What is it?

[Lee_K]

Hi all,

First post here!

Started out when I was little (probably about 25 or more?? years ago now!) with a Tamiya TA01 (White/blue escort cosworth shell) which lived the probably usual tamiya life, got smacked off kerbs..battered, slowly cutting away or breaking off more of the shell until it ended up in the bin/sold (Cant remember! - I do know theres one sat on ebay at the min for £300!  )

Then my grandad took me to our local club when i was around 13ish (Stoke RCMCC) and I got my next tamiya to start racing with - a FF02 with the 306 shell, not the best racer on carpet but it could cope with the several times a week ripping up and down the street or on the gravel paths too and was a good base to learn about building/fixing etc! - That also got sold on at some point (Theres also some of those for £300 on ebay atm!!   )

During this time though a friend had a Tamiya Hornet which we'd regularly take up the hills or on mountain bike trails etc (where mine wouldnt go!) it was old and beat up but we used to have real good fun with it! - A friend had a old "Hornet" chassis laying around and recently I asked if he wanted to part with it and even better than that he just said yeah, take it which was brilliant. Brought it home with the wife thinking i'd finally lost the plot and did a complete rebuild to A) Work out what was broken/missing apart from the obvious and B)Give all the plastics a good wash as it had dirt/sand/dust etc where it'd clearly been stood for a long time.

However during the build I started noticing some differences! - and i dont think its a Hornet actually, my own bits of research had made me think its a Grasshopper 2? - Anyone able to confirm? I'm basing this on:

- Rear shocks are mounted at the bottom with screws (same top and bottom) and not the cup/clamp Hornet style

- Rear shocks seem mounted lower

- Front shocks at mounted lower on the A arm but are still the friction type

- Battery tray (missing) doesn't have the clip thing on the chassis but instead 2 bodypin posts 

 

Where i'm thrown slightly is that it has what looks to be a 540 "Slot machine" motor (anyone know anything about these?) - I did read about the super G but i think most had the yellow shocks, although I read somewhere that some of them had the exact same spec and a Grasshopper 2 but came with a 540 motor and then the yellow oil shocks for front and rear came after.

It had a ACOMS standard servo in it and i've thrown in a tamiya ESC and a spare receiver I had and it works! - Probably first time that gearbox has turned in years but all sounded good! 

I know the parts it needs but wanted to be sure what it was before going on a mission of part hunting! it needs:

Bodyshell (If it is a grasshopper 2...why are shells so expensive compared to Hornet/Mad bull etc!!)

Wheels and Tyres (Wheels have been painted blue...then red - stripping the paint hasnt gone well so i'll need new!) Tyres are worn

Battery cover

Bumper

Chassis (Bumper mount is snapped off one side!)

Chassis axle clamp type things (the lug the spring goes onto was snapped off both) 

Hoping someone can confirm what it is?

 

Thanks

Lee

 

[Aerobert]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

For me it looks like a Grasshopper 2 chassis as the front of the chassis tub is round shaped like the GH2 body. The GH1 chassis has a peaked front on the chassis tub to correspond to the body.

[ADRay1000]

that motor is something. I remember seeing ads for it back in the day. 

[Mad Ax]

Welcome to the club, and that's a nice project - a car like that with a bit of history is always fun.

Are you still in the Stoke area?  Stoke RCMCC seems to be still running, and Stafford have a neat outdoor circuit for touring cars, I had some fun weekends there during the pando when lots of other clubs were closed.

[Lee_K]

31 minutes ago, ADRay1000 said:

that motor is something. I remember seeing ads for it back in the day. 

I tried googling to find out what turn etc it was! - The car had the mechanical speedo in before so guessing its maybe a 27t but ive put the tamiya esc in now

 

20 minutes ago, Mad Ax said:

Welcome to the club, and that's a nice project - a car like that with a bit of history is always fun.

Are you still in the Stoke area?  Stoke RCMCC seems to be still running, and Stafford have a neat outdoor circuit for touring cars, I had some fun weekends there during the pando when lots of other clubs were closed.

Yep still around here

[IXLR8]

The Slot Machine is 27t; we ran them in stock classes BITD.  I still have one around here somewhere.  It's in one of my shelf cars but I can't recall which one.

That motor label design screams 1980's.  

[Lee_K]

Well i've ordered the parts for the battery cover / Chassis side pod axle holder thingys ...

Couple of bits to sort for it now - i need a shell but they seem expensive for the grasshopper 2!! - and i need some wheels and tyres, then it can run.

 

My 2S lipo packs dont fit in either...so guess i'll have to run it on my shortys! 

[alvinlwh]

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[Lee_K]

6 minutes ago, alvinlwh said:

I run 1600mah soft pack in mine.

Thanks - What run time are you getting out of that? - all my lipos are 5000!

[alvinlwh]

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