Custom VAMP Mods

Tim 121RVC · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:46 am

Thanks for the "how-to", but I still think you cheat in some way......... :shifty:

No man, awesome stuff! You've just opened up another treasure chest of inspiration!
What paint did you use?

Tim 121RVC

Ford Prefect · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:13 am

aaaa thanks.... I think.... LOL :-D

DanOfTheDead wrote:

Wow.
These are amazing. They look absolutely factory made, the body work is so impressive I took my a while to notice how flawless your paint work is too.

Can I ask what type of blade you use with your saw to work with the vehicle plastic and styrene?

Oh, and how do you got about removing the wheels on these? I've never had any luck with that on the V AMP or STINGER.

For plastic I usually use as high a TPI count as possible on the blades. This time I was too lazy to change it so the one in the photo is 6 TPI. A little too toothy for this but... :-/

it worked.

Ok I can only show this with one hand on the wheel so you'll need to imagine using both hands. With the wheels in the palms of your hands and fingers wrapped behind twist the wheels in opposite directions back and forth while pulling outward. About five or six quick twists back and forth and the pressure will pop one wheel off the axle. Just be careful to pull straight out so as not to bend the axle or break the attachment point on the wheel. If it doesn't strip out the hole the wheels will lock back on when your done. If the hole is stripped out just use some CA or 5 minute epoxy to reattach it to the axle.

The new VAMP has a split pin mount to attach the wheels so none of the bothersome axle to deal with.

Attachment:

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DanOfTheDead · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:40 am

Awesome! Thanks for the information!

I wanna see someone try a stretched Stinger-limo for Cobra Commander!

Stormavik · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am

I can give no other praise beyond what has been given. I just wish I had thought of it and could have executed it. AMAZED!!!!!

gijoey · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 5:23 pm

I don't know how I missed these for so long.
They are so perfect. I don't buy vehicles anymore but I would go broke buying these.
Simply perfect.

Scrapiron-Scavanger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:31 pm

Ford Prefect wrote:

Thanks!

Scrapiron-Scavanger wrote:

Like what has been said before, that is some awesome work.

Is there any way you could do a 'How to' for getting the seems seemless? And how you did the armor parts for the cab? Like the folding windows on the half track?

You sure hit these out of the park.

Thank you. It all comes down to lots of fit work. The cuts could be done with any saw and careful planning but the bandsaw keeps all the cuts more true. Always cut a little past where you want to be and sand things to fit.

A bench sander is the best way to even up the larger parts however you can make a large sanding block by stapling some sandpaper to a block of wood. That will keep all the sanding nice and even. Keep test fitting things as you go and it saves a lot of clean up work later on.Since the extensions ended up being butt joints I used the styrene on the inside to support and strengthen the joints keeping the VAMP playable.

The hinges are just aluminum tube with brass pin to make a piano style hinge. The rest of the parts are .060 styrene (which matched up with the thickness on the VAMP) cut to fit and uses the same style connection to keep the toy look with the new parts.

Thanks again for all the interest in these. I hope to have the halftrack finished up soon, mostly paint work left on that one. I finally got a Snow Cat so it will make a nice companion displayed together.

Thanks for the tips, but I keep on looking at the area where you attached the two pieces and I don't see a seem. Did you use bondo or some other material to cover up the seem and blend the two together? And what did you use to glue the Aluminum tubes to the strylene so seemlessly? What size Alum tubes and Pins did you use? And where did you get them? Are there any other in-progress pics that you have of these? What is the base from that you mounted the MMS to (and the rocket pedistals near the cab)? And the twin cannons with the cool radar thing on it?

I am sorry for all of the questions, but I have always wanted to cut and paste vehicles, but I just have not had the knowledge to do so without it looking like a total hack job. Again, these look profesionally made by Hasbro and are wicked cool.

Sidewinder · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am **Location:** East TN

fantastic work!

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