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I guess, I have never seen the original Wacky Races cartoon, but the mustache guy and his dog are pretty familiar. Anyway, I can imagine the story, and I prepare for a bloody street race.

My idea is a car, which can be rolled over, and it still a full value car, and can continue the race. The rolled car would look differently (at least the colors), and the poor opponent would not even recognize that the vengeance is coming.

I have not too much Technic parts, but I have the 8070 supercar + the extra parts necessary for the Daywalker + some bulk. A total of ~4k parts. I did not prepared budget for this contest, so I will use only what I have. Maybe a 3 EUR budget is acceptable. I have only one motor and a battery box, so I won't use PF. Everything will work manually. So lets see the functionalities:

Steering: HoG steering + working steering wheel

Driving: push like a child

Engine: 2 cylinder boxer engine at the rear

PF: no power functions

Rear suspension with shock absorbers. Same shock absorbers are used for rollcage flipping.

Color scheme: Red / White. + Black, gray and some yellow inserts.

Wacky function: can be overroled, and all the previous functionalities still work correctly.

Wacky function 2: maybe some weponry to hit back

The idea requires a really flat car, with tyres higher than the body. The most useful decision is to use the 9 studs diameter supercar tyres (the only tyres I have :classic: ), and make a 7 studs high body. The whole body should be highly up-down symmetric, to ensure that all the functionalities work in both state of the car. This will be a little tricky for the suspension, but I guess it can be done. And I need a cabin for the driver. This should be a rollcage. When the car overrolls, the rollcage flips to the other side of the car. And the seat rotates 180 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the rollcage, so the drivers head will be up again. At this moment I have only these concept drawings. Soon I will have LDD files, then I will start building.

36057828133_7f9e2fc8be_b.jpgThe Unrollable Concept S2 by Zsolt Nagy, on Flickr

And this is the most up to date LDD image. I will start to build soon.

36842303666_ef2a965469_b.jpg

Build completed, the result is

37587181672_85fc4fc854_b.jpg

Edited by kodlovag

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Great idea! If you keep the tilting axis at the level of the wheel axis, there would be no need to actively flip the cabin; you could let gravity do it's work by keeping the center of gravity below the tilting axis. It could also give the driver some comfort in turns if the cabin tilts due to inertia (passive tilting).

One problem I forsee: The driver should let go the steering wheel when the car rolls over, otherwise rolling over will effect the steering angle substantially...

Edited by Didumos69

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like cole's 9444 vehicle? (own it, awesome)

Edited by Aventador2004

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6 minutes ago, Aventador2004 said:

like cole's 9444 vehicle? (own it, awesome)

Bah... I really expected this is an original idea. I don't care much about Ninjago, so I've never seen this set before.

Anyway, I won't give up, I will complete it.

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32 minutes ago, Didumos69 said:

Great idea! If you keep the tilting axis at the level of the wheel axis, there would be no need to actively flip the cabin; you could let gravity do it's work by keeping the center of gravity below the tilting axis. It could also give the driver some comfort in turns if the cabin tilts due to innertia (passive tilting).

One problem I forsee: The driver should let go the steering wheel when the car rolls over, otherwise rolling over will effect the steering angle substantially...

The tilting axis has to be at the level of the wheel axis. But the momentum from gravity is always downward, while I have to keep the center of the rollcage above the wheel axis. So gravity cannot flip the rollcage. But gravity will rotate the seat and the steering wheel within the rollcage. I'm pretty much sure it can work.

A problem which I can see: HoG steering will work in both state of the car perfectly, but cabin steering will work reverse way in one state of the car. This is because the steering mechanism cannot be fully up-down symmetric. But who cares. This is Wacky Wheels contest, and this is a wacky steering wheel! Not a real advantage, but a ton of fun :laugh:

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1 hour ago, kodlovag said:

The tilting axis has to be at the level of the wheel axis. But the momentum from gravity is always downward, while I have to keep the center of the rollcage above the wheel axis. So gravity cannot flip the rollcage. But gravity will rotate the seat and the steering wheel within the rollcage. I'm pretty much sure it can work.

A problem which I can see: HoG steering will work in both state of the car perfectly, but cabin steering will work reverse way in one state of the car. This is because the steering mechanism cannot be fully up-down symmetric. But who cares. This is Wacky Wheels contest, and this is a wacky steering wheel! Not a real advantage, but a ton of fun :laugh:

Could a planetary system of gears work for the steering wheel as it can turn around with no issues?

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Idea is good, but I'll wait for pictures to got picture which way you will make it real 

Good luck :thumbup:

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I like your idea and I like the fact that you will be working with limited parts. That a challenge on its own. Good luck.

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Thank you for following and commenting this project.

I made some progress. I have a rear suspension with engine attached, and a front "suspension" with the steering. The rear one will work, that's for sure. The front one may work with rubber bands, but I'm not really sure about that. The rollcage is also done, for now without the seat and the steering wheel. Next step is chassis / bodywork. It seems to me, that these two things will be the same. The 7 stud high body is so thin, that chassis and bodywork cannot be separated. Especially because the flipping rollcage occupies the middle area. So I need a self supporting body.

And here are the first missing parts, which I have to buy. Who expected, that I have only one 10 long axle? I need 4 as part of the rollcage, and cannot replace them, because looks too ugly. I used up all of my spare parts to my modular factory building. I have to fill back my stock, luckily axles are cheap.

36924134555_75738b5da4_b.jpg

36784342551_b8c5cc2d0e_b.jpg

36089919914_f1b8510cc4_b.jpg

36116047833_1507c25402_b.jpg

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I worked during the weekend, and this is the result:

36842303666_ef2a965469_b.jpgTechnic_WackyWheels_RollCage_06

36195201784_bfdb2b78e7_b.jpgTechnic_WackyWheels_RollCage_07

The flipping rollcage. The seat can freely rotate inside, together with the steering wheel.

36195201924_1d61fda4e2_b.jpgTechnic_WackyWheels_RollCage_09

And the other side of the car

36195202154_6be6108f62_b.jpgTechnic_WackyWheels_RollCage_11

See more at my flicker album: The Unrollable

I have few missing parts, mainly axles and connectors, some of the newer types, which I have to buy, because I could not find any way to replace them. Then I can start building.

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This looks too awesome to be a wacky racer :laugh:

seriously looks great!

cant wait to see the real one.

EDIT: I have to say it again, this is one of the best looking technic cars I've seen.

Edited by MangaNOID

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I guess the driver would have to slamm the gears into the reverse set of gears too if the car flips? will the model be free rolling or do you have drive gears etc to hook up?

also looks like you need a double, double deffuser or once upside down the car would not be as aerodynamic :grin:

Edit: I just re read the first topic post :blush:

Edited by MangaNOID

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That's a great little model, got a hint of Lotus to it. Can't wait to see it in the Brick. Curious as to how the flipping works.

might have to build one myself if you don't mind sharing LDD files once the competition is over

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It's absolutely awesome, I love the looks, the idea, everything. The cabin looks awesome even by itself.

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This looks great!  How does the seat switch orientation to keep the driver's head up?  I can't figure out - it seems like the seat is too wide to rotate inside the cage, and from what I can see the cage doesn't rotate...

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