CMAX #3 by new2rocks - D110 expedition with NCYotas

[new2rocks]

As further evidence of how seriously I've taken this summer of CMAX, I offer to you CMAX #3 - the D110 expedition 4-door pickup. I've always loved the look of 110s and almost pulled the trigger a couple of years ago on a hand-made 4-door pickup from someguy that's on here every so often (or more). Shortly after the CMAX chassis was released, I picked up one of the Team Raffee D110 pickups (disclaimer: that was before I decided to stop ordering from certain retailers that openly sell knock-off products), and set the body aside for a future time when I could get around to painting and detailing it.

In the meantime, this build started as many of mine do...in Roo's capable hands:




You might be wondering what the iPad was doing there. I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to test out the step-by-step assembly instructions (with links to GCM videos) that I put together for the GCM section on SBG:
http://scalebuildersguild.com/forum/showthread.php?25184-CMAX-Assembly-Instructions

This is the same kid that had no trouble spotting the mistakes in the SCX10 II kit instructions, so I knew he'd show me no mercy.

Funny story when it came time to mount the motor to the motor plate. Roo was trying to screw the motor into to the plate from above while the step gear was resting on the motor plate, and the step gear fell off onto the table during the process. Here's a transcript of the ensuing conversation:

Me: "Roo, it's easier if you take the step gear off to screw in the motor, and then put the step gear back on."
Roo: "But I want to do it this way."
Me: "Roo, trust me, I've done this a few times."
Roo: "Dad, you've done this twice."

Editor's note: Roo's math was correct, as you probably figured out from the title of this thread

Roo: "How many times do you think Mr. Chris has done this?"
Me: "Probably a dozen."
Roo: "That means he knows more about it than you do."

Ouch...the truth hurts. So he got back to work, much more inclined to listen to what Mr. Chris said in the videos than anything I wrote in the instructions or said in the garage.


The good news was that Roo was able to get this to a roller notwithstanding his understandable reluctance to listen to any of my suggestions. And there it sat for a few months until the summer of CMAX arrived.

Motivated to get this running with a finished (or at least mostly finished) body in time for the Fall GCM Adventure Series at Uwharrie, I started scouring the interwebs to find my inspiration. That's when I came across this:




I love the look, the paint job should be fun (and a bit different), and the theme will create some neat opportunities for accessories.

I'm also big on picking the right wheels and tires to complete the look. My expedition D110 needs to look like it means business. For 110s, I've always liked these flat, 5-spoke wheels:




So I had my muse and, thanks to Roo, a chassis and drivetrain ready to go. It was time for me to get to work.

 

[new2rocks]

Before I get to the body, let's go over some details of this particular setup on the CMAX. Here's the big picture from above:


And below:


Let's start with the axles, since this is the first time I've used our coil-sprung NCYotas on a CMAX:




The width (170mm pin-to-pin) is spot on for the Raffee Defender bodies, as you'll see once I show the body mounted.

In the process of setting up the suspension, I discovered one small adjustment that we needed to make. The standard shock mounting position on the axle, which is just above the lower link mount, set the ride height higher than I wanted with this body:


I needed either to put internal limiters in the shocks (not my preference) or mount the shocks to the outside of the lower link mounts instead of the shock mount above. With our original model, the shock mount got in the way of mounting the shock to the outside of the lower link mount, so I whipped out the Dremel and got rid of the shock mounts.

Before:


After:


Mounted up:


Ride height is now perfect. After that discovery, we moved the shock mount inward enough on our housing model so the shock can be mounted in either location without having to remove the shock mount.

One other suspension setup note. SCX10 springs were far too long for this setup, so I needed a shorter alternative. After rummaging through my shock parts bin, I came across what I think are springs from either 90mm or 100mm RC4WD RRD Emulsion shocks. The length is perfect (there is still some tension on the spring when the shocks are fully extended, which prevents the springs from falling out), and from what I can tell during mock-ups, the spring rate should work out well.

The next update will be on the body mounts, followed by updates on the body itself.

 

[new2rocks]

Let's talk body mounts. The GCM CMAX body mount setup for the Raffee D110 body is similar to the CMAX mounts for other bodies like the Hilux/Mojave and Blazer, but with a few important differences. Let's start with what's similar...the basic package of side trays and a center electronics tray:


But unlike the side trays for the Hilux/Mojave and Blazer, there is no room for electronics on these side trays because of the really full (as opposed to only mostly full) depth interior:


Oops...I did it again. I'm such a tease. Please don't tell anyone about those floor mats. Needs to be a secret for now.

Back to the body mounts. Fortunately, the center electronics tray is more than big enough for a battery (like my favorite all-purpose pack, the Helios 3500 3S) plus electronics:


And this battery tray has a neat little trick:




Trap doors FTW!

Since the side trays aren't strong enough to support the entire body, GCM has incorporated structural support for the body into front and rear bumpers, also available through GCM's Shapeways store:




To make everything fit, a couple of small mods to the floor pan are necessary. First up are a notches in the front seat footwells to make room for the chassis rails:






These will get covered with those floor mats (oops...did it again ).

The other mod involves making room for the chassis rails behind the front seats. GCM makes a nifty little part that provides the necessary clearance underneath and looks like cupholders from above:




"Yay cupholders!" says this proud minivan owner. The more the merrier!

 

[new2rocks]

With all of that taken care of, there was just one more body mounting detail to attend to. Screws. As in, I don't like to see screws from the outside (probably because it's a reminder of how many loose screws I've left hidden inside, but that's a different story). So I went to the well with my captured rocker panel screws, and it worked very well with this setup. Here are some pix to tell the story:





Some puttying/sanding on the outside:





And it's like they were never there. The side trays need little notches to make room for the nuts to clear, plus opening up the hole a little bit so the M3 screws can slide in and out:



I'll hit that with a little black marker before it all goes together and it will all but disappear. That pretty much takes care of the body mounting, which means it was on to the body itself.

It's been an interesting journey with this one. There are some things I really like (proportions and details), but there are also some head-scratchers and frustrations. Bodies take me a long time, and I tend to make lots of mistakes as I go. Fortunately, I've become pretty good at salvaging mess-ups, and this one put me to the test in part due to some mistakes I made and in part due to some things completely beyond my control.

Let's start with an overview/review of the body itself. The level of detail in this body is fantastic, and I love that it comes with opening doors, hood and tailgate straight out of the box. But there are some issues. First, there are visible mold plug remnants all over the body, in places that would be highly visible. The window frames are just one example:



It's nothing that some puttying and sand won't take care of, but I found myself having to do more of this type of prep on this body than any body I've done in recent memory.

My example also had a very noticeable defect in the cab back:





Unfortunately, when I contacted AsiaTees about the issue, they refused to do anything about it because it had been more than two weeks since I received the body (even though it's quite obviously a manufacturing defect given that the part is untouched). I even offered to pay for another cab back piece, but they wouldn't help at all. Since I purchased this body several months ago, I've since found other reasons not to buy from ATees (the aforementioned I.P. issues), but this was disappointing given their push to become a leading international retailer. So on I went, and after a lot of puttying and sanding, I was able to get it to disappear for the most part.

Another head-scratcher to someone who hates seeing screws from outside the body was the decision to use screws through the C-pillar to secure the roof/cab back section to the main body piece:
Click image for larger version.



These particular screws wouldn't recess enough just to putty over, so I had to whip out the Dremel to grind them down before puttying. It would have been so much nicer if this piece simply screwed in from the inside or underneath the front of the bed.

Another issue not of my making came from the Tamiya paint. I've generally had very good luck with their rattle cans, but the Light Gun Metal was different. I came across a few bottles with almost no metallic flake, as well as pretty wide color variations from bottle to bottle:



One other thing that became a bit of an issue when assembling the body was the need to drill out many of the screw holes:



Once you realize that most all of them need to be drilled out, it's easy enough to do. Just be careful not to strip out a hole trying to force a screw in.

And then there were the mistakes of my making, like this one:



Fortunately, that one gets completely hidden by the fender flare.

The thing that bothers me the most about the body, though, is the softness of the plastic. At this point, I have built multiple TF2s, RC4WD D90s, a Cruiser, a few Tamiya hard bodies (Pajero, Sand Scorcher, etc.), an XJ...you get the picture. This has to be the softest plastic of all of them. Which means that it scratches very easily, and primer/paint adhesion seems to be more of an issue on this body than any of the others I've built. Ultimately, I think the pros outweigh the cons, but I expect more from a premium-priced body these days. And if you're considering one, just go into it with open eyes (and be sure to give it a thorough scuff sanding before you start with the primer).