MST Ford Bronco Project

I have a whole pile of Tamiya CC-01 chassis trucks and I really like them for the small size and scale appearance.  One thing I don't like as well is the relatively poor off road performance of that chassis.  When MST started selling their CFX chassis kits with your choice of 4 Tamiya bodies, I knew my problems were solved.  I chose the Toyota FJ40 which is a body I'd been wanting anyway and really belongs in any off road stable.  I prefer hard bodies for my trail trucks in general, but if you are going to go with Lexan then Tamiya bodies are the best in the business.

The CFX is a small solid axle chassis with 4-link suspension front and rear.  It has steel chassis rails and all metal gears in the transmission.  There are two varieties: the CFX has the motor installed in the front and the CMX has the motor installed in the middle.  Putting the motor in the front leaves more room in the middle for an eventual interior, so that's the option I went with.  The transmission is different between the two models because of the available space, and the "F" version uses a planetary gear system.

The kit does not come with any electronics so I added my own Hobbywing ESC and a cheap 35T brushed motor.  I also added a simple light kit and a winch.  The kit itself is very good quality.  If you haven't built MST before and don't know what to expect, I actually find their quality close to Tamiya.  Everything is carefully bagged according to the instruction steps and the instructions are very simple and clear.  The fasteners are all hex drive steel.

This vehicle is vastly more capable off road than a CC-01.  With large suspension articulation, soft shocks, and good tires out of the box, it goes over everything I have thrown it at.  It is also very quiet which is always a bonus.  I haven't made any upgrades at all to the chassis since I really can't find anything to complain about.  If there is one thing I wish was different it is the wheels which are just one piece plastic and not beadlock.  However, for a truck like this they actually look very good so I have no plans to change them any time soon.

Update:  Although this truck started life as a Toyota FJ40, after two attempts at painting that body and not being happy with either of them, I took the opportunity to convert this into a classic Bronco.  The conversion required a change in wheelbase and the removal of the winch.  I also changed out the electronics to be all MST since I had some from another project.  Now this is finally a truck I'm happy with.

Update:  This model was destroyed in the 2022 fire.  It has not been replaced.