Wraith style bronco build....

[Maddog Madigan]

I have to agree with Grizzly! Amazing and keep it up!!

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by kenworthit

I also fitted the electronics box betwwen the battery and fuel cell nice and low out of the way but good access when needed. I hope to get the beefy winch from TZI in today and will find some where to mount it also ......looking forward to trying out the beefy winch ....
Cheers

I like that TZI winch. I think I will get one of those for my build and look forward to seeing your mount.

[kenworthit]

Originally Posted by Grizzly4x4

I am so damn impressed with what you are doing here it's not even funny.

Thanks man ....

Originally Posted by Bulldog

I haven't ordered a TZI winch yet...but hope they become available soon. Sounds like an amazing piece that will be the end all, be all, go to winch.

Yeah I think so, I am looking forward to testing it....Unfortunatly it wasnt in fridays mail but hope to see it Monday or maybe Tuesday ....

Originally Posted by Maddog Madigan

I have to agree with Grizzly! Amazing and keep it up!!

Thanks man ......

Originally Posted by Grizzly4x4

I like that TZI winch. I think I will get one of those for my build and look forward to seeing your mount.

I dont know where im going to put it ....but will find some where just running out of room but had to keep the build going .... Cheers ....

Originally Posted by NormanAbsher

Crazy cool build!

Cheers mate...

[kenworthit]

Well I had a late one last night and fitted up the radiator, air tank, dash gauges, suicide handle (which I will paint flat black later), fire extinguisherand covered the elects box in diamond plate....Here are some pics....



















Starting to take some shape now .....Just a few small bars to add, winch and seats etc ......

Well I found some courage and open up the mould also ......not to bad on the 1st one .....



When I pulled it apart the scoop stay behind..... and I thought......how the !!!! will I get that out without damaging the cast ..... but just cut around it with a razor blade and got underneath it. came out nicely....





It turned out great... So I just sat there and admired it for a little.... Now the second cast and again I was very nervous to what was going to happen ....



Was all going well and againjust as it was nearly set it started to show some cracks OMG... Cant work it out maybe the cold temparatures in the shed as it get very hot as its curing...




Oh well I had to destroy the 1st cast to get this one out but thats ok I ve got that stage sorted out ...See the cracks and couldnt be in a worser spot right across the roll at the front....



I thought about repairing it but decided to just have ago at a test just to see how this was all going to work out if I did do another , make sure it worth all the effort ....





Man this is hard work .....I had much respect for metalmasher before and now man he is a GOD..... This is so time consuming and testing .....I am using a little heavier alloy so I guess thats not helping my cause ....

Well after all that I will def do another .....These humps and bumps... wow much more difficult then the flatter panels as I suspected .... I did get a fold in the side of it but I think if I cut a smaller panel and just use enough to cover it with a small lip to fold alone the edges when finished I should be able to keep it out of the next one ....



Hope to do a little more over the week end and work on getting this second cast right...... Cheers

[Bulldog]

There's a reason the guys building metal panels deserve some props! It's not easy! I"m always in amazement when I see their builds. I think there's a guy by the username Crashaholic that's either on here or scale4x4.org that does some amazing aluminum work. Check it out, maybe you might get some ideas. I'd try to find it for you, but the search is part of the fun.

Edit, and from the threads that I remember, he shows exactly his methods and tips and tricks.

[kenworthit]

Originally Posted by Bulldog

There's a reason the guys building metal panels deserve some props! It's not easy! I"m always in amazement when I see their builds. I think there's a guy by the username Crashaholic that's either on here or scale4x4.org that does some amazing aluminum work. Check it out, maybe you might get some ideas. I'd try to find it for you, but the search is part of the fun.

Edit, and from the threads that I remember, he shows exactly his methods and tips and tricks.

Thanks man , I found it ....


I started to have a play with the electonics over the weekend and a few other things...
I put the bec inside the proline fuel cell and fits just nice.... I had to extend the sensor wire also to reach the electric box, I dont know much about the sensor wires but I hope the lenghth changing dosnt do anything ....
Some pics.





I made a template to change the firewall to a rolled panel same as the floor pan and stuck a power amp under the dash. Made some seats , console and gear levers also...



















The driver looks happy ...... Hope to get the last of the parts today and finish this off for a test run .... Then some final detailing ....

[Bulldog]

Those panels worked out great! The molded aluminum is looking killer!

[kenworthit]

Thanks Bulldog ....

Look what came today......



So happy with the look and quality of this TZI BEEFY winch, It's full aluminium body and spool..... Great design TZI.

Time to fit this baby .....





I have it sitting nice and poking out the front of the grille about 10mm perfect look I think....
I tried to make a grille of the body but no chance....So I made a mould from styrene and came up with this .....







I"m pretty happy with the result and now will work on getting some other panels sorted while I wait for some parts to arrive.....

[Bulldog]

Yep, you've got the aluminum bug! Are the TZI winches readily available or have you been waiting on a preorder? Did you get the special "other side of the world" treatment?

[kenworthit]

Originally Posted by Bulldog

Yep, you've got the aluminum bug! Are the TZI winches readily available or have you been waiting on a preorder? Did you get the special "other side of the world" treatment?

..... ......Yeah I got a little special treatment ......Shhhhh ,,,,

I'm really enjoying the challenge of the alloy and love to learn new things..... The flat panels are pretty easy but this bonnet panel is giving me a challenge.... but hope will be all good ...Besides you dont get a lot of colour choices with polycarbon and def cant get it in the colour I want to paint this rig in....

Cheers man ....

[Grizzly4x4]

That is going to be the shiniest interior ever.

Great work on the grill. I'm really loving the detail work like the shifters, the radiator, and the great looking Proline fuel cell.

I also agree that the winch looks great sticking out the grill just a tad.

[Highmark]

Damn what an awesome build!!!! I agree about the belt sander - mine is one of my favorite tools. It's like a poor man's lathe.

[Hacksaw707]

Awesome work man

[KRAWL]

You got some serious skillz. Keeping up with this.

[kenworthit]

Well I finally got a good mould out and worked out that it was way to cold in my workshop when curing. So I Got a big ass blow heater in there and shut the door .......
Still had to do a minor repair to it but will be fine .......





The bonnet ready for painting ....can out alright but will work on another at a later time when I can source some proper tools....



Well I sourced the paint colours yesty....... Very happy exactly what I wanted but as always with good things at $$$$ but I just had to have that blue ....



Hope to get in and do some sand blasting this weekend and maybe paint the chassic.... will be also make some more moulds for the other panels....

[Bulldog]

That blue is my style for sure!

[TheManCave]

This build is freakin amazing man! Love all the attention to detail and custom homebrew parts. Definitely following this one

[kenworthit]

Originally Posted by Bulldog

That blue is my style for sure!

Thanks man, I like it also ......

Originally Posted by TheManCave

This build is freakin amazing man! Love all the attention to detail and custom homebrew parts. Definitely following this one

Thanks man I appreciate that and am happy you are enjoying the build....

Ive done a little more over the past few day and starting to get the hang of the casting and alloy business...

Ive made some door moulds and tailgate moulds and also got a chance to wip up some alloy skins.....

Some pics.....



The tail gate mould has tuned out awesome....





I didnt make a resin mould of these two panels just to see if the cast would hold up to the shaping of the panels ....The tailgate one went fine but the door mould took a bit of a pounding so will make them in resin for next set....

The alloy door and tailgate skins....







I threw a little paint on a tailgate skin just to see how the colour would turn out.......Rapped....



This is with 3 light coats of jam and 2 heavy coats of clear.....I also give the bonnet a hit with some etch primer and looks pretty tidy but would like to do it again better in the next lot of panels ....As you can see I also added the window centre bars ....




I have also done a 1st cast for the front appron.....




Ive got the guard panels ready for a 1st shot mould this arvo and will have them out tomorrow and then make a resin mould to shape the alloy off....



The king shocks have arrived from RPP Hobby so I fitted them up for a look, now I changed the shock mounts the cylinder sits out the side rather then the back of the shock but thats cool by me they wont be in the way and at this stage Im not changing the mounts back ........



Starting to get there but still have a way to go ....As youve proberly noticed the silver diffs arrived and are fitted up with lockers and all ready to go .....

Cheers

[Mighty1]

This rig is very nice man. "Dibs" on the chassis's!

[Stone age]

really nice metal work, cant wait to see more of that deep candy blue