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jellon

Comical grasshopper build

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This should be fun - only my second build, after a lunch box during the lockdown. 

I bought this kit off @Grumpy pants and have a few hop up parts (green trim) - but basically going to aim for the box art.

What I really wanted is a fun car that behaves like a monster truck, on a modern chassis. I'm hoping I get the same fun as I do from the lunch box.... but with a wee bit more steering.

This will take me ages, as I like to sit down for a short while every night, have a drink and listen to radio 6. If I do it too fast I'll only have to buy another one :).

I'll post a few pics as I go.

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Slow progress - but really enjoying painting my first figure. I thought I'd try painting it on the sprue - and it works quite well for me. 

I'm using the Tamiya paints left over from a tamiya motorbike model and a few normal acrylics for details. 

Gone for helmet in XF16 flat aluminium, black parts in X18 semi gloss black, X11 chrome silver for the buckles and wheel and X2 white for the suit. Mixed my own skin colour for the face and red for the gloves. 

I rushed the paint job on my lunch box build as I couldn't wait to get it going. Going to do all the painting first this time.

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Getting there - used a grey gundam marker for a few details. I went for a smaller blue iris than on the Wild Willy figure.  It's tempting to go for a realistic figure, using washes and shading - but a bit beyond my skills at the moment!

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Good job, get the fiddly painting out of the way first, makes for a more rewarding build. Too many of my models end up with the mechanical bits built and without a bodyshell for months whilst I procrastinate colours!

Good job on the driver figure. I have a WR02 (non comical) and they're great runners and fit your criteria quite accurately; like a lunchbox but with functional steering and suspension :lol:

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12 hours ago, ChrisRx718 said:

Good job, get the fiddly painting out of the way first, makes for a more rewarding build. Too many of my models end up with the mechanical bits built and without a bodyshell for months whilst I procrastinate colours!

Good job on the driver figure. I have a WR02 (non comical) and they're great runners and fit your criteria quite accurately; like a lunchbox but with functional steering and suspension :lol:

Glad to hear that - you never quite know what you've bought until it's built. I figure I can tweak it until it runs how I like - some good threads about that on here.

Figure complete - now to remember how to do stickers properly. Suspect I may need a hairdryer for the helmet stickers.

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Got the stickers on. I cut the plastic edging down as close as possible and applied them with the edge of a blade to avoid fingerprints. 

I used an old hairdryer to flex them around the helmet, and it seems to have stopped them bubbling up. 

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Blooming Lexan.... What's wrong with the stuff they make the lunch box out of.

This is the first time I've cut one of these out. I went for a range of scissors to cut it (removing the excess first). I then used a file and craft knife to tidy up the edges. 

Frankly - I'm glad it's done - it wasn't much fun!

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Have to admit it is very satisfying to mask and spray a Lexan shell. Particularly peeling off the masking tape and the protective plastic afterwards. 

Not done a bad job - thanks to this model coming with masking stickers.for the windows. I ended up using around 5 very light coats of white to get an even finish.  

20201108_211342-COLLAGE.jpg

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It’s coming a long really well.

Very interesting reading your 1st time working with lexan posts as well.

Keep up the good work 👍

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Finally got around to doing the decals. I hadn't realised how many there were compared to the lunch box. 

Apart from a few wobbles I'm pleased with the result. It's an odd mixture of stressful but very satisfying when it goes right. 

The method I went with was folding back a bit of the backing to paper, getting it in position then peeling the rest. For smaller ones I pulled the whole backing off and stuck it to a craft knife to position. 

There seem to be a lot of spares on this kit - presumably for customising how you like.

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Realised I failed to post the usual parts and box photos at the start. Also finally made some progress on the chassis build. Will post later

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Progress. The gearbox is ready built on these and decided not to break it open and do the bearings this time. 

It's really interesting seeing a modern chassis take shape - compared to the lunch box. You can see how things have evolved - it looks very sturdy and compact in comparison. 

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Getting somewhere. From advice on here - went for a 9kg servo with a quick speed and metal mechanism. Attaching servo is the fiddliest bit so far. Make sure to follow the guidance on using correct screw. 

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Front and rear axles attached. Spot the daft green hop up. Interested to see how these change the finished appearance - as I'm a bit of a box art snob. 

I've set both axles at their lowest clearance setting. Keen to avoid too much wheelie and tipping over. 

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Made my first set of oil-filled shocks. Another very satisfying bit of Tamiya engineering. 

Very easy to put together - worth taking a bit of time to get the air bubbles out. 

I've gone without the spacers to hopefully reduce tendency to wheelie. 

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That's the basic chassis together. Again, very compact and solid compared to the lunch box one. Really looking forward to seeing it run.

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My wife and I built the Comical Frog / Hornet earlier this year - they are great fun to drive. No they aren't the fastest cars ever made, but they are terrific to drive. It was a good intro to RC cars for my wife too - she had never built & painted or even driven one before so she really enjoyed the build.

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On 12/19/2020 at 7:48 AM, c64orinoco said:

My wife and I built the Comical Frog / Hornet earlier this year - they are great fun to drive. No they aren't the fastest cars ever made, but they are terrific to drive. It was a good intro to RC cars for my wife too - she had never built & painted or even driven one before so she really enjoyed the build.

Great to know - that's all I want. Might actually finish it over Christmas. 

Also as a commodore 64 fan - enjoying your username. Favourite game - Turrican 2.

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10 hours ago, jellon said:

Also as a commodore 64 fan - enjoying your username. Favourite game - Turrican 2.

C64 For Life! Favourites - Impossible Mission, Wizball, Elite, Ultima series, Project Stealth Fighter; there's just so many classics!

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Very nearly there. The last bits were all quite straightforward - just wheels and wiring.

Really nice quality wheels and tyres on these - lots of parts with multiple screws - so they feel really solid.

There seems to be a lot of toe out just with the weight of the car - may have to adjust that. 

I'll get a nice photo of it complete tomorrow, if the sun manages to sneak out. Looking forward to a drive. 

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Looks great, really nice to see it getting built and a great, thread as well.

The green hop ups really lift the overall blandness of the all the black plastics and tie in nicely with the wheels.

I have some similarly useless hop ups to put on my Honda City Turbo but it will personalise it to a degree and make it mine :D

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There she is. I'll call her Jiminy Cricket. 

@Grumpy pants I agree about the green hop ups - I wasn't sure at first.

I think I may have gone over the top with lowering and softening the shocks - there's almost no chance of rolling it or pulling a wheelie, unless you have a very dry, sticky surface.

It actually drives like a buggy - very good steering and sticks to the ground. You can do some decent donuts and slides.

Think I'll raise it a bit and see if I can align the front wheels better. A faster motor is tempting too.

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For me... These are WAY more fun if you firm up the suspension (spacer 7) and  increase the ground clearance (closest attachment).

Despite what I've heard, they are still difficult to roll - especially compared to the lunchbox.

It bounces around and goes over every obstacle, and through long grass. Steering is still precise and it sticks well on the corners. It will wheelie but only.on starting - so you keep steering control.

I can really recommend if you want a fun little basher. It's basically a monster truck with buggy styling. 

 

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