HARDKNOCKZ Baby Mantis Build...Round #2

[HARDKNOCKZ]

Last year in Vegas at the Nationals, Don from BWD asked if I'd run his Baby Mantis prototype. So I stayed up LATE the night before the 1.9 comp building her out. She did OK but a build that fast & an untested rig led to an unpredictable mini.

I started a revised build but after signing up as a Chaotic Crawlers Team Driver, didn't have the time to invest with new 2.2 & 1.9 builds at the beginning of the season.

I told Don when the season started to wind down & I had the time, I'd start another build. That time has come.

Don has sent me some shiny new parts to make this a snazzy build.

Parts list include...
Losi MRC Pro Roller
Losi LCC Rear Steer Kit
Crawler Mafia Contraband 17t motor
Mamba Micro Pro ESC
CC BEC
Hitec 7950
Robitronics Horn
Thunder Power 2s 450 mAh batteries
BWD Baby Mantis Chassis w/ links
BWD Groovy Wheels (don't know whether he's gotta name for these yet or not)
BWD MRC Billet Motor Plate
BWD 380 Motor Spacer
BWD Center Servo Mount
BWD Bomb Proof Link & Shock Mounts
DLux LCC Knuckle Conversion Mount
DLux LCC Knuckle Weight Set
DLux MRC Rear Weight Holders
MIP Drive Shafts
Mini Revo OD Pinion Mod
Junfac Wideners
VP Servo Guard
HB 1.9 Rovers
Crawler Innovations 1.9 Foams
HR Aluminum Trans Gears
Losi Metal Lockers

Im sure Im missing something but thats enough for now. Heres a parts pile.

This build MAY start off slow since I have a stack of painting to get done & a 4 month old Wraith kit thats STILL in pieces but Im looking forward to this little white turd. I could see the potential in Vegas & I think this rigs gonna do well.

 

[EverettY]

Nice I know what you mean when you say that the white looks really Sexy That is awesome! LMK how the DLux Knuckle weights work for you. Do you run 7950 in all your minis?

 

[billet works]

is this lil ankle biter built yet? :mrgreen:

 

[EverettY]

is this lil ankle biter built yet? :mrgreen:

HAHA ya you'd better get it built soon if you are having a build thread on it now OH and BTW soon My MRC will be the sexiest If you don't believe me just ask Don :ror:

 

[papabash]

I'm jealous! Now hurry up and get it built! :mrgreen:

 

[HARDKNOCKZ]

Nice I know what you mean when you say that the white looks really Sexy That is awesome! LMK how the DLux Knuckle weights work for you. Do you run 7950 in all your minis?

Im runnin 7950's in both of my minis simply because thats what I have laying around. I keep a full builds worth of spares for my 2.2 comp rig including servos so when I bumped up to the 7990, I had 2 7950's collecting dust.

is this lil ankle biter built yet? :mrgreen:

Yup. All done. Just pulled a 1st in the 2012 Nats too. Its was AWESOME!

HAHA ya you'd better get it built soon if you are having a build thread on it now OH and BTW soon My MRC will be the sexiest If you don't believe me just ask Don :ror:

We'll see about that young buck.

I'm jealous! Now hurry up and get it built! :mrgreen:

Oh Im sure you could talk Don into cutting loose a Baby Mantis for his #1 Mini driver. You should ask him...that way I can just copy YOUR build.

 

[papabash]

oh im sure you could talk don into cutting loose a baby mantis for his #1 mini driver. You should ask him...that way i can just copy your build.

LOL! I WISH!!!! I've been wanting to try one of these babies for months!

 

[HARDKNOCKZ]

LOL! I WISH!!!! I've been wanting to try one of these babies for months!

I'll put in a good word for you bro.


Hey Don...Papabash is the shizzy! Give him a Baby Mantis to build!!!




Im not sure if he heard me or not but I'll keep trying.

 

[EverettY]

Im runnin 7950's in both of my minis simply because thats what I have laying around. I keep a full builds worth of spares for my 2.2 comp rig including servos so when I bumped up to the 7990, I had 2 7950's collecting dust.

I wish I had 7950's just sitting around

Yup. All done. Just pulled a 1st in the 2012 Nats too. Its was AWESOME!

Nice Job man!


We'll see about that young buck. HAHA you just wait and see ;-)

I'll put in a good word for you bro.


Hey Don...Papabash is the shizzy! Give him a Baby Mantis to build!!!




Im not sure if he heard me or not but I'll keep trying.

:mrgreen:

Put in a word for me too :mrgreen: Actually I want the Mini Thing.....

 

[papabash]

I'll put in a good word for you bro.


Hey Don...Papabash is the shizzy! Give him a Baby Mantis to build!!!




Im not sure if he heard me or not but I'll keep trying.

Thanks JD, maybe he'll hear ya! :ror:

 

[HARDKNOCKZ]

Thanks JD, maybe he'll hear ya! :ror:

I'll give him til the end of the weekend to respond...then I'll blow his phone up. I'll just hand my dumb smart phone to my wife....she's a TURBO TEXTER. You know...the kind that hit you with 19 messages becore you can respond to 1? Yup...that's her. Thumbalin.

 

[papabash]

:lmao:

 

[billet works]

Hmmm, I thought papa was gonna want a cf and ti 4 link baby mantis with a mini PX trans on board.

 

[HARDKNOCKZ]

Hmmm, I thought papa was gonna want a cf and ti 4 link baby mantis with a mini PX trans on board.

OK Pops...I put in a good word for YOU....Now its YOUR turn to put 1 in for ME...Ya lucky dog.

 

[papabash]

Hmmm, I thought papa was gonna want a cf and ti 4 link baby mantis with a mini PX trans on board.

NOW we're talkin'! :mrgreen:

 

[papabash]

OK Pops...I put in a good word for YOU....Now its YOUR turn to put 1 in for ME...Ya lucky dog.

Hey, I drive for BWD, not Chaotic! :lmao:

 

[HARDKNOCKZ]

Hey, I drive for BWD, not Chaotic! :lmao:

Oh yea...I forgot.

Don DEFINITELY makes quality product that is nothing shy of top shelf so Im eager to see whats on the BWD drawing board next. Mayb I'll get lucky & he'll ask me to run a NEW prototype chassis at Nats THIS year.

Once again...the Wraith build's takin a back seat & I've started workin on this pile of parts. I'll grab some pics as I go & try to make this as detailed as possible since I've got some new things I wanna try during this build...so keep yer balls peeled. EYEballs that is.

 

[HARDKNOCKZ]

Well Im workin on this build off & on throughout the day, in between paint drying & chasing my psycho kids around the property. So its gonna be bits & pieces here & there.

I went ahead & mounted up some 1.9 Rovs, stuffed with C.I. single stage soft foams up front & my own 2-stage foam out back. Basically...I took a pair of AKA closed cell shortcourse foams, cut, shut & trimmed em to my liking. Then I grabbed a pair of CI single stage 1.9 foams in medium density, trimmed em nicely & sistered the 2 foams together. This was the same setup I ran at Nats last year in the rear & they felt really good. The fronts were a memory & closed cell combo foam that proved WAY too dense so those got axed.

These BWD Gangsta Spokes are BEYOND easy to build. They have an outer ring that circles the rim to aid in undercuts & sidehills. Excluding the beadlock rings, they're a 2 piece rim. According to Don...it's basically a cost thing but it also allows you to switch faces should the need arise.

Here they are mounted & ready to rock.

 

[EverettY]

Don't you use axles? :lmao: Looks good those are definetly sick rims

 

[Chaotic Crawlers]

Those wheels are sick!!!"thumbsup"

Looking good punkin!

Talk to you soon

Marc