digitrc

Tamiya do ball cups with closed ends for the more recent racing cars, they fit the same ballstuds. Some of the other Japanese manufacturers use the same size ball, the balls are actually 4.8mm diameter not the 5mm that Tamiya state.

The RTR is worth it since you don't already have good electrics. The brushless version has a sensorless motor which is a bit rough at the bottom end so not ideal for racing, but usable. The radio is OK, certainly no worse than your cheap 27MHz set, and 2.4 won't have any crystal clashes at the track. If you are buying new batteries then LiPo are the only thing worth considering, you will need to make sure you have a suitable charger. Most clubs will insist on a hard case, some may insist on them being on the BRCA list. You can use your NiCds for the time being.

I agree wholeheartedly with what TenzoR has said. In the UK, you will find that B4 spares are widely available, whereas spares for the Tamiya cars and in particular the TRF car are not. In terms of performance, the Tamiya is basically a copy of the B4, so the two have the potential to run pretty similarly. If you do insist on choosing the Tamiya, don't waste your time with the Zahhak, the spec is far too low for racing and by the time you have bought the essential shocks and slipper clutch you are way over the price of a TRF201 for a car that still isn't as good.

That set has too may tools in it, you are not going to use half of them on an electric Tamiya car. Tools can be either minimal or a whole hauler full! When I was a teenager the club track was in my village so I went racing on my pushbike with the car, handset and charger in my backpack, and hooked myself up to someone elses 12V battery. The only tools I had were a couple of Phillips screwdrivers and the Tamiya box wrench to make sure things stayed tight during the day. At my peak I was taking a full toolbox and a holdall full of parts with me just to race one car - it was way over the top! The minimum you will need are the tools needed to disassemble and adjust the car, just to keep on top of any running repairs or setup changes. Anything beyond that is up to you.

Check what motor limit the ESC has, rather than the current limit. Stick with 2s - it will give plenty of performance and fits in the car correctly. 13.5 might be a bit sluggish in a 4wd, something approaching 6.5 should have a lot more go. Any sensored 540-size racing motor should work. There are lots to choose from.

We normally call them "top hats" at the track, I think Tamiya call them a "flange tube" - but it definitely depends on which car you have if you want to work out the exact spare, they are not all the same.

I've been racing cars with ball diffs for 20+ years. I wouldn't normally suggest doing something other than what Tamiya's instructions state - but this is one of those occasions.

You don't need to use the rubber cement on the diff plate - in fact I would avoid using it as if you glue it badly it won't run true. A smear of the ball-diff grease should be enough to stop the plate spinning freely.

Only the Baldre and Durga will fit, that hump in the chassis to clear the motor is the problem. There are pro-painters out there who can do amazing jobs, or you can try it yourself. A blue and white stripe job is not so difficult as long as you take your time.

I have had several packs of the CVA II Super Mini shocks and they all have ball caps. But I have never bought a packaged set of Mini or Short shocks, so you might be right. They are certainly the same bodies that the DB01 uses.

Surely you have a manual? This will show you what parts you should have and how to access them. No point guessing at spares.

Im pretty sure that the DB01 runs those very shocks, CVA Mini front and CVA Short rear, so yes, ball fittings at both ends.

Are they still selling this junk on eBay? It will do nothing for your car, if your ESC needed a capacitor (which is only there to smooth the power supply) it would come with one in the box. Anyway... to fit it it's usually easier to solder it on the the terminals of the ESC, and it they are not visible then cut a little bit of the jacket away from the cable and cover over with heatshrink or maybe electrical tape to stop it shorting out on anything.

Hitec isn't a great choice with Tamiya because Tamiya do not supply servo horns to fit them. Sometimes you can work around it but it means running non-original parts which can case other problems. My personal preference is for Futaba servos. This is what Tamiya themselves supply and design the cars around. Even a Futaba S3003 is a much better performer than an Acoms servo, despite the specs on the box being about the same. If you want metal gears, you can get a mid-range Futaba like an S3305. If you want speed as well you need to go up to a S9xxx or BLS series but they do work out quite expensive.

If you are looking at one as a racer, the Slash will be at a big disadvantage because of its high centre of gravity. For bashing, it doesn't matter. You should also consider the Associated SC10.

Generally you trim the main body to the lines and attach the extra parts on top.

It is as simple as unscrewing the old motor and pinion and fitting the new one. If the wiring on the ESC is original then the plugs should be a direct fit. Here is a manual - http://www.tamiya.com/english/rc/rcmanual/ta05ms.pdf

Although there is some sense in TA-Marks calculations, in real life they aren't necessary. You are very unlikely to draw a constant 60A through your ESC in normal running. C ratings generally massively inflated as a marketing tool. Put your money into a pack that has good customer support and trusted reviews. I have Intellect packs in my cars and they have been fine.

I doubt a Technisport would be economic to repair. However if you are particularly attached to the transmitter, you can either contact the importers (Hobby Company) to see if they recommend a repair service. Alternatively, there is a business called Model Radio Workshop (google it) which has had some good feedback although I have never used them myself.

NiMH will get hand-warm (not hot) at the end of a fast charge. If they aren't warm, they are not charged and will need to be re-peaked. To the OP - get rid of your timed charger. All it will do is cook your batteries. Get a peak charger. You can use a trickle charge, but it will take all night and the car will not feel fast.

It's not unusual for the belts to skip under braking. Adjusting belt tension should make a difference, although don't go so tight that it effects the drivetrain.

Put your transmitter adjustments at zero/neutral and reset the speed controller using the setup button. If you don't have the instruction manual you can download one from here - http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=45029 Also make sure you have your radio antennas set up right. The transmitter antenna should always be fully extended, and the receiver antenna should be unbundled and run through a pipe out of the top of the shell, avoiding any power wires. Always switch the radio on before the car, always switch the car off before the radio, otherwise it will run out of control.

I occasionally blog about my racing. I don't weave as dramatic a story as Mad Ax does, but you might find it interesting.

The speed tuned gears are probably from 3Racing. Depending on what spur is fitted inside the car, you'll need to go either 2 or 4 teeth larger than the standard pinion to get it to fit.

I know you are very enthusiastic about your high-voltage experiments but it's not the solution for everyone. I'm a little concerned that in your enthusiasm you are starting to hand out bad advice. Most RC cars are built around a standard stick pack. Most of the electrics are designed for that amount of voltage. And the easiest solution for most people is to find a faster motor/esc combination, rather than forcing extra volts through the system.