Is my 1/12 Bud dead??? Help!

[BoatRookie]

I'm an RC rookie who needs some help. I posted here because I need the advice of some grizzled vets out there. My 1/12 was great (besides starting it!) and ran beautifully. Unfortunatly it also ran into a deadhead near the shore at near top speed and was signifigantly damaged. You'll see in the pics.

1) I need to know if it's repairable.
2) If so how? Please keep the explanations simple please don't shorten any product or material name.
3) If it's dead, can I buy a new hull and transfer the moter and running gear into it? Where would I get a new hull?

Please have a look at the pics.

Thank-you for any help and assistance you can provide.

BoatRookie

[BoatRookie]

Here is another pic

BoatRookie

[BoatRookie]

And another pic....

BoatRookie

[bugfanatic]

This is repairable, but it will be very difficult. Your gel coat is damaged pretty good & you run the risk of it always wanting to crack where you've fixed it. Or, if you make the repair solid, it may want to start cracking just outside of the area where you fixed it since it will flex differently. Remember, the front wing potentially sees a lot of wave tops as it skims across the water. Here's my 2 cents: First, you'll be able to repair it better if you can separate the hull halves. This is hard to do without further damage, but you can get to the inside area better. If at all possible, see if you can get to the backside of the repair area before cutting the halves apart. You will need to dig out the damaged area (with a Dremel grinding stone, because anything with 'teeth' will crack the thin hull) & refill it from the backside using tape on the outside of the hull to hold the resin & 'glass mat in (electrical tape works good for this). Then, on the frontside, remove a little material so that you can put some 'glass without the mat there & sand it smooth to the rest of the hull. You may be better off removing the front wing completely. Secondly, you'll have to 'glass the halves back together. Take your time as the Bud hull is thin & will want to warp. make sure you use plenty of tape to hold the hull square while it cures. Then, you'll have to repaint the hull. You should get an auto shop to repaint it for you since regular paint will have a harder time sticking to the gel coat (plus won't be fuel-proof). Now, weigh all of the time & effort & money & skills needed to get it repaired & painted against a new hull from ProBoat or buying a used Bud & using that hull & you'll have your answer. You choose which route to go.

[bugfanatic]

Here's the retail link for the replacement hull:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByCategory/Product/Default.aspx?ProdID=PRB2201

[APortman]

i had a simular problem and used some fiberglass and fiberglass cloth and it works fine, it just depends if you want to take the time to repair it because it will envolve repainting the whole boat if you want it to look decent, i did mine and it was alot of sanding and it was a pain in the a**. hope i could help

[APortman]

for 134.00 i would buy a hull

[BoatRookie]

OK, sounds like I should buy a new hull. Now do you fellas think a rank rookie could strip the gear off the current hull and put it all back together on the new hull?

Any thoughts?

BoatRookie :cool:

[BoatRookie]

Ok thanks guys I appreciate your help. I think I'm going to do two things:

1) Buy a NEW Miss Bud

2) Buy a hull and transfer the running gear onto it and modify it a little to get some more speed (sort of use it as a test platform) and to get a better understanding of these boats.

This way I'll have two and I can have my son run one while I run the other.

Any thoughts on this or should I look at another "Easy" boat out there for the new one?

Cheers,

BoatRookie
:cool:

[dmaytum]

Hulls are avail from time to time on EBAY

[Austinlake]

I Purchased A Second Ms Bud And Hung It By Strings And Suspended The Tips Of The Pontoons In Plaster Of Paris So That I Could Make A Mold Of The Broken Front Part Of The Pontoon. You Will Need Light Weight Fiber Glass Cloth And Polyester Resin Plus Hardener. It Was A Lot Of Work But I Have Replaced Tips Of Both Pontoons And, Although They Are Not Beautiful Red, They Are Water Tight And Very Functional. I Also Had To Replace The Orignial Shaft With A Stainless Steel Housing And Stainless Shaft. They Work Much Better Than The Original And They Dot, Rust!!! The One Mold That I Have Saved Is The One That You Have Sustained The Most Damage On According To The Picture. BY THE WAY, DID YOU REALIZE THAT THE BOAT IN THE PICTURE IS ON AN UPSIDE DOWN STAND???

[Ron Olson]

Austinlake, have you met bugfanatic yet? Dave, meet Dave! :D Small world isn't it! Bug gets his Vee-Dub parts not too far from your house. Yes, Bug, it's that Austin Lake! :)

[bugfanatic]

Nice to 'meet ya' - I have gotten caught in the weeds on the west side of the lake. Nice lake. p.s. Ron, the Bug is nearly ready for a road test. Only a couple things left to do to her.