Torhaantje 66 Posted December 28, 2021 Hi all, After a long time of restoring rc cars, I was given a new Tamiya kit: the Bigwig 2017!!! I almost forgot how it felt to look at the box, open it it and stare at all the parts. The blue and yellow ( shocks ) brings me straight back to the 80's. At the time the Bigwig was unobtainable for me, other then looking at the pictures and reading the discription in the Tamiya catalogue..... Looking at the manual, I would like to beefen up the drive train a bit. Are there any known uprades for the centre drive shaft, drive cups and possibe cvd's? Best regards and best wishes for 2022! Rick 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juggular 4964 Posted December 28, 2021 Bigwig came much later that Hotshot, it's actually a good runner without anything. Bigwig's bevel gears are slightly lopsided. It's not a big deal, but you can hear it squeezing and loosening up as you turn the prop shaft. Fortunately, it's easy enough to make it run smoothly. You just need a shim. Kyosho sells 5x8mm shims. (One set includes 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3mm shims.) You should be able to use a steel shaft made for the Hotshot. Personally, I like the fact that there is some give since the front arc should have more rotation when turning. Since there is no center differential, wire shaft can give some slack. Shocks are supple so I felt no need to upgrade. I don't have a great opinion on CVDs. They are not true CVDs. Technically, you'd want to use 2 of them per side. One on the wheel side, the other on the gearbox side. Using it on one side should be fine, if the CVD works just like the dog bone. But I can't tell which side works like the pin side of the dog bone. So I tend to keep it simple; dog bones don't get out of phase. I don't know below CVD has a related phase issue or not. Sometimes more machine parts make more problems. You definitely need brakes, though. (I'm kidding. These won't work on Bigwig's dish wheels. But if you get other wheels, these could be handy.) You can add spark plug wires to the engine block. (V8 makes it run faster, you know.) Bigwig is fun to build, enjoy! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted December 29, 2021 Hi Juggular, Thank you very much for your extensive reply!!!! I guess it will be a shim, a Hotshot driveshaft and propeller joints, and a steel pinion. Best regards and best wishes for 2022! Rick 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 5, 2022 Started the build Still waiting for the shimms to arrive, therefore couldn't start with the gearboxes as per manual. Instead I started with the dampers.......oh what a happy sight to see those yellow fellows again......happy days!!! Back in the 80's all over again. I also made use of the Tamiya e- ring tool for the first time: no more 2 mm e rings flying around or my finger being cought between a pair of pliers! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 5, 2022 The re-re Hot shot driveshaft, propeller joints, and a steel pinion ( 15 T, 08 module) have arrived. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 7, 2022 Just finished the front and rear gearbox; added a 0.3 shim in both as per advise from Juggular. Is it normal that the differential is so tight? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Super ally 412 Posted January 7, 2022 2 hours ago, Torhaantje said: Just finished the front and rear gearbox; added a 0.3 shim in both as per advise from Juggular. Is it normal that the differential is so tight? I am building a bigwig as well and the rear gearbox is very tight compared to the front,this is normal i have been told.When running it will become smoother. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 8, 2022 Ok, good to know. It's tight eventhough I didn't tighten the screws at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Super ally 412 Posted January 8, 2022 Thats like mine as well,tamiya legends on youtube did a build video and he had this problem as well. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 8, 2022 Finished front and rear end; what a fun build! front uprights ( with the ballconnector in the ballplate remind me of the SRB front end The blue uprights take me back to my TA01 build. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 13, 2022 Chassis is done ! Fitted electonics: my old trusty Futaba Megatech 40 mhz. Found out that the Tamiya TBLE-02s' coolrimms were a bit too high to fit under the upperdeck. I wanted to keep the receiver in i'ts position so it didn't interfered withe the propshaft, so I fitted a small Moped V16 R Bravo. Servo is a Futaba S3305 with metal gears. The re re Hotshot propshaft and propellor joints fit perfectly! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 13, 2022 Despite the large spacers I think the shocks need some harder oil than the supplied yellow shock oil ( 400?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snappy1 966 Posted January 13, 2022 My Bigwig 2017 is overdone with Hop ups, but drives fantastic, the hop ups cost more than the kit did. Front and rear ball diffs. Top Force Uni's front and rear The VQS high cap shock set. DF 03 2.2 " rims with Schumacher mini spike tyres Hotshot driveshaft and cups, as you have done Nice job so far 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Super ally 412 Posted January 14, 2022 I have finished my chassis as well and agree with you about the shocks,they seem a bit soft even with large spacers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 14, 2022 @ Snappy: do the Top Force CVD's fit without any modification? Are they a big improvement over the the stock dogbones? @ Super Ally: I am a big fan of the yellow shocks, so I would like to keep them. I will try some medium ( green) Tamiya oil I have lying around. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snappy1 966 Posted January 14, 2022 Yes they just fit, no issues and the genuine Tamiya Top force CVD's are very smooth, my Bigwig with ball diffs and CVD's is really nice to drive 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 14, 2022 Good to hear about the Top Force universals! I only saw that they are hard to find (EU).About the ball diff: is that the MIP one where you have to drill out the gear casings or are there alternatives? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Super ally 412 Posted January 14, 2022 Yes i like the yellow shocks as well on the bigwig.I have just cut out the body and it was tricky so be careful with it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 14, 2022 Did you use scissors or the knive-scorche method? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torhaantje 66 Posted January 14, 2022 @Snappy1: do you have any photo's of your bigwig? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Super ally 412 Posted January 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Torhaantje said: Did you use siccors or the knive-scorche method? I used scissors and a knife on the tight parts of the body. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snappy1 966 Posted January 15, 2022 10 hours ago, Torhaantje said: Good to hear about the Top Force universals! I only saw that they are hard to find (EU).About the ball diff: is that the MIP one where you have to drill out the gear casings or are there alternatives? Yes, they are the MIP ball diffs, there was other options back in the day but they are made of unobtainium I'll have to take more pics, I have this one from during the build process, it is all blacked out, red shell, vintage front arm stabilizer fitted also, it runs a Tamiya 10.5 sensored brushless with the kit speedo 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites