markbt73
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Posts posted by markbt73
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Wow, I haven't seen this thread in quite a while. You've been busy! This gives me inspiration and ideas about my own backyard (well, side-yard) track, which is now in the planning stages.
It also makes me want another Raider...
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Looks great for a cheap body shell!
Out of curiosity, what is the reasoning behind the primer? I use Vallejo paint on polycarbonate all the time, and I never prime. I just wash the body carefully. I've never had a problem with adhesion, as long as I let the paint dry fully (2-3 days) before removing the masking.
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More than enough. For reference, I use basic Futaba S128/148/3003 servos in almost all my buggies, stadium trucks, and 2WD monster trucks. They're all right around 3 or 4 kg-cm, and they steer just fine. 6.5 is plenty. Overkill, really.
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2 hours ago, JimBear said:
Looking forward to see the future Builds section crowding up with a bunch o' @markbt73 basketcases ...
Great space, man!
More likely, you'll see one post about something after it's finished. I don't bother with build threads much anymore, because I'm really good at starting them but terrible about keeping them up.
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So I finally have everything moved into my new workshop space, which is approximately one-quarter of the garage in the new house. It has a huge built-in workbench that was there when we moved in, a small window AC unit, and 12 foot ceilings so I have plenty of height for shelves. I finally have room to put everything out and see what all I've really got.
I also bought some plastic free-standing shelves to store more cars on the other side.
The tally -
Complete/intact/functional: 26
Projects, in various stages: 18
Basket cases/major projects: 13
NIB: 1
TOTAL: 58
Yikes. Guess I sould stop buying stuff and start working on stuff, huh?
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For general running in a neighborhood environment, with grass, twigs, gravel, and all that, I usually have more fun with something with big tires and lots of ground clearance.
My all-time favorite Tamiya chassis for backyards and vacant lots is actually the Blackfoot/Monster Beetle, but it does need some reinforcement to the drivetrain. (Lots of info on here on how to do that.) It's an interesting build, has more metal parts than modern designs, and since the Blackfoot defined the wheel/tire size for racing trucks back in the '80s, there are tons of tire options available. The ABS bodies won't stand up to abuse, but they're not exactly fragile either.
The Wild One (or FAV) is a good choice, and still one of my favorite Tamiya buggies. It also can have some drivetrain issues, but the re-release is a lot more sturdy that the old originals. Not a whole lot of upgrade potential, though, unless you get into making your own parts.
Another one to consider is the WR or GF chassis models, which include the Wild Willy 2, all the Comical buggies (which are really mini monster trucks in disguise), the Heavy Dump Truck, a Toyota Land Cruiser, the Konghead and King Yellow 6x6 monster trucks, and the new Squash Van. They're interesting to build, incredibly fun to drive, and just about indestructible by any normal means. They're almost entirely plastic, but in this case that's a good thing. They bounce off of things instead of bending or breaking. You'll want ball bearings right from the start - there are a lot of gears in that gearbox - but they're all common "1150" bearings (5x11x4mm) that are widely and cheaply available.
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Are you kidding? Now? Now that I no longer have any paved surfaces on which to drive such a thing? Maaaan...
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Keep in mind that Grasshopper/Hornet tubs are like $15. Cheap and easy enough to try chopping off the stock towers and making something else, maybe something like the old Parma/You-G aluminum tower from the '80s.
This is not going to be perfect. But it's built from known parts arranged in a new way, and it looks like it's going to be reasonably priced and better equipped than we're used to, with bearings and CVA shocks in the box. It's going to be a great tinkerer's platform, maybe the best one from Tamiya in a very long time, and I can't wait.
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1 hour ago, lentner3 said:
Had they changed the box art more I might have been ok with it.
It's facing the other way; what more do you want?
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What would be the icing on the cake with this is if Tamiya sold all the Evo bits as a new "HP Suspension/Gearbox Kit." It would be fun to have all the components in one box to convert an older GH/Hornet. I doubt they'll do it, though.
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From the looks of it, it all bolts up to the stock tub. I'm anxiously waiting to see a manual for this one. The tiny box-lid photo is really promising, though.
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(Looks at pile of failed 3D prints of Grasshopper/Hornet IRS comversion parts)
Great! When can I get one?
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These days I'm strictly off-road, mainly because there is no paved surface nearby. The street is paved, but it's too heavily traveled by both cars/trucks and dog walkers to be of any use for RC cars. For just fun-running, off-road is where it's at anyway. Bumps and jumps and different surfaces keep things interesting. And crawling/scale/trail trucks are just a great way to relax. It's like Zen RC.
But I always enjoyed on-road competition more, especially indoors on carpet. Tuning is more challenging, and therefore more rewarding. Consistency and precision matter more than outright speed. And it seems like crashes are less frequent, and less severe.
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Competition only matters to those who aren't confident and secure enough to just forge their own path.
And not for nothing, but when I was out "exercising batteries" the other day, it was my Traxxas Stampede that failed me - lost an E-clip off a kingpin, which allowed the pin to slide out and jam up the wheel. My beat-half-to-death Hornet built from spare parts and leftovers performed flawlessly.
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I seem to recall seeing one somewhere, but I can't find it now. All the release dates are on the main site, so I guess someone could compile a list...
If I remember right, the first "true" re-release was the XR311, a couple of years before the Hornet, maybe 2001-02?
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Here it is, the most early '90s thing you'll see all week:
First-generation Traxxas Hawk, found on eBay for an irresistible price. Should clean up nicely.
Also took a chance on a big lot of basic servos for $40:
17 total, 14 good, 3 duds. Not surprisingly, the name-brand ones all work fine; the three off-brand/no-name ones are no good. Still worth it.
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I like where this is headed! I think those tires on some wider/deeper-offset wheels might just be the ticket.
Also, this inspires me to get back to work on the CEN-based 4x4 Wild Willy that I started a year ago. What's that you say about too many projects going at once?
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I hadn't heard of Fan RC until now, just looking at their website. Yeah, that's pretty brazen. Although - I can't say some of those prices aren't tempting. $30 for a set of 2.25 Stealth outdrives? I paid $55 for a pair a couple years ago.
The thing is, Associated has every right, and in fact a duty, to protect their designs. But anyone else has every right to make parts that "fit" an RC10, or any other model. They just can't be exact copies, or presented as the real deal. That is the entire basis of the aftermarket, both in RC and in real cars, and it is necessary for a heathy and thriving hobby. Nearly every old classic car you see, from a common Camaro to a Hispano-Suiza, has some non-original parts in them somewhere. If they didn't they would have been junked long ago.
I think Fan RC needs to get their hand slapped pretty hard over this one, frankly. But companies like RPM, who make improved and slightly different versions of parts to fit RC cars, must be left alone to do their thing. That way, casual runners and vintage-class racers can keep their cars running easily, if maybe not completely original, and collectors who insist on "genuine" parts will just have to pay up.
Let's just hope Associated and others understand the difference between IP theft and aftermarket suppliers. I think they do.
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It's funny; I felt the same way about the TL01 back in the late '90s. I liked it, but I had no desire to build another one, and it seemed like that's all there was. When the TT01 first appeared, I grabbed one right away, and... immediately longed for another TL01. I think I gave the TT to my neighbor, I was so disgusted by it.
Twenty years later, I get the urge to build a new kit, and decide to give the TT02 a try. It's fine, I guess? It's obviously built to a price, and I'm mildly annoyed by Tamiya's recent decisions to abandon the 1150/850 standard bearing sizes in entry-level cars. I like buying bearings in bulk, to save money, and that's much harder when one basic shaft-drive touring chassis uses three different bearing sizes, two of which I don't have on hand. But it seems tough, and no sloppier than the '80s models, and it drives all right in stock form for what it is.
Of course, it doesn't matter for me now, because I don't have any place to run on-road cars any more. We'll see how well the TT02 does as a rally car...
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Not without a lot of stretching and deformation. Brat tires are 1.7" inside diameter, these wheels are 1.9. You can probably force them, but they wouldn't sit right.
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No, those don't look right - now that I think about it, they might be on the Hornet-only parts tree, with the rear shock mounts and stuff. I'll see if I can get a pic tomorrow when I'm out in the wotkshop.
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I've been curious about those as well. Someone here is building a Wild One using one, I think? I'm sorely tempted to try; I have a Lunchbox in parts minus the tub.
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No place for a third shock on a Grasshopper. The gearbox only pivots up and down, with no "floating" movement like the Hornet and Lunchbox have.
There's no way to make a Grasshopper handle well. I've been trying for almost forty years now, and it just isn't possible. But there are some things you can do to help: On one of the parts trees, you'll find the little spacers that are used in the Hornet to create friction dampers on the front springs. They're supposed to have O-rings inside them. You don't have to use O-rings, but do install the spacers. They add a little pre-load to the front springs, which have a tendency to sag.
Oddly, I've gone back to 380 motors in all my Grasshoppers. I just don't expect them to be fast, and the slower speeds keep it under control - and make run times last forever. 380 + 4000mAh 2s lipo = an hour or more of controllable fun.
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I'm kind of in the same boat, both with RC and with static models. My workbench runneth over. And moving everything into a new house has only served to emphasize that. It's a bigger house than the last one, but with fewer closets and places for shelves and things, so everything is out where I can see it, and I've had to get creative about storage solutions. It has really driven home the point that I have enough.
But I also hate selling things, and usually end up regretting it when I do. So for now, I'm keeping everything. I'm at 50ish RC cars at the moment, give or take depending on what constitutes a "car," and that's enough to keep me busy. I'll buy parts for things as needed and as they become available, but no more new (or used) models.
Unless, of course, something comes to me. If I find an old RC car at a garage sale or a flea market, I won't pass it up. But I'm not going to seek out new projects on eBay or anything any more. It's almost too easy anyway; just throw money at it. No challenge. I'd rather discover something cool in an unexpected place. It's the same thing I've been doing with static models all along; maybe five or six kits out of 100 or so have come from eBay. The rest were all local finds bought in person. It's more fun that way.
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Help indentifying a vintage car
in Other makes
Posted
That's definitely not HPI. The mechanical speed control looks like a ripoff of a Kyosho design, but it's definitely not Kyosho either.
It looks a little like HoBao cars from the late '90s/early/00s (sold here in the USA under the OFNA name), but those designs were copied so often it's hard to know its actual provenance. But I would start with HoBao or CEN.