Buxom Melons: Class 2 VW Beetle

[johnnyh66]

1/6/13
Took the new body for a mud run!

update: 11/05/12
2012 Winter Season opening day... Classs 2 Buxom Melons runs against Class 3 rigs and wins first place!

update: 9/22/12
tekin pro4 3300 vs hh 14t puller... poor Melons
Holmes 14t Puller vs Tekin Pro4 - YouTube


update: 7/11/12
Melons is feeling dialed in again. "thumbsup"
The day after this video, I dropped the pinion down to a 10t from 11t and started on an interior.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KdYSVD-ufNI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

update: 6/17/12
Buxom Melons is back baby!
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wCJXl_CM71Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

update: 5/29/12
Class 2 Buxom Melons!

update: 03/26/12
!!!!!WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!
BUXOM MELONS brings it home baby.

With her 5th straight Class 3 win she passed the leader for the series win!
Now it's time to swap out the Summit trans for an Axial with dig!

WOOOHOOO!!! Buxom Melons takes 1st place 4th comp in a row!!! (even after this nasty roll :mrgreen

update 2/26/12: 3rd Class 3 win in a row!

update 12/20/11: Polar G6 Series

update 10/23/11

update 9/25/11

Update on page 6: 8/29/11
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/br-YyWK4xOU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Part 2:
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-ewgkjnKHIg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And a compilation of roll overs :mrgreen:
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vm9hj7QN3SI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Update on page 4: 7/18/11

original thread
I've been working on this scx 10 for a few months now.
Almost everything was bought used from rcc or ebay.

It currently has:
scx 10
Traxxas VXL esc and motor
Traxxas Summit 2 speed trans w/Jason's mount
Traxxas 5 channel rx/tx
Traxxas steering servo
Proline roof rack
Proline light bar and slash front bumper buckets
Ramtech LED's
Tamiya Hilux roll bar with light bar
RC4WD 2.2 steel wheels
RC4WD 2.2 mud slingers
DH Fabrication front hilux stinger bumper
RC Bros servo mount
and Maxx shafts

I'm talking with DH F about making me some custom baja style sliders and a rear faux motor cage/bumper with exhaust pipe.

I bought the 2.2's because I wanted to run the RC4WD Dune X/T's for trails and one of the larger 1.9's for crawling but I'm kinda digging the 2.2 Mud Slingers.
They're a little tall and rub the fenders at full suspension extension. The stock 1.9 Flat Irons fit about perfect, they go up into the fenders!

Update:
Wheels
Tires
Stinger
Light bar and roof rack

 

[johnnyh66]

I know, the rear tires are on backwards

 

[BOB8789]

Awesome idea! I saw one of those bodies on proline's website and wondered how it would look on an scx10. I have to say it looks good! Are you going to put some paddle tires on?

 

[johnnyh66]

I did a lot of measuring and comparing other bodies (on different trucks on RCC) and finally decided that the wheel base was close enough, well the Dingo wb.

I was looking at paddle tires on rc4wd... maybe this summer to chase the dog around the beach!

 

[2500hdon37s]

take the plastic rock sliders off, add paddles, and paint that bad larry and it will be titties!

-coming from somebody who hates bugs!:shock:

 

[NEW YORK BOY]

this is a 1st!

 

[johnnyh66]

I'm talking to DH Fabrication to make me some sliders kinda like this.

Monster Beetle?

 

[foproy]

if you want to get realy crazy with it, you could do something of this flavor.

 

[foproy]

i saw that too, but i like the pickup bed of the 845 better.

 

[skullking]

I recently got one of these for my Crawler King...fits that too like a glove. Surprised more guys are not using this body

 

[joe-oh]

Sweet!!!!!!!! I love this idea. I think it's great to see different combos used. Check out the my thread on the team losi comp crawler thread-not your average LNC. I put a rubicon body on a crawler. The bug would have been better!

 

[johnnyh66]

skullking, there's a few really nice scale bug builds on here. A few months ago some posted "why no bug bodies?" and got about 20 different builds posted up... great thread. How far are you going to take yours?

joe-oh, it's never to late "thumbsup"

I bought some liquid mask today and the directions say to spray it. The forum says spray is best but it can be heavily painted on, if it's painted on to thin it won't come off :shock:... this should be interesting.

I'm going to try and get my head/tail light mounts made today... I want to finnish the body. I think I'll give the maxx yolks a shot today too... last step before it's a runner :twisted:

I am worried that I'm going to swap out the vxl as soon as I run it though. I really want a drag break. I like the vxl because it can run brushless and brushed. I wanted to be able to swap out motors in the field. It programs super easy and it takes about 2 mins. to swap a motor with the Summit trans motor mount.

 

[SPLATT]

Monster Beetle?

Oh wow it's the Ash Kicker Beetle. I haven't seen that car in over 20 years.

Steve

 

[johnnyh66]

Steve, that's really cool you know the name! I just ran a search. It was built by Francis Lucero in Washington State. Aparently made a few apearinces at the Bandimere Bug-In in Denver and hasn't been seen since the 90's... from what I gather.

I made some progress today.

I got my 2 maxx yolks drill out. Still need to cut off the shaft mounts on the axial ones... do you use the metal or plastic yolks? Anyone know if I can use a good electric dremel to cut through the metal ones? The black carbon disk says it can cut metal but I haven't tried it yet.

I drilled out the tamiya light buckets and made sure the LED's fit.
And got the Tamiya light bar mounted on the Proline lightbar mounts. That was nerve racking... I had to drill out the side of the bar and it seems like the plastic is pretty britle. I wanted to go up to a M3 srew but kept it at M2. Now the head of the screw fits through the proline mount. I'm gonna fill the holes with epoxy I think.

I figgured out the head light and tail light mounts. I'll need to paint the body before I install them because they'll be permanent.

Also cut out the rest of the body, I still need to sand down the edges.

It's coming together :twisted:

 

[SPLATT]

Steve, that's really cool you know the name! I just ran a search. It was built by Francis Lucero in Washington State. Aparently made a few apearinces at the Bandimere Bug-In in Denver and hasn't been seen since the 90's... from what I gather.

I used to see it at car shows and monster truck shows in the Seattle area from about 1985ish till about 1990ish. The name was from the fact that the murals on it were of Mt St Helens blowing it's top and supposedly it had ash from the eruption mixed in the paint. From what I vaguely remember it was all VW based and had some good sized gear boxes off the ends of each trialing arm so the builder could get the height for the size tires he's running and probably more gear reduction to turn them.

Steve

 

[johnnyh66]

Last night I put the body back on for the first time since I finished trimming it. There's hardly any fender rub, I couldn't believe it! I'll get some pics tomorrow morning.

I'm mailing the body to DH Fabrication tomorrow so he can start wok on my sliders and bumper.

Today I bought a used Mamba Max, I really want drag brake "thumbsup"

 

[th67ss]

That's going to be a sharp looking bug"thumbsup""thumbsup""thumbsup"

 

[johnnyh66]

The body is in the mail!

thSS67, I can't wait to get the sliders and bumper! I think they're gonna look tough :twisted:

 

[johnnyh66]

It's a runner!
I just took it out on 2s, it was pretty quick in high gear and had good torque in low gear... it can pull the front wheels off the ground in both. Before I went outside it climbed a pretty steep couch cushion :roll:
I'm charging a 3s right now. I'm going to see how steep it can climb up some plywood... and how fast it'll go :twisted:
The summit trans has a lot of slop in it.

I really liked the mud slinger, they hook up really good in the driveway and back yard... nothing serious to test them on yet.
They are really tall and with the monster size trans and motor sitting so high up it want's to roll, I took a lot of turns on 2 wheels in the backyard "thumbsup"

I'll post back after the 3s run!

 

[johnnyh66]

I took it out yesterday and ran it hard for the first time. It handled much better then I expected at high speeds over pretty rough ground. I thought between the tall 2.2 Mud Slinger and Jasons Summit trans mount this thing would be rolling all the time. It really did a great job at staying on all 4 wheels. I was running it pretty hard too. I ended up stripping the servo horn screw out of the servo when I flipped end over end 40' down a hill side. It was a blast :twisted: