Introduction: Foam Bumper for the RC18R

About: @garooob

The one thing I find the RC18R really lacking is the front bumper.  An RC car chassis should have a bumper; otherwise, a front-end impact will damage the body.  Here, I'll show you how to make a simple yet effective bumper for you RC18R!  These steps can be applied to other cars as well.

Step 1: Materials

For this Instructable, you will need:
-Sturdy packaging foam, like the kind computers come boxed in.  Styrofoam will not work!
-a knife
-a Sharpie

Step 2: Measuring

Since there are different body styles and we're not making a regular geometric shape, I won't give exact measurements.  However, for the Kamino body style, it needs to be at least 1x1.5x6 inches.

Place the nose of the car over the foam and trace around it with the Sharpie.  Then put the foam in front of the car and trace below it.  These will be the outer bounds.  The dimensions we have just drawn will be too large to fit under the body.

Step 3: Cutting

Carefully cut inside the lines we drew in the previous step.  Then place the bumper next to the front of the car and mark off where the ends of the original "bumper" are plus some extra space. Also draw a line 1/2 inch in from the back.  Now cut along that line so that the area marked out by the original bumper is left.

Step 4: Mouting and Trimming

Next comes a tricky part:  Cutting a slit for the new bumper to fit onto the original bumper.  You will need to make a cut at about 60 degrees up on that piece that you left out.  Be careful; if you cut the tab too  small, you will have to cut all the way through the sides to make the bumper fit.  I don't know how much of a difference this makes, but it won't be a secure fit.  Make sure not to cut through the top of the foam, either.

Move the wheels right and left.  Do they rub against the bumper?  If so, trim some away so that the wheels may turn freely.  Also, if you're concerned about the foam touching the shocks, trim it back from that area, too.

Step 5: Finishing Up

Now put the body back on and make sure nothing rubs again.  To keep the bumper in place, wrap it with some electrical tape.  The electrical tape doesn't stick too well to the foam, so you'll have to replace it every time you remove the bumper. 

Now your car is a little safer!  Hopefully the body won't crack when you drive into things or launch it over jumps!