c64orinoco

Yes, my original battery for my Super Champ went all melty, it didn't work afterwards. I didn't get a Tamiya pack again, the next batteries were all shrink-wrapped.

I should start work on mine, I got it over a year ago.

51. I was the precise target age for Tamiya buggies in the 80's, and I had a Super Champ and Hornet back then. I have a re-re Hornet and Fighting Buggy sitting in my build pile. I have to finish the M07-Alfa Romeo Mito first.

I think the theory is molybdenum grease for metal gears, ceramic grease for plastic.

WITNESS! Shiny and chrome may you ride in Valhalla.

I'll try to get some laps in over Easter, this track should fit in our yard.

Where is the yellow chassis from?

You have to teach them early!

Australia is the ones who were stupid enough to get caught. You know, got caught stealing an apple.

So the building industry in the UK is as bad as Australia then? Did we inherit it from you or have you inherited our industry?

I like the course. It might not fit in my pokey backyard, but a local carpark is quiet on a Sunday so I might get the chance there. Hopefully it stops raining, it has rained all weekends for the past month.

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

It's been raining for the past week, and is forecast for the next week too, so no times from me.

We're forecast for rain pretty much all week and through next weekend, so there goes my chances for a run. Darn El Nina summer.

if you're building a buggy then i would hold back on grease in any exposed areas like dogbones. Grease attracts dirt and you end up with a grinding mess. I use a spray lubricant that is mostly PTFE - from the local hardware store, intended for sliding door tracks. Other people use graphite powder, I think from bicycle stores. You want something that won't stick to dirt for any exposed elements. I know the Tamiya instructions recommend grease for exposed elements like dogbones, but I think you're better with 'dry' lubricants like spray PTFE or graphite.

On my own cars I have used PTFE for plastic to plastic. I use Tamiya Molybdenum for metal-to-plastic and metal-to-metal. I don't think anything bad will happen if you use PTFE for everything.

I think the idea is: Plastic gears - Ceramic grease or PTFE grease. Metal gears - Molybdenum grease. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. A PTFE-based grease is probably OK for a TT02 with mostly plastic gears. I'm sure it's probably also OK for the pinion which is the only metal gear in a TT02.

I've got 12 cars and I think thats a bit excessive. I can't quite fathom the point of a collection like that, let alone having the space to store it.

I don't think it's a small percentage. For example - the big Millenium Falcon set - it's defintitely targeted at Adults Of A Certain Age (40-50) with the nostalgia factor of the original Star Wars films. I think Lego gets a very large proportion of sales in the 'nostalgia' market. Come to think of it, so does Tamiya.

One of the things Lego had to respond to - and they have, very successfully - is adult-age fans of Lego. That's a huge part of their market.

Looks fantastic! I love the blue-green colour shift.

Acetone might get it off, but carbon fibre is abosorbent so superglue, especially the thin stuff, can easily seep into the CF.

I'm going to need a bigger backyard. I might need to look around for some empty carparks on a Sunday.

In a word: No.

Makes me think of a segment from the "D-Generation" Australian comedy show from the 90's. It was called 'Sh*tscared' an frequently featured a 'thumbs-up' pose while wearing a crash helmet. Some other Aussies might remember it.