps! Jenny x ps. If you liked Hopper's HiLux, then might also be interested in his race truck, the Baja Blazer which I finished recently, using that RC4WD Blazer body - although in that instance it was dramatically chopped and narrowed to fit around the roll cage I used for the Trophy Truck style build. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperChamp82 743 Posted June 9, 2020 Superb advice @JennyMo - thank you 👍 This is more making sure my daughter has enough fun for the hobby to leave a lasting mark in doing something she asked for tbh So running may matter less for now - provided there’s a Stranger Things truck she can build then pile around our local mountain bike trails with her best pal driving our Lunchbox Mystery Machine 😂 It’s a separate point but a Chief Brody has been at the back of my mind for a while - and would be an epic race on the beach ! Anyway, could the RC4WD shell easily fit a CC01 or CC02 ? Suspect not due to wheelbase / mounting heights 🙄 And do Traxxas sell an unpainted shell to avoid stripping their RTR ? Final question but where did you get your Hawkins decals from @JennyMo ? Is it me or is the plotting / planning half the fun 😇 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted June 10, 2020 23 hours ago, SuperChamp82 said: Superb advice @JennyMo - thank you 👍 This is more making sure my daughter has enough fun for the hobby to leave a lasting mark in doing something she asked for tbh So running may matter less for now - provided there’s a Stranger Things truck she can build then pile around our local mountain bike trails with her best pal driving our Lunchbox Mystery Machine 😂 It’s a separate point but a Chief Brody has been at the back of my mind for a while - and would be an epic race on the beach ! Anyway, could the RC4WD shell easily fit a CC01 or CC02 ? Suspect not due to wheelbase / mounting heights 🙄 And do Traxxas sell an unpainted shell to avoid stripping their RTR ? Final question but where did you get your Hawkins decals from @JennyMo ? Is it me or is the plotting / planning half the fun 😇 Happy to help! The RC4WD Blazer body has a 287mm wheelbase (same as their Trailfinder II HiLux), so you ought to be able to fit that on a CC-01 chassis by just extending the rear links I would have thought? Though not true scale with IFS of course, that would be a sound chassis platform to build a runner from I'm sure - although if you plan to purchase a chassis too, I would probably go for the CC-02 with live axles front and rear, and which allows for a wider range of wheelbase options out of the box as I recall? https://store.rc4wd.com/RC4WD-Chevy-Blazer-Body_c_584.html A quick google suggests that the Traxxas lexan Blazer body is available as a 'set' unpainted, although I'm not sure how widely available it is outside of the US perhaps? Also be aware that is a slightly bigger shell overall though, and would require a 313mm wheelbase chassis. I didn't get any decals made for my HiLux - the door graphics are letraset dry-letters (painstakingly applied), and the number plates are from a guy on ebay here in the US who makes engraved plates - while not as 'true scale' as a stamped plate of course (although he said he was going to experiment with an reverse engraving method so the lettering was proud instead), I really like the retro simplicity and finesse of the engraved style... link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-10-SCALE-LICENSE-PLATE-ENGRAVED-2-PIECES/282941465902 (and yes, those are the plates on my SRB Cage Racer in his ad ;o) I'm not sure if you're in the UK or not, but Screen Print Digital (on ebay) have always been good for repro Tamiya (and other style) decals, and if you contact them you might well be able to negotiate some custom printing. Best of luck with whatever direction you choose - based on your suggestions above, I think I'd go for a CC-02 chassis and RC4WD body, and make it work! Jenny x ps. the other option (certainly if you've got easy access to US sellers) would be to get the Redcat Gen8 P.A.C.K. pre-assembled chassis kit (currently $149 USD) which gives you everything except wheels, body and electronics - and get the Traxxas body (around $69 USD) as the PACK chassis would have the correct wheelbase for the larger lexan shell. In fact I plan to purchase a Redcat PACK Chassis for a future project too, since for $150 including a forward mounted motor/transmission and aluminium shocks/metal links/portal axles etc. it is an utter bargain - and apparently performs very well too. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperChamp82 743 Posted June 11, 2020 Absolute rock star - thank you @JennyMo 🤩 CC02 + RC4WD shell it is 👍 Excited Dad + v happy daughter ahead ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
