New (to me) TF2 Build

[tomvaillencourt]

Hey guys, so I know theres a hunderd million TF2 builds on here, so I'll spare you all the rip-rap and pictures of how I bolted it all together... We've all seen a bone stock chassis build. What I will do here is show off my progress with pics and brief explanations where valuable.


So I bought the kit about two weeks ago, and here is how its gone so far...



A Few days after, my first batch of goodies arrives:
~Metal Tube bumpers, bumper mounts, Rock sliders, tire carrier, and roll bar.
~RC4WD 1.9 Stamped Steelies - (I know, everyone has these, but I really like the way these wheels look)
~Outcry Crawler ESC with Turbo BEC
~Holmes Hobbies Torque Master Pro 540 Crawler Motor (45t)
~Hitec 7985MG servo for steering (using my wraiths old AS-3 for shifting)
~RC4WD "Void" scale 1.55 Beadlock Wheels (undecided if this is going to run 1.55 or 1.9 wheels as of yet...)
~Pitbull 1.9 Rock Beasts
~Spektrum SPM4010 DX4S 4-Channel DSMR Radio System w/SR410 & SRS4210 AVC Receivers (also includes a SAVOX 0231 Waterproof Servo)
~Tamiya Hilux High detail Interior set with dash and door panels
~RC4WD Three link w/ panhard kit (four link on the way)
~Big Boss Rubber fender flares



Got the Electronics installed and threw them in the bed for an initial test drive on the pool table...



Then fitted them to the chassis...





Started mocking up the interior... Including a floor piece I had to fab to fill the 3/4" gap between the floor included with the dash set and the seat... in the mean time I also installed the Three link w/ Panhard on the front but didn't get any pictures... The four link is on its way as well as some beefier shocks since the stock ones are no longer adequate without leaf springs...





Now here's where the Fun starts... This is a 7" Gale Hawthorne Figurine from The Hunger Games... It is only partially posable. The arms, neck, and ankles move, but not much... I have an extra Sam Fisher laying around, but used one in my SCX10 so I wanted a different guy... I saw this one at Toys "R" Us, and since realistic looking figures are hard to find (unless you want a half naked roid-rager) he was perfect - but he needed alot of work...





I had to hack him up pretty good, first cutting him in half at the waist, then separating his lap from his butt...



Which had to be heated and molded to fit the seat...



Followed by cutting a bit of his torso legnth down to make him a bit shorter, and trimmed his back down to fit the seat as well, then all his bits were glued together to look like he is properly fitted and sitting in the seat of the half interior...





Here's some shots of the interior as I was working it...















So far so good, the body work has also begun and is being prepped for paint later today... now off to the hobby store LHS to return some stuff and get body filler...

[tomvaillencourt]

More goodies today!
~Tamiya Hilux Grille with the round buckets and lenses, (which incidentally fits the cab section perfectly! better in fact than the grille it came with!)
~Inner fenders
~bulldog Wireless winch with controller
~rubber mirrors
~rubber safari Snorkel
...Still waiting on the four link kit...

body filler applied and sanded, and body primed!!!

Time to go cut and paint the inner Fenders...

[raceeng18]

Looking good. You're going to like the 3 & 4 link set up. Curious as to what shocks you ordered. I've got to get rid of my stock shocks too.

[tokdl]

Looks really good! Excellent idea with the figure and his lower half. I'm using Sam Fisher in my TF hacked at the waste, may try your idea with the lower half and see how it comes out.

Trying like hell to find another figure with the same detail and is fully pose able for my D90 build.

[tomvaillencourt]

Originally Posted by raceeng18

Looking good. You're going to like the 3 & 4 link set up. Curious as to what shocks you ordered. I've got to get rid of my stock shocks too.

I sent for GMade XD Piggyback shocks in 85 and 93 mm... Theyve gotten great reviews, so ill let you know how they go...

[tomvaillencourt]

Originally Posted by tokdl

Looks really good! Excellent idea with the figure and his lower half. I'm using Sam Fisher in my TF hacked at the waste, may try your idea with the lower half and see how it comes out.

Trying like hell to find another figure with the same detail and is fully pose able for my D90 build.

I used fisher in my SCX10 JK, he was perfect for that. Unfortunately, if you want a really nicely detailed figureine you have to look at collectors figures, not toys... It sucks to hack up a $15 figurine, but its worth more to me as a scale looking driver than a collectors piece.


As far as the collectors figurines go theres only a few that just look like normal dudes to the non collector... I didnt know who sam fisher was until i bought the figurine.

[tokdl]

Originally Posted by tomvaillencourt

I used fisher in my SCX10 JK, he was perfect for that. Unfortunately, if you want a really nicely detailed figureine you have to look at collectors figures, not toys... It sucks to hack up a $15 figurine, but its worth more to me as a scale looking driver than a collectors piece.


As far as the collectors figurines go theres only a few that just look like normal dudes to the non collector... I didnt know who sam fisher was until i bought the figurine.

This is true, same here until I saw some posts on him here. I've bought my share of the collectors figures, including a couple of the Heroes figures. which have outstanding detail and facial features etc. but wont fit the D90 with out destroying them. Even then, my skills would be limited on fitting and making them look the part. Looks like I'll be using another Sam as he's the only one I've seen that's fully pose able and has that much detail.

[tomvaillencourt]

Todays Progress:

~Inner fenders painted and installed
~Body mostly finished just need to install exterior details...

~Even did a sweet bedliner...



By the way, This paint is grey with colored speckles, I topped it with flat black....

[fr8cture]

Originally Posted by tomvaillencourt

I sent for GMade XD Piggyback shocks in 85 and 93 mm... Theyve gotten great reviews, so ill let you know how they go...

They won't fit the TF2. had the none piggyback version and they are too big.

[ToyotaKing88]

Love the look of the 1.55 Voids on your truck. Let's see some pics of that baby in action.

[tomvaillencourt]

Originally Posted by fr8cture

They won't fit the TF2. had the none piggyback version and they are too big.

That sucks... although I'm sure if I really wanted to I could make them fit...nothing a little injenuity cant handle... we'll see, but if its too much I'll just send them back. Any idea if the old man emu nitrocharged shocks are any good? they look just like the stock only slightly bigger bodies. Are there stiffer springs for the stock shocks?

[tomvaillencourt]

BTW, this color is actually "Camel Yellow" and is more of a school bus yellow, its not as bright as these pictures suggest... much more dingy/industrial looking than this. These photos make it look like I didn't even paint it...

I will get some running pictures on here as soon as the truck is ready to hit some terrain... Gotta figure out shocks first... I want them to match front and rear, so I need to find 80 and 90mm matching shocks of decent quality first... Ill try my kings out from my scx10, but theyre 100mm I think... might be too much up front.. however I have all my weight up there so maybe they'll work...

any suggestions are always welcomed, this is my first TF2

[fr8cture]

I'm sure you can make them for with big spacers but will throw the look way off.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

[rovot]

nice work on the driver. been hunting for a figure as well on my local toy trader store for some loose NECA figure.

[tomvaillencourt]

Originally Posted by fr8cture

I'm sure you can make them for with big spacers but will throw the look way off.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

Def don't want to do that... I'll have to keep looking.. :(

[tomvaillencourt]

So I found some king dual spring scalers that should do the trick. I've had decent experience with them on my scx10. The GMade piggybacks will go up for sale I guess... I got all my rubber exterior parts on today and my door handles. Tomorrow will be painting and installing the light lenses..

[fr8cture]

If you have an scx10 or plan on getting one I would save the XD's for that. Thats what I did.

[tomvaillencourt]

Originally Posted by fr8cture

If you have an scx10 or plan on getting one I would save the XD's for that. Thats what I did.

I have one -- using proline powerstrokes in that...

[fr8cture]

Yeah I'm running power strokes too.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

[tomvaillencourt]

update... my four link finally showed up, and I ran into a snag that took my some time to figure out, but ultimately it is installed... (the upper link rod ends were 5mm too long each, causing the whole geometry to be way off.)

Anyway, its fixed now, and in the meantime I got my light lenses and emblems painted and attached... (no easy task those things... how hard would it have been to add an adhesive backing to some of the details? sausage thumbs and super glue don't mix)





I'm just waiting on the buckets for the headlights to come in before I decide if I'm going to use them or mini maglite buckets again. once that is done its shocks and driveshafts, and shes ready to go hit the trails.

Speaking of.... you guys seriously werent kidding about these stock drive shafts being garbage... one of my yoke pins has already broken, and I haven't even driven the friggin thing yet... Check this out...





I tried fitting my old SCX10 stockers on, but it seems they need a little modding themselves to work. Either I need to shorten the t-case output shafts, or I need to drill out the drive shaft yokes. (The holes where you install the set screw don't line up...)