6x6 Dakar Race Truck (1:16 scale)

[azbill]

The end of last year I was recently laid up for back surgery and my friend, a model truck enthusiast, gave me an old R/C model truck to play with. The truck was as a MAN delivery truck made by Wedico. The truck was upgraded to 6 x 6 radio controlled drive, and covered in Dakar rally stickers And apparently heavily used!

After I was back on my feet I told my buddy I wanted to update the truck to look like a modern Dakar Rally truck. After a few conversations I was given the go ahead to rebuild the truck.

This is the first model truck I've ever built, but I do have a background in mechanical engineering and have built several custom motorcycles (then raced them on the track).

[azbill]

Body (Trailer): The first thing that had to be changed was body portion of the truck. the simple box body wasn't ever the right size. After taking several measurements, twice and studying photos of past and current rally trucks and drawling of possible future design for rally tucks I set to work. I first drew the body to scale in Adobe Ilustrator as a pattern and printed it out on card stock. Once I liked the end result I transfered the pattern to foam-board and built a full size foam-board model.

[azbill]

After the third or fouth try out on foam-board I tranffered the pattern on to sheets of balsa wood and hand cut them out. I assembled the balsa wood pieces togetther using small spots of hot glue. Once the unit was all together I soaked every seam inside and out with Gorilla glue and let it dry to three days. I then used my Dremel to round all the outside edged to about 1/8" dia. Next, I coated all the edges in wood filler, then after it dryed I hand sanded the body down nice and smooth.

[JensR]

Looks great! :)
But this is not an MAN, this is a Mercedes SK :)
Bit hard to spot with the early Wedico style and the stickers are misleading.

[glorydays24]

Congratgulations on a job well done, you did a fantastic job...be proud.:D:D:D

Big John

[azbill]

Looks great! :)
But this is not an MAN, this is a Mercedes SK :)
Bit hard to spot with the early Wedico style and the stickers are misleading.

Thanks! I stand corrected. :)

It has a MAN sticker on it, so I assumed that what it was. I really don't know what the different are to look for.

[rcguyfarms]

I see some use out that old truck. Does it still operate very well? I like the new body design.

[JensR]

Not a biggie :)
Just for your information:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mercedes+SK
For the MAN, I sadly do not know how the generation back then was called, but they looked like this one:
http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/d_child.htm

[azbill]

I rattle can painted the trailer blue, but I'm really not liking the color. Plus the paint is high lighting my piss poor wood working skills... :(

I hooked up some "RPM" bar lights for the cab. I wires in some micro-incandescent light bulbs into the light bars instead of LED's. No real reason except I never seen micro-incandescent light bulbs (aero-naut) and tough the light color might be different.

[azbill]

I added some exhaust pipes, Wedico air-cleaners ad hinged the tail gate. Then reassembled the truck and drive around the yard for a while.

I'm trying to post the build in segments, like I built it. I'm several post behind. I'm not really working that fast...

[azbill]

Seem's my bar lights missed up the function of the hinges on the cab door's. So I there now going to be non-functional.

New plan for the truck color. I got roll of blue flexible carbon fiber vinyl wrap (MetroRestyling.com) and went to town wrapping the cab and the trailer. Took about 7 hours to wrap. I think it looks a better!

I got a small sheet of plexi-glass from Home Depot and cut it to the shapes of the cab windows and spray painted the inside black. Then mounted them with hot glue.

At this point the truck looks a little to militant. I'm going to add some decals to the truck to match the decals on my old race bike.

[azbill]

My buddy gave me a smoke generator for a train and dared to integrate it into the truck. It wasn't that hard, but I'm very dis appointed that that I can find in "black" smoke. All the train products produce thin white smoke with doesn't come close to a turbo diesel output.

I got a couple of the MSDS sheets from a couple of the train smoke fluids and I measured the voltage and temperature of the heating element in the smoke generator. I send all the info to a chemical engineer friend of mine and asked him to make me some black smoke fluid...

Then thin walled tubing keep clasping on it self, so I may redo the plumbing once I get the black fluid.

Video...
http://youtu.be/qi5Hpynxl8s

[azbill]

Lighting test...

1) Running Lights
2) Running & Bar Lights
3) Running & Ground Lights
4) Running, Bar & Ground Lights
5) Rear Break Lights

[mack kid]

I once saw on a tank forum black smoke. i know that in itself not a lot of help but just maybe i can find it again.

[azbill]

I once saw on a tank forum black smoke. i know that in itself not a lot of help but just maybe i can find it again.

I'll keep searching google... :)

[azbill]

I got my vinyl decals! They match the design of my old Ducati E900 race bike (my race team was 'Elefant Racing').

My friends at the vinyl shop wasn't to happy with cutting out the small graphics. I guess with there equipment they have to hand cut graphics under 1/4". They did a great job!

I think the color gives the truck a little more life...

[azbill]

I decided the truck needed full under body skip plate for the cab. So after a few try's at making paper patterns that would protect the undercarriage and not interfere with steering I came up with a design.

I make a simple "U" bracket and mounted it to the middle of the frame. Then cut my skid plate pattern of of aluminum plate and bend it on two places to wrap it over the differential. I mounted the leading edge to the trucks bumper and the used the "U" bracket to mount the rear of the plate.

The skip plate cost me about 3/16" of clearance at the front axel.

[azbill]

I got a ServoNaut SMX Sound Module (With Turbo) for the truck. It took a while to figure out the wiring and how to integrate it into the speed controller.

I also got a 1:16 scale 42" speaker!

[azbill]

After figuring out all the wiring issues for the ServoNaut sound system I went to work installing it. I decided to give it a "stereo system" style installation, instead of just hiding it in the trailer. While it's still going to be be hidden between the cab and trailer, but when the cab is leaned forward, it will look impressive.

So I took a hole-saw and cut a hole in the center of the front of the trailer. I also used the hole-saw you cut a piece of 1:16 diamond plate aluminum sheet. I mounted the speaker inside the trailer facing out the hole. Them placed aluminum screen over the hole and the diamond plate over that. I mounted the sounds system micro volume controller in between the air cleaners.

The trailer is almost full of electronics and wiring, so I guess I'm almost done! :)

[azbill]

Here is one on the trucks I was trying to copy.

MAN Kat1 6x6
http://www.rallyraidassistance.com/MANKat16x6wasforsale.html

These trucks feature:
1) 12,763cc V8 air cooled twin-turbo diesel engine.
2) Torqure converter (this provides a smooth take-up of drive in all situations, prevents wheel-spin and keeps the engine torque at its peak in all circumstances regardless of road speed or selected gear - great for hill climbing, slippy conditions and off road).
3) Manual gearbox.
4) Permanent six-wheel-drive with rear and inter-axle differential locks.
5) Coil spring long travel suspension.
6) 7ton carrying capacity (on or off-road).
7) High level engine air intake and high level air system.

[scalelover]

Truck is looking good. Ive always liked the Dakar builds, I'd like to eventually build one myself.

--Dan