Heavy Metal KOH Jeepster Commando (C-101)

[sweli]

Most recent PIC:



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Original Thread start:
When I was a kid, I got one of these for Christmas one year:



Eventually mine rusted beyond recognition and I grew up.
Now that I'm a kid again, call it my mid-life on a mini scale, I bought another one.




OK, yes, it's been done before. But I am not after a cute class 1 rig.
Not sure how capable of trail rig this will be, but it will definetely fall into class 3.

A quick Power Point mockup of what I am picturing. It will be a love it - hate it, rig.

[sweli]

Parts list: (so far)

• Rusty Tonka Jeepster
• Stainless Steel brazed tube/rod frame, exo, cage.
• RC4WD Black Widow Axles
• Gear Head RC 1.9 CAC ONE9 6 Spoke Beadlock Wheels
• Pit Bull 1.9 Rock Beasts
• RC4WD R2D2 (more on this later)
• RC4WD Killer Transfer Case
• Drivelines - oh oh oh I really want some RC4WD Ultra Scale ones!! $$Ouch
• ESC?
• Motor?
• CC BEC
• RC Lites LED Controller
• A Gung Ho trail driver

[sweli]

I had started the rear Black Widow a while back.
RC4WD's mounts do not come with the axles.
They want $35-50 for them, and require all the holes to be drilled and tapped. I am not keen on the panhard mount size. So I am fabbing my own and drilling the holes where I want to.

Rear truss and one tube mount:

[Bulldog]

Nice work on the truss! Very fortunate to have that kind of machine work at the ready. That body is pretty cool too! Very nice!

[sweli]

Originally Posted by Bulldog

Nice work on the truss! Very fortunate to have that kind of machine work at the ready. That body is pretty cool too! Very nice!

Thanks Bulldog!

I was very lucky to have my brother in law find a 12" Sherline Mill, NIB, in his uncles basement, from 1978(!). Everyone thought it was a drill press. By brother in law 'perma loaned' it to me.
No readouts, but handy with my dial Mitutoyo.


From what I can tell, the original Jeepster Commando had a 101" WB, and was 65" wide.
So that puts this Tonka Truck around 12.5:1 scale.

Most of my rigs are pretty heavy, but this one might just be a terd!

[sweli]

Body -

Sandblasted - came out pretty clean.

Boat tailed and tacked back together.
Not sure I'll use the stock interior, but I cut and shoved it back in for now.

You can see where the axles were.
The bottom was a flat slab, but I reshaped it over the vise with a hammer before tacking it.
Should give me 10.5-11 WB.

Folded the bumpers in.

Measured out with the R2D2 under the hood, where the transfer case needed to be and cut a slot for it.
It is a little more rearward than I was envisioning, but under hood space dictated it.

[sweli]

uhhhh I got a little happy with the angle grinder and took the doors off!
I rolled the bottom 1/4" in to form a rocker cover/sill.
Also rolled in tabs from the sides as possible attachment points for an interior.

Shaped the front to move the axle out under the bumper, to try and get 10.5"+ WB.

The grill and bumper cover was part of the hood. I removed it and tack welded it to the lower body half.

Brazed in some silver solder around the windshield corners to fill in some cracking.

Windshield and Hood have four guides to locate them, and pivot around the windshield top.

[the-gamer]

Looking doog!

[doublej]

I have seen these are ebay but no one lists the width. Only full length as 14in.
What does it measure out at?

[sweli]

Length is 13
Width 4-7/8
Stock WB is 8

[sweli]

Those dim make the body around 12.6 scale.

My Blackwidow axles are 10th scale, 7-1/4 hex to hex.

[4X4 Freak]

So far looking good

[sweli]

Fabbed up to frame rails to lay under the body.
6mm Stainless tubing.
Bumper in the rear will lay under Tonka bumper.
Stinger in the front.
The curves in it hug the modified body, 10-1/2 - 11" WB.

[sweli]

So it's prob early to think driveshafts yet, but I want to get some feedback.

Are the new RC4WD Ultimate Scale shafts worth $100/pair?
I can get MOPS for $40.

I love the scale look!!
The last couple sets of SS Punisher shafts I had barely lasted a season. Even cleaned and lubed the yoke holes wore horribly.

This isn't going to be a high hp rig, but will prob weigh in the 8-10 range when complete.

Thoughts?
Gut feelings?
Anyone got some miles on some yet?

[sweli]

I also found these from SDI..... hmmmm

http://sdi4x4.com/product_info.php?c...products_id=65

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...4-4CARDAN2.jpg

[sweli]

I got some more of the chassis done.
Rear shock hoops combined into part of an fender exo.
Might take the shock hoops higher, not sure yet.

You can see how the new axle CL is set back over an inch from the Tonka's.

(have a little more done in front this, but not ready to show it yet, might change it up)

[sweli]

Trans is going to mount to the Tonka body, under the hood, so originally I had a Delrin mount for the transfer case to the sit in the body also.

Changed it up. Transfer is now between the frame rails where it belongs.

(BTW, the stainless I use comes from a local scrap yard, uber cheap. The transfer case flat strap is actually a soup ladle handle )

The cross tubes will become lower link mounts.

Some of my joints are crappy. Still learning the brazing thing.
It will clean up some in the blaster.

[sweli]

I liked the curve of the front stinger, but goobered it with a kink.
So I changed it up. Flat accross with two gusset bars.

[dezfan]

Brilliant use for the ladle handle.

[sweli]

Originally Posted by dezfan

Brilliant use for the ladle handle.

Thx!

I get to fish through two, 20yd dumpsters of stainless at the local recycler. Mainly big stuff, but some tubing, rod, and restaurant stuff.