THIS MAIL JEEP DELIVERS

While hanging out at the Recon G6 event at Blue Rocks, Wes and his friend Desmond Mooney came up with the concept for this build. Desmond wanted a replica of the LS Mail Jeep—a rock-crushing machine built under a 1970s-era US Postal Service DJ5 Jeep. The massive wheels and tires are nowhere near tucking under the body, but the look just works so Wes got to work. While waiting for the VS410 Origin chassis to arrive he did plenty of planning and research on the history of the Jeep line and how they were modified to accommodate the needs of the USPS. He found that the main difference was an extended grille section which allowed a larger engine without requiring a major retooling of the body. He also reached out to Tim Jackson (builder of 1:1 LS Mail Jeep) on social media, and he was gracious enough to answer questions and even send Wes some pictures and graphics files for me to use. Wes used a blend of traditional scratch building, vacuum forming, and 3D printing to recreate the body. Many of the panels were vacuum formed from styrene using wooden bucks and then glued together on simple styrene structures to enhance durability. With a little Fusion 360 design help from Josh Thiede of Harley Designs, Wes also created a mold to allow him to form aluminum into a louvered panel for the hood. He had Adam and Aiden Hoelper at Pocono Scale 3D-print it for him.

BUILD HIGHLIGHTS

- Chassis: VS410 Origin

- Body: Custom Replica LS Mail Jeep

- Motor: Castle Creations Slate

- Speed Control: Castle Creations Mamba X ESC

- Radio System: Flysky

- Wheels and Tires: Pro-line Racing BF Goodrich Krawler

T/A KX tires on Locked UP RC Wheels

- Scale Accessories: 3Racing Winch

SOCIAL MEDIA

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