kontemax 1723 Posted November 16, 2016 Hi mates, here's another long term project. Finally today a re-release Egress is arrived at my home. This model is a mandatory element to start this project that I want to complete, the TRF Jamie Booth's Replica Egress. This is the model. It is a shelf queen new built that I bought from a mate here on the club. The model is in perfect condition (thanks mate). I already own the Egress. Infact this is my 3th one, the first is a restored vintage, the second is my modified runner and now this one. This is the first re-release that I see in real life. What can I say about this model? Tamiya made a good job on many parts of this model in front of the vintage model. For example the quality of the carbon fiber of the chassis is better compared with the original model. The plates are shiny, there's the post for the Avante 2001 driver, there are the holes for the Avante rear tower and wing mount at the rear end. The transmission quality seems better and the gold alloy uprights are a massive improvement at the front end. But (because there's always a "but") somewhere the quality decreased. The beautiful titanium screws are now replaced with poor black anodized iron screws. The steering bar is always the same, too wide and gives problems during the full compression of the front end. Avante 2001 had a better configuration. The adjustable turnbuckles are not so beautiful (the Top Force Evolution turnbuckles are better imho and are a direct fit to Egress) but the real ugly thing is the front shock absorbers configuration. I don't know why Tamiya decided to make this change but the result is very poor in my opinion. Poor because one of the best looking parts of the Egress were the front dampers so there's a great loss of aesthetics. The height of the front end is reduced as the damper movement. The front end almost doesn't touch to the ground. The ride height is reduced as you can see in the pictures. The new front tower doesn't resolve the strenght problems of the old one but adds a problem with the body nose and body lenght. So the question is: do I like this re-release Egress? The answer is no, I don't like it a lot for the characteristics described above. This is the reason why I will not regret to convert it with this great conversion kit that I bought last year. The kit is the number 8 of 16 existing in the whole world. I can already say that I will also make some custom job on this replica so it will be not a perfect copy of the other ones but it will be personalized. The first thing: This front tower have to go, sorry Jamie. I can't mount a simply reversed rear Astute shock tower on the Egress front end and I will never cut the nose of an Egress body, sorry again. I'll do a custom designed new shock tower. On contrary, I will keep the rear tower already present in the kit. Also these 3D printed rear hubs have to go. I'll mount the original Madcap ones or something better. The Replica kit is very well made. I will also use these used parts. I will not cut some new gearbox parts. Ok, that's all for the moment. As the 2WD Buggy Custom thread, also this one will need many time to go on but I'm sure you will be patient, or not? Max 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daveyb 40 Posted November 16, 2016 I cant wait to see this finished, the Egress is one of my all time favourite Tamiyas 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ukfox 347 Posted November 16, 2016 Good to see you getting around to building your booth replica I am interested to see the changes you make Have Fun 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted November 16, 2016 Not many Replica kits here around. Max Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bjorklo 1620 Posted November 16, 2016 Finally a buildthread of my taste like others it will be interesting to see the changes you make. Will you run this one or let it shine on a shelf? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted November 16, 2016 I really don't know actually. I will need many time to finish this project. I already spent more than 600 € on it and it is not started yet. I believe that the final cost will be 800€ ... ? Max Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bjorklo 1620 Posted November 16, 2016 Yeah, that is one of the reasons i haven't started mine yet, the cost is quite high. That said i wish i would have bought two kits, then i would most defently used one as a runner. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted November 17, 2016 Me too, but too much money to spent. Anyway I'm scared to regret to have assembled the Jamie Booth's kit as it will be no more NIB but I spent too much money to leave it in a box. And this is controversial. Max 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted November 22, 2016 Ok, here we go, let's start the conversion. This part is costless because it's only the disassembling of the original Egress to convert it into the Jamie Booth's replica. It is a little bit sad to see a new Egress in these conditions but this will be like a Fenix. Tamiyaporn. Superporn. Pornazzo! The marvelous Hi-Cap Dampers! After 27 years they are still sought. Slurp! This ReRe Egress will be the donor model for other projects. The chassis, for example. It will go on my vintage Vanquish. The front and rear arms will go onto my Vintage Egress, not the runner that you all can see in this forum, but another one, the shelf queen. Also the rear tower will go onto the vintage Egress. Not the front tower, that is the part most hated by me on this re re. It will go directly into a box. Another part for my vintage Egress. This part must be trimmed, according the Jamie Booth's specifications but I've no heart to do it, so it will be replaced with a good looking, vintage and used part. These are the remaining parts to use for the conversion. Also the front end must be trimmed. Same matter of the part described above. Some vintage parts are ready to replace these ones. I can't believe that I must cut this new bumper. Unfortunately I can't avoid this trimming but the model is new built, the Jamie Booth's kit will be new built, I can't have a used bumper on this model, do you agree? Max 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bjorklo 1620 Posted November 23, 2016 I agree, no used bumper on this model, it will Just be wrong. That said i do feel for you, I also don't like modifing new parts, but if you have to then you have to. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted November 23, 2016 I have to do it, so I will buy a spare part because almost all my modifications must be reversibles. Max 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bjorklo 1620 Posted November 23, 2016 Yeah, i do the same almost allways. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted December 8, 2016 Well, new progress on the Jamie Booth's Replica. The first step, after the disassembly the whole model, is to disassemble the front end. This passage is not mandatory, you can choose to keep the original bumper configuration but I want to dare, so I will cut the gearbox nose. The Avante easy access gear train and the new modern ball differential. I like this geartrain. Cutting the nose is not a great loss because I already found some vintage parts, almost new, but ruined right in the parts that must go away. This is what I mean. Surgery tools. Done and no bleeding. Hard to watch this. The dead parts. Surgery done. No bad at the end. Rebuilding the gearbox again. The new parts are safe in the box so this modification is not forever. I have some old bumpers all around. I continue to have no heart to cut the new bumper. I decided to restore one of them and I started to sand it to eliminate the scratches and, after some elbow grease, this is the result. Not perfect but the starting point was realy bad. In fact I could have done better but for now this is enough for me. Time to make another cut now. The final result is not so bad in my opinion, considering that I saved the original new parts. That's all for the moment and stay tuned! Max 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted December 11, 2016 Having a bit of time yesterday I went ahead with this project. I decided to continue the front end so the next step was to mount the front arm blocks. The parts are machined from a alloy block and I believe they had been the trickiest parts to produce. The first thing I learned is that this is not a direct fit kit and many problems have to be solved. The first problem is that the original arm pivots (that should be used to mount the new blocks) don't fit. Or better, the blocks don't fit properly the front gearbox. Infact the pivot enters inside the first hole and inside the block but doesn't pass in the second gearbox hole. I had the need to enlarge the second hole diameter to obtain the correct fit for both parts. Another minor problem is that the supplied screws for this blocks are too long. 3x20 mm is too much and I went for two Tamiya's 3x15 mm screws that fit perfectly. Finally the parts are in place, locked with its e-clip. Next step was to mount the front arms. These arms are extruded from a thick Delrin blu plate. The steel suspension shafts are a little bit longer so I will add an o-ring to avoid unwanted movements, as Tamiya did with the Super Astute. Finally, with this modification the Egress gained a anti dive angle in the front arms. The look of the modification is good in my opinion. A more traditional suspension set up. A useless and gratuitous shot of my vintage Egress. The happiness is always a short term feeling. I found another couple of problems with this kit. The front damper mount doesn't fit. The carbon fiber plate hits the base of the tower mounts. I will not scrape the plastic in that point that will become weak. Anyway this is a minor problem because I will make another shock tower as previously said. I can't be satisfied by an Astute rear tower upside down on this kit. I want something more and better and I will never cut the nose of an Egress body. The second problem I found with this suspension configuration is the dampers placement. They don't fit because they touch the plastic tower mounts. No way. And at the end the inclination of the dampers will be impossible for reach the lower damper mounts. I feel a little bit disconsolate so this is all for today. Max Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matman 1498 Posted December 12, 2016 Does the shock tower go on the front of the diff ? As you have it behind the front diff . With the screw head , from the front to the back ?. << As the nut is in the wrong way as well . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bjorklo 1620 Posted December 12, 2016 Looking on the prototype it's correct to mount it on the rear of the mounts but the screwhead are on the front. Does that help? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted December 17, 2016 On 12/12/2016 at 1:17 AM, matman said: Does the shock tower go on the front of the diff ? As you have it behind the front diff . With the screw head , from the front to the back ?. << As the nut is in the wrong way as well . I already tried to mount the shock tower as you said but no way, it doesn't work anyway. The nut is wrong because it was a simple mock up and I didn't want to dent the carbon fiber. I have the bricklayers at home in these days so I can't go on with my projects until they will finish the works. I'm going crazy, dust everywhere... Max 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GTodd 1306 Posted August 3, 2018 Killing time waiting for my rere to show up. Was this ever finished? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted August 3, 2018 Hi, this Jamie Booth's Egress is not yet finished. It is still exactly as you can see it in the pictures. i had a break with the hobby a couple of years ago cause the needs to change my interests but it is only a pause. I was got bored by the hobby, probably I needed new stimulation, maybe definitely a pause, simply. I believe that I will restart soon, possibly, it depends from the economical situations. I need some new carbon fiber parts for this Egress. I will modify the kit because I'm not totally satisfied by the top plate and the damper plates. Custom cut parts are the solution but they are very expensive so I'm waiting for better times, simply. Max 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ann3x 220 Posted August 3, 2018 2 hours ago, kontemax said: Hi, this Jamie Booth's Egress is not yet finished. It is still exactly as you can see it in the pictures. i had a break with the hobby a couple of years ago cause the needs to change my interests but it is only a pause. I was got bored by the hobby, probably I needed new stimulation, maybe definitely a pause, simply. I believe that I will restart soon, possibly, it depends from the economical situations. I need some new carbon fiber parts for this Egress. I will modify the kit because I'm not totally satisfied by the top plate and the damper plates. Custom cut parts are the solution but they are very expensive so I'm waiting for better times, simply. Max Looking forward to your restart. I love your projects. For CF parts, fairly simple to cut them yourself with a dremel. Sure, finish isn't as good as a watercut part but if you are careful you can achieve 90% and then get something "perfect" later on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted August 3, 2018 I will draw them with the PC, Fyber Lyte will cut them for me. I breathed too much CF powder in my life, don't want to die Max Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ann3x 220 Posted August 3, 2018 I just wear a mask and goggles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trecmanic2 1 Posted September 4, 2018 I missed the release of this amazing kit a few years ago, and am now forced to try and home-brew my own. Would anyone be willing to put a set of their four blue Acetal/delrin arms on a document scanner (with a ruler) so I can get an accurate set of dimensions. I am sorry to everyone that I have "stalked" to try and build my replica. Thank you. Trec. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites