Wyatt's Journey of Phoenix (s)

[xwaz]

I Figured I have lurked here long enough and decided to make a thread to try to track the life and mods of all my Vanquish trucks.
As of Current I have 3 Phoenix(s) and all of them are different.

Current Status of All my Phoenix

My OG Portal JK8



Portal Bronco



Straight Axle Comanche (Previously JKU)





I will try to get each truck caught up below and hopefully keep them up to date.

[xwaz]

We'll start at the very beginning of my Phoenix Journey

My Original Portal
Which I had a couple of issues with originally and broke the trans gears on twice.
Destroyed the original body.


Final run as a Phoenix.


I started the Build of a JK that used the tube bed off the phoenix body after seeing one on the SBG forum.







Finished it up in time for the Last Scale Adventure of the Year.
Where is ran for the first 50 gates before exploding the second set of VFD Twin Gears, On brushed power...




Machined Gears installed and back out on the trails.




Many Miles Later my original body back was cracking and getting pretty beat up.


Rebuild in the next Post.

[xwaz]

Body rebuild on the JK Portal.

Stripped down the body of all the piece that weren't glued on.



Chop Chop



Planning Something a little different.






Once the basic shape had been laid out I was pretty excited for how it was all looking.
I used a build that was done by Bruiser Conversion as a reference, they build a 2dr concept that I liked the look of the bed and modeled mine after.





The hardest part was making both sides match!



All finished up, I had a couple other red trucks and wanted to change it up. Dark green it was. This is pretty much the currently rendition of the JK8 Phoenix. It looked so nice when it was all new and pretty!




Out on the trail for the first time with the newest body build.






The JK8 has been driven hard for a few months know and has become one of my favorite trucks.





Over the last couple years of this truck It likely has 300-400 miles on it, through a bunch of different power systems. My current favorite being a Mamba X and Holmes Trailmaster Pro 3800kv and NSDRC 500B (Needs something more) that are in it currently.

[ferp420]

right on the heep bed looks really good

[xwaz]

Originally Posted by ferp420

right on the heep bed looks really good

Thanks! It's been one of my favorite styrene projects to date.

[smog]

Nice job on the bodywork. It's enjoyable to see evidence of rigs getting put through their paces. That roof dent is something...

[xwaz]

Next up was my Portal Bronco, I picked up the kit during the Truck of Fortune last year.



First Look at the body on my TGH Titan Chassis.


Portal Chassis has arrived!


Chassis assembled and body set on to find the positioning of everything at ride height.


I test fit with a rear body post but as you can see above that didn't last to the current status.


I decided to do a dark grey on the truck to let it be nice and simple. It pairs nicely with most colors of wheels.


Here's where things got worse before it got better.
I moved houses, and now had space to build my own hobby room the way I wanted too. I also had a few longer trips during this time so the Bronco didn't get much work.
I also Failed miserably to glue in the windows rear and side windows so I ended up with glue fingerprints all over them. It looked horrible. So bad I contemplated throwing the entire body away, as when I tried to get remove the windows they just broke apart.
I set it aside for a few weeks. Staring at it on occasion to see how I could salvage it before remembering the 2ng gen broncos did in fact have a removable roof. So I cut the roof off and had motivation to finish it.
A week or so later it was done, a basic styrene interior hides all the electronics.
I tested it right outside my work as usual.


Even Skelator is scared of how well the truck actually does.


Slowly added more details and drove it more, driving is harder each time it was out.

[xwaz]

Originally Posted by smog

Nice job on the bodywork. It's enjoyable to see evidence of rigs getting put through their paces. That roof dent is something...

That was the result of a roll off an 8' ledge... I have only seen a couple others dented that badly.

[xwaz]

Swapped out the Wheels and tires a few times. Currently my favorites are these SSD Steelies that I swapped to the Gold/Orange Rings, and the RC4WD Compass 1.9s which are a replica of the Toyo M/T


Added a Boom racing Muscle Winch, Lights and D Rings as well.


I felt like it was missing something on the back so On went a Traxxas Bronco spare tire mount. As you notice I swap wheels and tires like crazy just to test all different renditions. I wasn't a fan of the Canyon Trails on here but I did like the Vanquish XD129s with the Bronze Holy's. The Spare is a Element Gatekeeper Grapper and Method. They are light and I have a set hanging around for Spares.


Lights installed in the body as well. A Light kit for the Traxxas Bronco, which fits this hardbody as well.


SSD Ruggeds with JConcepts Hunks, which are my go to class 2 tire, in my terrain here in Colorado I haven't found a tire that I like more.


I really like this truck and how it drives. It build as a fully kitted out Phoenix Portal. Adjustable Overdrive, Dig, Fusion 2300, Reef 444 BoomRacing Muscle Winch, Lights, Scale bits. The whole nine yards. Its by no means my most capable truck but its always a blast to drive, the metal bumpers sound super realistic scrapping over rocks. The portals provide great clearance so it can pull some fun lines. Or I can just hike along with it all day long.

[xwaz]

My Shortest Lived Phoenix

I had an RTR Phoenix for all of about 3 weeks.
Trucks of Freedom came and went, Vanquish took more of my money and returned me a RTR Phoenix in Red, F10ts and a few other goodies.



A Quick test in my backyard was due.


It joined me on a trip up to South Dakota. Up at the top of a firetower for some crawling.


I brought it out as a spare truck one night during a summer afterwork crawl. where is came in handy after a buddies truck stripped out the servo.
I lent him the RTR with the only change being the addition of my C2 Comp wheels and tires, SSD Rugged, Weighted front, JConcepts Hunks with Dual stages. And that little RTR climbed anything it was pointed at being so light, weighted wheels helps a lot too. The only down side is the stock ESC is very jumpy going down hill.
My buddy enjoyed the truck so much he asked to buy it and after some back and forth I trade him for a roller bomber he had and didn't run anymore.


Aforementioned Bomber after I put in a Hobbywing Brushless System. I had the bomber only for a couple weeks as well, He ended up buying it back since a U4 series started locally and I didn't need 2 bombers.


The RTR got a nice treatment turning into the Chicken Hawk

Before turning into the Farm Truck


Portal and Straight axle Phoenix at the Top of a 5 miles hike. Both trucks are Mamba X and Holmes powered, my JK8 is the 3800kv TrailMaster Pro, The Farm Truck is the 2700 Puller ProS

That is the short lived but still living RTR Story.

[xwaz]

Evo1 Straight Axle

My 3rd Kit build was a Straight axle that I traded a portal for. I love the TOF but I have horrible luck on only getting Portal Phoenix.
Anyways I traded a Portal for a Straight axle and had it sitting on the shelf till I came up with a way I wanted to build it. Which came as wanting to build a faster trailing truck that was less crawler but more speed.
I Wanted it modeled like the EVO1 JKU that Evo MFG raced in the King of Hammer back in 2015-2019 ( I think) as I loved watching Mel Wade race the truck.

I picked up a Red JKU Hardbody because I hate painting lexan more than anything else and I know they can be fitting to work with with the factory front body mount really easily. Like I did on the JK8.
By now I basically can build a Phoenix with no instructions, except the VFD Twin. I have built and rebuild them a dozen times and still have to stare at the instructions for a half hour.



First Test run in my Favorite Spot.


I laid the rear shocks forward mounting them through the Sway Bar hole in the frame and mounting the rear to the link mount to maintain the stock ride height, Its a trick I had used on the JK8 to not have shock towers come through the bed, it gives the Phoenix a bit more flex in the rear and IMO the right amount to make them a lot more stable.
It can be seen here. Its not crazy flex but enough to give the rear a nice boost in travel.


I had a nice Rainy first crawl and left happy with performance but wasn't sure I liked the truck.


I really enjoyed driving the truck and thought it looked great but couldn't bring my self to go full custom on it and lost some interested in it.
I drove it a couple more times.




But decided I wanted to change it up. I figured I had enough JK style trucks, and wanted something different.
I decided to do a Comanche Hard body. My favorite truck is a comanche on a SSD Trail King Pro Chassis and its built as a Jeep Speed style Do EVERYTHING truck and I wanted another Comanche but more Overland style.

[xwaz]

That brings us basically up to date on all Phoenix(s) and the start of my Overland MJ Straight Axle, Still don't have a good name for it.

Like I mentioned I have a Comanche Already, on an SSD Trail King Pro Chassis. Its my Favorite truck without Question. Its been slowly getting built up over the last 2 years, and as it sits has Vanquish F9 Axles, Castle Copperhead Holmes TrailMaster 2700kv, NSDRC RS800V2, RC4WD Winch, Vanquish Falken M/Ts, Dual stage Foams, Gold 105s with Red IFR Rings, All Custom tube work by Me. Its beat on HARD and everything has been upgraded to take it.



But at times I wish It still had the 4.19s I built it on, No cage work and was more of a scale truck.
So I decided I wanted to build another Comanche with a Similar but more stock and Overland style.
Enter the Orange Comanche.


I have been working on it the last few week and am getting close to finishing it up, I plan to bend and weld up a bed Rack to mount a faux Roof Top Tent. It and the Bronco Will both be on Trailer Duty.


I put on some 4.19s, a RC4wd Winch, ditched the Bull Bar. Lowered it.
Its got a Hobbywing 1080, and holmes CrawlMaster 10t, I think I will end up putting OD gears in the front and maybe making the Dig Functional But I am Undecided on that currently.





We are caught Up! Now I can get back to typically updates, hopefully often when things change, trucks get driven ECT.

[xwaz]

The Winter 23 TOF has been ordered and is on the Way. Could this be another Phoenix Portal like all that have come before it?

[twade984]

Man you’ve been busy with your rigs. Thanks for sharing and I’m excited to see what tof brings


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Speedy-Triple]

great thread ... and you got some killer rigs, and most importantly made happen with all phoenixes with all different styles and flavor.

The bronco build while on those SSD beans its my favorite and I also have and SSD TK that needs some love great rig ... hope SSD would do V2, I like their parts and quality.

Your trails look awesome and challenging for the trucks definitely can see they get used and trail tested keep enjoying and having fun with the hobby is the best. Thanks for sharing with pics we all know what they look like but they give more inspiration for building, looking forward updates.

[xwaz]

Originally Posted by twade984

Man you’ve been busy with your rigs. Thanks for sharing and I’m excited to see what tof brings


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks!
Most of these have been over a majority of this year, they tend to be the trucks I tinker with the most.

As much as a pro or Ultra would be rad I would be happy with an RTR so I don't have to build the VFD

[xwaz]

Originally Posted by Speedy-Triple

great thread ... and you got some killer rigs, and most importantly made happen with all phoenixes with all different styles and flavor.

The bronco build while on those SSD beans its my favorite and I also have and SSD TK that needs some love great rig ... hope SSD would do V2, I like their parts and quality.

Your trails look awesome and challenging for the trucks definitely can see they get used and trail tested keep enjoying and having fun with the hobby is the best. Thanks for sharing with pics we all know what they look like but they give more inspiration for building, looking forward updates.

Thanks!
I have a lot of ideas running around in my head and it fun to see just how versatile the VS410 Platform is.
The SSD TK is what I believed was the best value in RC till they killed it. Mine has taken a beating and everything but the axles have likely close to 700 Miles on them with how often I drove the truck. Through 8 scale adventures last year which is kinda our G6 event.

[B-MOW71]

Great looking fleet of rigs!

Can't wait to see what this years TOF brings you. I've been debating on spinnin' that wheel again!

[xwaz]

Originally Posted by B-MOW71

Great looking fleet of rigs!

Can't wait to see what this years TOF brings you. I've been debating on spinnin' that wheel again!

I had to!
My hopes its something good and I won't be tempted to spin again later that's my fear.

[xwaz]

Took the MJ Phoenix out for a test run yesterday, I drove my SSD TK Comanche which is the exact opposite of this truck back to back with it as well as my Capra so dropping down to a 4.19 truck was a blast at the end of the day.
Its still in the detail stage and I didn't wanna beat on it too hard but I was able to get a good feel of how it drives, what it needs and how I want to scale it out.



I think the rear has too much flex, when its all flexed out it starts to look a little off to me.



From the front I think it looks about perfect. I would love to find or make some narrower flares but I can live with it for now.


It drives as I remember the combination of parts did and I was pleasantly surprised at the performance of the truck.