Grastens
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Posts posted by Grastens
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I remember these links from when I asked about what sort of qualifications were needed to become an RC car designer.
From what I have read, industrial designers usually end up in aesthetic design roles from other areas like household or electronic product design, but I would imagine that mechanical engineering is keeping more in nature with the hobby as many of these cars are penned for performance. If you wanted to work on chassis design, engineering would be a better choice, whereas automotive design is preferable for bodywork, but not necessarily, as engineers did design the Flo-Tek line of short-course truck bodies (and possibly the Bigwig; he was a 'race car designer' but engineering expertise is probably a given at his field).
As I am currently studying engineering (though not mechanical - yet) and had a look at the options it gives, I do have an idea of what I am talking about, although I have no experience in the field.
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Frogtape is excellent. I acquired some for a home painting project and had some left over, while coincidentally running low on Tamiya masking tape (also good). So I tried it on my Avante; the results were not the best but that was more due to my inexperience with painting polycarbonate shells than anything. It worked for both the house and the shell, though.
I would highly recommend it.
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Tamiyas, from what I understand, are not usually about outright speed. In the case of the Super Astute, though: keep in mind that racing buggies also used higher-powered racing motors and upgraded electronics; The Sport-Tuned motor is an upgrade from the standard Mabuchi/Johnson 540, but is not nearly fast enough to keep pace with the competition brushed motors of even that era. It could be that due to this, the Super Astute was never set up properly to make the most of a Sport-Tuned motor (including pinion gear choice), whereas the Bear Hawk, being entry-level, could accept it.
I could be wrong, though, if the kit did include a motor or if the manual specified a Sport-Tuned as a specific hop-up part.
I cannot answer the other question about the fastest vintage 2WD buggy, though I hope that insight could help.
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That is one fine-looking Top Force! Great presentation!
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Sorry, with my poor English, I hardly understand what you mean.
That was more a reply to Finman, as I was agreeing with his identification of the Avante steering set.
Does the understeer have to do with the design limitations of the installation or the electronics? Increasing the steering dual rate could add a bit more travel if it is the electronics.
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That looks to be it. Nice work on the modifications.
I thought the Avante steering system had a lot of slop already, though... Have you noticed any significant gains in steering control with this set-up? It always seemed to me that isometric(?) steering set-ups were more responsive than bell-crank types, though the Hotshot did have the 'hook-and-rod' isometric steering which was sloppy anyways.
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Not sure why the Street Rover appears to have DT-02 front wheels on the back, but is that really a bigger question than the Bullhead?
It looked like a lot of fun, regardless!
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A bump to lower the price to $260 CAD before shipping, and an offer to also send all electronic files and photos I have saved of this car. Upon request, a summary of the car's history can be put together.
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I am bumping this thread and will lower the price to $180 before shipping, which would actually be a bit more in line with the market value of these cars.
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Interested and registered, although is this website more for the modern 1:12 and 1:16 chassis?
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Yikes...
But really, after your JPS Lotus project, nothing is impossible!
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Perhaps the designers were inspired by this?
Morgan? Very nice...
Recalling the discussion about the various colour editions of the Buggy Champ: I wonder if it really is grey plastic or just colouring.
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Hung out with my Avante today:
I did get to bash about with it, testing it after rebuilding both the differentials and almost the entire front end. I can see the car's tendency to oversteer now... Regardless of how it drives, hopefully it will be the car I will attempt my first circuit session with in a few weeks.
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For runner status mount upside down or use modern coil over dampers of suitable length (70mm front, 55mm rear off the top of my head but search the forum for confirmation)
I can confirm that the rears can use 55mm shocks; fronts can vary. I have seen 80mm shocks from an RC crawler company used on the front end; my own chassis uses the GB-01 Aeration Damper set all around, which at the front is just a bit under 70mm. It all depends on how much travel you want in the front suspension.
So: 70mm front/55mm rear shocks should work if you decide to use modern coil-over units.
(If using ball mounts to mount them onto the chassis, make sure they can accept 5mm ends. However, if they can only take 4mm ball mounts they can still be bolted onto the chassis)
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If they all did leave with white bodies, I kind of want to hold out just to see what other colours come next.
I must be the only one thinking a 'Magenta Edition' would be really cool...
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The car looks good! I am considering the Montero Wheelie for my next car, but thanks for warning about the stickers... Those are not my strong suit!
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The chassis looks great! Is the car running original tires or the DF-03ra block pattern types?
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Dark Impact wheels and tires arrived today; just figuring out how to install them...
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That is one fabulous Super Astute! I am sure running it in anger will only bring joy.
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TS-13 no longer in stock? Glad I could find one...
I just put up two of my cars for sale in the Sales/Trades/Wanted section after finally working out the problems with the third one. I am looking for some money for university - or another Tamiya!
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Hello:
Alongside my Tamiya Buggy Champ 2009 is a never-run F103 15th Anniversary Special kit. This car has had a GT bumper, antenna mount and plastic battery holder added to allow it to run a Le Mans-style body. Included in the sale will be the original aluminum battery posts and antenna mount, as well as instructions and (if possible) the original box upon request.
The rear damper is used but working well, though it can be excluded if desired from the sale for a $25 CAD discount should all-new parts be a priority.
The car features new Tamiya foam tires and an original Toyota GT-One bodyshell. This body has been painted to depict the #1 Zent GT-One that ran in the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours as opposed to the #3 Esso Ultron car that finished 2nd in the event. The body has been reinforced at the nose and is duct-taped at strategic points. It looks nice but is not concours-winner quality, with some overspray and poor masking as visible in the photos below.
The car requires an ESC/MSC unit, a radio, receiver and a battery to run it; the basic steering servo and a standard Johnson 540 silver can motor are included. I will be asking for $220 CAD before shipping but am again open to negotiation on the price.
Some images are present below. Keep in mind that the car will essentially be sent as a rolling chassis and will not feature the ESC, battery, radio or receiver unit seen in the chassis picture, and the black Sport-Tuned motor will be substituted for a silver can:
Thank you for looking, and feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding this chassis. It was originally going to be my indoor racer until my current F103RS acquired most of the hop-up parts this kit contained; there are also no Le Mans-style events running in my area anymore. As a result it has never turned a wheel on the ground, and it shows in its good condition. I can provide additional images upon request.
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Greetings:
It has been over a year since I first built my Buggy Champ. In that year it travelled to the beach, to the schools, to cottage country and dozens of other places, leaving trail marks from two heavily-cambered rear wheels everywhere it went.
However, this hobby is cyclical, and so I am exploring the possibility of putting up my beloved machine for sale.
This car has been very well-used. The bodyshell is broken at the front rollbar - the top left corner (when viewed from the front) and the right base. The rear brace is also broken and held with glue and electrical tape. There are tears in the decals at the top of the body and a chunk missing from the front left quarter. The body is also chipped in several places, has had abrasions on the inside and the driver is rather weathered as well. No light buckets remain on the car; I only have three of the four and all are broken at the base.
The chassis is solid but far from show condition. Aftermarket parts include a custom aluminum chassis painted black - it is all marked up with silver dots where paint has chipped - and GB-01 Aeration Oil-Filled Dampers, bolted on using non-stock screws and O-rings. The rear gearbox has four seized screws and is quite dirty. The bearings were rusted solid a few months ago; they were restored with lubricants and light-machine oil, and the gears are all greased with molybdenum grease. However, I cannot comment on their current state other than that the gearbox runs well. The car also has the Tamiya SRB Ball Differential which is not as effective as the Thorp unit but it still provides some differential action and can be adjusted. The right rear arm (viewed from the rear) is slightly-deformed lengthwise but still works.
The radio box has been modified to omit the rubber steering sleeve; instead the sleeve holder has been sealed to the radio box and the steering shaft runs through it. This setup has worked for some time. The car was recently equipped with the aluminum chassis plate, new torsion bars and rear shafts.
Despite what its appearance suggests, this car can and does run; I tested it with excellent results just yesterday as of this post. I will include all spare and used parts for this car except for the original dampers which are completely broken. These spares include the original FRP chassis plate and aluminum stiffening plate. The car will also feature all electronics required to run it, including the three Ni-MH stick packs that I converted to hump packs to fit the radio box, a 2.4 GHz radio and receiver, a modern Acoms servo, the kit-supplied Tamiya TEU-101BK ESC and the kit-supplied silver can motor. The stick packs are rated at 2400 mAh, 2400 mAh and 3300 mAh and all hold charges quite well.
This car could make for a decent restoration project, or it can be left mostly as is and be used a full-on basher - just as I had used it. Feel free to request additional pictures or to ask any other questions about the car - I have tried to give a detailed report but I have not described everything about it.
My asking price is currently $275 CAD before shipping or your best offer if I approve of it. I will also consider a straight trade for a new-in-box Mitsubishi Montero Wheelie, Fast Attack Vehicle or Hotshot. Please let me know either on this thread or a PM.
As I am leaving for school on September 4th, I will be shipping it before then if a sale is made quickly or a deal can be negotiated for the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend when I am back in town and thus with my car.
Some pictures of the car; this is more or less its current state:
The car as it is today (albeit a bit cleaner).
The newly-installed aluminum chassis plate. Cap screws hold the well nuts which hold the radio box in place. The result is a much-stiffer chassis than the original.
The front bumper gives an idea of the kind of wear and tear this car has undergone. It was not used lightly...
The car's nose...
The crack in the rollbar is evident here.
But this car can still take a lot of what you can dish out to it!
If the price seems a bit high for the car, maybe I am just a bit sentimental... I have been through a lot with this machine, including this photo shoot with a Ford Model A. This car has memories. Remember that I am open for negotiation!
Thank you for looking! You can also find my F103 15th Anniversary chassis for sale or trade on this forum.
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Looks very clean; quite a find indeed.
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"mr.retreader" sent me a metal chassis plate for my Buggy Champ today. The rest of the day was spent in a Herculean struggle to undo the stripped screws to separate the gearbox and radio box from the chassis...
Edit: Finished the installation-
The previous chassis plates...
... gave way to this...
... and now the car's stiffness approaches that of my Avante. Should be fun to drive it again, though my batteries need conditioning. Instead of the whole front half of the chassis flexing on impact, only the bumper does like it should!
Hows the Avante holding up?
in Re-Release Discussions
Posted
The Vajra does have those larger tires, however; with 2.2" wheels the ground clearance is less impressive.
My Avante is run almost regularly, driving hard on all occasions. I can say that the re-release chassis is fairly durable, as is the bodywork, though the rear wing will take some serious damage in a flip. On heavy frontal impacts the metal ball ends at the very front can strip and the ones on the lower arms behind them can break. That was one full-speed impact, though it was fitted with a GT-Tuned 25T and a TEU-104BK. With a brushless system, I imagine a frontal impact would have more severe consequences.
I do have yet to get onto a track, though there is a club not too far from where I am right now. If I ever get a chance to make it there, I can report on its performance.