Jump to content
wtcc5

wtcc5's FF-01 addiction

Recommended Posts

On 8/22/2022 at 5:44 PM, wtcc5 said:

All the nice hop-ups that I found in this car:

f7cf860b-3496-4965-bruc17.jpeg

@wtcc5: Are these the „Touring Car Aluminum Front Hub Carrier“ (OP 53226) which increase the caster angle on FF01 chassis and decrease it on TA02 chassis (due to the different way of installation)?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Show must go on :D

With a little help, I (got) stumbled over this gem:

d83812fa-e308-4c17-8tafxp.jpeg

7c7f1810-a6bf-4704-bdnepi.jpeg

d6b8acb9-7496-4b01-arhet8.jpeg

 

A used specimen this time. The front of the body is worn and cracked in the lower area. The bumper is also visibly hurt. The mirrors and wing have been painted yellow...very strange.

8abd5827-8652-461a-ao5iz7.jpeg

eb6368e1-de92-4420-968elw.jpeg

 

Overall the condition pretty nice. The rare parts are all dirty but in a very good condition (like the heat sink). The wheels are scratched, but can be saved to look good again. The bottom has the usual scratches too. Nothing is broken cracked or worn. So that is nice.

bd355a46-e9c6-431a-9wde5s.jpeg

ea20555f-65df-4b13-a7ye7x.jpeg

82179adc-9ce2-4c07-an8d8x.jpeg

 

The tires are not to save. I will remove them and then work on the rims. I will need to paint them white as I don't think I can get rid of the yellowing:

98064bee-75a3-4d43-8eyckh.jpeg

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The disassembly:

c833ee94-6d67-4980-ba6e0y.jpeg

0e4e7d52-02d0-4126-9fyfk6.jpeg

5c4a2036-caec-42d8-924e7l.jpeg

This went very well. No damage found. The drivetrain looks very good. Not as worn as the body.

 

I then went on to work on the tires:

84d3fad2-79d7-424f-a7edj1.jpeg

With the rubber that old, I needed to remove it. It was glued to the wheels. It came off easily on three tires. On one it was a nightmare to remove. It was the same for the next task, the fine cleaning. The original owner used a lot of crazy glue and a lot got on to the wheels too.

4de66fe3-9e60-41ba-b9mfml.jpeg

I will paint the wheels in the next step. Now the question is: Should I remove the sticker or cover it and accept the yellowing below it?

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh well, that decision can wait ^_^

 

I started with cleaning everything first:

16f90539-5750-4cbc-8c4ijd.jpeg

 

Then I started the rebuild according to the manual, so differential first:

afede5e6-89e4-4de9-9rzfb3.jpeg

The car had plastic bearings. I couldn't bring myself to install these again, so they were replaced by proper ball bearings.

 

Building the front section came next:

e73937de-e231-4698-962ius.jpeg

ab8658f9-6fd6-486d-ap2i04.jpeg

3d867bb0-5e9e-4ec9-9msi92.jpeg

37677615-fbd5-4844-8xfi60.jpeg

c28455ca-c2cd-4641-aqiies.jpeg

221c39c5-9526-47bf-8h5ey6.jpeg

 

So far a nice experience.

  • Like 4

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice score with that chassis condition and blue heat sink! Did you try to use acetone vapors (not by direct contact!) to release the CA glue more easily?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@YoShImUrA53: No, I didn't. I don't have acetone at home and am not sure how these rims would take it.

 

You know it... my favorite part of these builds:

ac414b00-647e-4627-bv5ikp.jpeg

637c08d2-8f7a-4082-b2aeo0.jpeg

 

Front unit completed:

1523d91a-6a59-4ff1-9waeg9.jpeg

 

Starting the rear:

44205a39-b6c3-4619-8vdeia.jpeg

d4d47b90-d7f0-4006-bp9e9d.jpeg

67174df0-041d-4ef8-blrdtf.jpeg

 

Up to now the wear on this chassis was hardly visible. Also the parts were in a solid condition. A wrong screw here and there, but nothing worth mentioning. One strange thing, at least I never saw this, is the damaged damper housing in the rear. The ride height clamp was glued to it also...

c2509346-007b-486a-9ppdfz.jpeg

 

I had to replace it:

db4b5ab4-fb12-4546-bahcjv.jpeg

 

Rear unit completed also:

88a8f47e-146e-4a0e-abfikl.jpeg

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Time for the middle part: Tub, top deck and steering.

4c71402e-9cc1-4e23-aggflo.jpeg

5aff7249-bf1d-4547-aaciqf.jpeg

b2ef0fd3-0e94-439a-b2ec2o.jpeg

 

Attaching the front:

7c266529-1a2b-4902-aqke72.jpeg

 

Then Body posts:

36b5ac8d-5d90-481a-bpnidp.jpeg

 

... and the rear added:

57bff011-c333-468d-8fodje.jpeg

 

 

In the end, I decided to save the stickers by masking them and then paint the wheels. After two coats of primer I went for three layers of white:

118d5856-c2af-418f-auxev5.jpeg

 

New tires and hard sponge inserts:

ec1ddc64-bd0e-40b4-8d6d0m.jpeg

 

I was very glad to find original Tamiya Primera wheel decals in my stash:

5b607bdd-95d0-41ac-9x2fpv.jpeg

 

The completed set of wheels with the center section painted chrome:

7d28a525-5784-472b-8ofd8i.jpeg

 

 

  • Like 6

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Final stages for the chassis build.

61965bf9-4fe7-4b6c-98yigw.jpeg
 

0d050dc7-57fb-4c34-95vd34.jpeg
 

3b982661-2e3c-4203-azxf7j.jpeg
 

Tires attached:

0a0d5235-e1d9-45b7-94xi28.jpeg
 

b2ccc4e6-2096-4ea5-8pyecc.jpeg
 

 

The completed chassis:

e7e3b7e2-7cc1-4a37-axfce4.jpeg
 

a9cde905-6658-4f1a-8n2isx.jpeg
 

bcaf59bf-c9d4-4a42-9v0ebe.jpeg
 

afaacce9-3091-494c-8cyiks.jpeg

  • Like 7

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Next on the list is the restoring of the body. I thought about it long and hard and decided to give the color removal a try.

2f84378e-8d1e-4293-9cvcbk.jpeg


I removed the body parts and gave both a taste of the Color Killer. The parts went into a bag for a short time. The yellow came of very fast… underneath it was pink :lol:

f19c4d41-87c4-4cea-8cge9e.jpeg

 

The pink color luckily didn’t adhese well and I could chip it off with a hobby knife:

0c686db2-511e-4bf8-8nef9p.jpeg
 

The body worked too, but is much more work. I have 80% removed at the moment.

 

  • Like 4
  • Sad 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

At that time I was fed up with working with paint remover and also wanted to have more fun with smaller hop-up-work. @Quincy once sold me FF01 drive shafts and I had some other nice hop ups left in my box for one full tuning project I started months ago.

fa654443-b8cb-406f-b6vc52.jpeg
 

The motor was left over from my full tuning Castrol Primera as it received the Acto Power TRF.

 

6975e077-18c6-4cc1-b5qij7.jpeg

You may also remember I kept the rear anti-roll-bar from one hardcore tuning chassis I bought earlier. I reduced the complexity by installing ballstuds on the rear hubs for the stiffness turnbuckles. Unfortunately under load the stabilizer could touch them. I had a problem searching for the right length turnbuckles in the Tamiya portfolio. When I bought a used CR-01 (later more) I suddenly found them in the added spares box. I bend them a bit and now it works well.

 

Then I installed the drive shafts:

073e3bf1-7bf7-479e-8icicu.jpeg
 

2c2837b3-e081-4024-86oexq.jpeg
 

641bac1b-89ca-4aa5-899ih9.jpeg
 

I love all the aluminum. 

  • Like 5

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@wtcc5Love the wheels and the Dyna Run and the vintage hope ups. Will you run this one? I am interested to know how much more mobile the rear end becomes with the anti roll bar. 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@ThunderDragonCy: I don’t know yet. Maybe I will build a stabilizer mount for my runner. I will let you know in several months ;)


I recognized, that there were some ball bearings missing. Not only in the steering, but also the larger ones in the front hubs:

c54c20b2-677b-4a6b-bm5d14.jpeg
 

Then I installed the motor:

540e768d-e043-4292-ad8f94.jpeg
 

a050188b-e477-4e06-b2eemo.jpeg
 

A tough decision was to make. I had one last heat sink left nib… should I break it or not…

59f76883-f596-42bc-8wrf1f.jpeg

 

  • Like 5

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 hours ago, wtcc5 said:

A tough decision was to make. I had one last heat sink left nib… should I break it or not…

59f76883-f596-42bc-8wrf1f.jpeg

 

Not…leave NIB 😊

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You know I cannot do that :lol:

So… lets do it:

673bd97d-5c0a-4a20-bmbe9j.jpeg
 

Looks so good :wub:

c59eb5d5-b7bf-4a29-bxwe1o.jpeg

38a2e6fd-0378-4d75-8tff9e.jpeg
 

11136b3b-84a3-4759-a0bebn.jpeg

 

378a0f9c-3bb7-41e6-8hcezn.jpeg

 

  • Like 6

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Now to the body for this chassis.

ee529db4-83a1-4dc0-8ndf5o.jpeg

 

One of the easier ones. I hoped to make it just with red, but it was too translucent, so I backed it with white and black near the wheelarches.

5af3a271-8b42-4f05-bvlf01.jpeg

 

The stickers were straight forward, nothing challenging:

54025831-596a-4352-a1jcli.jpeg
 

Not finished yet, just trying the body parts. The red is not good enough, so I will paint them:

4f67c154-4dd6-428c-b2gcrw.jpeg

  • Like 13

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Love the TOM'S Levin body! It's sad not a lot of people seem to like it compared to the Primera or others.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I finally found time again to work on this car.

 

As this car has a cockpit, it is a lot more work to do after the chassis is finished:

img_543523c32.jpg

 

I painted cockpit and body parts. As I am not one of the patient guys, the time needed for drying the color is no fun for me:

img_5436uyepx.jpg

 

So in between I took the time to work on some minor bits. I changed the soft springs in front for the hard blue ones...

img_5438u9c6r.jpg

 

... and attached the wheelstickers. I also came to the conclusion, that red wheelnuts suit the body better:

img_54379lesj.jpg

 

And while the cockpit and helmet were drying, I could finish the body by mounting spoiler and mirrors:

img_5439fxe53.jpg

img_5440c0eoi.jpg

 

A last look inside before the cockpit will block the sight later:

img_5441zrdql.jpg

img_5442okduz.jpg

 

Vroom, vroom :wub:

img_5443h3drl.jpg

 

  • Like 11

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Lovely outcome, very cool and different with the rare body! The vintage drive shafts did freeze me: 81DM original price!!:lol: Holy Moley! 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I finished the cockpit today ^_^

Nothing special, just what Tamiya suggests in the manual, except that I didn't have the cockpit decals (the Levin body set comes without them :(). So I used the decals provided by the cockpit set and made the dark blue helmet theme myself with vinyl. I wished, I had Arai stickers at home...

img_550732id9.jpg

img_5508cldr1.jpg

 

The finished body set and chassis:

img_5509sfez4.jpg

img_5510rec52.jpg

 

Close ups:

img_55113hd7o.jpg

img_55127ie98.jpg

img_55138dctg.jpg

  • Like 9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The car looks awesome mate! Nice work! Now are you gonna drive it?🤔

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Kol__ said:

The car looks awesome mate! Nice work! Now are you gonna drive it?🤔

Thank you!

 I am afraid this will be a shelfqueen for the coming months, as I have a runner with this chassis already. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...