Andreas W

If starting from the ground up and I would have picked the XV-02 today. Mainly because it's the newest, but also because of the simple construction and because it's less prone to fill up with stones. With an Embie top deck with servo upside down and direct steering mod I think you have eliminated jamming steering completely. The center diff gives more off power oversteer at corner entry, which I like. The trade off is less consistency at long slides, which I don't like. All in all you can manage without the center diff. Especially if you like sliding.

To say something more based on my experience, mostly running on snow and gravel so far. The XV-02 will basically slide in every corner. It's very easy to get it into a slide. It rotates easy and goes around tight corners in an elegant way. With the stiff center (box solution) It's relatively consistent while sliding and after having some experience with the XV-01 it's fairly easy to drive it in an active driving style. The XV-01 on the other hand needs a bit more flicking and/or on and off the throtle at turn in to get into a slide. When it is sliding it is nice and consistent and it responds nicely to the inputs. I still think I run one of my XV-01 more consistent. But that said I like the XV-02 as well. A few things I like about the XV-02 is how simple it is. It's a lot easier to take the diffs out, electronics installation is a walk in the park and it's far less prone to have anything jammed by small stones. If anything it the steering. On the other hand you need to take the motor out to change the pinion, while that is ultra simple on the XV-01. Edit: One more thing I love about the XV-01: It's brilliant while linking corners/slides. I have a few hours and laps behind me on frozen lakes in my Audi 80 quattro. I can say the XV-01 behøves in the same way while sliding through an S corner. You have a slide in the first corner, while exiting you get off, turn in ,the rear comes and you meet the movement/rotation with throtle while the front wheels are pointing straight. With careful throtle and steering it goes nicely around the corner in a 4 wheel slide. You can also do that with the XV-02, but the difference is that you do this consistent lap after lap with the XV-01, while the XV-02 tends to be more hit or miss. Especially after fitting the center diff.

Thanks for doing the drawing, Pylon80. I have fixed the Carten and intended to run it last Friday. At my work place there was no rain and dry tarmac, but on the spot 15 minutes away there was rain and the place Ihad marked the course was occupied. So I marked up the normal course and ran the XV-02 instead. The Carten is geared up more for this season, so I hope and think it's competetive.

All in all I am happy with my equipment and I already have 2 competent cars waiting to be built (I'll wait until the garage is finished, so it's gonna be for next year), so no need to buy any more for now. The only thing I'll get in 2025 apart from consumables is a Lapmonitor.

Stalingrad, maybe?. Sometimes the auto correct comes up with words that are completely out there, if I don't look carefully while writing "outlandish". @Pylon80. Would you mind scaling up Imola for us? Then we can crack on almost immediately .

Wow, that was a surprice. I had a good feeling after fitting the new slicks, but did not think to be that competetive from the get go. I have to say that I love that car and I am so happy that I pulled the trigger back in 2022 and got it. Do we feel for scaling up Imola, or is it too twitchy?

@Pylon80. That is a bad start. I have seen what Skom25 points out - it became even more visible after I fitted alu pulleys to my first one - but I have (knock on wood) yet to experience something like this. Dust, yes, but never anything of that size. As I have mentioned in other threads for me it's a bigger problem with pebbles jamming the rear arms and drivecups. After I did the vertical servo mod the problem with jamming steering is better, but not completely gone. That's why I love running mine on frozen gravel. Then the surface is like a sandpaper. You have the grip you want, it's slidable, the car doesn't hook and roll and the pebbles stay "glued" to the ground for the most. The reason why the winter XV-01 only did 20 laps in the last RBP round was that it was impossible to make a full stint without the drivecups jamming at least once per stint (making the car handbrake turn to one side). So the XV-02 made 2 more laps because it could go in one movement without hickups, despite beeing less consistent. BTW my winter XV-01 has all plastic drivetrain and I used the old belt. I fitted new internals in the gearboxes (since I had a few sets already), metal NN4 and shimmed. Works like a charm with the Ruddog RP540 17,5 so far.

This is gonna be interesting. I'll better keep an eye on this. I love second hand, almost new stuff .

Hehe. I wanted a winter/loose surface car last autumn, since my first XV-01 had evolved more and more into a tarmac runner. I thought about getting a TT-02 with an Escort custom body, but luckily made the maths beforehand. In the meantime an XV-01 LD turned up in the classifieds for less money, so it was a no brainer. The winter XV-01 has got almost no upgrades. I actually downgraded it with dogbones at the rear. After a while an XV-02 turned up for even less money. So even in high cost Norway you can get competent cars for less than TT-02 costs . Nothing wrong with the TT-02, if that is what you want, but if I have the choice I go for the better alternative.

It's Friday again and anothers wekend already now packed with work. I worked yesterday evening to free off time to go to a shop in a rurale area. Next week the masoner would put in the windows in my mini barn/garage/mancave. Years ago I got iron windows with curved top, like most barns here in Norway had. Now I need to grind off the rust and paint it with two layers of linseed varnish. It's gonna look so cool and like something that has been there forever. I am also working with demolishing the bathroom at the ground floor. I have come so far that I "only" have to remove the tiles and the concrete floor. Luckily I have borrowed a Hilti, so it's not that bad. If there's time spare I probably have 3 loads of wood for the dump. There's probably 2 loads of garden waste as well, but that’ll be for a weekday evening. I don't wana go through the pain it is going to the dump site on a Saturday. Have a nice weekend .

@Pylon80. The XV-01 would surely be a gamechanger, being less picky on the surface demanding less to none sweeping/leafblowing and still perform surprisingly good compared with f.ex. the M-05. I am adding to the ones praising the XV-01. I like it so much so I have got 3 of them (only 2 are runners ATM). As others have said they can do whatever I want them to. I mainly do RBP and for that they are brilliant. Maybe not always as good as an M-chassis when it gets tight, but far less picky on the surface and super at this time of year when the surface temps are low and there is still plenty of pebbles and dust on the paved surfaces. All this said my XV-02 Pro is closing up. At least in semi grippy conditions. After I fitted the center diff it has nice and controllable off power oversteer at corner entry. This is especially visible on snow, where the 02 will enter the curve on oversteer almost by itself while the 01 needs flicking or going harsch off and on the throtle (and sometimes understeer anyway, like an old Audi quattro). I understand why Dario says the XV-02 is the more capable, because it's easier to rotate and will mainly slide in each corner. That said I am still more consistent with the XV-01. I don't have any models I like the least. But since the rally cars are so capable the Dragons have almost no runtime. That's down to their larger turning radius and the brushed motors. I still like them and if I had something that capable as a youngster I would have been very happy. If I feel there is something I dislike that's connected to the rally cars - The XV-01 is notorious for collecting small stones. It's not so bad with the steering now (but it happens sometimes still) but jamming of the rear drivecups and/or the rear arms is really annoying when the car otherwise runs so good. - The XV-02 is less prone to get jamming arms and drivecups, so that's fine. What I don't like with it while running the center diff is that it's unconsistent while doing long slides. It was better in that regard without, but then it was a balance on the knifes edge before it would overturn and spin. I think it's down to me beeing kind of spoiled with my two XV-01 beeing so good, the expectations for the XV-02 is high and there's large shoes to fill.

I have made one good attempt that I am happy with, so for me we can end this .

Cheers. My best tip for your M-05 is good tyres. I run Ride 60D slicks, which I see you can get from RC Mart. In the summer 36 compound front and 30 rear. In your temps maybe 40 front and 33 rear is better. And then of course the Yeah Racing diff, if you can live with the squeeling. Get a few gearsets if you are going with the 3racing one and nothing breaks (knock on wood).

Looking forward to have you back. We are renovating (and have been morenor less since 2011), so I know a bit about not reaching over it all. You have built a gorgeous, custom, Turbo Optima and that is really something.

I use yellow or silver in the front. Yellow in Mini Spikes and silver in cut stagger. I have until now used yellow rear, but have now got blue (because that was what was offered).

I have dried out a little, so I felt for revisiting an earlier course. I would like to revisit Imola and we recycle the brilliant drawing/art bynour good friend @Ferruz. TurnipJF made a whopping 48 laps with two cars last time with Ferruz right behind with the Terra, so that's the top benchmark to beat. https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/95710-racing-by-post-round-55-results-are-up/&do=findComment&comment=933997

Brilliant @JimBear. May I suggest CVA shocks and WO wheels for Schrotti? With 2" diameter Schumacher Cat Blocks go on and in blue compound they will still be around for the kids of your kids. Cut stagger low profile also go on 2" with a little glue. I got a set of narrow Mini Spikes the other day and they felt too loose on 2". Or just get JC Racing WO wheels from Tamico, fit whichever Schumacher tyre you want and be done with it. I remember my brothers GH2 was extremely understeery. Way worse than my Grasshornet is, so there is room for low effort improvement.

You should be. That was a good lapcount with the small motor. You must have had a most possible clean lap on that one . I also sing along with the thankfulness towards TurnipJF. This is a really positive activity for me and meanwhile the only RC activity I do, but all year around. I am working on a course for the next round.

I like the Prinz look over it .i have to admit that I almost was shaking the head when I saw the body to begin with on the other rims. I was probably too hung up in the typical Bergrennen looks. But now on steel wheels the more innocent looking Prinz is a pleasure to the eye.

Well that was a pleasant surprice. Seems like the XV-02 is really good after all on semi grippy surface. We are a good bunch on 26 laps, so pretty even. Ultra G is impressing with 25 laps on grass. That's something.

Psst: The Schumacher Mini Spike 2 for 4WD fits perfectly on the front Turbo Scorpion wheels. I run them in yellow and without inserts.

I would personally avoid adapters if I can, just because it's more hassle, more wiring to tuck away and a potential failure source, when the Deans connector gets more roomy after time. I have a 60th anniversary Optima Mid to build when the mancave is finished. I plan to run a square pack hardcase with bullet connectors and solder bullets directly on the ESC wires, but it's an equal good solution to run bullets to XT-60 or whatever connector you prefer. I have recently got a few Sunpadow platin batteries for low prices. Until now my go to has been Gens Ace, but Sunpadow has been half the price, so little to think about. The Sunpadow has holes for the bullets going through and the bullets are easy to get out by pushing from below, if they are tight. I would get a square pack with bullets and if your ESC has XT-60 I would just get a driving/charging cable with bullets in one end and XT-60 in the other. Like this for example, or another brand if preferred, but a battery of this type would be my choice. https://www.sunpadow.com/sunpadow-platin-series-rc-car-racing-battery-5500mah-7-4v-2s1p-suitable-for-1-10-tc-modified_p114.html https://www.sunpadow.com/sunpadow-platin-series-rc-car-racing-battery-5500mah-7-4v-2s1p-suitable-for-1-10-tc-modified_p114.html

If you intend only to run it on tarmac I think you will be happy with MST LTX. The rally blocks are nice allround tyres and have predictable grip I prefer the MST for tarmac. Or simply get premonted slicks like the ones from Ride I am running. https://www.rcmaritimenorway.no/product/ride-ride-slick-tires-belted-on-16-spoke-wheel-pre-glued-4/ You can also take a look here, if you want it wider (maybe only at the rear). https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/107689-making-the-xv-02-wider/

Yesterday I fixed the Carten M210R and I planned to give itna go on the endurance course. But the rain would not stop and as I got to my spot the green trailer was back, so no course anymore. The front sidenof the building has endless space, but the tarmac is far too dirty for the Carten. I was prepared, so I also brought the XV-02 as a plan B. So then it was normal Postal Racing instead, to run down the two shorties. I made 6 full stints and a few laps of testing and just having fun sliding around the course. On the first pack I ran MST LTX. It was too wet for them, so the rear was too loose. It was impossible to hold a slide or control the rotation. Despite spinning and rotating the wrong way when I wanted to round marker 1 it was still faster than it's best on gravel. For the second pack I switched to the thin, worn out rally blocks I got with my first XV-01. They worked far better on the XV-02 than they did in similar conditions on the XV-01 last year. The car responded better to the inputs, the speed got up and I felt confident enough to go down on the throtle D/R and exponential. I think it's time to put the 29t pinion back in as well. At the end it improved by 5 laps and I am happy with that. After I fitted the center diff it has more off power oversteer, so it's easier to makenit slide into the corners then the XV-01, which often needs flicking or pumping the throtle. The cover and foam does a good job with keeping the water out. It was dropping wet, but inside it's nice and dry.

The other thread about the bargain XV-02 RS Pro reminded me that I have forgot to write down which parts I used. So here goes: 2x 54610 9mm hex 50808 TG-10 axles 50883 39mm dogbones (for the rear) 54394 WR-02 universals for the front. Can also be used at the rear, if wanted. At the front maybe a bit too much with the 2mm offset rally dish under a Killerbody Lancia Delta, but perfect for the Bittydesign Skoda Fabia that is planned for it. I went for dogbones at the rear, since my xar for the most run in dirty conditions.