Quack Core 4X4 - FreezerBurn TX 2026 "Duck Stuff 3"
The Trucks
The trucks were the cheapest ones I could find with both brushless motors and front+rear LED lights. They turned out to be incredible value for the price (Hobbyplus CR18P V3). After making a test camera mount in Blender, there was not enough forward light to drive by camera at night, so I designed a light bar – it seemed too squirrely and tall and it only had 2 extra LEDs, so I made a V2, with a lower profile, 4 LEDs and a yellow inner lining to help boost the retro look and feel. I moved all of the electronics into the cab and designed+installed fender liners. I also got some weights to add to the wheels to lower the center of gravity and make the front a bit heavier.
The Ducks
I wanted to recreate some of the silliness of video games with ragdoll physics, but in the real world. I found a few models online and used Blender to mash them into this gangly duck. It took a few attempts, but I also was able to make little clippy grips on their hands that would grab the posts on the back of the trucks. I then printed about 60 or 70 of them, so they could be loaded onto the trucks and scattered throughout the course.
The Track
The track was pitched as a “mountain” with various obstacles and a time attack challenge. I decided to make the start and finish line the same, so it would cut down on work. I printed the sign with a hollow interior and clear Start/Finish text on either side. The hollow area had a loop part to hold LEDs, which would be wired up and later glued into the sign. I also printed some identical obstacles for each lane – A teeter totter (which did not end up being used) and an orange “crag”. All this plus 10 pool noodles, a tarp, a pile of rocks, some scrap wood, a contractor bag, and some duck tape formed into quite the track in the end.
Racers would begin side by side at the start/finish line (shown on the right in the image above), drive up the planks/tarp onto the platform, where they had to cross over the orange crag. They would then go down the other side of the “mountain” and through the duck crossing pond. Finally, they would turn around and make a dash for the finish down the straight on either side of the mountain, with only a few stones and a rubber chicken between them and the finish. The whole area was surrounded with pool noodles to act as a clear boundary for the drivers.
Advertising
A few weeks before the event, I had the idea to make a “commercial” for my project to get people interested. A friend and I took about 25 minutes of video, which I was able to use to make this promotional video. I posted the video to the facebook group for the festival a week before the event.