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cgmckeever

Using Vintage Falcon -- I think I know the answer

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Hey all --- Ive been thinking about piecing back my Falcon ... I just took it all apart, and its last state was the notorious broken front chasis -- which probably was sometime in the mid 90s. 

I have all the parts -- mostly, and can get this back in working shape. After watching some YouTube videos, I started to question if I should use this for more than a test drive. There is a lot of discussion on how the plastic becomes very brittle. And on a car that seemed to break if you looked at it funny, Im just wondering if I should attempt to use this as a fun day to day drive .. OR .. build it, test it, shelve it .. 

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated 

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Disassemble, clean, replace any broken pieces, reassemble, shelf. In that order.

Buy a new car to bash around with.

Hopefully Big T will ReRe the Falcon soon...

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I’ll add that I ended up replacing 95% of my original Frog with ReRe parts and it’s lost it’s original charm. I would have been happier buying a ReRe frog and building that up instead, keeping the original on the shelf for nostalgia...

Terry

 

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Or as long as it's using a standard 540, I'd consider fixing it yourself, or using metal brackets to piece it back together, I have used the product 'plastex' with a lot of success

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ahhh . .I tossed the chasis a while back .. luckily I hoarded a ton of parted-Falcons .. so I should have enough to get this back into a very nice condition ... Just wanted to make sure I was about to be silly running it ;)

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23 minutes ago, taffer said:

Like old strikers, no jumps! and you should be ok!

Old Strikers just get kicked into touch don't they ? - sorry , that's football

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Yes your silly for running it, but thats why you run them, so you can be silly like when you was a kid without a care in the world. Thats why I run my cars and buggys, its a beautiful thing.  Though I do have a nice shelf collection too. I love the Falcon and I think its a much under rated and maligned buggy. Maybe if owners/runners of the Falcon were a little thoughtful in their approach when using a Falcon maybe they would have as much reliable fun as myself. They would also discover that its handling can be improved dramatically with correct shock set up and a bit of ballast at the front of the buggy. 

 

Falcon users pointers...

*Dont jump, its 30 year old brittle plastic.

*Run on tarmac, dusty tracks and light debris surfaces.

*Be considerate with your throttle input, if you drove a real car like I see people drive their Tamiyas they would break too.

*Get your suspension set up right, the Falcon has 4 points of decent articulation, you just need 4 shocks set up right and a bit of ballast.

 

The last point is easier said than done but it can at least be dramatically improved. I've just finished building my 6th for running and am just waiting on some additional shock parts which I will use to customise the rear suspension making it work far better. This 6th Falcon is to replace the 3rd one I bought years ago which I use to run often but eventually sold it on, regret finally caught up with me and made me buy the 6th one.

The Falcon was the first buggy to have a full plastic transmission along with independent suspension at all 4 corners and was the catalyst, maybe unwittingly, for all those space-age looking buggys that followed. A decent articulate buggy that represents the 80s perfectly and captures that nostalgic Tamiya feeling... The Falcon.

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Falcon was my first car. Now I run this with a guilt free bonkers brushless setup as I would never have a car on the shelf. But everyone has there preference. This just an option (Dt02 with mci decals)

 

 

B74BF050-3B23-4973-B7D0-45F9BE2C5532.jpeg

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22 hours ago, Dirt-540 said:

Yes your silly for running it, but thats why you run them, so you can be silly like when you was a kid without a care in the world. Thats why I run my cars and buggys, its a beautiful thing.  Though I do have a nice shelf collection too. I love the Falcon and I think its a much under rated and maligned buggy. Maybe if owners/runners of the Falcon were a little thoughtful in their approach when using a Falcon maybe they would have as much reliable fun as myself. They would also discover that its handling can be improved dramatically with correct shock set up and a bit of ballast at the front of the buggy. 

 

Falcon users pointers...

*Dont jump, its 30 year old brittle plastic.

*Run on tarmac, dusty tracks and light debris surfaces.

*Be considerate with your throttle input, if you drove a real car like I see people drive their Tamiyas they would break too.

*Get your suspension set up right, the Falcon has 4 points of decent articulation, you just need 4 shocks set up right and a bit of ballast.

 

The last point is easier said than done but it can at least be dramatically improved. I've just finished building my 6th for running and am just waiting on some additional shock parts which I will use to customise the rear suspension making it work far better. This 6th Falcon is to replace the 3rd one I bought years ago which I use to run often but eventually sold it on, regret finally caught up with me and made me buy the 6th one.

The Falcon was the first buggy to have a full plastic transmission along with independent suspension at all 4 corners and was the catalyst, maybe unwittingly, for all those space-age looking buggys that followed. A decent articulate buggy that represents the 80s perfectly and captures that nostalgic Tamiya feeling... The Falcon.

The falcon was the first tamiya i ran,still have it in the shed but needs restored.

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45 minutes ago, Super ally said:

The falcon was the first tamiya i ran,still have it in the shed but needs restored.

Thats why its best to send it to my Falcon hospital where it will get the best care 😁

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1 hour ago, Dirt-540 said:

Thats why its best to send it to my Falcon hospital where it will get the best care 😁

You are the answer to my prayers,whats the address.

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Thanks everyone! Fun and informative thread ... 

Although I want to think Im passed my idiotic teenage RC-driving self, I can't safely say this. I will probably get it back into working order, and only take it for strolls. If I want a crawler or a basher Ill probably get something newer. I seem to really flip the $h!t out of the Falcon if I recall correctly .. always looking for that right dogbone 

 

 

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23 hours ago, Butler said:

(Dt02 with mci decals)

@Butler trying to parse this .. are you saying you are using a DT02 chasis for the Falcon? or a DT02 Body (is that even a thing). I did some google and Im not sure which you meant. That would be interesting if there was an alternative chasis that I could also get away with ... or even a different body style to mix it up! ... 


Thanks -- 

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It’s a dt02 chassis. Sand viper shell and wing. Holiday buggy 2010 wheels and rear tyres. Astute front tyres. Shocks from a wr 01 I think. The decals are Falcon copies from mci decals. 
 

cheers. 

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16 hours ago, cgmckeever said:

Thanks everyone! Fun and informative thread ... 

Although I want to think Im passed my idiotic teenage RC-driving self, I can't safely say this. I will probably get it back into working order, and only take it for strolls. If I want a crawler or a basher Ill probably get something newer. I seem to really flip the $h!t out of the Falcon if I recall correctly .. always looking for that right dogbone 

 

 

Bet you'll still drive it like you stole it :lol:

Hope my info was helpful and it enthuses you ;)

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2 minutes ago, cgmckeever said:

so much that Im trolling ebay for parts ;)

I’m always checking my eBay app for new Frog and Blackfoot listings...  the Hunt is addictive!

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I hoarded, err.. stocked up, a bit 3 years ago .. the price jump in that time is quite noticeable ... 

and I know this next sentence may be blasphemeny, but the prices on RC-10 is CRAZY 

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@Finnsllc Thats my first reaction, but its taking FOREVER to get it back running, and hasnt been easy to find a few parts that arent the cost of a new car. Even the 3d printed repor stuff is really expensive. Im enjoying getting it back together though!

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Falcon is so weak front end as you all know... It just can't handle bashing... I've got a shelfie now it needed to retire... There is a good guy on Web who does some good 3D prints

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I have a Falcon, it was in perfect shape when I got it, but the plastic started cracking literally before my eyes, it got use once.
Then stripped down.
Then I 3D-ed up all of the bits I needed. Printed them out, fitted them. Test drive. All good now.
Just waiting on me painting the body and decalling it.

If you want to run it, it's best to have some kind of supply of parts. Oh yeah it drove much better than I thought it would.

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On 12/28/2020 at 5:32 PM, Butler said:

Falcon was my first car. Now I run this with a guilt free bonkers brushless setup as I would never have a car on the shelf. But everyone has there preference. This just an option (Dt02 with mci decals)

 

 

B74BF050-3B23-4973-B7D0-45F9BE2C5532.jpeg

It’s a great car!!  I’m currently running mine for the first time since the 80’s. Already had to order a few shapeways parts like chassis brace. 
 

Butler why is your falcon body different than mine?  Is that spoiler a separate piece?

EFE44673-7A48-412E-8B09-A5F567C1C176.png

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