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Thread: truck bodies

  1. #1
    New BYT Member shooter82's Avatar
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    Default truck bodies

    im getting ready to build a large vacuum former to do 1/5 scale truck bodies. My question is what bodies would everyone be interested in for their 1/5 mt. Also will be doing custom bodies for 5b/5t. give me some ideas on what molds to make. Plans right now is to make a 1/5 grave robber, f350, 80's chevy truck........

  2. #2
    BYT Life Member E-savage's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    I think some on road bodies would be cool!, not sure how many people have 1/5th on roads, but if they did a nice ferrari/lambo/porsche body would be cool..

    And for offroad, you have your generic pick up trucks, the raptor would be cool to make 1/5th!
    Or even some of those desert racing trucks, the modified hummers, tourags and mercs..

  3. #3
    BYT Active Member urjustamemory's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    The thing to look at here is cost vs. demand. To make and sell bodies for 5th scale I bet there is a small profit margin.

  4. #4

    Default Re: truck bodies

    OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN..

    i am thinkin tacoma, pathfinder? unimog?

    i really hope it works out! i really want a more scale look when mine sits on the shelf.

    k

  5. #5
    Team BYT crash dummy NickRummy's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    How about just simply replicating the 5SC body but using thicker material. Maybe .080 or .090 thick? Everyone LOVES the look of the SC body but they are REALLY weak.

  6. #6
    BYT official flamer of noobs suicideneil's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    Fairly generic F150 & Raptor style bodies would be nice, especially if you have the option of the short cab version & the covered-bed version for something a little different to the usual crew-cab versions..

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  7. #7
    New BYT Member shooter82's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    my fs 1/5 scale has the f150 standered cab body on it. It would be real easy to make a mold for. I thought about some onroad bodies like the lambo and porsche. The sc bodies would be pretty easy to make also. Would anyone be willing to pay around $50 plus shipping for these.

  8. #8

    Default Re: truck bodies

    The material alone would cost that much and shipping is outragous to ship a body that size. Just to make a mold is $$$$.

  9. #9
    New BYT Member shooter82's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    im gonna hand shape the molds from foam then coat them. will just have to see how much I got in them when done.

  10. #10

    Default Re: truck bodies

    It never fails. All talk and no action . If your not going to do it right the first time then don't bother wasting your time doing it half assed.

  11. #11
    BYT official flamer of noobs suicideneil's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    Have you ever made your own vacuum formed shells to qualify your remarks?

    Making the mold wont cost very much at all actually, he could either use MDF or Styrofoam that is cut and sanded into shape, then primed and treated with a gel coat ready for forming, or he could even cast a negative from an existing shell in plaster & prep that for forming. Neither process would be overly expensive and would pay for itself quite quickly ( speculate to accumulate ).

    The only hard/ costly part is building or buying a vacuum former- those are kinda pricey unless he takes his molds to a local company to have the shells made- doubt the cost for a sheet of dried lexan would be all that high ( they have to be heated for several hours to drive out any moisture in the sheets which would otherwise cause bubbles when being formed ).

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  12. #12

    Default Re: truck bodies

    Materials to make the mold are going to cost $$$ and the material for the actual body alone is more than $50 a sheet. I've priced that. And for a company to vacum form them $$$$. 1/5 scale bodies sell for $150-200. So the math dosen't add up for a resale of $50 per body. The machine alone is going to be the most expensive and not worth the effort. That's why I make my own 1/4 fiberglass bodies . less expensive. I've been their and explored that. I have 20 yrs of building 1/4 scale cars. lexan bodies are just too expensive to make.

  13. #13
    Veteran BYT Member hw523's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    yes but fiberglass bodies would break
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  14. #14
    New BYT Member shooter82's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    Im not making the machine for other people. Im actually making it so I can make me a new body for my truck. just figured if I had the machine built I could make a little something off it, and help some people out with low cost bodies. Like I said I will have to see what Ive got in it when done, but I can get a .040 sheet of lexan for less than $30. And the foam will not cost much at all.

  15. #15

    Default Re: truck bodies

    You need .070 min lexan sheet So expect double the cost if not more??? Thicker sheet s are more. 030 is good for 1/0 scale .050 is for 1/8 scale and .080 is for 1/5 scale. How many 1/5 truck bodies do you thing you can get from a sheet.? 2 if your luck.y Usually +1/2 sheet is normal for a 1/5 scale truck body. Provided you don't screw it up not knowing how how to actually to do it. Fiberglass is so much easier no guess work involved. Just spray the gell coat and then the fiberglass resin and lay the fiberglass.
    Last edited by Monstertrucker14; 09-19-2011 at 08:05 AM.

  16. #16
    Avid BYT Member bmxwayne's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    i am not much of a builder but i do know that a fiberglass body could potentially be just as tough as lexan if done right i work in a plant that makes fiberglass water slide and truck tops and most people would be suprised at how strong fiberglass really can be it is just a matter of finding the right combonation of fiberglass mat and resin the water slides that we make at work are only 1/4 inch thick
    watch out for that oops too late time to order parts

  17. #17

    Default Re: truck bodies

    That's right. I've never had a problem with fiberglass bodies breaking.

  18. #18
    New BYT Member shooter82's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    yea but some people just dont want to deal with the mess of fiberglass.

  19. #19
    Avid BYT Member bmxwayne's Avatar
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    Default Re: truck bodies

    not really that bad of a mess if you are careful wear gloves and use a brush to apply the resin but this is coming from someone with a few years experience with it for the average person it would probably be a huge mess and any cutting is a mess no matter what you do lots of dust
    watch out for that oops too late time to order parts

  20. #20

    Default Re: truck bodies

    I spray the gel coat then the resin and hand lay the fiberglass. If I were to brush it it it would harden before I finish.

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