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92192 Tamiya TNS-FD Nissan GT-R

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So while my other builds wait for hard to find parts I thought I would start another. Those that know me on the site and Facebook groups will know that I pretty much only collect Tamiya nitro and that I am actively trying to get one of every kit released.

I have really good records of all the released kits, the prices of them, release dates, engines fitted, exhaust fitted etc and I have these in a spreadsheet that tracks my collection and what I still need. Then, one day, I was browsing the auctions in Japan and spotted this

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92192 a TNS-FD kit that I know nothing about. A quick google brought up nothing, nothing on Tamiya's website, the RC guide books or the Prefect albums. I then started to trawl back through past Yahoo Japan auctions and found a another one that had sold.

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At this point I had recorded all the details and started to get the parts ready to build one myself. The kit is basically a TNS-FD chassis (fitted with the FS-15FD engine) with a Nissan GT-R R35 body and the optional blue heatsink head. Straight away there was a few subtle things to reproduce in this build. The cars wing mirrors and rear wing weren't painted, and when I looked at the underside picture it was fitted with treaded tyres and the LED light buckets (but no LED set).

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So to start replicating this for my collection I need a few bits, mainly a base chassis and Ebay came up trumps.

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I already have the heatsink head and some new parts including a new chassis plate and mechanism tub. Wheels and tyres are on the way so able to make progress quickly.

Next job will be stripping the chassis so stay tuned.

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29 minutes ago, acprc said:

So while my other builds wait for hard to find parts I thought I would start another.

YES! keep the parts at bay and another build will be on the way, that's what i say.

it use to bother me when waiting and hunting for parts, now it gives me an excuse to start another ride.

That's a Killer chassis on that car

Quote

 

 

 

 

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I've heard of the TNS, I'm guessing the FD is something relating to the type of engine fitted?

Has the body had a window cut out or a large circle drilled into the windscreen? Also notice it's been fitted with the light buckets, but presumably not the LEDs since it won't have a power source?

Watching with interest

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20 minutes ago, ChrisRx718 said:

I've heard of the TNS, I'm guessing the FD is something relating to the type of engine fitted?

Has the body had a window cut out or a large circle drilled into the windscreen? Also notice it's been fitted with the light buckets, but presumably not the LEDs since it won't have a power source?

Watching with interest

The TNS road cars came with two engine options.There are 9 kits in total and the first 6 were fitted with the FS-12SW engine and just called TNS. The last 3 (well its three with this one) with the FS-12FD engine and are listed as TNS-FD. My thoughts are that Tamiya discontinued the FS-12SW as it wasn't being used in anything else and fitted the FS-12FD because it was being used in the TNS buggy range. It kept things simpler and cheaper. The FD range of engines and the FR-32 range are all made by Force.

The side window on the XBG kit has been cut out but no other holes from the Factory. The instructions generally do tell you to open up another though. Unless I find a Factory Finished XBG Nissan body (highly unlikely and probably not even issued) I will be using the normal Nissan GT-R body.

Yes it looks like it has the LED buckets fitted, but no control unit.

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So after a busy week I finally got some time today to strip the car down. Nothing glamorous about it and its usually a messy job. I use a powered screwdriver for disassembly and sort the parts into relevant pots.

Started with this:

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and after about 20 mins and 3 pairs of disposable gloves I was left with the following:

The engine, This is the FS-12FD. It will be stripped and restored using the optional Blue head I already have.

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A large pot of screws. All of these will go through the ultrasonic cleaner. Once clean I will then check them over and make a decision on using them or not. Its mainly the chassis base screws that get replaced but it depends on which ones had been butchered by the previous owner. There are a few!

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Metal parts. Again they will all be cleaned using the Ultrasonic and then checked over and if need be polished or chemically blackened again.

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Its at this point I noticed the main spur gear has had it! Not uncommon at all on nitro cars due to poor engine alignment.

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A pot of electronics. Two servo's, an RX and a switch. Everything will be hand cleaned and then tested before going back in

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A load of plastic parts that initially I will keep. Will go through the ultrasonic in batches and then be inspected. The lower arms may get replaced due to some scratches. The fuel tank will go in denture cleaner after the ultrasonic. Shocks will be stripped and then cleaned.

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And lastly a pile of parts to go straight in the bin. Chassis plate, body mounts, bumpers and tub I have new, brass bushings will be replaced with bearings. Fuel tube is always replaced with new correct Tamiya colour tube.

IMG-6197.jpg

More cleaning over the weekend.

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Got the first few ultrasonic batches done. Fresh water and machine cleaner on the metal parts. 30 mins at 50 degrees. From this:

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To this

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Parts out, rinsed and dried. some of these, like the U shaped pins will be chemically blackened again before refitting.

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Screws went through the same process with the shocks. Diffs went in again

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Now I need to sort the screws and check them over. As I expected looks like the base screws will be replaced. I don't throw them away though, they go in a box for cars that get sold off in case I need any for them. Diffs will be stripped, checked and regreased. Shocks will be stripped and rebuilt. Already looks like I need at least one yellow spring.

Also put all the new bits in a box ready for rebuild. Bumpers, chassis plate, wheels, tyres, radio box and engine head.

IMG-6202.jpg

Plastic parts to go through the Ultrasonic today

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Plastic parts have started to go through the Ultrasonic. Only difference is I use standard dish soap on them with water not parts cleaner. The servos and RX have been cleaned by hand

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and then the servos have been tested. All work fine

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The tank was hand washed to remove loose dirt and has now gone in denture cleaner for 24hrs.

IMG-6204.jpg 

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Cleaned up the brake disc, centre drive shaft and brake rod with a Micromesh polishing stick. 

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and the first batch of plastic parts finished and drying.

IMG-6208.jpg

 

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Started building up sub assemblies. New screws and seal on the fuel tank lid, brake assy rebuilt and the front and rear diffs opened, checked and regreased.

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Gearbox housings cleaned up ok and will go back on the car

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and the radio gear went back in the new centre tub.

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A while ago I reproduced the European CE mark that Tamiya add to all XBG kits imported to Europe. I also added one to the tub

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Progress. Lots of news screws ordered and one of the front arms had cracked badly so a new set is also on the way.

 

 

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26 minutes ago, ChrisRx718 said:

Has the TNS basically have TL01LA suspension? Looks mighty similar.

Same suspension as the early TB Evolution

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Got the two U shaped bars for attaching the suspension bars done this morning. used a chemical blackening solution to get them looking like new again.

Before

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and after

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This method is so much better than paint and gives old parts a nice factory new look.

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11 hours ago, svenb said:

Is that bluing? 

Similar. I guess its closer to antiquing metal but its just a commercially available metal blackening solution.

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Made some progress. A load of new screws turned up!

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and the extra bearings I needed for the front and rear gearbox

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Noticed something about one of the front shocks! I think I have a spare damper shaft to fix it

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Tank went back onto the centre radio tub and looks much better

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Front gearbox fitted to the chassis along with a new bumper

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and the same with the rear gearbox

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Centre Tub fitted, just some wiring to complete

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and all put together with black screws, just like the kit pictures I have. One screw needs to be finished off, thats deliberate.

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Shocks to do this weekend along with taking the engine to bits. The engine usually needs a few tools and these are what I use. This is a picture from my TGS restoration and I wont need a new backplate gasket for the FD range of cars.

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Need to order some new yellow springs and then I will be well on the way to finishing the chassis.

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I am so confused by this chassis.

It uses TB01/TG10 gearbox cases, diffs and bumpers with basically TL01LA suspension uprights and hub carriers but not the arms.

Why? Why did Tamiya make these? Were they released before, after or alongside the TG10? Are the XB only or did some come as kits?

 

Loving the work btw. I am a fan of following your builds and restores.

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57 minutes ago, TwistedxSlayer said:

I am so confused by this chassis.

It uses TB01/TG10 gearbox cases, diffs and bumpers with basically TL01LA suspension uprights and hub carriers but not the arms.

Why? Why did Tamiya make these? Were they released before, after or alongside the TG10? Are the XB only or did some come as kits?

 

Loving the work btw. I am a fan of following your builds and restores.

Thanks for the comment on the thread, appreciate it.

For me I think its all about gap filling and cost saving. The kits are all XBG and were only issued ready built. There is about a year between the release date of the last TG-10 Mk1 and the first TNS chassis car. The TNS buggy range came two years later. I think it was simply a case of using mostly stock parts to create a kit that filled the nitro chassis gap for Tamiya until the TG-10 Mk2 came along. The TNS range stopped about a year after the TG-10 Mk2 came out.

The TNS chassis kits evolved and quickly moved from the old TGS engines and switched to the newer FD engines provided by Force. These engines also powered the TNS buggies and the TNX 5.2 and Nitrage. It probably meant sense for Tamiya to have more from Force to keep the costs down. They could also at that point discontinue the older FS-12S and FS-12SW engines.

The TNS range of cars I think was woefully unloved. Not that many in Japan or the USA come up for sale and I think Europe was the main market for them. The buggies are pretty similar with most appearing in the UK and Germany. The French distributor T2M did a yellow body version of the Mad Spirit and these do seem to have made it into the UK. I have one here https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=133723&id=4

Tamiya has four ready built kits in its lineup that can still be purchased and three are TNS chassis. All four however are listed as production pause on the website.https://www.tamiya.com/japan/products/list.html?genre_item=205005

There are only three nitro kits that are possible to order and all three show as No Stock https://tamiyashop.jp/shop/c/c205010/

The last new Nitro kit was 84423 released late December 2015 which I think shows the Japanese market for them at the moment. There is no getting away from the fact that brushless motors have given the speed without the noise or dirty fiddling.

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Interesting information. Thank you.

 

It would not be a surprise to find Tamiya using excessive left over spares to make up chassis’s and market them.

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1 minute ago, TwistedxSlayer said:

Interesting information. Thank you.

 

It would not be a surprise to find Tamiya using excessive left over spares to make up chassis’s and market them.

If only I knew the release date of the Nissan!

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16 minutes ago, TwistedxSlayer said:

I’d be interested to know that too.

 

you wouldn’t happen to have any spare rear uprights would you?

No none spare. Also look for the TB Evo 2 rear uprights on the F Parts tree Part number 0005854. Black but exactly the same part pretty much.

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3 minutes ago, acprc said:

No none spare. Also look for the TB Evo 2 rear uprights on the F Parts tree Part number 0005854. Black but exactly the same part pretty much.

Thank you

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So some more progress. Got the engine stripped apart. This was the starting point

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Pretty dirt to be honest but complete. Exhaust was off but was that mucky I couldn't get the screw out without forcing it. This will get some focused attention after the Ultrasonic.

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Then the glowplug comes out and the piston locker replaces it. This allows the front end of the engine to come apart.

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and the clutch parts come off. You can see how dirty the paper it was sat on is starting to get!

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Carb comes off. The Force engines use a retainer pin with a 6mm nut. I use a 6mm nut spinner to get these off as its easy to damage the nut otherwise

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Recoil and one way bearing off. These are held on with 4 screws. Recoil woks fine and will be cleaned by hand. One way will go in the Ultrasonic.

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Head off. Now the Nissan uses the optional head so this one will be lightly refurbished, painted and then put in storage.

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It was at this point my hands were so dirty I couldnt touch the phone anymore to take pictures! Apologies but the next step was the Ultrasonic. 30mins at 50 Degrees and then a change of fluid and repeat.

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The water was certainly black! This is what it rinsed out of the engine 

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The engines parts were then rinsed, covered in WD-40 to stop any corrosion and left to dry. Rebuild on that soon

Next the replacement shock spring had arrived, it was better than the original

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and so the shocks were cleaned, rebuilt and filled with fresh oil.

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Just awaiting the new springs now. Picked some of my reproduction warning decals

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and fitted them to the chassis

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More updates to come this weekend.

 

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9 hours ago, gregdogghurst said:

Excellent

Thanks

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