4 replies to this topic

[TimDH]

Hi everybody

Total new member of the group here.  I was barely a teenager when the likes of the Thundershot and Avante were new.

At the time I had a Vanessa's lunch box (still do) but also I had a few Mini 4WDs, including a Thunderdragon and a mini Lunch box also. I also had a mini 4WD ninja which was the pride of my mini collection partly because of the design and partly because it had the two gear gearbox and so was an order of magnitude more sophisticated to my 12 year old mind.
I got distracted by some fad or other and rarely returned to that collection which gathers dust in my parent's loft, and anyway I was never a hardcore hobbyist or racer, although I am now an engineer which may demonstrate I was subliminally influenced.
In a very recent fit of nostalgia I looked up the ninja car until I found the make - Marui - and then in a casual search on ebay found a 1/10 R/C runner which is now mine, and I intend to restore it to it's former glory. To be fair it's in good condition and works, but is filthy dirty and in need of a service I'd say. It definitely needs new bodywork too. I plan to strip it down, clean everything, replace anything I can that is worn out. But before I get started, I wanted to make sure I'm armed with the best advice so if anyone has any tips, whether Ninja specific or general to cleaning up an old 1/10, I'd be very interested to hear them.
 
Thanks in advance! 

[TimDH]

P.S. I'm also interested in learning what backwards compatible technology is available for 1/10 in the 21st century. For example, one still isn't limited to Nicad battery packs that barely last 15 minutes I hope?! Can we get NiMH or L-Ion batteries that last a lot longer?

[Bluefoot]

Hi
Ebay will probably be your best source of parts for something like this There was a seller in Australia who seemed to have a warehouse full of parts, but the most sought-after parts like bodyshells were sold out quickly.
A complete strip down and clean will do wonders. Nothing fancy needed really - maybe a toothbruch to get into the corners and a bit of detergent to get rid of grease and a soak in water. If you are taking it right down you might want to think about replacing any bushes with ball bearings (I can't remember what sort of bearings are in the Ninja).
Lots of new technology available. NiMH batteries with 3 x the capacity of the NiCds you used to use and an electronic speed controller are what I would look at first.

[Snake Plissken]

If you plan to use the Ninja as a runner, ball bearings are a must. Look for a thread regarding the size and number of the required bearings. When you strip down the Ninja look at the condition of the gears and specifically at the diff plastic gears which are delicate and used to strip. For this reason I suggest you limit the motor to a mild stock -I use a Tamiya sport tuned. When buying new batteries, check to see if they will fit in the car, as the new higher capacity batteries are a bit larger than the old ones.

[Miggers]

A guy that used to race with me 20 years ago had a Ninja.

It looked awsome next to our Boomerangs and stuff,but the diffs didn't last long even with a stock 540.
The front one went first and he took out the driveshaft and ran it as a rear wheel drive until the rear one went too.

I don't think he blueprinted it or ran it in too well,that's why it didn't last too long but like I say,it was an awsome looking machine.

Like Bluefoot says,strip it down,give it a good clean and ballrace it.My only other addition to his advice is to very carefully blueprint it.As you're an engineer you'll know what I mean,but basically make sure everything fits properly and can do its job.You may just remove a smidgin more parasitic drag that will put less stress on the diffs.


Miggers