TOPIC:

Here is the current state of my rebuilt Hirobos...


Now it is time to take care of the others. I'm not building my Hunter Prototype, because I do not want to start until it has a bodyshell.
From all the parts I have, there is room to rebuild a 44B Hilux, and I have a bunch of parts that could allow me to rebuild a 44B LWB chassis, with some little adjustments (there will be probably missing transmission components, but I'll know only when the 44B Hilux will be rebuilt). But since I want this 44B Hilux to run, I intend to print all the suspension components and gearbox walls... And for this, I'll use the same principle as done for the front gearbox wall which was a proof of concept: the idea is basically to add elements to the parts to sit them on the bed with proper orientation and to print them with tree supports (no slicer likes when you don't have any surface on the part to stay on, and that's what I'm trying to solve here...).


And then this will go within the slicer with tree support, and finally, I'll be able to launch a print...


I got all the suspension parts together for both the Zerda and 44B chassis, parted in Common parts, 44B parts, and Zerda parts, and I'll print at least the two firsts plate. And those will be printed in black PETG for the time being (have nothing red except PLA, so I will have to order some red filament, but not sure yet what I can find - no emergency anyway, I want to see how PETG will resist in run for another project).

First plate printed...


A bit of support removal and parts are good to go. Only the bottom of the arms are not that nice on the middle bar, but I paid attention to do two symetric parts while it is not required except for this exact reason : finish. Everything else came out perfectly...


I slightly modified the right part that goes around the motor to take into account the size of the current motor cages. I'm lauching the 44B specific parts print right away...

Second plate is as good as the first one...

And the parts are definitely usable... With the same issue as the first plate for the suspension arms, but as I made a symmetry, the top side is good on both arms when positioned for right and left...


And as I needed additional datapoints, I also printed the third plate for the Zerda, and the result is basically the same...

Same results for the parts...


And just to state the obvious here, the parts are not perfect, and may not do the job for shelf purpose, but to run a car this will be perfect...

I did search my Hirobo stuff to understand how many cars I could rebuild. The Hilux 44B came complete except the bumper, so the transmission was complete. So there will be at least one. Looking at my stuff, I'm already sure I'm missing two complete diffs, out drives and dog bones for a lonw wheel base chassis. For the rest, it should be fine at the exception of the screws and other hardware...

While searching the elements, I found the number plate of the Zerda, so it was the perfect moment to put them on (before I forget to do this)...








There is not much room to put stickers on this car, and there is too much conflicting sponsors on the stickers sheet anyway, so I used only few... At the end, the number plate are making the ensemble more balanced, but there is still something disturbing me when I look at this car. May be the rear wheel need to be larger...

Some of my topics have no end
I have this body in my radar for quite a long time, and a friend have one, and proposed it to me with a 44B chassis and a Rock'n City box (in which he put the chassis and the Lancia bodyshell). We discussed this few months ago, as he wanted to separate from some of his cars to make room for others... It obviously had a cost, but I really like this bodyshell. And it comes with an original set of stickers...



And the box is a nice addition, although its state show its age...


That said the bodyshell is missing to elements : the search lights ramp at the front, and the wing at the rear. I'll try to do something about this. And I already contacted my friend who reproduced the 44B Hilux bodyshell, and it seems he is interested to reproduce it (By the way, he confirmed me he's doing this in a non destructive manner and should be able to do it for this Lancia, and by the way he needs to send me my Hilux body back)...
(and If ever you have the two missing items unused in your stash, you may contact me)

The 037 is awesome. I have the ta03 Tamiya version . And it is impressive. 

Tomorrow is the first vintage of the season, and I'm late on my plans... Thanks, I'm off today, so that give me some possibility to do something about this...
I could go with the already built 44B Hilux, but it is too nice for this. The plan was always to have a runner based on printed parts for suspension. I have everything to build one, it is just a question a building it. I have a bit of work for this:
- Paint a second bodyshell, in a light color scheme. Which is still to be defined at this stage (will the inspiration come within the day?).
- Build the chassis with the already printed parts. Normally, I have everything for this, except the radiobox lid, for which I just launched a print...

I may also want to print some of the accessories for the bodyshell, but in resin this time...

Ok, I must confess something now... I've been totally over optimisitic this time... There was some progress, but it won't be enough to get a 44B Hilux for the week-end, and I don't want to use the other one...

First, I tend more and more to rely on auto oreintation on Bambu Studio, and it seems it works better and better. I printed the radio box lid, and the result is much better than last time I print the same file in a different orientation I set myself... Th eprint is in ABS and it will work perfectly.

I also printed a front belt cover, relying this time again on auto orientation...


The prints were this morning... Although I woke up early, I did some exams in the early morning, and I only really started to work around 11... And I got caught offguard when my wife call me to tell me it was time for lunch (she was working remote today). Not much was done in the morning, except launching few prints, and manage a print failure on resin side...

Early this afternoon, I took care of the second 44B bodyshell I have. I decided I'll go for white... The bodyshell did not have overspray film as it was the first ever made from the mould and my friend remove the overspray film to see what was happening while vacforming the body, to potentially add few air channels here and there... Therefore, I had to find a way... Last time I did with masking tape, and it is far from practical as you don't see what is happening. I did differently this time...


And here is the result of the paint...



I'll have to add the stickers and the accessories (printed in resin, for some of them)...

Then I started the build... The gearboxes are well in place, and the original radiobox fits perfectly in the space (I had absolutely no doubts, but still. Here, it is printed gearboxes).


Unfortunately, I'll have to reopen the gearbox : i bought the ball bearings for the 44Bs and Zerda before this one arrive. I had still ball bearing for the axles, but not for the rollers... I lost a lot of time searching for them, and finally check, and the fact that some of the rollers had bearings and some not did not really help... In short, this car won't be ready for Montluçon, but it should be for Belley or Perrex (two events in june)...
 

While back from Montluçon, I reshuffle some boxes in the work area... And found some ball bearings allowing me to resume work on the 44B Hilux... I reopen the gearbox and replaced the rollers bushings by ball bearings...

Then I started to work out the suspensions... You may note the double bearing adapter. I used all the one I had until now for the Zerda, Hilux and Rock'n City, so I had to reorder some. When I searched, I found some ABEC-5 ball bearings which were not much expensive than the usual version I found... We'll see if it changes something (which is very much possible). The pivot balls are bigger than the original ones and the links will have to be shorten, but I'm not much concerned: I want to test PETG to the limit, so I prefer to break the parts rather than having a pivot ball free...


There was quite an effort to prepare the suspension arms : holes needs to be drilled to the right diameter.


And arms are in place...


And soon I added the dogbones and the upper arms...


I modded the pivot ball support at the rear right to give slightly more space for the link. it was absolutely required. I'll add steering next and as well shocks (Kyosho re-release for this one). But that will be for next step...

I did not have time to finish the car before Montluçon last week, but the target is to have the car running next week-end, in Belley...

First, I did some work yesterday on the bodyshell... Resin printed parts look like original ones...


I put the key stickers there... It is difficult to get them right. I'm sure I'll be able to get it even nicer next time I do a 44B bodyshell...


I've fixed all accessories. Mirrors are set to be temporary and removed when running.  And I also add one sponsor sticker on the car. It's not properly vintage, but it is all about vintage, so I profit to make a bit of advertisement for the excellent rc-paper.com website (I do not have any compensation of any sort, and I even paid for the stickers)...


I then put the bodyshell on the other chassis to see what it will look like. I'm not sure if I add anything or not... Time will tell.





Back on the chassis. I replaced a few parts as I did a mistake : front gearbox parts were printed to work with 3mm shafts for suspension arms. I reprinted them with the standard 2.5mm shafts. I also rework the c-hubs, as I discover that I made a mistake when modelling them, and it was corrected quickly. The front end as no slop anymore, just like the rear.



As mentioned earlier in the thread, this car will run Kyosho red shocks (optima re-release). Setup I used was quite simple as all needed parts are on the shocks clusters :
- front - 2mm removed to the range by using a a 2mm ring outside the shock chamber
- rear - 6 mm removed to the length by using a 6mm thick ring inside the shock chamber

I just printed some collars with included pivot balls (I did not have metal one anymore so that was probably simpler . I could have gone red, but I decided to go black.


Shocks are now in place. The rear shock tower is positionned like it is on a Zerda to give more rooms around the shocks for the arms.



Here is the current progress


Remains to do before we can call it done :
- put the steering in place, as well as the rx and esc
- add a driver figure (thinking about a Samurai driver as it seems to be the right scale - but I may cut a Super Wheelie driver as well)
- print a bumper and install bumper and winch