Juggular

I agree. Vessel is good. JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) fits perfectly. German Wera also seems to fit fine. Just like the metric system, it's the American Phillips that doesn't fit well. Two things to be mindful of. Cross-threading it, and over-torque it. For those who don't know; you'd want to turn the screw counter-clock wise once to get the feel for the thread. When the screw falls into place, you can go clockwise. It's easier to get that feel with a manual screwdriver. So I tend to tighten by hand, unscrew them with an electric screwdriver. I've broken the frame of my Blackfoot by over-torqueing. So that's another thing to watch out for.

It's very relaxing... or maddening, depending on your point of view.

So true. The silver can and sport tuned, etc, are not fully rebuildable. Only Super Stock motors are. The other motors (like GT tuned), look like they are rebuildable, but they are not. The can of the motor even has timing degrees marked on it. Clearly the can was used on fully rebuildable motors (like the super stock?) It's just as easy for Tamiya to make this rebuildable. But Tamiya cut notches on it and crimped it. It's impossible to undo this without damaging the soft plastic (since I like to tinker, I tried). It lasts a long time, so longevity isn't what I'm disappointed about. It's the fact that I cannot give it bearings and gain 10% boost. At least, you can replace brushes on these. Copper bushings will go well before brushes need replacing. Being able to replace brushes isn't all that useful. (Oiling the bushings is the single most important thing for longevity). At least, the end bell dissipates heat better. The end bell has unused holes for the screw. Since it's not fully rebuildable, I don't spend money on GT tuned. Sport Tuned is very close in performance for half the price. So that's what I've been favoring. Below is the Super Stock motor. The tab is missing entirely, and there are crimps for holding the screw plate on the inside. This is fully rebuildable. It's faster than Sport tuned or GT tuned, but about the same price as GT tuned. (One problem is that Tamiya TBLE-02s ESC cannot handle it, but Hobbywing 1060 can). Just replacing bushings with 2 bearings allows the top speed to go up nearly 10%.

20t is as large as it gets. M06 gives you 2 more options for slower top speeds (but quicker acceleration), but 20t is the limit. The stock silver can is fast enough for me (mine has full bearings). But Tamiya Sport Tuned motor costs $14. It might be something you would want to try? That should boost about 25%. If you haven't installed full bearings, that's where you can get about 15-20% also. Bearings also help with acceleration, allow the motor to run cooler, and your battery would last longer too.

TC members are one of the nicest folks. You fit nicely from the start. My respects for those with good manners (especially since my manners escape me sometimes). (Unlike the movie, the quote doesn't mean anything violent or negative; it's just a nice saying with an actor's face on it.) If the throttle servo moves as intended, this could be spotty. (If you suspect it's the motor, you can unplug the motor and give it 3 volt one way and the other way. Just to test, 2 AA batteries should be able to power a 540 motor.) If you want to use the Mechanical Speed Controller (MSC), there is a contact cleaner like this. (I use it even on batteries on wall clocks.) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006LVEU?ref_=ppx_hzod_title_dt_b_fed_asin_title_0_0&th=1 WD40 is somewhat dielectric, so it's not great on something like this. But you could use WD40 to clean, and then wipe it off with alcohol. In fact, WD40 has a contact cleaner. I haven't used it so I don't know how good it is. https://www.amazon.com/WD-40-Specialist-Electrical-Contact-Cleaner/dp/B00AF0OFVU/ref=asc_df_B00AF0OFVU?mcid=d990e28c64f13c5a85b3c351bd1307f7&hvocijid=12416022305686075216-B00AF0OFVU-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12416022305686075216&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007234&hvtargid=pla-2281435177858&th=1 Mechanical speed controller (MSC) has a dozen contacts including resistor leads, battery and motor wires. Each contact has to be very clean to make good connection (which is why old cars came with a cover). The servo could push or pull too far to lift the switch just enough to break the contact. (I don't know where I took above MSC from. But I would never use it that dirty.) If you are so inclined, you could consider getting an Electronic Speed Controller (ESC). There are no contacts to foul, and there are 500 increments. Fortunately, Hobbywing Quicrun 1060 enjoys the general consensus as a very good entry ESC. As mentioned, even Tamiya includes it. You can get one for about $18 - $20. Reedy and other companies also put their own stickers and sell it as theirs. They all work fine. You could remove the throttle servo and the MSC. ESCs come with a plug that goes into the receiver, as if it's a throttle servo. Connect the motor wires to the motor. Many give you a piece of double-sided tape so you could stick it (some place where it gets some air). That's it with the installation. Initially, you should set the throttle trim to neutral. When you connect the battery, tires should be off the ground just in case. Most ESC instructions would tell you to pull the throttle fully and then reverse fully once (just this once, nothing should happen). Then the ESC knows the ranges of the input. After that, it's like an MSC. You pull the trigger, it goes. There is no switch to make bad contacts. Some people fry the ESC by using 11.1 volt on a 9 turn 550 motor or something. But for the most part, Hobbywing 1060 is bulletproof (not waterproof, but some splash is fine). Using those two tabs, you can choose Forward/Brake/Reverse or Forward/Brake or Forward/Reverse. And you can choose between LiPo battery and NiMH battery. If want to buy an ESC, and you see 3 motor wires? That's to be avoided. They are for brushless motors. They don't work on brushed motors like the silver can or Sport Tuned. There are "sensored" and "sensorless" ESCs for 2 different kinds of brushless motors. 3 types of ESCs are all incompatible (except for some Tamiya ESCs). Below is Tamiya TBLE-02S ESC. It's one of the rare ESCs that can be used for Brushed and sensored Brushless. A brushless motor is connected to it below (note 3 wires for the motor). If you want to go for something other than Hobbywing 1060 or Tamiya ESCs, you should make sure that it's for Brushed motors (2 motor connectors, not 3). The conclusion is that 1) you could try cleaning the MSC for better contacts. 2) you could look into an ESC, and see if that's something you'd like to try.

At this time, I'm really afraid to ask if anyone is alive. By age fifty, 10 babies out of 100 who were born with us are gone. So I'm glad netsmith is alive and well.

Ah, that pin is as short as my 3Racing one. I'd feel uncomfortable with that myself. But there are conditions where it could work. 1) the ball on the dog bone is snug in the cup. Meaning, the ball isn't rattling on the inside of the cup. 2) if that is as far down as it goes. You should pull down a little to see if it does. 3) the dog bone does not move sideways (since yours is a CV joint, you could use shim to make sure it goes in as much as it could). The 3D crowd would recognize 1) 2) 3) are basically x, y, z plane. With good lube it may last a bit. I am thinking to replace my cv joint with something better.

Or, you might be able to use free-wheeling adapters for the front. Mine are metal shields. But these days, rubber shields are sold even cheaper. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807191099151.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.314auV4juV4j8s&algo_pvid=ede85914-3798-423f-a221-323b8363306d&algo_exp_id=ede85914-3798-423f-a221-323b8363306d-0&pdp_ext_f={"order"%3A"33"%2C"eval"%3A"1"}&pdp_npi=4%40dis!USD!16.88!5.80!!!120.65!41.46!%402101ec1a17496965063007387e62f3!12000040495886563!sea!US!2630314545!X&curPageLogUid=7Z7TZvo58dpF&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch|query_from%3A

Yes, I've seen TZ at $28 many times over the years on Amazon. Next time it falls below $30, I might get one myself.

Yes, those Tamiya metal shielded bearings are jam packed with thick grease to keep the dirt out. So, it was natural that metal shields were slower than after market rubber shields. If you had washed out both, and lubricated both with light oil, metal shields might be slightly faster (but it won't be good against dirt--which is why I only used the washed metal shields in the sealed gearbox only.) You are right! Torque tuned has less torque than the Sport. I'll edit. Thank you!

Wow, those prices are different. The Torque tuned falls right in between the silver Can and the Sport Tuned in terms of RPM. 14000 for the silver can, 16000 for the Torque, 18000 for the Sport, 27000 for Super Stock. The Torque tuned does not have more torque than the Sport, though. Their torque is about the same. I was wrong. Sport Tuned has more torque. See @MadAtComputer's comment below. (but I don't know where the max torque happens at the RPM band: one could have more torque at higher or lower RPM.) 2000 rpm is only 1/7th increase, so the improvement would not be drastic. GT tuned is expensive there too.

They are so closely matched, I'd just get whatever is cheaper. (right now Sport Tuned is $14, GT tuned is $28. Edit: this is current Amazon price.) If GT was like $20, and if it was rebuildable, I might spend the extra money. (so I could put bearings in to gain 10% speed.) But it's not rebuildable. And the GT is nearly as expensive as the Super stock ($31). It does have more torque, so you could use one more tooth on the pinion. But is it worth 2 Sport Tuned motors? Everybody makes that decision on their own. For me, I'd rather pay $3 more to get a Super Stock which has the same torque as the GT , but 8000 RPM faster. (Plus you have the option of putting bearings in to get even more torque and speed).

What everyone else said. But you can change to suit your needs. For example, how do you get cream color for your bug, when there is no cream paint? 1) I drew silver first (using Molotow chrome pen). That's the outer most. You couldn't paint it last (unless you masked, but it's too small). I masked everything but the side panels. 2) I painted doors with pearl white (backed it with white). After that, I masked the hood. 3) I painted orange. The white became slightly cream (off-white or beige). Most paint are somewhat translucent. If I paint orange under white, it becomes beige. 4) I backed orange with white. If I painted black interior without a white layer, everything becomes a shade dingy. White makes them pop. 5) finally, I peeled the mask for the hood. I painted black all over. The hood is black, so is the interior. I do not like black interior color anymore. Too stark. I want to try gray. If I didn't want the cream color but simple white? I'd paint black, orange, and back everything (and the door panels) with white. If I wanted interior gray, I'd have painted that last. I painted the bug backward because (a) I wanted beige, and (b) the hood and the interior (which was the very last step) called for black. So it's possible to do light colors first. But you'd definitely need to back the brighter colors with white. White backing is covered up. But that's what makes orange and beige bright. (below also has white) NSU Prinz TT was done the traditional way. Black first. Interior black makes it look like the car is carrying a storm cloud on the inside. I left some white to experiment with acrylic gray (or tan, or beige). Black is good for wheel wells but not great for the cabin. Neutral gray might be dark enough to hide chassis. Yet, not too unnatural, as if somebody took a marker to it. Citroen 2CV was also done the traditional way, sort of. I did not paint black first, though. I painted silver first, because silver likes black backing. I painted orange and then pearl white. This is the only car that I did not back it with additional plain white. 2CV is probably the sunniest car. White backing would be necessary if I was going to paint interior color. But I decided not to do interior color. White backing under pearl white makes it rather opaque. I like it translucent, so this pearl white will stay a single layer like this. Generally dark to light is the way to go. But you can do it the other way around. It depends on what you want to achieve.

I don't know if camber issue was resolved or not. I wanted to expand what @jonboy1 said already. Tamiya says 6mm gap on the upper arms. But I wouldn't trust what Tamiya says on the instruction. 6mm is more like a good suggestion. If wheels have too much negative camber, it should be lengthened. (Camber looks at the top parts of the tires. If the distance between the tops of the tires shrinks, it's "negative.") You can put a ruler or anything square. If the bottom part isn't parallel with the table, upper link should be adjusted. PS. Cassette player belt? That is awesome. Aluminum looks good too. I wouldn't have thought that was made out of wood!

95% of the times, I go with the box art. They hire top designers. I found that it's really hard to beat them. Except for this. I wanted this VW Karmann Ghia body for years. But when they finally released it, they chose the least eye-catching color. I'm calling it the "black eye color." (not the best way to catch an eye.) Maybe Tamiya folks haven't seen it in person? It's supposed to be tiny, light weight, and bubbly. A lemonade, not a steak. I love Tamiya, but I was disappointed. Maybe Kyosho planted a spy to sabotage Tamiya? (I still bought the shell, because any other color would be better). At bare minimum, Konghead blue/white? Anyway, I mostly go with the box art. Unless the box art is terrible (granted, it's rare).