Bluefoot

The TA01 dogbones are 45mm long. I don't know how they compare with the TA04 bones as I don't have a TA04 chassis (but I will have one in two days time!). You can see details and comparisons of the suspension of TA01/02 chassis here: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...=22122007050600 Cheers, Don

Modern batteries are up to twice the capacity of the ones you have. You can get good deals on packs rated at 3300 - 3600mAh. You will really notice the improved current delivery - much better acceleration.

Hi rob, The motor that came with these cars is the Technigold which is a 21 turn motor (number of times the wire is wrapped around the armature of the motor). Most ESCs are rated according to the number of turns they can handle. The lower the number - the higher the current (Never been able to figure out why these things are not just rated for current!). There are any number of ESCs that will do the job, and I'm afraid I'm not the best one to recommend which you should get. Personally I prefer Futaba gear, and I would probably use a MC330CR in one of these. I have several cars running Technigolds, and I use the old MC112B controllers in those, but they are vintage cars running vintage gear. Battery packs are up around the 4000mAh mark these days. If you are only looking to have a bash around then you will get good deals on the slightly lower rated ones - 3300 and 3600. I like the Intellect and the GP cells, but others may have different preferences, depending on whether they are racers or bashers. Cheers, Don.

Yes, I can make another rollbar and nerf. PM or email me through my TC members page.

My Rover has most of the hop-ups you are looking for, but they are mostly alloy: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...413&id=2193 The wheels are available from TC member Rad22Rad Alloys. The lights were made by TC member Cul-tech (not sure if he is making any at the moment). I made the rollbar and front nerf.

I'm far from an expert on these things, but I think if you stiffen the suspension - harder springs and sway-bars - and put a moderately powerful motor in you will improve things. To drift properly you want to lose some traction but not to the point that you lose control. Steering while drifting is done as much by applying power at the right time as turning the steering.

Never managed to glue gearbox parts sucessfully. CA glue might hold for a while if you manage to clean all the dirt and grease off the join. Where is the break? can you fit a cable tie around it? I have also placed a lot of faith in large wodges of hot-melt in the past too. Might be easier to find a replacement part here on TC.

Drift tyres are a hard plastic. You can make your own using PVC or alkathene pipe of the apropriate diameter (although some of the purpose made tyres may perform better). I have a standard TL01 that drifts with a standard 540 motor and a MSC. No locked diffs. The tyres on that one are very slippery. This is not up to competition standard but is great for the kids to have a bash with. I also have a TA05 running a TZ motor, front and rear stabilisers and with Kawada drift tyres. The diffs are tightened a little. This is much more controlable. I couldn't see the point in drifting either, untill I tried it. But maybe it's just the latest phase in my ever-changing RC interest...

Well said that man...

Just emailed it off this evening. Sorry about the delay - been frantic at work - 12-14 hour days and all that.....

I have a spare C3 if you still need one.

The 959 wheels are a size all of their own. There were the rally-block and slicks available for them. The rally-blocks are different from the 1/10 ones as they have pins as well for a bit more grip.

Bruisers only came with one mirror - left hand side. If you can find one you'd probably pay $30. There is a TC member (Cul-tech) who makes alloy repro ones for both left and right sides.

Yes, I think you are right - 10 or 12 of each should be enough I think I have what you would consider many many. Less than half of them are in my TC showroom. I don't have a single focus like "3-speeds", or "SRBs", or "Tractor Trucks", or "Tanks", or "First 100" .... I find them all interesting! I do tend to have short bursts of interest in a particular type which will see my collection increase in that direction, and sometimes (well twice only) I decide I will completely sell off all of a particular type (Hotshot/Boomerang type and Wild One/FAV). I enjoy working on them - restoring for the shelf and repairing for runners. I find the mechanics of these little machines endlessly interesting in the different ways that each "type" of car/truck applies them. I also enjoy running them. I run some on grass, some on asphalt, some on rocks, some indoors... so I need different types to cope with the different conditions. I have been collecting for a good many years - I started by buying second-hand cars to use for parts, and always got the parts cars running as well! That's why I often have more than one of each car. It's not about spending lots of money - although that does help - for me it's about crafting, fixing, tinkering, improving and playing with my toys. And having a nice-looking collection to show for my efforts. Also - if I had to stop at 12, I would have finished rebuilding them all by now and have nothing to do but look at them! This is a never-ending disease....

If the lights are flashing amber then either the transmitter or receiver is not working, or the crystals are mis-matched. What it means is that the receiver is not getting a signal from the transmitter. Check your batteries and crystals. If necessary try plugging some servos into the receiver and see if you can get them to work. Check that all the plugs and connectors are plugged into the right sockets.

Did you try spinning the motor while the 1.5V battery was attached? If the motor seems to be othewise dead, it would be worth trying to flush it out with large amounts of water and leaving it to dry before trying again (actually some electric motors will run ok under water). There might just be dirt on the comm/brushes. If it really is dead then a 380 motor should be easily available from anyone who has upgraded their re-release Grasshopper. Otherwise there should be no problem at all with the 540 upgrade if you can get hold of one.

Or try putting rubberbands in the grooves where the tyres sit. This can work as a non-permanent solution.

That's why I have two chargers - and 8 batteries (well about 20 actually but only 8 that I use in the E-maxx) Oh, and the other 3 chargers down at work. You never know when you might want to have a quick bash during a break at work, and you wouldn't want to spend most of that time trying to get the motor running....

If you are just getting the car going so you can run it on the street or local parking lot, then those items will be fine. Most of the cheaper 2-channel radio sets from Futaba and Acoms will be fine too (Note that you will need a transmitter, receiver and only one servo if you are using an ESC). You will need one or two battery packs as well (recommend 2 as you can run one while the other is charging). If you are going to get into racing, you might be best to go along to a local club and have a look at the gear that people are using there. I'm sure there will be more than enough people willing to chat about their cars. And don't forget about your local hobby shop! These guys should have good advice, and they need your custom.

I've got an E-Maxx and it's my favourite big basher. I've beefed it up a bit with alloy skid plates and gearbox casings, and steel CVDs. Motors and electrics are bog-standard. I like it because it goes reasonably fast for a big truck, straight out of the box. Parts are easy to get and you can hop them up till the cows come home. It goes over just about anything. Sure, bits break every now and then, but that's what happens when you drive them hard, and I just replace the broken bits with "upgrades". Same thing happens on the Tamiyas I run hard. Why E-trucks?.... because I can just chuck it on the ground and blast off. No mucking around, no mess, smell or noise - just a fast-moving mechanical monster! And at the end of the day all I need to do is turn it off and unplug the batteries.

While I'm not a big fan of NIBs, I do have quite a few of them myself. All in line to be built of course, although some might get sold off to fund future projects. However I think it's fine if anyone wants to fill their showroom with the items that they own, be it NIBs or wreckge (as long as they are Tamiya/RC related). I admire the dedication and fiscal fortitude required to amass such collections. Sure you can already find examples of NIBs of every model on TC, but hey, I want to show MY collection! Fair enough too. As far as making a contribution to the club - what would happen if all 22,000 members were posting on the forums each day? Would you have the time to read all that? I think the contribution is in the form of knowing that here is another person who shares an interest in my hobby, and has taken the time and effort to share his collection with us. There seems to be a wide range of reasons why people are part of this club: Runners, Racers, Bashers, Hop-UP freaks, Bling Monsters, Shelfers, Modellers, and that elusive hard-to-define breed - Collectors. Some cross over several genres and some don't understand the motivations of the others, but they all contribute to the club by being here and showing us their interest. I happen to agree that a description with each model should be mandatory. I don't view entries that don't have a description unless it looks like something very unusual. Descriptions add greatly to the entertainment value. Another thing that I really like to see is shots of the chassis! not just the fantastic painting and decalling job you have done. I use the showrooms as a reference when I am working on my cars, and, for example, it is very useful to be able to see where all the bits should go so I can see what is missing off my TA03 chassis. I usually have to wade throught dozens of showroom entries to find good chassis shots. Just my little gripe.

Definitely try the nitro fuel first. Heating the lexan could cause it to warp. I recently stripped an Avante body using nitro fuel, just by brushing it on. I was given the fuel for free by the nice people at my local hobby shop when I told them what I wanted it for (it was not suitable for running in motors as it had somehow got moisture in it).

I've just finished stripping an Avante shell using nitro fuel. Worked beautifully! It doesn't work on all types of paint though, and on mine it worked quite slowly. If you have enough fuel you could soak the body in it. If not, you could do what I did and brush some on and leave it for a day or two, and come back to scrape the softened paint off and apply more fuel for the next part. The fuel evaporates very quickly so if you can keep the body in some sort of container it will last longer. It also leaves the oil on the body which needs to washed off with detergent.

Dynastorm is in the 94 and 95 guide books, possibly the 93 but I don't have that one so I don't know. The Dyna Blaster is in the 94, 95, 96, 97, and 98. I don't know of an index for the models in each book, but I have a list of the ones in the guide books I have (16 of the books between 1978 and 2003).

The GH 2 front arms will help the front end. Using Hornet oil shocks on the rear will improve things a bit as well, but you will need the D4 and D5 parts to mount them properly. Have a look at the Hornet manual. You will have to make tall posts to mount the Beetle body. I have used the stiff tubes used in garden home-irrigation systems (I think they call them "risers") for this sort of thing. Check out your local garden centre. The front post should be easy, but not sure about the rears - I'll have to get a GH chassis out and have a look.