I’ve gone Dark Side and bought a Traxxas....

[GooneyBird 938]

Oh my. 

 

I’ve always been on the fence when it comes to Traxxas products. On the one hand I can appreciate that they bring a new spotlight to the hobby, taking their products to full size car shows, promoting it to a whole new audience. But the products themselves were always a bit....ehh... too Monster Energy Extreeeeeme Razorback Hat for me. 

And then they released the TRX4. 

I’ve owned a CC01 for about 5 years now, and have taken it on my weekly walks from the moment I finished building it. I’m not sure if it’s my highest mileage RC car (the Enduro-TT01 probably has that crown) but it’s the one that sees the most frequent and consistent use. Especially now all the tracks are closed. It’s been stupid-reliable and just about capable enough for my walks. 

Recently a dedicated crawler track opened up near me, somehow managing to avoid every Covid regulation and allowing people to drive their crawlers and scalers to their hearts content. So of course I took the Pajero there. It was severely outclassed by just about every obstacle, and then it broke. 

Yes, I managed to break Ol’ Faithful. What 5 years of soft off-roading couldn’t do I managed to do in a single afternoon of bouncing up and down log bridges and teeter totters made out of mesh screen. 

Parts are on their way, obviously, but I also started looking over the fence, at other cars. And when one finds himself looking at a decent trailer that also looks somewhat scale (I don’t like those inside-out spider cars) you can’t ignore the TRX4. Despite it being a Traxxas. 

And then one popped up for sale for a decent price, and I couldn’t help myself. 

So what’s the first thing you do when you’ve got a new car with a beautiful factory-finished body?

You mask it off and start flinging paint at it.

The body is painted a bit thin, and is therefor quite translucent. A quick two coats of silver (to lock in the white) followed by two coats of black take care of that. I’ve masked off the ‘topper’ section as in real life that thing is a different shade of white from the rest of the body. It replicates that quite well. 

Next up; making sure I can actually power the thing. It comes with a Traxxas plug on the ESC and I obviously have exactly 0 batteries with that connector. A quick trip to the hobby store....

...and we have a Traxxas-to-Deans connector. Among other goodies. Traxxas plugs, btw, are surprisingly easy to solder to. The tabs just pull out, and there’s no danger of melting the plastic bit.  

Rat’s nest in here. :p

One of the things I bought is a temperature and voltage sensor set. The radio came with a Link module (Bluetooth) and you want to fill up that telemetry app with data, right? However, to install it in a trx4 you need like, 4 parts, which basically equates to an extension for the voltage tap into the battery, and a bunch of adapters to get it to the radio box. I can make that, and make it a lot cleaner than Traxxas can. So out came the soldering iron again.

Slightly better I guess? There’s a lot going on on this chassis.

Did the body lines with a fine liner...

...which improves the scale appearance even further  

With all that room in the front I found that a shorty battery will fit in there quite well. But what do I need a single shorty for? That’s never going to give me the 2+ hour runtimes I’m looking for. And then I had an idea....

Traxxas has a few cars with their batteries in series, doubling their voltage. But what if I placed two batteries in parallel, doubling their amperage? Some soldering later, and I’ve got a Deans parallel adapter.

Last week I took it on its maiden voyage in the local woods. That was a 2 hour walk, and both batteries were equally drained, at about 40% remaining. This, then, works quite well!

Stay tuned for further updates. Or more pretty pictures, who knows?

[kwkenuf 184]

Very nice!  This is on my super short list of Traxxas vehicles I would kinda like.  I just have a hard time justifying the price for a new one, and all the used ones I find are beat to $#!t and expensive.  I would be cutting the Traxxas connector off completely for a XT60.

Looking forward to what you do with it in the future!

[GooneyBird 938]

14 hours ago, kwkenuf said:

Very nice!  This is on my super short list of Traxxas vehicles I would kinda like.  I just have a hard time justifying the price for a new one, and all the used ones I find are beat to $#!t and expensive.  I would be cutting the Traxxas connector off completely for a XT60.

Looking forward to what you do with it in the future!

Yeah, I got lucky with this one. Guy was downsizing his hobby to make room for more things, and it needed to go quick. It actually has a few hopups here and there that weren't in the original ad, so I'm happy. 

I guess I can kinda see the appeal of some Traxxas cars, not so much as scale models that move, but as sporting equipment. Something like a Slash or a Maxx is probably hilariously good fun to run and bash about, and much sturdier than anything Tamiya has produced in that category. They just don't look like anything, and aren't particularly well-suited to sit pretty on a shelf as a scale model of something. But then again, neither is my TRF419 for that matter. It's a magnificent piece of engineering, but it's not a complete and utter scale replica of a race car. It's its own thing. 

Having said that, this Blazer is pretty much spot on. If you compare pics of it side-by-side with pics of an actual Blazer, it's rather well done. The wheel arches seem a little bigger than on the 1:1 car, and they somehow forgot to mold a fuel filler flap, but other than that it's pretty good. And of course the aftermarket makes a whole host of bits to trick it out. 

[kwkenuf 184]

4 hours ago, GooneyBird said:

Yeah, I got lucky with this one. Guy was downsizing his hobby to make room for more things, and it needed to go quick. It actually has a few hopups here and there that weren't in the original ad, so I'm happy. 

I guess I can kinda see the appeal of some Traxxas cars, not so much as scale models that move, but as sporting equipment. Something like a Slash or a Maxx is probably hilariously good fun to run and bash about, and much sturdier than anything Tamiya has produced in that category. They just don't look like anything, and aren't particularly well-suited to sit pretty on a shelf as a scale model of something. But then again, neither is my TRF419 for that matter. It's a magnificent piece of engineering, but it's not a complete and utter scale replica of a race car. It's its own thing. 

Having said that, this Blazer is pretty much spot on. If you compare pics of it side-by-side with pics of an actual Blazer, it's rather well done. The wheel arches seem a little bigger than on the 1:1 car, and they somehow forgot to mold a fuel filler flap, but other than that it's pretty good. And of course the aftermarket makes a whole host of bits to trick it out. 

I have driven every variant of the 2wd models.  I still have a couple of 2wd Stampedes.  I don't care to get any more.  I have never driven a Maxx.  They look like a ton of fun!  But where I drive, mainly in my backyard, my 1/10 size models are about perfect.  Traxxas can do alright on scale looks, if they desire.  I bought one of their Bigfoot No.1 bodies because of that reason.  And it fits my Stampedes, and more importantly... my Clodbusters!    The only other Traxxas I am eyeing is the 4x4 Stampede kit.  It's a kit for one, the right scale, and I can use the bodies I already have on it!

[No Slack 454]

My guess is you wrecked your CC01 at Planet? I haven't been there since last august due to covid regulations I stick to but indeed Planet somehow stayed open and more important safe. Until august my CC01 ran fine on parts of the track, some obstacles are not suited for the CC01 chassis however. Your new chassis will do a lot better on the track.

 

[GooneyBird 938]

On 3/29/2021 at 11:35 AM, No Slack said:

My guess is you wrecked your CC01 at Planet? I haven't been there since last august due to covid regulations I stick to but indeed Planet somehow stayed open and more important safe. Until august my CC01 ran fine on parts of the track, some obstacles are not suited for the CC01 chassis however. Your new chassis will do a lot better on the track.

 

Yep, RC Planet in Noord-Holland. I have no idea how they're staying open, but as long as everyone distances properly and wears masks if required I hope they can stay open. 

Yesterday I took the TRX4 down there, see how it would perform.

It's... quite a truck. It's surprisingly capable, and in low gear will roll over anything within reason. 

Yes, it climbed up and over this thing. This is not a posed shot. In fact, aside from rolling it twice (lifted trucks are top-heavy. Who knew?) I only touched it to turn it on, and change a battery halfway during the day. 

The fun part of that track is that they've got all sorts of obstacles. There's a metal loop that winds up and up, and down again. Think of it as one of those car park spiral-y things, but scaled down. And sometimes you have to wait because someone decided to poke his TRX6 through it after someone else (who clearly isn't me!) egged him on and said it wouldn't make it. And so you get stuck in a 1/10th scale traffic jam while someone does the 24-thousand point turn trying to climb up.

It made it out without having to be touched, believe it or not. Lock the rear diff and SLOWLY back up to pull the axles on solid ground again.

To be fair, it's tight. Lots of spotting, lots of walking around and checking to see where your tires are, and you'll be fine. Took me 10 minutes to get up and down the first time, but it's doable. 

It's kinda weird being able to stop what you're doing, walk around trying to figure out where to go next, and then do that. Normally my RC car zooms past me at 30+kph about 20 meters away.  It's a nice change of pace. Do everything at your own pace, there's not even a required direction or even set order to the obstacles, just roll around, trying to go up random hills and down rickety log bridges and such. I've subscribed for a year, allowing me access to the track whenever I please (as long as the 1:1 scale offroad course next door is open). With COVID I'm pretty sure this is the only RC'ing I can do aside from really long walks in the woods....

[GooneyBird 938]

Well, as we all know, Traxxas kinda plays it fast and loose with their scaling. The Blazer's supposed to be 1/10th scale, but it...well... kinda isn't. It's more 1/9th or even 1/8th. Not a problem, as all crawlers in that class are roughly the same size, and so it still kinda works. 

However, the longer I looked at the body, the more I noticed that the mirrors are really kinda ridiculously small. I guess they tried to go for the Sport Mirror-look on the K5 Blazer, but then kinda didn't really pull it off as the shape is just off. (and I'm pretty sure the Sport mirrors weren't available on the '79, but my research is a bit spotty when it comes to '70s GM stuff.) 

Most Blazers (and K10/20s) had the larger, swingout mirrors with the Chrome base. As seen on this pretty-much-dead-on-replica of my TRX4.

Fortunately, Traxxas, in a rare move, actually makes the correct mirrors, AND they fold in and out. Which on a wide truck, can be quite handy. (Also, topheavy rollovers and such)

They even come with this handy stencil, indicating where you are to poke the holes. Traxxas doesn't pre-dimple like Tamiya, but this works. Plus, for another project it actually worked out pretty well to have the stencils.

Place the stencil over the existing holes, take a deep breath (ignore the broken chrome trim sticker...) and....

...briefly switch to the other side of the truck. No going back now!

It looks pretty good!

Much better than these too-tiny mirrors.

The way they work is actually pretty clever. There's no spring or anything, the mirror is free to rotate from the base. However, there's a lug on it, and when the mirror is upright, is flush with the base...

... but when the mirror rotates, the lug pushes out against the body, and that being lexan, will push back and plop the mirror back into place.

Pretty clever if you ask me! 

These mirrors mount with three screws (included!) and a base. Different system than the bodyclip'd other mirrors, but seeing as how these fold I don't think I ever need to take them off.

Mah tool is too big. Write your own jokes.

Not bad, right? Looks a little more in scale with the rest of the truck now, and won't snap off on the first rollover.

But what are we going to do with the old mirrors? I mean, they're too small for the Blazer, but otherwise a decent replica of Generic Sears-branded 1970s/1980s Sport Mirrors I suppose. But what other, actually 1/10th scale GM/Chevy truck do I own....?

[Dakratfink 965]

Reviving this old thread 

I guess it’s not “Going” to the Darkside for me, because I’ve owned several of that brand ( and still do) 

But right now I’m tempted by a pretty good local classified ad deal for an E Revo Brushless . I don’t currently have a big, over the top Aggro 4-6S powered “EXTREME!” ( in all caps) stunt truck.  
Someone quick. Talk some sense into me and talk me out of it ! 

[Grumpy pants 4453]

Great thread I’m really interested enjoying it 👍

[Grumpy pants 4453]

9 hours ago, Dakratfink said:

Reviving this old thread 

I guess it’s not “Going” to the Darkside for me, because I’ve owned several of that brand ( and still do) 

But right now I’m tempted by a pretty good local classified ad deal for an E Revo Brushless . I don’t currently have a big, over the top Aggro 4-6S powered “EXTREME!” ( in all caps) stunt truck.  
Someone quick. Talk some sense into me and talk me out of it ! 

Please buy and share 😂

[Dakratfink 965]

11 hours ago, Grumpy pants said:

Please buy and share 😂

I AM tempted . The Seller is asking $475 USD which is actually a good price for that truck and all the extras he has. 
However, I could do. LOT of customization to my existing scale solid axle monster trucks and or build a couple new Tamiyas for that amount 

[GooneyBird 938]

On 4/24/2021 at 10:46 PM, Dakratfink said:

Reviving this old thread

It's only been like a month.

14 hours ago, Dakratfink said:

I AM tempted . The Seller is asking $475 USD which is actually a good price for that truck and all the extras he has. 
However, I could do. LOT of customization to my existing scale solid axle monster trucks and or build a couple new Tamiyas for that amount 

That's not a bad price, honestly. Is it a Revo 1 or 2(.0)?

If an all-out stunt truck is something you desire, I'm sure you can do a whole lot worse than a Revo. Parts supply from Traxxas seems to be spot-on (and you're American so it's probably even better for you!) and they are more than capable enough. They're pure, unashamed bashers. Made to wheelie, jump over improbably large items, and come back asking for more.

What they aren't, are racers, anything remotely resembling a scale model of a real thing, or nice tinker objects. You buy them, pull them out of the box, smash some batteries in them, and go. Whereas a solid axle monster truck is way more 'tinkerable'.

So what I'm saying is; it's up to you. If I had access to a place to run a Revo (like a skate park, or dirt playground or something), I'd do it. If all you have is your lawn and the beautifully manicured rose garden next to it, maybe not.

[Dakratfink 965]

That's not a bad price, honestly. Is it a Revo 1 or 2(.0)?
of it were the 2.0 for that price I would already be posting my photos.

Another plus , it has ProLine trencher tires mounted and the stock TrAxxas rollers. The prolines look new in the photo. 
seller is also throwing in two batteries and a Traxxas smart charger, but warns the packs have “slight puffing “  
The one LHS near me is big into Traxxas so parts won’t need be a problem. 

And yes , I Do definitely have space to run a revo near where I live.

[Yonzariq 114]

Looks great, still need to take my TRX4 and possibly the CrossRC to RC Planet some time soon