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Rinskie

How do you know when to sell a project?

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Earlier this year I ordered a M08 and slowly accumulated all the stuff I needed to get it up and running. I was starting over from scratch so that was a lot of scratch. Anyway, I got the car up and running and have been running it at the apartment tennis court for about 5 battery packs through it. I enjoy it but it's starting to be more than I bargained for. Now I am looking into heavier diff fluid or possibly a ball diff, maybe new shock oil, new shocks, new blah blah blah. It's fun to drive but it's not the innocent carefree bashing I thought and I am starting to realize I would have been better off with a "basher" over a racing chassis. I am looking to add something like a WR02, GF01 or even a lunch box. Nothing serious, no real mods apart from bearings. Am I crazy to give up on a project when it hasn't been fully realized or is realizing you'd be better off with something else enough to make the move? Anyone else make a slight misstep when they got back into the hobby? 

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Try setting up a small track and driving it, oval, figure-8, or something a little more complex.  It will add a new perspective to understanding  handling and throttle control.  As you rope in your friends, it becomes quite exhilarating.  

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1 hour ago, Rinskie said:

Am I crazy to give up on a project when it hasn't been fully realized or is realizing you'd be better off with something else enough to make the move? Anyone else make a slight misstep when they got back into the hobby? 

That's not crazy at all, I've given up on a handful of projects when I became unhappy with them and I've made my share of misteps, including buying a few racing models only to realize that they make for poor bashers.

Something like a Lunchbox would be a perfect "carefree basher" if that's what you're after. Less to tune and less to worry about.

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I have a Lunch Box that I use as a holiday basher.  It's stock apart from bearings and for just messing about it's perfect.  Parts are plentiful and cheap, and who doesn't love a truck that does wheelies?

If you can afford it, I would try a Lunch Box and see how you get on.  You can then use either car depending on what mood you're in  :)

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If you have the disposable income try and think of it as an iterative process. Since you are just picking up the hobby again you will inevitably be slowly gaining experience and learning what it is that you enjoy the most. If the car you have does not have the required "grin-factor" for you and your budget can afford it I say sell it on and try a different car to get a feel for a different type of driving experience.

I have a GF-01 and its great fun just whizzing around the garden and it seems compatible with so many other car parts the customisation to your tastes is huge. There are many on these forums with great pictures.

Another basher type is the 6 wheeler like Konghead.

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I don't think it really matters what car you drive, if you're just bashing on your own, it eventually gets tired.  There were a lot of times back in the mid-00s when I was out at a local car park on my own, thinking "****, if only I had [insert car type here] it would be more fun."  I never really got the full fun factor until I got to know some local people through Tamiyaclub, and we all started taking our cars to the car parks.

Then I realised - it doesn't really matter what cars I have, I'm having fun when I'm driving with others.  Often I've had a TXT-1, an FF01, a Midnight Pumpkin and a TT01 drifter, one friend would have a Sand Scorcher and a TL-01B and a Traxxas Bandit, another would have a vintage Avante and a Wild Willy, and we'd all have a fantastic time racing around the car park and jumping off ramps.  There's a video somewhere of me being towed around a car park on a kid's trike by a 14.4v Clod Buster.  That's the kind of crazy stuff we'd get up to.

The other benefit of this is that you get to try other people's cars and find out what they're like before you decide to buy them.  I wish I could have tried a Midnight Pumpkin before I got mine - it's certainly not bad at doing what it does, but after my DF-03 it felt like a huge step down towards toy-grade.  For me, the WR-02 or GF-01 do exactly what a Lunchbox or Pumpkin do but in a way more composed way, and I wish I'd gone straight for that instead.  Likewise, I'd never have bothered owning an SRB if I hadn't driven my friend's one on the beach one time.

So, how do you get involved?

If you don't want to race, then put a shout out on Tamiyaclub or search for local Facebook groups.

Since you have an M08, you could consider racing.  You said you were in the hobby before, but I don't know if you raced?  It could be worth looking up local clubs and heading along to some meets.  You might find you really enjoy racing.  Or, you might meet some people who want to run their non-racy stuff in car parks.  A lot of racers live purely for racing, but I've met loads who have a big love for all aspects of the hobby - some of the racers at my local clubs have huge collections of vintage and non-race Tamiya stuff which rarely gets driven because it isn't eligible to race, but they enjoy heading out with others from time to time to throw their old stuff around a car park or tennis court or beach.

Or just buy a WR-02, GF-01 or G6-01, make some ramps and have a blast on your own :D

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If, like me, you are a hoarder, you buy things with the intent to move it on, but end up keeping it 'just in case'. I have told myself over and over that I need to thin out a lot of the things I collect, but always seem to end up buying more and run out of room to put it, or never find the time to fix/enjoy/mess about with said item. I need to retrain my brain to learn how to let go of things, I don't need to own more than one of everything! 

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I do like a really simple car - personally I would recommend the GF01 over the CW01, it's remarkable compact, fun and tough. They don't need anything upgraded apart from bearings, even the stock friction dampeners seem to work nicely.

You've also got the Comical options as well. 

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12 hours ago, Rinskie said:

Earlier this year I ordered a M08 and slowly accumulated all the stuff I needed to get it up and running. I was starting over from scratch so that was a lot of scratch. Anyway, I got the car up and running and have been running it at the apartment tennis court for about 5 battery packs through it. I enjoy it but it's starting to be more than I bargained for. Now I am looking into heavier diff fluid or possibly a ball diff, maybe new shock oil, new shocks, new blah blah blah. It's fun to drive but it's not the innocent carefree bashing I thought and I am starting to realize I would have been better off with a "basher" over a racing chassis. I am looking to add something like a WR02, GF01 or even a lunch box. Nothing serious, no real mods apart from bearings. Am I crazy to give up on a project when it hasn't been fully realized or is realizing you'd be better off with something else enough to make the move? Anyone else make a slight misstep when they got back into the hobby? 

Hi @Rinskie I am sorry to read this but I think that if you want to enjoy a bit of bashing there is nothing wrong with the M08 and you don't "need" any other chassis. You have put effort and some money into this one - now you should enjoy it for what it is. Plus the Alpine body is absolutely stunning... Not exactly your average RTR truck but rather an eye catcher anywhere it goes.

I saw some forum chatter back and forth with advice given to you on the diff, the shock oil, even different shock oil front to rear... All of which would only make it more complex, costly and possibly bring about no discernable difference. This is a respectful forums and I prefer to keep it quiet when I disagree.

I would be happy to help you out if you want to come over to Scottsdale one night. We can go to the Tennis courts by my house and I will help you sort out your car. I will bring the RWD Porsche along :)

Note to people outside of Arizona: there are A LOT of Tennis courts in AZ but they are mainly used for RC cars :D

 

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14 hours ago, Rinskie said:

Earlier this year I ordered a M08 and slowly accumulated all the stuff I needed to get it up and running. I was starting over from scratch so that was a lot of scratch. Anyway, I got the car up and running and have been running it at the apartment tennis court for about 5 battery packs through it. I enjoy it but it's starting to be more than I bargained for. Now I am looking into heavier diff fluid or possibly a ball diff, maybe new shock oil, new shocks, new blah blah blah. It's fun to drive but it's not the innocent carefree bashing I thought and I am starting to realize I would have been better off with a "basher" over a racing chassis. I am looking to add something like a WR02, GF01 or even a lunch box. Nothing serious, no real mods apart from bearings. Am I crazy to give up on a project when it hasn't been fully realized or is realizing you'd be better off with something else enough to make the move? Anyone else make a slight misstep when they got back into the hobby? 

I think the biggest issue people realize after purchase is how realistic it is to actually drive their car in real world.  Most folks, including me in my current lifestyle, do not want to routinely go to a track 30min+ away just to practice or get a few rounds before supper, for example.  We want to simply go out side and drive, enjoy, and continue on with our lives whether it be more RC or something else.

For most people the choice in car is critical for where they will drive their car  90% +  of the time.  So for me I chose the Scorpion and Kyosho Beetle as my outdoor cars as I know they drive well on and off road, super easy and cheap to maintain, clean, and are robust.  They also look fantastic.  I don't have to worry about rocks or bumps on the street where on road / m-chassis cars would never clear.   My enjoyment is carefree.  They will never reside inside my house as they are dedicated outdoor machines so I don't have to clean them completely each time either.  Just brush clean, remove some grime, done.  B)

IMG_2023-5-20-113643.jpg.375be48832037332032aff312a05a232.jpg

IMG_2023-5-21-125046.jpg.4b2313eedbd1b41e42fa1326c17b351d.jpg

 

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I hear you @Willy iine. My m chassis cars come out two or three at a time, driven to a local venue with some track markers for a fun run with my son (we aren't good enough to progress to racing!).

For instant gratification, the Dual Hunters or FTX Outlaw get a run round the back lawn. Or more recently, the monsterized CR-01. 

Not sure that helps you though @Rinskie I think the Postal Racing would be fun for a solo runner on a tennis court? Provide some focus for solo running. Or are you looking for M08 handling tips? I can't help there!

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To tell you all the truth, I am not sure exactly what I am looking for apart from fun and potable a little whimsey. I do like my 08, it was fun to build and drive but it's kinda pulling me in a direction that's not fun. Namely reading the "racing" stuff and thinking of the chassis as a race car instead of a body holder. I am sure this is in part because it currently doesn't;t have a body on it because I've been too lazy to finish it. Maybe I am just looking for that little spark I had when I was a kid. Maybe I just want something with a big bobble head driver so that I don't take it seriously. 

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13 minutes ago, Rinskie said:

To tell you all the truth, I am not sure exactly what I am looking for apart from fun and potable a little whimsey. I do like my 08, it was fun to build and drive but it's kinda pulling me in a direction that's not fun. Namely reading the "racing" stuff and thinking of the chassis as a race car instead of a body holder. I am sure this is in part because it currently doesn't;t have a body on it because I've been too lazy to finish it. Maybe I am just looking for that little spark I had when I was a kid. Maybe I just want something with a big bobble head driver so that I don't take it seriously. 

I think you want the Kyosho Mad Van RTR.  :lol:

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Realistically keeping something boils down to 2 things. Financial and space. Can you afford to put more into it, or potentially have it sat there doing nothing? And secondly, can you justify it sat doing nothing. Ie do you have the space. Thats how I look at things

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Yep the bodies are what takes the most time, at least in my case. A couple hours to cut and sand, a couple hours to cut and apply the window masks, a couple hours to paint (assuming no masks/only one color). Then the decals... Something like... 15h? 😅 I know I work slower than most.

It's also ok to get a spare bodyset as a "blob", one color, no backing, no decals just to get the car running. Then sell the spare decal sheet :ph34r: and make a box art body in your own time for the shelf. The Alpine bodyset seems available and cheap right now 👍

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4 hours ago, Rinskie said:

To tell you all the truth, I am not sure exactly what I am looking for apart from fun and potable a little whimsey. I do like my 08, it was fun to build and drive but it's kinda pulling me in a direction that's not fun. Namely reading the "racing" stuff and thinking of the chassis as a race car instead of a body holder. I am sure this is in part because it currently doesn't;t have a body on it because I've been too lazy to finish it. Maybe I am just looking for that little spark I had when I was a kid. Maybe I just want something with a big bobble head driver so that I don't take it seriously. 

I'm not saying you should do the following, but I think putting a body on a chassis is critical to bonding with it.

I just put a TamTech 288GTO on a M08 chassis and it's so good it's almost a shelfer (but I don't do shelf queens).

I think you'd love the M08 way more with an appropriate bodyshell, though I suspect you may be actuality better served with something less pure road spec, even a rally spec TT02 (or buggy or truck). For me personally, every build starts backwards from the body I want to use. That's the hook that everything else grows from.

But for your original question. I bought a really nice painted 180SX body from eBay and built a RWD TT02D around it. I like the concept. I did ok at a build, but it doesn't actually fill me with joy. When I need to shift a car to stay at a sensible count, it'll be the first to go. The modded M08 is so good, I'm really tempted to build a significant collection of 1/12 road cars on various M chassis...

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@Rinskie Having reliable access to a tennis court is a true blessing from the might gods of RC. That said, bashing aimlessly gets old quick. Even putting a few cones and running a track still can get a bit old unless you really maximize the experience. The good news is that this is very easy to do. I've been doing this for some time and is my favorite RC activity now:

Hotlap Ranking

First thing, you don't even need a race car. Any car is good, from the humble TT's to the TA-B-C's. Your M08 should be great.

Second, cones are not good. You really need flat corner markers (or chalk) for the track. Having to relocate markers every few seconds robs tremendously from the experience.

Finally, recording laptimes is what will keep you racing on hours end, with a "just one more lap" feeling every time. For this, I recommend the free program LapTrax. It's a free piece of software that can be run on any phone. It records laps by using the phone's camara as a motion detector. Webpage:

LapTrax - Advanced Lap Timer - Apps on Google Play

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Perhaps expectations can sometimes surpass reality when thinking of a project. For me, a big part of starting a new RC project is realizing what a car is and what it isn't

For example.. In the past, I purchased a DF-02 Rising Storm.  I wasn't happy with the loose fitting plastic suspension and steering parts.  As well, I wanted to tune the suspension a bit more than what the plastic CVA's could offer.  I invested a bit of money towards that improvement and at some point pondered giving up on it.  Instead, I carried on until I got to a point where I thought performance was reasonable.  All that being said, it will never be on par with modern buggies on a track and is simply rewarding enough to cruise around with knowing the process it took for me to get it to that point.   What it is: entry level RTR

My next project is a BBX on pre-order.  I've seen @Kai City RC's wonderful video from the Shizuoka model show where  a hopped up BBX is on display with all sorts of expensive bits.  I'm not exactly sure how much they will improve the overall performance (and indeed I will add the big bore dampers at the very least), but suffice to say I don't think they will transform the BBX into anything other than a scale-looking off road buggy that probably shouldn't be compared to 2wd race buggies or even the latest retro styled 2wd options like the GForce Genova or the Kyosho Dirtmaster.

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40 minutes ago, OoALEJOoO said:

@Rinskie Having reliable access to a tennis court is a true blessing from the might gods of RC. That said, bashing aimlessly gets old quick. Even putting a few cones and running a track still can get a bit old unless you really maximize the experience. The good news is that this is very easy to do. I've been doing this for some time and is my favorite RC activity now:

Hotlap Ranking

First thing, you don't even need a race car. Any car is good, from the humble TT's to the TA-B-C's. Your M08 should be great.

Second, cones are not good. You really need flat corner markers (or chalk) for the track. Having to relocate markers every few seconds robs tremendously from the experience.

Finally, recording laptimes is what will keep you racing on hours end, with a "just one more lap" feeling every time. For this, I recommend the free program LapTrax. It's a free piece of software that can be run on any phone. It records laps by using the phone's camara as a motion detector. Webpage:

LapTrax - Advanced Lap Timer - Apps on Google Play

I had totally missed it! Your self motivation is very impressive, congratulations 👌

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I also have an M-08 in my fleet, and I agree that carefree bashing is not its forte. However it is absolutely brilliant in the postal racing, and gives me a great deal of satisfaction in that context.

I have never sold a model car, but based on what I have read on this 'ere forum, it seems that selling a model car is generally not a good idea because you hardly ever get your money back, and more often than not you end up missing it and wanting to replace it when it has gone. Unless funds and space are really at a premium, you may be better served simply putting it to one side for now and starting a different project. You may not feel like the M-08 fits your needs right now, but it may very well do so in the future. (Especially once it has a body on it as others have already mentioned.)

I have a small fleet compared to some of the avid collectors on this forum, but it does number in the double figures so it isn't exactly tiny. However that is mostly because I really enjoy the building and restoring side of the hobby. Thinking about it, if I was in the hobby primarily for the driving, my needs could probably be met by just 5 vehicles:

- A fast touring car for postal racing on wide flowing layouts

- A fast M-chassis car for postal racing on tight technical layouts

- A rally car/buggy for random acts of driving on uneven ground 

- A tough off-road basher truck for doing the same on rough ground

- A scaler/crawler for decorating with accessories and then trying not to lose them driving across very rough ground

 

Perhaps put aside thoughts of selling for now, and instead build your fleet so that you have something suited to any occasion?

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57 minutes ago, TurnipJF said:

I also have an M-08 in my fleet, and I agree that carefree bashing is not its forte. However it is absolutely brilliant in the postal racing, and gives me a great deal of satisfaction in that context.

I have never sold a model car, but based on what I have read on this 'ere forum, it seems that selling a model car is generally not a good idea because you hardly ever get your money back, and more often than not you end up missing it and wanting to replace it when it has gone. Unless funds and space are really at a premium, you may be better served simply putting it to one side for now and starting a different project. You may not feel like the M-08 fits your needs right now, but it may very well do so in the future. (Especially once it has a body on it as others have already mentioned.)

I have a small fleet compared to some of the avid collectors on this forum, but it does number in the double figures so it isn't exactly tiny. However that is mostly because I really enjoy the building and restoring side of the hobby. Thinking about it, if I was in the hobby primarily for the driving, my needs could probably be met by just 5 vehicles:

- A fast touring car for postal racing on wide flowing layouts

- A fast M-chassis car for postal racing on tight technical layouts

- A rally car/buggy for random acts of driving on uneven ground 

- A tough off-road basher truck for doing the same on rough ground

- A scaler/crawler for decorating with accessories and then trying not to lose them driving across very rough ground

 

Perhaps put aside thoughts of selling for now, and instead build your fleet so that you have something suited to any occasion?

I was going to say a sort of "light" version of the same thing. An M-08, the right tyres and a tennis court is about the perfect thing for postal racing. If you had this and a lunchbox/truck/buggy/whatever for off road you could have a lot covered and you might then even find it's the M on the tennis court that sucks you in the most. 

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22 hours ago, Pylon80 said:

Yep the bodies are what takes the most time, at least in my case. A couple hours to cut and sand, a couple hours to cut and apply the window masks, a couple hours to paint (assuming no masks/only one color). Then the decals... Something like... 15h? 😅 I know I work slower than most.

It's also ok to get a spare bodyset as a "blob", one color, no backing, no decals just to get the car running. Then sell the spare decal sheet :ph34r: and make a box art body in your own time for the shelf. The Alpine bodyset seems available and cheap right now 👍

I'm not into polycarbonate bodies either.  Although they are very rewarding once you finish if it turns out the way you wanted it to.. like clean masked lines are always a plus.  But again, there is nothing wrong with going RTR.. if on road is your thing, how about getting one of those Fazer Mk2's from Kyosho.. they drive well and can take more rocks and bumps than a M08.. which means you can drive at most parking lots..not just limited to tennis courts where players might walk up any minute to tell you to get off the court.. :wacko:  and take your tape markings with you.. :(   

And you can always hopup the RTR's to your liking, including swapping the receiver and run your favorite transmitter. 

IMG_2023-2-17-190446.thumb.jpg.4879c55a5ed9464ed4f1be35af99f738.jpg

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37 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

I'm not into polycarbonate bodies either.  Although they are very rewarding once you finish if it turns out the way you wanted it to.. like clean masked lines are always a plus.  But again, there is nothing wrong with going RTR.. if on road is your thing, how about getting one of those Fazer Mk2's from Kyosho.. they drive well and can take more rocks and bumps than a M08.. which means you can drive at most parking lots..not just limited to tennis courts where players might walk up any minute to tell you to get off the court.. :wacko:  and take your tape markings with you.. :(   

And you can always hopup the RTR's to your liking, including swapping the receiver and run your favorite transmitter. 

IMG_2023-2-17-190446.thumb.jpg.4879c55a5ed9464ed4f1be35af99f738.jpg

I wish they made finished bodies for the M chassis but the only one I know of is a Subaru BRZ made by Ride and it's only prepainted, not finished. Something like what Killerbody do, but for M chassis would make for great looking runners!

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1 hour ago, Willy iine said:

 

IMG_2023-2-17-190446.thumb.jpg.4879c55a5ed9464ed4f1be35af99f738.jpg

Passed a full sized 240Z like that on the motorway the other day. It's a wonderful shape isn't it. 

Sorry, I digress! 

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Insightful thoughts all, thanks for the great conversation. I think my biggest issue is finding the motivation to put a body on it. I originally has an Alpine shell for it but I really jacked up cutting it out and drilling the body post. It's a write off, seriously it's that bad. So naturally I am a little sketched out at the possibility of that repeating. Then I decided to order a MX5 for it because hey why not, also gives me the opportunity to try the mid length wheel base. The issue with the new shell is that I accidentally ordered the lightweight version. I know once I get it painted and run it in anger, the poor thing won't be around for long. Now I am starting to shine up to the idea of grabbing a Karman with some chrome wheels and aim for the car show look. So all that is to say, I'll wind up getting a new shell and wheels and probably a WR02 to wash it down with. I crack myself up but at least I enjoy the journey. 

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