A Tale of Two F Series Pickups

[LEV8]

The goal is to create a very detailed and scale accurate RC model. In the end, I didn't quite make it but this is my first attempt so maybe I'll do better in the future.

Anyway, since my Bambu Labs P1S 3D printer arrived last fall (my first printer), I'd been searching for a suitable first project when I happened upon a video from a model builder that introduced me to Andrey Bezrodny's incredible car and truck creations that he sells on Cgtrader and Cults3D:

View All 3D Print Files And Models by Andrey-Bezrodny | CGTrader

Browsing Andrey's catalog, I landed upon this '70 Ford F100 pickup and I've eventually built two of them – using the cab and interior to also build an F350 dually.

F-100 1970 | 3D Print Model

Here's one of Andrey's CAD renderings:

His models aren't designed for RC so mods are needed to install mechanicals and electronics. The builds required a few months to complete and there were many steps but I'll attempt to summarize them here for anyone who might be interested. Actually, there's nothing ground breaking here. The forums are full of similar projects.

Except for motor plate, springs, windows and tires, all parts were printed from Bambu Labs ABS filament.

Next, chapter 1: Chassis and Suspension

 

[LEV8]

While Andrey's cab, bed and interior are highly detailed and at least appear to be very accurate, his chassis and suspension seem a bit generic so I decided to design them myself. For reference, original Ford engineering drawings were pulled from FORDification.com:

Ford pickups from this era used leaf springs in the rear and coil spring “Twin I-beam” front suspension:

The Rx and ESC reside under the bench seat and the battery probably could go there as well but gaining access would require removal of the body so I decided to locate it behind the rear axle where the spare tire normally hangs. A tray, disguised as a gas tank, holds the battery. It hinges from the front and snaps closed.

Otherwise, I've tried to keep the rest of the chassis and suspension designs very close to the full scale truck. Most of it is assembled with M2 and M3 and a few #0-80 screws.

Next, chapter 2: Engine and Transmission.

 

[LEV8]

Like his chassis, Andrey's engine and transmission aren't quite as faithful to the originals as I'd like so I found these on Cults3D:

Ford 390 FE: 1/24 Scale Ford Big Block (FE) V8 Stock Base Engine
C6 transmission: 1/24 Scale Ford C6 Automatic Transmission

I've modified the stl's to accept a Tamiya 380 series motor (just barely fits within the engine block) and a planetary gear reduction unit borrowed from a stepper motor from ebay:
MOONS 2-phase 4-wire Mini Stepper Motor 22mm Metal Planetary Gearbox Gear Motor | eBay

The GRU arrives as a 3-stage unit (45.2:1 ratio) but I've cut it down to a single stage (3.56:1). With 14t/28t motor pinion/spur gear and the 2.67:1 rear axle ratio, the FDR is around 19:1. Good for a trail truck.

Next, chapter 3: Cab, Bed and Interior

 

[LEV8]

Work began on this project last December (2024), carving the cab and bed into separate panels (fenders, doors, roof, back, bed sides, floor, tail gate, etc.) so each part could be oriented on the build plate to control layer direction making the lines easier to sand away while preserving body lines and other details. Also, most of the panels required added supports for printing. For example, here's a bed side:

The panels required lots of sanding and fitting before gluing them back together:

… then filler, primer and paint:

The interior needed only minor modifications. The floor was re-shaped and bench seat hollowed to create space for Rx and ESC. A brake, accelerator and e-brake pedals, a mirror and sun visors were added.

Next, chapter 4: Final details and the finished truck

 

[LEV8]

So, here's the finished F100 pickup. The headlights, tail lights and signals are lighted.

Next, chapter 5: F350 Dually

 

[89Industries]

Nice work! And a lot of it too.

I was going to suggest that Proline (I think) makes a front suspension kit that mimics the old Ford scissor link or whatever they called it but your creation is far too accurate to the original to use it.

 

[LEV8]

The F350's chassis is the same except WB is longer (134.8" vs. 114.8") and the dually rear axle is narrower.

Reference photos:
No Reserve: 1969 Ford F-350 Flatbed Dually 4-Speed

And, the finished truck:

Planks for the bed were cut from SYP and poplar scraps.

This project has taken about 7 months to complete and I've learned a lot along the way.

Anyway, I've enjoyed the journey and maybe the next one will be even better.

 

[Speedy-Triple]

build looks great ... the undercarriage is incredible.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Incredible builds! Thanks for sharing.

 

[LEV8]

Nice work! And a lot of it too.

I was going to suggest that Proline (I think) makes a front suspension kit that mimics the old Ford scissor link or whatever they called it but your creation is far too accurate to the original to use it.

Hey, thanks so much!

Yeah, Pro-Line makes the kit and it's not inexpensive.
Pro-Line Racing 1/10 Twin I-Beam 2WD Pre-Runner Suspension Conversion Kit SCX10 I/II | Pro-Line

Still, it looks cool especially on a trophy truck.

 

[LEV8]

build looks great ... the undercarriage is incredible.

Thank you sir.

It was important to me that the chassis and suspension be accurate.
I spent much of my youth back in the '60's building model cars (and trucks, semi's, planes and even a few tractors) before moving to RC in the 1970's. Now, I want to blend static models with RC to create very detailed models that can be driven.