RCcoachworks

I've never tried shimming, but until I can find a set of old CRP differential supports, I'll try it. I had a pair of the CRP units on my original beetle and never had any diff trouble. I'm convinced that because they fit so tightly in the sideplates that they helped prevent the diff separation.

I removed the extra o-rings from my model last night but the diff still feels very clicky when I turn the wheels by hand. The outdrive cups also move a little too far out of the diff without the o-rings. I'll run it this afternoon after work to know for sure. I ordered a set of new bevel gears off ebay last night. I'm going to rebuild the diff with them and try shimming it to tighten it up. If that doesn't work, I'll go the oldfrogshot route. I really want this to be a runner and not just sit on a shelf looking pretty.

It's funny, I don't remember having the diff issue when I was a kid. I will probably try the diff bolt fix before going the Thorp route. I had a full Thorp setup on my first MB and had bad luck with it. I did notice how soft the new tires are, but I don't think they're soft enough to require foam inserts. I upgraded my rerelease with Mashers before running it and they have been great.

And... the diff clicking has begun. I got through 10 runs or so before I started hearing it, and that was on a 6 cell nicd. Yesterday after gluing the tires onto the wheels and putting in a 2S pack, the clicking was pretty bad. I'll pull it apart tonight to see what the damage is.

Here's a running video. I've got it suited up with an original body since I didn't have time to paint the re-re body yet. https://youtu.be/Hsk-4kNfZHU

Sorry, been too busy driving and making a running video to post! I should have it up sometime tomorrow.

The ProLine part number is 1074. I should have saved my gold rims too, they are already chipping around the edge. I was surprised to see how soft the stock tires are. I remember the originals ending up hard as rocks.

The tires are 2.2" monster truck type. I really like the Masher as an overall tire that works well on lots of surfaces, plus it's just about the same size as the monster beetle pin spikes. They look very natural on there. Im saving the pin spikes that came with the kit for my NOS Beetle build.

Mine is up and running too. I took it on break with me and have put around 5 packs through it. So far it's been fantastic. I'm using proline masher tires and an upgraded servo saver. It's just as much fun as it was 30 years ago! I'll be picking up a new battery for it soon and upgrading the esc plug. Has anyone used a lipo with the tble-02s?

The re-re parts that I have are more red and brighter (and not as dusty!) than the original tree that I have, but it's not noticeable unless you hold them side by side. I think the original has just suffered from age more than anything. 25 years ago, I suspect that the old tree looked the same. The flexibility of the plastic feels the same to me. One other difference is that the new A tree includes A4 (the Brat switch cover), but the old set does not. If you look at the original Monster Beetle manual, A4 is marked as not used, but the Blackfoot and Mudblaster manuals don't even show it. I suspect my original tree was from one of those two models.

That sounds pretty good for a US price. Tower Hobbies has the price at 189, but it's out of stock. They frequently have free shipping offers over $99 (there's one on right now). I managed to get mine for $149 w/free shipping because I pre-ordered it at the initial $239 price. If you are a super saver member, they give you $40 off a $225 order. Luckily, the price went down to $189 before mine was charged and shipped, but the still gave me the $40 discount. Sweet!

I'll third the recommendation for the Tamiya JIS screwdrivers. I never realized there was a difference between what I was using and the JIS sizes until about a year ago, and all my builds since then have been much more pleasant! I was surprised the first time I used one and saw how well they locked into the screw head.

I had my first run with mine yesterday! It's been at least 20 years since I drove one of these! The updated shocks definitely make a difference. I had a little trouble with the steering when I ran into the fence - things got out of alignment for a bit, but after working the wheel a bit it got straightened out. I replaced the servo and servo saver when I finished running to something a little more sturdy. Futaba S3305 and a Kimbrough servo saver. The upgrades have begun!

It would be awesome to have posters of those.

There are rubber o-rings in each diff outdrive, one on the left and two on the right. Are those seated properly? Can you take a pic or a video of what's happening?

If you remove the driveshafts from the diff outdrives and power the motor, does it still vibrate? That might give you some idea if it's the gearbox or the driveshafts. Also, are you sure the tires are correctly seated on the wheels?

Finished up the rest tonight. Just have to do some painting!

Yup, the glass stops at the rear pillars. The rear window is wide open.

Yes, shocks are not something I want to build when I'm tired

Got through everything tonight up until the shocks. Have to pick up there tomorrow night!

It's there because the body has been repurposed so many times it's got mounting holes for three different models.

How costly is it to duplicate a mold? Wonder what happened to the original beetle mold. Did it become the Blitzer Beetle mold? It's really the one part of this rere that I hoped would be brought back so we wouldn't be putting stickers over the extra holes in the hood and roof.

That's because the body and glass are from the Sand Scorcher. It's not the original MB equipment.

Well, I couldn't start building it yet because I don't have the bearings or radio gear, so I figured I could at least unbox it and see what was inside. I do remember the BF parts being in the original. I was just glad to see that they were still there and that Mr. T hadn't removed them from those trees. Made me hopeful that maybe there was a Blackfoot re-release in the works. If you look closely at the body, there are some broad swirl lines in the plastic. It would definitely look better with paint, but I think with some rubbing and clear coat, it would look quite good in the stock body color.

I spent some time tonight going through the box. I took some pictures of all the parts: http://s32.photobucket.com/user/kbobb1974/library/Monster%20Beetle%20Unboxing A couple things I noticed: The front axles are flat black and not shiny chrome. The Blackfoot body mounts and shock parts are in the box. Here's to a Blackfoot re-release! The shock springs are pretty soft, and the fronts are considerably shorter than the rears. Enjoy!