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mcvwuk

Sand Scorcher body on Brat chassis

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Hi,

I have a Sand Scorcher re-release body shell kit and would like to build up a chassis and fit the Sand Scorcher shell to it.

I had been looking at a Grasshopper as that seems to be a popular choice, but I was wondering if there was any other chassis that would have similar characteristics to the Sand Scorcher. i.e would a Brat chassis (ORV?) be suitable?

Thank you,

Mike

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Hi Mcvwuk - it's certainly possible, and indeed a pretty established combination - I certainly wasn't the first, and I sure am unlikely to be the last to do it either, but if you want a little info and inspiration, this is the build thread from a while back which I put together for my FRO-SCO (Frog Scorcher), which was actually a Brat chassis too.

There is an earlier thread buried in the archives somewhere too regarding the initial build (plus a series of entries in my showroom), while the build thread above was more of the ongoing evolution, including ultimately adding the SRB front suspension to the ORV chassis too.

Hope that helps!

Jenny x

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Hi Jenny, thank you for the reply - I'll take a look at your build thread :) Now you've built the car up, how does it handle - compared to the original frog/sand scorcher?

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Deleted, was in the wrong thread! Weird too as I was in the right thread when I posted it... carry on :D

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Here's Bugsy... A custom stadium truck style build done by the previous owner. I have a lexan bolink baja beetle body on the way along with re-re decals. I'm going to rebuild the whole thing before I start doing speed runs. I haven't decided if I'm going to stay white or go with another color...

IMG_20210321_125850.jpg

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On 3/27/2021 at 8:51 AM, J@mes said:

Hornet to add to the collection

51074604067_2e0fa9cd90_b.jpg

 

Wow, where did you find that? How much did it set you back?

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It’s a very easy mount. For the front, the brat body mount is a direct fit. For the rear, you have to get a little creative.  

Here is a runner and another work in progress.

As far as performance. They still look good and perform much better than the SRB Chassis.   

Hope this helps.

 

CD9CF633-C70A-494A-A5A3-6F99DBA1405F.jpeg

8E4494A5-CE1F-4F4B-83A7-5D25E7AA80A0.jpeg

6C3AEF65-ECE6-48E5-A8C7-DDD5B8A705FA.jpeg

94016575-27FB-443F-A030-489CC740CF93.jpeg

2CC84B31-1371-4344-B925-418A835B26C3.jpeg

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You do need to modify the nose cone so it fits over the radius arm mounts otherwise the body looks too high above the front wheels

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Thanks everyone - some great looking 'collaborations' there :)

Another question - which I think I may know the answer to - but, how does the Frog/Brat chassis perform/handle compared to the Sand Scorcher/Rough Rider? I know the Frog/Brat has a wider front track - which can be narrowed in a few ways I believe. I also saw @JennyMo actually fitted a sand scorcher front axle - which looked awesome!

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On 3/26/2021 at 1:05 PM, mcvwuk said:

Hi Jenny, thank you for the reply - I'll take a look at your build thread :) Now you've built the car up, how does it handle - compared to the original frog/sand scorcher?

Hi Mcvwuk - sorry, I only just noticed your follow-up question... as I say, it was a while ago now (and the car I subsequent sold before I moved), and while I didn't ever get the opportunity to make a direct comparison with a regular SRB chassis'd Beetle, I was more than happy with the way the rear end of the ORV performed - it's more plush (and longer travel) than an SRB wish-bone set up, and coupled with the rear diff would do a pretty decent job...

As you've seen from that thread, I was never all that impressed with the ORV front suspension - the wide track meant it gripped well enough, but the whole set-up seemed to have a lot of play and 'rattled' more than I'd have liked - which is one reason I swapped the whole front end for the SRB suspension in the end - that and the looks of course!

So yes, ultimately the combination of the ORV rear end and SRB front end meant the whole car was now on trailing arm suspension, which I felt worked really well over a variety of terrain. Should you wish, you can easily widen the SRB front track width a touch too, which is something I did with a subsequent SRB based build the 2-seater SRB Cage Racer... now that really is fun, and not something I'm planning on ever selling!

Have fun whatever direction you decide to go in!

Jenny x

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14 hours ago, Norco Kid said:

Sand Scorcher body on an ORV Chassis? Isn't that a Monster Beetle 🤔

Yes, although it's a very different vehicle to drive once you run it on those huge ballon tyres... it also loses a lot of the scale appearance - which I imagine is what a lot of people are after?

Jx

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