Looking for 1st rally car. Where to start?

[Sandster 285]

Hi all, I am looking to enter this hobby since leaving it when I was a teenager. I have had all sorts of tamiya cars and trucks when I was younger but unfortunately none of them have survived the last 20 years and I am starting again from scratch.

I am not looking to race or anything like that, I just fancy building and painting some models and driving them on the drive (block paving) and around the back garden (grass, concrete paths, gravel).

I am thinking that a rally car would be best suited to what I want and part of me fancies buying a vintage model and restoring it to its former glory. But where to start?

I like the Porsche 959 but they seem as rare as hens teeth and as such fetch quite a premium. I have also just found they are 1:12 scale and not the more common 1:10. I would rather have a 1:10 model. I have been keeping my eye on ebay and gumtree and have seen various models like celicas, intregrales, audi quattros and escort cosworths. To make things even more complicated they all seem to be on different chassis.

So where do I start? What should I be looking for? Can vintage models be fitted with modern electronics? I have a dx6i from my rc helicopter days. Can this be used (I will need to spring load the left stick).

[TWINSET 1793]

Tamiya's XV01 chassis is rally-friendly;

http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/radio-control-kits-30/4wd-rally-on-road-(xv)-36180/rc-lancia-delta-integrale-58569

They also did a variant of the TB01 chassis a fair few years back which included a lexan cover and foam seals for the chassis tub which kept a lot of dust and stones out;

http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/radio-control-kits-30/4wd-shaft-drive-on-road-(tb)-36190/rc-subaru-impreza-wrc-58270

http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/radio-control-kits-30/4wd-shaft-drive-on-road-(tb)-36190/rc-lancer-evolution-vii-58286

There was also a 'race' variant of the TB01 though, that didn't include foam or the cover.

The TB and VX both allow you to fit '1/10' bodies, so long as they have a 257mm wheelbase and around 190mm wide.

The radio should be ok, although some speed controls are a bit flaky with some radios, but I used a DX6i with sprung sticks for ages and never had any compatibility issues.

For shells, check out http://www.therallylegends.net/

TB01 chassis cover;

[Sandster 285]

Wow, I wasnt expecting such a detailed response, thanks for that. I really like the look of the VX01 chassis. You dont happen to know the best place to buy from in the UK do you?

[TWINSET 1793]

As a Tamiyaclub member you get 5% discount from Fusion, so that might be a good place to start - you need to email them for a discount code though.

http://www.fusionhobbies.com/product/84375-tamiya-xv-01-chassis-kit-long-damper-spec

http://www.fusionhobbies.com/product/58569-tamiya-lancia-delta-integrale-xv-01

[Pteppic 62]

I have both XV-01 and TB-01 and they are both excellent Rally chassis.

To me the XV-01 handles better, it's much more like a real car. It's also an engaging build and more complex than the TB-01.

The TB-01 however, is pretty much indestructible, I've rolled and cartwheeled mine and it's not broken anything (other than a few cracks in it's shells). I would also say it's easier to keep clean than the XV-01 due to it's cover.

Also be aware that the "Race" version of the TB-01 also has plastic gears (the Rally spec uses Metal) which is less good for rallying. I've run 9T brushless and all has been well, but now downgraded to 10.5T as it was just too fast to handle well off road on the 10.5T

[XV Pilot 1936]

There are also other chassis that are not all that good at rallying in stock form, but can be turned into quite decent rally performers if you fancy a bit of customisation.

The TL01, TA02, TT01 and TT02 all fall into this category.

[Sandster 285]

That's good to hear about the other chassis that can be rally tuned. It looks as though I could pick a ta02 or tt01/02 on eBay quite cheaply.

Edit: what about the ta01? Is that worth considering?

[Pteppic 62]

I've picked up a couple of TB-01's from eBay in the last few years and they were about £35 each. One even had everything excpet the hand controlled.

I also have a DF-01 Racing Lancer (Paris Dakar Truck) which is based on a variant of the TA-01 Chassis. It's pretty capable and fun off road, but handles more like a buggy than a rally car.

[AndyForbes 63]

TA01 is worth considering, it shares many parts with the TA02 such as gearboxes, the main difference is the shorter chassis, but both are the same wheelbase. Both are reasonably easy to get parts for. There is a good a good guide to the differences here;

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=48983&sid=2193

There was also a DF03ra chassis which is based on the DF03 buggy chassis.

You can also get the M05ra chassis which is the standard M05 chassis with a slightly taller ride height and some M-Chassis sized rally block tyres. I've done the conversion to my M05, and to be honest it's not the greatest rally car due to limited ride height, and being FWD.

If you are looking at new, and are on a budget, the TT02 chassis can be built as rally version which has a slightly higher ride height and rally block tyres. The Lancia Delta Integrale priced about the £115 mark which includes the ESC, and I believe also a torque tuned motor.

http://www.fusionhobbies.com/product/58570-tamiya-lancia-delta-integrale-tt02

[mr crispy 2293]

I got my TT02 Lancia Delta Intergrale from RCMarts eBay store Dinball for around £80 incl shipping with no customs fees.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380984820292

It's a lot more capable than people give it credit although you'll need to swap those awful kit shocks for oil dampers. I have a build thread on mine if you're interested.

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=73132&view=&hl=&fromsearch=1

Came with a standard silver can, not the torque tuned motor but it does include the new TLBE02 ESC for use with brushed & brushless motors and works great.

[shenlonco 1156]

I like my TT02 rally a lot.

I would recommend it to anyone!

[taliesin 260]

My picks:

Old: TB-01 or TA-02

New: XV-01

[redzone 212]

My picks:

Old: TB-01 or TA-02

New: XV-01

I agree, though I much prefer my ta02 to my tb01, which tends to get rocks caught in the steering bellcrank despite all the foam blocks. The ta02 handles so much better than the tb01, which I bought to replace the ta02 after the praise they received on here, I was disappointed with it so have resurrected the ta02.

The xv01 is another world apart again though, they are an awesome handler out of the box & a really fun build.

[dualdigger 62]

The XV-01 is a rally car first but it can do so many things. If you just want to rip it the TT-02 chassis is a great budget minded kit. If your gonna run it hard I would stay away from anything vintage IMO.

[taliesin 260]

I agree, though I much prefer my ta02 to my tb01, which tends to get rocks caught in the steering bellcrank despite all the foam blocks. The ta02 handles so much better than the tb01, which I bought to replace the ta02 after the praise they received on here, I was disappointed with it so have resurrected the ta02.

The xv01 is another world apart again though, they are an awesome handler out of the box & a really fun build.

I have that same complaint with the TB-01 actually - it happens all the time and is a pain. On the other hand I've had small rocks and debris get stuck b/w the battery pack and the chassis on the TA-02 and DF-01 models. Pick your poison, I guess.

I wonder if rocks get caught somewhere on the XV-01 chassis too? Wouldn't surprise me.

[Pteppic 62]

XV-01 they get caught under the lower rear suspension arms, easy to spot as the car leans over.

Quick fix is pick it up and push the suspension all the way up to release the rock.

My belief is all the cars are fine, but I run where there are the wrong sort of rocks (It's an excuse that's worked on the railways for years!)

[mr crispy 2293]

Something else to consider is a lot of the older chassis's will need modifying to accept modern square, hardcase lipo batteries if you use them. Even if you are still running Nimh packs the TA01/02 and TL01 have the battery exposed in a rounded compartment that hangs out between the wheels so driving on rough gravel and loose dirt will leave it covered in debris. At worst it can damage the battery coating and get into any splits in the wiring but it will likely clog the compartment and make battery changes a pain. Any chassis that holds the battery inside like a TB01, TT01/02 or the XV01 shouldn't have this problem and take a hardcase lipo with minimum or no mods.

[GregM 1109]

I think chassis tubs with exposed central propshafts aren't that nice for going offroad. I'd prefer a fully sealed driveline (XV-01), a working chassis cover (TB-01), or a partially sealed propshaft mounted outside of the chassis (TA-01/02, DF-01, TL-01). All these chassis are officially designated by Tamiya for Rally cars.

The TT-01/02 family has issues with the open central driveshaft, they need aftermarket chassis covers (most of them are rather useless) and they have issues with rocks getting trapped where steering linkage is located. They aren't seen as true Offroad capable vehicles by Tamiya, even if they are offered with the occasional Rally bodyshell.

The DF-03RA is looking nice, but has a fundamental design fault in the gear driveline.

[Theibault 1535]

Just get the XV-01 and be done with it . It is by far the best rally car you can get right now. Having multiple different chassis rally cars, there is really no point in getting anything in this day and age other than the XV-01. It is a fantastic runner and purpose built for rally.

[mr crispy 2293]

Gotta say if I hadn't recently bought a TT02 I would go for the XV01. If nothing else the moulded wheel arches give a better scale appearance and seem to do a whole lot better at keeping crude out of the chassis.

[Theibault 1535]

Crispy, those arches really don't keep crud out lol. If you really want to seal it up, cut some larger bits of bike tubing and tape them over the guards. Works much better that way.

[AndyForbes 63]

If you want to keep dirt off the internals of a TT02, you could try the Neo Scorcher shell off the TT02B as a chassis cover, should be a perfect fit.

But I agree with others, if its within your budget, the XV01 is a great rally chassis. I've got one, along with a TA01/DF01, TT01 with Rally Conversion and a M05 converted to M05ra spec.

[Sandster 285]

I do like the look of the vx01 chassis. Is there anywhere online where I can see a list of chassis types and what kit comes with them?

I was the highest bidder on an early 90's celica on eBay but it didn't reach it's reserve. Looked lovely too.

[TWINSET 1793]

Is there anywhere online where I can see a list of chassis types and what kit comes with them?

There's an old list here; http://www.tamiyaclub.com/cars_chassis.asp

The TT-- chassis aren't fully covered, nor are the VX01, but tamiyausa.com should have the rest

[GregM 1109]

I do like the look of the vx01 chassis. Is there anywhere online where I can see a list of chassis types and what kit comes with them?

The XV-01 chassis was introduced with the #58526 XV-01 Pro. Here's a list from the Tamiya releases 58500 to 58599:

http://www.blackholesun.fr/RC_Tamiya58500_US.php

Pro-tip: Hit CTRL+F for a search window and input XV-01 to see all of them.