Bronco Concept

[Member Fourth Protocol Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

I’ve been working on a Bronco Concept for a while but held off on a build thread here because I wasn’t going to embarrass myself, given that this is my first go at styrene, and the skillz that frequent ScaleRC. Here’s what I’m trying to re-create:

It’s a concept first released in 2004 but as far as I can tell never made it into production. I think I can actually finish this build so for better or worse, this is what I’ve done so far –

The truck will run on a short Ascender chassis (278mm wheelbase). I’ve got the GCM Combo Kit to move the engine to the front, but have yet to make the mod.

I like the details, so I started with the raised lettering for the grill and boot door.

Here’s the grill so far (not glued down yet).

Some miss-trials later I eventually made a workable start on the body.

Some early work on the bonnet.

Fully functional (and removable) doors. Toying with the idea of windows that wind up and down, but that might be biting off more than I’m willing to chew on my first scratch build.

A-pillars are a work-in-progress (needs loads more work in the corners for the curved sides of the roof).

And ready for a windshield.

I’ve started work on the door sills, and after they’re done (and the door insides), I’m going to get the motor moved to the front of the chassis and start a test fit. Have also just placed an order for 1.55 wheels and tyres with RCBitz (the Ascender 1.9s are way too large). More to come.

[Member Neil Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Great work so far, doors are ace. First styrene build! I can see a lot more coming if you keep this level of work up ::thumpsup::

[Member Bill Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Yeh that’s darn good looking, and hard to believe it’s your first attempt

[Member jimbo_wa Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Damn that’s good!

Looking forward to the finished shell :worthy:

[Member grubbybuz Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Er wow :jawdrop: incredible first attempt,most impressive

[Member Oh How Original Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

That’s looking very very good indeed!
Can’t wait to see more progress.

[Member Al murray Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

An interesting subject and build indeed..

curious, how do you do your plans? have you drawn and measured this all out on paper first and work from that or are you just going by eye as it were? i like how you have used strengthening webs everywhere rather than going for thicker plasticard.. again, is that through limited plasticard size availability or is it intentional?

I will be keeping an eye on this one..

Al..

[Member steviedee Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

looking frikkin awesome pal. top work ::thumpsup:: ::drool::

[Member Fourth Protocol Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Al murray wrote:

…curious, how do you do your plans…

You’re having me hang out my dirty laundry :blush: If you do an image search for the truck you’ll find front, side and rear view photographs (there are individual images of each view available at higher res). They’re what I’m basing this on.

I imported each one into a Microsoft Visio drawing, and drew lines and circles over the photos where I needed measurements. The trick was to create a line that prints at exactly 278mm long. Once I had that, I resized the side view to place the hubs in the photos over the ends of the line. And then I resized the front and rear views to align with the side view. It’s close enough for what really amounts to one big experiment in styrene for me.

These are the line drawings I made, which should print at exactly the right size:

Wheelbase

Front

Side

Rear

The back view is sparse, because all I’ve worked on there is the tailgate. It’ll probably fill out as I find myself needing more measurements (guesstimates). The drawings have evolved with the build. Oh, the Visio drawing, which contains a page with the photos super-imposed, is here.

Al murray wrote:

is that through limited plasticard size availability or is it intentional

I don’t really have an answer for you. I did it like that because it seemed the best way to do it. I intentionally strengthened the top of the windshield for obvious reasons, but to also make sure it doesn’t droop/bow downwards. Other than that I’ve just been winging it.

Also, all the lines on that truck that are seemingly lines, aren’t. The front and rear have a very subtle horizontal curvature; the window sills and bonnet curve down ever so slightly at the ends; and so on. I’ve chosen the easy route and made all curves into straight lines. Because I’m struggling enough with this thing… :S

There are some other minor inaccuracies, for example the door hinges are a fair bit bigger in my model, because at scale they were just to fiddly to get right.

[Moderator damohick Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Top work mate, this looks like a very special build and is quite unique!

[Member Fourth Protocol Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Back from France and the Bronco’s new wheels and tyres were waiting for me. Delivery was only scheduled for next week Tuesday. No idea who the crazy party people are at RCBitz, but they always seem to under-promise and over-deliver. Wish more people could pull that off.

The 1.99s on the Ascender are way too big for this build, so using the size guide on RCCrawler.com I decided on 1.55 Rock Crusher X/Ts from RC4WD. They look a bit small but then my shell doesn’t have wheel arches yet. I liked the wheels because I can paint the red bit to match whatever I end up using for the shell. Anyways, here’s old (big) v. new (small)…

The problem however is that they rub against whatever that plastic thing on the inside of the wheel is called :S

Is there a way to offset them, or am I looking at new wheels with an appropriate in-built offset? The back wheels are fine, there’s just the axle which clears.

[Edit]

Removed the wheels, and unsurprisingly there are score marks where the wheels touch. I could just file that out to make room for the wheel, but worry what that does to the integrity/strength of the plastic. Any offset will widen the track, so filing the plastic down is not an unattractive option…

[Member Bill Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Shame about that offset. You could just pop a normal washer on the outside face of the hex to space the wheel out a bit, just to keep you going.
The actual bead on those wheels looks thick, wheel choice might be something else. I only say this as if you say put wider hexs on your wheels might stick out too far, then again they might not and a wider hex might simply do it.

[Member Fourth Protocol Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Thanks. I’m going to try those options and see how I get on. Means I have to do that engine move tomorrow so I can see it looks with the body shell on it.

[Member Fourth Protocol Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Postponed the wheel dilemma by ordering a set of 1.9 BFG M/Ts (I think RC4WD call them mud thrashers). They’re only a little larger than the 1.55s and given that the Ascender’s shock towers constrain the ride hight anyway that may be a good thing. So, today:

Overslept this morning (spectacularly), missed the LSTR meet, so spent a second day :blink: on one of the doors. Difficult to see, but there’s a groove in the top for the window.

The inside was tricky, because of the door frame and sills. I’ve not covered the edges on the left and bottom because I’m waiting for better magnets – the little 3mm x 1mm ones I have aren’t quite up to the job. Going to do the other door before starting on the insides of the doors.

And on the body.

I finally understand why hardly anybody bothers with opening doors. Getting everything aligned (and keeping things aligned when the door is both open and closed is painstaking work. I’m leaving working window winders for another build.

[Member Fourth Protocol Scale Off Road Pro★★★★★★]

Thought if I’m going to worry about wheels and tyres I’d better get the body mounts done. Just made up the front one, back one’s next. I’m re-using the stock body mounts, which mean I get to do a body lift whenever I feel like it The bonnet covers it nicely.

The Ascender’s 4.5″ IROKs make for a good monster truck look, but they don’t turn in the wheel wells with the body at that height, even though they clear the arches at full articulation. The RC4WD Mud Thrashers (3.85″) should arrive tomorrow or the day after, and will be about right, I hope.

Also got the engine plate moved up front, and the transfer case installed in the middle using the GCM kit. It’s expensive, but my metal-work skillz don’t match some people’s, who construct their own :blush:

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