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kontemax

TA03 chassis forgotten?

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Hi, this is just a curiosity of midsummer.

I remember that immediately after the release of TA03 chassis the older TA01 and TA02 ones were considered obsolete.

Now, after 10 years I can see many TA01/TA02 models all around, many DF01 chassis also, many people restoring and collecting DF-01/TA01/TA02 chassies and many new DF01/TA01 models released (or re-released) but nothing concerning the TA03.

I never had the TA03 and I never liked a lot to be honest but the better performances and the greater versatility of this chassis in front of the old ones is out of discussion.

I wonder why the TA03 has been forgotten.

Max

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The TA03 has certainly not been forgotten. It's a fair bit younger than the 01/02 variants, so it hasn't reached that status yet. It is widely considered the grandfather of RC drifting by many. In fact, a drift specific TA03F was released not very long ago.

I think you'll see less of it from Tamiya because they'll never produce a truck version because of the exposed belt.

I myself have 3. And would gladly buy another. But much like the 01/02, the hop ups are beginning to cost exorbitant amounts of money.

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I have 5 in my collection and if you ask around there are lots of TA03 fans on TC. Jim GTR used to race them I believe, and he's very knowledgeable.

I think another reason they're a lesser-known chassis is their inherent complexity. There are a lot of steps to building a TA03 and maintenance can make you question your sanity - especially in comparison with the newer tamiya belt drive offerings.

For me, the TA04 is a little more forgotten than the TA03 - I don't have one and never have, but was always keen on the SS Toyota MRS kit.

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Sorry to hijack this thread but what modern belt driven touring car chassis would be rocommended.I have 2 tt-02d chassis and am looking for a belt driven drifter.

Steve.

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Surely the XV01 is the belt succesor to the TA03?!

I have two TA03F's one normal one pro and I love them both! Cracking chassis.

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I seem to remember the 03 being heavier and harder to work on than the 01/02. It also annoyed me (and still does) that the TA02 marked a huge step away from the standard 5x11mm bearings, and the TA03 almost abandoned them completely. I understood the bigger hub bearings, but where was I supposed to get, what was it, 3x7mm bearings for the gearbox? Building a TA03 was the first time that Tamiya's lack of included bearings really annoyed me. You couldn't piece a set together easily, or rob them from other cars.

I also hacked up my 03F and turned it into an 03R, because with the motor in the front, the back end broke free too easily. No one was trying to make a car slide around and go slower by going sideways yet; we were all trying to make it go around the track as quickly as possible.

That being said, I also remember that my local hobby shop sat on 3 or 4 of those TA03R-S Lancias for a couple years, eventually selling them for some ridiculous price, $99 or something. I passed them up, but I coldn't tell you why now... they could re-re that one and it would be popular, I bet.

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The TA03F pro is just a beautiful chassis.

It's lovely to look at and lovely to drive.

It was also the start of a great winning streak for Tamiya in the touring car class.

I love the look of this chassis.

img39372_09082015183354_2.jpg

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I have a few of them in my collection, however I've never driven one.. LOL.. I probably have enough old parts here to build a runner, but its just never been that high on the priority list..

I always felt that they were over complicated, well a lot more than they really needed to be for a belt drive car...

I just think that the TA04 is a better platform..

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I love the TA03 chassis in every form. I have fond memories back in the 90's racing at my local club and sometimes away from my local club too.

I first raced a TA03F David Jun edition and then changed to a TA03R TRF and then finally onto a TA03R-S TRF. The later one being the best one to drive over a consistent race distance. It was nimble and had great front end turn in. It was just a bit heavy when it finally arrived on the scene and this mid corner speed was an issue imo.

It is still to this day a fantastic handling chassis in standard spec. Very forgiving and very predicable imo. Conpared to a modern TT01/TT02 the TA03 is still miles better !!

I have a few TA03 chassis atm and I cant see that changing anytime son. :) They often appear on ebay for £30 - £100 depending on condition.

James

:)

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I can understand about the performances of the TA03 but this doesn't save the chassis from to be disappeared from discussions, from re-release market and from collection market. The very low price for the used TA03 confirms my idea, I believe.

TA04 is too new to be considered vintage and too obsolete to be considered usable on the track. The TA04 was the first touring chassis without soul in my opinion so I don't consider it.

Max

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The TA series are all quite different. The TA05 is / was a superb chassis, great for small club tracks, light and with a reliable and efficient drive train. The TA06 is interesting but it just felt like it was designed to be different for no real reason, the TA05 is probably a better race car than even the TA06.

As to the TA03, the Jun kit was good as it felt like the first time since the TA02rs that Tamiya was addressing the racing market. It's also a great cheap drifter, the big issue was the fat belts that were just about OK at the time but they are not really that efficient.

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I recently bought a TA03F for a drift project. The chassis didn't cost a lot and was in good used condition, but when I compared it to a 257mm shell I realised I had the FS version. It's really difficult to get a shell for that now which isn't a 206 euroblob, so it's been consigned to the loft until I can either find a good shell or find parts to convert to 257mm. Or figure out something totally different to do with it.

I'd really love a Toyota Corolla shells if one turned up at a good price.

I've got a bunch of TA01 / 02 hybrids and they are good donors for custom projects, the completely independent front and rear gearboxes mean custom length 4wd is easy and Manta Ray shock towers give better suspension travel for rally or off-road projects. I'm currently talking myself into making yet another crazy hybrid for a good Brat scaler.

but was always keen on the SS Toyota MRS kit.

Me too, this was always on my want-list back in the day, there was an NIB kit available for months at a good price and I kept putting it off. Now NIB kits are few and far between. Would love to have one as a shelfer and the included carbon shell meant it could be a runner too.

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Kontemax:

I don't believe this to be true. used chassis of TA01 and TA02 are going to fetch low sums so this is not characteristic of used TA03 chassis's exclusively. if you go look at some recent NIB TRF TA03 you'll see the prices are pretty healthy and as mentioned the crazy prices of TA03 options indicate there are definitely collectors and builders interested in the chassis.

Its interesting that you are usually first to judge and indicate a car as being without soul. The TA04 was a base derivative of the 414 series. During that time, Tamiya would develop and release a base plastic car, then a pro version and finally a TRF with all the bells and whistles. The TA04 was a first for Tamiya in that a full blown prototype/racer was used to develop a concept and the design trickled down to the regular car. The first TA04 and TA04 Pro essentially inherited the 414 & 414M series drivetrain and suspension components. The weird thing was even though Tamiya had the 414M and M2 released they still went ahead and released a TRF version of the TA04 towards the end of the product cycle. The TRF version of the car is very pretty with the signature Tamiya blue and SSG graphite pieces. I do not believe any cars since then has had SSG as a material for their chassis, thus making this car rather unique looking.

The whole 414/TA04 pedigree really started Tamiya/TRF on their way to IFMAR championships. Without that program you would not see the line of TRF chassis that continue to chase after world championships. Unless of course if you believe Tamiya is wasting their time building race machines and you have a strong dislike of trophies.

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Just wanted to add David Jun competed and WON with the TA03F in 1996, thus the TA03F Pro DJ edition that was released.

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Nobody is forgetting the TA-03 so long as that 037 re-release on the R-S exists! The Porsche 911 GT2, too... But that could just be me ;)

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I'm still a big fan of the TA03, especially the flexibility offered by twin gearboxes. It ran well in FWD in 540-spec racing, but it can be made into a twin motored missile. RCCA's TA03 reached 85mph with brushed motors and NiMH. :o

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Another issue that people seem to have with the TA03 is setting the belt too tight and thus creating more rolling resistance. Worthwhile upgrades by far are full bearings (obviously) the lightweight counter shafts (huge difference) and the alloy pulleys (they don't drag on the belt like the stock plastic parts). And set the belt tension correctly. By pushing on the top part of the belt it should be able to reach the bottom part of the belt (hope that makes sense) with a small effort. If not, its too tight. If it manages to touch easily without much force, its too loose.

Set up the TA03 belt correctly and the above hop ups and you'd be surprised at how 'free' rolling the chassis can be. :)

Ball diffs are NOT a must. Gear diffs work fine as long as there is either some AW grease in them or a very heavy grease. At certain tracks I would run a rear ball diff and a geared front diff. Gave some rear end push and a little understeer but not too much. Was great for tight tracks when you used the brakes alot. But due to gearbox access being a real pain on the TA03's, I would usually run gear diffs front and rear with a thick automotive grease at the time, never had an issue even with a 10x2 Reedy Fury motor. AW grease these days is far better though.

James

:)

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Nobody is forgetting the TA-03 so long as that 037 re-release on the R-S exists! The Porsche 911 GT2, too... But that could just be me ;)

Don't you mean Porsche 911 GT1? ;) TA03R-S chassis ,

gallery_16696_3884_267787.jpg

and I will just leave this image here, my hopped up TA03R-S that sits under above 911 GT1 body on my living room shelf area. :)

gallery_16696_3884_304664.jpg

James

:)

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As Volvotech mentioned, The TA03F Pro was re-released not too long ago as a drift chassis.

It was also the first Tamiya to use a belt drive and the first to have the motor out in front with 4wd.

Tamiya is often credited with inventing the modern 4WD "touring car" with their TA01 & TA02 chassis, but it was the TA03 series that rocketed them to the top of the competition ranks.

David Jun with this chassis has won four championship titles in 1/10 Touring Car class in 1996 & 1997. His credits include: 1996 NORRCA 4WD Touring National Champion, 1997 ROAR Champion, 1997 NORRCA Champion, 1997 Tamiya Championship Series (TCS) Champion.

It was also banned from the drift scene for having an unfair advantage...

A fully hopped up TA03F chassis is a thing of beauty - and costs almost as much as its weight in Gold... it is one of the most expensive cars in my showroom

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Indeed, my TA03F would be worth lots in separate parts, it's scary to think about!

I use it for drifting, which is generally not as demanding on the parts anyway - although I do wince a bit when it grounds out, hence not bothering with the carbon fibre decks as I probably wouldn't run it at all then!

Another popular part is the coloured belts - blue for the full length car and red for the short version. A yellow aftermarket belt was also available iirc. I bought a blue one when they weren't ridiculously expensive, I even use it. The best part is that it's faded and discoloured to the point that it's virtually black anyway! To think that people will pay £50 for one now!

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3bab0a10e2e30643c4821f1873edae4c.jpg

Blue belt on my black plastics TA03F pro/DJ replica. Also bought it when it cost as much as a normal belt.

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As a self confessed TA03F nut, Here is an interesting article from TamiyaBase for those who are interested.

Here is some information about the 58200 TA03F Pro David Jun

david_jun_art_01_thumb.jpgThe first Tamiya kit to be named after its driver - David Jun

I think this is the most beautiful of the classic Tamiya touring car chassis full of typical Tamiya quirkiness with the motor out in front and belt drive. It is also the first Tamiya kit to be named after its driver - David Jun.

This is the top of the range version of the TA03F. Unlike previous Pro releases, this car was released under the 'David Jun Commemorative' edition title. David Jun, was a Tamiya factory driver who drove the TA03 to Four championship titles in 1/10 Touring Car class in 1996 & 1997. His credits include: 1996 NORRCA 4WD Touring National Champion, 1997 ROAR Champion, 1997 NORRCA Champion, 1997 Tamiya Championship Series (TCS) Champion. His clever tinkering to his TA03F Pro played a major part in his victories. This car features all of the optional equipment that David used on his championship ride. The number of optional parts on this vehicle is amazing and represents one of the best 'value for the money' kits that Tamiya has put out. To start with, the chassis is a double deck carbon fiber unit which is ultra stiff and light. Fashioned with typical Tamiya quality, chassis installation is a breeze. No misaligned holes or fitment problems to speak of. Tamiya went on to replaced the plastic oil shocks with ultra low friction aluminum units with tuned springs which were silky smooth in operation. For reliability, the front C-hub and rear bearing carrier were fashioned from aluminum. Plus, the front dogbones were tossed in favor of universal

shafts. Similar to the Pro model, full ball bearings and ball differentials were included.

3a508399ba01c9ecc69b8c3381edbbed.jpg

But the David Jun model also featured some more subtle enhancements as well. The original belt was replaced with an Aramid fiber belt. This allowed the car to run without a belt tensioner. The front gearbox featured a one-way bearing system. This gave the car better turning ability and sharper response on tight technical tracks. To handle the heat generated by modified motors, the front gear box contained an aluminum heatsink unit which helped dissipate heat better. Look closely and you'll see that the belt pulleys were now made of aluminum for

longer wear.

2143616e9c0f783c5a76de50bf2d0397.jpg

The list goes on… from a heavy duty servo saver to tuned sway bars front and rear, Tamiya left nothing out. Of interest to trivia buffs is that the David Jun model is the only TA03F to be injection molding using black plastic instead of the usual grey. Important to note because replacement parts in place are impossible to find. David Jun is also responsible for the design of the mean TRF801xt & TRF801x which I really appreciate.

ef55fee6d013c0c2c37ca301e155e9c3.jpg

7219e411556637885584faf02e02a052.jpg

These are Tamiya adverts promoting the TA03F-Pro and David Jun:

f334bbe5fabf051915ae45975bccb405.jpg

110a7ef6cd0a0b05c3df86743a4d67be.jpg

78feb01b88fdbe5789724a24cdd40d7b.jpg

Some very interesting pictures form one of Tamiya's publications, pictures the TA03F Proto-Type 1, 2 & 3.

Prototype 1:

1dbfb032bb9e13cd91c063722ddfb14b.jpg

Prototype 2

ec64928437eebded0f0d6e6b85c26afd.jpg

Prototype 3

9852129ab8027885bc5cebae8c2551c3.jpg

Proto-Type 4 became the tub chassis and Proto-Type 5 became the TA03F Pro chassis.

This is a picture of the chassis from one of the Factory Tamiya Racers, Notice the servo placement and the belt tensioner in the middle and on top of the rear pulley. This was possibly the TRF version of the David Jun car that never went past the Proto-Type stage.

00ec0df98d48b3df8adc0a780ff4c43f.jpg

To end things off, I have included pictures of a modification that David Jun used to do to his race cars, which was to hollow out the rear unused gearbox section in order to create more space for electronics such as the receiver or ESC.

7c726f5ce19b0751ac71dbb6ef6038d9.jpg

493c41c1f33f3e1d034e66565dc58eca.jpg

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I missed out on the ta03 series as I got out of the hobby for some time at that period ,myself im very fond of the ta01/02 and df01 but recently picked up a much loved 03f and yes it took ages to rebuild with a fair bit of hop ups and some bit were **** near impossible to replace.

one thing I will say I really dig this car now ,running an 8.5t bl setup it hauls but it handles way better than an ta02 but I tend to still prefer the 02 more because of parts availability, its a shame theres not a rere of the 03f but then again it wouldn't help the skyrocketing price of hopups.

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Don't you mean Porsche 911 GT1? ;) TA03R-S chassis ,

I did indeed - the GT2 was on the TA-02SW! Thanks for pointing that out!

Two unforgettable models either way!

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