Tizer 604 Posted March 9, 2022 I remember that DC5 body from yeaaaars ago. Always loved the look. Great replica! 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted July 17, 2022 This thread will get an extension. I will build another one or two FF-03s. One will be the FF-03evo and one will get the Chassis Upgrade Set (84314). Of course both are very hard to get items. I could get most of the needed parts, but will also do some CAD magic to replace the missing parts. Especially the FF-03evo chassis plate is one of these parts I couldn’t get… Some of the parts are already here: I started with the front gear diff and added some Hop-Ups already: Now, I need to be patient for the rest of the parts to arrive from HK and Switzerland. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lukej 319 Posted July 17, 2022 18 minutes ago, wtcc5 said: This thread will get an extension. I will build another one or two FF-03s. One will be the FF-03evo and one will get the Chassis Upgrade Set (84314). Of course both are very hard to get items. I could get most of the needed parts, but will also do some CAD magic to replace the missing parts. Especially the FF-03evo chassis plate is one of these parts I couldn’t get… Some of the parts are already here: I started with the front gear diff and added some Hop-Ups already: Now, I need to be patient for the rest of the parts to arrive from HK and Switzerland. You’re my hero Kevin 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted July 18, 2022 @lukej: Thank you! The real hero here is @one_hit! Out of maybe thousands of Tamiya experts (here and on Fb), he was the only one who helped me with this project (Thanks again for making these pictures for me Rob!). 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderDragonCy 7779 Posted July 18, 2022 Looking forward to these. Always been intrigued by the Upgrade Set chassis. Bit of an oddball with its vertical fences for the battery. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted July 22, 2022 Some hard to get items arrived: Now, I have gathered all parts I could get to do the drawings for the „impossible to get parts“. Therefore I will partly preassemble the chassis for accurate measurements and pleasure 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted July 23, 2022 Lets do it! Adding the bulkheads to the chassis: I took the gearbox unit of the Pro for this "test": The preassembly for the measurements: All in all a very slim chassis plate. Thanks to Robs nice pictures I was already pretty close regarding all distances. After doing the little corrections, this is my CAD file for the manufacturer: I am also thinking of letting the spur gear mount manufacture, as it is impossible to get these days... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted July 24, 2022 And while at it, I also drew the carbon parts for the FF-03evo. Again, I started with assembling what I have: Rear bulkheads: Top deck and upper shock mount: Both paired with the gearbox: ... and the Upgrade Lower Deck to check for similarities: And that was a good move. Arm mounts and steering sit at the same spot on both chassis, what made this chapter easier for me. Much more difficult to replicate is the shape. I used all hints the manual gives. Easy was the Rear Damper Stay. You get a good picture in the setup sheet. The Lower Deck needed more calculations and tricks. It took its time, but in the end it worked pretty good. This is the result: 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted September 5, 2022 The parts finally arrived. The quality is spot on: Time to start the build then slowly step by step. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted September 18, 2022 Finally time to start the build. First: Package art parts alignment. Vertical frame plates to bulkhead attachment: Attaching the unit to the lower plate: Installing the mechanism decks: Front stiffener unit: At this stage it is time to disassemble the benefitting FF-03pro chassis. A last picture of the pro in its present condition: 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted September 19, 2022 The front stiffener gets the aluminum bellcranks: Steering rack assembled and installed on the chassis: ...with turnbuckles: Then it was time to attach the front stiffener unit to the chassis. This step made me nervous, because if I made a measuring mistake, it would have shown now: Then the suspension changed chassis (and the sun came out): In preparation for the gearbox attachment, the connection brace got ballstuds: It was installed on the gearbox and then all went on the chassis: 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted September 20, 2022 This build is so straight forward The bumper is next. It has 3x0.7mm shims to close the gap created by the carbon chassis: At this stage the build continues at the rear with the installation of the suspension arms: Then comes the rear bulkhead: That then hold the shocktower and camber link mounts: I spare you all the damper build, but show the result of course: I was a bit forgetful making pictures... Here the servo mount with Yeah Racing mounts is already installed: The battery mounts are something special, because of the vertical plates. In front two horizontal posts hold the battery down. In the rear it is this pin. Depending on the battery size it can be mounted in two positions: You may have seen, that I didn't use many Hop-Ups so far. I couldn't resist buying the rear shocktower, though: Now, the rear shocks were installed also. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted September 21, 2022 There it stands on its own tires again: Just adding the rear anti-roll-bar is left. Pictures of the completed car. A very special chassis and a quite rare one, too. For a FWD fan like me, a kind of must have. I am very glad that I could pull it off with all the missing parts: The end 8 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted September 23, 2022 ... or is it? Another adventure is waiting. For me it is the king of all FF-03 versions. It should have been called TRFF-03, but Tamiya just called it FF-03evo It starts with a lot of hop-ups. The diff was assembled earlier here already: Titanium screws here as well as the aluminium camber link mount: It is a real pain, that Tamiya produced such a low number of aluminium spur mounts... For now the plastic piece has to do the job. I got a aluminium one in the pipeline, which will be made by good friend, though: 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted September 24, 2022 Next thing was to add the suspension mounts on the lower deck: Another highlight... assembling the rocker base with aluminium nuts: Married with the gearbox: Adding the steering turnbuckles: 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carmine A 2046 Posted September 24, 2022 I missed a lot.... that's just plain SEXY!!! 👍👍😎 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GermanTA03Guy 1292 Posted September 24, 2022 Hmm im not into fwd but man These chassis Look soo cool. These linkages....if it was rwd i'd probably be considerably poorer.... 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tizer 604 Posted September 26, 2022 You're just pumping out one awesome project after another. So cool! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zuqbu 65 Posted September 28, 2022 I have a question for you @wtcc5 – and I might as well ask here. I am looking to upgrade my FF-03 with stabilisers and the 54230 set you got your hands on is impossible to find. Do you think the 42281 set would work on the FF-03 as well? The arms are the same as the TRF418 anyway and the shape of the sway bars themselves look identical to me as well. Thanks in advance! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted September 28, 2022 6 hours ago, zuqbu said: I have a question for you @wtcc5 – and I might as well ask here. I am looking to upgrade my FF-03 with stabilisers and the 54230 set you got your hands on is impossible to find. Do you think the 42281 set would work on the FF-03 as well? The arms are the same as the TRF418 anyway and the shape of the sway bars themselves look identical to me as well. Thanks in advance! I can’t tell if it will fit, but the possibility is high. The problem could be that the middle part is not wide enough and the angles will not match. But as said, I don’t know exactly. What I would do, is to buy piano wire and bend & paint the wires myself. The price is cheap and the skills needed low. I was lucky, that my friend gave a lightly used set to me, after he cleaned his hobby room. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zuqbu 65 Posted September 30, 2022 On 9/28/2022 at 6:28 PM, wtcc5 said: I can’t tell if it will fit, but the possibility is high. The problem could be that the middle part is not wide enough and the angles will not match. But as said, I don’t know exactly. What I would do, is to buy piano wire and bend & paint the wires myself. The price is cheap and the skills needed low. I was lucky, that my friend gave a lightly used set to me, after he cleaned his hobby room. Thanks, I will have to try it out – I got a couple of those Stabilisers flying around in my touring cars. It's a shame really, I think the FF-03 is a great car and could still be raced competitively – but with the limited parts availability I wouldn't dare. Tamiya should send some product managers over to Europe, FWD classes are very popular at the moment and I am confident a FF-03 successor would sell and perform well. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted October 3, 2022 I continued with the arms: Front: Now, the gearbox and the bumper base was added: DJC are a must for an FWD. I use fitting C-hubs: Hubs ready: The front part so far: 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ruebiracer 1024 Posted October 3, 2022 Wow, that´s insane Kevin! 2 rare Evos in a row! What are the intentions behind the second one, is it totally different? Just spotted some more blue Alu shine on it? Will one of them be a runnner? They are almost too precious to drive nowadays. Have fun completing the build, Matthias 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wtcc5 4688 Posted October 3, 2022 @ruebiracer: One is „just“ a Tamiya Hop-Up (Upgrade) chassis for the FF-03 and the latter is a full FF-03evo kit build. Both cars are very different with the latter just having the gearbox section and arms equal from the original FF-03. I will build the Evo to a runner and race it against @Quincy Exo77 fwd conversion. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites