I can no longer find a source for the Wild thing. Anyone have a suggestion for a similar power base?
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Bummer
May be a Covid victim. Fisher Price still lists it on their Website. Patience might be needed
Here is an easy to convert vehicle
https://www.amazon.com/Kidzone-Electric-Vehicle-Control-ASTM-Certified/dp/B08BL2HFY6/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=kids+ride+on+cars&qid=1616438484&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-6
Thanks for your reply. Your other vehicle is cute, but I need more of an “all terrain” vehicle.
Where are you located? I might have one I can spare if we can figure out how to get it to you
Hi Pete,
I am in Morgantown, WV. I potentially found one online, We have ordered it… so fingers crossed. Our college of engineering is trying to make an adaptation “kit” to help people change to joystick control. I hope that their work in not in vain because the product is discontinued. Thanks for you offer.
Anne
If you guys want a headstart, i can send you schematics for our Arduino-based “Motherbox” … which we use with momentary switch based drive controls.
For proportional joystick, been plugging straight into a Sabertooth motor controller from Dimension Engineering. Need to get at least a 30amp controller bc the Wild Thing motors can spike up to 60 amps 
Thank you. I appreciate it. My email is acronin@hsc.wvu.edu
Pete,
Please do send us the schematics.
Thanks again
Sorry for the delay. Looked back over them & realized they needed some updating. Should be done by end of day tomorrow.
Hey Pete! Do you have any more info on your setup above? I like it! I assume you have to have specific switches set on the MC for PWM?
If you give your email i can send you the same how-to manual i sent Anne. I havent gotten any feedback about it, so it may be complete incoherent gibberish … you’ve been warned 
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Hi Pete and Kyle,
I forwarded your instructions to my engineering team… they were already well into their own design and did not comment. I will try and get the specs on the actual modification that they did.
Hi, another mobility device based on Wild Thing, with full electronic details:
https://muse.union.edu/umobility/
But the question still remains, will it be available again? In standard form it got some bad reviews, mainly the safety switch in the seat and controls, which don’t matter if you are replacing the controls.
I was hoping to modify one to take a standard child’s car seat, complete with isofix attachments.
We have made about eight mobility devices using wild things over the past several years. In the past we have used the spark motor controllers since we were familiar with them from First. Since the original Spark motor controller is out of production, and we have four more base wild things we would still like to modify, I wondered how you liked the Sabertooth controller. Was the 30 AMP version strong enough? I think I saw it had 64 peak amps. I would also love to see your schematic if you don’t mind. Thanks!
This is the one I had been planning on using.
sorry for slow reply … hadn’t been checking the boards regularly anymore. had actually thought they’d disappeared. but yes, will email you the how-to manual we made for the MotherBox design.
Thank you! My class has built six joystick controlled wild things and had a couple recipients who would benefit from the push buttons. Since they discontinued the spark motor controller we have been looking for a replacement for our next couple of builds. Your write up looks great!