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wtcc5

wtcc5's TB-03 addiction

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As announced on the "Christmas projects" thread, I will document the build of a TB-03 here in the coming days.

I call my threads "addiction" often, as in the process I get the appetite to build another one or to go crazy with Hop-Up parts. This time it is very similar, just with the exception that I maybe gave myself the "golden shot" with the first TB-03 build already:

 

6884a5e4-17de-44d5-a67k30.jpeg

 

Indeed, I got every nearly every Hop-Up I know of. The aluminum steering is still missing and up to now I couldn't find one... On the picture you can see one for the TA-05 which I thought could maybe work.

 

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The 03 is a nice sturdy chassis enjoy building.

Keep an eye out for the aluminium lower gearcases and if lucky the IFS brace

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@svenb: I will! Unfortunately, I couldn't find the IFS brace. The aluminium lower cases... mmh, I have an internal fight over them, because I find them not period correct, but still attractive...

 

Lets start in a classic way, with the tires:

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Next step was the rear differential. I couldn't get the aluminium diff-halves, but switched the plastic for the steel ones:

ef88c7a7-c0d4-4508-89vjv8.jpeg

efd25b3a-bdc1-4e4f-961jvv.jpeg

 

For the spurgear-unit I used parts from the TBevo V. The aluminium spur gear mount was laying around for more than a year now. In hindsight, buying it was a lucky move then, as it is not easy to get nowadays:

1e21c5b2-831b-4ce2-bgektl.jpeg

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Building the rear gearbox included a lot of Hop-Up parts:

9d626c18-c5ea-469f-9e1kf7.jpeg

5f5e03f5-2e41-4fc1-a6ujdb.jpeg

d2e7ca84-f41b-4b47-86nky8.jpeg

:wub:

 

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[pulls up a chair] 

Beautiful. I love my TB03R. I have a load of Eagle Racing hop ups on mine. Looking forward to seeing yours. 

For the front IFS brace I design a 3d printed one which doubled as a ball bearing anti roll bar mount. It is in no way period correct, but I felt it finished off the IFS nicely. 

TB03R

Let me know of you want the stl file. 

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@ThunderDragonCy: Thanks for the offer :) As of now I have no intention to race it competitively, so the goal is to build it with Tamiya parts only.

 

I continued with the center drive shaft and front gearbox build:

1d3b567f-ac95-4021-8f4jbq.jpeg

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Powertrain:

c3273153-4672-4fef-blsjqw.jpeg

The motor mount has a very complex geometry:

779a2a85-d265-41a6-9vwjhk.jpeg

 

Time to bring the chassis into game:

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And now the sad part... hiding the beautiful motor mount under plastic covers :unsure::

6f045575-9a9b-4ce6-9isjl7.jpeg

214b0017-50e3-4bb4-bxrkm4.jpeg

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Awesome, TB03 has special place in my hearth, as it was my first proper Tamiya kit. But I never got budget to hop it up like that. :D

 

22 hours ago, wtcc5 said:

Next step was the rear differential. I couldn't get the aluminium diff-halves, but switched the plastic for the steel ones:

I nearly forgot that TB03 originally came with that 2mm screw and tiny lock nut. Terrible design, it never held settings for me. 2,5mm works much better. I also switched to TRF502 gears with 12 balls, it made the differential a bit smoother even with plastic outdrives.

I noticed that you didn't use aluminium rear shaft (54053), is it not available anymore?

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 Very nice indeed. In my opinion also one of the most underrated shells, as regarding the shape this is the absolute meanest and lowest incarnation of all GTRs, far more dynamic than r34 and also than the other (higher) current r35 versions that came after it in super gt. That's why I've got one on my ta03f DJ. By the way, if going box art, mind the ps48 chrome for the rear window and/ or roof, it's tricky to get right. I didn't but I know what to do now.. Not too thick of a layer and then back with black. On mine the ps48 layer was too thick and it turned out like ps16 silver unfortunately... IMG_20210922_165052.jpg

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@Honza: I simply forgot that one :lol: (54053). I looked in my stuff, as I thought TBevo5 parts could fit, but only the aluminum outdrive did. I will look for it in my next order. Thanks for the hint ;)

@GermanTA03Guy: Oof! Your Calsonic R35 looks sharp! Love it!

Regarding the color: Oh no... my experience with PS48 is somehow different... I used it for the AMG GT for the Tamiya Euro Cup race and it was a eyecatcher there. That is how it came out:

85c4eaf0-a0b7-4282-bs8jo9.jpeg

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I put on five (normal) layers of PS-48 (mostly without backing). Where I backed it with black it became darker as the color mostly stays semi-transparent. As long as the light comes from the outside of the body it looks mirror-ish. In the end, I nearly used the whole content of the can.

 

Back to the TB-03 build... The next steps happened at the front, starting with the steering assembly and FR suspension mount:

43120abb-3e41-4c5d-8gpj17.jpeg

As I didn't get the original aluminum steering, I tried the TA-05 Hop-Up together with the TB-03 carbon steering link:

f420d58f-8613-4ecc-b4wkir.jpeg

The result was, that I would have had to remove material from the chassis to make it work. Nothing wild like "hacking", but with my hope still there, that maybe one time the original steering arms Hop-Up will cross my path, I refrained from the modification. Another reason is, that in the end, the steering arms will be covered from the front damper stay anyways...

770c5e3e-fb61-47e0-bcgkjh.jpeg

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5f2348f5-5c83-4bfd-a5ejrk.jpeg

 

The progress so far:

824ef128-061e-4382-a05jlo.jpeg

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For the suspension, I went for the harder carbon fiber induced parts. I already had the arms and just ordered the hubs. All the outdrives and bones were replaced by constant velocity shafts (front) and proper universals.

eee61611-fbf1-4c97-b23j1f.jpeg

 

Rear arms:

549afb9d-6465-4830-aozk6c.jpeg

5246d610-6095-4275-abjkos.jpeg

 

Rear universals with aluminium shafts:

734d01e9-fae8-40dc-baoj40.jpeg

 

Rear suspension attached to the car:

fbeeeab8-956c-4ed0-bdaj5s.jpeg

 

Front suspension:

66101548-66d3-4b9f-az5kzg.jpeg

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e73a97a7-01c1-4a70-az7km4.jpeg

 

The actual progress:

826ee2d9-d3e9-441c-a5xjdb.jpeg

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6 hours ago, wtcc5 said:

Rear arms:

549afb9d-6465-4830-aozk6c.jpeg

These look like the longer variant of reversible arms, are 44mm swing shafts long enough with these?

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15 hours ago, Honza said:

These look like the longer variant of reversible arms, are 44mm swing shafts long enough with these?

They should be, although you can always tweak the fit with narrower suspension blocks. My TB03R came with 46mm shafts, but they only worked with the really deep plunge offered by the kit ball diffs. Even running quite wide blocks and TRF419 arms I had to go down to 44mm to work with the TB04 gear diff I installed using a TB EVO 5 spool crown gear.

@wtcc5 Looks lovely with that universal prop shaft. That's the only hop up mine doesn't have. I liked the look of the silver kit shaft and it matched the silver TRF Flourine coated shocks. I got some silver Eagle Racing lightweight prop joints instead to keep the theme. Really enjoying your take on the ultimate TB03R. 

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@Honza: Good observation! The 44mm fit, but a 45mm (not available from Tamiya) shaft would better. Like it is right now, it is close, but works fine.

@ThunderDragonCy: Sounds good. Please show more pictures of your TB03, please.

 

The next step on my build was the damper bridge with the rocker arms:

a351096b-6411-4010-bgnkdi.jpeg

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... with the dampers next:

27504533-cb3d-44a0-bpkje6.jpeg

 

It is still impressing how much parts make up one damper:

769c6e2e-4949-4fc0-9xckh8.jpeg

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Servo- stays, -saver and -link:

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dd9ee07b-7f49-4f5d-890k24.jpeg

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@ThunderDragonCy: Oh! I have seen this thread before B)

 

This chassis build nears its completion. Just some small tasks left.

For example, hexes and nuts:

be39c2f7-c898-4c28-bf0jp7.jpeg

To enjoy the blue hexes a little longer, I didn't attach the tires for now:

dc6b2f9d-b2cc-422a-9jfk4u.jpeg

6463eb9a-77df-4058-bpyj66.jpeg

 

Bumper and body posts:

beb30eeb-3f01-4a34-9mjjzp.jpeg

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This bumper design is really beautiful and outstanding.

c52e539d-da5e-47b1-88djx6.jpeg

 

The battery brace should be carbon too, but this Hop-Up part is nowhere to get unfortunately. I am thinking of producing a lot of 1:1 copies to fill that gap :rolleyes:

At least I got the blue battery posts.

e55d2b98-0b97-48d8-9wdkts.jpeg

fa312f28-589b-4ffd-beijje.jpeg

 

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The stabilizer set was next:

6c3bac5a-e261-44a8-bx3k9x.jpeg

c5d3f024-2714-4987-apvjvl.jpeg

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I used 10mm turnbuckles to adjust the length.

 

... and that is it for the chassis build:

b0c51350-73ea-4d44-8n1jsm.jpeg

 

Together with my TBevo5:

66342ba9-c949-422f-aa3k7e.jpeg

 

Coming up next is the body build. Until then I wish you a happy new year! May it be full with rare Hop-Ups and nice Tamiya cars!

And because it is a new years tradition in Germany, enjoy this little play:

 

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9f39c8e2-0e22-48d5-atjki6.jpeg

 

The final chapter has started: Making the body. Today I prepared, cutted, sanded and painted all parts. After making so many bodies, I feel like it is the "work" part of every build. Especially if after the painting a HKS, JACCS or Eneos-Sustina decals set is waiting :rolleyes: With this build, I am lucky, because the Calsonic livery consists of relative small decals. So right now, I have finished the "hardest" part ^_^

 

Body and additional body parts cutted:

e1babb02-6585-4638-a93jv2.jpeg 

 

Applied the masking sheets. These were pre-cutted...very nice ^_^:

16b1da7b-ab4f-4634-afjkap.jpeg

 

After painting:

43fc67ba-9c2a-452b-b42k4c.jpeg

 

Test fit with body parts:

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If you take a look at the rear body posts, you see, that with the Hop-Up rear damper stay, the body posts are not only located more rearwards, but are also much wider, which lead to this a bit awkward holes in the body.

3ac9d72f-7227-4a08-bfljpj.jpeg

 

You get an impression already what kind of cool racecar this will become. Aggressive and low :wub:

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One of the greatest moments... pulling the protective layer off the painted body:

7d23e02f-77db-42e4-8o8jsh.jpeg

 

The stickers are all precut. A thing that is both a blessing and a curse - a blessing, because it saves so much time; a curse because many decals are cut with a plus area of transparent vinyl, that you don't want... I worked sometimes with the original cut form, sometimes I cut off the excessive vinyl... Overall it wasn't very difficult, just a lot. For the reflector housings of the lights, I used Molotov Liquid Chrome pens to have realistic look. All body parts done with stickers:

 c5319f83-fa6f-4a8f-b9qjgo.jpeg

 

Time to attach the side panels and light buckets:

32d199fa-4a39-4123-8ahkjz.jpeg

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The finished body:

f54de731-a176-455e-b4fjnc.jpeg

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This is a different animal, maybe one of the most realistic looking bodies Tamiya made for R/C cars. The light buckets make a visible difference. Also the realistic sleek and low proportions set itself apart from non-IFS-chassis and bodies. I tried to catch the effect in the pictures:

2fcb4bf0-cd5f-45a7-9r0jv7.jpeg

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As I had the TT-01 M3 E30 upstairs, I took it for reference to prove my point/argument:

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Conclusion scene:

d547a428-8e4f-40ce-9vvjyg.jpeg

 

This definitely was not only one of my best builds (regarding quality, parts and patience), but also also one of my favorite ^_^

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I couldn't resist to get another TB-03 body set:

42ecfc0b-4a4f-46a5-8dfjlf.jpeg

This time the body came already finished. Unfortunately without the lexan body parts and light buckets. So I had to buy these plus the whole sticker set -_-

 

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On 12/31/2021 at 12:16 AM, wtcc5 said:

@ThunderDragonCy: Oh! I have seen this thread before B)

 

This chassis build nears its completion. Just some small tasks left.

For example, hexes and nuts:

be39c2f7-c898-4c28-bf0jp7.jpeg

To enjoy the blue hexes a little longer, I didn't attach the tires for now:

dc6b2f9d-b2cc-422a-9jfk4u.jpeg

6463eb9a-77df-4058-bpyj66.jpeg

 

Bumper and body posts:

beb30eeb-3f01-4a34-9mjjzp.jpeg

ba2e213e-a54e-4c4b-8brj4r.jpeg

This bumper design is really beautiful and outstanding.

c52e539d-da5e-47b1-88djx6.jpeg

 

The battery brace should be carbon too, but this Hop-Up part is nowhere to get unfortunately. I am thinking of producing a lot of 1:1 copies to fill that gap :rolleyes:

At least I got the blue battery posts.

e55d2b98-0b97-48d8-9wdkts.jpeg

fa312f28-589b-4ffd-beijje.jpeg

 

Beautiful build as usual Kevin! :)

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There will be another one! This time a runner:

3c79153a-deec-4494-buijxy.jpeg
 

Also the first day of my holidays :)

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Looking forward to more awesomeness. I really like that you built the other ones (and this one too?) with brushed motors. That's very Japanese :)

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