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TurnipJF

Turnip restomods a TA-01 for Jason1145

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I am sure many of you have come across the thread in which @Jason1145 paints and decals a Hyundai i20 bodyshell, but for those who need a reminder, here is a link:

 

This thread will deal with what lies beneath the abovementioned bodyshell, namely a TA-01 chassis that is due an overhaul.

In addition to a general clean-up, there are some worthwhile upgrades in the pipeline too, but more of that later. First order of business is to get it stripped and the parts soaking in their respective cleaning media, which is what I am of to start now... :)

 

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Yep I've sat on this used TA01 chassis for too long with no time to zhoosh it up, so it's kindly being poked and prodded by Turnip... with a not so pokey power plant I'm sure this will make a great runner chassis once it's all rebuilt... I've already got a runner shell in the form of either a Honda Civic JAS Type R or a Toyota Corolla which have both seen better days... then it can sit on a shelf wearing the i20.

Looking forward to it already

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I've been racing my TA01 with a 17.5t brushless for a while now. It's great fun! Not very fast, but a fun cruiser that keeps up with the many M-chassis on my local track. Mine features a lot of upgrades and my own design long arm suspension though. Not sure how well the stock car would go. This reminds me I need to update my build topic about the TA01 :lol:

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Progress thus far:

2019-01-25_09-48-51

The front end has been fully disassembled. I was most impressed with the condition of the gears, which are pristine. The bushings and shafts also show minimal wear. It would appear that this chassis has seen very little running. 

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That's good news, and surprising as the outward appearance looked a bit grubby..

What do you clean the various bits with - for when I next do a restoration myself, I only use Fairy liquid and a orange kitchen degreaser liquid.

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I use Fairy liquid and warm water for the plastic parts, combined with a soft paint brush to agitate the dirt and followed by a spray of dashboard "milk" to restore the surface shine if required.

For the metal parts I use GT85 to remove grease and dirt, as well as Hammerite rust remover dip to remove corrosion.

The original assembler of this kit seems to have followed the instructions to the letter regarding greasing all of the joints, as there is quite a lot of grease in places where somebody familiar with running Tamiya models wouldn't normally put it. This has attracted dust, which has made the model look a lot grubbier on the outside than it is on the inside.

Whatever running it has seen appears to have taken place on a very rough surface, which also hasn't helped the appearance of age as there are several scratches to the front bumper and the underside. However even the black step screws for the suspension which usually get worn very quickly still have almost all their paint on, so I don't see it having been run for very long.

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Disassembly is complete, so cleaning and preparation of the parts can commence.

All the plastic parts are soaking in Fairy liquid and warm water.

2019-01-28_02-41-00

All the metal parts are soaking in GT85.

2019-01-28_02-41-21

 

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35 minutes ago, Jason1145 said:

Do you buy aerosol cans of GT85 and just spray some out?

Yes indeed. One goes a long way - I am still on my first can.

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@Jason1145: A quick question regarding the rear gearbox.

As you probably know, there are a few mods that that can be done to increase it's longevity. These include drilling out one of the screw holes that attaches the cover and replacing the standard screw with a longer machine screw that takes a nut at the other end which helps delay the inevitable cracking of the gearbox moulding, and performing a similar operation to the left screw that attaches the rear shock tower, replacing it with a longer one with a nut on the end which helps stop the cover from lifting.

Would you like me to perform these mods or would you like the gearbox assembled as standard?

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The front gearbox is back together, fully ballraced and lightly greased with Tamiya grease, but reusing the pristine original gears.

2019-01-29_02-08-27

The replacements can be kept as spares for when and if the originals wear out.

I rebuilt the front diff with a bit of AW grease in it to slow the action slightly. This should lead to less "diffing out" when driving in off-road rally conditions.

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The Super Stock RZ motor and Pargu alloy mount are things of beauty, perfectly complementing both each other and the red and black of the chassis plastics.

2019-01-29_02-07-50

One thing I did find with the Pargu mount is that its tolerances are slightly different to the stock plastic item. When the motor is mounted using the holes that would normally be used for an 18 tooth pinion as per the manual, the mesh is extremely tight to the point that it binds. However if using the 19 tooth holes, an 18 tooth pinion meshes perfectly.

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The Super Stock RZ has to be my favourite RC motor: the name, the windings, and of course those looks are just fantastic :wub: I put one in my since-departed Avante just because that car showed it off nicely!

And just like the motor choice, this is turning into a good-looking build! Watching with interest :)

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It is now looking even better!

2019-01-29_04-47-15

The rear gearbox is reassembled, fully ballraced with all-plastic gears apart from the pinion which is a steel RW Racing item. The screws are standard for now - I can perform the bolt-through mods with everything in situ if @Jason1145 wants them done. 

Both gearboxes are fitted to the chassis and joined with a Yeah Racing alloy propshaft. This looks a bit lonely at the moment being the only blue part, but it will soon have some company in the form of a Carson servo with blue alloy casing. 

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7 hours ago, TurnipJF said:

@Jason1145: A quick question regarding the rear gearbox.

As you probably know, there are a few mods that that can be done to increase it's longevity. These include drilling out one of the screw holes that attaches the cover and replacing the standard screw with a longer machine screw that takes a nut at the other end which helps delay the inevitable cracking of the gearbox moulding, and performing a similar operation to the left screw that attaches the rear shock tower, replacing it with a longer one with a nut on the end which helps stop the cover from lifting.

Would you like me to perform these mods or would you like the gearbox assembled as standard?

I've lost faith in these two mods after I did them on my Manta Ray and the rear gears still slipped with 4000kv on 2s... did it with brand new gear cases and gears.... I was so not happy about that I sold it... this TA01 you have is my 2nd and last chance saloon for this chassis!

Thats why I've gone for a tame ( in comparison) motor in the RZ hoping that running it on a weaker Nimh battery only it will not generate enough torque to lift that rear gear box top cover... what do you reckon? 

 

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The car looks so clean and shiny that's a fantastic job... did the tape residue come off the bottom of the chassis ok, not sure what the previous owner did taping anything down there ;)

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Thanks!

The tape residue came off easily with a bit of WD-40.

As for the gearbox mods, I see them as a way of prolonging the life of the parts, even on mild power, so if it were my car I'd do them anyway. Let me know what you decide.

 

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Ok let's do it, I'd like to see another's version of these mods to make absolutely sure I did mine right last time around ;)

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Bolt-through mods done to rear gearbox:

2019-01-30_02-31-47

 

2019-01-30_02-32-26

 

I don't know if they will prevent the eventual failure of the gearbox mouldings at some future point, but hopefully they will help delay that day for a while.

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The electrics are in.

2019-01-30_02-20-53

The camera makes the blue anodising of the servo and prop shaft look very different, but to the naked eye they are a close match.

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Looks beautiful, my baby is being well looked after! 

Yep those are the same rear gearbox mods I did before and still failed.. but I'm willing to accept my own failings prahaps in the execution... either way I'm glad they are now done again and will be given a less extreme test once back in my hands ;)

Turnip can you remember what size pinion I supplied so I can use this thread as my reference back again please?

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40 minutes ago, Jason1145 said:

Turnip can you remember what size pinion I supplied so I can use this thread as my reference back again please?

You supplied an 18t pinion, which I found fits best if the motor is mounted using the 19t hole position on the Pargu mount. The 18t position leads to an overly-tight mesh.

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Shocks are built and fitted, wheels are back on.

2019-01-30_05-13-04

 

2019-01-30_05-14-49

Despite my pre-project misgivings, the TT-02 CVA shocks fit perfectly with standard ends and no spacers. The TT-02 springs were far too short, but this wasn't a problem as the original springs fit the new shocks and give the required length. 

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Pleased to hear the shocks worked out well thanks for swapping the springs over.

So how do you feel about this vintage chassis, I just like the physical look of it with the old style layout, I would love to have track nearby to throw it around as by all accounts they manage quite well, parts are plentiful and well it's Tamiya so gotta love it.

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