Bruiser rebuild and update

Octanas · 07-30-2009, 09:14 PM

About 3 months ago I bought a used Tamiya Bruiser of e*bay... when I say used, I really mean it.

My plan was to restore it and, at the same time, "upgrade" it to some higher specs.

This is what I got...

Here are some picts of the "under the body":

as you can see the is some rust in the chassis but it seems that, in some point of it's life, it was painted in black and that paint helped to prevent more corrosion on the chassis... but it looks ugly.

And now... for the nightmare... the previous owner installed a light system on the car... the only problem is the 80's technologies that were used to do this...

Striped the car down to it's smallest parts. The car seems to have been through WWII, Kuwait, Somalia and a few other undercover wars but, surprisingly I was able to tear it apart in a little over than 1 hour and a half... except for the part were the rear fender is attached.

Every bolt and screw came off just like if they were brand new. In the end, I discovered that the nasty look of the chassis cames form the dirt, dust and leftovers of black paint.

the result of one of those wars...

Managed to take the chassis apart... except for the far most rear end were the bumper attaches... those screws are to far rusty and I wasn't able to remove them.

After beeing soaked in WD40 for 3 days, I used denatured alcohol for removing the paint and worked really great... in 15 minutes the paint came of just by passing the finger on it. Actually what I was trying to do, was to remove the grease left over by the WD40... grease stayed on the chassis but the paint came off

After this I started to work on the bodyshell... after taking the glue of I found out that it has more cracks than it appeared... seems the glue was holding it together.

Never the less I was able to salvage the front grill, the windscreen, the headlights, the rear lights and the shade at on the back window... the rest is to far gone. Had to start looking for a new bodyshell.

After removing the messy light system, the bodyshell looked like this...

Sold this bodyshell on e*bay because I don't have the skills to restore it to a "almost" new bodyshell.

Starting the rebuild...

With bodyshell on top of things to have a general idea...

Front end ready2go...

Body work...

Painted and "detailed"...

Another quick preview...

Lowered the bodyshell beacuse it was very high... couldn't lower it no more than this beacuse it's sitting on top of the central transmission and, with the use, the leafs will "open" a little which will bring the front closer to the ground.

Electronics added and a few other bits done and the (re)build was finished...

This is looonnnggggg post and, if you are still reading this, you might as well check the 1st run picts. It worked great and I got a brand new paint job

Video is here

Added some details, and it's done!

Btw, the spider is a real spider... not a scale one

Thank you for your pacience on reading all this, but I've tryed so summarise 4 weeks of posts on other foruns in just one post.

Silas · 07-30-2009, 09:46 PM

great work... it came a long ways!!! Real Life Scale Rose Hair Trantula!!

Buster · 07-30-2009, 10:18 PM

I love the scale jack stands!!!!

Cajun · 07-31-2009, 07:24 AM

It came out great, nice salvage job. The scale jacks are really cool, they give the build photos a touch of scaleness!

Octanas · 07-31-2009, 07:46 PM

Actually they came in handy when you need to level the bodyshell or the chassis

toycrawler · 11-29-2009, 07:05 PM

does any body know where i can get a brusier truck

**Cycleeric** · 11-29-2009, 07:17 PM

That crawler is way cool

**highrock-dam-crawler** · 11-29-2009, 08:51 PM

nice work on the rebuilt

toycrawler · 01-30-2010, 04:19 PM

where do you get the scale jack stands

**Cycleeric** · 01-30-2010, 05:08 PM

Very, Very nice rebuild

Im wanting a scaler but with our Sportsman series Im trying to buy my old shafty back

07-30-2009, 09:14 PM	#1
Octanas 1/32nd Scale Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 56 Rep Power: 111 Servos: 6,376.23 Servos Banked: 0.00 Total Servos: 6,376.23 Donate	Bruiser rebuild and update About 3 months ago I bought a used Tamiya Bruiser of ebay... when I say used, I really mean it. My plan was to restore it and, at the same time, "upgrade" it to some higher specs. This is what I got... Here are some picts of the "under the body": as you can see the is some rust in the chassis but it seems that, in some point of it's life, it was painted in black and that paint helped to prevent more corrosion on the chassis... but it looks ugly. And now... for the nightmare... the previous owner installed a light system on the car... the only problem is the 80's technologies that were used to do this... Striped the car down to it's smallest parts. The car seems to have been through WWII, Kuwait, Somalia and a few other undercover wars but, surprisingly I was able to tear it apart in a little over than 1 hour and a half... except for the part were the rear fender is attached. Every bolt and screw came off just like if they were brand new. In the end, I discovered that the nasty look of the chassis cames form the dirt, dust and leftovers of black paint. the result of one of those wars... Managed to take the chassis apart... except for the far most rear end were the bumper attaches... those screws are to far rusty and I wasn't able to remove them. After beeing soaked in WD40 for 3 days, I used denatured alcohol for removing the paint and worked really great... in 15 minutes the paint came of just by passing the finger on it. Actually what I was trying to do, was to remove the grease left over by the WD40... grease stayed on the chassis but the paint came off After this I started to work on the bodyshell... after taking the glue of I found out that it has more cracks than it appeared... seems the glue was holding it together. Never the less I was able to salvage the front grill, the windscreen, the headlights, the rear lights and the shade at on the back window... the rest is to far gone. Had to start looking for a new bodyshell. After removing the messy light system, the bodyshell looked like this... Sold this bodyshell on ebay because I don't have the skills to restore it to a "almost" new bodyshell. Starting the rebuild... With bodyshell on top of things to have a general idea... Front end ready2go... Body work... Painted and "detailed"... Another quick preview... Lowered the bodyshell beacuse it was very high... couldn't lower it no more than this beacuse it's sitting on top of the central transmission and, with the use, the leafs will "open" a little which will bring the front closer to the ground. Electronics added and a few other bits done and the (re)build was finished... This is looonnnggggg post and, if you are still reading this, you might as well check the 1st run picts. It worked great and I got a brand new paint job Video is here Added some details, and it's done! Btw, the spider is a real spider... not a scale one Thank you for your pacience on reading all this, but I've tryed so summarise 4 weeks of posts on other foruns in just one post.

07-30-2009, 09:46 PM	#2
Silas Team T1E/VP Driver Tournaments Won: 1 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: K-Vegas Posts: 4,263 Rep Power: 387 Servos: 38,378,773.97 Servos Banked: 10,740,642,150.32 Total Servos: 10,779,020,924.29 Donate	great work... it came a long ways!!! Real Life Scale Rose Hair Trantula!! __________________ twenty1eleven \| Vanquish Products @ T1Erc.com Coming Soon!!! - Rock Crawler Ale

07-30-2009, 10:18 PM	#3
Buster Crawlers in Crime Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Polkville, NC Posts: 686 Rep Power: 186 Servos: 173,019.02 Servos Banked: 329,516,963.07 Total Servos: 329,689,982.09 Donate	I love the scale jack stands!!!! __________________ Thanks to Anderson R/C and T1E for sponsoring the Sportsman series! The more you practice... The luckier you get! When in doubt... GAS IT!!!!

07-31-2009, 07:24 AM	#4
Cajun Takin' the low road.... Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: The Piedmont Posts: 1,707 Rep Power: 271 Servos: 839,945.37 Servos Banked: 2,581,046,774.33 Total Servos: 2,581,886,719.70 Donate	It came out great, nice salvage job. The scale jacks are really cool, they give the build photos a touch of scaleness! __________________ There are times when crazy is the only correct response! Last edited by Cajun; 07-31-2009 at 08:05 PM..

11-29-2009, 07:05 PM	#6
toycrawler 1/24th Scale Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: hillsborough nc Posts: 172 Rep Power: 54 Servos: 28,231.90 Servos Banked: 0.00 Total Servos: 28,231.90 Donate	does any body know where i can get a brusier truck Last edited by toycrawler; 11-29-2009 at 08:57 PM..

07-31-2009, 07:46 PM	#5
Octanas 1/32nd Scale Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 56 Rep Power: 111 Servos: 6,376.23 Servos Banked: 0.00 Total Servos: 6,376.23 Donate	Actually they came in handy when you need to level the bodyshell or the chassis

11-29-2009, 07:17 PM	#7
Cycleeric Crawlers in Crime Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Dallas NC Posts: 880 Rep Power: 178 Servos: 80,795.92 Servos Banked: 123,626,916.36 Total Servos: 123,707,712.28 Donate	That crawler is way cool __________________ I think the driver needs more work

11-29-2009, 08:51 PM	#8
highrock-dam-crawler Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: a lil rock in someones back yard Posts: 235 Rep Power: 129 Servos: 618,537.74 Servos Banked: 815.86 Total Servos: 619,353.60 Donate	nice work on the rebuilt __________________

01-30-2010, 04:19 PM	#9
toycrawler 1/24th Scale Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: hillsborough nc Posts: 172 Rep Power: 54 Servos: 28,231.90 Servos Banked: 0.00 Total Servos: 28,231.90 Donate	where do you get the scale jack stands

01-30-2010, 05:08 PM	#10
Cycleeric Crawlers in Crime Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Dallas NC Posts: 880 Rep Power: 178 Servos: 80,795.92 Servos Banked: 123,626,916.36 Total Servos: 123,707,712.28 Donate	Very, Very nice rebuild Im wanting a scaler but with our Sportsman series Im trying to buy my old shafty back __________________ I think the driver needs more work

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