Egress & Avante 2001 revamp!

[Bomba01 35]

Hi Max

I have checked my TRF springs and they don't fit. The TRF springs are 10mm and it looks like the Hi-caps are 11mm. The big bore ones may fit (12mm) but I will have to borrow some from a mate to see so I will have to get back to you on fitment.

This is annoying as I have multiple sets of TRF springs and was going to use them on my Astute project. www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/80290-astute-the-rebirth/

Do you think the kit Hi-cap springs will be suitable for an astute runner? I do really like Hi-caps and would love to use them but my priority is setup and drivability.

I will be very interested in your Super astute project! I have thought a lot about using a TRF201 gearbox for another astute project down the track. I have a spare TRF201 gearbox so if you need any dimensions/details feel free to ask.

 

 

[kontemax 1725]

I have used the Hi Cap dampers on the track in the past years. They work very well.

At the era you there were optional springs from Tamiya for the Hi-Caps but now they are very rare.
There were two kind of optional springs, with the rounded wire and with the squared wire. There were three kind of springs for each damper, soft, medium, hard and I always used soft for front and hard for the rear on the Astute.

Keep in mind that italian tracks are very very rough and dirty so if the dampers worked well there for sure they will work well everywhere.

You can see my previous Astute here, sorry for the old noisy pictures:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=2182&sid=24

Now retired and disassembled. You can see that I used the Hi-Cap Dampers, I had the original front springs and I tried the Losi's yellow springs at the rear end but I came back to original ones.

Keep in mind that we used at the era the heavy Ni-Mh batteries.

 

Concerning the TRF201 gearbox I need to know everything about this gearbox, please. Could you contact me in PM please?

 

Max

[mongoose1983 3335]

On 5/8/2016 at 8:33 PM, kontemax said:

 

Well, I've always loved the boxart version of the Egress, but the custom colors you chose for your buggy are beautiful indeed.

By the way, if you don't like the color of those springs you can always spray some enamel on them. I have done that myself a number of times and works very good. 

Again, that's a beautiful Egress

 

[kontemax 1725]

Thank you.

I'm planning what to do with these springs.

Max

[94eg! 834]

Just get some aircraft paint remover (Ammonium Hydroxide, Methylene Chloride) at the auto parts store and strip the red coating off. It won't effect the metal underneath, which is what makes it aircraft-safe.

BTW: Don't even handle the chemical directly (only with tools).  Even with thick rubber gloves, the compounds will penetrate and start burning your skin (doesn't even melt the gloves).  For the most part, you can just pour some in a glass and dip the parts with some chop sticks.  Any coating should bubble and fall away.  Simply rinse with water and wash with soap to finish up.

[kontemax 1725]

Thank you, I have a similar product used for automotive painting. It strips all the paint unitil the metal.

Max

[kontemax 1725]

This project continues because details make the difference.

Today a package from Fibre-Lyte is arrived. It contains original parts and custom drew parts for my projects.

All these parts are for three projects, the Custom 2WD, The Egress Runner and the parallel guest project in this thread, the Avante 2001. Ok, let's go!

Front Avante 2001 shocks mount and Egress custom steering plate:

Rear Avante 2001 custom shocks tower:

Differences between the original and the carbon fiber front damper mount:

As you can see the parts are identical and only the material is different.

Now the part mounted on the model:

You can see the perfectness of the Fibre-Lyte parts.

This Avante 2001 is under modification & restoring work:

Let's come back to the Egress!

I deeply hate the fiberglass so, where I can, I prefer to replace these parts with genuine carbon fiber parts.

The steering plate of my Egress runner was cut for a better suspension performance. In fact the Avante 2001 steering plate is shorter than the Egress one. I decided to replace this ugly part so I drew a custom steering plate with ahead steering link mounts. I believe that now there's a better geometry between the steering links and the steering hubs.

There's another little but important difference. The two inner holes in the steering plate are closer each one. This should give some ackerman angle to the front end of the model.

This is a custom part and probably will be replaced with another plate as a development of this one.

Note the position of the steering links, the inner ball ends now are closer to the upper arms ball ends. I believe that the steering geometry now is more efficient.

This model deserved a better steering plate.

The custom plate works well also with the body in place. The body will be replaced.

Stay tuned for the next news.

Max

 

[kontemax 1725]

Good evening mates, now it is the 02:43 AM Italian hour and there are some news about these two projects.

I went ahead on the Avante 2001 restoring job. The new parts arrived from Fibre-Lyte gave a boost at this project which it was stationary for a long time. Fibre-Lyte has realized, under my drawing, the front and rear shock towers. The front one is an identical copy of the original one, the rear shock tower it totally different because I want to change the rear suspension design.

As you can see i will use the very expensive Avante 2011 tower mounts.

To mount this shock tower I must disassemble the top deck of the chassis.

This could be a good occasion to display my beefy 48p Spur Gear.

This Avante 2001 has been one of my favourite runners, years ago, and it was really abused with a 45.000 rpm, 11x5 T motor and a 8,4V battery. I destroyed both the spur and the pinion gears and, due the lack of spare parts (no rereleases at the horizon at the era) and the need for a more reliable gears, I built this beauty.

The monster torque of the motor/battery combo contributed to the disaster because the thin motor plate flexed, altering the distance pinion gear/spur gear. So I made these 3mm thick motor plate and 3mm motor mount.

Here the 48p spur gear with ball differential. It could seem a bit rough but it works great!

Ok, let's go on.
This thing have to go. I never liked the rear Egress set up on the Avante 2001.

A little mock up.

It works.

Time to drill the holes. A vintage Avante top deck will be the guide for the driller.

Don't worry, I will not ruin the Avante top deck (and anyway I have a new carbon fiber one ready to be mounted) and the Avante 2001 top deck is old (and I have a spare new one in my storage room).

So, drilling without mercy!

Job done!

Now my modification is reality, finally.

Top deck in its own place again and rear view of the Avante 2001.

Not so bad.

Tidy job.

With the body.

No interference of any sort. There's no more the gap between the body and the dampers.

This body is battered and will (obviously) replaced with a new one that will be in boxat color, metallic blue PS-16.

The rear end now is totally different.

There's no more the massive tower mount and I must decide what to do of the rear stabilizer bar. The rear end now is more tidy and clear. You can notice that the ball joints sit too low without the tower mount. Will solve also this little problem with some spacers.

That's all for the moment.

Goodnight!

Max

 

[kontemax 1725]

New updates today and probably the last ones for a period of time.

Finally, with the new shock towers in place, I can dig out these parts from my dampers box.

These dampers were really worn out and had been previously polished and anodized in Champagne color, a sort of light gold, to match as close as possible the vintage Avante gold dampers.

I believe the result is good. Then I enjoied the building of nearly new Hi Cap dampers, again after many years.

And this is how they look on the model.

I believe that every Avante deserves the gold dampers, vintage, re-released, 2001, Mk2 or other one.

The Avante 2001 is far away to be finished as you can see but it is growing.

 

That's all for the moment.

Now I need to collect some more money to continue these works.

 

Max

[JimmySteve 7]

Looking amazing, Max. I love those gold dampers. 

And are your shock towers now on file at Fibre-Lyte? Will I be able to order a set?

[kontemax 1725]

Hi, thank you.

Concerning the towers; They are my personal design and I don't believe that in Fibre-Lyte will make them for you.

I will contact them and I will write here again.

Max

[JimmySteve 7]

Thank you Max. If there is a way that would be brilliant.

[kontemax 1725]

You have a PM.

 

Max

[kontemax 1725]

Hi mates!

As I made a big mess on my job place (probably 1.500 € of damages) I can't spend money for a while, so here some minor updates on this project. I dug out, from the boxes of the spares, the new shoes for this model.

At the end, I believe that an Egress deserves always its own wheels, that are the best wheels and tires ever designed in the history of our hobby, so here we are!

The restoring work on this model is finished, what I'm doing now is about the look because I decided that this runner becomes a shelf queen, as witness of its glorious days on the track. So, the next posts will concern its aesthetics.

 

Max

[Dangerseeker 162]

2 hours ago, kontemax said:

As I made a big mess on my job place (probably 1.500 € of damages)

sounds bad

[kontemax 1725]

32 minutes ago, Dangerseeker said:

sounds bad

Very bad.

Actually I yet don't know who will pay the damage, if me or the production.

This meant that I lost the buy of the MIP ball diff...

Max

[JimmySteve 7]

Hey Max. Finally started roughing out my take on the (super) Vanquish using your awesome Avante 2001 custom towers. Thanks again!

[kontemax 1725]

I'm glad you apreciate my design for the towers.

Actually I can't go ahead with my works because I've the bricklayers at home. Once they will finish here I hope to continue soon.

 

Max

[GTodd 1354]

We need an update on the Avante and Egress!!!

[kontemax 1725]

It seems that someone is pushing me to come back into the hobby.
As I said in another thread currently I'm in pause with the hobby due the lack of time, money and room in my home.
Letterally I don't know where to expose my models, where to work on them and every time I open a box of a model I make a lot of mess in my little home.
By the way I was also a little bit tired so I took a break to dedicate to another of my hobbies, my old Aprilia's motorcycles.
But don't worry, I didn't quit with the hobby, I just only waiting for a better situation.

Max

[Snappy1 966]

This is one of my favourite threads on Tamiya Club, I cannot wait to see your Avante 2001 finished one day Max.

[kontemax 1725]

1 hour ago, Snappy1 said:

This is one of my favourite threads on Tamiya Club, I cannot wait to see your Avante 2001 finished one day Max.

Thanks Snappy.
Currently due to many problems in my life I have stopped with the hobby.
I don't have the time, space and money to continue at the moment.
I hope for some change in my life soon.
I miss the hobby.

Max