1/10 Scale VX RC-Crawler

[JoFotoz]

Yea..it worked out pretty well I think.

I blacked out the rear side windows on the ORW...
cause I really like the panel van look on the model.

But HOLLY *^%$ ... from bad rear vis..to none.

So that idea was shelved for full scale!!

jo

[Scott Larson]

Holy crap Zeus, I've been into RC for years; if that's your first attempt, I'm doomed!!
Nice fricken work...Keep the pics comin'!

[nfpgasmask]

Dude, this is going to be awesome. I need to find a 1/10 scale VehiCROSS. Do you recall what make it was?

You totally need to do some awesome forced perspective wheeling vids. And you need to paint it just like Zeus, and find a 1/10 scale Menace to ride shotgun.

Edit: maybe this one?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-1-2-hard-p...item2ec71aa7a6

Bart

[ZEUS]

Holy crap Zeus, I've been into RC for years; if that's your first attempt, I'm doomed!!
Nice fricken work...Keep the pics comin'!

Thanks, Scott! It is not my first foray into RC but this is my first "scale" build. I have some other crawler projects but only one that is actually working... typical.

Dude, this is going to be awesome. I need to find a 1/10 scale VehiCROSS. Do you recall what make it was?

You totally need to do some awesome forced perspective wheeling vids. And you need to paint it just like Zeus, and find a 1/10 scale Menace to ride shotgun.

Edit: maybe this one?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-1-2-hard-p...item2ec71aa7a6

Bart

HA! I've been looking at all those scale items, Bart. I thought about recreating Zeus, but when I decided against a chassis with IFS, (since I already had a usable solid axle chassis). That prompted some thinking about what I want this thing to look like. Scale builds look best when you add more & more detail yet black hides detail so I think black (gloss/satin/textured) is out. It crossed my mind to recreate, Jo's VX... but he already did! I think recreating Ldub's VX would be the most ambitious route to take with an IFS chassis... so much detail with all those stickers & skulls! Buffy's VX would be a great route to take with a solid axle but I don't want to cut up the body (I may try to get it scanned & printed some day). Soo... I may go Proton! It's fitting as it's bright & an iconic VX color.

I have no idea what brand this may be. I have seen other people's pics of this toy on vx.info before tho.

[ZEUS]

Got the Mickey Thompson Claws mounted up on the temp rims! Fondled the winch... (the most action I get. ) Modified the driveshafts to fit the short wheelbase so the drivetrain is all hooked up which means I've got myself a roller!

The body is not mounted yet tho; just placed there:
POSER!




I cut out an opening for the winch - it is just taped in right now. Notice in this pic the pencil lines above the front bumper cladding. I need to move the cladding seam to this location to be more accurate:


So 37" tires on essentially 20" rims. The rims will be swapped out at some point as they are not scale enough. Otherwise...
I don't like the shape of the headlights - too boxy.
Front bumper cladding looks pug-nosed.
Front bumper cladding seam is too low.
C-Pillar is shaped wrong.
Tailights are too big & squared off.
Hood line at windshield is wrong.
Mirrors look goofy.
Rear window is mis-shaped.
Door seam shapes are not accurate enough.
Fangs need some pizazz.
Gas filler door needs more detail.
Rockers need filler.

I also noticed it has JDM windshield wipers - on the opposite side than US.

Sooo.... I will be reworking the body to better resemble a VX. This will take quite some time but I feel it is worth it in order to create a nicely detailed & more accurate mold... Yup, I plan to make a slush mold of this reworked body & it's parts! One scale VX is just not enough! I hope to make at least 5 copies but it is not all that cheap due to the materials. I don't want a mis-shaped lexan body; I want a hard shell with detail. Add chassis, electronics, & parts - this is a $500 toy! But a very cool toy! If (when) there is a poor copy, if the doors end up usable enough to cut & graft, I could make a VX-4. If a copy ends up with a thin or warped roof, bam, VX-02 under way.

Here is what I think I am going to follow (Dub, you especially, should check out the woodwork at the start of this thread):
Slush_Mold
So wish me luck - I either finish or I don't.

[Ldub]

Look'n GREAT Bro, & thanx for the link...that feller has MAD molding skills!!!

A VERY interesting & informative read (all 27 pages)

FWIW, changing the cladding line @ the front of the hood will fubar the flow of that line on the other side (outermost) of the headlight(s)...will it not?

Just say'n...

Keep up the good work!!!...

[Ldub]

Oh...as a testament to your mad modeling skillz, I show'd Patricia the most recent pics, & she thought it was a REAL VX!...until I pointed out your couch inna background...

Of course, she was across the room...& NOT wearing her glasses...but still...

[evillecutter]

want.

[ZEUS]

FWIW, changing the cladding line @ the front of the hood will fubar the flow of that line on the other side (outermost) of the headlight(s)...will it not?

Just say'n...

Keep up the good work!!!...

Thanks, Dub! You are right, but if you look really closely you can see I penciled in a line where you are talking about. You can really only see a sliver of that line at the edge of the light but it curves back to the cladding joint.

I was in talks with this guy who I wanted to help me with improving the shapes on this shell but for some reason he was not interested. He said he didn't want to be liable for such a rare piece! That's soo VehiCROSS!

He has a whole scale shop:

[ZEUS]

Oh...as a testament to your mad modeling skillz, I show'd Patricia the most recent pics, & she thought it was a REAL VX!...until I pointed out your couch inna background...

Of course, she was across the room...& NOT wearing her glasses...but still...

HAHA Tell TLMP hello for me!

[nfpgasmask]

J-dog, looks awesome! I've used that Smooth-On stuff before, good product. Back in the day, some friends of mine were heavy into garage kits (resin monster models). They were making recasts and stuff using this product and it really works.

Bart

[ZEUS]

Thanks, Bart. I have some love for those garage kits too - there are some really bizarre ones out there tho! Key The Metal Idol - I could never find that one, but it's my fave!

[ZEUS]

Well, I have made some tiny (get it?) progress. Then again, research is progress, it's just never seen with the eye.

Just for entertainment sake - here is my collection of RC crawler projects:
From right to left -
Wheely King base - Chassis was CAD modeled, built, & brazed by me - It works & is fun!
Axial AX10 - All green aluminum - I call it Mary Jane, The Cannibis Crawler. It just sits around.
Kyosho Mad Force base - drill motor with 2-speed trans - work in progress.
(Behind VX) CEN Genesis-based axle parts inside custom-machined chunks designed by me - the project got too expensive to continue... for now.
THE VX!!! TLT axles, Stampede trans, K2-S Chassis... for mock up only


I ordered new wheels (which are the most inset beadlocks available) because they have been discontinued - you can see they still stick out with these TLT axles. They are RC4WD Enduros, based off KMC Enduros. I think they look great with the MT Claws! Notice the raised front bumper cladding edge I carved in last night...


You can see in this pic why I am trying to improve the geometry of the shell to better match a 1:1 VX. Lots of carving & filling to do but the carving is coming along pretty well, I think.


I picked up some Bondo filler & some Shoe Goo today. I've only had slow & steady progress over the last week, so that's it for now...

[nfpgasmask]

It works & is fun!

I can vouch for that!

It looks good. I wonder if the VX shell could be scanned and 3d printed? Might have some (c) issues tho...but then again, it isn't exactly a VX.

I still think some sort of mold would be best, but I think those things are most likely injection molded, and I was thinking about Smooth-On again, and how it is commonly used for resin model kits, I wonder how it would work with a thinner shell like this...

Bart

[ZEUS]

I actually talked to a guy about the 3D scan & print - $5,000!
I laughed & said I am looking for something more realistic... so a slush mold it is like the process in that link I added a couple posts ago. As I was telling you yesterday I would prefer a black material as to white because if the cladding gets marred on the trail there would be some realism with black scuffs under some sprayed-on rubberized undercoating or plasti dip. Plus the cladding could just be sanded to make it look faded if someone wanted to do a Mad Max VX!

So far, I get the 1st body, Bart gets the 2nd, Jo gets the 3rd... assuming I actually get thru this with some good copies...