08-03-2014, 09:57 PM | #1 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Oxford PA
Posts: 1,290
| Rock Charger
So my buddy is joining me again at the ECSC and since i got rid of the bronco he drive last year, he was going to need another ride. Now this year he is only running the fun run which is good because my time is short. this prompted me to decide to build something quick and fun that doesn't necessarily fall in any class. I was looking around my shop and got inspired Yep! i'm going to make a crawler out one of my crusher cars! I started by making another frame this time a bit more curvy to match the car. then i used the technique on my last build where i added plates to the inside of the rails to make it easy to remove the SCX10 skid once the chassis was done. then it was time to get the two to fit together. The rear got hacked first not too bad then i threw a spare axle on to see where to trim the fenders not too bad then it was time to make space up front. out came the scissors. like a glove! I chucked an axle up front and Oh Yah! That's what i was looking for! Now to get it standing on it's own i went to my trusty shock hoop design. then tacked them in the back up front i added a mount for a 3 link set-up that was on the axle. Then the hoops went in place and she's standing on her own! a little more trimming and the body fits nicely and for fun jammed the grill from the RC in place there may even be room for a motor later and of course the obligatory flex shot I think it looks like a legitimate crawler/trail vehicle without looking gaudy. And before any one asks... NO it will not be orange and NO it will not have 01 on the door! It' just a 69 Charger. More later |
Sponsored Links | |
08-04-2014, 03:28 AM | #2 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,765
| Re: Rock Charger
#golfclap
|
08-04-2014, 10:10 AM | #3 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 893
| Re: Rock Charger
Very nice! cant wait to see it in PA
|
08-04-2014, 08:29 PM | #4 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: rockford
Posts: 878
| Re: Rock Charger
That's awesome. Can't wait to check it out.
|
08-05-2014, 07:21 AM | #5 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Williston
Posts: 850
| Re: Rock Charger
Epic!
|
08-05-2014, 10:45 AM | #6 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2008 Location: Baltimore
Posts: 4,442
| Re: Rock Charger
Damn buddy, even your 'tossed together' stuff looks great! |
08-05-2014, 01:04 PM | #7 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: virginia beach
Posts: 280
| Re: Rock Charger
That's awesome
|
08-05-2014, 08:01 PM | #8 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: SD
Posts: 535
| Re: Rock Charger
I was look'n forward to seeing the general lee as a crawler...........yeeeee-haaaahhhhh. Just a good 'ol boys Good thing I didn't ask |
08-08-2014, 09:16 PM | #9 | |
RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Oxford PA
Posts: 1,290
| Re: Rock Charger
Thanks guys You know me Walt, i just can't help it. it's a disease a guess. Quote:
I don’t have any pics but I did take it for a test drive after I threw in a tranny and electronics and it does pretty good. I’m moving pretty quick on this so fit and finish won’t be the best and I’m not going to be a stickler on details. On to the progress. I didn’t have much black steel tube left and didn’t want to use the good stainless on this so I dug into my scrap pile and found the perfect material for the sliders, and old drive bar from a large dot matrix printer ( I don’t throw anything away) Once cut to size I welded them together Then attached them to the chassis Looks good enough for me. Now it was time to start the cage. I began with the rear hoop Then welded it to the sliders. The fit was good. I thought about keeping the cage separate and bolting to the sliders with plates so I could retain the floor of the body but I just don’t have the time. Next was the halo bar Then came the front down bars The fit is pretty good Then some diagonal bars to help it take a hit. I might add more at a later time bot for now this is good enough. It was now time for the final fit of the body. I hacked the rest of the floor out Then I drilled and tapped some holes in the sliders Then did the same to the rear frame rails and made a battery mount for in the trunk The last major bit of work was the front. I used the winch left over from the bronco and stuck it on a plate I had from another project Happy with the fit I proceeded to pie cut the chassis for more clearance and notched it for the tube. then bent up the bumper Tacked it in place Looks good to me Time for a stinger Then i had these left over from another project I decided not to use them on. Amazingly they fit without modification! That should do a good job of protecting the grill. I don't want to damage it as i have yet to make a mold of it. Here is an overall shot. And a shot from the bottom. The next update it will be done. | |
08-09-2014, 06:21 PM | #10 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Walnut Grove
Posts: 303
| Re: Rock Charger
what is that thing made of? it looks aluminum in some pics and duct tape in others lol. edit* i think i just found your youtube video. very cool Last edited by Koldham; 08-09-2014 at 06:43 PM. |
08-09-2014, 08:17 PM | #11 | |
RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Oxford PA
Posts: 1,290
| Re: Rock Charger Quote:
Here is the last bit of progress. The was a few things i needed to finish while i was doing the brazing. One was the addition of tubing between the frame rails in the rear to stiffen them up. then i added a tapped hole in the frame up front to serve as a mount for the radiator support. then it was a quick cleaning. (i didn't media blast this one, it was late and the blasting Cabinet it at my parent's house.) Then paint and it was put together for good. next the body went on. The hood pins were some old Tamiya mounts cut down with a pin above and below the radiator support. the trunk lid i left unattached so it could flop open and closed while wheeling:lolbeat: then i waterproofed the receiver and tucked it under the hood with the winch controller the the ESC went into the back seat. and it is done! Poser shots! Time for some carnage! | |
08-09-2014, 11:14 PM | #12 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Finland
Posts: 457
| Re: Rock Charger
That is so awesome!
|
08-10-2014, 04:53 AM | #13 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: tauranga north island new zealand
Posts: 1,786
| Re: Rock Charger
Very cool, we need video, |
08-11-2014, 09:46 AM | #14 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Minden
Posts: 2,198
| Re: Rock Charger
Its something completely different and I like it
|
08-11-2014, 11:30 AM | #15 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: E. City
Posts: 883
| Re: Rock Charger
That is the best looking hunk of junk I've seen! Nice work, unique and no frills. I like it!. Is there more info on that body somewhere?
|
08-11-2014, 06:16 PM | #16 | |
RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Oxford PA
Posts: 1,290
| Re: Rock Charger don't worry, you'll get one after the ECSC in 2 weeks. I did a quick test to make sure everything works but my buddy will take it for it's maiden run. That's good to hear! I like different as well Quote:
Here is the original build of the body: Crusher cars | |
07-29-2015, 08:41 PM | #17 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Oxford PA
Posts: 1,290
| Re: Rock Charger
I didn't realize i never updated this thread. with ECSC 15' just around the corner, my buddy decided to compete again and he liked the charger so much he wanted to run it this year as well. but before i jump into the rebuild, here is a little update of what it's been through the past year. The truck did very well at last years ECSC. it handled everything My buddy threw at it, including fully submerging it, and came back in one piece but a showing a few new battle scars in short order i had the body straightened out and ready to play Shortly thereafter I ran it on my rock pile and creek on the property. It really wheels well and is pretty much a point and shoot car going nearly everywhere i wanted to which involved places it should not have been! Again i straightened it and later took it to my local park for some real wheeling. I started using standard sized 5000 Mah packs for more run time. unfortunately the strap was too short to hold them in place and i was too lazy to fix it so the loose battery started to take it's toll on the inside. Once again she was fixed up for some more bashing. Since then my kids (4 and 11) have been having a blast beating the tar out of it. the loose battery eventually started coming through the body so drastic measures were taken to keep the fun going. Finally it was fixed one last time next is the rebuild. incidentally, throughout all this past year of relentless beating the only issue i has was a set of brushes go bad in the motor. That's it! nothing broke! I'm beginning to really like this truck! |
07-29-2015, 08:55 PM | #18 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Caldwell ID.
Posts: 4,327
| Re: Rock Charger
This is a awesome build! Trail damage really sets it apart.
|
07-30-2015, 08:42 AM | #19 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Amish Ghetto
Posts: 1,932
| Re: Rock Charger
I know there is a fresh body on this as of last night... |
07-30-2015, 10:34 AM | #20 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Smethport
Posts: 148
| Re: Rock Charger
Anxious to see what is next for this thing. The aluminum bodies are cool because they dent, but maybe they dent a little too easily.
|
Rock Charger - Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Lipo Charger/Batter for 1/18 Losi Mini Rock Crawler | jwalker497 | Losi Mini-Rock Crawler | 14 | 11-20-2013 09:00 PM |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
| |