Grastens
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Posts posted by Grastens
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I will admit that I see why people think it is unsightly now, but I will wait until the final photos to make a true judgment. I mean, the shape is not really there for an Avante but the right scheme could make it bearable
I wish it really did have the aerodynamic benefits of the Mini-4WD car; then at least it could be a matter of form (very much) over function
Those other releases are looking good; liking the Fighter Buggy SV and the R390!
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Today's progress:
A distinct lack of hex-head screws had me reusing many of the original screws, which was not such a bad thing. The diff proved to be in great condition when I took it apart, but when I rebuilt it the unit seemed very loose. To duplicate the feel of the gear when I first received it I used a combination of Ball Diff Grease and Anti-Wear Grease, which should do a bit to save the notoriously-fragile diff. I should think about if I want to put a unitized gear in there like in the Avante...
Most of my work was concentrated in the front end today, mostly because the rear arms could no longer be mounted. The car arrived with one of the kit mounts and the other from a Madcap, and the Astute part had two press nuts I needed for the rear bumper.
Speaking of which, that and the rear gearbox were mounted onto the chassis as well:
The front end could have been completed:
However, the wheels were mounted with the original bushings, which I was keen on replacing with ball bearings. The front end would not remain like this for long. As an aside, the blue wheel nuts left over from my F103 will likely remain.
I will wait for a week or two for new parts to arrive; once those come in I should be able to make some more headway.
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My Astute arrived a few days ago from a fellow TC member. It had been a solid runner for some time before being shelved and then sold to a new owner (me). It was a bit of an impulse buy as I was irrationally excited by the possibility of an Astute; it must have been a combination of its shape, vintage, box art... Whatever the case, in spite of my limited budget I bought it. I call this a 'restoration' in quotes because I am not sure if the car is in a sufficiently-dilapidated condition to consider this a full-fledged restoration, and few parts are being truly reconditioned to work again...
After getting hit up with customs fees (which took a neat chunk out of my restoration fund!), I took it home:
Noticing some bits and pieces were missing, I decided to take apart the rear gearbox and inspect the gears, which then turned into disassembling the front end, then rebuilding the shocks, and soon I had this:
I did end up completely rebuilding the shocks, but only had dish detergent, sponge and numerous paper towels to clean. These had to be by far the easiest shock builds I have ever had, though I could be replacing these with the gold Avante 2011 dampers (which I believe are the same dimensions; you will see why I would):
Then the rear gearbox door broke after unscrewing it from the gearbox (no idea where the other piece went):
So far, all of the plastic parts and a few others are washed (except for those in the steering system):
It was a good thing I stripped it down; the chassis was missing some press nuts and the steering system featured a combination of 850 bearings and bushings: two bearings on one arm and two bushings on the other. The left front wheel also had one 1150 bushing on the outside and one 1150 bearing on the inside, whereas the right front wheel had the two switched around.
Fortunately, the gears and gearbox are in good condition, though there was an unknown orange grease solidifying in there. The diff still feels very solid; not much slip is evident.
My plans are to rebuild it using whatever hex-head screws I have around from my F103R, lightweight black wheels as per the original kit, and a Kamtec bodyshell to replace the tired original covering. The paint and decals will resemble those on my Avante:
If I am feeling ambitious, I could even try and add a driver figure.
So far I have purchased the Kamtec shell, wide spike tires for the rear matched to black lightweight wheels, Team CRP spiked 2WD fronts with black lightweight 2WD front wheels, a set of original universal joints, a set of 1150 bearings and another of 850 bearings, a box of press nuts, a new 'A' parts tree and alloy rear arm mounts (to replace the one Astute and one Madcap equivalents out back)... So much for my budget!
Tentative plans also exist to run the car with an Ansmann Sirius 12T waterproof ESC, a Traxxas waterproof servo and a Spektrum SR300 receiver matched to a DX3C (which I already own). I am conflicted on motor choice, though, as with the stock gears I want to try running a Super Stock BZ but as I have a new TTC Gear Train system on hold (whatever; money is no object now!) I could experiment with a competition-spec motor or even a brushless setup. What do you think?
I am at school right now, and so away from home, meaning this project will possibly not see a whole lot of progress in between my studies. But when I can do the work, I will keep this thread updated. Tonight's assignment is to sort out the screws and add my replacements...
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Nylon SRB parts... Instantly jealous!
Today I also reduced my car from this...
... into this:
The project is not looking as straightforward as I thought, especially after the rear gearbox door broke... I am already mulling the possibility of a 'restoration' thread.
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A Kamtec Astute bodyset arrived today, part of what has become a winter project for me.
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I actually prefer polycarbonate because I find it easier to paint when building an RC car. If I wanted to make a hard plastic body look presentable, I would paint on both the inside and the outside whereas polycarbonate can only really be painted from the inside, driver figures excepted. I do not have to worry about surface finish either; just making sure that the coats are on the shell, are reasonably tough and maybe backed with ideal colours is sufficient. It used to be that I never liked cutting out the bodies by hand, but I have become decent at that since my first model.
Of course, I would still enjoy a nice hard plastic bodyshell for its scale looks and - due to my experience building plastic model kits - familiarity.
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I was hoping that the S-10 shell would just be a mockup, but the shell being a stock item is more likely. Can we expect cool graphics, though?
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Looks great! Aluminum or silver? I love either one, really.
It is more like what I am doing right now, but I am replacing the bushings on my Losi Micro-T with bearings that arrived tonight. My Tamiyas' c-clips have nothing on these! Grrrr
Edit: And just lost a clip into the carpet... Bought a screw set today...
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Even their respective approaches to four-wheel drive buggies are completely different, assuming the Axial is four-wheel drive.
I will have a lot to think about regarding the changes occurring in that span...
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1 x NIP 53061 Astute Universal Shaft & Cup Set
For my due-to-be-built NIB Super Astute.
I actually just ordered a set today for my Astute!
The front tires and wheels arrived today; different sellers but great timing:
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On the topic of SRB upgrades: I would definitely go for a metal chassis plate. This minimizes front chassis flex and actually allows the front suspension to work as the front no longer twists under cornering. They can get expensive but are something to consider.
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Hot date at the post office; took her home with me:
A good starting point for a nice little project; with some freshening she will be a stunning runner (I hope). In the meantime I could just get some electronics and bash about, but for now it will be on the shelf as I finish my classes...
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It could just be the blurry quality, but all of those actually look very good, the Aero Avante included! I am not sure how they made the DF-02 look so sleek...
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This one I had to pick up... But my Astute finally came home! Many thanks to GTodd for helping me step into the world of The First 100!
I was so excited I put this in the "The Postman Brought Me" thread, with a picture, and then in my showroom...
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As far as I know, Traxxas makes waterproof servos and you can either buy a cheap Chinese waterproofed ESC or an Ansmann Sirius 12T waterproof unit for the ESC. Only the cheap Chinese ESC is 'cheap,' though...
If saving money is paramount, though: you can open up a servo, spray the internals with Fluid Film or a similar product and seal it with silicone. I am a bit wary of this method as I had lost a few electronics to water damage despite using this technique, though with enough preparation and caution you should be able to waterproof all of your electronics this way.
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Today a Racing Rear Wing Set (A) and Wide Spike Tires arrived in the mail; would have posted a picture but somehow the forum is not letting me.
Tomorrow I pick up my Astute from the postal distribution centre...
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I think the re-re well nuts and the vintage pieces are different sizes; the re-re types are from a more-pliable rubber and a bit larger in diameter, I believe. But I did manage to fit vintage pieces onto my re-re Buggy Champ. The slightly-softer rubber should mean that even if the original radio box has smaller openings, it should still fit.
The re-re well nuts should be able to work!
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Maybe he is including the CNC machines and alloy stock...?
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Looking very sharp! Love the fact that Vanessa is now a redhead...
Any mechanical changes to note yet?
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There are so many diffs now... From experience they are not the easiest to work with, but set up right they can perform very well. The bigger problem is the positive rear camber; any positive effect the diff has on handling, especially cornering, is negated due to the minuscule contact patch of the rear tires.
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The postman brought me a COD charge close to $50 for a package that I was supposed to sign off on, except being on a university residence that is somewhat impossible... So no package; just bills.
That was supposed to be my Astute, too!
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The batteries make the look of that car; I still think it would be cool if a 1:10 version had spaces for stick-packs or Li-Pos. I would also actually buy it if it was ever released in that scale!
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I too was amazed by the car's tendency to oversteer, especially with wide front tires like those. Must be a hoot to drive...
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It may be sold exclusively on the TT-01 chassis - if I understand Tamiya's policy on new body shells correctly - with a 'limited-edition' body set to be released later.
New Tamiya RC items to be presented at 52th All Japan Model Hobby Show 2012
in General discussions
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I did, in fact...
I think the shell is polycarbonate, but honestly the car's form has me thinking otherwise.