Lars from Norway

I am using piano wire on my 1/5-scale Escort, i guess you can use it too Easy to bend to shape, but still very "springy". Very cheap and you get it from 0,4 mm in diameter and up to what is way too much for your purpose

Frederik_b

Thanks Lars that sounds like a very good option, I'll stop by the local music shop and see what they have. Or do you just order on ebay or something similar? I would like to get a few sizes for some trial and error.

Thanks again for the great idea!

Frederik_b

Just ordered a 3 foot long 1.6mm diameter piano wire on ebay, I'll play with that! Thanks!

Lars from Norway

Guess you'll make some sweet music then I got mine from my local hobbystore.

Frederik_b

Yeah sweet music lol "I'll play with it" and there was no pun intended lol

I didnt really find anything larger than 1.6mm on ebay, there was some 2mm but it was an apparently shady seller so not sure it would have been actual spring type wire. The one I got it from it is actual piano wire, high tensile steel they say, they sell the same thing in 9ft, 16ft for piano and 3ft for hobby.

Frederik_b

I ordered RC4WD 1.55" landies wheels, and also 1/14 rig tires to mod for car tires (too high at the moment):






They use pin instead of hex so no disc brakes with this setup, but I still plan for brakes for the other wheels setups. The rig tire below is just mounted without beadlock, the tire is a bit too loose on the rim:







The wheel with a mini tire next to it (3Racing tire):

Frederik_b

Did some tests with lego tires from a technic crane I have, they almost fit










Size reference of the rig tires:

Frederik_b

I modded one of the landies wheels and I really like how it turned out!!! Could not be better, I am now at 1"5/8 apparent diameter and 11/16" width. I think just like regular cars the wheels and tires play a huge role in the looks, even more so in RC because they can often be just slightly off scale and throw off the look. I think I am on the right path now




I machined the first lip step, removing maybe total a little over 1/8".







Now they fit perfectly with mini tires! The tires stretch just a little. Obviously the is the back half of the wheel! Would make for nice deep dish steelies though








To reduce the wheels offset (well increase if you talk actual car offset, reduce if you talk RC offset ) I also machined this :





Down to this (0.065" less):







Comparison of the modded wheel with lego tire vs original wheel:









Removing the first lip step also reduced the width even more, which is good for what I am after with these wheels:







Here the reduced aluminum wheel hub:







You can see how much closer the black hub is to the wheel:







This is with the tamiya mini tires:







And this is an offset/width comparison, the wheels will tuck in more which makes sense for the narrow rally wheels on escorts. I have another trick in head to further reduce offset but I am not sure yet.





Now the next thing that would look even better is modding the rig tires for these wheels. That will require reducing their sidewall height as well as reduce their diameter.

Frederik_b

I got some shorter lenght turnbuckles, I am going to shorten the four links to more scale proportions, I think it will also help designing the floor pan with a larger flat area and less cutouts.




I also started the front chassis with steel. It goes pretty good, I think the folds will be less apparent once soldered. I need to find a way to hold the parts tight enough while soldering. I ordered some mini magnets, either that or one bolt and nut to be buffed out after soldering.


I have so much plans in head for this thing, I just dont find enough free time to make it progress a quickly as I would like

Frederik_b

I soldered the two front fender frames, and I also cut and fold the front structure. It is funny how the removable front half of the body make it looks like an actual car shell with the front pulled apart


















The front piece likely be bolted, not soldered, so I can make another one if it crashes Also te firewall will be bolted to the two fender structures.

Lars from Norway

[QUOTE=Frederik_b;11751126]



Just by looking at these parts i already knew long before seeing the rest of the pics where they were going I have seen dismantled mk2's too many times, hehe!! The wheels looks incredible too, the best i could find that suited the car well was the M-seiries made to fit Tamiya M-04. Normal 1/10-wheels got too big in my opinion.

Frederik_b

Thanks Lars! If you recognize the parts from your 1:1 cars before assembly I guess that's a good thing!! Hahaha

I also find the mini wheels diameter the only suitable ones, and the modded steel wheels are the exact same diameter so thats a good ballpark!

Frederik_b

I replaced the four links with shorter ones, much better proportions! I also took some more pictures of mock up:














Fred

Frederik_b

Something came up in the mail today

Frederik_b

This is the SDI axle, but I only ordered the few parts needed for my solid axle configuration (no knuckle and none of the cvds or bearings). I am going to mod them and make my own shafts. I also ordered an SDI drive shaft because I did not like how the junfac ones were not smooth at all when sliding especially when applying some rotation force to the axle. The SDI shaft is also very small which looks even better


What is nice too (and did not think of ths when ordering) is the fact the spool (or the whole axle) can be easily flipped to reverse the rotation so I do not need a 1:1 transfer case like I planned to use with the cc01 axle (tha was because the axle was not flippable because of the way I attached the axle mods).













Also the axle is so small (9mm diameter) that I can easily fit the losi mini late shocks between the axle and the watt's linkage! Also the axle beimg smaller will allow to make the upper links closer to the lower links for a more correct look, and more room for an upwards links angle when compressed (should lead to a more squat prone handling).


There are a bunch of positive effects with this axle! Lol even the fact the axles come ready for a multi axle setup is good, I have an almost ready made centered support point for the watt's linkage pivot! And the axle is shorter than I thought, almost 10mm shorter, which is great if I want to run high offset deep dish look wheels in the future.

Frederik_b

A couple more shots with the body:








And a closer comparison of size with the CC-01 axle:






Also the parts all came in sets for two axles (four black axle halves, two pinions, two spools etc) so I have a few spares if I screw up something


Regarding the fact it is a solid spool instead of a working diff, I think the pluses offset the minuses with this axle, and for drifting around on dirt or on tarmak with drift tires it will actually help I remember Headquake had difficulty drifting his 1/5th escort MK1 before he locked the diff!

R32GolfTA06

Hey guys any update in your painted classic ford shells.. It would be great to see them

prestonlal

Funny you should ask...I just received my MK1 shell today! Finally!

Frederik_b

I guess I should also be receiving my rear half body too! After a year almost exactly hahaha

Frederik_b

I do not plan on painting mine soon though as it is easier to eyeball dimensions of custom stuff when you see through the shell.

Frederik_b

I thought I would post the last updates here too, sorry for those already following on other site


A few 1:1 pics of the chassis, first pic shows how I want to do the sway bar/lower arm support, with piano wire:







And looking at these pics lead me to try and replace the aluminum frame rails with steel (folded 22 gage steel) and make the floor from a thinner sheet. Once I make the steel frames I would rivet/bolt/solder to a flat floor... And then add some more bracing from inside, and add the four link boxes.











Pretty excited to get this progressively more scale looking!

Frederik_b

I started a cardboard model of the main floor part. It gets pretty complicated with the varying angles, heights and width! But I think this works:











The four link boxes will be this shape and be placed approximately there:









In this second pic, the frame will run in between the 4 link box and the edge of the floor pan. Just like in pics I saw of these on the web lol


As for the shocks I am not really sure yet where they will be. If there is enough room between the frame and wheel it might go there like the modded and lowered 4-link escorts, otherwise it will have to go inwards like stock mk2 position, but at an angle to get some suspension travel. Or poke holes through the floor


I roughly placed the shell over the partially formed cardboard for a first idea of the fit:






I am trying to make the frame rails from the least amount of separate parts as possible to reduce soldering, here is where I am at:







There will be a steel insert where the frame exceeds the firewall (the brown cardboard piece inside the frame rail seen here) and I will use small 2mm (3/16") rivets here and there to hold the work just before soldering. Still need to find a place where they stock 2mm rivets, have not had any luck yet. I calculate the floor height so the frame rails just slightly show when looking at the car from the side.

Frederik_b

Made the 4 link boxes models and tested on, that will look pretty cool with a driveshaft tunned added and done in steel me thinks

R32GolfTA06

It's all looking very good so far

Frederik_b

Thanks!! Once I get the main shapes sorted out I can start the metal work like I did for the front.