U.S. Vintage Trans-Am [PICS & PAINT Discussion ONLY!!!]
#2116
Using the Windex method helps a lot with that. I also use a fine tip permanent marker to put alignment/marking lines on the bodies before I add decals. When you are done, a little naptha or alcohol and the lines come right off.
#2117
Tech Fanatic
I need some help!! I have an HPI '66 Mustang GT body that is mint, but is lacking ALL of the kit decals, such as the head and tail lights, front grill, rear fascia, window trim, etc, etc. NOTHING, NADA!!!! Can't finish the body witout them!!
If anyone can help me locate them I would greatly appreciate it.
Oh, and I tried contacting HPI to ask for their help and have received no reply so far. They probably won't help as they don't sell the kit decal sets separately.
If anyone can help me locate them I would greatly appreciate it.
Oh, and I tried contacting HPI to ask for their help and have received no reply so far. They probably won't help as they don't sell the kit decal sets separately.
#2118
Looking for a source to find the following body...
Pegasus Hobbies part number:
PGH4001 - 1970 Camero SS
Any ideas or help?
Pegasus Hobbies part number:
PGH4001 - 1970 Camero SS
Any ideas or help?
#2122
Tech Champion
iTrader: (261)
I'm pretty sure these are in-stock there. Someone on the site JUST had some ordered and shipped about 2 weeks ago. I just went there and the Pegasus cart will allow me to buy 30 bodies ($660), but will not allow me to order 50 due to lack of stock on-hand.
Order up--best of luck. The biggest "challenge" with this body is that it is wide even for a VTA body and the wheel well cutouts are spaced too close together for the great great majority of touring car chassis. To my eye it just looks kinda sad on these with gaping gaps between the tires and the fenders, and the odd-ball stance on the chassis if the body gets cut on the lines.
A 200mm chassis is ALMOST a "must have" for this body to look right. You can also try hex spacers (HPI? See pics) which help but are only 2mm wide. The 200mm arms (at least for the TC3's) are 5mm longer each side, so the spacers get you less than half way there (40% to be precise). The other downside with the spacers is that they take up about half (or more) of the "depth" of the hex in the wheel AND make using "low-profile" axle nuts a MUST and even then the amount of engagement with the nyloc material is suspect. I'd be concerned about spinning the hex drive in the wheel and ruining the wheel, so I'd be DARN sure to check tightness every heat and would "life" the axle nuts so they were thrown away every couple races to be darn sure the nyloc material was as "grippy" as it could be.
One of the projects in my queue is this body on my Warpspeed D2 TC3 conversion chassis which, with 200mm arms and the 1cm shorter than standard TC wheelbase will end up with gaps, etc, like the HPI Camaro on a "normal" TC chassis. Pics.
In short, 200mm chassis are out there, you just have to look for them. Once in a great while a 200mm TC3 shows up but the oval guys snapped most of them up over the years. The TC3 front 200mm arms are almost like hen's teeth, last time I looked you could still get the 200mm rear arms and the extended "bones" (plastic or aluminum) from retail locations.
What you'll do about the wheelbase (other than cut the front wheel wells "off-line") I don't know. The Warpspeed D2 chassis is even rarer than hen's teeth. You see VERY few "regular" Warpspeed chassis around, even when the TC3 was a competitive TC ride years ago...this example is the ONLY D2 (short wheelbase) version I have ever seen.
Pics:
200mm Warpspeed TC3 Conversion (standard TC wheelbase) w/ Pegasus Camaro body
This is as close to filling out the wheel wells side-to-side as you can get. I could probably add the 2mm hex spacers and really look hot...
Standard TC wheelbase is really too long for this body if cut on the lines. The front wheel wells need to be fudged forward.
Close-up of the front wheel well. Looks worse in person than in the pic--in the pic the body post is holding the body "up" and minimizing the effect. I have mocked this up as it would properly sit and the chassis is just too long.
pic of the 2mm hex spacer in place on the axle. I'm not entirely sure where the "regular" hex came from, but it looks wide compared to my FT hexes. I think that's mostly illusion as the FT hexes are relieved on the back side where these are cut square.
Hex spacer in-situ in the wheel. Doesn't leave much "meat" there. The VTA cars on 25.5 power are probably ok but I'd make DARN sure to life the nyloc nuts as described above.
Warpspeed D2 (short wheelbase) TC3 conversion has 2mm hex spacers installed. Close on width, but the 200mm is WAY better, 200mm PLUS the 2mm spacers is probably JUST right...probably won't turn though. Chassis getting darn close to as wide as it is long at that point.
Side view of Warpspeed D2 conversion...just about perfect on the wheelbase
Last edited by Scottrik; 04-24-2011 at 11:05 PM.
#2123
Here is my TC3 based VTA Cuda. Hood, front grill and bumpers are all paint. Front grill has included stickers applied over the black paint. Just didn't want any color peeking through.
Screwed up on a couple of places not seen in the pictures but happy considering it was my first try with liquid mask.
Screwed up on a couple of places not seen in the pictures but happy considering it was my first try with liquid mask.
#2125
#2126
Tech Apprentice
iTrader: (3)
Since Steve above let me use his air brush, I got mine painted too. Yes, another gulf theme, but thats what I wanted before I saw the others anyway Car is a HB cyclone TC wce, novak gtb2/ballistic 25.5t and a savox 1251 servo. I still need to get the inner body/driver in from McAllister and painted and body mount holes reamed then i'll be ready to race. It did suck that my 1/16" tape bled in several spots, but oh well. I still like it. Oh, I also just trimmed out the side window stickers to remove the hazy clear portion after the pics were taken.
Thanks to Carl as well for the cool stickers.
Thanks to Carl as well for the cool stickers.
#2127
Tech Elite
iTrader: (19)
Okay i decided against that sticker (its not posted here, kinda offensive), one sticker on a solid paint job is underkill.
I did not paint this body, it arrived to me in a package deal of various vta parts.
I decided to do a parody of the sticker jobs, using many brands that dont exist or have nothing to do with the class and advertisements for many businesses that arent still around. still considering putting a circa 1989 rcca sticker on there but i kinda ran out of room.. hmm i could sell the windshield?
I did not paint this body, it arrived to me in a package deal of various vta parts.
I decided to do a parody of the sticker jobs, using many brands that dont exist or have nothing to do with the class and advertisements for many businesses that arent still around. still considering putting a circa 1989 rcca sticker on there but i kinda ran out of room.. hmm i could sell the windshield?
#2128
#2129
http://www.frogtape.com/
#2130
1967 Corvette body!
YES, I know its not VTA legal! But, its fine at our track for VTA club racing. And, this body is just too DANG cool not to use! Love it! Got it all mounted up this weekend and hope to race it this week.
The HPI 67 Corvette body fits a TC3 chassis perfectly with an RPM front bumper too...bonus! And, this one is thicker than most bodies I've worked with. Don't know if that's a fluke or its normally a nitro body? Either way, the nose lose like it will deflect and bounce off things better than some. Some bodies, like the 66 Mustang seem to actually catch on obstacles.
The HPI 67 Corvette body fits a TC3 chassis perfectly with an RPM front bumper too...bonus! And, this one is thicker than most bodies I've worked with. Don't know if that's a fluke or its normally a nitro body? Either way, the nose lose like it will deflect and bounce off things better than some. Some bodies, like the 66 Mustang seem to actually catch on obstacles.
Last edited by IndyHobbies.com; 04-25-2011 at 11:07 AM.