S-PCS

The 1:1 automobile world is full of "learned" myths about what to do or not to do with your (classic) car, rules that everybody seems to know and to adhere to - that have zero technical justification, other than that at a certain, long gone point in history, they made sense due to temporary circumstance that have since completely ceased to exist. Brake fluids, for example. The much-feared "new" DOT4 spec fluid has been around almost exactly as long as DOT3 - since 1968. BOTH are mostly incompatible with any other type of brake fluid, Well, most non-US automakers went straight to DOT4 when they finally converted (in some cases 20 years after the introduction of the DOT fluids). People started to use the "new" DOT4 on older cars with disastrous results, and the myth was born. Somehow, the 3 and 4 designations led people to believe that DOT3 is "older" - and therefore compatible with older cars, which it isn't. Today, even classic car parts manufacturers will recommended DOT3 and caution you against using their brake system parts with DOT4, despite the fact that the two DOTs are virtually 100% compatible and virtually eqally old, and ignoring the fact that due to simple technological advances, nearly all materials in any brake system these days are DOT safe. 50 years after the DOTs were introduced, the controvesy rages on, blatantly ignorant of the basic technical realities, and despite the fact that the question itself became obsolete around 25 years ago...

"If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong" Charles F. Kettering, aka "the man from the future", one of the most important automotive engineers of the 20th century. I know nothing about painting lexan, but I've always wondered why it is supposedly so different. I will be watching this space.

...which, of course, leads directly to the TRF201. (Anybody looking to unload their NIB TRF201? I didn't want one 30 minutes ago, but right now I do, exploit this temporary weakness if you're looking to sell)

Hopped up a DT-02. Not sure why, but I think I just want to find out how far I can push the original design before the inevitable conclusion that a newer/more sophisticated platform design will still outperform it straight out of the box, and at lesser cost, too.

What every Manta Ray desperately needs is a different body. Any different body. I run a Manta Ray (with Manta Ray body) on serious brushless power, plastic gear set, steel pinion, steel prop shaft, motor mount upgrade, never any problems there. It has a rear ball diff, and that's pretty much trouble free too, but I am not too sure if the benefits of this upgrade are really worth the time, money and additional maintenance required, at least outside of racing applications... I get to say "It has a ball diff", but that's pretty much all it does for me. The original gear diff worked pretty much just as well. Other than that, rear shock tower keeps working itself loose, rear gear box top cover keeps coming off, too.

Tire chains. This calls for tire chains.

Marginally substantial, I'd say. You'll notice the difference, but it won't blow your mind.

Actually, there's so much wrong with GH's boxart that you can't build a good case on it anyway. Chrome control arms and nerf bars for example, shape of the front bumper, and most of all, IRS. What's up with that? Seems pretty intricate, too, with a single trailing arm and Jaguar/Corvette type control arm/half shaft setup topped by a MacPherson-like shock/spring arrangement... And there seems to be a chrome air cleaner behind the driver.

Yes, I'm going to hop up a DT-02 just to see what's going to happen.

One day, I will shamelessly duplicate that color combo, just because of it's awesomeness.

Worked for me

In the kitchen? That's pretty daring!

Takes four to use them on a car, actually?

You know, I always thought I had some sort of obsessive compulsive boxart disorder that made me paint kits to boxart specs every single time. I'm past that now - I realize that it was never OCBD, just a simple case of common Total Lack Of Creativity, Skills And Talent (TLOCSAT). But since when has that ever stopped anyone from anything? I figure the cure for TLOCSAT is pretty much the same as for OCBD - just paint lots of stuff anyway and see what happens. Thankfully, even Tamiya has produced some ugly ducklings that no-one wants - like the DT-02 Nissan Titan. Released on an obsolete platform, with a body nearly completely unknown outside of the US, modeled after a competition truck from a racing series that went bankrupt before the model was released, that was succeeded by a series ironically named the Traxxas TORC series (seriously, and that's 1:1 racing). And if you think that's not bad enough, just check out the MSRP of only $257. Needless to say, they're practically given away these days, at least in Europe. So I bought an unreasonable number of NIB Nissan Titans and started to happily paint away. After all, there's nothing like repetition to hone your skills. (Hey, what are you going to do, with no artistic talent whatsoever? Hard work is your only option). Last weekend, just in time for this thread, I finally produced a Titan body that is at least somewhat presentable. (I managed to do that once before, but that other one was claimed by my wife. Frog paint scheme, it was the Pink that did it). You might recognize this particular paint scheme from somewhere, so yes, still some work ahead of me in the creativity department, but at least my painting skills are improving. Too bad the pic somewhat diminishes the visual impact of Tamiya's Fluorescent Orange. It's really shockingly Orange in real life.

This is going off topic, sorry, but I just have to add two more "winning the war" examples: Invincible German state-of-the-art engineering miracle Tiger II tanks in France getting pack-attacked and overrun by vastly inferior American Shermans, while the Air Force's outdated P-51 Mustangs simply swarmed the high-tech Luftwaffe Strahljäger fighters. Numbers, sheer industrial output, triumphed over technology. 20 years later Ford named a car after the P-51, and that car line is still in production today and happens to be the top-selling 2-door coupe in Europe. Economies of Scale made it possible. Ok, done. Sorry. But really, it had to be said.

Thank you!

There you go, finally a downside to today's LiPo run times... By the time you're thru the pack, it's too late.

Interesting... @dannymulder, could you tell me what brand those tires (the rear ones, on the right) are?

I don't think they look any more silver... silverer... silverish... you know what I mean, than for example Grasshopper 2, who's boxart makes the entire buggy look just about as silver as Grasshopper's boxart wheels. And since GH2 is known to be white, GH's wheels therefore must be, too. Unless GH2 was never supposed to be white.

Got up early to quickly switch chassis tubs on the Boomerang before breakfast... Trouble is, long before I cracked the tub, I ran this Boomerang on very wet clay with a high lime content, which apparently is good for corn farming, but tends to dry into a rock solid, mildly corrosive sludge that you simply cannot wash off, even after soaking it with water. I have no idea why, ask your local farmer if you need to know, but it's been bothering me ever since. I just couldn't get the Boomerang completely clean again, ever. I even considered hot tanking or pressure washing the poor thing. So in the middle of my quick before-breakfast tub swap, I decided it was now or never. One complete teardown & rebuild and lots of hot water, assorted chemicals and lots of scrubbing later Boomerang is finally clean again. Not what I had planned, but I'm finally at peace with it again.

Strange proportions, that body. Been looking at this kit for a while, but could never decide wether I like it or not. Now that I've seen it from this angle, chances are I might actually like it

That, sir, is one mean, agressive stance for a humble GH2. You can actually see the handling improvement in the picture

I ran a BZ equipped Boomerang with a 302BK ESC which in theory should be fine, but in reality melted the ESC first time out. I'm pretty sure this was a quality control issue with the ESC rather than a pairing issue, but I've stayed away from the 302 ever since.

Realized I'll be home alone for most of the weekend with zero plans or obligations. Proceeded to put an unbuilt Egress next to my unbuilt Super Hotshot just to see what the two would look like together. Now all I need to do is accidentally mislay my phone.

Spent most of the week at home with flu-like symptoms... Not used to hanging around all useless and feverish. By Wednesday I was bored out of my mind and high on all sorts of cough syrup, and I vaguely recall keeping myself amused by dreaming up weird projects and filling various shopping carts... Seems I didn't stop at just filling those carts, 'cause the contents of one arrived today. Too bad I' m out of cough syrup and have no idea what clever project idea is represented here. I guess I could build this as a Super Hotshot, use the truck for spares and get my small parts sorted out? Tools, of course are always good and there's a Boomerang chassis to fix the Insanerang. I'll start there and wait for several more shipments that are doubtlessly en route.