martinjpayne

@Carrera124 Suzuki SX4 WRC https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H7jy-m1Z6i5D1XLZOLGPn4Ynwfc-ncUU/view?usp=sharing

@Juhunio will take the stabilizer set if you do decide to sell it. 👍

@acprc Out of interest, what did you use to chemically blacken the steel parts?

@Kol__ You could try '3M Tape Primer 94', it's an adhesion promoter for vinyl wrap and adhesive tape. Should work if the lifting decal still has some sticky left.

What body IS that?

Unfortunately the mind might be still young, but my body aches and my reactions have slowed... not conducive to racing or marshalling RC cars. Building and occasional bashing is the best I can do now. 😟

58 two and a half weeks ago. The wife says I still act like I'm in my late teens/early twenties. 🤷‍♂️

Sometimes I think it's down to bad batches of plastic. For instance, screwing the rims to the wheels on my CR01 kit split nearly every screw hole in all four wheels. The replacement wheels I bought went together no problem at all. Similarly, my first DF03Ra's damper mounts cracked screwing the ball connectors in: later ones were fine (this was before I had a forming tap). 🤷‍♂️ Oh, and yes manual hand tool... you get to feel any snagging (not enough grease) or when it bottoms out.

@nowinaminute never drilled any holes... most M3 holes on Tamiya chassis are 2.8mm or more by my digital caliper and the M3 thread forming tap drill size is 2.81mm. 🤷‍♂️ Just use vasaline, forming taps need to be well lubricated. @Manix92 The only chassis I've made which calls up the forming tap in the instructions is the TRF201, however, about the forming tap Tamiya says: ★This handy tap can be used to thread holes for 3mm screws in components such as R/C car chassis. ★It not only ensures that the screw will fit smoothly, yet nice and tightly, it does so without leaving waste plastic in the hole. ★Perfect for those who plan to re-assemble their chassis on a regular basis. Seems like Tamiya think it's okay. I would also say we shouldn't be replacing tapping screws with machine screws, except Tamiya will quite happily do so when it suits them.

Actually, you're not. 1st, 2nd and 3rd taps remove material to form the thread: this is okay for hard metals but not for plastics (and some softer metals), hence the need for a thread forming tap which displaces the material and does not compromise strength. Okay, checked both my Tamiya and Chinese unbranded thread forming (roll) tap: dimensionally they are identical, square with rounded corners min 2.8mm max 3.1mm. Placed alongside each other the threads mesh with no gaps. The Tamiya one is HSS with a flat tip, the Chinese one is HSS with a TiN coating and has a pointed tip. (this may be a problem if your screw needs to reach the bottom of a blind hole). **Unscientific test warning** Compared to an M3x0.5 tapped hole in a sample standard ABS TT02 chassis there is less play in the formed hole, and the torque required to strip an M3x8mm screw is higher. I've used the Chinese unbranded thread forming tap on Tamiya ABS, ABS-GF, PA and PC plastics with no problems on a good fifteen or more models.

@RichieRich I'm just in the process of rebuilding an SB Sport... what do you use for a body and undertray? I can't find originals or copies anywhere.

MRC/Academy SB Sport and SB V2 ...early 2000's

I think the XV-02 will be as big a flop as the DB-02, and then Tamiya will start milking the XV-01 chassis by bringing out the XV-01 Pro-R, XV-01 Pro-RR and XV-01 Pro-RRR in quick succession... 😆 I've still got my pre-order in for one, though.

17.9g 😁