MadRat

Given it's cheapness, and it's name I thought an Ansmann Mad Rat should be an addition to my every growing Beetle collection, and when Time Tunnel Models were selling them off for just £40, I really couldn't hold the purchase off any longer!

The build was an interesting, and apart from a few niggles relatively straight forward affair (motor plate threads are terrible, and having to assemble individual ball bearings in the diff was... 'fun'). That said, there are some very nice little design features. A slipper clutch included as standard, and the battery laying the length of the car in the middle rather than across it, or worse, on one side (DF02, I'm looking at you!). Also the fact that the screw holes on the motor plate are slots means that you can play with the gearing to your hearts content.

Mine has a 12t double brushed motor in there at the moment, and I've put an 18t pinion in instead of the supplied 21t to give a bit more poke, at the cost of top end. I've also used the original Mad Rat shell, painted it black and used it to cover all the electrics given how exposed the car is going to be with the Bug shell attached.

This shell was also my first foray into something a bit more ambitious when it comes to paint jobs. Given the cars name, I wanted it to be a 'signature' vehicle, and despite a few 'imperfections' I'm absolutely delighted with the way it's come out. I did all this using Plastikote paint from B&Q, and ordinary masking tape, although I think the next time I'm going to give using liquid mask a try.

Comments are welcome as always!