M-chassis confusion

[DeadMeat666 1167]

Ok so I've got 2 buggies (a monsterized TT02B and a shelf queen DF03), the obligatory Lunchbox, and a 4wd touring car (which I swear I'll get around to building once I'm convinced that I have all the hopups I need for it lol).

The natural progression in my eyes is to dip my toes in the M-chassis category, but honestly I'm not sure where to begin: 

1. I'm a little concerned I might find them too similar to touring cars, or too toy-like due to their diminutive size. 

2. I'm a RWD kinda guy, but I've heard some horror stories about how difficult RWD cars are to set up in such a way that they don't end up oversteery messes. Ini which case, maybe FWD would be easier? Isn't FWD umm... boring? I don't know!

3. I know that the M07/M07R (FWD) and the M08 (RWD) are the latest right now, but would it be better to start with something simpler to build/setup? (I don't know how complex these little monsters are)

4. I like hopups/tweaking, so I'm interested to know which of the M cars I'm most likely to find upgrades for.

5. ANY other advice you can offer up would be very welcome!

Cheers,

Kamal

[Mad Ax 3041]

OK, two things:

1) Great Questions

2) Don't Panic

I will try to address some of your questions in no particular order.  I'll also assume you're talking bashing instead of racing?  Racing is a different ballgame and the answer is: buy what the rest of the class is running

RWD cars are harder to drive than 4WD or FWD, but don't let that put you off.  The right chassis, properly set up and on the right surface, is a dream to drive - you just need to drive accordingly and with more care.  RWD GT and F1 are popular race classes because people enjoy getting that perfect setup and nailing 5 minutes of perfect laps.

Now, M-chassis is far removed from GT or F1, but things have come on a long way since the M02/M04 days.  Those were basic chassis, made because they put the power to the right wheels for the intended body, not because they actually performed well.  I've never driven an M02 but the M04 was all but impossible on anything other than smooth tarmac.  The M06 was a well-designed car - some dedicated racers complained they were too basic, but at my local club under clubman rules (minimal hop-ups), an M06 was way faster than an M05.  The M08 is further along again.  That said, you need to check where you want to run - if you have access to tarmac you'll have a lot of fun, but don't expect it to drive well on gravel.  Even with significant mods, I'd expect a rally-fied M08 to be a bit of a handful.

If you do buy an RWD and find it too twitchy, you can install a gyro to smooth it out.  They're not that pricey.

As for FWD - I haven't driven an M07 yet so can't comment, but they follow a recent design pattern that Tamiya proved on their TA07 1:10 touring car.  I imagine it's a very capable car.  I do have M03s and an M05, and while these can be considered basic in terms of design, they certainly don't lack any fun.  Don't be fooled by playground top trumps: FWD is fun.  FWD RC is especially fun.  An M05 with a silvercan is not like a base-model Fiesta, it's more like an 80s XR2.  Power-on understeer and lift-off oversteer, super-quick steering response, body roll, tail-up braking, all the stuff the kids used to do in the Asda car parks in their mum's hatchback is now possible in the RC world (with the possible exception of the handbrake turn - see lift-off oversteer for alternative methods ).

An M03 or M05 might feel toy-like in terms of chassis design, unless you add some carbon hop-ups, but that shouldn't impact the fun.  Stick a hot motor in and you can shred a set of front tyres faster than a 17 year old leaving the McDonald's drive thru.  The M07 is no more or less complex than a TA07.

The diminutive size shouldn't make them feel toy-like either if you fit the right shell.  I'm not a fan of 1:12 touring bodies on M-chassis - there are plenty of 1:10 (ish) scale FWD cars for M-chassis. A classic Mini parked next to a 1:10 touring car looks just right.  HPI's awesome Civic body (if you can find one) is great too.

There should be plenty of Tamiya and aftermarket upgrades for all the current M-chassis line-up.

[Mark_C 196]

Can't help much but I have an M06 (Pumpkin Lowride) and the suspension on the rear is dreadful, it has pogo sticks instead of shocks which is bad enough, but the rear springs don't even fit, this results in the car sagging when put on its wheels, the rear suspension is very soft and has very little clearance - not enough to run over the tamiya spanner tool when its laid down! and the front actually sits higher than the back. It really is poor quality. I've added a set of yeah racing shocks which can actually hold the car up properly. If you're considering one of these I'd suggest you budget for replacement shocks.

The other thing you could look at is an XV01 with its funky front motored chassis?

 

[Juggular 3432]

@Mad Ax said it so well, I'll just put my 1 cent. 

M06, M07, M08 are fine. When it comes to the build, they are more like DF03 than DF02.  While M05 is less sophisticated, it is still fun for things like 2CV rally.  I often buy used RC cars, but I don't think I would buy cars before M05.  

I like M06.  I suppose Tamiya hadn't adjusted the suspension for the heavy Pumpkin shell, though.  I'm using Yeah Racing shocks too, which are decent enough.  I hadn't thought of M-chassis as minuscule because of the shells.  Unlike buggies which have tiny shells compared to their chassis, M chassis wear them big.   

There are many Hong Kong option part makers.  I only install heatsinks because the motors tend to be hidden away from the airflow. But you can find all sorts of blue-bling-blings for M05-M08.  They don't need a lot of power, if you put in at least anti-wear grease in the diff, they run fast enough.  M07 came with 100,000 oil, and M08 seems like it comes with #3,000 oil.  M06 has the rear motor hanging behind the rear wheels.  M05, M07 and M08 are mid-ship engined cars because they have their motors and batteries at the center of the chassis.  The driving characteristics should be less severe than M06. 

Having said that, when it's rear wheel rear motored chassis, it should show.  Alpine A110, Renault 5 turbo, NSU Prinz TT, Lancia Stratos, VW beetle, Karmann Ghia should run like they have engine at the tail, twerking the chassis from the rear.  Sadly, only about half of those cars have M06 chassis.  A110 was initially released with M05, so were NSU Prinz TT and Renault 5 Turbo which was release only months ago.  (I'm starting to think Tamiya is mixing FF and RR chassis intentionally!) 

For some reason, FF and RR driving characteristics seem more pronounced with M chassis than buggies.  So if you had 4WD, RR will be quite different. Taming that will require more skills. I wouldn't upgrade the motor just yet either. It will take some getting used to.  

In all, I'm glad that I dipped my toe into M-chassis.  

 

[SupraChrgd82 842]

I recently purchased an M07R and two M08's.  These are my first M Chassis cars, but I have had several touring cars in the past so it's not unfamiliar ground.  I also come from the old mentality that RWD is better, but in this case the M07R has changed my mind in the case of on-road RC's.

The M07R is a spectacular little car.  I do like it much more than the M08.  My setup is: 225mm, OEM geometry and fluids, NiMH 6-cell, 17.5t TBLM, aluminum screws, and 60D tires.  It handles like a slot car, rarely oversteering; it's very neutral and very grippy.  I actually enjoy driving it more than my last touring car (ae TC5).  The only "con" I had found is that brushed motors run hot due to lack of airflow, thus I changed mine to a brushless.  The only mod I consider "necessary" is a motor heatsink from Tamiya or Yeah Racing.

The M08, on the other hand has a similar set-up but with 210mm, 21.5t TBLM and S-grip tires.  The rear washes out frequently and is very sensitive to abrupt throttle inputs.  I'm still waiting for a front sway bar to arrive, but I'm not confident it will add the rear grip it needs.

[Fabia130vRS 1471]

I am very tempted to own a M06 and the M07/08.

 

I recently sold my M03 and am left only with my M05ver2.

I have a 10T carson brushless SL system in it and run it on a shorty lipo 5000mah and 100C.

 

Two days ago I made a speed run; and hit easily 67kmh with it. It has the speed gears and medium pinion. A final FDR of 4.99

I believe on 3s it would come closer two 90kmh but the gearbox could fail. 

the power did rip the tire off the rim even tho it was glued.

[TurnipJF 5013]

 I have a bit of a thing for M-chassis cars, with my fleet featuring M-03 through 7 with 8 on the way, and of course the MF-01X. Each has its own character and charm.

The 03 is simple, rugged and hard to set up wrong as there isn't much to adjust - they just work. The 04 is the opposite - hard to set up right as there isn't much to adjust - they fight you at every turn, and even on the straights sometimes, so if you manage a clean lap with one, you can feel really proud of yourself. The 05 is a bit more advanced but also super forgiving - mine can attack a track at full throttle, going exactly where I tell it to, with no drama. The 06 is a little bit more exciting, but far more co-operative than the 04. The 07 is a full racing chassis with loads of adjustment, so you can make it as forgiving or as responsive as you wish - in theory. However this requires a thorough knowledge of setup techniques and ideally a setup station, neither of which I claim to possess. I have yet to build the M08, but it looks to be in a similar vein.

[DeadMeat666 1167]

I'd like to thank everyone on this thread for taking the time to reply in detail; it's helped me a whole bunch!

I've pretty much got my mind made up on either the M07R or the M08, with a slight lean towards the M08 (even though this chassis has the least info on it atm)

I'll post a final update on this thread as to what I actually end up getting. 

Cheers,

Kamal

[qatmix 420]

The M08 is great. Not as simple to drive as the M07 (which is incredible), but on the right surface it’s quicker. I would not build it at 210mm, I would run it at 239 if possible. 
 

https://www.thercracer.com/2019/06/58669-tamiya-m08-build-tips-review.html?m=0

[DeadMeat666 1167]

Just to update this thread, I've done some more research and slept on it, and I've just put in an order with RCMart for an M07R.

Completely bone-stock for now, with the exception of a pack of Hiro Seiko titanium hex screws. I also ordered an M3 thread tapper. Will I need any other sizes or should that be enough?

Edit: I was still unsure about the whole M07R vs. M08, but the fact that the M08 just sold out at RCMart tipped the scales for me lol.

Besides, I've never had an FF car before, so this should be interesting.

Edited July 1, 2020 by DeadMeat666

[Fabia130vRS 1471]

I do love FF cars, apart from the F103s I own they are RWD. 
 

sold

all the 4x4

[DeadMeat666 1167]

Ok so the plot thickens...

I just received an email from RCMart apologizing for not being able to ship my M07R because they are out of stock, even though that wasn't the case when I placed the order!

So no M07R, and no M08. Do I wait, or do I settle for an M05/M06?

But I really had my heart set on a blingy M07R! lol

[Fabia130vRS 1471]

Is Tamico a option, maybe they do have it or T2Shop

[DeadMeat666 1167]

3 minutes ago, Fabia130vRS said:

Is Tamico a option, maybe they do have it or T2Shop

T2Shop do indeed have it in stock, but the difference in price is about USD100 shipped, which I can't justify honestly. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[TurnipJF 5013]

7 hours ago, DeadMeat666 said:

Ok so the plot thickens...

I just received an email from RCMart apologizing for not being able to ship my M07R because they are out of stock, even though that wasn't the case when I placed the order!

So no M07R, and no M08. Do I wait, or do I settle for an M05/M06?

But I really had my heart set on a blingy M07R! lol

To be honest, while I am very fond of my M-07, and it is very quick around the track when I concentrate, my M-05 is more forgiving. While it may not be capable of the blistering pace of the M-07, it is easier to drive consistently, so overall I tend to do more laps with it in a given time frame than I do with the M-07.

The M-06 too is a cracking little car, especially in rally trim where it handles much like a small buggy. Again not as fast as the 07 on a good lap, but lots of fun!

So unless you are about to undertake a serious race career, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the 05 or the 06. Especially considering the amount of alloy and carbon you can add to them. You can easily bling them out to M-07R standard and beyond. 

[berman 3243]

I have the 3/4/5 and 6. Would love to get the 7 and 8 (and the 1 and 2).

My least favourite is the M05. then the M03, I think I enjoy the M04 the most because i can drift it. The M06 handles the best because of the m chassis dampers and m and s grip tyres. 

Only the M03 and M06 are modded, the other two stock.

None of this means anything to anyone but me, as they are all apples and oranges. 😄

Would like to spend more money and time on these four, and get the chassis' I dont have.

Quite addictive little cars, that's for sure!

 

[SupraChrgd82 842]

12 hours ago, DeadMeat666 said:

Ok so the plot thickens...

I just received an email from RCMart apologizing for not being able to ship my M07R because they are out of stock, even though that wasn't the case when I placed the order!

So no M07R, and no M08. Do I wait, or do I settle for an M05/M06?

But I really had my heart set on a blingy M07R! lol

Where are you located?  Tower Hobbies has them with a decent coupon code discount.  Do they distrubute to your area?

[DeadMeat666 1167]

1 minute ago, SupraChrgd82 said:

Tower Hobbies has them with a decent coupon code discount.  Do they distrubute to your area?

I just checked Tower Hobbies when I read your reply. Their site says availability in Early August. So it seems like they don't actually have any in stock.

I've decided to get a normal M07 and trick it up to M07R spec (and beyond) with separate hop ups.

Speaking of which, I've noticed that the availabe Tamiya carbon shock towers for the M07 come in two sizes: for "TRF long shocks" and "for TRF short shocks", except that it doesn't say anywhere WHICH TRF shocks would work with which towers. 

Anyone have an experience with this that can point me in the right direction?

[Raman36 629]

On 6/30/2020 at 3:11 AM, Mark_C said:

Can't help much but I have an M06 (Pumpkin Lowride) and the suspension on the rear is dreadful, it has pogo sticks instead of shocks which is bad enough, but the rear springs don't even fit, this results in the car sagging when put on its wheels, the rear suspension is very soft and has very little clearance - not enough to run over the tamiya spanner tool when its laid down! and the front actually sits higher than the back. It really is poor quality. I've added a set of yeah racing shocks which can actually hold the car up properly. If you're considering one of these I'd suggest you budget for replacement shocks.

The other thing you could look at is an XV01 with its funky front motored chassis?

 

I raced an M06 for 7 years with great success. Front what I’m reading,  I believe you need to work on setting up the car and using proper spring rates. Can PM you my set up of you like 

[Raman36 629]

On 7/1/2020 at 10:28 AM, qatmix said:

The M08 is great. Not as simple to drive as the M07 (which is incredible), but on the right surface it’s quicker. I would not build it at 210mm, I would run it at 239 if possible. 
 

https://www.thercracer.com/2019/06/58669-tamiya-m08-build-tips-review.html?m=0

Competed with M08 in TCS 3 weeks ago!  8 Cars, 2 M08s. My M08 was spot on.. was way under weight even, unlike my M06 which was always 🐷 

I placed 4th overall.. top 3 were ace drivers.. if you were piloting my car, you would have placed first. 
 

Love my M08.. long live RWD.  

I did win concours! (Not sure why the last pic is turned)

 

 

[Re-Bugged 3818]

Watching the M08, 07 & 05 racing side by side there’s not much between them I’d say,

 

[DeadMeat666 1167]

I'd like to point out that I don't race. The part I love most about this hobby is the build, and this is why I'm gravitating towards the later chassis cars, which I assume have more elegant and refined mechanisms. I'm also assuming that having an FF chassis like the M07 would add some variety to my existing lineup, while also being sufficiently capable for some "technical" bashing around some cones in a parking lot.

Please correct my understanding if I'm wrong.

PS: I'll probably end up buying the M08 as well down the line if the m chassis concept takes my fancy, probably around the time an "M08R Concept" is introduced.

[Fabia130vRS 1471]

7 hours ago, Raman36 said:

Competed with M08 in TCS 3 weeks ago!  8 Cars, 2 M08s. My M08 was spot on.. was way under weight even, unlike my M06 which was always 🐷 

I placed 4th overall.. top 3 were ace drivers.. if you were piloting my car, you would have placed first. 
 

Love my M08.. long live RWD.  

I did win concours! (Not sure why the last pic is turned)

 

 

Havent seen this body looking better on a M chassis before. 

[Raman36 629]

10 hours ago, DeadMeat666 said:

I'd like to point out that I don't race. The part I love most about this hobby is the build, and this is why I'm gravitating towards the later chassis cars, which I assume have more elegant and refined mechanisms. I'm also assuming that having an FF chassis like the M07 would add some variety to my existing lineup, while also being sufficiently capable for some "technical" bashing around some cones in a parking lot.

Please correct my understanding if I'm wrong.

PS: I'll probably end up buying the M08 as well down the line if the m chassis concept takes my fancy, probably around the time an "M08R Concept" is introduced.

For the purpose you mentioned, the M07 would be the best candidate, then M05

[Raman36 629]

9 hours ago, Fabia130vRS said:

Havent seen this body looking better on a M chassis before. 

Thank you! That was the challenge I set out on