StefanL

Hi.

I just came to think that the Marder and the new Leopard Race share many components...

Would it be possible in any way to outfit a Marder with the chassis of a Leopard? I´m thinking the extended wheelbase would be nice, but I don´t want to buy a new car just to get it...

I´m open to some modifications of the Leopard chassis if needed, I assume it won´t fit straight of the bat. If the front axle mounts as on a Marder and also the rear together with engine and tranny, the swap should be rather easy, don´t you think? If the holes aren´t there to begin with, I can drill them.

I also realize a new body would be needed.

Opinions?

Stefan

Mad Wax

hmm I don't think so at least on the RC plate area- Leopard chassis is wider there. I could take a photo of my Marder chassis over the Leopard underside...might help you out with mounting holes? unless you use a Marder tray on the Leopard chassis

chevyman_de

The Leo has a completely different front axle design. Bolting a Marder axle on a Leo chassis will limit suspension and steering travel. Some work for the jigsaw...
You will also use the saw in the rear or suspension travel will suffer here as well.
New body shell along with the (expensive) side guards, maybe a new tuned pipe. I think the idea with the Leo chassis is not that good, even though the longer wheelbase would be a good thing. I've once made a one-of-a-kind front axle with Leo a-arms to fit a Marder chassis without drilling new holes. Lots of work, but the result was a Marder with Leopard race wheelbase.

Mad Wax

Just taken some photos. The rear diff assembly should fit, mounting holes are the same place. However front suspension bulkheads are not. Also engine mount holes are different, and how they're placed need to largen one set of mount holes, unless you buy new engine mounts.

check my PB page

http://photobucket.com/albums/a329/Mad_Wax/

StefanL

Thanks for the comments, and thanks for the pics Mad Wax.

It seems like a possibility. Stock removal where needed, and some careful drilling of new holes. It all boils down to if I want to risk destroying a Leopard chassis in the process, I don´t plan to make any changes to my Marder hardware. Would it be worth the money to just have a go at it?

I am usually pretty stupid when it comes to rational use of funds, so I´m guessing a Marder/Leopard project is not too far off in the future... Depends on how much a Leopard chassis would set me back... www.rc-car-online.de has rather cheap Leopard bodies, and I´ll get one from there.

Does anyone have a clue as too how much a Leopard chassis is?

The initial reason why I´m considering this project is I need a new body for my Marder, it is broken and needs to be replaced. So therefore I figured I can have a cooler Leopard body and a longer wheelbase at the same time (and a unique, or somewhat unique car). How´s that for a rationalization?! Must...stop...spending....money....

Stefan

Mad Wax

Like I said, the placement of holes make it very impractical. If you enlargen engine mount holes they'll be too big and a secure fit will be a problem. You'll also need to figure out placement of servo saver I think. I don't know if the Marder mounts will fit exactly where the Leopard engine mount holes are- if they don't probably easier to buy new set of engine mounts. Why not cut out your own chassis from aluminium sheet plate? It's basically flat except for the side cheeks. It'll be alot cheaper. You might still want to angle up the front section to be similar to the Marder though.

Unless you can fabricate unique parts as needed, or have LHS to buy standard parts as needed personally I wouldn't bother. Now if you had a Monster Beetle/Monster Truck then definitely consider it but only if I could mount the engine a little bit forward to reduce wheelies.

Just buy a Leopard

StefanL

Haha yeah...

Come to think of it, I suppose I can risk a piece of aluminium. I won´t destroy an expensive Lepoard chassis, even though it could be amusing...

I´ll see if I can fabricate an extended Marder chassis and then mount a Leopard body on it. Who knows, it might even work?!

chevyman_de

Some pictures:
[link=http://www.rc-car-online.de/vorderachse_leomarder_1.jpg]image 1[/link]
[link=http://www.rc-car-online.de/vorderachse_leomarder_2.jpg]image 2[/link]
[link=http://www.rc-car-online.de/vorderachse_leomarder_3.jpg]image 3[/link]
[link=http://www.rc-car-online.de/vorderachse_leomarder_4.jpg]image 4[/link]
[link=http://www.rc-car-online.de/vorderachse_leomarder_5.jpg]image 5[/link]
[link=http://www.rc-car-online.de/vorderachse_leomarder_6.jpg]image 6[/link]

StefanL

Chevyman_de, maybe I´m missing something, but how can a Leopard Race front end on a Marder give it a Leopard wheelbase? The difference is 30 mm in wheelbase, and I can´t see how a leopard front end would give it that. The difference in chassis length is 20 mm, so perhaps a Leopard front end would give a Marder a 10mm longer wheelbase? I´m just guessing, as I don´t know where the mounting holes on the leopard chassis are drilled in relation to the front end of the chassis.

Another solution to making a longer wheelbase on a marder would be to cut off the chassis in the front and weld in a spacer. I can´t weld alu properly but a friend can. It should be strong enough without a doubt. But without moving the reciever plate forwards the weight might be a bit too far to the back. Moving the receiver plate forwards to the narrower front end of the chassis might be a solution, but then the reciever plate could be too exposed from the sides. Maybe with some added guards at the front sides?

chevyman_de

It's the design of the whishbones that makes the difference. On a Leopard the uprights are at the front of the wishbones, while they're at the rear on Marder units. So it's actually not the chassis which makes the car longer. Ok, the Leo-Marder mix had about 5 mm less wheelbase than a Leo race, but that doesn't really matter.

StefanL

Aha, ok. I get it.

I could see that the uprights of the Leopard were placed forward compared to the Marder, but I did not realize it made that much of a difference with regards to wheelbase. I thought the length of the chassis mattered more.

So, if wheelbase is what I am after (and that is not necessarily the case, this is more of a theoretical discussion) I could just as well wait and by a complete Leopard alu front end and mount that? I´ll probably upgrade my Marder in the future with an aluminium front end and I could in that case just as well get a Leopard one and drill new holes for it...right?

Hey wait a minute! If the main difference in wheelbase is because oif the front end alone, shouldn´t it be possible to put a Leopard body on a Marder? Or does the marder front wheels interfere with the side pods? I know, mounts etc probably differ, but that can be fixed. I´ve never held a Leopard so I don´t know how it looks compared to its smaller older brother.

Stefan

chevyman_de

A complete Leo front axle will not fit a Marder chassis. The unit ist too long and the bulkheads have a different bolt pattern. Additionally the servo saver has to be relocated and nevertheless I ended up with a setup that had no steering travel because the arms from the FG uprights hit the a-arms. That's the reason for the adjustable upright arms I had to create.
I've never tried to mount a Leo body shell on a Marder, but I think it's not worth the effort. At least if you don't think about a front mounted tuned pipe.

StefanL

I really appreciate you explaining this to me chevyman... So I´ll toss the idea of mounting a Leo front axle then.

The reason I´m considering the Leo body is that it looks good and I haven´t bought a tuned pipe yet. So if I am, I could just as well get one for a Leo. If the front wheels clear the Leo body, that is...

SELWA

My Feedback: (1)

I've though of the option myself before I bought the Marder Body for mine. I had the MB and MT Body and wheels and decided with the Marder Body first since the rear Monster Wheels would hit the body unless I cut it. The nice thing about the Marder Body is that it keeps a lot of dirt out. The Leopard Race does look really cool though! and it's very similar in price. You'll need the 4 side body mounts as well to mount it which may include some drilling. That may be my next body unless I make one out of fibre glass for bashing.

chevyman_de

The use of the Leo side body mounts will not work that easily. The Marder chassis is narrower and, more important, tapered towards the front...

@ StefanL:
The front tires will only clear the body shell when the wheelbase is up to Leo dimensions.

StefanL

Sheesh, nothing is going my way!

So putting a Leo body on goes out the window... So what´s to do?

I´ll resign to buying a new Mud Marder body (looks a bit better with the pods) and I´ll get a Marder tuned pipe.