SupraChrgd82

That’s a helluva dilemma. Despite Traxxas being Traxxas, their electronics are horrible. Factor in the cost of real servos, it’ll be unjustifiable. Though I have little experience with the CC02, the greatest drawback I hear about is the abundance of speed. It needs an ESC with low speed fidelity and some low gears. I’ve found that tiny crawlers roll quickly. Perhaps it’s my old eyeballs and aging reflexes, but they go from creeping up an obstacle to tumbling before I can register what just happened. Big crawlers tip in slow motion. Good for aging eyes and reflexes. Low speed throttle fidelity helps. Regardless, I feel the allure of the CC02 as well. If you’re open to suggestions, Element Enduros are excellent. Buttery smooth drivetrain, plush suspension, good COG from the factory, lots of aftermarket….

Stampede. Yes, completely soul-less and I deeply loathe Traxxas…but reliability and the lack of remorse for broken parts will make vacation more vacation-ish.

Sometimes the chase is more thrilling than the prize. This guy for example. I just had to make a Blazer with rallley wheels and a white topper. No desire to drive it, it just needed to be built that way and I obsessed until it was done. It’s been shelved for years. The idea was more thrilling than the completion.

Good choice for axles. The older AX10 axles are very robust and smooth. Regarding the suspension, I suggest attempting to move the upper damper mounts closer to the center of the chassis or locatingsofter springs. I don’t know what damper pistons are inside or how heavy the battery is. Those are additional factors that will effect how the suspension compresses. Generally monster trucks have supple compliant suspension. For this reason I doubt that thicker damper oil is the direction you would want to go. Damper oil would best be sorted after softening the ride.

Love it! What did you use for the nets?

https://www.hpiracing.com/en/shops

Give ‘em a chance. Cycle the batteries (charge>discharge>charge>discharge) a few times. I run exclusively NiMH as well and found that after a long period of sitting the capacity is very low. After a few cycles they come back to life and capacity increases. The general rule for charging is 1 ampere per 1000 mAh. So a 5000 mAh battery should be charged at 5 amperes. You’ll note that once charged it will be warm to touch, about the same temp as a comfortable cup of hot chocolate. NiMH batteries are fantastic in the way that you can abuse them with charging/discharging/storage with little consequence.

I do have a spare set of NIP dampers from 3racing M4 build last year. They are aluminum (bronze color) with springs I believe to be too firm, but the price is right. If it’s worth the holiday postage wait time from SoCal, I be happy to send them to you.

I suggest one of the Tamiya CVA sets, most likely one that can be built to 55mm. The YR aluminum sets are nice but the stiff springs are better suited for carpet. For outdoor and asphalt you’ll find more traction with the softer kit-supplied springs.

Brilliant choice! That’s a fantastic platform. Drivetrain and suspension are buttery smooth and the 12.3” wheelbase makes it very stable. Aftermarket support is excellent. There will be no disappointments.

Do you s’pose one of the Traxxas LaTrax battery packs would fit? I can measure one up for you tomorrow if need be. It’s been awhile since I had my paws on a GT-01 and I’ve long since forgot it’s dimensions…

As it turns out, Gecks, I found another frame in 9/10 condition and built on that. Most everything is retro parts from the mid 90’s to ‘08. The Animal was just donated to a friend who owns a local bike shop, where it will be hung as a display. Just a few more parts and this gal is ready to go. Just a few more parts and Ol’ Sup shall return to RC.

From my experience he is not particularly communicative, but he is reliable. His parts are very high quality. Global shipping remains a mess and there’s a lag posting shipping status. The odds are in your favor that you will receive exceptional parts in a somewhat reasonable time.

Yes, sir! It's a 1995 ProFlex Animal that is about 90% OEM. Hydraulic rim brakes (Magura) came standard on it. This one's getting a Manitou 4 and Shimao XT & RaceFace retro components and a hydrodipped frame.

I do miss driving a GT-01. For a 2wd they handle exceptionally well on the street. The RR layout adds magnificent realism to its behavior. The upgrade that made the most of my car was a set of 3racing aluminum oil dampers. One of several I regret selling…. I do have an aluminum pinion gear in the parts box which I’m pretty sure is the only momento left from ol’ Sup’s GT-01. Photo is the pinion beside a 18t 32p for comparison. I can’t confirm or deny it is for this chassis, but I’m 80% sure it is, as I had acquired the Tamiya pinion kit that was offered for it. I’d be happy to send it to you if you so desire.

I indulged in another retro hobby by prepping parts to rebuild this ol’ girl.

There's a good chance that RJ Speed's Legends parts are compatible. I believe they purchased the parts and designs from Bolink. Calandra Racing Concepts makes rubber tires for running it on asphalt.

Replacing the engine will be quite simple and minimal cost since nitro is becoming obsolete. Almost any .12 or .15 engine will fit right in. It will have to be anything other than a bump-start engine. Pull start is ideal as the electric start mechanism is Traxxas-specific and the connector plug tends to wear quickly. .12 engines tend to yield higher RPM but slight less power (speed). .15 will yield more power but less top speed. Be cautious about buying used engines, as they lose their "pinch" as they wear out. OS and Picco are exceptional engine manufacturers. RPM brand A-arms are among the best upgrades for a Maxx.

What does it have for diffs? Ball, fluid, gear/grease…?

Yup, those are OG Bruiser axles. Do you have the rear axle collars? A handful of 5x11 bearings and the collars would make those 99% complete.

I’m really diggin’ the yellow with matching wheels. Nicely done!

Tamiya GB-01 Chassis Aluminium Front and Rear Damper Set For Tamiya GB-01 - Light Blue Color - 3Racing GB-06/LB (3racing-parts.com)

That 17.5t would be great for rally. 17.5 is a reasonable balance of speed, runtime, ability to cool and damage control. Regarding the LiPO's on a TBLE, that's on you.

First she said “I want a Holmes Hobbies Revolver 2200kv”. Now my daughter says she needs an Artful Dodger’s Groundfox chassis. Not in so many words, but I know what she means…

If I am not mistaken, the RA and LA versions had 5mm longer suspension arms than the street car kits. Regardless, Serpent made a 200mm car a few years ago. https://www.bigsquidrc.com/serpent-natrix-748-e-200mm-electric-touring-car/ There was also a China knockoff about 15 years back in 200mm. Embarrassingly, I have one with a HPI ‘69 Camaro body sitting on display complete with AM radio and Novak Rooster ESC.