Vaccuformed or Lexan Bodies?

[bugman72]

I was messing around with my Xmod this afternoon and decided to run it around the living room with the body off. Without my Supra body on, it drove like an entirely different vehicle. It was noticably faster, to say the least. I know that the RS bodies tend to be a bit on the heavy side, but I didn't realize how much until now.

Does anyone know someone or have access to a vacuuform machine or know some other way to develop an extremely light, yet durable body? I was thinking that Lexan would be the best thing. Granted, one would probably need to install some foam on the front as a bumper (much like 1/10 onroad R/C cars have). But imagine the weight that you would save. Nevertheless the sick paintjobs that you could do and they would always be SHINY!

Just a thought to throw out there and hopefully touch an eyeball of someone who knows someone.

[RC 2NR]

I think that would just be too much trouble. If you want a lighter body and don't care about how it looks, I say gut your body so all you have is a little plastic to protect the wheels, suspension, etc.

[Short1mgb]

you could make a body out of plexi... lexan has a high melting point so you cant mold it hang on let me find a tutorial on molding plexi

[Short1mgb]

here u go its from a friend of mine that does custom computer cases http://home.austin.rr.com/crazypcmods/MartiniMobo.htm

[bugman72]

I think it would be pretty difficult to create a body from plexi, besides the fact that plexi can be kind of brittle the thinner the sheet gets.

Lexan is what is generally used on 1/10 R/C vehicles. I'm not sure whether they are vacuuformed over a buck or positive.

Does anyone know of a supplier for 1/24 slot car bodies? I know that they used to make lexan-type bodies for slot cars some time ago.

[Short1mgb]

plexi is not that hard to mold my friend did a UT character case i think its on the site that i posted also

[bugman72]

OK, I've done some checking around and on Ebay. I found a couple of potential candidates, but want to run them by all of you to see if they will work.

The first one that I found is a GT40 body that the seller said has a 4" wheelbase and is 2 1/2" wide. I think that this will be slightly too long for the Supra, right? The other bodies that I found by the same seller are a '41 Willys coupe, an AC Cobra, a '62 or '63 Corvette Road Race, a Shelby Mustang Fastback, and an Anglia sedan body (English Ford). I think that a couple of these would fit the wheelbase quite well, but don't know for sure.

What do you guys think? I'd love to give one of these a try.