DemonRC
Senior Member
- Messages
- 1,846
- Location
- Houston, TX
I'm about to start up a new project and try to give the TT a more sleek 1/8 buggy top. I'm going to start running Baja front rims on all 4 corners soon and this would complete the styling for it. This is something just in my head right now but I think I'm going to start hacking at some chromoly this weekend. Hopefully I can get some pictures up within a few weeks. Anyways, I wanted to get some feedback on this before I start. Here''s the look I'm hoping for:
The problem with the TT shell is that the roof is way to high because it has to clear the spark plug. It actually adds alot more space because it has to provide a buffer to protect the plug from a room landing. What I'm going to try to do is build a chromoly cage that hugs the engine. ACtually from my measurements if the bottom of the 3/8" tube is 3/8" off the engine, then the top would be close enough to the top of the spark plug where my Modified RC roof scoop will clear it by 3/16". The front of the body will also be higher so the contour from the front hood area to the window to the roof will be much more stream lined. 3/8" chromoly will be used for the main part of the cage and I will use 1/4" chromoly for the sides and cross beams.
After the cage is done, I'm going to skin it up and fiberglass it. The trick is going to be how do you keep the fiberglass from sticking to the roll cage? Basically the roll cage is a frame and now we need a skin. I've used spandex in the past when building custom subwoofer boxes to stretch skins over contoured frames for fiberglassing. I might use it here but I was actually thinking about trying RC plane heatshrink. I'll then create a mold for it so I can knock out a new shell anytime I ever smash this one up. I just wanted the ability to be able to spend less than $15 to replace a shell whenever I broke one. It should be pretty tough since it will hug the chromoly rollcage underneath it. The ideal situation would be to take the original used to creat the mold somewhere and have a lexan shell vacuum formed.
The problem with the TT shell is that the roof is way to high because it has to clear the spark plug. It actually adds alot more space because it has to provide a buffer to protect the plug from a room landing. What I'm going to try to do is build a chromoly cage that hugs the engine. ACtually from my measurements if the bottom of the 3/8" tube is 3/8" off the engine, then the top would be close enough to the top of the spark plug where my Modified RC roof scoop will clear it by 3/16". The front of the body will also be higher so the contour from the front hood area to the window to the roof will be much more stream lined. 3/8" chromoly will be used for the main part of the cage and I will use 1/4" chromoly for the sides and cross beams.
After the cage is done, I'm going to skin it up and fiberglass it. The trick is going to be how do you keep the fiberglass from sticking to the roll cage? Basically the roll cage is a frame and now we need a skin. I've used spandex in the past when building custom subwoofer boxes to stretch skins over contoured frames for fiberglassing. I might use it here but I was actually thinking about trying RC plane heatshrink. I'll then create a mold for it so I can knock out a new shell anytime I ever smash this one up. I just wanted the ability to be able to spend less than $15 to replace a shell whenever I broke one. It should be pretty tough since it will hug the chromoly rollcage underneath it. The ideal situation would be to take the original used to creat the mold somewhere and have a lexan shell vacuum formed.
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