The Wild West Express

[talon63]

So I picked up a Raider's Coach kit on the cheap, because I wanted the Pontiac Big blocks and the GTO grill for a couple of other projects. I'm turning the the rest of the drive unit into a two-seater concept. But, what to do with the rest of the kit. I did some searching and found the kit had been used to build a couple of other things, mostly rail dragsters.  After thinking it over for a bit, it came to me. Stage coaches were off-road vehicles, why not use the body, and a monster truck chassis. I lucked into a monster truck kit for under $10, and the vision gelled. So here is the first pic, just to give an idea of where this will be going, after a lot of modification and scratch building to make the tube frame workable and come up over the drivers' seat, which will still be up front on the coach.

And now, off to do some drawings of the tube frame to see if the one I have will work with mods, or if I need to start cutting tubes for the scratch build and decide on a fitting finish for The Wild West Express.
 

Thanks for looking, and as always, comments are encouraged.

[Spex84]

This is insane, I love it!

[GTJUNIOR]

Radical idea! This will be interesting. 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Cool project. Definitely will be watching.

[Misha]

Pretty Wild!!! Be checking in on the Express.

Cheers Misha

[talon63]

Rough Sketch of the direction this should be heading in.

And the chopping has begun. 

I see a future full of styrene rod, tubing, and sheet cutting to complete the chassis and modify the coachworks into the vision. 

Still deciding on color schemes and the power plant for this beast.

Back to work now.

[talon63]

Small update.  Drive train coming together. ready for plumbing and wiring.

And the first pass at the body finish. 

Still have a lot of tube frame to complete, and the interior, roof, cockpit and a scratch built trunk to hide the gas tank for the back.

 

Thanks for looking.

[The Danish sprue wrangler]

very cool idea . fun build .