Jozza(2)

I agree with Gates Mini Racing, Alclad can produce a finish which is almost indiscernable from real chrome plating. Takes a bit of practice, but would be a lot cheaper/easier than getting it chromed. If you want metal parts chromed, visit a motorbike shop, they are normally able to do it, or point you in the direction of someone who can. I've had various metal tins chromed by a bike shop, and it didn't cost anything, they just did them for us because we steered a lot of business their way, but I'm sure most bike shops wouldn't charge much. Or you could try diy - http://www.caswellplating.com/ do some kits (in the US). I couldn't find anything in the UK though, but you could try narrowing down a google search by looking for "diy chrome plating kit" or something like that..

Oh, and then there's the difference between 2wd rear wheel and 2wd front wheel drive (the mini []) The Mini can be great fun on tarmac, and the handling's completely different to other cars. I drive a Schumacher at club level, don't think I would choose one for messing around though, the various Tamiyas are much better at that, the Schuey is too precise and needs too much setup to make it a fun "basher".

The 2WD of the Mad Bulls and some other off-roaders is great for donuts, wheelies, wheelspinning and so-on. The 4wd of the Baja Champ is great for more precise control. 2wd off-roaders seem better at handling jumps to me. I haven't really got a preference, just depends on the mood at the time. Best thing is to get one of each, and then you won't need to make a choice [8D]

Dishwasher salt will eventually damage and harden the tyres. Better to shove those in the washing machine with the laundry, as the detergent is kinder to rubber []

I've just bought a few Orion rocket packs (2400s) and they work fine on the Baja Champ. The nicads tend to be more punchy (particularly at the cheaper end of the scale) and so long as they are taken care of (make sure they are always properly discharged), will probably outlast Nimhs. 2400's will be fine for a 5 min race on a stock motor. The ESC will improve your runtime, my lad has just fitted one to the Mad Bull and it lasted a good few mins longer than the other non-ESC Mad Bull which we've got.

What about rust resistence? I've seen a few older Baja Champs which have got a bit damp when running, or even been left in a cold damp shed, and the driveshafts have been rusty. I would think the carbon one wouldn't rust. Apart from that, it's just a little lighter and less flexible, so in theory should make the car go slightly faster, but I don't know that it would be noticeable. I think that for the money there are probably better hop-ups to do if you haven't already, like shocks, stainless suspension shafts, gear sets, ballraces etc.

I hadn't thought about the axles - they may well be longer, as the tyres are monster ones, but I think that the front tyres have a fairly small mounting on them, so they might be the same. Think I will take it apart to investigate, so I might need to get some smaller axles. I was thinking of changing the motor for a non-rebuildable stock which would have a higher RPM than the kit one, so that should sort out the speed decrease hopefully. I'm just kicking some ideas around at the moment, the one thing I don't want to do is end up spending 40+ quid "upgrading" the Mad Bull, when the Fighter Buggy kit is only about that much anyway!

I found the ShoeGoo/Fender Mender problem was using the brush supplied with the tin, if I use a softer brush to apply it, it doesn't take the paint off. The brush in the tin lid is made of such stiff bristles that it scrapes the paint away. I think the Fender Mender softens the paint, but if it's applied gently it doesn't seem to be a problem.

If I change the tyres on a Mad Bull for those which come with the Fighter Buggy, will I need to change the motor pinion and/or other gears, or is the gearing ratio unaffected by the tyres (are the Fighter Buggy rear tyres the same diameter as the Mad Bull balloons?)

It's mainly down to the load required when starting. With a car, the ESC has to cope with the current draw by the motor when it's overcoming the inertia of the wheels/tyres and the weight of the car to get the car moving; this is a high power requirement at that time. With a boat, the only requirement is to get the props spinning against the force of the water, therefore the motor has a lot less resistance. So the car ESC's are built to handle a high load momentarily whereas the boat ones aren't. Most car ESC's will show that they can cope with 400+ amps current draw for 1 second for that reason. So if you try a boat/plane ESC, it will probably go up in smoke!

Hi steed, what's wrong with the JG internal Union Jack one? I would think that the rectangular one would fit the Mini roof, perhaps with a bit of trimming? Another idea is to go to a vinyl signwriter and ask them to cut you a made to measure one which could then go on the outside.

Apex Models do an internal decal for Lexan - designed for 1/10th touring cars, but there's a few different sizes there, could be worth a go. Search for their ref JG06RBW, or look in the "decals and masks" section under JG Decals J

My favourite is the warning on the side of a Topic bar (which for those who don't know is a yummy nutty chocolate bar stuffed with hazelnuts):- "WARNING - MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF NUTS" - I should hope so too, I'd be more than upset if it didn't []

quote: Originally posted by GTA Even my nearest 1/8 club is right out in kent. A bit of a pain as I live in Essex! Does anyone out there know of anyone in my area who's into 1/8th? id="quote">id="quote"> If you are in South Essex, there is a soon-to-be-opened offroad track for 1/8th and 1/10th buggies near the A130 between Rayleigh and Basildon, where DJ Models used to have their shop. Dunno when it's going to be opening though, I only heard about it this weekend. It's going to be run by Maxbashing - www.maxbashing.com

Woah, that's nice [^] Did the coach work too?

Windows Movie Maker should be able to let you combine clips together. It's basic, but free [] Otherwise, take a look at www.webattack.com in the freeware video editing tools there's a thing called MPEG Scissors which looks like it would do the trick, there's also a couple of freeware video editing tools there.

Ah, I found a UK distibutor for RC-Screwz today, and he's just down the road from me, so I went over and picked up a pack. Ebay shop at http://www.stores.ebay.co.uk/leeheathsrcmodels, and you can email him on visualalms@hotmail.com - I'm not sure if he does the general packs, but probably does...

Oh my, that looks nice. I'm looking at the Losi Mini-T trucks too, they are superb, but now I'm not sure what to do, this looks really nice. I know, I'll just buy them both, problem sorted []

quote:Originally posted by simensaysI edited my first post on RCSCREWZ, the story has had a happy ending, and they did TCB and sorted things out in a professional manner! id="quote">id="quote">Are you in the UK, as there doesn't seem to be much information on their site about shipping costs, and it looks like they are more geared up for posting to USA rather than UK. I've found a place local to me that stocks some of their screwsets, but just wondered how much they charge postage if ordered direct and shipped to the uk, as it might be cheaper than I can get them from my local supplier.

Not fair, I want one. I've wanted one ever since I saw it in a book on car body painting I've got. £300 is a good price, they tend to be £350+ Where did you get it from? Or is it a secret []

That would be good. A bit further south than Clumber would be handy though []

quote:Originally posted by bholioIsn't that anti-freeze (the green type?). id="quote">id="quote">I think you're right, either that or cheap Austrian wine [] I wonder if anyone's tried antifreeze, I forgot that that can strip paint, could be worth experimenting with it to see if it does less damage than brake fluid.

I agree with sosige - Pro peak 2500VP is a good entry level charger which is still okay if you progress to 3000 NimH packs.

There is another option, Tamiya did a circuit breaker that replaced the fuse. Send me an email from the forum and I will send you a link to where you could get one from..

Aha - I just looked at my car, I use the Futaba S3001 in it too. Seems like a really good servo for the money, I think it's ballraced.