Christmas Holiday mystery Box build (Now a NSU)

[alvinlwh 5895]

This is the build diary of my Christmas holidays build. It will be different from my usual diary as I had already completed it but will not reveal the chassis until the end (although some will be able to guess it).

First off, the shell is a 210mm WB Toyota bB. The bB stands for black Box, so I am calling this the mystery Box.

[alvinlwh 5895]

I am starting off with Step 3 as I accidently wrapped some Green Slime I needed for Step 1 into my Christmas "present".

Step 3 - Front and Rear Suspension Arm Assembly

The kit is split into bag/steps.

Beautiful FRP chassis.

All plastic parts are very hard, even harder than Tamiya's reinforced parts I had worked with. The manufacturer calls them "high carbon" plastic.

No screw pins here and all screws are hex machine screws (which proves to be painful for me later on).

Front and rear lower suspension arms.

Suspension holders mounted on main chassis. Main chassis is very stiff even though it is "just" a flat 2.5mm thick plate.

Lower suspension arms mounted. Angle can be adjusted by changing the supporting arm (optional parts) that secure them to the chassis. Also available in metal versions.

Also ride height/droop (not sure which, I am still a beginner at this) can be adjusted with a set screw that limits travel.

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 1 - Gear Differential Assembly

Green slim had arrived! So I can proceed with the build. Like many Tamiyas, step 1 is building the diff.

All the parts for the diff. While similar in construction to a Tamiya gear diff, this is an oil filled one, therefore the need for Green Slime.

The drive cap connects directly into the diff, so they are not easily lost in a crash.

Main diff "cup" half filled with 500k oil/grease/gel, my first time working with an oil diff.

Diff "cap" with gasket fitted. My gasket fits perfect although some earlier report said that it is too big and need trimming.

Planetary gears fitted and filled with oil.

And that is the diff done with the instructions.

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 6 - Oil Damper Assembly

I am doing all the steps requiring Green Slime at once, including building a set of shocks for my Christmas M-06.

Shocks are all the same hard plastic supplied with #350 oil.

There are option of 2 or 3 holes piston.

And shocks done.

I have to say, screwing the rods into the hard plastic is hard work!

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 2 - Bulkhead Assembly

Not sure why they call this step bulkhead as it is clearly the gearbox assembly. Bearings comes as standard OOB, no bushing to be seen anywhere in the kit.

Counter/idler gears are the same hard plastic. Alum versions available as an option.

Gearbox halves ready for the gears to go in.

Gears in and greased up with the supplied grease.

Halves sealed and ready for diff to be dropped in.

Diff in "drain pan" and bearings on.

Gearbox built.

Next is building the motor and fan mount.

One half of the mount is fitted to the gearbox.

The other half.

Adjustable metal motor mount plate, nice! Also available, alum heatsink style as an option but not sure why will it be needed other than looking cooler than just plain black.

Motor mount plate on, I think I gave away the chassis now.

Spur gear next.

Spur gear mounted.

And that is step 2 done.

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 4 - Front and Rear Bulkhead Installation

This step involve fitting the gearbox and rear structural members to the chassis.

Mounted.

Building stabilizers.

Front first.

And strangely, that is step 4 done.

 

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 5 - Front and Rear Stabilizer Assembly

Since the front was one up previously, straight on to install it on the chassis.

Installed.

Now on to the rear.

Rear stabilizer done.

The piece holding down the rear stabilizer also holds the upper deck.

Rear stabilizer inserted, there are 2 positions that it can be installed, and I will need to move it after completion due to it hitting the suspension because of my short wheelbase.

Upper deck and rear section completed.

 

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 6 - Front and Rear Shock Tower Assembly

Front first.

Installed. There are 3 positions for fitting the upper shocks and 3 positions for fitting the upper suspension tierod.

And the rear, there is actually a second piece of this that is slightly different, although I am not sure what for.

And fitted.

The alternative piece for the rear does not have the fitting eyes for the body mount (will be discussed later) but have a different screw position to the piece used here.

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 7 - Front and Rear Knuckle Assembly

Comes with universals and bearings as standard.

Front hubs done.

And front upper arms tierods.

One side fitted.

Both sides done.

Rear hubs.

Rear hubs assembled.

Rear upper suspension arms tierods.

Rear hubs installed.

 

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 8 - Steering System Assembly

While the parts are plastic, they are the very hard plastic like the rest of the kit.

While similar to the M-05/6, the steering is more "firm".

Steering system installed.

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 9 - Servo Installation

Step 10 - RC Unit Installation

This is where the construction became a little difficult as there are some reverse/"under" screws to be done. The sharp edges of the FRP decks are not hands friendly.

First the battery cage. This will get removed multiple times as I try to reach under the top deck but I have no fear of stripping the holes (unlike Tamiya where I prefer to build once and be done) as the plastic and screws used in this kit will come to a hard stop to let me know when it is tight enough.

Cage assembled.

Cage installed. There are 2 positions, normal and shorty. I have it in shorty position here.

Motor installed, note no pinion as I am waiting for some 48P pinions to arrive. Currently using a silver can as a placeholder. Since this is a new chassis to me, I do not want to fit an overpowered motor to it and I find that the 17.5t BL is a joke.

I cannot believe that there is actually not enough space to install the ESC and RX. I have to fit the RX to the battery cage, which is not ideal as it is not a flat or large enough surface. Alsom trying to undo the ariel holder from under the upper deck is a real pain.

Servo next. Again, some el-cheap-o servo as a placeholder as I feel that this chassis deserved something better than my usual 4 for £20 specials.

Servo fitted, which is painful, literitaly due to working in the narrow space between the decks with very hard to screw plastics, even when pre-treaded.

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 12 - Oil Damper Installation

Front snap on without much of a fuss but plenty of pain due to the hard plastic.

The rear went on with a strange angle.

It just don't feel right to me so I swapped the ball screw to the other side of the suspension arm. L - Swapped R - Original instructions

Near - Swapped, Far - Original

Finished view.

Did I do the right thing? Leave a comment on what you think.

 

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 13 - Front Bumper & Body Post Assembly

A little front bumper to at least give some protection.

Bumper built up, feels really tiny compared to my TT-01 one. Better than no bumper on my M-05.

Bumper installed.

Body posts, again of the hard plastic, which in this case could be a bad thing as they may break instead of bend in a roll over.

Front body posts installed. But they will be moved to the behind position later (will be explained later).

There are in fact 3 possible rear body posts positions, which was not explained in the instructions. In fact, the left post position is fitted directly to the chassis (which could be why there are 2 rear suspension mount pieces supplied, one without body posts holes), which was supplied but not explained in the instructions. This position is what I gone for as the bB is a very short body and I do not want the posts to be "right on the edge". The same reason I swapped the front posts as I do not want posts right at the front of the hood.

Rear posts fitted, front still not swapped yet.

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 14 - Tire Set Assembly

Wheels and tyres came pre glued even though instructions called for gluing. The hex are the same hard plastic so I do not feel a need to replace with metal hex. Also the serrated nuts give me a bit more of a peace of mind that the wheels are less likely to fly off (as they usually do for me).

Wheels installed.

[alvinlwh 5895]

Step 15 -  Body Assembly

This chassis can come in a kit with a Civic body, which is not what I got. I got a bB body separately as I wanted a 210mm car, and I like the bB is the ugliest in that WB, and it is cheap.

Anyway, I made the mistake of fully painting the body before making body holes. Beginner's mistake!

[alvinlwh 5895]

So that's it, my Christmas Holidays mystery Box is mostly done, just need to wait for the pinions to arrive before it can run.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, it is a 3Racing Sakura MG Evo.

Bought directly from 3Racing HK for £55 (now £54, £ had gone up again) plus £15 delivered. Seems like I did not get taxed for it, although I am watching the mail for a letter from Fedex demanding tax for the next 2 weeks.

Like the M chassis, it can be built into 210/225/239mm WB, but unlike the M chassis kits, it comes with things like FRP chassis, CVA, universals, roll bars and bearings OOB.

That is the build diary for now, I will post my thoughts and feelings about this kit when I catch my breath.

 

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Did a little minor work on the bB today, drilled a hole for the tip of the aerial to pass through. 

Also, as I said earlier, the rear stabiliser is in contact with the forward body post position. 

There is the option of moving the axis of the bar back 5mm and I will do that. 

While the 210mm WB of the shell works with the chassis at that setting, the shell is really short, forcing me to mount it at a higher position as it will not clear the front bumper. 

While it is possible to drop it 2 holes to have the bumper behind the shell bumper, the chassis bumper will press against it and the wheel will rub the wheel arches. 

Also, the rear chassis is slightly beyond the shell. 

These, TBH, are not really the fault of the chassis but the shell, I just went for a really short shell and this is the price to pay. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

So my thoughts about this chassis vs my M-05Ra. 

Really cheap (£55 + £15) with loads of what will be extra costs hop ups for the M-05. Oil diff, CVA, universals, metal motor mount, stabilisers, suspension pins and bearings. All extra cost items for the M-05. There are a small number of hop ups available, but at this moment, I do not feel the need. 

Really hard plastic all round. 

Machine hex head screws. Using an Allen key, while painful, ensures zero risk of stripping. Turn until it stops and that's it. I used Allen keys for the entire build and stripped my fingerprints instead of screw holes. 

Tons of adjustments including flexible motor fitting for pinion mashing. Also has a built in fan mount above the motor. 

Speaking of the motor, this has the pinion and spur gear exposed, which can be both a good or bad thing. It is good as it allows for quick pinion change and adjustment but bad as dirt will destroy the pinions in no time at all. 

Very stiff chassis. 

Extremely low ground clearance. The FRP chassis bottom will get scratches in no time at all. 

ZERO spare screws, while this is a useful reminder if I missed a screw, I also have to be sure not to loose any. 

Not as well laid out for electrics as the M-05. There is not even enough room to fit both an ESC and RX in on the upper deck. 

Instructions is not as good as Tamiya, just A4 print out secured with a binder. Some of the steps are not as well though out as Tamiya, requiring very difficult fittings in the space between decks. Will not recommend for a complete newbie with zero experience in model making or plans reading. 

Pinion not included! This is clearly not a beginner build as no motor or ESC is included, but as I do not have 48P pinions, I cannot run it until some arrives. 

Getting parts, while not impossible, will be more difficult than Tamiya. 3Racing themselves will be the best place to order but with the cost of postage and time. 

Will I buy one again? Yes, but not this one. I am considering a M4 (4WD) if I am to get another M chassis, but am also looking into MST kits. Also considering one of their touring/drift chassis as well. 

[M 800STD 586]

Run it without foam bumper, just the lower plate, or cut the foam back.

Shave the rear of chassis to fit within body.

Your pinion and spur gear will be fine, unless you are running in a filthy environment.

Get a chassis skin/protector if you are that worried.

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

7 hours ago, M 800STD said:

Run it without foam bumper, just the lower plate, or cut the foam back.

Shave the rear of chassis to fit within body.

Your pinion and spur gear will be fine, unless you are running in a filthy environment.

Get a chassis skin/protector if you are that worried.

 

Thanks for your suggestions. I will avoid any modification to the chassis at the moment  until I got a chance to test drive it. It is unknown how much protection is "needed" for this chassis. Also, have not decided on the final motor yet and that will be a factor too. One thing about shaving, there is not much room at the back from the end to the last screw holes, will shaving cause a problem? It will be OK if I am to keep this at 210/225mm forever and can probably chop the end off, but those holes are needed for 239mm setting.

I will be running it on tarmac footpaths and multicourt, not perfectly clean, but not dirt. This will not do any kind of off-road with its very low ground clearance. It will probably get caught up with manhole covers. 

I am not worried about scratches, just pointing it out for people who might be. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Took the Allen keys out and shifted the roll bars back to the rear position. Now they no longer hit the body posts. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Replaced the wheel hexes with some alum ones from Amazon. 

And mystery BOX. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Two items that are required for completing the build arrived today. 

Starting off, the 48p pinions. I ordered 24t, 26t and 28t. Since I have no experience with this chassis, and I am just using a silver can I decided to start off easy with the 24t. 

The mount allows for flexible pinion size as it has 2 slotted motor mounts instead of fixed position holes. I find that the best way is to set the mesh by securing the bottom screw first then the top as securing the top screw will have a torque movement that cause the mesh to be too tight. I checked that the mesh is correct by turning one of the front wheel, and of it turns the opposite wheel (diff action), it is too tight. But if it turns the motor instead, it is correct. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Next up, a low profile servo. First removal of the e-cheap-o servo (and that's going into the M-06 build) and in with the low profile one.

Again, another round of painful Allen key action, but it was quicker this round as the screw holes are now treaded. 

I used the rubber bits for the fitting brackets as I thought it will give the servo some protection as it is a direct drive servo with no saver action at all. I am not sure if the horn is supposed to sit at this angle but I just fit it with the front wheels as straight as possible. I will adjust if it proves to be a problem. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

Time to tidy up the electronics. 

It is quite unbelievable that there is actually no place to mount the switch. Perhaps I had gotten too used to having a switch position on any Tamiya. This is the best position I can find that is flat and big enough for the large Tamiya sized switch. 

The rest of cables cable tied in. Cable management is surprisingly difficult with this chassis. 

The chassis against the body really shows how narrow it is.