More Landmax Questions.....

[ChrisB 0]

I am trying to find out more about the Kyosho Landmax / Landmax2, and how they differ from other similar Kyosho chassis like the MP7.5. Can anyone summarise the differences between the Landmax & the Landmax 2 chassis? Also what other Kyosho chassis do the Landmax shre parts with?

I am basically looking for a Kyosho chassis with the correct wheelbase and suspension setup that will be able to fit the Landmax / Landmax 2 rally car bodies properly. Not too worried about performance as I plan to replace the nitro engine with a brushless setup.

If anyone has any good links on the Landmax series and its history, plus details of the options and how it compares to other Kyosho chassis, I would be most grateful!!!!

Thanks, Chris

[INTEGRA FAN 12]

The Kyosho Rally / Scale cars story began as below:

1- in 1991 Kyosho offered the 1:8 Porsche 959 which was based on a chassis from a car or buggy called Pirate from hobao, Kyosho made the body and wheels only.

click here to see 1990 1/8 scale Porsche 959 in my showroom

2- in 1992 Kyosho re released the Porsche but this time based on Kyosho Inferno DX chassis, they also made Calsonic Skyline GTR R32 and an Audi version of it.

click here to see the 1992 1/8 scale Audi in my showroom

also a Kyosho promotional video is here:

3- in the mid 90's Kyosho re introduced the cars mentioned in No.2 above on the same Inferno DX chassis with a shorter suspension arms and more bodies verities and called it "GP LANDMAX 4WD" the offered bodies includes:

A- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV WRC

B- Ford Escort RS Cosworth WRC

C- Subaru Impreza WRX/555 WRC

D- Volvo S40

E- Alfa Romeo 156

F- Toyota Corolla WRC

G- Ford F-150 Landmax ST

H- Nissan Skyline GTR R34

I- Lancia Stratos WRC

4- In 2001 the Landmax 2 was released based on the Inferno MP7.5 chassis and many bodies varieties since it shares the same Landmax 1 bodies plus:

A- Subaru Impreza WRX WRC

B- Peugeot 206 WRC

C- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII WRC

5- In 2006 the Inferno GT was released using the Inferno MP7.5 chassis with extended sus. arms and bigger body

6- In 2008 the Inferno GT2 was released using the Inferno MP7.5 extended chassis (Inferno ST US Sports chassis)

the above is what I know, hope it helps.

[ChrisB 0]

Thanks INTEGRA FAN - thats really useful info.

I have an option on a NIB Ford Escort WRC Landmax 1, whilst its not the Lancia Stratos I was after, I am considering it with a view to selling off the nitro engine and putting it towards one of the Novak conversion kits. Which bodysets from the Landmax series tend to be the most sought after does anyone know?

I have seen a few of the Impreza's around as well as the 206WRC, but not so many of the Escorts, which is why I am tempted.

I just wanted to try and work out if the Novak brushless conversion kit for the MP7.5 will work with the Landmax 1 (which I think is an Inferno DX based chassis based on the info in the earlier post). I think I would prefer to get a Landmax 2 from a spares point of view, but they don't seem to come up as often as the Landmax 1 kits.

[fastfordrc 22]

I have an option on a NIB Ford Escort WRC Landmax 1, whilst its not the Lancia Stratos I was after, I am considering it with a view to selling off the nitro engine and putting it towards one of the Novak conversion kits. Which bodysets from the Landmax series tend to be the most sought after does anyone know?

I have seen a few of the Impreza's around as well as the 206WRC, but not so many of the Escorts, which is why I am tempted.

I just wanted to try and work out if the Novak brushless conversion kit for the MP7.5 will work with the Landmax 1 (which I think is an Inferno DX based chassis based on the info in the earlier post). I think I would prefer to get a Landmax 2 from a spares point of view, but they don't seem to come up as often as the Landmax 1 kits.

Hi Chris,

As far as the most sought after bodies, you can probably guess that the Stratos is going to be number 1, followed by the 959 and probably the F150. I think the others are much of a muchness popularity-wise, though I agree you don't tend to see many of the Escorts about (which is probably because the real car wasn't very well known in Kyosho's main markets of Japan and the USA - the same is true of the Lazer ZX 1:10th Escort they made). It is a very nice shell though.

As for differences between the DX and MP7.5-based versions regarding engine mountings, the Landmax 1 and base-model DX usually came with Kyosho's GS21 engine, and most of Kyosho's own-brand engines use a non-standard engine mounting system (the mounts are cast onto the engine block and use different spacing to standard engines). This may still be true with the MP7.5 base models too though. I have seen Inferno DXs and Landmax 1s on here that have been changed to use Picco and other brand engines with standard mounts though, so I assume if the Novak system fits in an MP7.5 you should be able to make it fit a DX-chassis Landmax 1. I suspect you may have to find a set of the standard engine mounts from a DX buggy though (or fiddle something to fit).

Andy

[ChrisB 0]

Thanks Andy, thats good to know.

Looking at whats on ebay at the moment, Landmax stuff in various forms seems to come up with reasonable regularity. Given I am after the Stratos primarily, plus I plan to strip out the nitro side of things I may actually be better off getting a cheaper resto job project as a starting point and look out for Stratos bodyset and wheels and get the Novak conversion kit.

The more I think about it, the more buying a NIB kit doesn't make so much sense as they seem to command quite a premium over the runner kits. I have seen a Landmax 206WRC runner with 2 speed gearbox hopup on the bay that looked in OK condition. If I resold the bodyshell, the 2 speed gearbox and engine I could recoup a fair bit I reckon towards the Stratos bodyset and the Novak kit.

Cheers,

Chris

[fastfordrc 22]

The more I think about it, the more buying a NIB kit doesn't make so much sense as they seem to command quite a premium over the runner kits. I have seen a Landmax 206WRC runner with 2 speed gearbox hopup on the bay that looked in OK condition. If I resold the bodyshell, the 2 speed gearbox and engine I could recoup a fair bit I reckon towards the Stratos bodyset and the Novak kit.

Sounds like a good plan. However one thing might be worth checking is the chassis length of the 206WRC version - I've not seen the Landmax one in person, but almost every other RC model of the 206WRC has needed a shortened chassis to cope with the short wheelbase nature of the real car (e.g. Tamiya put theirs on the TA03FS chassis, the only other user of which was the Corolla WRC). Kyosho may have just made compromises with the scale of the shell instead - I've looked at chassis of one in a showroom on here and compared it with the chassis of an Impreza version and it's hard to say, but the 206 body does look noticably more 'bulbous' and less to scale. It might be an idea to check the Kyosho spares lists to see if there was a unique chassis plate for the Landmax 206 to be sure.

Andy

[INTEGRA FAN 12]

If you find an NIB Landmax 1 even at a cheap price I don't recommend running it cause of difficulty of finding spares, the Inferno DX chassis it is using is very old now, and remember that the Landmax 1 uses even a shorter suspension arms than the Inferno DX standard ones, conclusion is not to run it.

Now the Novak conversion is not a direct fit on the Landmax 1 moreover the brushless set up itself is expensive (around $300), even if you could find a used good condition Landmax1 it'll be a waste to use it.

Now regarding the popularity of the landmax bodies, the Stratos comes first not because the Stratos itself is famous, but because Kyosho really tried their best (more than other Landmax bodies) to replicate the original car by releasing wheels and heavily detailed body set with many plastic accessories, see it here:



the Porsche 959 is also a nice one but won't fit the landmax series cause the Porsche 959 is using a wider suspension arms not like the narrow ones used by the Landmax series.

the brushless technology is progressing very quickly, your best solution is to wait for a Kyosho factory brushless set up, i.e. a brushless Inferno GT or GT2 car. remember that the Inferno GT series are also based on the MP7.5 (but with wider arms) so you'll get what you want at the end for a much cheaper and organized setup

Thanks INTEGRA FAN - thats really useful info.

I have an option on a NIB Ford Escort WRC Landmax 1, whilst its not the Lancia Stratos I was after, I am considering it with a view to selling off the nitro engine and putting it towards one of the Novak conversion kits. Which bodysets from the Landmax series tend to be the most sought after does anyone know?

I have seen a few of the Impreza's around as well as the 206WRC, but not so many of the Escorts, which is why I am tempted.

I just wanted to try and work out if the Novak brushless conversion kit for the MP7.5 will work with the Landmax 1 (which I think is an Inferno DX based chassis based on the info in the earlier post). I think I would prefer to get a Landmax 2 from a spares point of view, but they don't seem to come up as often as the Landmax 1 kits.

[ChrisB 0]

This is really good info , thanks again for taking the time to add so much detail. I like the sound of a Kyosho brushless setup, but if the Novak conversion kit works OK on the MP7.5 chassis, then Novak is good quality (although) pricey and is available now so I may be tempted.

I think the MP7.5 based Landmax 2 sounds like the way to go as I want to use this car as a runner, so getting hold of spares will be important. The Stratos body is very detailed compared to the others and looks more dimensionally correct - plus as you say the correct scale wheels are available, even down to the more dished rear wheels compared to the fronts (although I am guessing the tyres are the same as the wheel offset seems to be the main difference, not wheel width).

Andy - as far as I am aware the Landmax 2 Peuguot 206WRC car uses the same Landmax 2 chassis as the other Landmax 2 models. The one I have seen doesn't look as scale as it should (looks a bit elongated), which would make sense to get the body to fit the LM2 chassis.

[cucansu 0]

The peugeot 206 shell has the same lenght as the other LM shells. Although the other collegues have made the necessary comments i would like to add somemore as an experienced lm owner in the past.

I have had around 10 kits over the time in both forms(lm1 &2) Lm one parts are harder to find,you need to upgrade the central diff gear,suspensions,lower arms are weak,engine is crappy(i know you wont use the engine)

LM2 parts on the other hand are easy to find,i am referring to the parts apart from the lower arms and the dogbones since they are special for this car,but the rest is %100 competible with MP 7.5 which i believe we will be able to find the parts for quiet a long time.Also in its day i had converted a mp 777 SP1 buggy to this car,just changing the arms,bones and shocktowers,so you can have an idea how competiable the car is.

I wont mention the problem with shells and the tires/rims since they are special.For the shell I think the Thunder tiger er1 shells fit,try to find one or check the dimensions of er1 with the landmax.You can use them as bangers and the kyosho shell for the display.

[INTEGRA FAN 12]

well here is it

http://www.kyoshoamerica.com/news.php?article_id=207

the brushless technology is progressing very quickly, your best solution is to wait for a Kyosho factory brushless set up, i.e. a brushless Inferno GT or GT2 car. remember that the Inferno GT series are also based on the MP7.5 (but with wider arms) so you'll get what you want at the end for a much cheaper and organized setup