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TrueBlue

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Everything posted by TrueBlue

  1. TrueBlue
    Bump! Also update: The Condor now includes a Maverick MTX-242 transmitter and Maverick receiver, so it's almost RTR... almost.
  2. TrueBlue
    For sale is an Acme Condor that I have recently repaired and restored. Engine wouldn't run, so was taken apart and cleaned thoroughly. Now starts and runs without a problem, but due to age, still takes a few pulls to get running. Also definitely needs some tuning on the HSN at least. I'm not a nitro expert, but was able to tune it enough to get it running and gunning. Installed new FTX Force pull-start and HPI B6 glow plug. New original wheels, exhaust, manifold and shocks also installed. Original Acme servos replaced with some pare HPI servos taken from my HPI Bullet 3.0. The steering servo could do with being replaced with something stronger, as it seems to have difficulty centring after steering. Entire buggy was taken apart and cleaned. Chassis was sanded, smoothed and buffed to make it look... well, presentable. Fuel tank was cleaned inside and out, as was the carb. The new air filter was cut from a sponge. Shell is an HSP nitro buggy shell. It was too short for the chassis though, so I improvised and made a bracket from styrene plastic to connect the shell to the chassis. Not the best, but it works well. The Condor DOES now include a transmitter and receiver, the Maverick MTX-242, a cheap but actually decent transmitter, and also includes an Enrich 1600mAh 6v battery pack. Asking £150, with postage at £12 via DPD Next Day and will be fully tracked. UK only. Can arrange collection instead, but shipping is an easier option for me. Someone please buy it so I don't have to go through eBay.. also, this thing has been a nightmare... would love to see the back of it!!
  3. TrueBlue
    I thought you were going to say you managed to buy a complete Timberwolf for a fiver, lol... then I continued reading and found it was a bodyshell. From the photo, it looks like it's in pretty good condition. So another TW shell to add to the growing collection, haha. But it's also another spare one if your current ones get obliterated over the years.
  4. TrueBlue
    Ah yes, I've just searched again and it's still up for sale... unsurprisingly. At £139, with no electronics (save for one servo), worn tyres, the missing nose cone piece, a beaten up wing, and a completely chewed up spur gear, he has no chance, lol. Although, the centre diff IS complete, sort of. It still has the diff part with the gears inside. If the potential buyer can locate a spur gear that fits, they might be able to attach it to the diff housing. Possibly... either that, or they discover the FTX centre diff fits, as I found out though MUCH searching. If it was like £50, I'd grab it for spears. Spare chassis, metal under plate, drive shafts, A-arms etc... but that £140... like's like half what it cost when new, fully loaded!
  5. TrueBlue
    Sorry for the late reply, been a bit busy, and for some reason tis website is having issues... taking ages to load pages, I keep giving up, lol. I think that Desertwolf on eBay has sold, for £129, wasn't it £140 before? That price was a bit much, especially for the condition, no electronics except an old servo, worn tyres... and that centre diff gear! What the actual frick, lol. How does that even happen?? Well, I guess someone wanted it since it's no longer available, hope the buyer can find a centre diff, which I couldn't for life of me! I'm sure it's a tedious job, but it's gotta be done for durability. And the Jumpshot shell is rather nice, and new! Will be nice to keep it that way. Can always keep the Jumpshot shell on the Timberwolf when on the shelf, like a shelf queen, then take out the Timberwolf or Blitz shells when you want to go bashing!
  6. TrueBlue
    Lot's of upgrades, all went on without a hitch, thankfully. Now I just need to take it out for a test run. Well, it IS a speed run car.. I still need to get hold of a GPS speed meter at some point so I can actually measure the speed. The Maverick Timberwolf is looking pretty good with the Jumpshot shell... both technically by HPI, sort of. The Maverick JumpWolf or the HPI TimberShot. The JumpWolf sounds pretty good, haha. And this is my TT-02 with the new shell and electronics. I don't have a before and after though, so you don't really have anything to compare it to.. but, here you go regardless:
  7. TrueBlue
    Mostly electronics, faster motor, new ESC, a Lipo, new servo and receiver. Also alloy drive shafts, race bearings all round, alloy motor mount, oil filled CVA shocks and the like. Haven't tested it yet though. Ooh, an early birthday present, lol. Green looks nice on the Jumpshot, but I usually like myself a clear shell so I can paint it whatever colour I wish. But the bright green looks nice and vibrant. Good thing the TW body posts and Jumpshot body holes are in the same place, on the rear at least. Trying to locate holes to drill out is often quite the tricky task, especially when the shell is already painted. But you did manage it on the first Jumpshot shell you purchased, as at least you know you can do it, lol. And then just cover up the original holes with some decals. Has the shell arrived by now? Or is it still on backorder at Modelsport?
  8. TrueBlue
    I've actually put all my currently unused body shells in a bin nag in the loft, lol... running out of room in my room, so I've put them up there for storage, until I need one. Yeah, not too much damage on either car. Just the chassis and exhaust on the Bullet, and the original shell on the Desertwolf has been scratched a bit from all the stones. Thankfully I bought a new one months ago, lol. Even the shells are no longer on eBay like they used to be. I may buy a new exhaust and chassis in the future for the Bullet, depending on the price of course. The Quantum shell does look nice, and is definitely made of a thicker, more durable polycarbonate compared to the flimsy and flexible FTX Carnage shell. But in polycarbonate, I suppose being flexible is a good thing so it can absorb impacts. Just spent a load on some upgrades for one of the TT-02s I got for Christmas, turning into a "speed car" with a brushed motor, as I already have a speed TT-02 with a brushless motor. Can't keep it in a straight line, lol. I wouldn't mind a Timberwolf, but with a Jumpshot shell... something about the Timberwolf shell that doesn't sit right with my eyes, haha. But failing a Timberwolf, I can always try and get a Traxxas Slash, which is also a short course truck type.
  9. TrueBlue
    It was unusual... never seen anything like it before, even Modelsport were stumped, lol. But I did get a replacement sheet of decals. They were a bit damaged due to age and storage, but thankfully the important decals were still intact and useable, so threw them on once I received the sheet. Yep, took the Bullet out off-roading for the first time. The metal chassis is scratched to badword, lol. Even the exhaust took a small beating, though thankfully that is a cheap replacement if needed. The chassis though, not to much. And yes, glasses are OK, not a scratch! And the Desertwolf's first proper outing. Wasn't the best, should have driven it on a flat surface or dusty dirt rather than loose stones, but was fun enough. 2S was definitely enough, but I wanted to the battery back in my Tamiya Aqroshot, and have now (reluctantly) put an Overlander 3S in the Desertwolf. I did try to reduce the throttle using the Hobbywing program box, and setting the ESC to a slower speed, but annoyingly that isn't an option. I can always turn the dual rate down on the throttle to reduce the speed, but that'll also reduce reverse as well. Still can't believe you have THREE Timberwolfs? Madness! Or is one empty? So many different shells for the TW.. nice to have a bit of variety. With bonus Sand Scorcher, lol. This is the HPI Bullet after the run. Unfortunately, I didn't get a shot of the DW after the run. And a photo of the Maverick Quantum MT shell on the FTX Carnage. Doesn't look too bad really.
  10. TrueBlue
    Well well, that body shell cleaned up really nicely with the fresh coat of black paint... much better than I would have expected! Looks pretty respectable now. Shame about the cracks on the back near the rear light decals, but can't be helped... looks good. Going to be used a basher body or just a spare one if the other get destroyed? Cheap lexan... for shame. The original FTX Carnage shell has what feels like very thin lexan, it's very bendy and flexible. Although not necessarily a bad thing, it means it can absorb impacts better than more rigid lexan, it definitely feels cheap. The Maverick Quantum shell I can tell has much thicker lexan, feels better over all. Shame some of the decals aren't a perfect fit, lol. Speaking of decals... when received the shell, it was of course brand new sealed, but somehow... there were decals MISSING from the decal sheet! Two of the four Quantum logo decals and the front window decal. All other decals were present. Had to contact Modelsport, who contacted Maverick UK... but they had no decal sheets available. So they contacted the European branch of Maverick, who will send me a decal sheet. I wish they sent me the entire shell... but just the decals are fine, lol. Also took my HPI Bullet out on the dirt this morning, used a whole tank up in about 10 minutes. It's a small tank, so that's not too bad.. and I was doing a lot of full-throttle standing stars, haha. Also took the Desertwolf out. Not the most ideal surface though, lot's of small stones it kept bouncing over. The thing kicks up so much debris it shot a small stone straight into my glasses. Best leave it to either a flat surface or dry, loose dirt.... also, I don't want to break anything! Running it on 2S, it was plenty fast.. I'm scared to try 3S, lol. Although the Traxxas battery is showing slight signs of puffing, so will replace that with another.
  11. TrueBlue
    It's a good fit. I think it looks better than the original TW shell to be honest. Not a lot in it, but the Jumpshot shells just comes out on top I think, then a toss up between the Blitz and Timberwolf shells. Good thing the rear body holes lined up perfectly without any extra cutting or drilling. Well, the Jumpshot is made by HPI, and HPI own Maverick, so it kinda makes sense in a way. Both being trophy truck chassis' and all that. And only two extra body holes to cover, instead of 50, hehe... although the rear holes in the slats are a bit unsightly though. Not really much you can do about them unfortunately. 7 shells for the Timberwolf? Hmm... but would be nice to have a brand spanking new Jumpshot shell painted in your own colour, hehe. Speaking of looking for alternate shells, I've been looking for an alternative shell to the Carnage 2.0... and I found one with the Maverick Quantum MT, also sticking with the Maverick theme, lol. Painting it in copper, backed with white so colour should pop. The design is different to the Carnage, but still both 4dr truck style bodies. Will post a photo once it's painted.
  12. TrueBlue
    So the Jumpshot shell AND orange wheels are on the Timberwolf, sown in the photo? Because if so... yeah, that fits really nicely compared to the other shells... albeit presumably with some body hole modifications. I like the look of that. Any chances of getting a clear Jumpshot shell and painting?
  13. TrueBlue
    Not surprised it's so light.. there's nothing in it, lol. Plus the chassis is very minimalist, not much to it. How does the Jumpshot shell fit on the Timberwolf? Have you tried it yet? The shell does look nice though. I think I like it better than the Blitz... I think. And the variations of Jumpshot bodies also look good. The green one looks particularly fancy... but yeah, shame they cost £60 each. Ouchie.
  14. TrueBlue
    Wait, is that an entire Jumpshot for £25? Well, a rolling chassis without electronics and a gearbox pieces... but overall not bad for £25 actually... plus another short course truck body to try on the Timberwolf. Also, I think I like the look of it better than both the TW and Blitz shells. I'm hoping it'll be a better fit on the TW chassis, including the REAR WHEELS FROM OCD badword, lol. Although, even the Jumpshot has the rear wheels ever so slightly inwards towards the arch, but nowhere near as annoying, hehe.
  15. TrueBlue
    That wheel offset though... that would drive me up the wall seeing the rear wheels that far inwards to the body. It doesn't look normal, even though the original TW shell is pretty much the same. But it doesn't look too bad. Helps that they're similar sizes as well. Maybe if you got a new Blitz shell, one that isn't cut, you'd be able to cut the rear arches so the rear wheels are a better fit... might even make it look better from the side as well. I like the look of the Blitz shell more than the Timberwolf shell, but at least the TW shell fits a bit better.
  16. TrueBlue
    Oooh... that's look pretty good, especially with all the extra stickers covering up the holes. Good thing you had all those spare stickers.... did you manage to clean up the holes a little before applying them? And I assume that is now on the Timberwolf chassis? How well does it fit... like the wheel placement under the arches and all that. Does this also mean you might try to find a new Blitz shell at some point?
  17. TrueBlue
    A lot of money to spend just for the body, indeed... but maybe not so bad if you wanted a new, different model to go with the Timberwolf. Although technically both HPI, I assume they both have very different chassis. Could be another short course truck to add to your collection, lol. Ah, so it's not arrived yet. So still pondering whether or not it's going to fit. Fingers and toes crossed it DOES fit, but not a great loss if it doesn't. Maybe try to neaten the shell up and re-sell it for more than you paid for it. I'd definitely use a drill or body reamer to neaten the holes before you cover them with decals or tape. I always use decals to cover any holes or damage in my shells, as long as I can find some that are a good fit over what I'm covering. Haha, indeed, I like the colour. Hard to see what sort of finish it is... look's metallic on the photos, but the alternating black and purple does make it look iridescent, kinda like the green and purple paint I used on the Carnage. The 3rd orange shell reminds me of the orange shell on the Traxxas X-Maxx (I still want that truck!).. but I think I like the top most one. More of a pattern, it's a bit more "busy" for lack of a better word. Plus, I like the headlight style on the one compared to the others. Looks more aggressive. Speaking of the Carnage, here it is with the iridescent green and purple paint, which you can't really see much of the green. I painted the bonnet, tailgate and flatbed black on the outside. Still need to take it out for a run though.
  18. TrueBlue
    The Blitz shell looks quite cool actually. So you bought that one just to see if the Blitz body will fit... I hope so, because yeah, that shell is pretty beat up, lol. They cut the wheel arches out in a similar way to how the Mustang arches were cut. And why so many body holes, lol. Does the Blitz shell fit on the Timberwolf? And if so, how much did you have to modify the shell? Hopefully it fits, at least then you'll have an alternative shell to the original, not just in case the TW shells disappear all of a sudden,. but you can change the looks as well. I like the metallic-ish purple though... one of my favourite colours, lol.
  19. TrueBlue
    Well, finished the Carnage shell. Looks OK. Went well, could've been worse. I'll take photos a bit later. Nah, I decided to keep it, for now at least. I took it off eBay, it wasn't selling, no-one was really interested. Been up for a while and o takers, so thought sod it... I'll keep it and use it as a basher body. Annoyingly, just as the days start feeling cool enough for to want to go out, it starts raining! I don't want to take it out when the it's wet, at least for the first ever run. So now I have to wait for the ground to dry up. Yeah, same... I've done two DW shells, although only one came out OK, the other got chucked as the paint job I did was naff. If I did another clear DW shell, might keep it simple... paint it gold or something to match some of the decal colours.
  20. TrueBlue
    Well, if you feel you're NOT happy with it, you can always buy another shell, lol. Or.. maybe not. Yeah, I also looked for some images of the TW and the rear wheel really is that far inwards. Odd design choice, but what can you do. Haven't taken the Carnage out yet. Been too hot for me to go outside lately, but it's been cooling down a bit... I might take it out tomorrow. The paint for the clear shell should arrive tomorrow. Nothing amazing, decided to paint it Tamiya Iridescent Purple/Green like the first DesertWolf shell I painted.
  21. TrueBlue
    Looks pretty good. The silver almost blends into the white, but the combination still looks good. The rear wheels look a bit out of place under the arches. Have they always been like that?
  22. TrueBlue
    Oops... a bit slow at replying lately... it's this heat, makes me lazy, lol. Thanks for the birthday wish by the way! The colour of the Carnage 2.0 is a bit difficult to explain, it's a pre-painted shell, lot's of purple and black. I'll take a proper photo of it at some point, but this is truck in question: https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/1355104 Also got the clear shell. It's... a shell, lol. Not the best polycarbonate I feel, but for £15, not too bad. Going to try and paint it translucent red, backed with gold, then black. The gold SHOULD give the red a nice vibrant candy effect. Hopefully. Well, one of the Optimas sold within a few hours of putting it on eBay, but I still need to put the other one on, the better one that should be worth far more. Been waiting for a Tamiya plug to arrive though, to solder to the ESC. Royal Mail being their usual slow self, eBay says it SHOULD have arrived yesterday or today. Oh wait, is that orange masking tape?? I thought you'd painted the rear end orange instead of silver! Looks good though. In fact, the orange rear looks pretty decent as well, haha. But I think the silver and white combo will look better.
  23. TrueBlue
    Oh no... you forgot the PS-57 Pearl White! Well, it was just a suggestion... looking forward to seeing the final result! My next RC job? None yet... I do want to get some upgrades for my Maverick ION MT. I also want to get a clear body shell for my new FTX Carnage 2.0 that I got for my birthday today. I always like to clear shells for my cars, so I can keep the original shells in good condition. Thankfully, the shell in question is only like £15, so might get that sooner rather than later. Also, you wouldn't happen to be interested in buying one of two Kyosho Optimas would you?
  24. TrueBlue
    Ooooh... all cut out ready to paint! Have you decided on the final colour yet, or are you still pondering? I feel it's easier to pick a colour for the TW than the DW, since the DW has decals on the wing with orange, black, white and gold colours... trying to find a colour that can match them and not look too goofy. The TW has no such problem, with the exception of some of the colours of the decals. Go for metallic colour, it glistens in the sunlight! Ah yeah, the wheel axle. Hm, don't want to cut through that. I suppose cutting it into pieces might be the best, and easiest, method to ensure it's TOTAL DESTRUCTION! Ahem... Sucks about the Mustang shell. No-one wants it.. it's even some how LOST a view, when from 18 to 17... no-one is interested whatsoever! All after all the work I put in to it. waiting for months for the decals to come in stock... couldn't even convince the original owner to buy it back, lol. oh well.
  25. TrueBlue
    Yeah, always a good idea to have even wear, that way they continue to wear evenly as you use it. Else one tyre will have more or less grip than the others and you won't be able to control the buggy very well. Ah, that rounded wheel nut still give you issues I see. Unfortunately, it does look like a rotary tool may well be your best bet. Would you cut a slot in the nut and unscrew it like a flat-head screw? Or just cut that nut off completely? Well, there's a bit of damage on one that I couldn't fix, so I cut the damage out. The result is now a hole. The hole is neat, it's not rough or ugly or anything, but it's there. But the main issues, which you can't really see in photos, is the previous owner widened the front wheel arches, as if to accommodate bigger wheels. So when the shell is on the chassis, the wheels don't fill the arches snuggly like they would normally. It looks odd when on a chassis and not very appealing, at least to me. So I threw it on eBay.. still only 18 views. Surprising really, it's a rare shell. I even tried to convince the original owner to buy it back by telling him it's on eBay, my way of saying "I don't want it, do you" but he didn't bite, lol.
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