TL-01 Calsonic Nissan Skyline (R33)

[GTJames 45]

Hi all, had some really great advice in the thread about my 911 GT1 shelf queen so wanted to start one on this too. Was impossible to find one of these over here so this one came from Japan (guessing this one was more popular over there), lightly used but not perfect so it’s always going to be a bit of a runner. Seems difficult to even find pictures online of the 1/10 Calsonic R33… shame as it’s a nice looking thing.

I’d like to add camber to the wheels to all 4 corners. Can anyone suggest what parts I might need to fit? 

Less bothered about OG Tamiya parts on this one, can anyone suggest some other good hop ups for a TL-01?

The ESC / receiver seems to have a bit of a mind of its own sometimes but I suppose it’s just because it’s 20+ years old. Would rather not replace.

 

 

[GTJames 45]

[Superluminal 3020]

Nice!!!!!

[svenb 3164]

Yes very nice

Regarding hop ups.... Loads, loads and loads

Many difficult to find and pricey but nice dampers,plenty of blue bling and it'll scrub up a treat 👍

I've a TL01 and it's probably my favourite of all my chassis's. Check out mine in my showroom 😉

[Superluminal 3020]

53303 is the adjustable upper arm set but it just consists of the ball ends, ball studs and threaded rods to replace the fixed length plastic upper links for camber adjustment

[Scottrc 190]

That’s really nice! My father in laws got one that’s been in his loft for years didn’t realise they were that rare. He was even thinking of racing it at our local club! Will talk him out if it now 😂

[ThunderDragonCy 6388]

@GTJames That is LOVELY! For adjustable camber links, get a set of 54868 medium adjusters, two sets of 54247 3x18 turnbuckles, 50579 step screws for the shock tower ends, 9808012 ball nuts to attach to the stepscrews, and finally 9804205 5mm ball screws for the uprights. 

[GermanTA03Guy 754]

Hi, had one bitd with the Peugeot 406 shell. Didn't find it amazing. So what's the fuzz about? Really just wanting to understand...I mean I do like the looks of a hopped up one, but it's a bit toyish in a way, isn't it?.... How does it drive? I remember in the tamiya euro cup top class 4wd Gt you could drive one but no one did, right? The shell and wheels are gorgeous though, congrats... 

[TurnipJF 7685]

A TL-01 in stock form can be a bit dull and toy-like, however it really comes into its own once you hop it up a bit. For me the ultimate hop up is the LA suspension set, which totally transforms the handling and allows it to compete with with newer cars from the TA and TB families on a more or less equal footing.

The original Tamiya parts are very difficult to find nowadays, however you can recreate the LA suspension set using alloy parts from Yeah Racing. They are not as resilient as the fibre reinforced plastic ones from Tamiya, but they are cheaper, more easily available, and add blue bling which as everybody knows makes the car go faster. 😁

[GTJames 45]

21 hours ago, svenb said:

Yes very nice

Regarding hop ups.... Loads, loads and loads

Many difficult to find and pricey but nice dampers,plenty of blue bling and it'll scrub up a treat 👍

I've a TL01 and it's probably my favourite of all my chassis's. Check out mine in my showroom 😉

Wow, your cars look absolutely amazing! The TL-01 looks super tidy - will definitely reroute my wiring! Haha

What are those wheels on the Sierra? They look fantastic!

 

11 hours ago, GermanTA03Guy said:

Hi, had one bitd with the Peugeot 406 shell. Didn't find it amazing. So what's the fuzz about? Really just wanting to understand...I mean I do like the looks of a hopped up one, but it's a bit toyish in a way, isn't it?.... How does it drive? I remember in the tamiya euro cup top class 4wd Gt you could drive one but no one did, right? The shell and wheels are gorgeous though, congrats... 

To me it feels solid but quite brittle and plasticky. Doesn’t help matters that some of the plastics seem to be disintegrating! Less slop in the suspension than my TA03 though. TA03 feels more refined though. After seeing Svenb’s it seems to offer some neat cable routing solutions so there are some benefits to the design. It feels ok to drive, perhaps not massively nimble. My only other RCs are shelf queens so nothing to compare it to!

[GTJames 45]

1 hour ago, TurnipJF said:

A TL-01 in stock form can be a bit dull and toy-like, however it really comes into its own once you hop it up a bit. For me the ultimate hop up is the LA suspension set, which totally transforms the handling and allows it to compete with with newer cars from the TA and TB families on a more or less equal footing.

The original Tamiya parts are very difficult to find nowadays, however you can recreate the LA suspension set using alloy parts from Yeah Racing. They are not as resilient as the fibre reinforced plastic ones from Tamiya, but they are cheaper, more easily available, and add blue bling which as everybody knows makes the car go faster. 😁

Uh oh, I can feel some more anodised parts coming my way! Can you suggest any part numbers / where I can find which parts would fit?

[GTJames 45]

21 hours ago, Scottrc said:

That’s really nice! My father in laws got one that’s been in his loft for years didn’t realise they were that rare. He was even thinking of racing it at our local club! Will talk him out if it now 😂

I’m not sure it is that rare, but you certainly don’t seem them much!

Can anyone suggest any good ways to remove scratches without damaging decals? The shell is ok but a little scratched around the front. No cracks thankfully though 

[svenb 3164]

20 minutes ago, GTJames said:

Wow, your cars look absolutely amazing! The TL-01 looks super tidy - will definitely reroute my wiring! Haha

What are those wheels on the Sierra? They look fantastic

Thanks mate

Wheels on the Sierra are from L&L models.

 

[svenb 3164]

@GermanTA03Guy your right it's not an outstanding chassis but it's way more capable than a lot of other more expensive offerings.

There are a few weaknesses on it namely the damper mounts moulded on to the chassis self direct is certainly a bad design and the lower suspension points are easily damaged.

I raced one years ago when I got back into RC, I wasn't very good and started in the novice class, a more talented mate used it in the pro class against a couple of trf415's and Schumacher's, put a few to shame😄 but he was the best there 👍

So I rate the TL01 not only with the simplicity of it but also some nostalgia, and! It looks mint with the lightweight chassis and long arm suspension set up😉

[TurnipJF 7685]

51 minutes ago, GTJames said:

Uh oh, I can feel some more anodised parts coming my way! Can you suggest any part numbers / where I can find which parts would fit?

This is the Yeah Racing long arm suspension kit that that you could use on the TL-01:

https://www.yeahracing.com/tamiya-wr02-gf01-upgrade-hopup-parts

It is sold as fitting the WR-02 and GF-01, which it does, because they use TL-01 suspension. The shock towers that come with the kit are not much use unless you are turning your car into a rally machine or off-road truck, but it is cheaper to get the kit with them included and give them away than it is to buy the individual suspension parts on their own.

Another upgrade you may consider is the Tamiya quick-release battery holder, part number 53346:

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/tamiya-tl01-m03-quick-release-battery-holder-2110

This makes getting the battery in and out quicker and easier, and also pushes the battery off to one side slightly in order to offset the the weight of the motor. If you want to get really fancy, you can replace the stock fibreglass pieces with carbon fibre ones from Fibre-lyte here:

https://www.fibre-lyte.co.uk/fl/cars/tamiya/tl01.html

The wider kickup front bumper as supplied with the TL-01B is also a worthwhile addition, as it protects the lower front suspension arm mounts, which are otherwise a weak point on the chassis. This also allows you to attach the lower front arms using a one-piece u-shaped hinge pin instead of two individual pins, which also helps tie the front end together. Part numbers are 0005688 for the sprue containing the bumper parts, and 3485068 for the one-piece hinge pin. 

The speed tuned gear set part number 53342 is also worth considering, as the stock gearing is very conservative. Here is a link:

https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/tamiya-tl01-speed-tuned-gear-set/?exchange_rate=1

You can also get a lightweight carbon or aluminium prop shaft for it, but I can't seem to find one for sale at the moment. Making one is always option, as it is simply a rod with two holes drilled in it.

[ThunderDragonCy 6388]

1 hour ago, GTJames said:

Uh oh, I can feel some more anodised parts coming my way! Can you suggest any part numbers / where I can find which parts would fit?

"Yeah Racing Aluminum Long-Span Suspension Arms and Knuckles Performance Upgrade Kit For Tamiya WR02/WR02G/GF01" https://www.yeahracing.com/aluminum-long-span-suspension-arms-and-knuckles-performance-upgrade-kit-for-tamiya-wr02-wr02g-gf01-tawr-s01bu-00062088?search=Long span&description=true

[GTJames 45]

Right so as is usually the way I’ve spent a bit on this thing. 

New chassis (original was literally crumbling away), new suspension (thanks for the suggestions in this thread), new motor, ball raced and a whole load of little things. Transformed!

Thanks @svenb for the cable tidying ideas. Very useful chassis for hiding things away!

Pretty rapid and handles well

 

[svenb 3164]

On 8/4/2022 at 1:48 PM, GTJames said:

Right so as is usually the way I’ve spent a bit on this thing. 

New chassis (original was literally crumbling away), new suspension (thanks for the suggestions in this thread), new motor, ball raced and a whole load of little things. Transformed!

Thanks @svenb for the cable tidying ideas. Very useful chassis for hiding things away!

Pretty rapid and handles well

 

Very smart looking 👍

The TL01 is quite easy to keep the wiring neat with the hollow frame so no need to thank me!

I will take it though 😜👍

[GTJames 45]

Added a big GPM foam bumper to stop myself destroying the body. All done now methinks.

significant improvement all round!

[GTJames 45]

On 8/6/2022 at 12:26 AM, svenb said:

Very smart looking 👍

The TL01 is quite easy to keep the wiring neat with the hollow frame so no need to thank me!

I will take it though 😜👍

The original builder didn’t seem to notice, wiring was awful!

Plus the box art shows the wires all over the place rather than neatly routed inside. 

[svenb 3164]

Looks good with bumper ,pity it was never a Tamiya hop up.

[Juhunio 5788]

On 8/12/2022 at 8:10 PM, GTJames said:

Added a big GPM foam bumper to stop myself destroying the body. All done now methinks.

significant improvement all round!

That looks amazing, great job! The 5-spoke wheels work really well with the body, I’ve got the Skyline mesh wheels to go with mine but I do like the looks of yours. Hmmmm 🤔

[rich_f 178]

14 hours ago, Juhunio said:

That looks amazing, great job! The 5-spoke wheels work really well with the body, I’ve got the Skyline mesh wheels to go with mine but I do like the looks of yours. Hmmmm 🤔

But yours is the later R34 version, which has 6-spoke wheels (and later used 5-spoke wheels). Those mesh wheels are for the R33 version. 

[Juhunio 5788]

26 minutes ago, rich_f said:

But yours is the later R34 version, which has 6-spoke wheels (and later used 5-spoke wheels). Those mesh wheels are for the R33 version. 

I dunno, apart from the Gr.A they all look so alike to me that all the various wheel styles look well on all of them