SORRCA class 1 build.

[Iowa crawler]

I am going to build a class 1 SORRCA hard body. I have been looking for a body and have a couple things to think about.

I really liked building my TF2 as a class 2 when it still had a front grill and bumpers it was nice looking. But to get max performance some cuts need to be made for tire clearance.

Class 1 is a street truck you would drive to work daily and maybe go off road a little.

I want a vintage Jeep or pick up truck. I don’t want an SUV style truck or a 4 door. Just a personal preference. With all that BS in mind I decided to just get another TF2 and make it a class 1. The Injora hardbody’s look OK but I just think they look heavy and cheap.

Class one has different rules. Like a 4.19 maximum tire size.
Need full size front and rear bumpers
A hard body with full interior.
Lights and scale accessories.
And a METAL frame with shock hoops that are bolted or welded on to the frame.

So I’m going with a basic SCX10ii frame.

I’ll stiffen it up with appropriate metal chassis stiffening and build it with the aftermarket parts I have around.

For a power system I’m going to go with a Firma 40 brushed system. The system is fine for most applications and it fits in the battery box with the battery drastically reducing the size and weight of the electronics.

Now for the fun part
I’m going to buy or build a trailer and use the class 1 truck to tow the class 2 truck to the trail head and both trucks will be Toyota Hilux.
The only stipulation is no black paint. I don’t like the Marty Mc Fly thing.

I have most of the parts, but need printed body mounts and some other stuff. But let’s see how it all goes together.

 

[Iowa crawler]

This is the pile of stuff I have. It’s all good stuff. Just a little old technology and some of it is just used.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Working on the rear suspension first. I am using a kit AR44 rear axle and 8/27 under drive gearing. The links are Traxxas revo links on SAMIX titanium high clearance links.

This is the lightest rear axle set up I can make.
The shocks are set to have just a little travel left when the suspension bottoms out.

Hot Racing shock towers and rear cross bracing.

Rear bumper will be the trailer hitch bit.

Now on to the front. This part takes longer and I don’t have as much good stuff. But I can make something work.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Got the front together . It probably still needs some tuning but for now it rolls on it’s own power. And it pretty compact.

The wheelbase is 313 mm or 12.3 inches.

I put an old cliffhanger body on it for now and I want to take it out this weekend.

 

[Quip]

Can’t wait to see end product.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I finally got the printed body mounts to adapt an RC4WD Mojave 2 body to an SCX10ii chassis.
Thirty bucks and they come with a rear mount for the bed.
Now that I can see the body fits I will order another body kit in a couple weeks.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I removed the rear shock tower to get an idea about the bed will fit.

This is the class 2 body on the class 1 frame. Obviously I need to move the rear wheels forward about 10mm to have a 300mm wheelbase. Currently it’s about 310.the body is also a little higher up. But that helps tire clearance.

So on the class 1 body I can bob the bed and trim up to the bottom of the headlights. But the front can’t have the pinch fenders, boat sides, dove tail.

I need bumpers and a trailer hitch not sure about lights. But probably run lights.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I am still waiting on the truck body. But I got the interior and the rear bumper kinda done. Still need a trailer hitch.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Been watching the delivery instructions and finally got the “OUT FOR DELIVERY “ .

Woo hoo I love that.

Now I can get started on my class 1 body.
The description for a class one truck is something you would drive to work on a daily basis and sometimes take out on a trail.

So this is going to be the tow rig for my class 2. If I want to take two trucks crawling this is the best way. Just drive to the rocks unload drive back and load up.

I’m kinda going for a beater/ work truck with a rusty trailer. I like having the modified truck being hauled by a beater of the same model. Like someone that’s into those trucks and has a bunch of them.

 

[Doom!]

This should be pretty cool!

 

[Iowa crawler]

Ok let’s start having some fun.
The body fits but the trans gear is cutting into the back of the seat. This is perfect . That part is hidden and does not mess with the bed.

Once I get the cab fitted I can get to work on the bed.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Been fooling around with links and this is as close as I can get it. So I will just modify the rear part of the bed to make the wheel in the center of the wheel well.

And I made a nice cavity to hide the super gear.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I bobed the bed. I think that is about all I can do for now. I have to make the rear bumper finish the wheel wells and smoot out the seam. Plus reinforcement for the rear section.
Nothing to really do on the front except the front bumper. So I’m stuck .

 

[Doom!]

Lookin' good, I like the bobbed bed. How hard was it to cut that straight?

 

[Iowa crawler]

I use a razor saw and sand it flat with a piece of sandpaper on the table. It is close enough to fill.

 

[Doom!]

That's how I would have tried to do it, so that's good to know. I have seen people use string, but I've never tried that.

 

[Greywolf74]

Such a good lookin truck!

 

[Iowa crawler]

I like the Toyota pickup. I had a 1988 black with big tires and Smitty Built bumpers. I really liked it.
When I got my first crawler I wanted to replicate it. So I used the proline body. First time out on the trail a person walking past said it was a Marty Mc Fly truck and I was not happy. I honestly didn’t notice because I only watched the movie once.

Going to a hard body I wanted something I like and something cheap to fix. The cab for instance is 16 dollars to replace if I fall off a cliff.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Getting the body work smoothed out and reinforcement to the underside is next. I got a little to hot on the right side. My advice is go slow. And get the plastic hot enough to bend but not to hot to touch. And have some cool rags around to control the heat. It is easy to over heat something.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Now the body is mounted and reinforced with epoxy and fiberglass cloth. Now it’s sanding and priming and sanding in that order.
Gotta figure out a trailer hitch. And I need the trailer for that.
Going to try the vs410 bumper set. They are like 16.00. And I have a set I can try.