DT03 Baja Bug project

[bikerclubby 40]

Been lurking here for a few months and thought it was time to share my build. 

Firstly, this is my first build so be kind and also a lot has been done but I'll try and run through it in order.

I used to lust after Tamiya kits as a kid, but was never allowed one. The furthest I got was one of the lovely catalogues. Can't remember the year now, but it featured the 959 and Boomerang. I want to say '88 but not sure. There has been an ongoing RC thread on the Singletrack bike website and I've almost bought in the past but never got around to it. Even though I've been working through lockdown, I decided now was the time to treat myself to a kit. Stock has obviously been an issue but I also didn't want to spend too much incase I got bored quickly. Loved the look of the Sand Scorcher but was a bit put off by the price. A bit of reading suggested it didn't make a great basher anyway. In the end I plumped for a Racing Fighter, as it came with Torque Tuned motor and CVA's as standard and only really needed bearings added to make it a decent runner. 

Kit arrived and I was a bit taken aback by just how many bits there were.

 

Some assembly required by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Build manual was fantastic and logical and with the help of many little pots and a magnetic bowl, the bags were all neatly sorted and the build progressed over a few nights worth of work. Not going to bore you with the build process, there's been tons of DT03's before. Didn't fancy the kit art orange, so went for blue instead, which after a while on here seems like a common colour. Went with Tamiya Metallic Blue for the body and Black for the wing. Was nervous about the paint process but initially pretty pleased with the result. A few months worth of crashes have wrecked the wing though, with a lot of flaking. Think I might have gone too think with the initial coats.

 

Paint and body by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Kit stickers were a bit fussy and a complete PITA to cut, so kept it simple.

 

Finished by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Ran it for a bit and discovered just how crap the kit tyres are, so bought a set of blue wheels to try other front tyres. Went for a Schumacher Cut Stagger in yellow compound and it transformed the car. On the spare rears went a set of Proline Sand Slingers for use on the beach. These are great fun and make tremendous rooster tails. Car was bottoming out all the time and running really low, so I took the advice from other build threads and bought a set of DF03 springs. Swapped about a bit and settled on the medium set all round. Also tried out a stiffer damper oil, but didn't like it and went back to the kit oil. 

 

Rear diff is very loose and very wayward, so tried a thick grease in the diff. This didn't do much and when I stripped it back down it had all been pushed to the very outside of the casing by the spinning forces. Bought a bottle of 500000cst diff "oil" and half filled the diff. Although the diff isn't sealed this stuff is more like glue than oil and has stayed put with no issues. It has also made a big difference on loose surfaces where both wheels now spin. Made getting out of patches of weeds much easier. Also went to a 19t steel pinion at the same time. Many of the tweets are pretty cheap, but shipping adds up, so Ive tended to things in batches to keeps costs down. Tried the wheel weight trick as well and managed to add 40g secreted around the front of the car. In all honesty I can't tell if it made a difference or not, but it can't hurt.

 

I run a lot on a BMX track and it's a pretty tricky surface. Thought I'd try out truck tyres on the rear but didn't quite realise how much bigger they were! 

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

I'd fitted the truck tyres on a buggy wheel which wasn't ideal and the car grip rolled really easily. Only one solution, truck wheels front and back! Bought a set of Blitzer wheels and uprights on eBay and fitted the used plastic bushings front the build to space for the buggy wheels.

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

It was also my birthday, so my wife bought me a Absima Thrust Eco brushless combo and I ditched the kit rear tyres for a set of Proline blockade. With both kit tyres now in the box, I also had a spare set of wheels and wanted a set of street tyres that would also handle light dirt use. Was really taken with Prolines Chain Link and Angle but had to get them from Germany.  By this time I had mismatched wheels and tyres of all combinations, so into the oven they went (while the wife was out all day) and I re-glued them in matching sets. 

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

The increase in power with the brushless was immediately obvious but hard to control. I had to switch to the softest punch setting or the car would just flip. I thought at 3400kv the motor would be ok in the DT03, but on any dirt surface the car was really wayward. Lots of barrel rolls followed and the wing got worse and worse. One of my reasons for going BL was to clear the double jumps at the BMX track. Now I had all the speed I needed, but couldn't keep the car in a straight line. Cleared the jump a few times, but the car was now actually less fun. Final straw came last week when it lost control on grass and hit a tree, breaking the front axle. Was probably a bit vulnerable anyway as I had spaced the wheel out, but I put the motor and eco back to standard. When doing this I also noticed I had cracked the nose at some point, but at least the chassis is still in one solid piece (for now).

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

 

Like I said at the beginning, I love the look of the Sand Scorcher. During my buying phase I also took a punt on a lexan Kamtec Baja shell. For less than 20 quid delivered, it was worth a try. Have been trimming bits while I have had a few spare minutes here and there and now have it rough trimmed. Still needs evened up, but I intend to do that once it's mounted securely.  Rear needed a lot of cutting to clear the gearbox housing but fairly happy with the result. Will sand and smooth the edges once the final cuts are done. Need to re-fit the truck tyres and check clearances before deciding on mounting holes. Front mounts are easy, the kit has spare posts for use with an Aqroshot body and these line up great. The rear I still have to work out. Might be able to remove the kit wing, but use the mounting bracket somehow. Also thought about using velcro on the gearbox, but not sure how secure this would be? 

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr 

 

Still a way to go, but with a full time job and a one year old, things tend to tick along at a slow pace. Also, now have a spare fast motor looking for a new home but nowhere with kits in stock. 

 

 

 

[Seanster43 222]

Was there any of the tyre combos that gave you more stability than the others? These cars are quite light at the front too some people add additional weights, thats a pitty about the axle. The baja body looks a bit different what colour you thinking for that? 

[Krustybus 205]

Lol I know the STW thread you mean, I think I've posted on there myself 😜

I've fitted Vee4's on the back of my Blitzer but ended up in a discussion with a couple of guys in the Facebook group saying they're not ideal on the back as the side knobs dig in and cause grip roll. I've only run them once on loose asphalt and they weren't any better than the stock tyres. I'm going to take them off when the family go out and I can chuck them in a pan lol

[bikerclubby 40]

2 hours ago, Seanster43 said:

Was there any of the tyre combos that gave you more stability than the others? These cars are quite light at the front too some people add additional weights, thats a pitty about the axle. The baja body looks a bit different what colour you thinking for that? 

Cut Stagger is really good and my go to off-road front. Proline blockade has a lot shallower tread than Tamiya spike, but so much softer and more supple even with a foam insert. Not as grippy on grass but better in dirt. Not had huge amount of running on the other Prolines but loads of grip on tarmac and handle pretty well on dirt as well. 

Baja body not a Tamiya replica but was apparently designed by someone on here. Fits wheelbase well. Bought white and light blue PS paint, but still to decide on exact scheme. Was originally planning blue fenders and possibly engine cover, but these are being trimmed more and more ever sitting for tyre and suspension clearance. Not sure how much will be left to colour! 

 

 

43 minutes ago, Krustybus said:

Lol I know the STW thread you mean, I think I've posted on there myself 😜

I've fitted Vee4's on the back of my Blitzer but ended up in a discussion with a couple of guys in the Facebook group saying they're not ideal on the back as the side knobs dig in and cause grip roll. I've only run them once on loose asphalt and they weren't any better than the stock tyres. I'm going to take them off when the family go out and I can chuck them in a pan lol

 

Not run the Vee4 on asphalt, but they did grip roll on grass coming off throttle in corners. Bit of technique adaptation helped as did swapping them from buggy wheels to truck wheels. Didn’t find it a huge problem in dirt and they worked great in sand. 

[Novamadcars 224]

Baja shell looks good fella can’t wait to see it painted. I’m thinking of getting an abs baja body to fit to one of my dt02 chassis. 

[bikerclubby 40]

1 hour ago, Novamadcars said:

Baja shell looks good fella can’t wait to see it painted. I’m thinking of getting an abs baja body to fit to one of my dt02 chassis. 

If you’re UK then Kamtec also do an ABS one for about £15. With the amount of time my car spends on its roof, I need the lexan version! 

[Novamadcars 224]

3 minutes ago, bikerclubby said:

If you’re UK then Kamtec also do an ABS one for about £15. With the amount of time my car spends on its roof, I need the lexan version! 

Yes I’m uk and that’s where I was looking for a body. If I get one it will only be for display anyway.what colour was you thinking for yours? 

[bikerclubby 40]

Light blue for certain panels ( to be decided) and the rest white. 

[Carmine A 1893]

@bikerclubby That is AWESOME!! I was considering one of those Kamtec Baja Bodies for my DT-02. They DO Ship to the U.S. - but Shipping costs are quite precious indeed. 😖 

I will wait until I'm ready to get at least 3 other Bodies. They said that Shipping is the same up to 5 Bodies, so that makes it far more attractive. The PRICES for these Bodies are incredibly CHEAP!! 

Cheers, and can't wait to see it done. 😁

[Badcrumble 3866]

@Carmine A are the TBG / Team Blue Groove any cheaper for you on that side of the pond? You can normally find them on eBay. Decals from MCI Racing.

[bikerclubby 40]

Thanks for all the positive comments. Have finally built up my courage and drilled the front post mounts. A bit scary but done now and happy with positioning. Still trying to figure the rear. Anyone use magnetic mounts off road?  Discovered them on a google search but seem mainly aimed at touring cars. Think they could be an option using the original rear mounts, which come up too short to reach roof at the moment. Not sure how secure they are in a crash, given how much time my car seems to spend on its roof! 

[Carmine A 1893]

4 hours ago, Badcrumble said:

@Carmine A are the TBG / Team Blue Groove any cheaper for you on that side of the pond? You can normally find them on eBay. Decals from MCI Racing.

TBG Bodies are much more expensive here than Kamtec from the UK. Their Shipping is even MORE ridiculous!! 😲😖 Pretty nice Bodies, but I can buy THREE Kamtec Bodies for the cost of ONE TBG Body! 

And the Guys (and Girl) at Kamtec are really working hard to find the cheapest way to Ship. I'm all the way in the Western United States. 

To me, good Customer Service is worth MORE than Gold!! 👍👍

[Carmine A 1893]

@bikerclubby I have 4 RC Crawlers... EVERY one has Rare Earth Magnets as the only means of holding the Body on. I have no issues at all. 😁 Of course on a good day, they'll never pass 11mph!! But they have taken a few tumbles down Hillsides....

It's absolutely my preferred method. I was actually UPSET when I found out that the Body I ordered for my M05 Build - has PRE DRILLED Body Holes!!! 😖😡😠 WORSE, the back Holes go through the WINDOW! 

I'm literally thinking about cutting out the whole back Window, and gluing a Lexan Sheet in its place.

I've grown to dislike Holes and Posts protruding through my Bodies....

[bikerclubby 40]

3 hours ago, Carmine A said:

@bikerclubby I have 4 RC Crawlers... EVERY one has Rare Earth Magnets as the only means of holding the Body on. I have no issues at all. 😁 Of course on a good day, they'll never pass 11mph!! But they have taken a few tumbles down Hillsides....

It's absolutely my preferred method. I was actually UPSET when I found out that the Body I ordered for my M05 Build - has PRE DRILLED Body Holes!!! 😖😡😠 WORSE, the back Holes go through the WINDOW! 

I'm literally thinking about cutting out the whole back Window, and gluing a Lexan Sheet in its place.

I've grown to dislike Holes and Posts protruding through my Bodies....

Yeah, wishing I’d found them before drilling the front holes. 

Nevermind, I’ll know for the next one. 

[Carmine A 1893]

5 minutes ago, bikerclubby said:

Yeah, wishing I’d found them before drilling the front holes. 

Nevermind, I’ll know for the next one. 

That's how I learned EVERYTHING in my life.... Seeing others make mistakes or misjudgments - and learning from my OWN screwups!!! 😖😜

THIS wasn't a screwup... It's just not knowing YET. 😉 

You should do a couple of trial runs. Bonding something as strong as these Magnets is not cut and dry...

Sometimes, you can hard mount the Magnets on the Car itself. But on the other end - you have to adhere the Magnets to nothing more than a painted Lexan surface. Not a lot of fun. 😖

I've experimented with several ways of bonding Magnets to Lexan. Many People like Shoe Goo..... It's OK, until the temperature passes 100 degrees. Then it MELTS. And we all know how much HOTTER the inside of the Car gets in Summer! I once recorded 128 Degrees!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥 

I've tried several things over 2 Decades. Most are just adequate. What WORKS? JB Weld!! Sold nearly everywhere, easy enough to mix, sets in 10 minutes - cures in about 20 hours. 

This stuff holds STRONG. You have to hold it under FIRE to get any reaction. I've used it in the past, to successfully fix Radiator leaks - in Arizona!! 

Just sharing my experience, and failures. If you have any questions, feel free!!

[bikerclubby 40]

So finally got around to attempting the paint job on the Beetle shell. Took a lot of trimming to get it to fit, especially around the front wheels and the gearbox. In hindsight the Kamtec Baja Crawler body would have been an easier fit at the front, but I had a specific plan for the two tone paint and wanted front fenders. Not much of them left but the still looks kinda like I planned. 

Body mounts are a mixture of post at the front, J posts left over from the original kit and magnetic mounts at the rear. Due to the height of the roof, there was no easy looking way of using post mounts, but these magnetic mounts fix on top of the original mounts for the Racing Fighter shell and make for an easy conversion. Unfortunately the roof curves at exactly the wrong place, so the magnets aren't an exact fit, but I'm using three on the roof to add some bulk and the extra power snaps them into place securely. The bonus of this is I can still rear the power switch in it's original location without completely removing the shell.

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Now to the paint! All I can say is please be kind. It's only my second ever paint job and the first time I've tried two tone. 

Masking was more difficult than I thought, made worse by using paper tape as that's all I had. Next time (if there is a next time) I will be a good boy and get proper thin modellers masking tape. Most of the lines are a bit wobbly and crooked. I'm also left with a bit of overspray on one side that I didn't notice had crept under the tape before spraying the white. Had seen other areas but these were on the outer film, I thought the other bit was the same, but proved to be mistaken. Also had a bit of cracking when I removed the window mask. Have a bit of the white paint left, maybe going to try spraying it into the cap then brushing on. Wondering if Tipex/Copydex might work as a touch up for small areas? It's the right colour and has pretty good coverage.  Thinking of trying to do some black window lining to help hide these areas, but do worry that this might just make things looks worse.

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr

 

Overall, good from afar but far from good. Got a decal sheet on order from Ebay with some big number and logos, hoping these will cover or distract from some of the worst areas. 

In my favour is the fact that it's a runner and not a shelf queen. If the original body is anything to go by, it won't be long before this one has plenty of patina.

[toyolien 3780]

Doesn't look too bad to me. But, good quality masking tape, and washing the body first will solve your taping issues.

[Carmine A 1893]

I think it looks great for a first attempt 2 Tone Paint Job!!  The little bit of bleed on the Fenders.... 

If you applied a thin Vinyl strip between the colors - no one will ever know it was messed up in the first place! 😁

ONLY if it bothers YOU.