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CakeOrDeath

First Build - Rally

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I swear this stuff was easier back in the 80s, when I was a teenager... 

I've rediscovered the R/C scene after doing some local club racing way back when - firstly with a modded Frog (God, I loved that car) and then a HotShot. Now I'm back, I want to put together a basher/shelf queen just for me, and it has to be a rally spec car. Just because. I've been looking at the options, and I swear this used to be far less complicated, even when using epoxy to fix cracked parts in between races, and my dad was helping me solder battery cells together at home. 

The confusion is everywhere... where to start? Get a TT02 Quattro (comes with body, ESC) and spend loads on shiny blue bits? Get the TT02 Type S , spend less on shiny bits, but have to buy the ESC and body? Or (possibly my best option) go for the XV01 Integrale, buy the Quattro body for the shelf, and use the Inte to run with? I have pages of lists, of parts, prices, options, thoughts. I've spent hours looking through all sorts of sites, forums, reading reviews, watching videos. It's now time to get the wallet out and dive in. 

Why do I get the feeling that this will be the first of many? 

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It depends on how much you want to spend.  If the XV-01 is an option then I'd say get it.  I have two TT-02 rallys with a few hop-ups and a TT-02R rally.  As nice as they are, the tubs pickup all sorts of debris, especially when running in an area with small stones and pebbles.  They'll get caught under the drive shaft, and jam up the servo locking the steering.  I'm looking into getting a Dusty Motors chassis cover to see if that makes a difference.

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Are there undertrays fur Tamiyacars?? (Like the Topforce has)

I Bought a M-05RE Renault and it has a Lexan Skidplate and a second cover but no Undertray.

 

Is there a Undertray for TTo2s or TL01s?

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If you want something that will run really well, get the XV01.  I recently finished building an XV01T and it was a superb build - so many options for adjustment and it looks like a good chassis without spending loads on hop-ups.  I'd buy another (Integrale version) if they weren't so expensive.  Somebody recently mentioned a weak point in the gearbox if using hot motors.  As a dedicated rally chassis, it should be so much better from the box than a TT02.

OTOH, the TT02 has been used lots for entry-level rallying and a few simple mods should make it useable as a basher.  You don't have to add all the bling parts if you don't want to, with a mod to increase shock travel it should be good enough on gravel.

Whatever you get, remember to have fun :)

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Alternately, pick up a DF03Ra (member @paul_m has a new build in the sales section for a very good price). Better adjustability, handling and ground clearance than a TT02, being based on a buggy chassis, but simpler to maintain than an XV01 being shaft not belt driven. Also it has the benefit of being able to shorten wheelbase for Porsche 911 or Datsun 240Z bodies, which the XV01 or TT02 Type-S can't.

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I’ve not much to add to what has been said other than I echo @Mad Ax, the XV-01 is a great build, I also built a T version though have still yet to run it in anger. Some lovely hop-ups available and a great build which takes some time. I built a TT-0x in no time but still enjoyed it.
The blackholesun build log and the threads on rctech (I think, from memory) are a great resource for XV-01 info.

TBH, your posts reads like it is heading in that direction!

OTOH a TT02 would be a cheaper route into what would be a fun car. A taster, first of the fleet...

And great choice of user name 😉!

 

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The XV01 is my all-time favorite chassis. Check out my (re)build thread for some little tricks. You'll absolutely love the car. BTW, I'm still using the original reinforced belt from '13 or '14, and it's got a million miles on it.

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While the XV-01 is generally acknowledged as the bee's knees in Tamiya's rally lineup due to its weight distribution echoing that of a fullsize WRC rally car, I have been more than happy with cheaper fare. The M-03 and M-05 for example, with their FWD and forward weight bias work remarkably well off-road, don't pick up a great deal of debris due to their non-tub chassis, and accurately replicate the handling of FWD rally cars. RWD chassis such as the M-04 and M-06 also make fun rally cars, albeit somewhat more difficult to drive, and are also scale-appropriate in terms of weight distribution and drivetrain if you choose the right bodyshell such as the Beetle or Renault Alpine.

Then there are 4WD 257mm chassis that might lack the forward weight bias of the XV-01, but nonetheless work well offroad. The TB-01, DF-03RA, TL-01 and TA-01/2 are such examples. Even the TT-01 works well as a rally car with a few minor mods - better than the TT-02 surprisingly. Chassis debris is an issue with uncovered tubs, but a few minutes with velcro, breathable fabric and a sewing machine sorts this out with minimal expense.

 

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One thing to bear in mind when deciding on chassis is clearance for the ground you want to be on. When you chance the ride height on the TT as per the manual your left with the bottom screw protruding so only realistically have the tyre height as ground clearance

IMG_20200516_195213.jpg

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I too have an XV01-T,

IMG_1640.JPG.4ca8e0f66a2624f12bb9da9978137c55.JPG

looks very similar to @Mad Ax's but differnt colurway. Gets my vote. I have a TT02-T with an RS200 body

IMG_1998.JPG.5917e5771b5adf725f5c7f67f8a01ff4.JPG 

as well and although its good to drive the XV01 has it beaten

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On 5/16/2020 at 7:54 PM, Wetman said:

One thing to bear in mind when deciding on chassis is clearance for the ground you want to be on. When you chance the ride height on the TT as per the manual your left with the bottom screw protruding so only realistically have the tyre height as ground clearance

IMG_20200516_195213.jpg

Indeed - this is one of the reasons why a mildly modded TT-01 can out-rally a TT-02 built to rally spec. On the TT-01, you trim the downstops on the chassis to increase droop, which leaves no odd screws protruding from the hubs as on the TT-02.

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Thanks to all for the insights. I've given it the weekend to think things over, and cost be damned, if I'm only going to have one (for now... ha ha) then it's going to be the XV-01. I'm now looking at the Long Damper version as Tamico have it in stock, means I can go for whatever body I want to and not have anything left over. 

I'm also going to get a few tasteful additions, to make it look nice on the shelf. The alu suspension mounts (54379) are proving hard to locate at the moment as everyone has sold out, but I'll get some carbon damper stays and a few nice blue bits to make it shine. Having said that, some of the key improvements are out of stock too - the aly pulleys (54450), the steel bevel gears (54428), the CVDs (54515/6). It's going to be fun putting it all together. I'll certainly use the threads on the XV-01 for guidance when it's in progress. 

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Just a quick question - how on earth do any of you manage to buy something and not go for every "shiny thing" in the shop at the same time? 

I only ask because somehow I've ordered a Long Damper spec XV-01 chassis today, and have managed to spend, in total, double the price of the chassis... and that's without ordering the RC set yet. Or the servo. Or batteries. 

**** that shiny blue aluminium. I'm such a magpie. This had better look **** good when it's all together. 

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38 minutes ago, CakeOrDeath said:

Just a quick question - how on earth do any of you manage to buy something and not go for every "shiny thing" in the shop at the same time? 

I imagine how it will look after a few runs. Will the shiny blue bits have become scratched-up eyesores? Will they have broken, or passed collision forces onto other more difficult-to-replace parts that have broken instead? Have they conferred no performance advantage, or worse, reduced performance so I am being beaten by less blingy cars?

By researching the effects of the shiny bits, or making common sense predictions in the absence of hard data from other users, I think I do a fair job of picking genuine hop-ups, avoiding the hop-downs and hop-sidewayses.

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24 minutes ago, TurnipJF said:

I imagine how it will look after a few runs. Will the shiny blue bits have become scratched-up eyesores? Will they have broken, or passed collision forces onto other more difficult-to-replace parts that have broken instead? Have they conferred no performance advantage, or worse, reduced performance so I am being beaten by less blingy cars?

By researching the effects of the shiny bits, or making common sense predictions in the absence of hard data from other users, I think I do a fair job of picking genuine hop-ups, avoiding the hop-downs and hop-sidewayses.

Shame on you , coming on here with your clear thinking and facts. We’re here for vicarious thrills and knowing other people are making just as bad decisions as we are!

  • Haha 4

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I have a few ‘performance-oriented’ hop-ups on my XV-01T. Once assembled, you can’t really see the blue goodness.

847601F8-3649-444B-996E-047AE6EBAA35.jpg

II could have just built it ‘stock’ and had a perfectly workable truck but hopping it up was part of the fun of the build and I followed some of the established threads to pick what I wanted to switch out based on merit.

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22 minutes ago, Badcrumble said:

I have a few ‘performance-oriented’ hop-ups on my XV-01T. Once assembled, you can’t really see the blue goodness.

847601F8-3649-444B-996E-047AE6EBAA35.jpg

II could have just built it ‘stock’ and had a perfectly workable truck but hopping it up was part of the fun of the build and I followed some of the established threads to pick what I wanted to switch out based on merit.

Lovely

I am beginning to see the appeal of the T version

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