e-firestorm based buggy

[bjcaldwe]

For about 8 months I have planned and day dreamed about making a e-firestorm based buggy using some d4 parts etc. So, for the last month I have been working on it. I am pretty close to have it track ready.

My pics are a bit large, so here is a link to the album.

Project pics

I have comments posted on most pics.

What I have left to do...

1. Body
2. Proper servo brace since the blitz chassis and e-firestorm are different.
3. CVDs, D4's are 62mm and not long enough. Looking at the Team C, or Tamiya cvds
4. Motor guard
5. Electronics
6. Possibly the ECE Blitz ball diff down the road.

[BloodClod]

Very cool project. Looking forward to hearing how it runs!

Any particular reason why you chose a firestorm for your base?

[bjcaldwe]

Thanks.

Well, I run for HB here in the US, but we do not have a truck or 2wd, as everyone knows. It was getting old carrying a bunch of different brands of parts. I at least got my cars all metric so I could share, bearings, screws, shims and all that. So I began thinking, what if I took a firestorm and turned it into a buggy? I have d4 shocks, rear arms, hubs, hingepins, rear rims etc that I could use and would require me to carry less spares. Also, HB has some really good 2wd buggy tires. They work and wear very well on the indoor clay tracks here. After day dreaming about it for many months, I finally started on it, and here we are. I did try to use as many off the shelf parts as possible. If I did have to dremel something, I tried to do things that could easily and quickly be done in a bind if really tore up the car.

Now, I need to find a cvd bone that is about 65mm from the center of the coupling to the pin. The rest is pretty well sorted.

[bjcaldwe]

I have an esc figured out for this project. I would love to put an rs pro in it, but I don't have the extra cash right now. It appears the teamC buggy cvds will work nicely, just need to order them. Then comes the body. I think a b4 body will fit. I will need to cut out the back since the tower is pretty far forward. If this car works fairly well, I may try to put together a vacuum former.

I have attached the latest pic for those who don't want to go out to the album.

I am looking for ideas of a better way to do the tower and lower the rear wing.

[rcjunky]

could you find some longer wing mounts that move it farther back and make it sit lower? As for the shock tower, you might be able to find something else that will work, but I'd try it as is

[bjcaldwe]

I thought about mounting a piece of g10 or cf off the back of the tower, with some lower holes for the wing mounts. Right now they are spaced back about 10mm or more with some plastic standoffs.

One option, would be to get one of the aluminum rear towers for the blitz, and then cut it down, but leave enough to mount a cf tower to it.

I tried a b4 rear tower, since the front fit, but the holes did not line up to mount it. I could force it, but that would end up being a weak spot, and not look very well.