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minmax89

My new Mini Cooper TG-10 Purchase!

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Hi everyone!

I'm very new to this site so just introducing myself really. I've always been a MASSIVE fan of Tamiya. I used to dream about getting one in the 80's but as we were poor as s**t, it only finally happened with a Monster beetle for xmas in '89.

After that I got a Avante 2001, and a Manta Ray. Some years ago though my wife got me a mini cooper racing M03 chassis as my other love/obsession is classic mini's. With that in mind you can imagine my Homer type drool over the Mini Cooper Nitro Tg-10. Well I've wanted one for so many years now but the cost and availability is, well not fair!

Now I was recently looking at one in Australia Ebay. It was brand new and never used with no box. New unpainted shell etc. Couldn't afford that. So ended up buying this!!!

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I paid £88 for it. It has a nosram .15 engine in that apparently hasn't been run in yet but I'm taking all that with a pinch of salt. Anyway, more pics:

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And my M03:

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So, I'm gonna start by getting the radio gear going. I've a Futaba Receiver (which is all it needs) so if thats a success then I'll try and get the engine going and work up from there.

I suppose I would have loved the brand new cooper but I actually want to use it and that would have just ended up a shell queen me thinks. Maybe one day I'll hve both!!!

Wish me luck! I'll be needing all your helps!

Adam

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the TGX/TG10 Mini bodyset does appear every now & again if you need a spare.

Wheels might be harder to find but they're still around.

saw glimpse of someone else now making a 200mm wide "megaMini",

suspect that would be very close sizewise to the TG10 shell too

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NICE! I always loved the look of these Mini's in the Tamiya R/C brochures when I was younger, they looked mean and low and the rims filled the arches perfectly. Good luck with the resto!!!

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NICE! I always loved the look of these Mini's in the Tamiya R/C brochures when I was younger, they looked mean and low and the rims filled the arches perfectly. Good luck with the resto!!!

Totally agree! Out of all the model minis out there in the past (Mardave mini stock, kyosho, etc) tamiya's 1/10th and 1/8th scale body shells where the most aesthetically pleasing by a country mile! I always liked the electric but when I saw the 1/8th nitro... I felt the same as you. So happy I've finally got one!!!

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Nice! I have a couple of TG10 Ferrari 360 Daytonas, they are a good solid car. Nitros are fun, but are a tad fiddly and can be messy (nitro is sticky and gets everywhere no matter how careful you are). Note that a lot of hopups from the TB01 are interchangeable with the TG10.

When you're firing up the engine for the first time, chances are you'll need some spare glow plugs. These are a consumable part, and breaking in the engine tends to foul at least one glow plug. Even if the engine is broken in, if it's been sitting for a while it's a good idea to change the glow plug to get it started.

- James

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...Note that a lot of hopups from the TB01 are interchangeable with the TG10...

When you're firing up the engine for the first time, chances are you'll need some spare glow plugs. These are a consumable part, and breaking in the engine tends to foul at least one glow plug. Even if the engine is broken in, if it's been sitting for a while it's a good idea to change the glow plug to get it started.

- James

Hi James. Thanks for the advice. I've a little bit of experience with Nitro (really only a noovice though) as I bought as second hand T-maxx as something to get me into nitro. So I've a small box of spares, fuel, glo-starter, etc. which is handy.

Anyway this TG10...

So, first things first, I managed to get the radio gear going with my Futaba Attack Transmitter from my M03 mini last night. Servo's are working fine. Found another old transmitter (Futaba Bionic Gold - really old) so just need a maching pair of crystals and I've got a complete set up for both my mini's :)

Onto the engine. It was sold as: "New nosram rs 15 engine not yet run in". Mmmm, not sure about that. Took out the glow plug. Didn't look great to be honest. Stuck it on my glow starter and suppose it glowed good. But might try and root out a better one.

Then took off the heat sink:

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I don't think the top of that piston looks great <_< I've turned the flywheel by hand and there aint a lot of pinch at TDC. There's some, just not much.

So do I put the heat sink back on, put in some fuel (I've only 30% nitro, 10% lube) and glow plug and see what happens? Or do I strip the engine further to inspect the internals?

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Thats a realy nice mini :) a little trick i found to brighten up an old shell is to clean thoroughly inside then lightly sand with some fine sandpaper,dont sand right through the paint....then spray with a matching yellow.

Presto! a brighter yellow and all those little chips gone :)

Dont realy know much about nitro but i would fire it up and see how it runs if inside is not scored etc :)

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Love this car!

The top of the piston looks "strange", but if the engine has some compression (pinch is not necessary and generally is present only on new engines) i'd put back the head and try to fire it up. The 30% nitro 10% oil fuel is ok to test it, is it fresh?

For normal running i'd go for a 16% nitro car fuel (Byron works wonder) that is more than enough for it, higher nitro % are more suited for competition engines.

Keep us informed about the first test run.

Bye

WWD

:)

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