steelo

I'd go down 1 tooth in pinion size and see if it helps

I got everything on ebay and amazon with no issues. 'Dinball' sells a lot of parts for the M-05 on ebay and shipping was really quick from HK. +1 on oil shocks and bearings. I would also recommend the aluminum steering rack because it is much more precise. I'm running a 13.5T brushless with the Tamiya TBLE-02 ESC and it barely gets warm. (it's just a pain in the butt to program) The car has amazing speed with a brushless system but I really wouldn't recommend fewer turns than a 13.5. I have about 20+ runs so far with the brushless set up and the stock 'pot metal' pinion shows very little wear...

Gotcha, I will probably look into the hpi ...was hoping tamiya made a version since I'm a bit of a tamiya fanboy Just checked out the price of the q32 on amazon and it's difficult to convince myself to pay $120 for it...

Hi everyone, Does Tamiya make a 1/32 scale buggy, like the hpi q32? I didn't see anything on the tamiya homepage, other than the 4wd minis. A fully controllable 1/32 scale r/c would be a blast on a rainy day ;-)

Ordered the Neo Scorcher about 2 weeks ago from 'Toy Shop Japan'....according to Amazon, delivery not expected until March 29th! Ughhhh...I hate waiting Kind of disappointed with seller, I paid $100 US for the kit, but it does not come with the ESC and it only has a silver can motor, not the torque-tuned. Overall, I should have just waiting for towerhobbies to have it in stock (even though it would have been $40 more expensive, I would have gotten the ESC and the torque-tuned motor included)...Oh well, I plan on replacing the stock motor with a firebolt or a cheap brushless. My buddy is selling me the Tamiya TBLE-02 ESC, which can handle brushless.

That sounds awesome! I don't know if I'm brave enough to do the 'batman' logo but I do like the idea of black and gunmetal with yellow highlights. I hated the yellow shocks and was going to rit dye them black because they would clash with just about any other paint scheme. Thanks for the idea...Although a TT-02B build thread has already been done, I think I'm going to start another with pictures

Well, out of nowhere I've decided to get a Neo Scorcher...I think my 2wd 'vintage racing' project is on hold until the Spring. For now, I just wanted a capable, cheap 4wd kit for the snow and I really like the looks (and price) of the Scorcher. I know it's not a 'high-end' buggy, but it should be a blast to drive around in the dirt/snow! I'm not going crazy with hop-ups but I might throw in my 15T motor, add adjustable turnbuckles, aluminum drive prop and maybe a steel pinion and call it a day. From what I've read, it's a pretty sturdy buggy despite all of the plastic. Anybody have any ideas on a good looking paint scheme? I'm thinking orange/black, orange/gunmetal or orange/blue

Thanks! Nice looking WO there =]

Thanks everyone...I think I am going with the WO, depending on funds. I probably will just throw in a sport tuned motor and ball bearings. I love my Sand Scorcher and I understand it was designed in the 70's, but the thing is just so fragile...I'm constantly tightening up screws on it (especially the servo saver) the shocks leak pretty badly and the drive axle on the rear has a tendency to keep breaking for no apparent reason. Also, try driving in a straight line on loose dirt with the Scorcher without losing the rear end...it's virtually impossible above 5mph...lol I hope the WO is a little more versatile

Thanks! I've built plenty of models/RC cars in the past but would be very weary of taking this on. I'm also very limited on the proper tools to perform such a task =( I think the next best option would be to get both =)

Hmmmmm...I think the WO is just too appealing, I simply can't resist =) My only concern is that is will be as fragile as my sand scorcher... Any suggestions on must have hop-ups, other than ball bearings?

True, I plan on running the snot out of whichever one I use...but I agree that the Wild One is a much better looking car. The Neo Fighter looks like every other 'modern' buggy you can buy anywhere...

Haha...sorry, it's a 'Wild One' If the Wild one came with the brushless ESC, I would be sold...I just don't understand why it's $70 more and includes a less capable ESC and the standard Johnson motor. Is it because it's a re-release? I already have an Arrma 15T brushed motor I've had no problem using with the standard Tamiya ESC's in the past.....so I'm pretty confident it would work with this kit.

I wish I could afford both...Well, I guess I should be asking which one I should get first =)

Well, I thought I had my mind set on a Wild One since it is just such a good looking, retro buggy.... I then began looking at other Tamiya models last night and came across the Neo Fighter. It's not as 'retro cool' looking but it comes with a torque tuned motor, a brushless ESC (I think the WO comes with the brushed only ESC) AND it's almost $70 cheaper here in the U.S.! Now I'm torn...the Wild One is a much 'nicer' looking car, but the Neo Fighter is a much more modern design and I think a better value... I'm sure it also handles much much better. My buddy is getting a Scorpion and wants to have a race...I liked the WO because it is closer to the same genre as the Kyosho and l love the styling but I think I have a much better chance at being competitve with him with the Neo Fighter.... I know that both kits would need ball bearings, but I like that the Neo is already brushless capable... Ughhhh....Help me!!!! =) I even made a list comparing the two (showing how anal I am) Wild One Neo Fighter ----------- --------------- Much 'cooler' design More modern/capable design/faster I think I would take more 'pride' in building/running it Cheaper in price I would be just as happy with a 'stock' motor running through dirt Includes better motor and ESC out of box Est price w/ ball bearings, 15T brushed motor (I already have) - $215 Est price w/ ball bearings and brushless motor - $180

Thanks for the suggestion...I think I will go with the Wild One...it probably doesn't handle as well as the Kyosho but it is the closest genre to the Scorpion...and it's just a really cool looking car! =) I'm thinking of painting it pearl white with a red metallic roll cage, a touch of red on the edge of the lexan body and just a small area of metallic blue on the front panel behind the number decal... =) I'm also looking foward to painting Willy =) some of the paint jobs posted on here on him are amazing (and hilarious) If the car comes with the standard (older) brushed ESC that Tamiya throws in some of their kits, I will probably just throw in a sport tuned or a GT Tuned motor...then again, if the kit comes with the TBLE-02 ESC, I will probably invest in a 'mild' (13.5-17.5T) brushless. I have a Neewer 13.5T in my M05 and it's a really great, cheap motor...the car goes about 30mph, which plenty fast for a M-Chassis. I will replace all of the bushings with ball bearings...The WO comes with oil filled shocks, so it shouldn't really need anything else as far as 'upgrades'. Any suggestions?

Hmmm...that's now what I'm now thinking =( Well, I guess it's time for a true Tamiya offroad buggy =) I'm thinking the Sand Viper would give him a run for his money, especially with a fast brushless motor and better shocks. I believe it is much lighter and would imagine with the more modern suspension geometry, it should handle much better. What do you think?

I hope they re-release the turbo scorpion or optima..nice looking cars!

Thanks...I definitely need some real shocks. Im going to stick with the st motor or my 15t brushed because I'm willing to bet his car will be uncontrollable with a brushless. Will probably throw some 'sand super' tires on it too

Well, that's a bummer. I was hoping that it could at least be competitive. I have removed quite a bit of weight by taking out the battery box and adding a lightweight lexan body. I guess I'm not going to go too crazy trying to hop it up because it doesn't sound like it would be worth the money. Might still go for shocks and different tires though. Quick question though, has anybody been able to create homemade coilover shocks with the existing dampers? I know there are kits available, but I'm cheap and can't see it being horribly difficult to find hardware to make it work...

Haha!! true! its such a shame he doesn't drink!

This may be a dumb question, but would a SS be at all competitive with the Kyosho Scorpion re-release? My buddy is buying a Scorpion and wants to have a fun race after he is done building it. He plans on upgrading the motor to a reaktor brushless. Now, I know that neither one of these cars are exactly state of the art, but I believe the Scorpion is about 5 years more modern and Kyosho made more race oriented kits. So far I have removed the servo saver, re-positioned the servo and directly connected the steering links to the servo, I removed the box to reduce weight and re positioned the electronics. I am using full bearings, stock shocks (using friction shocks in rear from another kit), stock tires and the silver can motor...any suggestions? =) Again I know that no amount of upgrading would make this car competitive against the modern buggies short of replacing everything...I just want to be able to keep up with my buddy! =) Upgrades considering: Shocks (not sure what length is - 60mm rear/80mm front maybe?) Sport tuned motor (anything more I think will just make the car act stupid) rear tires (maybe from a Hornet) aluminum chassis or some way to reinforce the stock chassis so it doesn't flex so badly Not going to mess with a diff since we will be running on dirt anyways Sway bar for front? And I am trying to keep this under $100 Thanks for any input you can give me!!! =)

My name is Jason and I too have a problem...ever since I was a boy I was obsessed with 'hop ups' and improving the overall performance of my R/C cars...most of the time it lead to the demise of the car itself!

With rebuilt shocks, removal of the servo saver and minimal droop, the car handes fantastic now. It does still wander a little bit, but not nearly as badly as before. Steering is much more precise and rear end doesn't slide around as badly....I'm happy with the handling now =) I think I'm done spending money on hop-ups...of course I say that now!

The 3Racing shocks use a cap seal diaphragm. I rebuilt them last night making sure there was no air in them and they are now much much better. Just wish the tiny black and white instructions were clearer, it was very difficult to distinguish the different seal/spacers. What I did was filled the shocks to about 90% full, let them sit for a few minutes then pushed the piston in while topping them off with shock oil. I then carefully placed the diaphragm on it (with a little oil leaking out) and held it with my finger while slowly pulling the piston out. It created a vacuum which kept the diaphragm nice and sealed with no room for air. While holding the piston out, I screwed the cap back on (finger tight) easy breezy...no air and the shocks feel great!