Lonestar

I'd actually voice for a VLB or Midnite pumpkin... if this qualifies as a "buggy" to you. Be aware though that the VLB eats up a lot of body posts, but if you can have some machined in metal, it's the absolute funniest car on the planet!!! Paul

Interesting concept, but not sure a nail clipper would look good on my workbench next to my Hudy tools Seriously, I've used a variety of cutting/tearing tools to get parts off the trees, but I think it's time to invest in a proper one Additionally, a lot of nail clippers can't cut the bigger parts as they're too small! Paul

Great - that's the $15 one - you made my day Thanks! Paul

All, there seems to be three side cutters in Tamiya's tools lineup - which one is the most adapted to the parts trees we are so used to dealing with, in terms of blade shape, size, or leverage for instance? MSRP goes from $15 to 34$.... Thanks! http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=74001 http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=74035 http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=74045 Paul

I am proud to point you to the best piece of written information I've found on painting ABS body so far, by the one and only Shodog http://www.j2drc.rchomepage.com/Scaleartic...int%20guide.pdf I think the key point in there is "take your time"... Paul

If reverse works with mabuchi and not the RZ then it's either the motor that doesn't work in reverse (hung brush, shottky already mounted on, ...) or the ESC that can't support the current the RZ draws in reverse. I would actually lean towards the first one... take your RZ apart, clean it, reassemble, make sure trims are at neutral, make sure throttle channel is NOT reversed, make sure EPA's are 100% (if your radio has EPA's) and then recalibrate ESC. Good luck! Paul

ooooowh yeah... (sidenote - the "41" page looks a bit funny in the sequence ) Paul

Best : My rere'd VLB with oil shocks, 23T motor, and metal body posts, as this allows it to take real abuse without buying chrome parts trees on a weekly basis. But the Special Award goes to my original Monster Beetle, bought in early 1987 when I was 12, and which to me was and still is the most gorgeous car ever released. I remember it performing flawlessly, with unbelievable speed, handling and with fantastic looks. After 20+ years in RC I still think the looks are killer, but I also believe that my performance references are probably completely different today. To make sure, I restored a monster beetle which is going to run soon, that one has all the period performance hop-ups (CRP, Thorp, and the likes) - I suspect I will be disappointed Worst: My first ever hobby-grade RC-car, a MRC Bullit, which was sold to me in 1985 (or 1986?) by a shop which wanted to get rid of old stuff (1982 design...) to a kid who didn't know the difference between an Ultima and a willy's wheeler... I paid a lot of cash for this thing, which was a huge POS, and that I actually still own, in almost mint state as it only ran a few times due to it being awefully boring to run (4-cell packs...). Thankfully, the Monster Beetle took over not long after For those of you who don't know the Bullit, here's a pic (not mine, but mine was the same) Great thread Paul

Thanks for the advice all. redzone - the wurth trick scared me a bit, as I am worried that it will not only remove the clearcoat droplet, but also the paint below. And as this is the second time I strip and repaint this body because I messed up big time once already, I am getting really really cautious now as I don't want to start over a third time WC - That TS13 can is indeed 12 months old, I used it partly for my first clearcoat ever on my VLB last year, and am finishing it for my MB this year. However I dont think the sputtering was due to lack of propellant. The sputtering makes perfect sense, when there are just a few drops of clearcoat liquid inside the can and it gets pushed in the dip tube, I can understand that the propellant makes it way to the top without pushing homogeneously the clearcoat inside the tube... hence the bigger droplets. Shodog - After I read your awesome ABS painting tuto I figured out I'd try some of your methods, such as priming (which I had never done before), letting paint cure quite a while between thick coats, and wetsanding between paint and clear coats. My MB is coming in really really nicely, of course the learning curve is painful but it's a lot of fun to experiment new techniques. While restoring this body, this is also the first time I've made use of putty to fill in the cracks, as well as fiberglass and polyester resin to fix the lightbar holders back to the nosecone, and such stuff - a lot of fun and newness as I'd said. Anyway, as the body is a used, period one, I can always blame the imperfections on the previous owner's driving skills Thanks all for the help, Paul

Hiya Haaaa the famous "Jackman Wheel" sticker so often found on Tamiya decal sheet now takes all its sense Thanks for the info Paul

Paul / Loaded probably my fault - I remember I didn't understand the message fully (remember I am not a native speaker, I'm just spending a long time checkproofing my messages before I push the "post" button) when I read it the first time and I thought there was something funny I didn't quite catch in it, that was probably why, not really used to having people giving me freebies in the RC, especially in the current context that we've discussed at length in the posts above. I think I discarded the original message, but I'm sure you are correct after all Let me then thank you once more publicly. I really appreciate the kind offer Regards, Paul

Fair point from Paul/loaded, I do have to say that he offered to resell me a set after I requested this via email, and I thank him for that. As I subsequently was able to secure a few sets via another friendly TC member, there was no point any more. No one ever said life was fair (although you would expect it to be a bit fairer when it comes to the recreational activity of controlling small cars from afar) - No one said we couldn't complain about it either Later, and no hard feelings from my side at all Paul

My fav of them all? The emblematic and ubiquitous 3-piece , 5-spoke white whell... SRBs, Grasshopper, Hornet... the design rocks and we've all dreamt about it as kids Paul

Good advice all - WC, I love the eraser idea. Usually I use the palm of my hand to do that Thanks, Paul

Hi guys, how do you remove the little droplets sputtered by an almost empty can of TS-13? I made the mistake of trying to use its contents to the last drop, and the last drops of liquid came as, well, drops... iit looks like someone sneezed clearcoat on my Italian Red Monster Beetle... yuk! So what's the cure - x-acto blade? 2000-grit sandpaper? Cry to the last tear? thanks! Paul

Hi First you're a good uncle then, i second some of the above... for a 12 or 13 y.o. male teen, the GH/Hornet might be a bit mechanically simplistic... additionally, I also think a car with bigger wheels (not necessarily T-maxx size ) sometimes is a better all-round choice for a beginner's car as it allows the user to run on less than perfect terrains. Especially remember that the "real" ground clearance of a GH/Hornet is particularly lame due to the rear gearbox / solid axle design which drags around. Last but not least, I also like to recommend cars with transmission slippers for bashers... these cars spend a lot of time being "jumped" by their reckless drivers, and the poor transmissions typically are the first to fuse off after a series of tough landings Don't get me wrong, I love both the GH and Hornet (I have both) but to me they are a vintage RC enthusiast's choice, not a 2008 modeller's one. But then again, it's YOUR nephew and not mine Have fun! Paul

$1500? Pah... easy NIB Posche 934 - $5000, to a member of TC actually ... yes some people really like their Tamiyas... Paul

Good info on decals - will try it Re brake fluid: it can take WAY longer than a week, as long as a month is some cases... excellent tuto here: http://www.tamiya101.com/article_brake_flu...t_stripping.asp No worries, brake fluid is harmless for ABS bodies. It can ruin a lexan one though (been there done that ) Paul

Hi again - well, yes and no I want new parts if they're available, I do have rear arms for my MB but as on the vast majority of MB/BF/MB/Frog models, the shock mount is bent... this is why I would like to replace them Additionally, I am tired of bidding on auctions for such items, which always fetch what looks like ridiculously high prices to me! I've located a stock of brand new C-parts for EUR8.70/piece - more on this tomorrow, hopefully Later Paul

Hi, sure, that would work, I need to locate a full set of c-parts then... stay tuned... Paul

Already 8 of them have been resold at GBP 19.99 + s&h... But then again - there have been 600 sold last week, from what I've seen less than 100 went to true enthusiasts (read: non-speculators), which means there are about 500 kits floating around. I doubt there are 500 SS/MB/BB people in the world who are both desperately seeking for a nose cone combo, ready to pay $50 for it, and who dont read tamiyaclub... which means sooner or later demand will dry up for this offer, and cost will go down. Some of the resellers are sitting on 100+ parts... In any case, this is just a depressing episode of the market forces that now rule the "hobby" Paul

That's funny - listen, if I buy a complete C-parts tree, I'll sell you the extra right one Anyone else? Thanks! Paul

Couple of pics Thanks! Paul

Hi all I have a Keyence exstraight for sale which just came back from the factory after the external cap blewup, so it's in "like new" condition. In the meantime I went brushless, so it's for sale... GBP35 and it's yours, shipped. We're talking about a great competition ESC here, the amp rating is useless as I can tell you it's a real "no limit" ESC. Comes with box, spare radiator, thermal tape (ie expensive 3M temperature-conducing tape), instructions, power cap , and so on. Tiny little speedo with a lot of attitude! Paypal only, thanks Shoot me a PM if interested. Thanks, Paul

I think I've seen them, they're Futaba MC330 clones. A lot of us have bought some, it's a lottery, really. Some of them work perfect, some of them are DOA, and some of them (like the one I bought) are so-so, ie you can't get the setup sequence right and lack progressivity or this kind of issue. Frankly, I don't think they're worth the "saving" given that your chances to get a lemon are seemingly high. I would vouch for Moped speedos instead. I have one, and the friends who have them are also happy with them too, good bang for the buck. The 101BK is also a great little piece of kit for >23T motors, but if you're looking for "high" amperage speedos, then it won't make your shortlist. Last but not least, I have a Keyence exstraight for sale which just came back from the factory after the external cap blewup, so it's in "like new" condition. In the meantime I went brushless, so it's for sale... GBP35 and it's yours, shipped. We're talking about a great competition ESC here, the amp rating is useless as I can tell you it's a real "no limit" ESC. Shoot me a PM if interested. Hope this helps, Paul