smog's Dirty Pickle

[smog]

This here is my VS-410 Phoenix Portal thread. This is where I will be keeping record of what I do with truck and where I go about do it.

I have been slowly building the truck and enjoying every moment of it. This is my first VP build and I have been impressed with the quality of the kit. Fitment, while not perfect, is excellent. Quality appears to be top-tier. The plastics feel and look great. I would say VP knocked it out of the park with this kit.

Basic Specs for my build so far:

Mamba X ESC with a Holmes Puller Pro (3500kv )
11T Robinson Racing Absolute Pinion Gear
DS3218 Servo (x3)
Incision Drive Shafts
Tires and Wheels yet to be determined


The Axles : Fun to build, love the design.





The Transmission : Super cool. Without doubt the most involved trans I have put together. It was so fun I built it, took it apart and then built it a second time. I hope VP offers a complete VFD Twin for purchase separately.

My LHS had the aluminum motor plate on hand to I upgraded this off the hop. Would have preferred to throw in the aluminum standoffs as well, but they were out out of stock.







Painted the fuel cell cover



Painted the light buckets with a Molotow liquid Chrome paint pen





Assembled the Chassis
Incision Drive Shafts


I blame beer and sloth for the slow build progress. The Mackenzie Bros drink a lot of the golden juice while they sometimes work.



Playing with paint colors

I do not often work with greens which is why I wanted to go this route. I enjoy trying something a bit different. I will be doing a weathering job on this. Idea being that the truck looks restored where it matters and not so restored where it doesn't









I have come some distance with the body paint at this point. Will get some pics up soon

Thanks for looking

[indybama]

Dang smog, thats comin along nicely.

I dont see tgem releasing a vfd twin, but more so the transfer case section as a kit. Which, if i like how this one performs, i would be interested in pickin one up for my other rigs.

Cant wait to see your wheel choice n the paint scheme u come up with

[smog]

Originally Posted by indybama

Dang smog, thats comin along nicely.

I dont see tgem releasing a vfd twin, but more so the transfer case section as a kit. Which, if i like how this one performs, i would be interested in pickin one up for my other rigs.

Cant wait to see your wheel choice n the paint scheme u come up with

Thank Bama, worked on some of the details last night. Should have an update tonight or tomorrow.

[twade984]

Hey good to see your build get going!


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[B-MOW71]

Nice to see you're making progress on the build!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the name "Dirty Pickle"! Now I see. Can't wait to see the weathering job!

Oh and don't give them boys anymore golden juice! I wanna see this completed sooner than later!

[smog]

I hear ya B, my choice of thread title leaves much to be desired.

That said, now on to the meat and potatoes.

Decided to go with the Boom Racing Pro-Build wheels for this rig. I picked these up awhile back. I couldn't resist them. As soon as I saw them I had to have 'em. Much like this Phoenix kit.

They take time to put together but the task is by no means difficult. There is a lot of tiny scale bolts that actually function to hold the wheel together. They are not simply an aesthetic feature.



On them I mounted a set of Pro-Line Krawler in Predator compound. They are stuffed with Pro-Line single stage closed cell foams.



For paint I went with PS-21 and PS-22. I used a salt chipping technique to create a patina and weathered look for the body. A painting technique I enjoy working through.

I also used a heat gun a a stone from the back yard to press a rough dent into the drivers side of the body. As you can see, that bit is painted with a backing of copper and Iron infused paint so that a natural rust can form locally as the surface paint wears away and gets wet.











I also mixed up some paint to make a brown rust. I used it to lightly weather the rear cage



I pretty much went through the same process for the rear quarter panels. Next I cut a stencil so I could spray a Vanquish logo on the door. Then I went to town with some fine, fine grit sandpaper. Finally, I mixed up a paint wash to make the pickle dirty



This is what it looks like all buttoned up:















....and hanging out with my trusty Twin Hammers




Thanks for checking it out!

[smog]

I was planning to run a a Mamba X in this one but ended up going with a Copperhead. Decided to save the Mamba for a different build. As stated above the Motor is a Holmes Puller Pro, 3500kv.



Do I actually need to run a fan on my ESC in a crawler? I am inclined to remove it.


Setting up all of the end points on this rig was enjoyable. I have never had a rig with so many servos. I think I may have to pick up a TRX4 kit.

These are my final end point settings. The servos appear to be staying cool at these values

Aux 1 is my OD
Aux 2 is my Dig baby!

[indybama]

Dang smog, that looks like a sweet pickle! Maybe a dill pickle? Or could it be some kind of relish? Lol I like it, definantly different n one of kind.

Waitin on some nsdrc micro servos, v3 sliders n a few other odds n ends so i can get back on mine

[smog]

Originally Posted by indybama

Dang smog, that looks like a sweet pickle! Maybe a dill pickle? Or could it be some kind of relish? Lol I like it, definantly different n one of kind.

Waitin on some nsdrc micro servos, v3 sliders n a few other odds n ends so i can get back on mine

To be honost I was super reluctant on the pickle green. Even more so after I started spraying. Thankfully it all came together nicely and I am super happy with how it turned out.

Micro servos are a good idea. It seems a bit much having all of these full size servos operating in such a small range.

I will be keeping along with your build. It will help feed my hankering for another g-spd build.

[twade984]

Outstanding! Really looks great. I’ve wanted those wheels since I first saw them as well, but never had the right rig to put them on. They seem like a great choice for the Phoenix!


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[easleycrawler]

Love the paint job.

[durok]

Killer Pickle, man...

I have those same wheels - still haven't built them up, need a newly-completed build to install them on!

[Lashlee]

That's an epic paint job smog!!! Awesome!

[Undead Jeeper]

Thanks for the painstaking documentation of your build. Not many will bother with step by step photography and a description, but you are providing lots of information here.

Fine work.

[smog]

Thanks guys, all of the feedback and comments are appreciated

When I first sat down to assemble the wheels, I was actually kinda choked at how labor intensive it appeared it would be. After doing one wheel and figuring out the best technique I realized it was actually pretty easy and they hold the tire bead nicely. The is no struggle to have the tires clamp evenly in the wheel lip unlike some other less refined designs.

As far as their aesthetic goes, I really like them as well. There is one issue I came across with mounting them on the Phoenix however. With the rigs 5mm axle bolt the wrench for turning the nut has a larger diameter than normal. It doesn’t fit properly into the the wheel hub depression. I actually had to use a narrow spacer behind the nut to be to be able to tighten it.

Again, thanks for the compliments on the paint. It was an enjoyable process. I am glad it turned out as it did.

Just need to finish the interior so I can get the door handles on. It’s interesting how they mount up together like a clamp. This kit is well designed. Kudos to VP. They really do earn the praise.


*bonus pic

Saw this guy wheeling his custom bike on my way to my local hobby shop the other day. Love seeing stufff like this

[B-MOW71]

You know, growing up I was never a big fan of pickles. I hated their taste, looks and the way they smelled. Fast forward life too today and I now have a new love for pickles!

Great job smog on making a Dirty Pickle look beautiful! Love how you gave it a weathered and beat-up look! After seeing how good yours turned out, I'm kinda embarrassed to post pics of my freshly painted Phoenix!

Also, great choice on the wheels! The Boom Racing Pro-builds are great wheels! Nice choice on the style and faceplate! They look awesome paired with the body! I also placed an order for a set of Pro-builds for my Phoenix a couple weeks ago. Hoping they'll arrive soon so I can get'em mounted up.

[smog]

Originally Posted by B-MOW71

You know, growing up I was never a big fan of pickles. I hated their taste, looks and the way they smelled. Fast forward life too today and I now have a new love for pickles!

Great job smog on making a Dirty Pickle look beautiful! Love how you gave it a weathered and beat-up look! After seeing how good yours turned out, I'm kinda embarrassed to post pics of my freshly painted Phoenix!

Also, great choice on the wheels! The Boom Racing Pro-builds are great wheels! Nice choice on the style and faceplate! They look awesome paired with the body! I also placed an order for a set of Pro-builds for my Phoenix a couple weeks ago. Hoping they'll arrive soon so I can get'em mounted up.

You are too kind, my friend! Thank you. Ironically only picked beets were eaten during this painting of this build...

There have been so many beautifully painted Phoenix on the board that I figured I would try and go with a color and finish that was a little different. I look forward to seeing yours finished B, I am sure it looks great, your rigs always do!

[smog]

Soldered up some simple light strings for the provided buckets



Painted up a Hilly Billy driver



Crawling a 1:10 rig on a 1:24 basement rock

'Light Me Up Before You Kill Me'

[smog]

I sanded down the hubs on my Probuild wheels so that I could tighten down the axle nuts properly without a spacer. Thanks B for taking the lead on this, its much better than running the washer which would have inevitably gotten lost at the least opportune time.

[smog]

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