TF2 = time to push my scale envelope

[nsimps]

Thanks for the reply! Luckily the tf2 I bought used came with the Gelande hoops up front. Now to find someone to trade the 3/4 link setup for some shackles

[tokdl]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

More stress testing in the rocks this morning, and I'm very pleased (not to mention a bit surprised). Overall, it did very well, particularly given that I wasn't sure how far I'd be able to get it while maintaining the leafs. (The last part of the video shows it getting over the base of my basketball goal, which even my Wraith can't do...) I think it's now capable of handling just about anything I'd want to throw at it. Here's the latest video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTqs...N1YpngrFu-ChzA

The only casualty was a blown rod end on one of the rear shocks (stock Ultimate Scale), so I'll have to replace both rod ends. There will be a few more tweaks here and there (will probably switch around and go with 100mm shocks in the rear and 90mm in front, may switch the center skid for a Gelande skid, etc.), but now it's time to focus on the cosmetics. This is the look I'll be going for with the interior dash and panels:

Attachment 296753

Different parts faded to different shades, maybe a crack or two in the dash.

I understand where you're coming from. I made the mistake of ordering 90mm old man EMU's for the front when I added my TBox and forgot to take into account I needed the Gelande hoops. That threw my ride height off big time. Now I wish I had kept them!

I have the same interior photo as a reference for my next CC interior Thinking a native America / southwestern fabric for a "quick" seat cover in an attempt to make the interior aged and used a bit. Dash will be flat brown with traces of that particular tan shown in your photo. My door panels will be half brown with the other half the tan I mentioned. Looking forward to see what you come up with for yours. May give me some ideas.

[new2rocks]

Lol, tokdl. Glad I'm not the only algebraically challenged one around here. For what it's worth, I love the look of the Emus and was thinking about the Superlifts for up front, but I'm now probably going to go in a different direction after experimenting with the 90mm Ultra Scales in front late this afternoon. They were almost completely bottomed out as soon as I put the body on. Seems they just couldn't hold the front up at all given the weight over the front. My concern with the internally sprung shocks is that the thin, short springs can't handle the weight of a hardbody. Does anyone have any experiences to share?

[Alpha Male]

Your truck looks good in the video! I'd hate to see what the metal axle housings look like after scraping over all those jagged rocks, but hey, what are you going to do, right? I guess paint them and scrape it off again.

Too bad we can't all get together for a day because my truck would sooooooo beat you guys' trucks. All of y'all's. I'm waiting for shooters, Gelande front hoops and 100mm ultimate scale shocks for all four corners, but my truck is really doing well on the rocks around my flower bed with stock shocks and hoops. Since mine is jacked up anyway, I don't have to worry about my ride height as much. I'm even adding 12mm spacers to move my wheels out. It's a beast!

My only hang ups are the aluminum bumpers front and rear, but I like them too much to drive without them. Sometimes I wish I had kept the body stock, but I can't go back. I just can't.

Cheers!

[tokdl]

I'd loose the comp. no doubt. So far I'm still rather stock with the exception of Tbox on the front and OM Emu's, I get more flex, but nothing like what you guys get with shooter shackles. I'm obsessed with keeping the stock ride height and appearance on this thing for a while anyway.

[new2rocks]

Glad to hear you're back to being an Alpha Male after your brief bout of despondence over your build. That's the fighting spirit! That said, I'm having a hard time fearing a challenge from a rig whose greatest claim to fame at the moment seems to be tearing up a flower bed.

Sorry...couldn't resist. Yes it would be fun to get our rigs together. If you ever make it down to NC, let me know. We have some awesome spots to run down here. In the meantime, I'm loving the collaboration and challenge that comes along with trying to keep up with you guys virtually. Thanks for keeping up with mine and sharing yours!

[Alpha Male]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

That said, I'm having a hard time fearing a challenge from a rig whose greatest claim to fame at the moment seems to be tearing up a flower bed.

Touché, my frenemy. Those are some tough rocks!

[new2rocks]

Was finally able to make it to a nearby LHS with a master painter to pick up supplies and tips for the interior. If you've been following this build and are already at the Scale Builders Guild level with your detailing (ahem, Alpha Male), this next series of posts will probably bore you. If you haven't yet tried detailing the heck out of an interior, I hope you'll find it useful to see this relative newbie give it a go for the first time.

Following the recommendations of one of the shop owners, I've started by spraying out all of the CCHand interior parts with black primer and will let everything dry overnight. I will then start building up coats of acrylic paint by dry brushing.

Here's what it looked like before priming:


And after:


Here are my supplies:


Supplies basically consist of several different colors of acrylic paints, mostly from Citadel, made for painting war game pieces. The beige colors are for the dash and doors, the black and grays are for the steering column, steering wheel, shifters and boots, and the four colors in the back left corner are for creating rust on the body. Regardless of what this looked like new at the dealership 30 years ago, no 2 panels are the same color anymore after decades of faithful service and being baked in the sun, hence the 2 different base colors in the beige/tan family plus a lighter color that will get applied to some of the panels that have been sun-bleached. I will also be trying my hand at some cracks in the vinyl as we go.

I picked up the RC4WD leather seat cover when I placed the original order, though now thinking I probably should have just gone ahead and made something up. The leather trim swatch and cord will be for a steering wheel cover that I am going to make. Those of you who were of driving age by the 80s will know where I'm going with that one.

While I was at my LHS, I got a tutorial on applying rust to the scratched areas on my beater body. Here's what he was able to do in about 5 minutes:


This guy does some amazing work. Let's see how I do...

[tokdl]

Supper impressive! I can't tell you how close I came to getting that exact same cover, but removed it from my cart at the last min. I decided on a south western print as to make it look like someone hastily threw a cover over the seat with no intention on style. Really hoping to grab some ideas from your build. Looks like a really good start!

[new2rocks]

Lol. Seeing your southwestern motif is what made me kick myself slightly for buying the leather cover. I guess I'll have to make up for the lack of upholstering originality with some paint detailing...

[tokdl]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

Lol. Seeing your southwestern motif is what made me kick myself slightly for buying the leather cover. I guess I'll have to make up for the lack of upholstering originality with some paint detailing...

I'm still very fond of the cover trust me, almost rather that. I just really couldn't afford it at the time.

[lunatick]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

Before that discovery, I was able to make some more progress on the suspension setup. I decided to put the rear T-Boxes in last night (at the front of the rear leafs) and, in the process of doing that, discovered that the read leafs had bent noticeably at the front edge of the medium leafs. That setup obviously isn't going to work , so I took the opportunity to swap in a pair of the stock black leafs in the rear (leaving the medium and small underneath). The good news, after a short test run, is that I think I'm now very close to where I'd like to be. Articulation is getting pretty good (better than my Gelande now), and I'm pretty sure that the addition of the Gelande hoops and longer front shocks will do the trick.


And here are the bent red leafs, just for giggles:
Attachment 296010

Simple fix for the bending leaf springs

[new2rocks]

^^ Nice rig and interesting idea. Do you run the medium and short leafs above the main ones, or just the main leafs?

[new2rocks]

Starting to develop the interior colors. Liking the 2 dash colors a lot. Door panels may be a bit too light, but still TBD. Trying to develop a pattern that will look like carpet. I think I can get there with some more work. This will take a while, but it's lots of fun to play with.

[tokdl]

Certainly loving that upper dash pad color. You have me re considering my color choices now

[lunatick]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

^^ Nice rig and interesting idea. Do you run the medium and short leafs above the main ones, or just the main leafs?

Just main leafs on rear with modified standard shocks ( internal spring plus sealed with oil )
front i run main leaf with small helper plus axial shock hoops and axial scx10 shocks

[new2rocks]

Left the interior sitting in the sun for a few days and it's already showing its age. I need to try to finish this quickly before everything falls apart.




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[Alpha Male]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

Left the interior sitting in the sun for a few days and it's already showing its age. I need to try to finish this quickly before everything falls apart.

Dang, do you live in North Carolina or the northern Sahara? Makes me want to put on sunscreen.

[new2rocks]

Thought it would be easier to let it bake in a greenhouse for a few days than try all of that tedious dry brushing stuff that the role-playing addicts do with their little game pieces. Good thing it hasn't rained much...

[tokdl]

Outstanding idea! Think I'll give that idea a try.