JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 Prompted by a comment on my TJ Wrangler build thread recently, I thought I might introduce you to my latest project here in the 4x4/Crawler section, since it is both a 4x4 and a crawler, and also features very few Tamiya components if I'm honest... in fact just two to be exact (and they are both the same) - a pair of body pins to hold the removable tail-gate bar... and even those have been modified as is my way! Still, I trust a good number of you will be interested in this project, and can transfer some of the details and techniques I've incorporated to your own builds, be them Tamiya kit based or not... btw. @Badcrumble will already be familiar with this build and the content of this thread, as it was his suggestion on another forum which prompted me to head in this direction with a more contemporary JK Jeep body... so blame him! note. I'd also like to point out that this build thread is a retrospective of one I assembled over the past few weeks, so apologise if some of the original posts appear to leave you hanging - only to be immediately followed by the subsequent one! First up, let's get started with a waffle intro... Generally speaking, I've always preferred to build slightly older and more classic 4x4 vehicles, and coupled with the fact that every sod and his dog seems to have a JK of one sort or another on their shelf, I've put off having a more contemporary build until now - factoring that since Jeep themselves have now replaced the JK series with the JL in the last couple of years, that this variant can increasingly be considered a 'classic' example of the marque too perhaps? So to complete my trio of off-road orientated Jeeps (for the time being) - a YJ, TJ and now this JK, let me introduce what I've got planned... photo. pre-assembled and well finished body-shell, particularly when you consider the price! Quite honestly, this is one of the most impressive pre-assembled bodies I've seen! - The matt green paintwork helps to enhance the overall effect, and it certainly looks far higher quality than the price and origin would suggest - for example the lamp lenses are already pre-coloured (and have 5mm buckets behind), and details like the separate radiator panel behind the grill (and also I noticed one under the scuttle panel too!) really lift this into the realm of a custom build in my opinion. photo. headlights can accept 5mm LEDs - the turn-signal/running lights are blanks, but could easily be replaced with some small round buckets/lenses [from the Axial set for example] if you wanted those illuminated too. photo. The rear hatch/door does not* actually open, but the moulded shut lines sure make it look like it does - impressive! *edit. on further inspection/dismantling - it turns out the rear window portion is removable after all!, it's just the lower tailgate section which is moulded in place... Separate moulded details such as the door handles, mirrors, hood catches, flush mount fog lamps, and the upper rear brake light (above a faux spare wheel with rubber tyre) are also excellent! The plastic windscreen wipers are perhaps a bit shonky and toy-like, but can easily be modified or replaced with metal ones, and I even like the rubber-duckie aerial on the nearside wing! However, what is arguably even more impressive for such a modest priced body is the full depth interior: photo. opening front doors! The interior it's all plain black for the moment, but the moulded detail on the dash and centre console particularly is excellent, and there is even a rear-view mirror! A little paint and other treatments, and this interior is going to look fantastic I feel! for info. I'm aware that you can also buy a similar 4-door body (313mm wheelbase) in a range of other colours, in both pre-assembled and in kit form - including some with bolt-on fender flares, open-top (with full roll-cage) and/or tube doors too - but that this short wheelbase variant only tends to come in either red or yellow (which does look rather toy-like in comparison, and would really need to be painted for proper scale appearance), or this matt green, which I'd suggest is by far the most realistic version out of the box - and would look great with these bronze wheels for example, which I already have: photo. these are 115mm diameter tyres, about the limit I'd suggest if you wanted to retain the stock fender flares? Of course I also took the opportunity to try a couple of alternatives... photo. 120mm diameter [Axial] BF Goodrich tyres, on 'correct' five lug wheels - tempting too! Although I feel some arch trimming will be required - which is my plan anyway to be honest. photo. Go big or go home! - 130mm diameter tyres on 2.2 rims - this would be a beast with this size tyre, although it would require the whole front arch to be removed if I'm to have any meaningful axle articulation, plus a fair bit of surgery to the rear wings too I imagine? Let's look inside... So while I was messing around with the wheels, I also took a screwdriver to the underside and started to remove the parts I knew I'd not want to retain: photo. everything is held together with self-tapping screws from underneath - easy to remove the bumpers, and even the roof - note that you need to initially undo the windscreen surround (edit. or at least open the doors at a squeeze) to access the two screws which hold the front of the roof to the top rail - you can then reattach the screen and have the roof removable as you wish, secured with just the four screws in the rear body tub. photo. the full interior includes a rear bench seat... note the shifter detail and even a handbrake lever on centre console! You can probably tell I'm thoroughly impressed, and hopefully the above photos and descriptions will also help anyone currently sitting on the fence with regard to these particular bodies to give one a go if you want to build a well-detailed JK yourself? cont. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 cont. So what's the plan, Stan? While it would be very tempting to simply assemble a suitable 270mm wheelbase chassis and just plonk this whole shell on top lock-stock, if you've seen any of my other builds you'll know that is not what I do... rather typically take something perfectly serviceable and customise it with my own personal twist on things! In this instance, I chose the SWB hard-top station wagon style body-shell specifically as I already have Ozzy's open top YJ Jeep Wrangler and Sharon's Truck cab style TJ-L pick-up - so felt this style body would both compliment and round off the three basic styles of Jeep that remain more off-road focused with a short wheelbase, rather than the gargantuan 4-door Unlimited variant which seems omnipresent these days in 1:1 size. In keeping with the off-road bias and general crawl-ability of my Jeep builds, I intend to modify this into more of a Moab style trail crawler - ie. remove the fender flares completely (after all, if they're not there, they can't get broken, right?!), and quite possible the doors too (particularly as they are separate pieces already)... The rear hard top will remain, although I might separate the front targa panels, so those can be removed as desired (that's what magnets are for right?), and since this body-shell variant doesn't come with the OEM style internal roll-cage you get on the 4-door version, I intend to remove the rear seats, fabricate a full width bed and fit some kind of internal roll cage - and actually the SCX10 Unimog 6x6 cage I have floating around in my spares stash might very well be just the ticket in this regard: photo. This would also offer the potential to mount a spare wheel at 45° inside the rear compartment. Indeed, should I decide to mount a suitable spare wheel inside the rear body, then I feel the rear hatch glass and tailgate will also end up consigned to the bin - or at the very least carefully removed and used as scale garage wall decoration along with all the other deleted body panels from my BJ40, and other Jeeps I seem to have amassed over the years... further adding to the stripped-down trail crawler style. As for the chassis/underpinnings - I currently have an SCX10 II C-channel chassis sitting on the bench as part of another slow-burn project; however, because that utilises a traditional centre mounted 3-gear transmission (plus my own design shorty battery mount under the hood area), it's not really suited to this body with a full depth interior - the vast majority of which I would want to retain of course... So instead I've given Injora a little more of my money (although not that much, these solid-rail chassis are still only around $35 on eBay) and invested in yet another of these 'universal' chassis kits, which offer a multitude of pre-drilled mounting locations for suspension, transfer case and gearbox mounting - and fortunately are the same width as an RC4WD Gelande/Trailfinder chassis rails, so that it's easy to incorporate their cross-members and shock towers etc. even the hole spacing is correct for those parts! photo. these solid-rail aluminium chassis are an excellent platform for a custom build. As you can see above, I've already got an RC4WD Hammer transfer case, and am currently waiting on a suitable centre cross member/4-link mount to arrive, along with an R3 gearbox assembly. Once that lot is bolted up, I can then mount the SCX10 II width aluminium axles using my own custom links (6mm aluminium rods and ends) - effectively replicating the chassis set up I'd built for the TJ, with which I am very impressed. Should you be interested, the axles themselves are those I removed from the Ghetto Vanquish when I replaced them with some portal axles recently... I'd always been impressed with the fit and finish of these all-metal CNC axles, and felt mating them to a quality all-metal gearbox and centre transmission from RC4WD ought to mean this vehicle runs very smoothly once assembled, and add to the overall 'high quality' runner feel I'm after. So that's about it for now - stand by for another update once the transmission arrives... Fortunately because I'd made a start on the Axial chassis project, it means I already have all the electronics and other components necessary to transfer over and put this all together pretty quickly I hope! cont. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 cont. C2X-asperating! The good news is the postman delivered a whole bunch of chassis parts... so I could finally get on with building the rolling chassis, which would ultimately dictate where the various body modifications would need to be made. The bad news is, the parts I'd ordered were not exactly what I was expecting - let me take a moment to explain, if only in an effort to help anyone reading make the same mistake I made... Having been impressed with the quality of the RC4WD R3 gearbox and Hammer transfer case I'd incorporated in the TJ Hooker build recently (together with the Injora Gelande/Trailfinder style pattern chassis), I thought that would be a safe bet to build another vehicle which would run in a similar way, just with the more contemporary body of course. However, rather than use the drop style RC4WD 4-link transfer-case mount which does limit belly clearance, I took a punt on their C2X version instead - which is essentially has a smooth bottom (and is made of delrin), raising the transfer case slightly, but correspondingly significantly improving the belly clearance and ramp-over angle. I also chose the R3 gearbox with the C2X chassis mounts (new-take off parts from the same eBay seller) factoring they'd both be the same width, and since RC4WD use straight rail chassis with a spacing of 73mm (or thereabouts), thought everything would essentially bolt right in... As soon as I unpacked the parts I realised my mistake - not only could I see the centre skid was appreciably wider (turns out it's 80mm), but correspondingly, those C2X chassis rails actually taper (like they do on an Axial SCX10 chassis) at each end to give more room for the shocks and towers, which means the motor mounts are chamfered, not straight/right-angled - so they'd be useless too. photo. as a warning - these are specific to the tapered C2X chassis rails - don't be a fool like I was, get the regular Trailfinder/Gelande version instead! Fortunately because the skid plate is delrin, it was actually easy to narrow sufficiently so it fitted between my chassis rails - and using an existing pair of the remaining holes (tapped to 3mm), I simple drilled a second set at the correct spacing for the holes on the chassis - so at least that bolted up fine: photo. in for a penny (well, actually a thousand pennies) - Dr Dremel was employed... photo. ...and at least this particular gamble paid off after all! With the centre crossmember mounted securely, I could now work out the length of the links required to give me the 270mm wheelbase (actually it's just over, since I factor with the larger tyres I plan to fit, pushing the front axel forward slightly is the way to go) - and this was achieved with a little trial and error, initially aiming to have the front and rear links approximately the same length so that the axial articulation is broadly similar at each end - only to ultimately end up with the front links 10mm longer than the rears (since this is a pretty stubby wheelbase) to also allow for potentially the more limited travel from the panhard front end. photo. this is the result - a rock solid chassis with smooth action suspension. Currently I've built the rolling chassis with 80mm travel shocks - it really warrants some 90mm shocks for more articulation, but I'll either need taller towers or softer springs, as the current ride hight is pretty much where it needs to be - any higher and it would look ungainly and be unstable. I've also mocked this up with 115mm diameter tyres (the same as those fitting to the Ghetto Vanquish) on bead-lock wheels - again, this being a 'Moab' style trail crawler, I thought them most fitting - although I am tempted to go a bit bigger/oversize on this build, simply to mix things up a bit, and really like the deep-dish white eight-spokes and 120mm BFG ATs (photo in the first post), even though they are not [visually] bead-lock wheels. Nerds might also notice that I've [currently] swapped the panhard rod mount/knuckle to the left side of the front axle (SCX10 II axles usually having that on the right of course) - this is because I initially considered that I might well have to mount the steering servo alongside the motor, due to the short-hood style of a Jeep body... however, it does look like the JK hood may be just long enough so that the grill sits just in front of the servo when mounted across the front of the chassis after all - we'll see (and if it does, I'll most likely revert the panhard rod to the original orientation). Another thing which became apparent while assembling the chassis and transmission is that while the transfer-case crossmember is flat, the transfer-case itself is angled at around 45° - ie. much higher than I'd like, although presumably to give sufficient clearance in it's original [C2X] chassis application, so that the front suspension can articulate fully under the R3 gearbox, while using a straight/solid shaft between the gearbox output and transfer-case. photo. not ideal if you want a full-depth interior with minimal cutting... photo. ...and in this particular application, there is no need [or indeed desire] to have the R3 gearbox quite so high. So ultimately I feel some further 'engineering' is going to be required to get everything to sit as low as possible - and that ultimately I'd suggest not using a C2X crossmember - unless you're building a C2X chassis of course! Hey ho! cont. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 cont. Still, with the chassis sitting on all four wheels at last, at least I could make a start on finalising the body mods and height/location on the chassis... Body mods I'd always intended that this would be a stripped down 'trail crawler' style rig, which meant the first things to go would be those comedy JK fender flares: I also removed the tailgate (note the 'glass' hatch on these body sets is removable - although there is a still a lower rail you need to cut out - however, should you wish, it would be feasible to put hinges on the glass and have a lift-up tail window should that be your want?), but elected to leave the overly fat inner wings, as they would work well as wheel-wells anyway, and are not that obvious once the hard-top roof is replaced... A quick eyeball, and it appeared the floor level of the front of the cabin (note. that while the interior is 'full depth', the footwells below the seat bases are essentially flat - I ought to be able to drop these approx 20mm I feel, which ought to mean any driver doesn't have to lose their feet, or have their knees in their chest at least) would work best if it were levelled all the way to the rear tailgate - which meant chopping out the rear seat section to create a flat floor throughout the rear: I do like these oversize BFG tyres on rusty Wellers: The rear floor level would in turn dictate the overall height of the body above the chassis, and as it turns out, the deeper side sills of the JK means the side rails are pretty well hidden, although I've specifically chosen this height since I can incorporate some tubular sliders at 90° mounted directly to the holes in the chassis: It has a pretty aggressive stance with the fenders removed, but I like it! Again, it's worth noting that while it does look quite jacked up here on these 115mm wheels and tyres, the hacked arches will also allow the 120mm tyres to clear at full articulation, which has always been a priority - this truck needs to go as well as show. photo. trusty CAD template, and 1.5mm style sheet to box-in the rear arches. photo. glue dried - it's starting to get there now! photo. there is enough room for a horizontal spare inside (maybe just peeking out the back for 'style'), plus a shorty LiPo pack vertically behind the front seats - hidden in some sort of fabricated tool chest/fuel cell I imagine. More soon - once I've worked out how I'm actually going to attach the body, and sorted those footwells and the transfer/gearbox mounting! Toot toot! 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 While some wheels might be a little small... others are perhaps a little big? However, some turn out to be just right...! This was meant to be a hard-top project, but I fear this is rapidly tuning into a 21st Century Wild Willy instead! More soon! 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 Update: Some progress has been made, mainly under the skin - but then I factored that it made sense to make sure all the underpinnings worked properly before finally mounting the body shell to the chassis... First up was to sort that centre transfer case mount - easy enough with a Dremel and some Quick-Steel putty to fill in the original holes, while being strong enough to re-drill for the new transfer case mounting location: photo. original 45° lump removed... photo. holes filled with Quick-Steel and sanded to for completely flat transmission mount - lowering the transfer case sufficiently so that the body will fit without any need to modify the floorplan - result! photo. I admit I slightly mis-calculated the hole location initially (see below) - fortunately Quick-Steel is good solid stuff, and can even be countersunk like the delrin - it's very satisfying to work with! photo. the final transmission layout. I took this opportunity to tweak the overall layout of the transmission components - as you might imagine, the 270mm wheelbase of this 2-door JK shell means packaging space is at a premium, particularly if you plan to use a separate gearbox and transfer case as I did... In a typical Trailfinder chassis configuration, RC4WD use a solid connector shaft between the output of the R3 and the input of the Hammer transfer case, very much dictating the overall spacing and height of the transmission... However, this does come with a degree of compromise - less of one in their C2X chassis perhaps, but typically it means either the R3 gearbox is mounted a little low (good for centre of gravity, not good if you have a 3-link front end which needs clearance for full compression travel), or that the transfer case needs to me mounted higher (or angled, as is the case with the C2X mount before I'd modified it) which would then encroach on the interior... As you can see from the photo above, my solution was to use a short (45-55mm) UJ drive shaft with a slip-joint from Jaz Racing, allowed me to slightly off-set the transfer case down and to the right from the main gearbox - which in turn also offered a more direct line for the front and rear prop shafts to the centrally located axle differentials, while still being offset to the left sufficiently so that the front prop clears the bottom of the gearbox on full compression and articulation. The result is a very low-profile installation of the centre transmission - sandwiched perfectly between the bottom of the interior floorpan and the delrin skid plate, which in turn offers excellent ramp-over clearance and a smooth bottom. Meanwhile the main gearbox is mounted high enough in the chassis so that the 3rd link and front prop do not contact under full suspension compression. Currently I'm using a pair of old/spare heavy duty splined prop-shafts (removed from my similar 275mm short-wheel-based Defender 90), which are pretty much the perfect length - it's worth noting that as part of the chassis jigging, I had to shorten the rear links by 5mm and move the centre skid back the same amount so that the short shaft between the gearbox and transfer case would fit... had I been using any other body-shell, the alternative might have been to just move the R3 gearbox forward 5mm instead, however the relatively short Jeep hood meant things were already tight for the motor and steering servo behind the headlights and radiator grille. However, I'm always of the mindset that if something ultimately lines up without resorting to extensive re-engineering (by that I mean cutting!), then it is probably the best solution, and while there is a modest discrepancy between the length of the front and rear lower links (15mm longer on the front) rather than 50/50 which might be considered ideal, in reality the transfer case is sitting pretty much exactly where it would be in a real Jeep, since the SWB chassis has the rear axle under the rear passenger seat anyway... Shocking... What I was particularly pleased with was my decision to also replace the 80mm Gmade RSD shocks I'd used for the initial stance/mock up, with some longer 90mm shocks - ebay cheapies, the same as those I've currently re-fitted to the Ghetto Vanquish which offer some very realistic droop-bias with their soft springs - meaning that the ride height is effectively the same with those stiffer 80 Gmade shocks, but I have a lot more stroke length for articulation - I have to say, I feel it's impressive for such a short wheelbase and relatively short rear link length: photo. This is the limit of cross-axle articulation with the rear wheel at full extension, using a couple of blocks of 4x2. However, these did need some tweaking to achieve the above result - despite purchasing what I thought were exactly the same [ebay] shocks as I'd fitted to the 4Runner, it turns out these ones had slightly fatter gauge wire springs, and felt appreciably stiffer... sure enough, there wasn't anything like the droop characteristics I had with the previous ones (which admittedly are fitted to a far heavier vehicle, plus have bedded in a bit with some use), and sure enough a side-by-side comparison revealed the new shock springs were noticably thicker and stiffer... The solution was to build some hybrid shocks using these new 90mm bodies, removing the 2nd/helper springs and spacers, and fitting some slightly longer main springs from some 100mm versions of these shocks I'd had previously... winding the preload ring down as far as you can on the threaded shock body means there is just enough preload on the single springs to stop them popping off the spring cups at full extension, while offering around 10mm droop, so that the ride-height on these 90mm bodies is essentially the same as with the previous 80mm shocks, just with more droop extension available - result! photo. single spring modded 90mm dual-rate shocks. The other thing I did as part of the final chassis modifications, was to angle the steering servo slightly backwards (rather than mount it horizontal as usual), so that the servo horn would not contact the panhard rod on full compression... Again, as I mentioned above with regard to the gearbox/motor location, this was primarily due to the packaging constraints of this particular body and short hood, which means that the servo has to be mounted alongside the motor rather than across the front of the chassis in a typical CMS location, and in turn that means the servo horn is now directly above the panhard rod. photo. tilting the servo allows the panhard rod to pass behind the servo horn on full compression. Although in practice this was unlikely to cause any running issues, I felt it was important to try and engineer the chassis so that even at the extremes of what is now quite impressive articulation, there wouldn't be any mechanical contact - after all, the whole point of this project is to build a robust runner that potentially offers more extreme 'off-road' ability than my previous two Jeep incarnations - the leaf-sprung ebaYJeep and the TJ Hooker coiler... I trust you feel I'm well on the way to achieving this already - the next step, is to mount the rear of the body (I've already secured the front using what I consider is an inspired mount using 6mm rods off the top of the gearbox brackets, directly to the front fender panels), and also trim the front arches with some additional styrene panels (now the original hooge fender flares have been removed) - interestingly, the rear arches are the perfect height to clear these 120mm diameter tyres, but the front arches are perhaps a little oversized, although the fore-aft clearance again is absolutely spot-on on full steering lock and compression travel. More soon! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 Body mounting... I think I've come up with a solution which will be straightforward using this particular chassis/gearbox combination: photo. have threaded rods, will travel... Because of the way I've used [the supplied] chassis shock tower brackets as motor mounts for the R3 gearbox (together with two short lengths of 6mm diameter rod cut to 16mm), there was a natural location at the top of each tower for a brace between them (65mm), plus by using a long M3 set-screw through the top of those mounts, I could simple thread on a 45mm extension on each side, which lines up perfectly with the inner fenders behind the wheel-arches. Now admittedly it means there are a couple of button head screws visible in the wings (see photo in the post above), but in practice I don't think those are particularly obvious? - certainly no more than on any of my other builds which typically has the body screws along each sill... Meanwhile, at the rear, because the flat floor sits directly on top of the bumper/rear chassis rails, my intention is to fabricate a simple styrene mounting 'block' which sits between the chassis rails, and is secured with a screw on each side through one of the pre-existing holes in the chassis. Because the arches are so open on this build, there is no problem accessing the chassis with a driver if and when the body needs to be removed (hopefully not all that necessary as the idea is that the battery compartment will be accessible without having to remove the main body each time) while the screws themselves remain essentially hidden of course. With any luck I'll have that next stage completed later today... Stay tuned! cont. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 cont. Right, glue and styrene have been employed, and we're getting much closer to being ready for some paint... (...but oh what colour to choose? - try and match/blend with the existing camo matt green, or something else entirely?) Plastic Fantastic! As hinted in the post above, the next job was to fabricate some kind of rear mount for the body, so it could be properly secured at the correct height, for further measurements to be taken... photo. there is potentially enough space for a rear winch too... In this instance, I felt the most obvious and unobtrusive solution was to fabricate a simple styrene box (2mm tabs at the sides where the screws will pass through, 1.5mm front and rear for bracing support) which would slot into the space between the rear bumper/crossmember and the chassis brace plate - keeping everything nice and square and in turn help to line up the two forward mounting screw holes each time too. Having drilled through the side panels, I epoxy-glued an M3 flange nut in each side, so that a screw can pass though the pre-drilled holes in the chassis rails to secure the body. Job done! Something else is afoot... Having levelled the body on all four mounts, as I'd suspected, there was actually enough room above the chassis rails to properly drop the driver and passenger footwells, increasing cabin space for any figure/s feet (I have someone in mind already), and further adding scale detail since this vehicle is likely to be run without the doors most of the time. photo. removing the original flat floor with a Dremel - note I've trimmed the forward edge of the seats so they will overhang the newly fabricated seat-boxes slightly, in a more realistic way. Once again, using 1.5mm styrene I created a pair of boxes which dropped the footwells 15mm, and capped (or should that be based?) them with 1mm styrene for the floor - since this is not especially structural and is likely to have checker-plate floor mats on top anyway. photo. note the passenger side of the transmission tunnel is angled to clear the slightly off-set drive shaft between gearbox and transfer case. photo. refitting the body to check clearances... And the result is a far more realistic footwell and seat-box on either side I feel? photo. I particularly like the way the pedals now hang more realistically in mid-air. One other bodywork issue I felt needed addressing was the slight size disparity between the front and rear wheel-arch apertures since I'd simply removed the original flares along their respective moulded lines. With the body mounted at this height, the rear arch clearance has turned out to be absolutely perfect for these 120mm tyres and wheel offset; however at the front, while there is broadly the same amount of articulation, the arch line itself is higher on the JK, so there remains a noticeable gap even at full suspension compression, while at rest the 'cut' looks a little too aggressive and home-brewed I feel. We can do better I think... A quick eyeball, and I reckoned a slim fillet to essentially lower the original arch profile, and also help to hide the rear of the headlight buckets would do the trick - so once again cardboard [templates] 1.5mm styrene and copious amounts of Araldite epoxy were employed to simply re-profile the front wings: photo. don't worry, full tyre clearance has been retained. The overall effect is more balanced I feel, with the top of each wheel-arch now being horizontally level, and visually having the same profile, albeit a mirror image. Once there is a coat of primer and any top-coat, I feel the transformation will be at the same time subtile and more obvious. I'm still debating whether to go to the bother of installing an internal roll-cage, particularly as I see this vehicle being run as a hard-top/station-wagon most of the time... However, it would add extra detail through the side windows, and I still intend to have the front targa roof panels removable (and potentially held in place with magnets), so having a forward cage over the cockpit at least makes sense too. Assault on the battery... The other re-think I've had is to try and hide the battery (a shorty hard-case 2S lipo - no going back to NiMh now!) under the hood/scuttle panel, rather than have it hidden in plain sight in the rear load-bay behind the seats in a fuel cell as originally planned. Not only would this probably help with [forward] weight bias on what is still likely to be a relatively lightweight truck compared to some of my other builds, but I really like the scale appearance of having a completely flat floor through the rear of the vehicle. It would mean I could keep the whole of the centre console cubby and cup holders too! photo. Plenty of room for a spare wheel and trail accessories... where is the battery? under the hood I hope! It would mean having to unscrew and remove the body each time of course, but I'm confident my 4-screw mounting system will make that a simple enough procedure each time now... Ironically, there is already enough room to mount a traditional 6-cell NiMh battery at an angle above the gearbox mounting brackets under the scuttle (much as I've done with Ozzy's YJ which still utilises a NiMh stick-pack), but I'd really like to run all future builds on the same size shorty hard-case 2S Lipos, for simplicities' sake - and currently there is not quite enough room for that shape pack between the back of the gearbox and the moulded bulkhead of the body... However, as with Sharon's TJ battery location - there ought to be just enough space behind the moulded dash panel to accommodate the LiPo horizontally on a fabricated battery tray if I punch through the flat bulkhead panel behind... "Dr Dremel, where are you?!" More soon! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 Quick update: I'd say this was precision plastic engineering, but if I'm honest, while of course I did my best to accurately calculate the clearances, I can't believe what a complete flooky-dooky this actually turned out to be! photo. utilising the void behind the moulded dash to recess the shorty LiPo battery holder. While mounting the battery up behind the gearbox under the scuttle panel might be considered less than ideal from a centre of gravity point of view, I factored that these shorty 2S LiPo packs don't really weigh all that much - certainly not in the grand scheme of things with an all-metal chassis, axles, links, wheels and transmission for example - and being able to mount it completely out of sight in this location means the rear interior remains as scale as possible with a completely flat floor all the way the back of the seats... I fabricated a close-fitting slot style battery holder out of styrene sheet (a mix of mainly 2mm for rigidity, plus some 1.5mm), and cut a slot through the footwell bulkhead, slightly larger than the box itself - then tacked on a couple of tabs with superglue to locate it centrally before filling in the remaining gaps with Araldite epoxy... Once dry, the whole structure is now super strong, and once painted, ought to look pretty much as if it was always moulded that way - not that you'll be able to see it once the vehicle is assembled of course! photo. thats a lot of extra styrene (and weight) but the overall effect is worth it - not least as it means the vehicle has started to settle really well on it's suspension now. Mounting the battery this way does mean that the body needs to be removed each time* to remove/charge it (safely at least), but - and this is the total fluke! - the height of the lower edge of the battery box means it actually sits directly on top of the gearbox/body mounts, and in turn this means the screw holes in the front fenders line up exactly with the threaded rods - honestly, it couldn't be more perfect - I'm so pleased!!! *I also factored that while the alternative of hiding the battery in a fuel-cell or tool chest behind the seats would mean the body could stay screwed the the chassis, conversely access would be difficult with the hard-top in place - so this is actually the preferred solution for practicality I feel, especially when the screw holes line up so perfectly! What this means is that the body is so easy to remove and replace accurately each time, and secured using four M3 screws. It is arguably even easy to remove/refit than both the BJ40 Cruiser and TJ Jeep which also have their batteries mounted in a similar location, albeit directly on the chassis/engine bay bulkhead rather than the body-shell itself... RE-SULT! photo. I've found these pin type connectors which stand proud of the battery pack can make fitting difficult in some installations. What is doubly fortuitous in this instance is that I've also been able to incorporate one of my hard case LiPo batteries which has separate cables (on 4mm pins), which was proving tricky to fit in a couple of other vehicles, despite having the lower profile elbow connectors - this design of battery [with detachable cables] simply won't fit in my Capra or the Defender 90 battery slot for example, and is also too tight under the Tamiya Wrangler hood the way I have the battery mounted in the TJ too. I factor that having these 4600mAh batteries in both this JK and the BJ40 will give both of them plenty of run time without needing to swap out batteries regularly either. Sweet! Wiring... So with the key underpinnings located now, all I need to do is fabricate some inner fender/engine bay side panels, and mount the ESC and Receiver, and we ought to have a runner at last! Due to the battery location I am going to have to get creative with the location of the electronics under the hood - certainly I'll require a lower-profile ESC than I currently have in stock (a 1040 with a large heat-sink), so have ordered another Hobbywing 1080 which I fitted to the Capra recently and really like... The RX ought to tuck away somewhere above the servo, allowing all the wiring to remain short and hidden under the hood area. Having refitted the body and marvelled at my good fortune in how everything lines up so well (including the leading edge of the battery just resting on the back of the gearbox bell-housing, holding it perfectly in place without the need for any velcro strap or rubber band), I was also pleased to see my suspension tweaking has paid off, with both front and rear articulation being well-matched, so that the body remains level even in a pretty extreme cross-axle scenario: photo. I'm also planning to utilise this old Gmade winch-bumper which has been butchered over the years - I think it's finally found a suitable home on the front of the JK! More soon! 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 Engine bay... Confident that in this particular build, having the battery box as part of the body under the dash would help to bias the weight forward - adding to the sag on the front end, and compensating for the weight of the hard-top at the rear - I also wanted to hide all the electronics under the hood section for both maximum scale appearance and to hopefully protect everything from dirt and water when running. It would also mean that all the cabling ought to be very short indeed, which is something I've made an effort to manage in more recent builds - typically shortening servo leads and motor wires once the layout is fixed, to avoid bundling cables - especially in this instance where space in going to be a premium. photo. how to get a properly matching pair of side panels? - bolt them together and sand them of course! Because of the drastic fender removal of this build, it was essential to line the engine bay with some full length inner wing panels - and again, similar to almost all of my other builds, this takes the form of a simple box made from styrene sheet, which is typically secured above the chassis rails using slightly longer screws through the top of the front shock towers: photo. stepped electronics mounting plate for ESC - fitting closely around the steering servo and motor. photo. M3 nuts glued inside the fenders, for the shock screws to pass through. Fortunately there is quite a bit of space above the chassis rails below the inside of the hood - I reckon about 55mm at the height I have the body-shell mounted - which means a low profile ESC like the Hobbywing 1080 can be mounted on a plate just above the steering servo, while remaining below the hood line - it's going to be cosy, really cosy I imagine - but at least it turns out there is just enough space on the opposite vertical side panel to mount the Receiver, so that the leads route over the top of the R3 gearbox pinion gear cover - well that's the plan anyway... photo. there is an extra cut-out on this side around the horizontal body mounting post, so that the battery leads can be fed through into the engine bay and ESC. With that little job sorted, it was time to get some primer (and ultimately some flat black on the engine bay) and see how much additional body-working is going to be required... photo. fortunately these finished Injora body-shells can be completely disassembled should the need arise - most major panels are screwed in, while smaller detail components are held in place with a dab of hot-glue and/or the plastic melted with a tip of a soldering iron, which can be released and re-glued/melted once painting is complete. It's almost a shame to put any paint on top of this factory matt green finish, but unfortunately the amount of white styrene I've since employed means something needs to be done to avoid the current patchwork look. That said, one idea I've had for the final paint scheme is to in effect have this build a bit of a bitza - the back-story being this is an original green Jeep which is in the process of being refurbished and modified, so that some primered panels and overspray is actually part of the look? Similarly a hard-working trail rig typically has damage in various stages of repair too, so I might well leave the wheel-arches and some of the interior grey primer to represent a work-in-progress, not least as the wheels are already rusted so this isn't ever going to be a pristine mall-crawler. photo. a light coat of grey automotive primer to see what I'm working with... While the panel-work is still drying as I type, it's already clear there are a few spots which will require a little body filler to smooth out - although again, perhaps left raw to further enhance the body-shop reject appearance? cont. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 cont. photo. engine bay/electronics tray finished. Having blown over the engine bay with some flat black (along with the underside of the main body) late last night, this could now be finally fitted and the electronics start to be installed... I'm still waiting on the ESC (which will mount in the deeper section above the steering servo), however the Flysky receiver is already in place with the steering servo lead shortened and connected, while the flat panel above the motor is where I plan to fit the Axial LED light controller... It's worth noting that in recent builds I've tended to just buy a simple LED loom which connects directly to the receiver slot, however, I do still have a couple of old Axial LED controllers and various strings lying around, so felt I might as well use one up with this build - not least as the lighting requirements are simple for this body - just the two headlights and front running-lights/turn signals (which I can use a 4 string of white LEDs for), and the pair of rear lamp housings in which I will most likely use red LEDs* *(note. for some reason the Injora rear light lenses are coloured half clear and half red, but only have a single LED slot in the middle - so you'd end up having the reversing lights on all the time using a white LED, or potentially a two-tone red with a red LED, which might arguably resemble brake and tail together I suppose? - however, neither of which particularly appeal, especially when driving in a forward direction... The alternative is to paint the clear section of lens either orange perhaps (and use a white LED), or completely red in a US stylee and then I could use a red LED too). Otherwise, the only other electronics I intend to install will be some version of a front winch and associated wireless receiver - although it is going to prove tricky to find a hidden location for the controller under the already crammed 'engine bay' area... one option perhaps it to remove the circuit board from the supplied housing, and mount it directly to any remaining flat surface under the hood? I'm currently toying with some interior accessories too - the dash is already very well detailed, and only really needs a dab of paint here and there to highlight the centre console controls; so too the seats can essentially be left plain [unpainted] black plastic as the texture detail is already very good. This is meant to be a hard-working trail rig of course, so a fancy two-tone interior is not really appropriate, although ironically I might well retain the rear cup holders behind the cubby and put in a couple of drink bottles to mix things up a bit! I intend to employ some checker-plate here and there - footwell mats, and most likely the rear bed too, and also along either sill as a ghetto slider perhaps... I've also taken a punt on another of the Axial Blazer cages - this time planning to utilise the front portion over the cabin and as a roll hoop behind the seats, and in that regard the seatbelt format is going to be dictated by whether a 3-point loop can be mounted to the cage (so that the hard-top remains removable of course), or whether I simply fabricate a horizontal cage brace behind the seats, and use traditional 4-point harness seatbelts - which is probably what I'll end up doing. Interestingly though, the moulded seats in this Injora body have some semblance of a seatbelt buckle next to each base cushion, so a more conventional three-point belt would actually work well in this instance. With the cage over the cabin in place, I then ought to be able to separate the front targa roof panels, and have them removable as desired - held in place either with the existing screw holes in the screen upper rail, or even quicker-release using magnets. At the rear, for the time being the bumper cross member will just have a recovery hitch - although eventually it's feasible to install a rear winch too under the bed perhaps? I have a pair of sand landers which will fit perfectly across the rear inner wheel-arches above any spare wheel mounted horizontally on the rear floor too. Oh, and I have a rather natty ground anchor which I feel this particular rig probably deserves too! Currently it's looking rather sorry for itself: But I trust you can see the potential, now the major fabrication work is finished? cont. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 cont. Paintwork While this style of Jeep is typically painted in a bright colour - I considered orange, sky blue and also sand/beige for example - ultimately I decided to stick with the olive green after all, since it was the main reason I chose this particular version of the body in the first place - although the respray is slightly more greeny, being Tamiya TS28 ('Olive Drab 2') which when compared to the original doors turns out to have less brown/olive than the original colour. photo. it really does look like a Tamiya Wild Willy now - that is the exact colour they suggest! Prior to blowing over with the top coat colour, there was a little more prep to do to the body itself: photo. base coat of grey primer, and also some metalic silver in places. Because I was planning a semi-weathered look, I lightly misted parts of the body with some 'aluminium' silver along with the grey primer as a base coat, so that the salt chipping and any wear would effectively reveal bare metal in places - typically along the side sills, although in addition I also added some actual aluminium checker-plate kick-panels below the door apertures, so that any scaring is genuine, plus it ought to help protect the body panels a little as it would on a 1:1 vehicle: photo. you can see where I've started to add salt in the places where I want the top-coat colour to be chipped and the rust starting to show through... photo. similarly, I've added salt (along with some Modern Masters metal effects paint) in the corners of the footwells - factoring that while this is a reasonably new and well-maintained trail-truck, being an open [sided] vehicle, it's almost inevitable that some corrosion will have started to attack the interior seams over the years... photo. a little corrosion on the seams around the screen and scuttle panel - again, typically where this would start to appear on a rear vehicle - especially one used off-road where panel gaps can flex and dirt and damp collects. note I trimmed the windscreen top-rail but left the two tab sections at either end to support the roof, and also to represent folded up sun visors I thought? With the top coat dry, a quick run under a warm tap and the salt melts away to leave the chipped and weathered texture underneath... I also added a splash more activator solution on the iron-painted sections, to reactivate the rust: While the paint effects above are really sufficient on their own to represent wear and tear, sanding back the paint in places (again, focusing on where paint would get rubbed on a real vehicle - the door sills, screen pillars and edge of the hood for example) helps to further age the bodywork for a more scale apperance: photo. originally I'd planned to add a few sponsor stickers as a homage to the originally Tamiya Wild Willy, but currently I think I prefer the more subtile approach - currently there is just a polished Jeep badge on the grille, and some tire pressure decals above each arch... although I'm sure more will appear in time mind you! Along with painting and weathering the exterior, I also started detailing the dash, and added some more rust to the separate radiator panel which screws in behind the grille: photo. although this is a 'cheap' ebay body set, the dash [and interior as a whole] is surprisingly well detailed too, and a pretty decent representation of a 1:1 JK - right down the console air vents and switch panel/stereo buttons. cont. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 cont. Add-ons and accessories... Along with the paintwork itself, I felt he interior would be enhanced with some more checker-plate - this time left raw aluminium rather than painted body colour - throughout the rear load bed, and also in each footwell: photo. note I've elected to retain the full length centre console so that I might include some further scale detail to the interior - trimmed to fit over the checker-plate floor in the rear. photo. coming together... the raw metal (sanded with 800 grit sandpaper to dull the original shine) contrasts particularly well with the green bodywork I feel? As you can see in the above photo, I have also added a central recovery shackle to the rear cross-member (bolted on with M2 scale hex-head hardware), and painted the lenses of the rear lamp clusters in orange and red, while the surround housings themselves are flat black to represent faded black plastic. Originally I'd planned to incorporate some sort of internal roll-cage - one that fundamentally would still allow the hardtop to fit on and off as desired - but while this is something I may decide to revisit in the future perhaps, currently my thinking is that since this build is primarily meant to have the roof in place, rather than potentially compromise the layout, I could actually exploit the fact this particular vehicle has a full-length cabin, and build it up as more of an 'overland' style rig, than an outright crawler... well, that's my excuse for buying a whole batch of scale accessories, and I'm sticking to it! photo. thank you mr postman - a set of various ProLine RotoPax, a Warn 9.5CTi winch (and wireless remote) and two pairs of MaxTrax traction boards - as the Warn screen decal says: "Go Prepared!" I feel this build is the perfect excuse to try something I've seen in real life, and wanted to replicate for a while now... Because the windows are easily removable in this body set, my intention is to simply replace those with a recessed cubby in each aperture - the driver's side (where the fuel filler is too of course) will feature two RotoPax on their quick-release mountings - recessed to protect them, while remaining on view for detail in 1:10th world, and easy access in 1:1 world... meanwhile, the passenger side will have a lift up checker-plate side panel (like an ice-cream truck as it were) hiding a cubby behind with recovery gear - shovel, rope, shackles etc. - and on the outside face will be the mounting brackets for the MaxTrax recovery boards - again, for easy access for the co-driver as would be typical in a 1:1 installation. I feel this layout is particularly appropriate since the rear wheel-arch boxes are already quite deep and encroach on the interior, so utilising the space directly above them makes perfect sense really - and is also something I've not incorporated in any of my other builds so far, so would be another first in that regard too! One other thing which has evolved since the original inception is that rather than buy off-the-shelf tube doors which you can get for these body sets, I thought I'd use up a few [metal] handrails which I seem to have amassed over the years - short 70mm ones as screen pillar grab handles (required for any scale occupants to clamber in I imagine, as it is quite step up on these oversize wheels and tyres and sizeable suspension lift), and the longer 130mm version as simple door bars on each side, plus they are also the perfect length to mount across the open tailgate to help secure the spare tyre inside (these I plan to mount on quick-release pins, for further authenticity). photo. simple handrails double as door-bars, complete with more M2 scale hex-head hardware. So please to excuse me while I go and get all gluey and screwy again... More soon! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 Another quick update, prior to more painting... photo. a pair of Proline 'Rotopax' mounted in a fabricated cubby recess in the window apertures... that works! While on the passenger side: photo. MaxTrax traction boards mounted using quick-release clips to a hinged cubby door... note repurposed Jeep tailgate handle! photo. I made the cubby on this side slightly deeper so that recovery gear (including a tow rope and shovel) can be stowed inside... Currently I'm considering replacing the Jeep door handle with a more traditional style and working T handle, so that the hatch can be secured along the bottom edge - the other option is to use a couple of magnets, one inside each corner perhaps? I've also finally installed all the engine bay electronics, so we have a runner at last too: photo. I have purposely routed the battery cable inside the wheel-arch lip (hidden from view when the body is fitted), allowing it to be easily connected/disconnect while the body is in place. More soon! 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 Roight! Another quick update, as I've managed to finalise a few of the details I wanted to incorporate, although I'm still waiting on a few parts to arrive from the far east (grab handles and stuff) which I couldn't get from US based retailers... First up was some sort of front bumper and to mount a winch - in the past I've tended to use a super stubby stinger style (again, an ebay special - I think they tend to be branded Yeah Racing from various sources), but this time I wanted to try something a little different: photo. using servo L brackets to provide a horizontal mounting location. Still wanting a shorty-stubby bumper, I managed to score one on ebay (which appears to be a discontinued version from RC4WD), which turned out to be the perfect width for these Injora Jeep front grille panels - result! Rather than mount using the traditional Axial style twin posts and pins, this bumper has a horizontal slotted bar which bolts to the back of the bumper itself, and can be screwed directly to the pair of brackets I'd mounted inside the chassis rails, resulting in a very neat installation: photo. I chopped as much of the chassis back as I could, so that the bumper edges would be as close to flush with the grill panel, while still allowing the tyres to clear on full lock and articulation - it's cozy with these 120mm tyres, but it works! I also ordered a Warn 9.5CTi winch - this time taking a punt on a 'copy' rather than the official RC4WD one (which I've fitted to both the Defender 90 and the 4Runner in the past) - mainly as I wanted to compare the two... Ultimately, as with the 'Yota II' axles you can buy on ebay, while they might be based on the same casting moulds, and indeed might come out of the same factory in China - the RC4WD items are subtly but appreciably better finished - less flashing and rough edges, and better anodising and powder coating. Interestingly, this winch even has the Warn logo cast into the end of the motor cover, although the associated stickers come on a sheet which you need to apply yourself. Still, I was able to purchase this winch and a wireless key-fob controller/receiver as a package for less than $30, which, for something that is primarily decoration if I'm honest, is I'd suggest the way to go - I'd certainly buy another in future. photo. the winch still needs to be bolted in, and will require a custom plate to locate it the way I want in the narrow slot in the bumper. note. I removed the fairlead and bolted it directly over the aperture in the winch bumper. With the front end sorted, it was time to finish those 'overland' cubbies I'd created in either side of the hardtop... photo. I love the detail/quality of these ProLine fuel cans - they might not have 'RotoPax' moulded in the sides, but I much prefer the finish of injection moulded parts compared to 3D printed... Having run it around the garden to check the tyre clearance and the general set-up of the suspension (which is settling nicely now on those softer springs, lowering the centre of gravity while still offering loads of drop travel - it feels very capable), I also experimented with some alternative wheels and tyres: photo. more narrow military style wheels and tyres, more fitting for the olive drab paintwork perhaps? However, while I like the way it looks on the alternative wheels, I think from a [crawling] performance point of view, it's going to be more stable on those big fat BF Goodrich ATs after all... Holy moly! One indulgence I did incorporate to further enhance the scale detailing was to drill a series of tiny holes along the edge of each wing, as if the bolt-on flares had been removed, and the holes left to rust: I also reconsidered the mounting location for the MaxTrax boards - feeling having them protruding off the side of the truck like that would be a recipe for snagging and damage, even if a lot of 1:1 vehicles have them mounted like that (they're wrong too ;o) - so will ultimately mount them horizontally across the tailgate aperture, once the bars arrive which will secure the spare wheel inside. This meant I could remove the plastic Jeep handle I'd used (which I felt looked a bit clunky in this location) and as I'd hinted at in a post above, made a working T-handle instead! photo. T-handle made from an axle pin, M2 nut and set screw (plus a dob of Araldite epoxy), while the catch is the tip of a plastic mini-servo arm. photo. I sleeved the handle of a old scale shovel I had kicking around with an aluminium tube (to fatten it up a bit scale wise), then mounted it to the inside panel using a pair of plastic rod-ends with a slot cut in the top - meaning the shovel is removable as desired! In an effort to stop any loose contents of the cubby falling out should the 'occupants of the vehicle' need to open it while the truck is cranked over on the passenger side, I've cut a narrow piece of rubber netting, and used cut-down scale bungee hooks to secure it at the sides - again so it can be opened and laid flat if required: photo. rubber net is super-glued to the base of the cubby to help it keep it's shape. photo. RC4WD scale tow-strap fits perfectly in the hammock, while the door latch is still able to close through a gap in the net holding everything securely inside. cont. 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 cont. With the majority of the exterior finished now (other than those grab-rail bars I'm waiting on for the passenger door side and rear tailgate), I thought I'd make some more progress inside: photo. the moulded interior of these Injora body-sets is already very well detailed, including the centre console (with chrome shifters!) and heater/stereo controls... I added some paint detailing, plus a 'Limited' badge on the glovebox, and a packet of Camels on the dash. Rather than chop off the back of the centre console moulding behind the armrest cubby, instead I chose to drill out the moulded infilled cup-holders... ...and glued in a tiny bottle of Volvic mineral water! photo. note I had to glue in a piece of styrene half way down to mount the bottle at the correct height. photo. another find from my stash of scale accessories - a ProLine inverter, mounted for easy access from the tailgate. Overall I'm pretty pleased with the interior of what is my first full-length hard-top vehicle - it's suitably scale, and also practical for a 1:1 trail/overland rig - the spare wheel will mount flat on the floor, and there is still room directly behind the seats for a few more scale accessory items too once I get the inspiration... perhaps a beer keg, propane tank or some water jugs perhaps? photo. the obligatory blue milk crate has already found a home! Oh, and one other little indulgence was some 'V6' badges to replace the moulded lumps on the front fenders - I presume they were there to replicate the Trail Rated badges you get on a 1:1 JK, but they looked a bit odd - too small to be badges and too large to be rivets... fortunately an X-acto blade made short work of them. photo. more discontinued RC4WD trinkets, courtesy of ebay. So I think know is probably a good time to give a general overview of the project so far - as I say, there a still a number of detailing items I'm waiting on, but overall this is essentially the way it's going to look on the trail: photo. passenger door bar still to be installed. photo. the hand of God employed to reveal the inside of the recovery gear locker - I may try to incorporate a fold-out support or even a hydraulic strut of some kind. photo. I also added a metal Wrangler badge to each side of the hard-top - note. the blue tape holding the tail-gate glass in place is only temporary, but I might well install the rear window (since it still allows the spare tyre to poke out underneath) - if only as a place for stickers! And of course to finish, a couple of obligatory flex shots! Toot toot for now! ps. oh, you might be wondering who is going to be driving this one? - I'm just waiting on my scale personal licence plates to arrive, then we can have a guessing game while I butcher a pair of perfectly serviceable action figures... more soon! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 A few more parts arrived in the last couple of days, so time for another quick update: First up, the lights are in, and on! Because there are only six LEDs on this body (the head lights, front running/turn-signals and tail light clusters), I thought I'd use up one of my old Axial controller and string sets - fortunately they were almost the perfect length, the front string of four (typically for a row of traditional spot lights, before we all changed to LED light-bars in the twenty-teenies) only needed a short length of wire to split them into two pairs of white LEDs for each side of the radiator. Similarly, at the rear, because I have an open tailgate, I elected to run the wires to each lamp unit inside the rear arches, which required a few more inches of wire on each side to split the Y closer to the connecter under the seats (...it's worth noting that I find spare servo wire is perfect for extending these LED cables). photo. Headlamp LEDs hot-glued in, the running lights illuminated using Axial round housings and plugs. photo. simple, but effective - replacing the dummy turn signals with 5mm light buckets which come as part of the Axial spot-lamp kit. The eagle-eyed among you may notice in the above photo there is a door-bar on the passenger side now too (they finally arrived from China), plus I put two more across the rear of the tailgate aperture - the lower one secured with M2 hex bolts as per the door bars, while the upper one is on quick release pins - as it might be on a 1:1 vehicle, so that you can get to the spare wheel easily as required: photo. the top bar mounts are M2 set-screws with a nut as a spacer, while the bar is held in place with two small (Tamiya size) body pins, which grip the thread of the screws perfectly. I then made up some short lashing straps (using seat-belt ribbon and some spare buckles), to mount the MaxTrax recovery boards across the tailgate bars: Photo. a perfect fit! note. turns out I already had a suitable 5-stud white 8-spoke wheel (not deep dish, but good enough as a spare) although tyre is temporary - everywhere seems to be sold out of the matching Axial BF Goodrich ATs at the moment... that's also genuine mud on the MaxTrax boards! However, while those little details were all easy enough to 'engineer' - you may notice the winch is still conspicuous by it's absence, since no matter what I tried to mount it, nothing really worked the way I was happy with... I understand now why RC4WD discontinued this particular version of the winch bumper, since their Warn 9.5cti winch which is a stable of builds like this really won't fit in the slot available without butchering the chassis cross brace mount (removing all it's integrity), which would also mean having to cut the front grille panel as the winch needs to me mounted further back if the bumper is going to be close to the bottom of the grill like it should be... Therefore I feel the only real option is to buy an alternative lower-profile slim winch (one of the Yeah Racing ones for example) and perhaps dress it up a bit with some stickers... we'll see. So instead I turned my attention to fitting the driver figure, and elected to extend the footwell boxes forward and under the dash so there would be appreciably more room for a 7" action figure's feet, in an effort to eliminate or at least minimise any surgery required: photo. Dremel used to remove the front of my original fabricated footwell boxes, and part of the lower bulkhead panel below the dash. photo. Foot-boxes extended with more 1mm and 1.5mm styrene - and joints beefed-up with Araldite epoxy as before. photo. driver fits pretty well without surgery (so ideal if you were particularly found of a certain action figure and didn't want to butcher it)... although he's not fully seated here, that wouldn't really matter if you kept the doors on perhaps? photo. However, I elected to make a couple of kind cuts below the knees to fully seat him, and so his leg would be angled in a more natural stance with a flat foot. A dab of filler and some flat-black paint and you'll never notice! The best thing about this particular figure is he is really well articulated, with multiple joints so that the arms can be perfectly angled to hold the steering wheel in a natural stance - so much so that I feel actual seat-belts will not be required to hold him in place, although that is something I still intend add at some point in the future - most likely a version of the three-point inertial reel belts I made for the Ghetto Vanquish. The other nice thing about my chosen driver is his black outfit means the articulated joints are really not all that obvious - certainly when the vehicle is running - therefore I can retain the ability to adjust his pose from time to time, rather than super-glue his joints in place and fill any gaps and touch-in the paint, which is what I've typically done with my other drivers once their stance is decided. I'm now just waiting on his personal licence plates to arrive, and then it's off to pick up his buddy for a drive around the park... More soon! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 "SO WHO IS DRIVING JENNY?!!!" Go West! If you've followed my previous builds, you'll know I always like some sort of back story and tenuous pop-culture link to the occupants particularly - and in this case, the whole 'Moab crawler' reference is a big clue since the surrounding area was used for a number of locations in this popular TV series in recent years... Yep, I went there: photo. Tony and Jeff (aka. Robert and Bernard) takin' a ride around the park in the big Jerp! photo. the multi-point articulation of these figures is perfect to create a realistic driving pose. As I mentioned previously - the nice thing about using this particular [Bernard Lowe] action figure as the driver is that his slightly oversize hands are particularly suited to holding the wheel, and correspondingly the figure securely in his seat. I did elect to chop approx 5mm out of his lower legs and also shaved some of the plastic around his hip sockets so that he might sit squarely in the seat, with his feet in a natural position against the bulkhead, but otherwise he turned out to be the perfect fit once I'd also modified the footwells. Conversely, I was even more pleased that Dr. Robert [Ford] didn't need any surgery whatsoever (somewhat ironic when you consider his role in Westworld itself...) - even his hips and knees bend to a full 90° if required, which means he remains completely intact should it turn out this figure one day ends up being worth a lot of money to a collector - although like Sheldon and his broken transporter toy, he is technically no longer 'mint-in-box' now of course. Still, I'll keep the display packaging just in case eh? And of course no build of mine would be complete without some personal plates with a suitably pithy tag line too: photo. I do like Utah plates - so many opportunities to be punny! And finally for now - while I wait for my replacement winch to arrive - I've elected to hold the tailgate on in true ghetto fashion with duct tape - as a homage to all the old XJs out there... dumpsters unite! Right... that brings this thread right up to date, and these boys have some hosts to round up! More soon! Jenny x 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Badcrumble 4203 Posted April 21, 2021 I said you'd have this finished before me and I was right!I It does mean that I've been able to pinch some tips! I wonder how this one would fare on the trails against any of the recent Osbourne builds? I like your choice of driver figures, I'm off to my local comic book emporium tomorrow to see if there are any 7 inch figures in stock... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 21, 2021 5 hours ago, Badcrumble said: I said you'd have this finished before me and I was right!I It does mean that I've been able to pinch some tips! I wonder how this one would fare on the trails against any of the recent Osbourne builds? I like your choice of driver figures, I'm off to my local comic book emporium tomorrow to see if there are any 7 inch figures in stock... Hee hee - yes, I've been on a bit of a mission with this one to get it finished quickly - not least as since I started I've now committed to another [Jeep] project which really needs to be finished in double quick time as well (stand-by for a build thread on that one too) and so I desperately need the desk space! Fortunately the next build ought to be almost assembly project, as I feel I've ironed out a number of potential issues during this, and also Sharon's TJ build before it, and spent a lot of time researching and buying parts which I trust will need little if any modification in quite the same way... As for how this JK is going to perform compared to my other Jeeps - I've only run it around the garden so far, but have been impressed with how effortlessly it walks across any obstacles. There's no doubt that dimensionally at least, this JK would appear have the edge over the other two: while they all share a similar 270-280mm wheelbase, the JK has the largest diameter tyres (120mm vs 115mm on the other two), the most ground clearance, and is fitted with 90mm shocks compared to 80mm on both the others. The way I've dialled in the links (together with the SCX10 width of the axles, and deep dish wheels) means it has a surprising amount of articulation - somewhere between my Defender 90 (also on 90mm shocks, albeit with portal axles too) and the 4Runner which as the same 90mm travel/portal axles as the Defender, but an even longer wheelbase (around 300mm). In fact the only thing which might potentially let this Jeep down perhaps is my choice of 'All-Terrain' tread tyres, rather than something more open and aggressive, and in a softer compound*. *As an example, my BJ40 Land Cruiser has a similar BF Goodrich AT KO2 tread in a slightly smaller (110mm diameter) size, but is in an appreciably softer compound - they are really sticky! Fortunately as a photo a few posts back shows, I have a number of alternative wheel & tyre combinations which I could swap over in future, depending on the terrain and conditions encountered. Continuing the distinctions and comparisons, Ozzy's Jeep is on leaf springs of course, which typically don't articulate to quite the same extent as a 4-link suspension set-up - although they are nicely bedded now and surprisingly flexible, plus the belly clearance is excellent on that vehicle too - the leafs and shackles really don't get in the way as you'd think they might, although I don't drive in a lot of mud and ruts of course. Meanwhile the plush coil sprung suspension fitted to Sharon's TJ combined with a really smooth transmission, means it is a joy to drive - and is the main reason I also spent a little extra money on the same [genuine] RC4WD transmission components for this build. Similarly it also has a higher quality ESC too, so the throttle response is more accurate at crawling pace, plus it also has a decent turn of speed with the gearbox and [HPI Venture] axles I'd fitted... of the three, it's probably the best all round trail-truck for going on a longer and more varied run. So in the natural evolution of things, this latest build is essentially an amalgam of what I've learnt during the initial assembly and subsequent modification of the other two... Certainly I feel it is worth investing in higher quality transmission and electronics (if you can afford it of course), as they do run more smoothly, particularly at off-idle crawling speeds, and while I still tend to stick with cheap brushed motors and lower end shocks, I consider they are tried and tested [by myself], and seem to offer a good balance between price, reliability and performance... I've already converted to LiPo, please don't tempt me with AXE brushless motors and the like too! Ultimately though, I trust that all three Jeeps will continue to offer me distinct driving experiences, as that is kind of the point of having three individual if superficially similar vehicles if you see what I mean? Jenny x Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carmine A 2046 Posted April 22, 2021 OMG!!! Not surprisingly, I'm glad I had a look. I've been looking at this Body, and others like it for quite a few years. Well, now I've got the means to do something! 😊 I EXPECTED a good job, and of course I wasn't disappointed. I was under the impression that this was a bit of a Willys inspired Rig... But it's the most UN-Tamiya project on this entire Forum!!! 😲 I love it! And you definitely kept to your standards with "Go Big or go Home" theory on Tyres!! And it looks right, like an American jacked up Jerp! 😜 Did you find a U.S. seller for that Body? (It shouldn't matter, since I've got Months before I'll be ready to start) Can I please have the Link for the Body? Oh, and the Driveshaft between Motor and Transfer Case? It looks like a perfect fit between the Rear Axles on my Grand Hauler. 😉 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nikko85 3453 Posted April 22, 2021 Once again amazing building, I love it. Could you do a Jurassic Park Jeep with Ellie and Alan on a day trip with a baby tricertops in the back? Or a shirtless Malcom on a stretcher? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 22, 2021 8 hours ago, Carmine A said: OMG!!! Not surprisingly, I'm glad I had a look. I've been looking at this Body, and others like it for quite a few years. Well, now I've got the means to do something! 😊 I EXPECTED a good job, and of course I wasn't disappointed. I was under the impression that this was a bit of a Willys inspired Rig... But it's the most UN-Tamiya project on this entire Forum!!! 😲 I love it! And you definitely kept to your standards with "Go Big or go Home" theory on Tyres!! And it looks right, like an American jacked up Jerp! 😜 Did you find a U.S. seller for that Body? (It shouldn't matter, since I've got Months before I'll be ready to start) Can I please have the Link for the Body? Oh, and the Driveshaft between Motor and Transfer Case? It looks like a perfect fit between the Rear Axles on my Grand Hauler. 😉 Hi Carmine - thank you for your kind words! Yes, as I suggested in the first post, this is a very impressive body-shell (especially in this matt green colour, although you can get the SWB in both bright red and yellow too if you didn't want to paint them, and the 4-door version comes in even more colours too) - especially when you consider the price! I bought mine on ebay (from China - I don't think there are any sellers in the US, unless they've imported a batch themselves) and it arrived within a couple of weeks as I recall... there are a number of current listings, but I got mine directly from injora here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/132578613171 You may have your own chassis preference already, but if not, I'd also recommend the chassis I used (also from Injora) - although it's billed for the D90 (and is essentially a 'universal' version of the RC4WD Gelande chassis), it works well in this application too, with the wheel-arches lining up well and the rear bumper being an ideal width too. As for that shorty drive shaft - as you surmise, it's sold for the 1:14 scale Tamiya trucks - this version is from Jazrider, but there are others - search for 45-55mm drive shaft, or failing that, here's the link to the ones I bought/use: https://www.ebay.com/itm/131933499089 Hope that helps! - have fun... spending money! Jenny x 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 22, 2021 7 hours ago, Nikko85 said: Once again amazing building, I love it. Could you do a Jurassic Park Jeep with Ellie and Alan on a day trip with a baby tricertops in the back? Or a shirtless Malcom on a stretcher? Hee hee - thank you Nikko! Yes, I've always liked the idea of the Jurassic Park Jeep - and indeed have seen the odd example over the years (I'm pretty sure someone on here did one, and almost certainly on the SBG)... The problem I've got is trying to find a Tamiya Wrangler body these days (I even posted in the Wanted section on here recently, in the vain hope someone had one they didn't have plans for) - but being discontinued, it appears the regular sources of spare shells have now all dried up, including ebay. For info. there was one for sale recently - just the bare shell, and the seller wanted $95 for it! - and to be fair I'm pretty sure they got that too, as the listing ended after only a couple of days... I wished I'd snapped it up then, as I really need a Tamiya Wrangler body for this new project I'm about to start (building a mini-me for a friend) and unfortunately I've had no choice but to suck up the cost of one of the Loops RC Wrangler 'Racing' bodies instead (which as you may or may not be aware, is very closely based on the Tamiya body size/shape, just with a truck-cab rather than a full length roof - so similar to what I did myself with the roof of Sharon's TJ in that regard)... at least the Loops kit comes with all the parts required - headlight/taillight buckets and lenses, mirrors, windows, bolt-on fender flares and even a snorkel... so that helps to offset the high initial body-set price to a degree. I've certainly been impressed with Loops RC bodies in the past (I used their Toyota step-side bed for Hopper's HiLux), so who knows, depending on how this next build goes I might end up getting another for myself at some point in the future, and like you say, building a Jurassic Park homage complete with a baby dinosaur in the back - that would be hysterical! Jenny x Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Willy iine 18805 Posted April 22, 2021 Nice work!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
