Who owns the Attex Molds

[Stevo]

I swear I saw that Attex truck at Tru-Way RV (late 80s/early 90s) and my uncle telling us it was going to Austrailia, Square headlights and all! It was the first attex truck I saw (not knowing attex actually manufactured them) and thought somebody just modified an attex. It would be cool to confirm that is the same machine.

G'day TechFX,

I was at the Busco Beach ride with the gang this weekend.

I just saw your post on the site and did want to say that I do believe it is the very same Attex Lil Truck that you saw! Amazing!!

Dave Burrs (Truway RV) sold it to us back in 1991(ish). It is an awesome machine, but we have had some reliability issues with the G50b. I just learned of Dave's passing. I never met Dave, but I chatted to him on the phone a few times and e-mailed back and forth quite a bit. He was a great bloke and I am very sad to hear he passed away.

God's grace to Donna and the family.

[AndyL]

The molds still are not popping up...The owner of them is unknown...There are two options, and I may do both of them:

1. Reconstruct a "new mold" with an updated sleeker design of the Attex. The only drawback is that it will not match up with the old bodies, but the new ones will be deeper and can accommodate larger tires, etc. I will take the suggestion from this thread and other similar threads and make a mold. This probably will not start until my Christmas break, spring break, or maybe next summer. It will happen thought because I am serious about this project.

2. I know the owner of the Hustler molds and I spoke with him earlier today. I may consider making a small run of Hustler bodies because I can build them into racers as well. I would mold them in all black as of now. Is anyone interested in Hustler shells?

[techfx]

G'day TechFX,

I was at the Busco Beach ride with the gang this weekend.

I just saw your post on the site and did want to say that I do believe it is the very same Attex Lil Truck that you saw! Amazing!!

Dave Burrs (Truway RV) sold it to us back in 1991(ish). It is an awesome machine, but we have had some reliability issues with the G50b. I just learned of Dave's passing. I never met Dave, but I chatted to him on the phone a few times and e-mailed back and forth quite a bit. He was a great bloke and I am very sad to hear he passed away.

God's grace to Donna and the family.

Thanks Stevo - got the PM and replied. It was good to meet you (at least electronically). I'll pass this on to my Aunt.

[evil8x8]

Jeff thanks for that link. I have reviewed every thread on the route6x6 board and found one with a guy who was asking if anyone was interested in having some bodies made, claiming he now owns the molds. He did not list his contact information and there's no way to email him.

UPDATE:

I have spoken to a plastic forming company that is able to vacuum-form the bodies for a really low cost, especially if it's in black. I either need to locate the original molds or make my own and resize the mold large because HDPE shrinks when cooled down. Anyway if ANYONE can give me any information or leads to where/who has the molds, or is interested in helping me search them down. I have everything else lined up to make this happen as soon as the molds are found and the person is willing to let this company press bodies from it.

If you have ANY ideas you can respond on here or PM me.

I apologize for bringing up this old thread but today while working on the cnc router I got an idea. It would be very easy and cheap to make a mold for vacuum forming on a cnc router. If you make a 3D model, it can be turned into a series of 2D slices that can be cut out of MDF on a cnc router. The slices can than be glued together and sanded smooth. Heck, I could probably even make these molds.

[AndyL]

hey evil8x8...that sounds like a great idea...i've put this kinda of on the back burner since college is so busy along with other things, but i am still interesting in replicating these molds sometime...let's keep it in mind and see what we can figure out...by the way, couldn't we just use an old body as the 3D model?

[evil8x8]

hey evil8x8...that sounds like a great idea...i've put this kinda of on the back burner since college is so busy along with other things, but i am still interesting in replicating these molds sometime...let's keep it in mind and see what we can figure out...by the way, couldn't we just use an old body as the 3D model?

Sorry by 3D model I ment 3D model rendition on a cad program.

[rdr]

sorry evel. they have to be out of alum as the sheet have to be heated to form it. would burn up mdf in jest a few min. while . the hdpe has to be hot to form and mold then cool in the mold to stay in shape .
robbie

[hydromike]

Royalite 20 (ABS) has a high/low thermoforming range of 340/390 degrees Farenheit. A typical temperature for thermoforming HDPE is in the same range, and 350 degrees is a good average. I can't say if MDF would or would not hold up to 350 degrees over a period of time, but it doesn't seem like it's not worth trying! Paper ignites at 451 degrees, and the low range of MDF auto-ignition is about 425 degrees. I think that you may get some mild surface burning of MDF, but it may work out great if you keep the thermoforming on the low-end of the temperature range.

Keep in mind I know very little about vacuum forming plastics. This is just a digest and spit-out of data from the web.... I talked with Faro Plastics in Rochester, NY years ago about mold-making, and wooden molds are very common in the industry, and substantially cheaper than aluminum.

~m

[lewis]

Does anyone know what the originals were made of? If they were aluminum there is a possibility that they were melted down for scrape after the business went under. I hope this is not the case but if someone found them in a warehouse they may have not known what they were and made a john boat out of them. I am hoping a loyal 6x6 world member will run up on these molds on day. You never know what is stuck back in a old shed or barn out in the back woods.

Here is a thought, if we had to a remake a mold would you want it to be exactly the same anyway? Knowing the shortcoming of the body would you not change it some what to make it more survivable or stable. We all know the weaknesses of the construction so if you are going to make something why not improve it.

A little longer for more leg room and longer frame.
Bottom a little taller for large tires without hitting the top of the tub.
A little wider for more turning stability at higher speed.

Frames can be made to fit. The possibilities are endless when you are just thinking out loud.

As far as racers:
If you put all this aside and i know it is not a Attex, i have just described a Argo Bigfoot. This would make a hell of a racer. Rear engine, T-20, low to the ground, wide, plenty of leg room and they still make them. I sold one prior to building the Crush and the thought never occurred to me.
Note: Springer Kits would also be available. All you need is a bottom to work with. Guess who would be the guy to make this?

Just thinking out loud, but i do hope the molds are found but it still will cost a butt load of money to make new ones. There are a endless number of new materials being developed everyday and maybe one of them can be used in our application in the near future.

Long live the old stuff!

[micmac]

As far as racers:
If you put all this aside and i know it is not a Attex, i have just described a Argo Bigfoot. This would make a hell of a racer. Rear engine, T-20, low to the ground, wide, plenty of leg room and they still make them. I sold one prior to building the Crush and the thought never occurred to me.
Note: Springer Kits would also be available. All you need is a bottom to work with. Guess who would be the guy to make this?



Long live the old stuff!

Someone did make something like that Lewis