RCCrawler Forums

monkeyracer · 05-09-2009, 08:37 AM

Ok, stepping into the Scale arena here.

I'm building a Crew Cab Chevy Monster Truck. The theory is, someone bought a monster truck (monster patrol) and decided to make it back into a road/trail vehicle, but wanted a crew cab, so they spliced two bodies together and left some huge tires on it to fill the wheel wells. This is what my build will be.

I've had this body for over 11 years. Yup 11 years, I got a Radio Shack Monster Patrol for Christmas one year, and I still have it, and it still runs.
Last year, I decided to take the body off and make it into something different, but use hobby electronics, and came up with this:

After some paint and a chassis:

I went to radio shack to get a spare body for since this one has been through hell and back in 11 years. But because the truck was too fast for how tall it was, I kept scraping up the original body.

So, that truck got a new body shell for it:

So, I decided to take the two bodies I had and make the crew cab:

Those wheels just didn't look right though, So I picked up some 2.2 Claws on a trade, they looked like this when I received them:

So I stripped the paint, and sprayed down some flat black on the rock rings:

I had tried 1.9 wheels, but they looked so small in the existing wheel well cut-outs (since the body used to be a monster truck) so the 2.2's look a lot better:

And, of course, the mandatory flex shots:

Right now it's got MLST axles, but I'm looking for a new axle combo. I like the width right now, so that is going to be hard. I may go with MRC axles, but I'll have to sell some extra parts to get them.

The body is made of ABS, so I just used Oatey Brand ABS Cement to join the pieces, and as a filler:

Roof holes being filled:

I braced the joints with some scraps from the old body to make them a lot more structurally sound:

I can twist the body pretty hard and the joints just twist along with it. Basically I fused the two pieces together so they are chemically one piece. The ABS cement has MEK that starts to dissolve the base material, and as the MEK evaporates, the ABS resin starts to bond to the partially dissolved base, and creates new molecule chains.

I still have quite a bit to do to consider this done.
I'm not doing an interior, yet, because I don't have one, so the original blacked out windows are going back in.
The body still needs sanding and more cement to fill in low spots (no bondo on this truck) and some paint. Still kicking around ideas for paint though.
I'm going to paint the chassis flat black so it doesn't stand out as much.
The trans needs a spur and pinion installed.
I need to make a plate to mount the electronics.
I need to get a servo for it, considering the CPE $20 high torque servo.
I need to find a good place to mount the battery pack, since this is a little taller ride height, as low in the chassis as possible would be ideal.
I have the spare bed from the second body, I think I'll make into a trailer, as well as a flat bed trailer to tow the Crawler and Drifter around.
The bed will get a soft shell maybe, and some scale accessories tossed in.
I'm going to work on lighting, maybe make a roof mounted light bar.
If I can get some brazing done, I may end up with some new bumpers and rock sliders.

So, basically there's a lot to do.

Constructive criticism appreciated.

fernando · 05-09-2009, 10:55 AM

I like what I see so far. Keep us posted on your build.

cruiserkb · 05-09-2009, 01:38 PM

Do you think that the cement you used will work on a new-bright body? I have some body lines to fill and that seems to be a strong bond.

monkeyracer · 05-09-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fernando

I like what I see so far. Keep us posted on your build.

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiserkb

Do you think that the cement you used will work on a new-bright body? I have some body lines to fill and that seems to be a strong bond.

I'd say most of them are. But without it in front of me, I can't be sure. I have a New Bright FJ Cruiser body, and I don't think it's ABS. Really I'd say most likely if it's black plastic, then it's likely ABS. If you could cut off a small piece, place a small amount of cement on it. If after 24 hours you can scrape the cement off with your fingernail, then it's not ABS. If it seems to have bonded to it, then it just might be.

The small bead of cement was done with a small squeeze bottle so that I could control the flow of the cement, so if you are filling body lines, then you'll want to get some.

I got some electronics, and made a little mount for them, but I'm not sure they work, so I'll charge up a battery and test it all out later. Update coming soon.

monkeyracer · 06-03-2009, 07:33 AM

I got the electronics mounted, took it outside and blew the plastic diffs in about 3 seconds. It was going pretty good for those three seconds though. So, I got some metal gear diffs from the MLST2 and MRC.

I also needed to trim the driveshafts just a little to get them to mount to the MRC input shafts. I put the 87t spur/20t pinion back on, and it's a lot better than the 81/24 that was on it before. It's still quick but not crazy.

I still need to find a good place to mount the battery, right now it's on top of the chassis rails, and it makes the truck a little top heavy. I'm thinking on the rear axle/links, since there's space there for it.

I also need to find better shocks, or maybe just better springs. These are too stiff right now.

Now I need to start working on the body and making it look nice.

monkeyracer · 08-03-2009, 09:03 PM

Been a while for an update, but here it is:

Quote: