View Full Version : A couple works in progress


grungerockjeepe
05-08-2008, 01:53 AM
Here're 2 slots that Im getting together right now. Lately Ive been on kind of a rat rod thing so the primer is gonna stick on both of these. 1st up is the chevy stepside:

This started out as a command control with worn chrome, a bent window post and missing grille--in other words ripe for some tweakage. After a full chrome stripping, repair of the window post with Testors, and a full sanding with 400-grit I then laid down the initial coat of red oxide primer.

Id been working on perfecting an HP-2 with the traction magnets removed and a set of AFX mags swapped in using a tomy turbo rear end. Ive also been toying around with a few that I installed copper desoldering braids in place of the stock pickup skis. Trouble is, the braids bring on a TON of power since its a direct electrical path right to the brush barrels making it a real handful to drive...and that was AFTER I put in a detuned motor using the motor block and weaker motor magnets of an HP-7 along with a gold wire armature from an Ideal slotted car. So it needs to be weighted down a bit to make it stay put when running it hard. The rear tires are from Wierd Jack and give just that right balance of grip vs slide. The front tires are O-rings. In order to keep the front axle from shorting out against the braids, I cut down some styrene tubing into sleeves.

I saw a hotwheels custom '69 chevy pickup and grabbed it since I liked the smoothed grille with hidden headlites. But it left a lot fo empty space in the tyco's front end. So I lopped off the whole grill shell and bumper since it was a quick and dirty way to a little weight. I had to chop off the top part to get the right fit, and do a little cutting and on the grille shell so the lines of the 2 trucks will blend. I had one of the weights from the rear bumper of a command control car laying around and chopped it in half, and super glued it against the bulkhead in front of the rear axle.

I just gotta strip the rest of the paint off that grille shell and then JB weld it to the front end of the truck then lay in a fresh coat of primer. I also need to fill the holes from the missing rollbar since I used it to replace one from a stocker. But when its done, it'll be SWEET!

grungerockjeepe
05-08-2008, 02:05 AM
This jeep was done in grey primer and Im not sure exactly how Im going to finish it out. I can leave the top as is, I can add in a matchbox '98 wrangler interior and remove the door windows, or I can use that interior, lop off the top and add in the rollbar from the '98 also. Im pretty sure Im going to use a pirated bumper/rally lites from a tyco nissan pickup as Ive done many times before.

This chassis was actually my very first attempt to make a big-tired 4x4. I simply shaved down the sides of the HP-2's front pickup ski retainer so the turbo hopper tires would fit onto the track without rubbing the guard rails and so 2 of them could run side by side. The body mounts are actually made from a couple of the front axle retainers off of JL pullback chassis dremmeled down to fit into the empty areas along side the motor, making a body lift. Yep, this is a LOT better idea for raising the body up onto big tires than Tyco's solution of doing a mold change on the bodys themselves like on the stompers. Most tyco widepan bodies can snap onto this chassis using these, swb, or lwb. Trouble with my 1st version is that the pickups never would quite reach the rails and it got crappy electrical contact. The HP-2s pickups have tabs that can bend down and should have allowed them to drop further. But just when I got to the sweet spot, theyd break right off. Once I figured out how to mount up delsoldering braids for pickups, I knew Id solved this problem and I took this chassis out of mothballs. I had the same handling issues with this as with the stepside since theres no magnatraction. The stock magnets are just too far from the rails to do any good. So Ill have to find some neos that I can work with. So Im using a detuned motor using HP-7 motor magnets and a tycopro red wire armature. Its controllable at least, but still does a fair amount of sliding around. Which means its a lot of fun!

bobhch
05-08-2008, 02:38 AM
I agree sliding around is fun! Those tires on the Jeep are huge. Just got a bunch of them from a few Turbo Hopper Auctions for some VW Baja projects in the future.

That Pickup is swet. I always wanted to get one of these but, have not done it yet. Had the Chrome one as a kid. You just have to love Pickups...step side makes it even beter! :)

Have a few of those HW front ends and had the same thoghts of using it for a custom front grill also. Nice builds so far and can't wait to see them done.

Bob...Sweet truck and jeep for a fun run...zilla

T-Jet Racer
05-08-2008, 04:21 AM
nice job adding the magnets!

grungerockjeepe
05-08-2008, 06:37 PM
T-jet, what do you mean adding the magnets? I actually removed them and added wieghts instead. I may add some to the jeep, although I hate to do it.

grungerockjeepe
05-08-2008, 06:39 PM
I agree sliding around is fun! Those tires on the Jeep are huge. Just got a bunch of them from a few Turbo Hopper Auctions for some VW Baja projects in the future.

That Pickup is swet. I always wanted to get one of these but, have not done it yet. Had the Chrome one as a kid. You just have to love Pickups...step side makes it even beter! :)

Have a few of those HW front ends and had the same thoghts of using it for a custom front grill also. Nice builds so far and can't wait to see them done.

Bob...Sweet truck and jeep for a fun run...zilla

Ive got another chrome one that I just stripped and this ones gonna get a solid candy apple red paint job, Im thinking. I hope Dash decides to repro the stepside when they clone the HP-7. Its a fun slot and pretty cool looking.

shooter8115
05-08-2008, 07:24 PM
cool trucks :thumbsup:

win43
05-08-2008, 09:00 PM
Nice stuff :thumbsup::thumbsup:

roadrner
05-09-2008, 11:41 PM
Gonna be a nice looker when you finish that one! :thumbsup::thumbsup: rr

roadrner
05-14-2008, 10:19 PM
Here are a few I'm working on now. Had a JL Daytona and a couple of resin Magnums I thought I do up as Petty cars. Still a ways to go. :) rr