Mad Ax

I'm hoping to build a drift scooby next month, and I'll be painting it black, with some subtle red metalflake. Reason being, a mate of mine owned a 1:1 scooby with this paintjob - looked black, but if you saw it in the sunlight it would reflect red highlights. I'll be building a street shell (no rally decals) 'cos everyone knows the best drifters do it on the street []

I would be happy to win any of those (even the one I've already got [] ) Where do I brib... apply?

Here is one where..? [*-)]

Like I said earlier, most of this is due to a change in market. In the 80s / 90s, people who bought R/C, trainsets, die-cast and statics were mostly kids, or stuffy old guys. The sort of messy, overstocked, disorganised 80s-style shops really appeal to kids because, as we all know, kids love digging through shelves and stacks looking for something special. I recall in the early 90s, my LHS had a huge stack of the Tamiya Junior range (or whatever they were called..?) I had a Super Astute, Midnight Pumpkin, Neo Burning Sun, and many more that I forget... I will never forget the excitement of finishing a new kit, then gazing longingly at the pictures inside the cover detailing all the other models I could collect. I will never forget the rush of heading to the LHS and rooting through their stack of Tamiya Juniors, taking the entire front row off the shelf, to find, several layers behind, the model that I'd been fearing I would never find. These days, kids of that age don't want models - they want XBox and Nintendo and WiFi and Broadband... Models are for geeks, man! The sort of people who are buying R/C now are early 20s. They want RTR, they want nitro, they want big and brash - just look at the current range of stadium trucks from the big nitro manufacturers. Worse still, you can buy them from places like Halfords. Halfords - they're a 1:1 car parts superstore, for those not in the UK. They sell car batteries, and wiper blades, and water pumps, and automotive tools, and stereo systems, and alloy wheels, and... Nowadays, R/C cars and trucks. What..? No, I don't understand why, but they do. Who would buy from a dark, scruffy, small enclosed model shop that looks like its weeks from closing down, when you can buy from a bright, spacious superstore backed by a major UK chain..? The change in hobby stores from dark, disorganised treasure troves to bright, airy, new stock only specialists reflects a change in the type of person buying the stuff.

Aah, yes. The famous "boy goes number 2 in model shop" cabinet display []

I think that's why my M04 will be a good project to experiment with... It was an M04L, but (when it's finished) will be over an inch shorter than stock, and fitted with a solid aluminium full-width floor plate bracketry. It's possible that I might also mount the battery longitudinally to bring the weight forwards too... We'll have to see how much space is available underneath my shell... The project is theoretically being built as a shelf project, not a runner, hence it has no radio, ESC or battery at present, but if I end up with some spare time I might stick some stuff in temporarily and see how it runs. Picked up some Carson wheels for it today, so I could fit the original BMW wheels with ABS pipe and see what happens... All this is purely speculative, as I'm sure the TT01D will be infinately better at the job anyway []

that's why mine was bought for the shelf []

Incidentally, I've got a custom M04 at home that's never been used... Might be tempted to swap the front (hard) tyres with the rear (soft) tyres and see if it can be pursuaded to drift around the local car park.... When I've got around to buying a radio for it, obviously[:S]

it's OK, they're waterproof []

I'm in Bath, not too far from your area []

dunno, let us know when you've driven it [] I'm saving for the TT01D next month [] if my LHS can get one, or I can find one on-line (goldstar are out of stock until Sept)

I personally don't consider it to be that important. If I'm searching on eblag or whatever I'll search DF03 DF-03 DF 03 for example...

I was dead tempted when I saw the link, but then I thought... But the time I've sourced a battery, ESC, radio gear, body shell and new wheels for drifting, I'm not actually too far off the package price for a complete TT01D... Which is a better chassis with shedloads of hop-ups, and comes with everything I need to get going straight away []

DJTheo, I am holding you and your "The Need for Drift" video personally responsible for my sudden irrepressible urge to purchase a drift impreza month[:@]

I had a couple of beers while watching the footie last night, and I think I'm slightly ketonic because the sandwich lady is late... maybe that helps?

Is it easy to find said pipe with the correct diameter..? i.e. will I find some at B&Q, or do I need to scour the phone directories for ABS pipe specialists..? I'm looking at a TT01D kit for next month's Tamiya fix, as it comes with so many hop-ups over the Skyline kit (but a slightly pants Subaru shell [] )

Does anyone else know that today is Summer Solstice in the UK? We must find the 5th missing CONRAD before sundown, and place all 5 complete motors evenly around the centre of Stonehenge just as the final rays of the sun fall upon them... Then, the true power of the CONRAD will be set free. The gods will be pleased. They will reward us. NIB Tamiya kits will fall from the skies on angel wings, hopups will begin to sprout on trees, and all of our old blown battery packs will be rejuvenated into 5000MaH specials that charge from the sunlight alone... Do not let this night pass before all 5 motors are collected! We must not fail!

Welcome to the club [] I've just got back into RC too, got myself a Pumpkin half-way through completion at the moment, looking forward to sticking a naff shell on it and just having some fun. In terms of pure off-road ability I think there are far better models out there, but I chose the pumpkin for pure fun [] (and also 'cos I'm using the shell for another project)

Is it the awesome and irresistible power of the Conrad that has made this thread go all screwey on Page 4, or have I broken the internet again..?

Ello there, welcome aboard the, er, board [] I'm new here too

£300 is pretty much what I was expecting - not sure if I was expecting that as a kit only or as a package (inc. radio gear). £300 will be affordable (for me at least) if it's the complete deal, will be a lot of I've got to find a radio set on top of that tho... I've got to pop into my LHS over the next few weeks, will see if they've heard anything yet []

I would think sticking in a more powerful motor would have a similar result [] How about removing the tyres and running it just on the plastic rims? []

Don't suppose anyone has a guestimate of UK price yet..? I for one am hoping for a release date in August, as I might have enough money saved up by then!!

[][][] That just made me laugh out loud [] Got a new Chrome Pumpkin sat in its box behind my sofa, can't wait to get it built after seeing that []

Hey, I don't judge you by your Tamiya obession, don't judge me by my persuasion!! []