# Tyco Stomper--MY way!



## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

So you guys have seen those, right? Blazer and chevy stepside bodies mounted to a US-1 chassis with big tires. And they sell for boku bucks on EvilBay. Well Ive always been a 4x4 enthusiast, specifically a Jeep nut. So naturally when I got into slots, I started hunting the Jeeps and was never fully satisfied with anything that was released. The tires were too small in relation to the bodies; any jeeper worth his salt knows a jeep just doesnt look right unless it sits up on top of some fat tires. Slot Jeeps are no different so Ive tried doing big tire chassis since day one with mixed levels of success. So far, creating my own version of tycos stomper chassis using hopper/quad tires was my first workable jeep chassis, more recently Ive discovered how versatile Matchbox's slot chassis are. But a true working 4x4 chassis is something Ive always wanted to do, and then an idea hit me based on my homemade stomper so I started tearing down the clone I made a few years ago in order to bring you this one...


The heart of this beast is the tyco TCR armature that just barely has the right length to reach both axles. The worm gears were liberated from a couple of Ideal TCR jam cars. The motor can and magnets come from an Ideal TCR race car since the magnets are just about as strong as tyco 440 pieces, and the same motor is used in Ideal slotted race cars as well as the later model tyco HP-2s. The front part of the chassis was hogged out with my dremel to make room for the front spur gear, and the guide pin is a nail that was heavily dremeled to snap into the chassis, but fit the slot while extending far enough into the track since the bigger tires made the stock pin nowhere near adequate. The pickups were way off the track, so I had to straighten the little hook at the top of the front ones and re-bend them so that they drop down enough to reach the track. the goo up above the body mounts is just hot glue beaded on to grip the body, since it has to sit up higher to clear the tires. 

The body is a tyco Jeep CJ with the top lopped off, the interior is from a matchbox diecast '98 Wrangler and the rollcage is from a Marchon Jeep CJ. The factory paint was stripped and then I repainted it in model masters guards red. Video game fans will notice a striking resemblance to Hammerhead from the Twisted Metal playstation game, and that was no accident at all. 

This baby is still in the developmental stage of course. It drives and handles like you'd expect it to: its slow, the worm gears and vinyl treaded tires make an awful racket, the tail slides all over the place, and it needs a ton of grease and oil to keep the driveline from destroying itself but damn is it ever a blast! Im planning on doing away with the stock pickups and using a braided wire setup as well as relocating the guide pin. And Ive always got my eyes peeled for better tires. If only I knew where to find some NOS tires from tyco's stompers. Its just too bad they didnt sell more of those, and continue to develop them or parts would readily be available and I wouldnt have had to go and build my own--it was fun and satisfying, but Id love to have a whole fleet of these for all my tyco jeeps and I can think of at least a dozen other lwb tyco bodies that would look awesome mounted up to this.


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

yeah baby!!! I like that! AWESOME!! :thumbsup:

Wes


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## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

Nice Jeep :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Let's find some mud! :thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

very inventive!


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Innovative build! :thumbsup:

There should be an easy way for guys like you, with cool ideas like this, to get a good paying job designing! Dream job.....yeah...but until that happens, at least you get to keep playing with the stuff you have! :thumbsup:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Jeeper, very nifty project. It's always fun to watch the evolution of yer off roaders. 

I like the US1's too... they got good grunt and can pull a stump.


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## ScottD961 (Jan 31, 2008)

That is so cool congrats on a great build !


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

Joe, I would work a for a slot car company for half of what I make now... my wife may leave me, but at least I'll be happy... wait! wouldn't that be a win-win?

hehehehehehe


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## tomhocars (Oct 19, 2005)

videojimmy said:


> Joe, I would work a for a slot car company for half of what I make now... my wife may leave me, but at least I'll be happy... wait! wouldn't that be a win-win?
> 
> hehehehehehe


Sounds good Jimmy.We had a slot car track at the country club when I got married.Thanks to Bob Beers and Danny Esposito.Well after a year my wife said it's her or the cars.We talk once in awile.I miss her but I'll get over it.Tom Stumpf


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

Hey Tom.... actually my wife is very understanding about my slot-a-hualic addiction.
As long as the bills are paid our savings goals are met... I can do what I want. 

She's a keeper


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## CJ53 (Oct 30, 2007)

Mine just says "oh that's cute" and walks away... but she does bring me a beer once in awhile...


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Thanks for the props guys. And Joez, you SHOULD be right about that. If only Mattel would just put a few slotters in charge of that division. Ive said it before that if they gave me free run of it for a full year Id have it making money faster than you could print it. The key is to actually produce new cars! duh.


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*Sweet Jeep builds of bolder dash man.....*

grunge,

That Red Beauty just says "Hello" all over it and I say "Oh yeah baby you talking to me!"

What a build. Very  man!

Bob...zilla


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## gear buster (Dec 1, 2005)

Thats a cool jeep.. The way they should have been done.


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