Dances With Cages

I haven't downloaded the app, but I've been using the britmodeller forum app for a while now. I think both forums run on the same software, and it's just something management can offer members for ease of use. The usability is the same as accsssing it from the web, like a having a shortcut on your desktop. I don't read as much on this forum as I do on britmodeller, so will pass on downloading it for now.

I'm yet to try it myself, but you can add the SMS Paints Flex additive to Tamiyas LP series lacquer paints. Everything I've read says thin to suit and airbrush, but brushing it on may work.

That would be Frewer here in NZ. It seems the moulds have been sold, maybe 20 years ago now, but they're sometimes around. L @ L have them and a couple of modern standard sizes in stock. https://landlmodels.co.uk/collections/mg

I don't know anything about the chassis, but all bets are off if they do a 504 Dangel wagon body. Cheers, Justin.

I remember watching some locals practicing at a small local track in the mid 80s. The 2 cars I remember were a Boomerang and a Porsche 959. Roll forward a few years to 92 and I purchased a new Monster Beetle and very basic necessities. Within a year i had also picked up a 2nd hand Hornet and Boomerang. Both took a few months of buying parts to become runners. I still have the Monster Beetle and run it sparingly. Some parts of the Hornet live on in my bitsa Super Hornet, and the Boomerang was sold to someone looking for a solid runner before rereleases became a thing.

I've always had hobbies that come and go. I've begun dabbling with RC again recently due to becoming increasingly frustrated and unmotivated with what I've been doing for the last few years. I bought a TT-02 and refurbished an old TT-01 as a Euro truck as my local club had classes for them, but found they'd moved on by the time I got everything ready to go. Such is life. I've also been refreshing a pretty tired TL-01 LA I picked up, got my vintage Boomerang to where I'm happy with it, and next on the list is a rather ratty Bear Hawk. Things have moved along since I was last steadily into the hobby, so there is a bit of a learning curve, but that has always been part of the fun. It looks like I need new radio gear if I want to go racing again, but my chargers still do the job. Coming back to the hobby has been refreshing and interesting, and I've also felt more like tinkering with my weird old project car, which may make it back onto the road in a couple of months.

This was pretty much my next project before the diff blew in my 1:1 Lada 2104(wagon) a couple of months ago, depleting any hobby spending for a while. CC01 even mimicks the Niva suspension, with wishbones at the front and 4 link rear axle, and I don't have a strong desire for a real Niva. A Landfreeder can donate its body to restore my Bush Devil, and the running gear under a Niva shell. I'd love to get the VFTS body from Retro RC Bodies in Hungary, but they don't offer postage to New Zealand, or respond to emails. http://retrorcbody.syl.hu/products/lada-vfts

I've found the best things I did for my TB02 diffs was to replace the plastic diff halves with Yeah Racing TB Evo III aluminium parts, and replace the screw with the HPI one of the same length. The HPI screw is much stronger, so they can be tightened without fear of breaking, and the alloy diff halves are bombproof. I'd guess the TB02 was a bit of a rushed job with it's flakey standard diffs and the previously mentioned short shaft, but a few well chosen upgrades improve reliability hugely. Adding an alloy motor mount, universals, and shimming the diffs correctly in the housing is the icing on the cake.

I have 2 of the older GT3s and I'm pretty happy with them after a couple of years use for bashing and .They have memories for 8 models, but need a complete reprogram of models 2-8 initially. This is easy enough to do as almost all settings are adjustable and the functions of all the switches can be programmed as you see fit. I have turned off access to things like sub-trims, ABS, etc so they don't get bumped on or off, and they can all be adjusted from the menu anyway. I can't recall having any interference problems or lost signal unless a receiver was physically damaged. Any crash bad enough to damage a receiver meant the car wasn't going far anyway. The quality and fit/finish of the radios are OK, but certainly not up to the same level as top branded gear. I've had one wheel centering mechanism break, and one throttle trigger crack it's mount on the pot, but both were easily fixed. Both have been running on 3s lipo for a while without issue as I got sick of replacing batteries. One feature I found by playing around is that the reading from both throttle and wheel pots can be 'sort of' reset by holding down both the UP and DOWN buttons when switching the transmitter on. This brings up a screen showing the digital value of their current position (0000-03FFF). Neither radio used the full range so that may be an issue for those who want full 1024 bit resolution. For anyone who has one of these and wants to play with this feature, simply turn off the radio afterwards, DO NOT press the chromed rotary button as this will reset all your model memories to factory settings, requiring a reprogram of models 2-8 again. All said and done, I'm very happy with these radios as they work well for me. They're no match for a top of the range Known Brandname, but they do work well, and I'd happily recommend them. Hope that helps, Justin.

The short ones are also the same dimensions as the short shock shaft ends and make a handy replacement if you need one.

You might want to have a look at HPI part #6115, they are a set of bearing adaptors for the Monster SS front wheels, but form memory work with several truck sized fronts.

That looks like one of the bodies made by Frewer in New Zealand many years back, not sure of the name though. I won a couple in a local auction. Started painting one and have one un-touched.

There is a great thread about these radios over at the rctech.net forums. Members there have figured out how to reprogram the firmware to extend its capability and correct some flaws in the original set-up. I have one of the earlier GT3 radios, but will probably get one of these in the near future and give it a whirl.

Hi Kalsh. There are a couple of threads on RC Tech about these conversions. Here and here. They seem to cover a lot of the ground you may need. Hope that helps, Justin.

Hi Berman. I've done that recently with half a dozen old batteries, ended up with 4 decent ones and 2 "bunny" packs made up from the left overs. Well worth doing if you have the tools and don't mind putting in the time. Will send you a PM. Cheers, Justin.