The STUMPkin - part 1

August 2008: Well, here it is - my original early 90's project is about to be reincarnated! As the STUMPkin!

Originally I built this special using a cheap RC buggy type car (see chassis photo), and cut down a Midnight Pumpkin shell to fit the ultra-short wheelbase of the donor chassis. It can look a bit weird from the side, but the front and rear 3/4 profiles are my favorite - the fat tyres fit the arches perfectly! Although the original donor car has an electro-magnetic steering servo and runs on 8x AA batteries, it also has a high/low gearbox and in low range the little Stumpkin would wheelie! and proved surprisingly robust... Unfortunately, through age (and missuse by my nephew), the lower wishbones have now cracked and it really is only a shelfer...

I've always loved this shell though, and though it would be great to upgrade it with proper electrics etc. So have bought a Wild Willy 2 kit as it has the shortest wheelbase of all the Tamiya chassis, even though it is still about 15mm too long for the STUMPkin shell...

On monster wheels that's not going to matter too much, but I intend to fit Hummer wheels and tyres, and make it more of a scale/realistic truck - I find the big Pumpkin/Wild Willy 2 wheels too cartoon really... I have a suitable scale driver too, although I think Willy himself might find a seat in the STUMPkin!

Originally it was painted in a pale metallic blue (I have all the chrome body parts too) and in a fit of madness recently I painted it primer (nice) and then black as I wanted to practice the distressed look I'd seen others do... However, I plan to paint it bubblegum pink (although perhaps a metallic pearl version?) and get some 'Barbapapa' graphics made up - those of you old enough to remember will know exactly what I mean...

PROGRESS REPORT 1: finally sorted the hex front axles using uprights from the original WW2/TL parts tree and a couple of M03 rear axles and fitted Hummer wheels and tyres. I like the scale (more realistic) jacked-up truck look, but it now emphasises the wheelbase disparity between the body and chassis (interesting that the Wild Willy body is also the same 155mm wheel base as I made the STUMPkin shell all those years ago... a total coincedence, but the reason I thought the WW2 chassis would be ideal, even though it's 10mm longer).

So I have two options now, go back to the big wheel monster truck look, or cut down a TL chassis to the correct wheelbase for the shell and go for a scale look... decisions decisions... Jx