Hobao/Scorched RC VTE Speed Build Thread

[Diem Turner]

I really like the idea of centering the drivetrain!!!
Do the center shafts still have enough movement in the cups?
I may do this on my vte build as well. It’s still only like 80% completed

That off center motor mount and crooked drive shafts was driving me crazy. I can understand why they did that on the original chassis due to space constraints (that OG chassis is tiny).
Not to be pedantic, but that probably depends on your definition of "enough". But I just checked mine again and I have about 1mm total space for front/rear movement of the rear shaft and about 0.5mm up front. It's almost like the drive shafts were made for this location. There's no binding anywhere and, as I said earlier, the car is quieter and smoother now which, I would think, is an indicator of less rub-a-dub-in-tha-hot-tub, less friction, etc. There's nothing that would indicate the relocation did anything but good things for the car. I'd definitely recommend doing it.

Tire/wheelwell clearance looks much better

It does, yeah. It took a good bit of suspension and body tweaking to get it there. The front is drooped so hard that the shocks are really close to bottomed out and the body is riding on the shock towers. There was no other way of getting the wheels into the wheel wells, everything was a lot more relaxed with the Dome Concept body. I've been contemplating moving the top shock mount a little lower so that I can grind a few mm off the top of the shock towers.

What you did is exactly what I should have done with my current build. I got a little spooked when I laid out the motor mount to center the driveshafts. The shafts still had several mm of clearance in the cups and would have been fine, but the holes I would have had to drill were so close to the originals I was worried about seriously weakening the chassis. Using carbon dust and epoxy was a great call, man. Beautiful job as usual. I do really like that body, too.

It's never too late. You can do that whenever. I had the same issue with where I needed to drill the new holes which were still within the radius of the countersink and if you've ever tried to countersink a hole that has occlusions from other drill holes...they always turn out like crap because the countersink get confused about where to sink so you never end up with round holes. The epoxy worked a treat. If you wanted to improve on it to make it even sturdierly, either chop or buy some CF twill and put some strands in there instead of CF coffee grounds like I did. That should give it even more rigidity.

 

[Dan B.]

I've been contemplating moving the top shock mount a little lower so that I can grind a few mm off the top of the shock towers.

I had to do that to the rear shock towers on my build to get the 962 body low enough.

It's never too late. You can do that whenever.

True enough. I may end up doing it. I most definitely would if this was going to be a dedicated speed runner.
On my build I definitely had a little more clearance in the driveshafts in the cups. I never actually measured it but when I had it mocked up I would guess there was 2-3mm when centered. 0.5 might bear watching. As long as there is some play I would agree it would probably be fine. But chassis flex would not be your friend.

 

[K-BASH]

That off center motor mount and crooked drive shafts was driving me crazy. I can understand why they did that on the original chassis due to space constraints (that OG chassis is tiny).
Not to be pedantic, but that probably depends on your definition of "enough". But I just checked mine again and I have about 1mm total space for front/rear movement of the rear shaft and about 0.5mm up front. It's almost like the drive shafts were made for this location. There's no binding anywhere and, as I said earlier, the car is quieter and smoother now which, I would think, is an indicator of less rub-a-dub-in-tha-hot-tub, less friction, etc. There's nothing that would indicate the relocation did anything but good things for the car. I'd definitely recommend doing it.

It does, yeah. It took a good bit of suspension and body tweaking to get it there. The front is drooped so hard that the shocks are really close to bottomed out and the body is riding on the shock towers. There was no other way of getting the wheels into the wheel wells, everything was a lot more relaxed with the Dome Concept body. I've been contemplating moving the top shock mount a little lower so that I can grind a few mm off the top of the shock towers.

It's never too late. You can do that whenever. I had the same issue with where I needed to drill the new holes which were still within the radius of the countersink and if you've ever tried to countersink a hole that has occlusions from other drill holes...they always turn out like crap because the countersink get confused about where to sink so you never end up with round holes. The epoxy worked a treat. If you wanted to improve on it to make it even sturdierly, either chop or buy some CF twill and put some strands in there instead of CF coffee grounds like I did. That should give it even more rigidity.

Here's front on mine.she dirty,ran it down the shoulder at 120 today...dust an dirt was flying

 

[Diem Turner]

Ok, so I decided to paint it after all. I just wanted to keep it simple and not have to deal with a bunch of masking and all that. So the only sections I masked were the openings for the two headlights.

I had to do that to the rear shock towers on my build to get the 962 body low enough.

True enough. I may end up doing it. I most definitely would if this was going to be a dedicated speed runner.
On my build I definitely had a little more clearance in the driveshafts in the cups. I never actually measured it but when I had it mocked up I would guess there was 2-3mm when centered. 0.5 might bear watching. As long as there is some play I would agree it would probably be fine. But chassis flex would not be your friend.

4mm CF doesn't flex. At least not appreciably. The chassis is stiffer than a wedding .

 

[K-BASH]

That's badazz..fitment looks great. With dark windshield, car looks pist off an mad
Ya putting fins on it???

 

[Diem Turner]

That's badazz..fitment looks great. With dark windshield, car looks pist off an mad
Ya putting fins on it???

Thanks brother, I appreciate that. I'm gonna leave it as is for now, see how it behaves and modify as needed.

 

[Doom!]

Dang! Just gave me some 80's flashbacks! Looks killer

 

[Diem Turner]

Dang! Just gave me some 80's flashbacks! Looks killer

lol, yeah I feel ya. Thanks man

 

[chris adams]

Man that's dope looking car. Envious of how low you can run it and those tight wheel arches. Well done my friend, great job

 

[Diem Turner]

Man that's dope looking car. Envious of how low you can run it and those tight wheel arches. Well done my friend, great job

Thanks bro. Whether or not I can keep it that low remains to be seen. I may need to raise it slightly or cut a sliver off the bottom lip, I'll be testing that in the next dry night. I got really lucky with the rear wheels. I added +6mm hub extensions and when I compress the rear the body goes over them...but just barely. I hope it runs clean out on the battlefield.

 

[Dan B.]

Man that's dope looking car. Envious of how low you can run it and those tight wheel arches. Well done my friend, great job

Fantastic job with those wheel arches for sure. That’s tight! Love the paint, too.

 

[Diem Turner]

Fantastic job with those wheel arches for sure. That’s tight! Love the paint, too.

Thank you my friend. It's all about the wheel arches and their relationship to the curvature of the tire, innit? Well, it is to me anyways. I'd say that 70-80% of how I feel about a car and whether I think it looks good or not is determined by how the car sits and how the wheels sit in the arches. That's what I spend most of my time on when fitting the body. But that's just me.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Ok, so I decided to paint it after all. I just wanted to keep it simple and not have to deal with a bunch of masking and all that. So the only sections I masked were the openings for the two headlights.
View attachment 291906View attachment 291907View attachment 291908

4mm CF doesn't flex. At least not appreciably. The chassis is stiffer than a wedding .

Love the color combo and overall good job on this.
How does a paint job like this get applied? It almost looks like a vinyl wrap or something.

 

[Diem Turner]

Love the color combo and overall good job on this.
How does a paint job like this get applied? It almost looks like a vinyl wrap or something.

Thanks bro. It's a dish soap job. Just drizzle dish soap in whatever pattern pleases you and spray the first color. Rinse and repeat the procedure for however many colors want to use and just work your way from darkest to lightest color. It's stupid simple.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Thanks bro. It's a dish soap job. Just drizzle dish soap in whatever pattern pleases you and spray the first color. Rinse and repeat the procedure for however many colors want to use and just work your way from darkest to lightest color. It's stupid simple.

Wow I love it!!! Probably will try that one soon.

 

[Dan B.]

Thanks bro. It's a dish soap job. Just drizzle dish soap in whatever pattern pleases you and spray the first color. Rinse and repeat the procedure for however many colors want to use and just work your way from darkest to lightest color. It's stupid simple.

And yet another trick from up your sleeve! I‘ve never heard of that method, but it makes perfect sense. Very cool technique, I’d have never thought of that.
How many sleeves you got, anyway?

 

[Diem Turner]

And yet another trick from up your sleeve! I‘ve never heard of that method, but it makes perfect sense. Very cool technique, I’d have never thought of that.
How many sleeves you got, anyway?

Two sleeves, three pant legs.