speedy_w_beans

That's really sweet. If only they would do one for a 1/10 buggy, 1/10 SCT, or 1/8 e-buggy instead of a 1/16... EDIT: I guess the shock towers would be a problem and they can do it for the 1/16 E-Revo because of the IFS-style suspension...

Latest update: http://www.hpieurope.com/news.php?lang=en&issue=2013021901 HPI is saying that Hobbico has NOT purchased HPI, instead Hobbico is now the exclusive distributor of HPI in North America. I went back to the original neobuggy article and they don't cite specific sources, just that "close" sources have given them the scoop... So much for neobuggy's credibility.

I really like the spare tire on the back! I'm looking forward to seeing your paint job.

The price is definitely right!

DF02 chassis + TT01 bearings and prop shaft + Blitzer rear wheels or Blackfoot Extreme wheels = cheap 4WD truggy platform... I've been playing with swapping suspension arms between DB01 and TB03 chassis to make two other chassis; caliper measurements suggest it might be possible... DB01 chassis + TB03 arms = 280 mm wheelbase 4WD on road chassis for a R91CP shell... Think long wheelbase TA05 for Group C shells. TB03 chassis + custom slipper + TRF502x diff gears + DB01 arms = DB02 replacement... The DB-TB swaps haven't been proven out yet for me; I've just been taking measurements and sketching for now...

Well, this came up on Jalopnik recently... It's another look at the decorated trucks of India... I still think a custom build that reflects the deeply personal details of a hardworking trucking culture would be pretty cool... http://jalopnik.com/the-amazing-decorated-trucks-of-india-253832656 It may take me ten years, but someday when the mood is right I'm going to do a dekotora or jingle truck build...

Even though North Carolina winters are relatively mild, and Vanessa is quite hot-blooded, she had to put her RX in storage and switch to her Stretchbox to prevent windburn (http://www.youtube.com/user/SpeedyWBeans). Toasty toes and flushed fingers make bounding across the tundra and roosting debris so much more enjoyable! Coming back to reality-- I haven't driven the Mad Bull since coming back from the beach last Thanksgiving, partially because I sold the radio and receiver to a local buyer and haven't put a new receiver in yet. Part of me wants to drive it more, part of me doesn't want to destroy the shell due to a stupid driving mistake. I know the shell just has a basic paint job on it, but I spent hours selecting between competing sponsors, carefully trimming the decals, and positioning them just where I wanted them. So in that sense the RX will probably be mostly a silver can beach runner and shelfer. It might get a little use in the front yard at some point. As for the battery tray, it can only accept stick-pack style batteries. Square lipos are a no-go, although others on here have found some stick-pack style lipos in the past. I hope you enjoy the build, and I hope you enjoy driving it. I'm really glad I bought one and configured it as documented in this thread. Over time I've sold off a number of my first RCs; this one will have a permanent place in my collection.

I do not recommend DOT4. I tried it once on a lexan shell and it made it brittle. The shell started crumbling in my hands within minutes. DOT3 on the same shell actually was working, but it took some effort to get the paint off. I switched to DOT4 and paid the price because of it.

I'm surprised more people aren't posting in this thread... If you get tired of me putting Youtube videos here please let me know... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5Ud0Kz4NzM

Wow, I thought Hobbico/Tower was the exclusive North American distributor for Thunder Tiger, but the home page for Thunder Tiger says copyright Hobbico. I guess that means Associated (bought by Thunder Tiger) is now a Hobbico brand as well? It's actually kind of depressing that so many brands fall under one roof; eventually the unique character of some brands may be diluted with common engineering and sourcing. How long before an Associated carries a Duratrax stress-tech guarantee, or an Axial is made from an ARRMA twin vertical plate chassis and HPI Wheely King axles? How long before Hobbico drops Tamiya because their product portfolios overlap too much? Nothing I'm writing here should be interpreted as fact; I'm just sharing some thoughts and concerns. Time and again big businesses have shown me that the only thing that matters is money. It's the small guys like Team CRC, Custom Works, RJ Speed, and others that still have some personality left.

http://www.neobuggy.net/2013/02/14/hobbico-purchases-hpi-usa-assets/ Pretty big news. Hobbico seems to keep buying and buying, what with ARRMA, Axial, and Team Durango bought last year. Now HPI. I have to think at some point Hobbico would have to rationalize their portfolio of brands and models and discontinue some over time; we'd see this reflected in Tower Hobbies listings...

Give us a Vanessa in a tank top.

All about snow... http://lifelessons4u.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/humor-snow-shoveling-diary/

Mabuchi RS540 specs: http://www.mabuchi-motor.co.jp/cgi-bin/catalog/e_catalog.cgi?CAT_ID=rs_540sh Tamiya TEU-104-BK manual: https://www.tamiyausa.com/pdf/manuals/45041ml.pdf You can see the no-load current is 1.6A and the stall current is 57A for the 27 turn motor. Based on the stall current of the motor, size the ESC at 60A or higher. The TEU-104-BK is rated for 60A continuous. Based on the ESC rating, size the (amp-hour capacity * continuous discharge C rating) higher than the ESC rating. Take your pick of Lipos and add an external cutoff if you're using the TEU. As alfagta points out, give yourself some margin to avoid puffing. 2000 mAh * 40C, 3000 mAh * 30C, 4000 mAh * 20C, etc. would have good margin. The same approach can apply to any brushed or brushless setup. Start with the motor's stall or peak current, size the ESC, then size the battery with some 30-50% margin when you multiply amp-hours by discharge C rating.

So far so good -- Sand Viper, Plasma Edge, Digger, and Sport 3.2 are all gone. Also sold off some body shells locally. I've been going through my stuff again and should have a second round of selling in the near future...

I wouldn't risk $300 to find out, that's for sure. $100 seemed like a reasonable gamble. I really think the Unimat 1 and the Hobby King machines are clones coming from the same factory. The photos in the Hobby King manual show parts with stickers on them that are seen on the Unimat's web site, even though the Hobby King parts don't have those stickers. Therefore, I think they are the same machines.

The DT02 Sand Viper was my most frustrating Tamiya experience. After about 30-40 battery packs on a hard clay track, nearly half the screw pins and self-tapping screws would loosen on their own during a run. For the most part I've moved away from ABS tubs, self tapping screws, and screw pins. Now I look for models with reinforced plastics, machine screws, and captured hinge pins.

Thought I would post an update on this topic since a few people mentioned they were interested in impressions... This past weekend I assembled the vertical end mill configuration with the intention of machining a custom motor mount out of some stiff plastic. While building up the tool I ran into some issues with the connector joints not filling out the aluminum channels completely, and this led to some of the joints of the machine having some slop. Even though I tightened down the connectors, it still seemed like the mill bit/motor assembly was going to deflect from side to side under even the slightest of cutting loads. In all honesty, the limited slide movement, limited vise capacity, and flimsiness of whole machine makes it a no-go in my book. I really need a tool that has guaranteed perpendicular axes, smoother controls, more capacity/movement, and variable speed. I didn't even bother to try machining the motor mount because it just felt like an exercise in frustration waiting to happen. In the short term I'd be better off using my Dremel mounted to the drill press attachment and using a cross-slide vise from Harbor Freight for this simple job. Anyhow, I thought I should post this in case anyone else is considering this tool. Save your $100 and put it towards something better. Even a corded Dremel with a few cutting bits and some home-made fixturing would be a better option, in my opinion.

Bumped into this on Youtube; I've seen some of these 1:1 custom trucks before and I like how this person modeled it in 1:14. His inspiration is at 0:15; the end result can be found at 3:35...

Hey Mike, welcome!

No stick from me! Give it a shot and let us know how it turns out!

Also, for some reason the split between the first and second paragraph is not the same as the split between subsequent paragraphs. Use a double <p> between the first and second paragraphs for consistent spacing between all paragraphs.

Can you run standard 1/12 wheels/tires on the RM01, or just Tamiya wheels/tires?

I'm kind of curious about it. The design is different than the TT01 plastic shaft with reinforcing ribs every centimeter or so. You would think through a combination of design features, tolerances, mold flow simulation, and maybe some incremental testing and mold changes a good plastic prop shaft could be made.

For wider wheels, have you looked at HPI Racing's LP-series? They come in 29, 32, and 35 mm widths instead of the normal 24/26 mm widths. They also make some tires to fit those rims. If the styles of those wheels aren't to your liking, you could always buy 4 wheels, chuck them in a drill, and cut them with offsets. The larger pieces could then be recombined with CA glue to make a set of wider wheels (hopefully to match some of the wider tires). You just need to make sure the wheels spin true while cutting so they don't wobble after gluing later. Here's a thought about that 3Racing FRP conversion kit... Don't do it. I went down the 3Racing graphite and aluminum hopup path on a TT01E, and in the end it makes no financial sense whatsoever. I think the better option is to build the TT01E chassis stock, put a shell on it you don't want anymore, sell it as a complete car with ESC and motor for $80-$100, and then get a 3Racing Sakura Zero S for about the same money from tqrcracing.com. You'll end up with a FRP chassis, adjustable suspension, oil filled gear diffs, oil dampers, belt drive, etc. It's just a much more capable package for almost no money if you can flip the TT01 chassis and a leftover body shell. Then throw your Lamborghini shell on top of it. Here's my "Korner's Folly" or "Winchester House" of an RC project: