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Kevin_Mc

My M04XL project

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this is my first project thread, it's nothing ground breaking but i fancy posting it up anyway incase others want to do the same conversion and need pointers. i know i was unsure of exactly what was required for the conversion.

Basically, i wanted a RWD touring car chassis to make a change from my three 4x4 on-road cars. the only conditions were that it was to all Tamiya parts for the basic chassis, to not be too complicated with DIY parts and for it to not cost a small fortune.

i started with an M04L BMW ZM3 roadster chassis from TWINSET

it arrived to me in good condition overall, with no shocks and a little dirty (just as described)

BMW01.jpg

and with a stabiliser kit and motor heat sink fitted

BMW02.jpg

so, after a strip down, re-grease and the gearbox built back up (with a ball diff in it) i went on eBay and bought a new M04L F parts tree for the spacer and a TL01 chassis to steal the wishbones from it.

IMG_4377.jpg

with the new parts tree -

IMG_4379.jpg

i decided to use the new chassis parts that arrived as the original one was a little scratched from general use so off it came from the tree

IMG_4380.jpg

so with the three parts to the chassis built up it went from this

IMG_4374.jpg

IMG_4373.jpg

to this -

IMG_4388.jpg

IMG_4382.jpg

i decided to get a shell to match the drivetrain of the chassis - its an HPI Porsche 996 Turbo shell (which i know is 4x4) but i'm going to make a GT2 rear wing from styrene. For those who don't know about the GT2 it's a RWD & stripped out version of the Turbo (a similar idea to what the GT3 is to the normal Porsche).

the shell fits nicely over the chassis now although i've still to add the body posts and TL01 wishbones to make it sit properly

IMG_4383.jpg

and looking in the wheel arches, the wishbone mounts line up roughly in the right place

IMG_4384.jpg

IMG_4385.jpg

so far this is all i've done, the basics i still need to do are to fit the TL01 wishbones and upper arms. the wishbones are going to need spaced out with 1mm shims on each of them to get the full 257mm wheel base. i also might have to use longer threads and wider hexes due to running normal offset wheels but i'll wait and see. I also have to make a shock tower to mount the shocks on the front. I plan on making that from carbon fibre that i have left over from the front bumper of my RS Turbo. the steering arms will also need to be lengthened with longer threaded rod due to the extra width.

The other plans for it are to colour code the springs, motor heatsink, fit a foam TL01 bumper on the rear, a standard one on the front and maybe fit a stabiliser kit too.

i'll keep updating this thread as i do more to the chassis and the shell including making the rear wing.

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Looks good so far! I had a similar project thread up a while ago but I haven't done any work on it for an age. I'll probably resurrect it once I've got my current projects out of the way.

Looking forward to seeing how the rest goes!

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thanks guys, my TL01 chassis should have arrived by today so i can get the uppers arms, dogbones and lower wishbones fitted although without the shims to take up to the full wheelbase

i've got another project in my head that's got me contemplating vacume moulding my own lexan body but i really should finish this one first!

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i got my TL01 chassis through today, stripped and cleaned it and started fitting the parts to the M04 chassis.

I'm missing one of the upper arms so i didn't get everything i wanted done but i fitted all the wishbones, one rear dogbone, all the shocks and three of the upper arms. I still have to make the carbon shock towers for the front and i've discovered that the M04 stabiliser kit still fits with the TL01 arms so i'll fit that then order a rear bumper too.

anyway, on to tonight's pictures, everything lines up just about right and i haven't fitted the 1mm shims to the wishbones yet so it all looks promising

IMG_4391.jpg

rear wheel arch

IMG_4392.jpg

front wheel arch

IMG_4394.jpg

this is how the width has been taken up from the rear

IMG_4395.jpg

and the front

IMG_4396.jpg

i also fitted the steering links - they just fit as they are but i probably will just get longer threads to reduce the toe-in as much on the front

IMG_4397.jpg

and thats all for tonight, hopefully i should have more updates next week

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That looks great! I love build threads with good photos!

Nice modifications, and still stock looking. Keep it up!

Cheers,

Skottoman

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thanks, that's exactly what i'm after, i want it looking like it was intended to be that way by Tamiya. It'll probably look a bit more "hopped up" once i colour code a few bits but that's all it really will be - colour coding to match the shell

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I don't know if it is a trick of the camera, but it looks like you might have the toe-in rear hubs on that car, and they might be on backwards (giving toe out). Or they might be bent. If that's the case, handling will REALLY suffer.

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it's just the standard M04 hubs that are on it, it must just be the camera angles as they sit straight when veiwed normally

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tonight i fitted the other rear hub and managed to re-fit the M04 stabiliser kit that came with the chassis but haven't got pictures yet.

the next update should have the carbon shock tower, body posts, wishbone spacers and the plastic hexes fitted allowing me to run wheels and have it 95% finished then i can move on to the shell, styrene spoiler and colour coding the chassis

EDIT - i also looked at the rear hubs and they seem to be ok, it must be a trick of the camera but next time i'm taking photos i'll show how they're sitting

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i have a small update with this but i'm actually looking for some parts to finish it first

where can i get spacers for 12mm hex wheels that'll push the front wheels out a few mm - i'll obviously need to extend the threaded part too - I'll also be looking for a set fot a TL01 too and a set of 7mm 0-rings for the shell to rest on (I can only find 3mm ones for oil dampers and dogbones) - can anyone advise where i can get these?

Other parts i need are 3mm washers as i ran out, C parts tree for the rear hexes but i can get both these off eBay then all that's left is the shock towers for the front and the styrene spoiler

i'll stick some pics up on where i am so far shortly, the problem with the front wheels is they're 21mm wide so they sit inside the arches a little bit more than any normal wheel but the reason i chose a Porsche 911 GT2 was because i wanted a RWD car with Porsche Twists, which i had already, so changing them isn't really an option.

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Yipee another update!!!!!

For the front wheel spacer issue-Junfac did some spacers but they would probably be too wide. The widen it just a few mm you could stick two hexes together but you would need longer axles.

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TG10 axles come in 2 lengths, plus you get thicker hexes with the TG10 TB01 sprues. I may have a couple of hexes you can have, I'll have a look tomorrow and see if I can find them.

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TG10 axles come in 2 lengths, plus you get thicker hexes with the TG10 TB01 sprues. I may have a couple of hexes you can have, I'll have a look tomorrow and see if I can find them.

that would be ideal, i take it they're the ones i need for the rear?

For the O-Rings are these what you are looking for?

http://goldstarstockists.net/live/catalog/...ng-p-42730.html

nice one Will, that looks like what i'm after, cheers!!

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anyway, on to the update

i fitted the body posts to line up the body for drilling the hole

IMG_4404.jpg

and fitted the wheels front and rear. The rear ones are just sitting loose on the axles as you can see

IMG_4405.jpg

anyway, i used some 3mm washers stacked together to widen the wishbones, the ones used to physically widen it can't be seen but the resulting ones to line up the wishbones on the body can be seen. this is the rear, which the washers just fitted straight to

IMG_4406.jpg

the front had to be drilled out very slightly to let them fit. I think the OD is 7mm so i used a 7mm drill and gently widened the hole whilst being careful not to drill right through the plastic that holds the screw in place. i didn' get any photos doing this as i was in the garage but here is the end result -

IMG_4407.jpg

this is how it lines up next to my TT01 -

IMG_4411.jpg

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this is the problem with the front wheel, i haven't tried a 26mm wheel to see how that looks but i'll do it tomorrow and update the thread so anyone that does the conversion knows if they'll need to use spacers or not

IMG_4424.jpg

this is it with the shell i'm using, an HPI Porsche 996 Turbo

IMG_4426.jpg

I placed it over it to see how it lined up. You can see the TL01 rear bumper i've fitted (i'm waiting on an M04 front arriving)

IMG_4425.jpg

IMG_4422.jpg

the front shock towers need to be modified as with the TL01 arms the shocks sit higher and further out as can be seen here

IMG_4423.jpg

I painted the shell Tamiya Bright Red (for some reason the windows look opaque here but i think that was due to the flash)

IMG_4427.jpg

i used Smoke spray for the windows and stickered it up today (it's going to be a road car so it's not having all the decals fitted) and this is how it sits now

IMG_4431.jpg

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IMG_4434.jpg

still to do are the front shock towers, the styrene rear wing, the front wheel spacers and rear hexes, radio and electrics, front bumper and i want to colour code the motor heat sink, stabiliser kit and springs red to match the shell.

this is the look i want for the car -

GT2.jpg

i'll be using some black vinyl to make the front bumper-to-bonnet vent and i'll sort a splitter out with any luck

that's it for now

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That looks very cool. When you widen the front it will look even better. Can't wait to see it finished with wing, splitter, wheels, ect.

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Did the body have overspray film on it, is it that that caused the opaque windows?

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That looks very cool. When you widen the front it will look even better. Can't wait to see it finished with wing, splitter, wheels, ect.

Me too, I can't wait for it to be finished either!

Did the body have overspray film on it, is it that that caused the opaque windows?

Yeah it had overspray film on it at that point, it's off now and they look fine. Must just have been that.

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due to having Uni exams and working full time just now i haven't done much to any of my RC projects.

Today i ordered the custom shock tower from Fibre Lyte. This was designed by Paul (TC member Originalreclambord) and is being made this week. I got longer wheel axles for the front and fitted them - i've decided not to turn them down or cut anything off them as they work fine as is. I also got a set of silver Twist wheels and X-tread HPI tyres too.

Once the shock tower is on i'll fit an ESC, wire it all up, make the styrene rear spoiler and that'll be it complete.

I also want to get some wing mirrors for the shell, are their any Tamiya ones that would look right? I know the GT3 comes with a set but they're a bit square looking.

I'm running out of space to keep my chassis' just now, i don't have a shelf (or even the room for one just now) so i'll also need to sort that.

Will add some pictures in the next few days

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Great work Kevin! Love the photos of your progress too! It's always nice to pics of the build. Like you said, it might help someone else with their build ideas. Keep em coming! Oh, and good luck with all those Uni exams!!!!

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Looks great! You can easily add a front splitter. I'd recommend getting some black plasticard/styrene to cut it from, so you don't have to paint it, and you won't worry about paint scraping off.

Keep em coming!

Cheers,

Skottoman

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I haven't seen the project in a while :blink: It looks very promising. I'm curious to see how the shock tower turns out/has turned out, even though I know from the CAD file how it should look! Speaking of which, do you have it yet? :lol:

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funnily enough Paul, i came on to post some updates, particularly with the shock tower being fitted

chassis as it sits now -

IMG_4590.jpg

custom shock tower designed by Paul (Originalreclamebord) and made by Fibre-Lyte, couldn't have asked for any better design from both Paul and Stephen at FL -

IMG_4591.jpg

front shocks (the tower was designed for me to use FF01 front dampers as the angles for the shorter TT-01 weren't right)

IMG_4592.jpg

there's too much caster on these so i'm going to screw them onto the shock tower rather than using the balls which make the top of the damper stick out too far.

FF01 dampers on the front -

IMG_4593.jpg

TT-01 dampers on the rear (these will be changed to oil shocks supplied by Wez-Li) -

IMG_4594.jpg

i also made a start on the styrene rear spoiler -

IMG_4595.jpg

heated and curved -

IMG_4596.jpg

end plates cut and curved -

IMG_4597.jpg

i didn't get the spoiler bonded together yet so that will be a job for later in the week, after that i'll paint it, sort the splitter out, fit the ESC and get it out and running

Again, my thanks to Paul (Originalreclamebord) for suppling the design of the shock tower (using my measurements) and for puting me in touch with Fibre-Lyte who couldn't have been any more helpful with advice and the maufacture of the shock tower. Cheers Paul, i appreciate it very much!

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i love step by step build ups ! ..its looking good kev ..pity i didnt know you were chasing TL01 parts .. i got heaps of them ! .. .. keep us posted .

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