Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
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This is a catch-all forum for any make and model produced from the year 2000 to present day.
This is a catch-all forum for any make and model produced from the year 2000 to present day.
Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
I think i like the cab forward body in the sense of its got an aggressive ugly look similar to a warthog bomber. Personally im a scifi geek so the cab foreard design seems like a natural evolution. its just a shame that they are forcing the style on the industry without alternatives
Geuss its all about what makes a profit and what is popular.
Just look how many prius owners there are and you cant say those cars look anything but ugly. Even the 80s saabs had more style. Lol for that matter look at any style from the 80s and you might just understand the corporate ideology of "if we make it, you will buy it, regardless of whether you like it"
Geuss its all about what makes a profit and what is popular.
Just look how many prius owners there are and you cant say those cars look anything but ugly. Even the 80s saabs had more style. Lol for that matter look at any style from the 80s and you might just understand the corporate ideology of "if we make it, you will buy it, regardless of whether you like it"
- yellowdatsun
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
One of the reasons I really like the Proline Pro-2 buggy conversion, and the Associated SC10B, they look just like real buggies. I'd build either of them if I had the money.
Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
had a thought about what cab forward bodies resemble....the Mullet hairdo, all business up front party in back.
- Coelacanth
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
I still say they look like a tadpole or polliwog. 

Completed projects: CYANide Onroad Optima | Zebra Gold Optima | Barney Optima | OptiMutt RWD Mid
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- RichieRich
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
I think they look like sprickets. Google camel crickets. Ugly little bastards.Coelacanth wrote:I still say they look like a tadpole or polliwog.
- LosiXXkid
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
To my eyes, the cab forward body just looks crap, ridiculous and completely out of place but I guess someone has to like them. These 1/10 off-road buggy's of ours are supposed to represent some sort of single seat racing buggy, a bit like this:
Now lets take a 1:1 driver of around 6' (approx. 183cm) and scale him down to 1/10 size and we get 7.2" (approx. 18.3cm).
Now lets try and imagine our scale driver in a cab forward body,......where the hell are his damn legs supposed to go???
He wouldn't fit.....not with all the steering mechanism that supposed to be there.
And something else that I have noticed with these cab forward designs is the apparent alteration of overall scale. The driver area now looks more suited to a scale driver of around 3" (approx. 7.6cm), to my eyes at least.
And the way things are going, they might as well do away with the 'cab' aspect of the body shell altogether and just have it as a 'drone' buggy without any driver whatsoever.
As you can probably tell, I'm not a fan.
Now lets take a 1:1 driver of around 6' (approx. 183cm) and scale him down to 1/10 size and we get 7.2" (approx. 18.3cm).
Now lets try and imagine our scale driver in a cab forward body,......where the hell are his damn legs supposed to go???
He wouldn't fit.....not with all the steering mechanism that supposed to be there.
And something else that I have noticed with these cab forward designs is the apparent alteration of overall scale. The driver area now looks more suited to a scale driver of around 3" (approx. 7.6cm), to my eyes at least.
And the way things are going, they might as well do away with the 'cab' aspect of the body shell altogether and just have it as a 'drone' buggy without any driver whatsoever.

As you can probably tell, I'm not a fan.

~I'm a lot older now than I was then and wish that I knew then what I know now~
- mk-Zero
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
I don't think the intention of modern buggies is to be "scale." It's to be fast. Don't get me wrong, I think they're fugly too, but if they help shave a few tenths off my lap due to better airflow, I'm okay with that. Besides, there's really nothing "scale" about modern RC racing anyway, I mean if you scaled up the track I drive on, there would be a bunch of 100-200 foot jumps, and the cars would all be going 300 mph. When I'm driving my car, I'm not really pretending there's some little dude in there doing the driving, it's me, with a controller in my hand, on the driver's stand, so I don't really care that a "scale person" wouldn't fit. If the scale bug hits me, there are plenty of RC cars out there I could build for that purpose. But for hitting the track and turning fast lap times, I'm okay with weird looking but fast. Just my $.02 

- terry.sc
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
A modern short course racing buggy, the nearest to our buggy racing, looks like thisLosiXXkid wrote:To my eyes, the cab forward body just looks crap, ridiculous and completely out of place but I guess someone has to like them. These 1/10 off-road buggy's of ours are supposed to represent some sort of single seat racing buggy, a bit like this:

I hate to say it, but a cab forward body looks more like this than the more aesthetically pleasing bodies we prefer.
BTW a member on Oople has started making his own 'classic' bodies for his cars
http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169841
- LosiXXkid
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
I had a quick look at that thread and I think he maybe onto something,....... all those bodies look so much better with the cab to the rear, just like they used to be.
~I'm a lot older now than I was then and wish that I knew then what I know now~
- Coelacanth
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
That seriously looks like ass. Actually, that looks like a buggy with a rollcage for a diaper.terry.sc wrote:A modern short course racing buggy, the nearest to our buggy racing, looks like thisLosiXXkid wrote:To my eyes, the cab forward body just looks crap, ridiculous and completely out of place but I guess someone has to like them. These 1/10 off-road buggy's of ours are supposed to represent some sort of single seat racing buggy, a bit like this:
Completed projects: CYANide Onroad Optima | Zebra Gold Optima | Barney Optima | OptiMutt RWD Mid
Gallery - Coel's Stalls: Marui Galaxy & Shogun Resto-Mods | FrankenBuff AYK Buffalo | 1987 Buick GNX RC12L3
Gallery - Coel's Stalls: Marui Galaxy & Shogun Resto-Mods | FrankenBuff AYK Buffalo | 1987 Buick GNX RC12L3
- mk-Zero
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
If realism is super important to someone, our beloved AE does make these. Basically a SCT with a buggy body. Looks a lot like the real one posted above, better actually. So you can skip the b44 or b5 and get a SC10B.


- yellowdatsun
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
The biggest reason these buggies, and short course trucks have exploded in popularity, is because they look "normal". It may not be perfectly scale, but it looks normal, or "right". I agree with the drone comment, if a GI Joe action figure can't fit in it, scale wise, why even have the cab? This is why the new Axial Trophy Truck is going to sell by the zillions, because it looks real. People like realism. Personally, I think if you're all about winning, and don't care about the whole point of having a scale buggy, you're missing the point of the sport.
- mk-Zero
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
I don't think I'm missing the point of anything, and frankly it's a bit close-minded to think there is only one "correct" way to enjoy a sport. There are different, equally valid ways. When I'm driving my '44, I care about honing my skills as a driver and turning fast lap times, and beating up on 1/8 scale buggies, and don't give 2 you-know-whats about how much it looks like a "real" buggy. When I mess with RC10's, I enjoy the vintage aspect, and designing and testing new components, and trying new things... the tinkering aspect. With my Axial, I do enjoy the fact that it looks "correct" when I drive it.
By the same token, my quad looks *nothing* like any real aircraft, but I enjoy flying it. Am I missing the point of something there too?
By the same token, my quad looks *nothing* like any real aircraft, but I enjoy flying it. Am I missing the point of something there too?

- LosiXXkid
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
I'd be interested to know how the same amount of Lexan in a modern 'cab' forward design provides 'faster' lap times than that of the traditional cab rear design that we are all used to. 

~I'm a lot older now than I was then and wish that I knew then what I know now~
- mk-Zero
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Re: Reason for "cab-forward" modern bodies?
LosiXXkid wrote:I'd be interested to know how the same amount of Lexan in a modern 'cab' forward design provides 'faster' lap times than that of the traditional cab rear design that we are all used to.
Lower coefficient of drag, more front down force, less turbulent flow over the rear wing. It's not how much lexan you use, it's where you put it.

Look, it probably only makes a tenth or two of a second difference in lap times, but over 15 laps that can give you a second or two advantage... I'll take it. Like I said, for my track car, I don't really care about its realism. But yes, they are ugly, there's no denying that

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