tony gray(2)

Garry the original spur gear is a 78tooth. I dont know about an online manual but if you email me your snail mail address (anthonygray@iprimus.com.au) I'll photocopy a manual and send it to you. Tony

OK, here's a few snippets from an article I did about 2 years back here in Australia Tony

So you want Tim and I to come then too Alex?..... Might be the only way you ever get those bodyshells off me at the rate you're currently going! How long's that Falcon ute been sitting at Tims? 8 weeks now?

GP version? Wow... I might have to keep looking and see what else I can find for one of these. They're certainly all new to me and I cant say I've ever seen any on ebay either.

I wish.... What you see is all I got. I have no idea what bodies they came with or anything.

Well I know this car is from ABC Hobby in Japan, and the 'instructions' call it the 'Royal Sports' series. It says 1/24th, but the box it came in says 1/30th. I suspect there was a longer version of the chassis (as shown in the instructions) that was 1/24th but this particular one is more likely 1/30th. Apart from that I know very little about the car. Anyone else seen one or know anything about it?

I was naughty and made an 'offer he couldnt refuse' to the guy who won the stuff because I was so keen to get it. Unforunately I was wrong - he COULD refuse it... ****!

The tears are dripping down my face now.... What I wouldnt have given to have got those!

Yet a few more of my collection is set to disappear to someone elses house. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...AMESC%3AIT&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...AMESC%3AIT&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...AMESC%3AIT&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...AMESC%3AIT&rd=1

Does anyone anywhere have a transparent chassis set for an M03? I know they exist for I have pictures of them, but I also know that they were made in very limited quantities. I even have a full transparent TL01 chassis (assembled) that I'd be willing to deal with. Being a bit of a Mini specialist (nutcase) this is one item I'd really like to try and find... Tony

Such vehicles as these don't fit into the "I got it off Timmy for $50" mould Alex.... I'm sure after the Vic Titles this weekend Tim will have more cars up for sale anyway! e- D & T? I think you'll find those stories may well be appearing in another publication instead...

Gents, I offer the following for your delectation.. As Mr Chang will tell you, I don't often sell things but I'm getting rid of a couple at the moment. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...=ADME:B:LC:AU:1 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...=ADME:B:LC:AU:1 When you buy them the boxes may be a little damp as I'll probably cry....

I have an email from Pieter Bervoets (head man at Serpent) and they have very little 'history' stuff at all, and indeed he gave me the impression they wanted to forget about the Tenforce completely.

Ta very much Terry. This gives me some printed material to go with the extra cars I've just bought off Scott!

Terry I'd love a scanned copy of the review. I did have all those old magazines but stupidly got rid of them all a few years ago and now when I need stuff..... They're certainly a rare car and it's taken me about 6 years to find one. I cant help wondering what a newer/narrower version would go like now?

Sadly I came up empty there as well. These be rare birds indeed. Even Serpent themselves have nothing left on the car,no details, nuthin.

OK guys, here's a hard one for you. Ever heard of a Serpent Tenforce? Few people have I can tell you, and even a google search won't bring up much on the web apart from a couple of outdated Dutch links that go nowhere. As it happens I already have one complete car and 95% of another but I'd like some more cars/bits, and also any printed info I can find. So....anyone have, or know of any?

There's a simple answer to why the manufacturers are mainly interested in promoting Touring Cars and enormous Monster Trucks. They're what sells! Like it or not, monster trucks are the buggies of the day now and they're what most Off-Road stuff will be from now on. The 80's/early 90's heyday of Off-Road is gone and people who want to play in the dirt have gone to trucks or race on a serious level. The days when loads of people bought entry-level off-roaders have gone and those people now buy Touring Cars instead. Why? Well I'm not entirely sure but I'd suggest that having an 'association' with a real life car has something to do with it. Most buggies look like..umm.. nothing that really exists and so dont have anywhere near the pulling power that a Scale Touring Car shell (i.e. anything not made by Protoform) does.

As a current r/c magazine editor of some many years I can tell you now that ALL magazines are ruled exclusively by revenue (i.e advertising). You can say what you like about selling more issues by putting in such and such a story, but I can assure you that the profits made by a magazine are virtually all made on sales of advertisingand the cover price is a very small component of the overall revenue. So...if the manufacturer/distributor wants to push trucks/TC's/buggies etc etc, then that's what is tested and reviewed. Thats the way it's always been and always will be, simple as that. I'm not saying it's right but it's a fact of life.

I'll see what I can do....

And by the time I found out about all this it had been and gone..... You just didnt want to have to drive against ME in Mini's because you know you were dead meat boys. And the Evo3 and 04-TRF would have been icing on the cake! Maybe even my optioned TA02 might have come off the shelf! FB

OK, essentially everything made for an M03 fits an FF02. But....this doesnt answer your question does it! Eagle Racing make a speedtuned gear set for the M03 which will fit, and Tobee Craft do a selection of spur gears from 36 right down to 34 which will give you more top end. Getting hold of them is another question altogether! I know that Jet Hobby in Hong Kong have them but that's the only place that I know of online TG

Curse you Alex, I was trying to keep it quiet so no-one could find us! TG D & T Editor