'95 Predator (CWF tub inside!)

[Lonestar]

Howdy yall,

As @Rich Trujillo posted some pics of a Pred "for a friend" for valuation, I remembered I had one on the top shelf of my (messy) man-shed... So I pulled it out of the 8th scale rim it sits on and I snapped a few pics just for the heck of it... and then I started marveling at how awesome this design is, despite all its flaws!

This one has a funny story... I had always wanted a Pred with the CWF tub, meaning an original XT or a 95 as TTT switched to plastic tubs as of 96.

It was bought five or six years ago from an admin of a french vintage RC forum, not cheap (no Pred ever was ) but not outrageously priced either. The body reminded me of something but I quite couldn't exactly recall why. I knew it shared some cosmetic cues from Moore's car body, while not being exactly the same design (and car). Maybe someone will be better than me at finding a pic of Moore's car...

But anyway, here's mine - the dust is vintage, too

This is the 6x1 layout before they switched to saddle pack:

Cooling has always been an issue with the Pred - at some point, one owner cut some ducts in the body and added some fine grilles to protect the inside:

And the fantastic CWF tub - maybe subcontracted by Fyberlite at the time, who knows?

But that paint scheme kept bugging me... then I found out:



This was the press car that I read about in the french RC magazines when the car was released! (scan courtesy of PetitRC) So I basically had a press car... but then I took it to my good RC byddy Vincent, who's been in RC since the early 90's, and he instantly said "I know this car! this was my brother's... the fine thermoforming (sarcasm font) around the shocks is his unmistakeable personal touch"

He texted him a few pics, and yes, that was his brother Xavier's car that I had inherited from. The brothers are from the same area as the magazine car tester... So it all makes sense, Xavier had purchased it from the Auto8 crew. And like prestigious full-scale collector's cars, I know the full history of my ride. isn't that cool?

To top it off:



(pic courtesy of "The Dodge" @Tamiyaclub) - not quite the exact same one but pretty darn close... someone got inspired by the box art!

One day I will tear this car apart, clean it, and rebuild it I swear

[just]

Awesome Story. You should atleast run it one Time. This Cars are Really intressting to Drive. They Drive at the Edge of the blade. If you Drive it you will Know what i mean.

[DennisM]

That´s a good story and a very nice buggy.
I´m looking forward to seeing the pictures from the clean up, and hearing Your opinion on how it is to work on.

[XLR8]

So much thought and so many innovative features packed into one car. I like the cantilevered shocks and the static rear toe adjusters.
They really tried hard to make something unique. Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.

[Lonestar]

It sure was one of the craziest, most elitist RC designs - Richard Weatherley must have come from full-size car racing to bring such solutions to the RC world.

They seemed to work well in the right hands, but certainly had a reputation for being demanding, temperamental and finnicky... which is why, unhelped by prices that were out of this world, they never really were a commercial success. They didn't cool well. They were tough to setup. That "non-floating" transmission was fragile... That's why there's a cult following!


I have zero spares for this baby, except a couple of odd rims I think. When (if?) I come to restore it, i doubt I will run it any further than a few circles in the (grass) backyard But I will run it just so I can say "I'm part of a very selected few, I drove a Pred once"

But that tub... and that cantilever suspension... the slammed looks...

[klavy69]

thats a cool story and better than that an amazing car. Wasn't that the one you said I could have awhile back?

Todd