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Gotham Cruiser Build Thread

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  • Gotham Cruiser Build Thread

    I purchased a James DeSimone "Gotham Cruiser" about 10 years ago and never got around to putting it together. I never liked the plastic repro race car wheels that came with it, so when I first got it, I tried to adapt a set of tires from a toy RC monster truck which had chrome rims. I cut out the front wheel wells because the tires were too thick to fit, but then had to fashion a new front axle assembly, which didn't work very well, so I set the project aside.

    Ten years later, I stumbled upon this New Bright 1/6th-ish scale RC Mustang at a Goodwill for $3. It didn't include the transmitter, but I just wanted it for the more car-like tires and rims. When I got it home and compared it to the Cruiser, I observed that the chassis on both cars were nearly identical. It was like they were based on the exact same mold. The Mustang has a shorter wheelbase than the Cruiser and has a section where the battery would go, but otherwise they are the same. So I thought I would try to adapt the Mustang chassis to the Cruiser.

    A couple months ago, I picked up a New Bright 1/6th scale Porsche on the Goodwill auction site that included the transmitter, battery and charger. I charged up the battery, popped it in the Mustang chassis, switched on the transmitter and...it worked! I was able to get the Mustang to run. So now I want to make the Cruiser RC-powered. I'll post updates on my progress in the days ahead.
    New Bright 1/6 Mustang Mustang & Gotham Cruiser chassis Chassis removed from car body
  • #2

    Cool! Keep us updated with pics...Thanks!

    Comment

    • #3

      Nice work on a nice car.
      Fall in A, fall in B, fall in all the company!

      Comment

      • #4

        I spent the past few weeks slowly cutting away the bottom of the Cruiser. I was afraid I'd cut away too much material. Man, whatever kind of "plastic" this is made from, it's some nasty stuff! I'll probably develop lung cancer from all the dust. If you ever wanted to see the inside of one of these, here's your opportunity.

        Cut the Mustang chassis in two. I left some of the Cruiser chassis in place to make up for the difference in length. The back part fits pretty nicely now. But the front doesn't quite fit. The chassis is straight but the Cruiser slopes upward. I'll have to do some additional mods to get it lined up correctly.

        Comment

        • #5

          It's looking good so far @ Shermanator, you should definitely wear a paper mask or similar.. if it's a crumbly plastic then super glue would be ideal to fix any mistakes. I look forward to seeing more from this project.
          Fall in A, fall in B, fall in all the company!

          Comment

          • #6

            Made some strategic cuts and applied the heat gun to the front chassis so it now conforms to the shape of the car's front. Here's a shot of the two chassis sections dry-fitted to the bottom. Still working on a method of attaching the chassis halves to the car body. Have an idea I'm working on. I duct-taped them on for the moment so I could flip it over on it's tires. Looking pretty good so far!

            Comment

            • #7

              Cool project and its looking good!

              Comment

              • #8

                Yep, it's coming along nicely, skilled work there!
                Fall in A, fall in B, fall in all the company!

                Comment

                • #9

                  Posted a short video of my first test drive today on The Trenches Facebook page (Didn't know if I could upload a video here). Here's the link:

                  https://www.facebook.com/sdsherman62...650400393/?t=0

                  Comment

                  • #10

                    Originally posted by Shermanator View Post
                    Posted a short video of my first test drive today on The Trenches Facebook page (Didn't know if I could upload a video here). Here's the link:

                    https://www.facebook.com/sdsherman62...650400393/?t=0
                    I'm not a member of Faceb**k, so i can't watch the video. I think it's possible to upload videos onto this forum.
                    Fall in A, fall in B, fall in all the company!

                    Comment

                    • #11

                      Posted the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bPxq_Q1GzB4

                      Comment

                      • #12

                        I saw the video, it's coming along nicely, Thanks Shermanator.
                        Fall in A, fall in B, fall in all the company!

                        Comment

                        • #13

                          Got the steering working, at least temporarily. Here's another video: https://youtu.be/uK-FOznrhPw

                          Comment

                          • #14

                            That's cool! You should try and build a Joker/baddie car for Batman to chase around the garden/backyard.
                            Fall in A, fall in B, fall in all the company!

                            Comment

                            • #15

                              Had to set aside my work on the Cruiser for a couple months due to life issues, but I've resumed work on it. I gave the body a light coat of paint using Krylon Fusion Gloss black. I picked up a wire mesh wastepaper basket at a Goodwill store and cut out sections for the front grille. Next I'll be applying some of the pin striping and and other trim work.

                              I'm hoping to have it completed and ready to run in time to bring it to the Kentuckiana GI Joe Toy Expo at the end of July for Show & Tell.

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