Question Boy

I'm sure there are fewer 60+ Tamiya RC enthusiasts, probably because RC was uncommon during their formative years. But, Tamiya also knows there's a market for the cars that folks grew up with, and they also know the grownups generally have more disposable income than the kids. ' QB

I certainly hope Tamiya isn't finished with the rereleases. I haven't gotten my SRB F150, Blazing Blazer, Hilux, Bruiser, or Mountaineer yet! Seems like they might still make a few bucks off the old geezers that grew up with the early models. Now that we know they're not afraid to make up new molds for cast metal parts, I have new optimism for Tamiya bringing the mostly metal oldies back.

I hope this post is OK here- I know I'm no longer talking about a strictly 'vintage' car, but I figure those most knowledgeable on the SRBs hang out here more than the 'General' forum. I'm not expecting SS2010 spares to be available forever, so I want to stock up on a few known wear/damage items. Back in the day I wore out the spindle ball cups, tires, and broke bumpers, and ultimately stopped running the car because spares weren't avaliable, or at least I didn't know where to find them. So, for those of you who run the SRBs, what do you recommend I buy to keep the car running for the next few years? Thanks, QB

Whatever you do, you really need to start cluttering up that bench! That is just waay too much unoccupied table space! QB

Cool stuff, looking forward to your future work! I was thinking about getting a custom set of coffee mugs made up, can you point me to a place to find the artwork for the SS? QB

Motor is all sealed up, time to move on to the chassis. I picked up a Buggy Champ at the LHS, and I was disappointed with how flexible the chassis is. I don't remember my SS being that flexy back in the day, but then again that was a long time ago. I think a 2mm carbon fiber replacement for the fiberglass should do the trick.

Can you provide a link? Thanks! QB

The Novak Crawler is probably overkill. I figure you can get by with 1.8758 tons of torque in an SRB. The Novak Crawler is at least 6.9 boatloads of torque, IOW, way more than needed. I haven't tried the Black Mantis brushless yet, but the price is good: http://www.giantcod.co.uk/black-mantis-bm2...r-p-403220.html QB

That's a great idea with the plate. I don't know what the torque specs are, but I've found that the brushless motors have tons of torque. Tons. I'll see if I can find more power/torque specs. QB

I haven't even built my re re SS yet, but I knew I wouldn't be happy with the stock motor... So I whipped up an adapter plate that allows me to bolt in a 28mm dia. brushless motor. The motor in the pics is 28mm, but I think up to a 45 mm will fit with only minor hacking to the plastic motor end cover (a little dremeling for the brushless wires to pass through the cover). This motor is rated at 250W constant, which is (guessing) probably three times the power of a stock motor. While not nearly as powerful as a Mamba Max, I just can't see needing much more than this for such an old design. I really just want a bit more power for the sand! And maintenance free running! And efficiency! If there's enough interest I'll make up a couple extra for sale. It's a really easy install with the included drill guide. QB

Is there a code for the discount and free shipping you can share? QB

Thanks again for the info. I found a set of alloy *outer* rims from an ebay seller here in the US. The parts look good, and although I like the idea of a one piece wheel for strength, I do appreciate not having to bond the tire when using multi piece wheels. On another note, I'm working on some parts to fit a 28mm dia. x 45mm long brushless motor. I'm sure I could fit a standard 36mm dia. brushless with some mods, but I'm of the mind that the smaller brushless motors still make plenty of power for the old drivetrains. I just want a little more power in the sand and the increased efficiency... Anyone else running a brushless in their SRB? QB

TamiyaDan, I appreciate your reviews on the RC Channel parts for the SRBs, I'll be ordering a few bits from them soon! Are the alloy wheels a one piece design and thus require the tires to be glued to the rims? Thanks, Question Boy