Have You Ever "De-Powered" your Tamiya?

[Kowalski86]

Having owned a number of vintage Tamiyas I often find myself sticking to stock silver can motors, "de-powering" from whatever I was experimenting with.

I often do this to my vintage Tamiyas because anything beefy makes them near undrivable. But having resesrched the CC-01 I hear that their owners often install crawler motors to make them into trail trucks.

So what models have you found more enjoyable left with their stock motor, or even depowered?

[Twinfan]

I have a parts bin Lunch Box as a holiday basher with a silver can as that was built using left over bits from my hopped up Lunchie.  I'll be building a Thunder Dragon soon which will be a replica of my original '88 so that will also have a silver can.

As for depowering, I fitted a Torque Tuned motor to a Hornet and it was clearly a waste of a good motor.  The car bounced everywhere and being so light it was too quick for the chassis.  I put the original silver can back in and it's still quick but a bit more manageable - but no less fun!

I also initially fitted a Mad Bull with a Sport Tuned which was great as it ran really well, but due to the tall gearing the motor got as hot as the sun(!) so I've switched it down to a Torque Tuned which is perfect.

Everything else in the re-re line gets an upgrade from the silver can though.  For me, I decide what motor it's going to have before being built and I always fit it from the start along with bearings.

[MadInventor]

After putting a 1/8 brushless system in my TXT-1, I tried it on 4 cell LiPo once and it was way too much power, it drives 'grandad style' on 2S, and is lively but controllable on 3S

I have to confess I'm one of the 'more power' brigade, I've left my hi lift stock as I didn't want to damage the shell, but otherwise I find tamiyas a bit underwhelming stock from the box. I am considering taking the 4000KV brushless system out of my Hotshot and putting a stock motor in it, just for nostalgia's sake, as that was what I had in the Hotshot I had back in '86 when I was a kid.

[alvinlwh]

Yes, I swapped out the ST in my Lunchbox for a silver can after I stated using lipo in that. (See, I do use lipo!)

[OoALEJOoO]

All my trail trucks have been depowered to 35T (CR-01 and G6-01TR), 45T (CC-02) and 55T (CC-02) motors. This makes them great for trail running. The lower speed & torque make them smoother for trail cars and also increases battery runtimes.

The one car that I've greatly depowered is a MF-01X shortened to fit a Nissan Tyco body, running with a tiny 6x AAA NiMh battery pack. It runs with a 80T motor.

[Saito2]

All the time. A Sport Tuned is a really "hot" motor in my case and almost everything I run has a Torque-Tuned or silvercan in it. I first started de-powering as a way to preserve equipment - always an issue with possible parts discontinuation looming in the background. Some folks may enjoy things overpowered or wildly out of control. It could be seen as a challenge to try and tame that power. More power (pun) to them. I dig that, but its not for me anymore. 

Since I drive almost exclusively vintage designs, I like to keep them in the power levels they were originally designed for. I like to experience the subtle nuisances of those old, unique designs. When they get over-powered they lose their "flavor", so to speak, in a flurry of craziness. The more competent the design, however, the more power I feel comfortable with. A Torque Tuned is perfect in my Wild One but my Top Force could handle more and still retain its flavor, 

[Kowalski86]

4 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

Since I drive almost exclusively vintage designs, I like to keep them in the power levels they were originally designed for. I like to experience the subtle nuisances of those old, unique designs. When they get over-powered they lose their "flavor", so to speak, in a flurry of craziness. The more competent the design, however, the more power I feel comfortable with. A Torque Tuned is perfect in my Wild One but my Top Force could handle more and still retain its flavor, 

I think just installing an ESC and not carrying an extra set of AAs/servo gives some of the vintage designs an extra boost.

I've run a few different motors in my Frog and Grasshopper, all of them turned both cars into missles that randomly made 180s, I put them back into my spares to use on my newer Tamiyas.

The one vintage design that coped well with some power was my Lunchbox and a 12T 550 motor. The big wheels and tiny pinion help keep it planted. Of course turns were a challenge but they always are with a Lunch Pumpkin.

[OldSchoolRC1]

Absolutely. I run silver cans in all my vintage cars, and most of my Tamiya touring cars. I try to stay in the bounds of what they were designed for. My newer cars like the TD4 and DT03 get mild brushless since they are better able to handle it.  

For fun, I tried a 3800kv in my Hornet in a huge parking lot. Found it lifts off the ground at a certain speed.  Went right back to a silver can. 

[Willy iine]

1 hour ago, Saito2 said:

All the time. A Sport Tuned is a really "hot" motor in my case and almost everything I run has a Torque-Tuned or silvercan in it. I first started de-powering as a way to preserve equipment - always an issue with possible parts discontinuation looming in the background. Some folks may enjoy things overpowered or wildly out of control. It could be seen as a challenge to try and tame that power. More power (pun) to them. I dig that, but its not for me anymore. 

Since I drive almost exclusively vintage designs, I like to keep them in the power levels they were originally designed for. I like to experience the subtle nuisances of those old, unique designs. When they get over-powered they lose their "flavor", so to speak, in a flurry of craziness. The more competent the design, however, the more power I feel comfortable with. A Torque Tuned is perfect in my Wild One but my Top Force could handle more and still retain its flavor, 

Which motor do you plan to run on your MID?   I run the 240S 15.5BL as recommended in the instructions and using the kit pinion..it's quick, but not super fast..plus the chassis has excellent handling so it feels slower.  For me, plenty.    I can use a larger pinion if desired.

I run silver can in the Scorpion.. it's slow but I like it for its era specific output.  Going to run a LeMans 490 on the Tomahawk (that is my motor choice for TurboScorpion as well.. 240S 19.5BL on the Ultima).

 

I mean if I'm going to be driving the MID on a large course of course I would run like a <10T with trimmed EPA, but no need. 

[Sogogi]

Lunch box with brushless.. too powerful. Put back sport tuned.. 

[Pablo68]

Yeah most of my Tamiya cars are running o silver cans or slightly better (torque or sport tuned). I once put a Traxxas VXL system into my Hornet. The gearbox handled it surprisingly. It would do wheelies and more often backflips. There wasn't much of a point to it really.
Perhaps the only exception is my Monster Beetle. It has one of those old metallic blue Hobbywing brushless systems in it ( I wish they still made them) 13T I think. It also has TRF shocks, centre mounted steering servo, full bearings and an Ampro eng IRS rear end. It also has some stiffening on the front shock tower. It is fun and goes well.

In a way it's not really a Monster Beetle anymore though.

[Twinfan]

1 hour ago, Willy iine said:

Which motor do you plan to run on your MID?   I run the 240S 15.5BL as recommended in the instructions and using the kit pinion..it's quick, but not super fast..plus the chassis has excellent handling so it feels slower.  For me, plenty.    I can use a larger pinion if desired.

I run silver can in the Scorpion.. it's slow but I like it for its era specific output.  Going to run a LeMans 490 on the Tomahawk (that is my motor choice for TurboScorpion as well.. 240S 19.5BL on the Ultima).

 

I mean if I'm going to be driving the MID on a large course of course I would run like a <10T with trimmed EPA, but no need. 

I know this wasn't aimed at me, but for my MID I'm going to be running an LRP V10 SPEC.6 14x2 brushed motor.  New Old Skool with a lower turned brushed motor, like my Ultima which is getting a Le Mans 490 brushed.

I know they fit, and have been designed to take them, but a modern brushless system in those cars just seems wrong to me so I'm depowering before I even start to build them!  

[Saito2]

1 hour ago, Willy iine said:

Which motor do you plan to run on your MID?

Recent events have stalled my drive to finish my Mid at the moment. When I can overcome some hurdles, it will probably get a Sport Tuned, along with my runner Avante project I also have yet to start, even though it could handle much more.

[Willy iine]

36 minutes ago, Twinfan said:

I know this wasn't aimed at me, but for my MID I'm going to be running an LRP V10 SPEC.6 14x2 brushed motor.  New Old Skool with a lower turned brushed motor, like my Ultima which is getting a Le Mans 490 brushed.

I know they fit, and have been designed to take them, but a modern brushless system in those cars just seems wrong to me so I'm depowering before I even start to build them!  

I can understand your point as BL is quite different in power delivery vs brushed.  If I got an actual vintage MID, not a rere, I would only drive the car with a brushed mod motor.  However mine are all rere's so unless I am purposely running chain drive like on my Javelin, I would run only BL mainly for the less maintenance required, and the new discovery that the LeMans BL are SUPER SMOOTH to drive with the XR10 JustStock ESC.  It rivals brushed motor modulation with a huge bump in torque.  

Both the MID and Ultima running Kyosho's recommended BL with kit pinions are only mildly fast.. I'd call it quick, not fast. 

[Kowalski86]

1 hour ago, Pablo68 said:

Yeah most of my Tamiya cars are running o silver cans or slightly better (torque or sport tuned). I once put a Traxxas VXL system into my Hornet. The gearbox handled it surprisingly. It would do wheelies and more often backflips. There wasn't much of a point to it really.

Anytime I see one of the more modern truggies do backflips I can't help but think that'd get old fast, it looks cool the first few times, but you can only use the "self-righting mode" so much until you chew up the gears.

 

[Sogogi]

I started appreciate 15-19t brushless motors more. Perfect power and fun ration where i dont have to worry about losing control. Especially on 2wd buggies due to limits on its braking power. I do have leman 240s with xr10 in my hornet and it is one of my favorite cars to run daily. I do have tamiya tble02s and tble 15.5t brushless set up, but kyosho set up is far better.. 

[markbt73]

It's extremely rare for me to go beyond silver-can power, usually whatever came with the kit or is handy. I almost never take cars off my own property, and while I have quite a bit of area, it's extremely varied terrain and I have few wide-open spaces. It's the reason I have resisted the urge to get a no-prep drag car, as much as I love the looks of them - I'd get a good launch, and then immediately have to hit the brakes. Scalers are better for me, and yes, a 55 turn motor is typical for those, and brings a CC01 down to a nice controllable scale speed.

I have tried brushless a couple of times, but I can't stand the "digital" feel of it. The car doesn't seem to accelerate, it just starts going at a speed. Lower-powered cars that have to work a bit to gain speed just feel better to me. And again, with no room to open them up, poking along at 1/3 throttle all the time gets old.

There is such a thing as too slow, or underpowered, however. My TT02 is kind of boring with anything other than drift tires on it, because otherwise it's so neutral and easy to drive that it gets old. Luckily, I find the idea of learning to control drifts compelling enough that I enjoy driving it with drift tires. And crossing the driveway with scalers/crawlers to get from one area to another feels like it takes forever. I have a two-speed Axial gearbox to go into the next build, and maybe that will let me kick it up a notch on the paved bit.

My old well-worn re-re Grasshopper still has its original 380, though, and it's staying put.

[Tamiyastef]

It really depends on the car. My original Grasshopper had a 540 in it BITD for one run and then got immediately changed back to its original 380. That's still it's current motor. A CC-01 with a 55T motor is a dream on the trails. My MST CMX Defender has an Axial 55T motor as well. My M-05 is running a stock silver can but has the speed gear set from 3racing fitted. The XV-01 is still on the silver can that was in  the kit. I'm tempted to put in a brushless combo but I'm afraid I might loose some of the "fun" driving it with more power and speed... For crazy brushless stunts I have VXL 4X4 Stampede's that go nuts on 3S.  

[El Gecko]

Like many of you, I run mostly vintage cars, but the only one I've truly de-powered is the Brat, and really I was just returning it closer to stock by fitting a 380.

But the main reason for the switch is: I was driving it around with an ancient 27t Twisters 540 (yes, "Twisters" with an S from the 80s, not the popular Twister motors of the 90s) and it hit a tiny bump in the tarmac at close to top speed, resulting in a spectacular cartwheel and a quite severely broken body.

I immediately changed the motor as soon as I brought it back inside, because I decided right then that I'm not trying to tempt fate with that car anymore. I'd rather keep the spirit of the stock form and function, and just enjoy it in a less extreme capacity. As @Kowalski86 said, just getting rid of the 4AA box and extra servo helped increase the performance a bit, even with the 380, so it's already doing a bit better than stock anyway. Although perhaps if it had still had that extra weight to lower the CG, maybe it wouldn't have flipped on its roof so easily.

Also like a few of you, I have an original Grasshopper, and although I do have the original 380 for it, it's pretty well destroyed and I'm currently running the 540 silvercan upgrade that the original owner installed back in the 80s. One of the mounting holes in the 540 is nearly stripped, but it still rips!

[Kowalski86]

2 hours ago, El Gecko said:

I immediately changed the motor as soon as I brought it back inside, because I decided right then that I'm not trying to tempt fate with that car anymore. I'd rather keep the spirit of the stock form and function, and just enjoy it in a less extreme capacity. As @Kowalski86 said, just getting rid of the 4AA box and extra servo helped increase the performance a bit, even with the 380, so it's already doing a bit better than stock anyway. Although perhaps if it had still had that extra weight to lower the CG, maybe it wouldn't have flipped on its roof so easily.

A 380 Gives you longer run time too, and I'm sure that it's easier on your transmission/diff. Early Tamiya buggys weight next to nothing so bumps can throw them around easily.

[alvinlwh]

43 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

A 380 Gives you longer run time too, and I'm sure that it's easier on your transmission/diff. Early Tamiya buggys weight next to nothing so bumps can throw them around easily.

On the right chassis, a 380 can be quite fast. On a super lightweight chassis (not Tamiya though), I got 37mph out of a 380ST.

[El Gecko]

On 3/27/2023 at 7:22 PM, Kowalski86 said:

A 380 Gives you longer run time too, and I'm sure that it's easier on your transmission/diff. Early Tamiya buggys weight next to nothing so bumps can throw them around easily.

Yep, the Brat can basically run all day on a 5A NiMH now, and drifting around at full throttle is no worry because it only tops out at like 10mph. This is an original Brat, still running the original locked diff/no diff setup, so no worries there, although yes there is definitely less stress on the drivetrain overall, and especially the old hex shafts!

I was honestly surprised that the thing just totally wrecked out of nowhere. Thinking back on it, maybe it became airborne (couldn't have been much), and the instant it landed, it started rolling and crashing. I guess the loosey-goosey friction dampers with no damping threw it funny when it hit the bump, and the loosey-goosey sloppy steering/front suspension finished the job by bumpsteering and catching the edge of a tire when it landed. Possibly the locked diff and bald tires had something to do with it, as well

[Wooders28]

Nope, never de powered anything, never mind a Tamiya.

On 3/25/2023 at 2:29 PM, Willy iine said:

Which motor do you plan to run on your MID?

Run a 5.5t in my vintage Mid Custom,  through a Schumacher KF2 slipper I nailed in.

 

On 3/25/2023 at 3:11 PM, Sogogi said:

Lunch box with brushless.. too powerful. Put back sport tuned.. 

Both mine have a brushless setup,  but the cheap finned type motors, i believe they're a 380 motor in a 540 can, lots of rpm,  but hardly any torque, so they're not bad.

[Willy iine]

1 hour ago, Wooders28 said:

Nope, never de powered anything, never mind a Tamiya.

Run a 5.5t in my vintage Mid Custom,  through a Schumacher KF2 slipper I nailed in.

Very cool.  I'm going two run the Gold Le Mans 13.5T on my next MID.

[Killajb]

I run a 21.5T brushless sensored GForce motor in my Monster Beetle that is actually slower that the stock silver can.  It does have smooth delivery and torque that never gets bogged down on even the steepest grass hills I try to climb.  (I am using a MIP ball diff as well ), Overall just much more fun to drive because heat is never an issue and I can make near-full turns at top speed and don't have to worry about toppling over.

I modified an XB DF-02 Rising Storm with all the necessary suspension and steering bits and then threw in a Surpass RC brushless motor that seems like it has a misprinted kv value and was meant for drag racing or something.  Way too much power and I could never dial in the handling to match.  It felt like a rocket car set out on a frozen lake when I drove it on the street.  I took the brushless madness out and switched to a Hobbywing 1060 and a Superstock BZ motor. The blessing in disguise was all of that shimming and suspension tweaking prior to downgrading the motor resulted in a well balanced car that can I can dart off with, zip a U-turn past a manhole cover and head back to me at the same rate of speed before sliding to a stop in a straight line.