Vintage Terra Crusher Restoration

[rally1998]

Hey!

So this is my 3rd Tamiya to get back into good condition.

This is already in much better condition than the Wild Dagger and Grasshopper in the other threads.

I paid around £500 for this and was 1 of 5 of the first in the country apparently to my local model shop (doesn't exist anymore).

It was the last one and was in the window, I was 13/14 at the time I think, I got my first saturday boy job and was working for the full 6 weeks holiday, I went into the hobby shop and my friend had bought a T-Maxx a few months previous and I decided I wanted this beast, with its bigger size, automatic forward and reverse. I put a deposit on it and I went back in every saturday afternoon to pay more off until a few weeks had past and it was finally mine to take home

All that time it had a big sold star on it in the hobbyshop window, proper boyhood dream at the time, walking past and seeing my tuck in prize place in the window Certainly a fond memory.

Unfortunately these didn't have the best reputation in the world, lots of people couldn't set up the linkages correctly to get the gearbox working right, the slipper clutch would cause problems (I never had any of these issues) but the biggest bug bear of them all is the Engine, this still has the FS-18 in it from new.

Out of the 5 that bought these from that shop, they called us all in together to offer us replacements or money back as the other customers were complaining so much to them and just before that happened somehow my engine stopped with a big clunk and wouldn't work.

4 of them took partial refunds and got Zircon Monster Trucks, I think 1 had them pre-order the not yet released first HPI savage and I said no, I wanted my truck back.

My original truck got sent back to Tamiya, different engine put in (still the FS-18) all gone over and I got it back. It was used for that summer like nobodies business (only on tarmac) but after not very long engine issues began, not holding a tune, hard to start, constant cutting out. I got sick of it being a younger and there it's been pretty much ever since, tried it a couple of years ago and it frustrated me again, so I went and bought a HPI Baja 5b SS Kit and have to say I am enjoying the reliability of Petrol motors!

I didn't realise until researching this beauty that the cylinder had a soft nickel coating right? So piston and sleeves needed to be replaced regularly. Dilemma further down the page.

Sorry for waffling...

looks like it's had minimal use with the tyres and plastics...

The bodyshell has taken a little bit of a beating, is quite a heavy monster coming down on that fragile back bed.

The engine is currently not bolted to the chassis but I do have the exhaust and all bits to fix it down. As you can see, apart from dust and the chrome coming off the wheels because of the nitro fuel and fumes..it could be nearly new.

This is where the brace should fit across that holds the port/connection where you plug in the battery pack for the electric start.

I have the electrical wiring and the top brace/mount but the plastic square/block that the terminal fits in aged and got brittle so I don't have it, so at the moment would just have a loose electrical connection.

and a picture of that awesome front linkage and gearbox

So far, I have ordered a new genuine replacement clear body for it from Greece (only one I could find anywhere on-line) and the decal sheet for it from ebay, again the only one I could find. Very happy I managed to nab those. Bit pricey though.

I will use the new shell as a shelf shell really, not sure whether to paint it the stock blue colour, or go for something different?

The engine...A piston and liner that I can find is going to cost quite a bit of money. The engine in this is in my opinion and many others is pants, with the liner issue and only 1 tuning needle etc and including the fact it squirts oil etc out the back of it rendering the electric start useless (I drilled a hole in the top and bottom of the started gearbox and when it played up I squirted tons of nitro cleaner down there just to get it started). I had bought a new backplate and done a bearing conversion like others had done but it didn't work out well for me

I think I want to be able to use this as and when I feel like, what engine can I buy today that will drop in? I'm guessing there isn't any I could buy that would be compatible with the electric start? Also something more powerful than the stock one, I think people have used over .21 without problems with the gearbox?

Cheers

Jamie

[rally1998]

Well,

These turned up today

Anybody got any ideas on the engine I could drop in easily for this?

[kontemax]

You should convert it to brushless power.

Terra Crusher is a great monster truck, I always wanted one but never had enough money to purchase it.

Max

[redzone]

I've just stumbled upon a HUGE amount of NIB parts for the tgm02 chassis.

[rally1998]

You should convert it to brushless power.

Terra Crusher is a great monster truck, I always wanted one but never had enough money to purchase it.

Max

I don't have the money to go crazy with it, I have 2 electric Tamiyas and. Petrol Hpi baja, I would like to keep this Nitro.

I've just stumbled upon a HUGE amount of NIB parts for the tgm02 chassis.

Whereeeeeeeee?

[redzone]

Locally to me, I'm planning on buying it and selling it, cheap cheap

[rally1998]

Locally to me, I'm planning on buying it and selling it, cheap cheap

Wicked, let me know what you have, I'm in the UK though. Would you ship stuff to me? I would love to buy bits and pieces to have spare.

[redzone]

Yeah I have no problem shipping overseas, I do it all the time

I bought everything they had so i'm just going through what I have now.

[redzone]

Here's a link to my for sale thread

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=73319

[rally1998]

So the new shell for the TC turned up today all the way from Greece, only took a couple of days really. Not bad at all.

Excuse the kitchen towel, is plugging up smelly nitro holes

As this company have a few of those shells left in stock, I might buy another to just paint and not bother with decals so I can use it for bashing?

As I can't find Decal sheets anywhere, I feel like I don't even want to use them!

I think I have now found an engine that will fit straight in, side exhaust etc..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221422190620

Don't know how this will compare vs the stock FS-18..

[Nump.T]

I don't have the money to go crazy with it, I have 2 electric Tamiyas and. Petrol Hpi baja, I would like to keep this Nitro.

Whereeeeeeeee?

Hi rally1998,

This looks like it could be real fun. I am so glad you have decided to keep it Nitro, too many are being converted to battery and you just can't beat the sound of the Nitro engine.

Nump.T

[rally1998]

Well,

This got left by the wayside as is usual with little projects like these. Since I started this thread the Terra Crusher, my Wild Dagger and Hornet have been put on hold but I am looking to start once again restoring.

Everything had been put on hold due to life in general but more importantly, we bought our first house and...the most amazing and most important news ever for us, we had our first child! 

Any other Terra Crusher owners here on the forum still?

[rally1998]

After now having the re-invigoration to get my old stuff going, I did manage to get hold of a new piston and liner for the FS-18 in the truck.

However, I am wandering if I could plonk something in that will be plug and play with modern available parts etc? Are the mounting holes for nitro engines standardised?

I am wondering if the HPI T.30 Nitro Star would drop right in? Seems to be a well regarded engine, bits are available freely and although still a .18 it has more power, a slide carb and side exhaust... I'm not looking for mental speed, just something reliable and easier to tune and easier to get parts. I'm not looking to use this truck regular so maybe just keeping everything stock is the best answer as then it'll be all original and 'correct'.