FRANKENWAGON

Pablo undertook this impressive project specifically to challenge himself and his building skills. Building on a Team Associated Element Enduro builder’s kit chassis, Pablo named it the “Frankenwagon” because its 1966 Chevy II Nova wagon body was 3D-printed in pieces and then “stitched” together like that famous monster. Having done a printed body in sections once before for his son, he knew such designs could be fragile so he decided to design an exo-cage to protect and reinforce it. But he wanted to preserve access to the chassis for battery changes or minor maintenance without having to disassemble the cage so he came up with a novel approach. He created a hinge system at the front bumper and retained the rear of the cage with a super-strong 40lb magnet! This allows the cage to swing clear of the body without having to disassemble anything. To handle the weight of the printed body and cage he swapped in a set of high-rate springs from the Element independent front suspension (IFS) kit to use with his stock axles. It worked perfectly and the rig now handles rocks and trails like a champ.