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Grastens

Grastens Builds the VQS/Vanquish

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Time on my hands, and kits in my stash. I now have the pleasure of building a:

m2xpbiQ.jpg

(A Loosely-Researched) Overview

Following the failure of the Avante to either place well in competition or sell the expected volume of kits, Tamiya sought to improve the original concept.

In many ways, the Avante was innovative, but it was also deemed overweight, fragile, overly expensive, and difficult to drive. Its use of many different materials was one source of its issues; pioneering several different types in the same chassis meant that it would always be difficult to perfect the design. Said materials also increased the cost and complexity of the kit, and when the Avante’s inability to fulfill its promise became apparent, units stopped selling. Stories abound of retailers moving Avante kits at heavily-discounted prices, even removing the included RX-540VZ Technigold motor in a bid to recoup some of their costs.

The Vanquish was developed in part to amend this. Released as kit number 58076, this new car used the same gearboxes, shaft drive, longitudinal motor position, and suspension configuration as the Avante. However, it differed in several important ways.

The Vanquish would use a longer wheelbase than the Avante, adding stability at speed where the Avante was found to be lacking. The suspension system now used plastic lower front arms and plastic ball ends, reducing weight and wear. The Avante’s aluminum dampers disappeared; in their place were yellow plastic C.V.A. types. The tool-free “Cam-Loc” wheels were replaced by a lightweight one-piece design, with staggered widths front and rear. This change helped to address problems with unsprung weight and turn-in response.

The double-deck FRP chassis was swapped out for a plastic “bathtub” chassis, reducing both complexity and cost. This also enabled the design to dispense with a separate undertray, simplifying the kit. Almost every piece of fibreglass-reinforced plastic from the Avante was substituted by plastic in the new car, with the exception of the steering plate.

The Vanquish would also be issued with a standard 540 motor, instead of a specialty type like the Avante, and was designed to accommodate a mechanical speed controller. By including the MSC, which the Avante was unable to carry, the Vanquish was more accessible to hobbyists at the time.

The design was topped by a sleek new shell, whose design ethos probably owed more to the earlier Thundershot than the model which gave its basic design. Forward and futuristic, its aesthetic may have been less radical than the startling Avante, but still conveyed performance and style. A driver figure was still included, but this time was attached to the bodywork via a single screw in the roof, as opposed to a separate cockpit sitting on the chassis.

Interestingly, it appears that the Vanquish was not pitched as a successor to the Avante, but rather a development. The new model performed better; however, it was aimed more at casual RC enthusiasts, suggested by its standard MSC and motor. It was not until the Egress was released, combining parts from both the Vanquish and the Avante, that the concept returned to top-level racing.

Today, the Vanquish is well-regarded by collectors. For a time, following the re-release of the Avante, it was considered much rarer and consequently more desirable. With a distinctly-different appearance from the Avante, it would always remain in demand by enthusiasts who appreciated the Avante’s original concept, but wanted something just a bit different from it.

The Vanquish, of course, was re-released as the VQS in 2020. It may have been rebranded partially in consideration to the Mini 4WD cars that borrowed its design. With new-design CV joints, modern pin-drive axles, and a sturdier steering rod, the kit re-emerged in the 21st century with a few updates, but otherwise as the same model. In so doing, the story of the Vanquish makes it to a new generation of hobbyists – and is retold to the ones who remember the original!

Grastens and the Vanquish/VQS

Since I bought and then sold an Avante, I have come to regret the decision to move it on. Not only did I lack a four-wheel drive off-road buggy, but I lacked a model with the same spirit of the Avante.

Even when I did have one, though, I remember being drawn to both the Vanquish and the Avante 2001. To me, these were models that simplified the original design to its benefit – a bit of an evolution. While the Avante 2001 did so more directly, both in aesthetic as well as chassis design, the Vanquish was an interesting answer to the Avante’s issues. It also did not look like the Avante, which added to its intrigue. As I struggled on with my car’s maintenance issues, the Vanquish seemed an appealingly-simpler alternative, while keeping much of the Avante’s spirit.

However, as it had yet to be re-released, it was much harder to find an affordable example. Harder still would have been finding the parts required to keep it running. My experience with an original Audi Quattro reminded me that 1980s plastic tends to get brittle… I cannot say I had the same emotions for it as other models, like the Rough Rider/Buggy Champ, Striker, or even the Avante; inaccessible as it was, I could never imagine actually owning or driving one.

When the news came that the Vanquish would be re-released, I was still quite excited. It may have changed its name, but in almost every other respect it was the exact same car! I recall scarcely believing that Tamiya was producing the plastic bathtub chassis again, to say nothing of bringing back a car almost exactly as it was from the past. I placed a pre-order with my local hobby shop and waited the long months for its fulfillment.

The irony is that once it arrived, my life had taken a different direction. In the midst of my employment and ongoing struggles with depression, I had again lost interest in the hobby. I tucked it away, still in its shipping box, and there it stayed for several more months!

It changed when I acquired a Hotshot, which was a gift from my fiancée. The experience of building and running it, as well as the tacit approval I got for my hobby, emboldened me. Additionally, I was placed on a Leave-of-Absence from work; suddenly, I had much more time on my hands…

… And so, we find ourselves with another build – and another build thread!

First Impressions and Build Overview

I have a habit of calling it the Vanquish, or even the Vanquish VQS. One look at the box shows why:

X3ZVe0s.jpg

To me, it will always be the Vanquish. I actually do not mind calling it the VQS, but as it is so much the same car, and is one less syllable to say, I continue to use Vanquish. Typing it out, though, as on here, I will likely refer to it as the VQS.

Names aside, the inside of the box looks like this:

CPHYfaK.jpg

A fair number of people do not seem to like the pre-painted and pre-cut bodies in some of Tamiya’s kits. I can be counted as a fan. The VQS kit has one in the box’s central section:

JXdMF1N.jpg

Hard to argue with black paint, I guess. The Vanquish was not an unsightly car!

There are more parts hiding under the orange insert. Fully disembarked, the contents – including those special chassis mouldings:

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The left-hand section has plenty of sprues:

Y5GbaXa.jpg

We get another box-within-a-box, too. I am not sure I will ever tire of these:

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Unloaded:

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Tire foams are a nice addition:

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The basic creed for RC car running is printed on the inside of the box, on an insert:

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I may never tire of these partitions, either. I appreciate some presentation:

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And making their special appearances:

XyTfSUf.jpg

The ESC is an inexpensive brushed waterproof ESC from overseas. The more unique development would be the incorporation of a full-armed driver figure in the cockpit. I have always maintained that I would put one in any Vanquish/VQS I own, mostly as there are plenty of angles where the lack of arms on the original driver bust are all too apparent. I understand that this is due to clearance issues for the steering rod attached to the bellcrank, but I would like to see if it can be done.

I have already seen this effort, using a Wild Willy torso. This is from TamiyaClub member Chip1:

image.jpeg

And just as I write this, I see that TamiyaClub member pininy has also done this, using a Ferrari 312T3 cockpit as a base:

img9264_11042014054229_1_1100_.jpg

Come to think of it, I have the parts for that, too… However, the part was previously being prepared for my Hotshot build, but never used. With it being partially painted, I will look to use it in the VQS.

Oh well – at least I have never put a figure with arms in a Vanquish/VQS! This will all be new to me.

I do not mind the pre-painted shell, as I am just fine with the box-art scheme. Cosmetically speaking, the driver figure may be the only modification I undertake. The build itself will feature nothing else exciting: I have a generic waterproof servo and a Spektrum receiver set aside for it, and I will in all likelihood use the stock motor. The fact that this car is essentially a time-travelled Vanquish will be enough for me.

And just like with any other time-traveller, I would be remiss to keep it waiting much longer! On we go!

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Great to see another @Grastens thread, hope you´ll be recovering during this enjoyable build!

Love your review of the old time, which I remember still well. Long before the Egress, the top racing level buggy after the Avante was the Vanquish CS featured in the end of the Vanquish manual, using all the Hopup parts Tamiya threw out in a relatively short time! I remember the German AMT magazine featuring all the mods in a Vanquish build.

To me and my Vanquish at least the Hicaps and the Racing steering set were my choice, which I could afford back then. (and that makes a real nice runner already)

I vote for the Ferrari cockpit, it´s a really nice fit I also did on my restored runner. But space is small under the figure, so I propose to mount the steering servo in the rear hole for the old ESC servo with a longer rod, or you can use a low profile servo and mount it from the lower side of the upper deck (my solution).

All the best for you, and I am keen to follow your tweaks on this Tamiya classic buggy!

 :)

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Thanks for the initial write up and the box shots @Grastens, the box is certainly part of this kit with its sub-box and sections tied in to the decal scheme. Very nice! I don't think I've had a kit that does that and now I want one!

Enjoy the build!

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On 5/1/2021 at 3:24 PM, ruebiracer said:

Great to see another @Grastens thread, hope you´ll be recovering during this enjoyable build!

Love your review of the old time, which I remember still well. Long before the Egress, the top racing level buggy after the Avante was the Vanquish CS featured in the end of the Vanquish manual, using all the Hopup parts Tamiya threw out in a relatively short time! I remember the German AMT magazine featuring all the mods in a Vanquish build.

To me and my Vanquish at least the Hicaps and the Racing steering set were my choice, which I could afford back then. (and that makes a real nice runner already)

I vote for the Ferrari cockpit, it´s a really nice fit I also did on my restored runner. But space is small under the figure, so I propose to mount the steering servo in the rear hole for the old ESC servo with a longer rod, or you can use a low profile servo and mount it from the lower side of the upper deck (my solution).

All the best for you, and I am keen to follow your tweaks on this Tamiya classic buggy!

 :)

Thank you! I had no idea that people raced fully hopped-up Vanquish buggies in period, so I appreciate that insight! Specification-wise, that could certainly make for a capable performer.

Alas, I misplaced my Ferrari 312T3 cockpit :(

On 5/2/2021 at 5:02 AM, Badcrumble said:

Thanks for the initial write up and the box shots @Grastens, the box is certainly part of this kit with its sub-box and sections tied in to the decal scheme. Very nice! I don't think I've had a kit that does that and now I want one!

Enjoy the build!

Thank you! I know some people complain about the lack of blister packs like the original kits, but this style works well for me :D

And now, for more updates.

Like most Tamiya kits issued these days, we start with:

hwVcIHy.jpg

And the manual advises beginning with the rear gearbox:

9AykTB1.jpg

 These first two pages are in common with most (if not all) Avante-type models. Having built an Avante once before, this was a nice trip of nostalgia. The excitement of those heady days…

 Our strong-yet-humble Mabuchi 540 motor, like the Vanquish kits in period:

04oA1td.jpg

 No “Genuine Tamiya Motor” label here, though, unlike that Hotshot!

 And speaking of the Hotshot, our screw bags for the kit:

QXfhsko.jpg

 They do correspond to sequential steps in the manual, which was nice. While I ended up enjoying the challenge that the Hotshot posed with its relaxed approach to these, the VQS does what most every other Tamiya kit does.

 The contents of Parts Bag A:

QCmx3Vy.jpg

 Screws, greases, gels, and gearbox parts. The greases:

xoFKbbQ.jpg

 This was an excuse to pitch my rancid tub of thread lock. As I had no Anti-Wear Grease up to this point, its inclusion here was welcome. I do have plenty of Ceramic Grease from other builds, but the Ball Diff Grease in this tube represents all that I have.

 The gearbox plate bolts up to the rear gearbox casing. Here comes that nostalgia again:

jZrLCKl.jpg

We then add the motor mount to the motor. This piece is different from the Avante, but has the same profile. A 21T pinion is provided:

iJ1Ivef.jpg

 Surprise! We do get a motor label! Except this one says: “Caution – Hot.”

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 Works for me! Warning labels have their own aesthetic, after all.

 And while I was at it, a batch of receivers arrived from overseas:

jwnnKEG.jpg

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 They are knock-offs of the Spektrum SR3100, a DSM2-type receiver. Allegedly, my Spektrum DX3C radio works with both DSM and DSM2 protocols. Even if they do not, it may be time to update my radio equipment, ideally with a backwards-compatible radio. I have to say that I do not appreciate the games Spektrum plays with their radio standards…

 More certain is the compatibility of my overseas servos with this kit:

eO6ESLa.jpg

 I will be good for a few builds yet – the first of these will be going into this VQS.

 All connected, the radio equipment should look like this:

u1qiPuL.jpg

 “Should” look like this. Everything plays nicely with each other – except my radio! I must have been lied to, either by Spektrum or the seller… I would eventually remove the SR201 receiver from my stagnant Ferrari 312T3 project, co-opting it for this build.

 Oh well. The lovely little six-gear differentials should help the mood:

fjEF3C9.jpg

 It is quite obvious, though, that it has been an appreciably-long time since I last used Anti-Wear Grease! I did want to pack the rear differential, however.

 All laced up:

kuIF2BO.jpg

 Those tiny screws are quite fidgety. I did remember to stagger the gears appropriately, at least.

 Dropping gears in – metal 850 bearings are provided for the counter gear, but I went ahead with my own ball bearings.

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 Tucking them in with some spots of Tamiya Ceramic Grease:

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 And closed up from the bottom behind the access hatch:

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 I remember stripping the threads in the plastic on my Avante on this step. Fortunately, I have a much-improved feel for the appropriate torque for these screws since those days. Maybe I have learned something from all these years…

 My workspace was soon becoming a cheerful mess:

CBCFGyc.jpg

Next up is that fascinating (to me) centre ball differential!

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More to do with the:

m2xpbiQ.jpg

We have a propeller shaft, a bearing, and some type of spacer, all secured by an E-clip:

EoGWieV.jpg

A series of disc springs (five total), a centre diff plate, and a thrust washer are next:

VHc4xRv.jpg

With a proper pair of tweezers this time around, installing the balls in the spur gear was a much-easier task than I remembered!

VHc4xRv.jpg

Another gear goes on top, followed by a thrust bearing, cap, and screw:

JX1tJxp.jpg

The manual makes sure to specify that this differential is not adjustable. It also cautions against overtightening the cap screw. The consequences of flattening the balls are not great, so I made sure to pay attention to the torque I used. However, I would eventually learn that it was insufficient…

Sliding the assembly into the gearbox, everything fits well:

KhxbdUg.jpg

The counter gear uses 830-size plastic bearings. I did order ball bearings in this size ahead of time, and so for once had inventory for this step:

1DGp3NU.jpg

I have had issues with bearing widths, though, in the past. The most pertinent case I recall was when I attempted to order bearings to fit the front hubs of my Tamtech BMW GTP. Those were too wide; I think I ran one bearing per wheel alone (they take two) before ditching them altogether. Happily, these 830s are the correct width to fit in the counter gear, and so the rear gearbox was well on its way:

73l0dLt.jpg

The first appearance of the funky plastic-moulded chassis parts is after this step. The rear of the chassis is a plastic piece, and it holds the rear stabilizer bar and antenna mount:

e4DXV22.jpg

From my experience, fitting these stabilizer bars is never easy. It worked this time, though. That did not keep me from attempting to put the gearbox cover on without it, though!

aSgQ7k2.jpg

I spent too much time wondering why the screws would not quite fasten until I realized my error! It would be far from the only one I would make…

Once sorted, the most unique part of the VQS/Vanquish emerges:

ZNJ0xIx.jpg

This, to me, is what makes a Vanquish, a Vanquish. Or, in this case, a VQS. It was also why I, like several others, believed the Vanquish would never be re-released. Seeing the chassis tub in front of me, I was amazed that Tamiya did not re-release the Vanquish using Egress chassis plates, but I am happy that they elected to reproduce the original tub. I am not sure the car would have felt the same without it, even if it is considered a downgrade from the double-deck carbon-fibre design of its relatives.

Unlike that design, this one conveys enough space for everything the car needs. The rear gearbox bolts on with four screws; one is added as an extra fastener for the top gearbox cover.

eI6ajAc.jpg

Parts Bag A is coming to its end; the final step is to attach the rear shock tower:

DaKdP9a.jpg

These also differentiate the Vanquish/VQS from other models in its range, but are subtler than that bathtub chassis. Four self-tapping screws anchor it down, while two 3 mm nuts are pressed into shaped recesses facing the front of the car. They are to be used later; quite what for, I have yet to find out…

At the conclusion of this step, we have the following spares:

3ElzwTt.jpg

That white plastic jig will get re-used for the rear differential. The extra grub screw and differential balls are good to have, even in these numbers.

Bring on

zFxY3Th.jpg

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In

zFxY3Th.jpg

I am guessing that we will be building the dampers! The manual shows the suspension first.

New to me was the inclusion of this particular jig:

Q9fvwlf.jpg

A clever way to push those ball ends into the sockets on the suspension arms! I have never seen anything like this, yet comparing the VQS to the Vanquish shows that this was standard practice.

So they think of this particular idea to prevent damage to the suspension balls while securing them, yet they also package two parts used in the same step in separate bags:

lKGW4fl.jpg

I do not understand that. The parts in question are the mounts for the rear dampers that get screwed into the suspension arms, or the silver parts.

Speaking of which, building them up made me realize for the first time that the kit is in fact issued with two of those hex wrenches, and this is why:

sTuclFd.jpg

Previously, I thought the one from my Hotshot build made it onto the table. It is the best way to secure hexagonal nuts and bolts from both sides.

The rear suspension arms, mostly-completed:

OquT4Rc.jpg

I do think this is a better design than the Avante’s, which used metal ball ends. The effects of wear will still create plenty of play in the system, but I predict this will occur less drastically than with the Avante.

These arms are then temporarily fastened to the chassis, using cap screws and flange nuts:

AtmRYj6.jpg

For some reason, I put them in the wrong location (they should go on top of the flanges on the chassis, instead of on the bottom, as here – the chassis is inverted in this photo). It would be a mistake I would continue to make in this build, and likely due to the ever-changing orientations of the chassis in the build manual. This would explain why the one arm kept binding…

The drive cups plug into the differential afterwards. I did not find my cut bicycle wheel spoke that I normally use to apply grease, but did find this plastic knife of unknown provenance:

ytvpHnS.jpg

AW Grease would be a noteworthy viscosity for peanut butter!

The metal-shielded ball bearings for the hubs would be replaced by my last eight rubber-shielded ball bearings in this size:

UCNGMd5.jpg

The two blue ones went on the inside of each rear hub. They house the axle stubs for the CV joints that have been provided in this kit:

crhSGAz.jpg

I was so busy preparing a presentable photo that I completely missed the fact that an axle pin is in fact in the picture! It quickly resolved the issues I had with fitting it:

2mNc856.jpg

A touch of AW Grease on the ends of the dog-bones, and the hubs can slip onto the suspension arms:

MEEVOoD.jpg

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It was becoming apparent that I was not completely on task with this build; I managed to miss the left outdrive with the dog-bone end before having to reassemble it!

For a kit of this sophistication, I am surprised that step screws still figure in the suspension. That seems more suitable for a model like the Wild Willy 2 (and indeed, that is where they can be found), but I likely prefer this than dealing with however many E-clips to hold pins in place!

At this juncture, the dampers are prepared:

i8o7JuN.jpg

Even the pistons are yellow! Two red O-rings serve as internal spacers:

jVRsQ8p.jpg

The end of the damper body uses alternating O-rings and spacers underneath the bottom cap. A flange nut secures on the bottom of the damper shaft, just ahead of the lower eyelet.

3fHpzuh.jpg

As with most of my oil damper builds, I built one up perfectly to my liking, and then spent another 3 – 4 attempts to get the other one to match. I eventually succeeded, and soon had two complete rear dampers on hand:

jYOWqLf.jpg

I noticed that the lower eyelets must be pre-threaded. That had to be the only way they went on so smoothly… A nice touch. They quickly went on the chassis:

owm1LGn.jpg

The upper suspension links are unique: they use metal balls inside plastic ends, like the lower suspension arms, and are threaded together with a stabilizer guide and matching nut. Additionally, another jig is provided to obtain the recommended dimensions:

SGGD1Rk.jpg

Between the ball-end jig and the link jig, I soon had correctly-sized upper arms:

YuKIXZm.jpg

They were impressively-smooth.

The nuts that were pressed into the rear shock tower finally figure into this step; they help to secure the upper arms to the chassis. The rear bumper is also affixed, using two 3 x 10 mm screws and one 3 x 25 mm screw, all self-tapping:

HV43RpG.jpg

Which leaves us with:

9ZMLi5y.jpg

And looking forward to:

EvPDCPH.jpg

This will handle the front gearbox and suspension. Onward!

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EvPDCPH.jpg

Lots going on here! We will get enough hardware to finish the front gearbox and suspension, as well as connecting the sub-assembly to the rest of the chassis.

The front gearbox is a low-profile design, using compact gears to achieve this. Ball bearings went into one half of the housing, as specified:

EhsgEvO.jpg

A bevel gear feeds the propeller joint, and is installed here:

5n9Ewr4.jpg

In the meantime, the front differential is assembled, in a manner identical to the rear:

vu8BxA9.jpg

I used less AW Grease this time, both to allow the front differential to spin more freely and to conserve the remainder left in the tub.

Unlike the rear differential, this one is heavily offset to one side. Like the rear differential, it rotates on big 1680-size bearings:

4ViW8v3.jpg

Which are significantly bigger than the tiny 630 bearings that go into the counter gear:

8jbGm1R.jpg

I ordered ball bearings for this size ahead of time. They install very neatly:

wCBcWaS.jpg

The counter gear uses a through-shaft that can actually still fall out, since the hole it passes through in the front gearbox is never actually closed. Once the car is fully assembled, this is no problem, since the open end is effectively blocked by the front suspension arm. I still saw fit to put a small piece of tape over the hole, at least for the assembly process:

yZMwOmO.jpg

This must be an old roll of electrical tape, since it does a patently-poor job of sticking to anything but itself. It will do.

After adding the access hatch for the front gearbox and a separate piece for the suspension, the front lower arms actually attach with four pins and E-clips each: 

7EqzbYG.jpg

I managed to neglect the front body post that is supposed to be added in this step. It will make its way in there eventually, just like the front shock tower:

pR7AnUO.jpg

Another plastic piece, I thought this was a reinforcing bit, as the Avante previously used the screw holes that attach this tower. It turns out that the taller tower is there to change the geometry of the front suspension, presumably to a more-favourable layout – but nothing will help if I put it in the wrong way! I did not notice until much later, only finding well after the fact that once again, I got my orientations mixed up and failed to see it to be installed from the back of the gearbox.

Considering that the Hotshot required significantly more attention to build, I am astonished that I am making this many errors in this project. At least I got the correct pins for the front CVs:

iYBjbe3.jpg

The front hub carriers, knuckles, and upper links are next. The CVs in the carriers, replete with rubber-shielded ball bearings:

Q2zAYTs.jpg

Those lustrous aluminum uprights follow:

13CiQop.jpg

On my Avante, I had neglected the spacer between the top of the upright and the carrier, and consequently experienced inconsistent steering and damping until the problem was spotted. I ensured that the spacers were present this time.

More step screws attach these to the front lower arms:

5MEirOb.jpg

Definitely a good place for thread lock! I lost a few on my Avante a while back.

The upper arms get the sub-assembly ready for dampers:

bCztkwU.jpg

At this point, I still did not notice that the front shock tower was on the wrong side of the gearbox…

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It would take installing the dampers to figure that one out. Interestingly, they were specified to be constructed “softer” than the rear dampers, using 3-hole pistons in the manual instead of the rear’s 2-hole types. The damper bodies assembled much like the rears:

6uxFuz4.jpg

For plastic, this is quite good. Everything threads consistently, leaving little temptation to over-tighten. The kit-supplied yellow damper oil went in:

VKaGkxq.jpg

I made sure to leave time for the shocks to settle. The rears did not fit the holes in my one car stand, which were made for this exact purpose. The fronts sat nicely in there. Once again, I built one shock to my liking, and took another 3 – 4 tries to get the other one to match its rebound:

6S4jFZN.jpg

All assembled:

MwrRyd0.jpg

I wondered why the VQS used tapered front springs when they were such a poor fit for the lower collars. Of course, I completely neglected the actual parts to be used for these springs! Much like the shock tower, I would not get to the bottom of that for a while…

When the front dampers refused to fit, I checked back over the manual and sure enough, I had installed the front shock tower the wrong way! It took a few minutes to correct, after which it looked like this:

QVCh1GK.jpg

LythS4Y.jpg

Much better! Still missing that front body post, though!

The incredibly-fiddly front stabilizer went in:

cGj2geK.jpg

nx03nlH.jpg

“Fiddly” because of those screws holding down the brackets. They were difficult to line up cleanly, even for pre-threading. Manoeuvring everything onto the front gearbox was also a bit challenging.

Nonetheless, I persevered to get that front gearbox onto the rest of the car. Suddenly, we have a semi-recognizable VQS/Vanquish in front of us:

mySlxij.jpg

More funky plastic went on in the form of the chassis’ upper deck. Six screws hold it down, and at this step, the manual advises changing out the flange nut all the way back from attaching the rear lower arms for lock nuts. I used this time to correct the lower arms’ position.

The remaining parts from Parts Bag C:

yaZFNHz.jpg

Which means:

A0i5Iaq.jpg

Wherein we will complete it!

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The last quarter of the

m2xpbiQ.jpg

is now underway!

The steering linkage is next on the chassis. The stock setup is not bearing-supported (which is how Tamiya gets you to shell out for the hop-up Racing Steering Set), but still feels smooth in operation. Or, it will for a few runs…

I greased the ends of the threaded rods, pre-threaded the connectors, and made use of my tools when it became clear there was going to be a lot of rotating involved:

H3IUUI7.jpg

The setup is configured for zero Ackermann geometry, which was a criticism of the system. At least there is less bump-steer than a Hotshot:

OwKLuLY.jpg

The carbon-fibre steering bridge was not surprising, but also out of place as the only carbon-fibre component in the entire build. It was ostensibly carried over straight from the Avante re-release.

This is where the manual gets interesting:

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Included on this page was a series of corrections:

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Essentially: the ball end for the steering servo was placed on the wrong side, and the rod needed to be made longer to compensate for that correction. I wonder when this was issued.

I heeded their revised instructions as I set up my radio equipment:

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And then it was time for a dab of creativity with a too-small ESC switch: 

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As the switch was too small to mount in the stock location in the intended holes, I cut a bushing from a leftover piece of rubber tubing from a Wild Willy 2 kit (used in the friction dampers – I had the spares from mine, for some reason, despite not having one for some time). This would help the screw and spacer sit a bit flusher with the switch plate; as long as the switch could still travel fully in both directions, this would work.

It almost worked cleanly, except that screw did not thread properly and ended up going in quite crookedly. I covered the exposed screws with electrical tape and a zip-tie to conceal the mess:

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But hey, it works! Enough for me to put on the requisite sticker:

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Interestingly, this switch plate is also a key component to the right rear lower suspension arm. It affixes to the chassis between the tub and this plate, as we will see.

The electronics layout was then hashed out; visible in the lower left corner is the aforementioned attachment point under a cap screw head: 

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The recommended position of the electronics is a tandem arrangement of the ESC and receiver. I saw no need to deviate, so I went ahead with the double-sided tape:

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One day, I may attempt to shorten wires to clean up my effort, but until that day, I am fine with doing so via strategically-placed zip-ties:

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Which brings us to the famous lightweight one-piece wheels:

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They fit well with the tires, although some coaxing was required to get the beads to seat completely. It was merely a matter of untucking the foam inserts from under the beads. As the car will not be running with a particularly-powerful setup (stock 540; a 23T Super Stock RZ is a possibility), I dispensed with glue for the beads.

More plastic-fantastic with the battery door:

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And finally, installing the wheels and tires onto the chassis:

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With the rear wing stay installed, the chassis is complete! The inherent appeal of this unclothed platform reminds me of the story of the Lamborghini Miura prototype… For anybody unfamiliar, it was first displayed as a bare chassis at its first auto show, where it still generated immense interest and plenty of pre-orders on the spot!

That will not suffice for this VQS, however, just as a bare chassis did not do the original Miura complete justice. Time for bodywork!

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Before the decals could be cut, though, I wanted to try out the proposed driver figure. As the VQS comes with a pre-painted and pre-cut body, I could do this immediately after finishing the chassis.

As it transpires, there is indeed enough space for a full-armed driver torso to fit in the cockpit area of the shell. Clearance is actually favourable, too, helped by the revised placement of the servo ball end. However, I could see that the servo was getting hung up on the driver figure at the limit of its travel.

The solution was two-fold. Realizing that the kit-stock driver bust was selected partially for its hollow back, I trimmed away the plastic at the back of my selected torso:

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It certainly helped, but did not completely solve the issue. The rest of it was done by trimming the servo saver itself:

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If this thing ever breaks due to a lack of material, then I can shake my head. Until then, I achieved my vision of a full-armed driver figure in a VQS/Vanquish!

The time was also taken to sort out how to connect the battery without fouling the shell. I recalled tucking the battery cables into the front of the chassis on an Avante, where there is a small space between the battery and the front gearbox. That space also exists in the VQS tub, and may even work better than the double-deck chassis for that: 

yiGYlH8.jpg

The result is a very satisfying installation! The battery cables are not excessively-pinched, so all the wiring can be tucked away cleanly.

The leftovers from the final parts bag:

uEXAfzB.jpg

Now, bodywork!

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With the positive experience of (the admittedly-little painting of) the Hotshot, I felt confident that I could put together a good result for the VQS. I also had a nicely-finished Comical Avante to show for my work; that was also a pre-painted and pre-cut shell that required careful attention to decals.

The painting commenced:

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The flat black base I laid out for the driver torso was having the desired effect on the rest of the colours. I worked quickly, but the paint rarely gave me problems. The torso was painted in XF-7 Flat Red, while the helmet was painted in X-7 Red. With the base being XF-1 Flat Black, I wished to deviate from the recommended same colour for the seat belt and painted that in X-3 Royal Blue, with some proper X-11 Chrome for the buckles.

For some reason, I imagined Evert Edwards having brown driving gloves, despite the futuristic vehicle he was piloting. Perhaps I was inspired by Crash Cramer, who did not have hands to paint. As a result, I painted gloves in X-9 Brown.

The plan to then go over the belts and gloves in XF-86 Flat Clear, for a matte finish. However, in keeping with my intermittent brain-fade, I used X-21 Flat Base instead. The result was a really awful-looking rough white coat over the gloves and belts, so I took extra time to redo those in the same colours. After that, I did not bother with the intended flat overcoat.

The helmet was a little better. Two coats of XF-7 Flat Red were followed by two coats of X-7 Red. The rubber trim was painted in XF-1 Flat Black, but then I added some splashes of X-3 Royal Blue for the helmet padding visible from the opening. I did this to break up the monotony of flat black around the face, which was painted using a blend of XF-15 Flat Flesh and an unknown type of olive grey.

Going over the face paint while still fresh allowed me to build up some texture on the face, which I thought made it a little more convincing – although really, that was a fringe benefit for hasty work!

The eyes were finished in X-2 White, with irises added in X-3 Royal Blue. This was a nod to the box art, which depicts Evert Edwards with bluish eyes, even if the colour is closer to grey. My vision was not acute enough to determine if my attempt at adding pupils was successful!

I ended up with another decent-looking driver figure: 

UsYvqzB.jpg

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… At least, I think so! I think this particular driver figure is keeping in character with the buggy: it is certainly not as futuristic as the Avante’s driver, but it does not have to be. After all, the Vanquish was a bit of a technological regression from the Avante, but all in the interest of better performance. If nothing else, this justifies Evert Edwards having brown driving gloves!

And now, decals!

tURgbe2.jpg

I use a glass and surface cleaner for this purpose, creating a pool of the fluid to position the decal before blotting it dry in its intended position. The bottle I am using is naturally derived and does not harm the decals, but more interestingly dates back from my Loctite Zexel GT-R build from many years ago!

Is it a good glass and surface cleaner? Actually, no. But it works for this task quite well!

I used a fresh X-Acto knife blade, and got to work cutting all the decals ahead of applying them to the shell. At one point, the knife slipped: 

ZWWPXhU.jpg

The cut looked pretty bad on the silver decal. Obviously, the “Racing Rats” sticker was cut clean through. I could have saved it, but did not want to; fortunately, Tamiya supplies a few extra decals. At this moment in the process, I was worried I would have to cut off the slashed portion completely and replace it with one of these elective decals, or cover it. It put a damper on things, to be sure, though I was thankful that it happened to the sticker and not my hand!

The elective decals are as pictured:

9F9Gtoz.jpg

I ended up cutting those out, too, resulting in the spread you see here:

lKQsF8f.jpg

On the left are the decals I intend to use. The “Racing Rats” decals have been replaced by yellow “Tamiya” script, from the elective group. The rest of the optional decals are on the upper right corner of the mat, while the ones I would leave off the shell are on the lower right.

Seeing the multiple decals to make up the particular stripes and patterns on the shell, I was careful to follow the numbered order laid out in the manual. This meant the rear wing was first to finish: 

rU235Qv.jpg

(Up and) AWAY! 

After deliberating on whether I wanted to depict car #2 or #3, I went with both to create car #32: 

sw8h0BW.jpg

I used to wear number 32 with a number of my ice hockey teams, so this worked for me!

I was already running into trouble with the first few decals on the shell proper:

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I had not completely blotted out the fluid from underneath this solid decal on the side. The result was unsightly bubbles trapped under the surface – I write “unsightly” because it looked for all the world like bubbling paint indicating rust! That is very out of character for a car like the VQS/Vanquish, I decided, especially on a metallic decal. I ended up making tiny holes in the sticker with a very fine pair of tweezers to allow the fluid to escape.

Was I worried about filling the decal with pockmarks? I had a larger issue on my mind:

5HVlCDZ.jpg

It was then that I came to the revelation that heating the decals to smooth them out might minimize the extent of this cut. The reality is that I am likely to roll the car anyway on its first run, but I really wanted to make an acceptable effort at depicting this spectacular car. The section would stay – for now…

The silver cockpit accent on the shell actually consists of six different decals. Applied in order, and with care, they can make up one continuous spot of colour. I took my time to line everything up, and felt I was rewarded with a clean finish: 

aEu2TNA.jpg

Also on at this step was the first of the yellow “Tamiya” decals, replacing the damaged “Racing Rats” stickers. I quite like the effect! It is in the same spirit, yet ever so slightly different from box art. I am glad that Tamiya included these in the kit!

Twenty-six decals complete the shell. I ended up using thirty, on account of the special racing number. Unlike most of my other projects, I applied heat during the decal process, ensuring that the trickiest of them would be sufficiently-tacked on before proceeding with others. The smallest decals on the roof (tiny warning labels) did not need a fluid.

I felt my efforts were rewarded:

sNRXh5a.jpg

EiqOQTH.jpg

Elective decals included one Tamiya decal for the back of Evert Edwards’ helmet, and a C.V.A. Shocks sticker each for the front and rear. The latter were placed in the spirit of similar decals present on the bodies of buggies like the Boomerang; I had wanted to use it on the damper towers, but neither one had enough space for them to be placed:

UdiNvmj.jpg

Jd4bmFo.jpg

Yes, they provide a special script for the helmet! It is Evert Edwards’ name, written as a stylish signature. This was not a feature of the original kit – it seems by coincidence, I predicted it with my Hotshot!

The biggest surprise may have been just how well the rectangular Tamiya decal settled on the back of the curved helmet. With patience, I was able to get it on there without wrinkles! Perhaps it was not the best choice; however, it was put on cleanly, and covers the screw hole at the back.

A final elective sticker went on the chassis - the electrical decal, placed near the electronics :P

8rw8LWY.jpg

Uniting the body and the chassis felt like a magical moment, even after all these kits:

GuTryp9.jpg

I am not sure I will ever get tired of it, to be honest. The VQS in particular looks sharp:

0DgmS4a.jpg

A free day to run it is all I need to wait on! Thus concludes the build. :)

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I can clear my head about running (and possibly totalling – who knows, really?) the newly-finished VQS with an impromptu photo session:

8KDyC79.jpg

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Even if the lighting is bad, the car sure isn’t!

Compare and contrast with my recently-built Hotshot:

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The VQS is unbelievably slick and sleek where the Hotshot communicates an unmatched brutality. The Hotshot is all blunt shapes and exposed mechanics and wires, while the VQS elegantly contains all its electronics (save for a tantalizing peek of the motor) under its finely-sculpted form. I think this is why I was inspired to photograph the two of them together – besides them representing my two latest builds.

I spent the next hour just looking at them :wub: That first run is definitely something to anticipate…

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Not more than a day later, the time is upon us! The VQS will get its first run.

Unlike other instances of opening runs, I will have the experience of another build relatively-fresh as I take this one out. In my case, I will be comparing the VQS to the Hotshot which I had recently finished. In some way, each represents the best of Tamiya four-wheel-drive off-road buggies, though the VQS’ design was a little further removed from the pinnacle. However, as the Hotshot predates it by three years, I am curious to compare their performance characteristics.

The site I will be using is the same as the one where I ran my Hotshot, under similar conditions. This means dry, relatively hard-packed dirt, with plenty of ruts and bumps from construction equipment, as well as sections of gravel and plenty of weeds/vegetation.

It was an inauspicious debut:

6R0nP0h.jpg

By that, I mean that the centre ball differential backed out almost immediately. It seems I have once again underestimated the torque required to keep it firm. Fortunately, I thought to bring a small set of tools with me, and so I had everything I needed to access and remedy it.

Once I was confident the drivetrain was accounted for, it was time to tear it up!

I am not sure the VQS got the message:

Jnk15Sb.jpg

As the session went on, it became clear that the VQS was not really designed for anything this rough. It made sense, though; I do remember reading that the 1980s saw plenty of changes in off-road track development. The types of courses the Avante (and by extension, the original Vanquish) would be designed for were probably more refined than the ones the Hotshot was expected to tackle. This would explain why the Hotshot was such a stellar performer here while the VQS seemed to struggle.

Underestimating torque was a reason that Evert Edwards nearly rattled himself out of the cockpit. I made sure to tighten the screw at the top of the shell firmly before proceeding; he had a bit of a lean after that, but did not come loose the rest of the day.

3GevY7D.jpg

Indeed, the VQS really hit its stride on the flatter sections of the pit, and handled moderate undulations with relatively-good stability before being overwhelmed by the worst terrain.

QOvdMDO.jpg

I managed to get some asphalt time in, too. It is not a good idea for spike tires, but I tried it anyway. The VQS simply flew! It was a lot of fun on the pavement, with the off-road tires providing enough grip to propel it down the road, yet remaining slippery enough for some easy drifting. Perhaps I should consider some mixed-terrain or even on-road tires… With its sleek shell, it certainly looked the part of a road racer at speed.

yXTG71s.jpg

What surprised me was just how much it squeaked and rattled during the session. I suppose that the metal-on-metal contact on the rear stabilizer bar may not help, but the front one is metal-on-plastic, and there are not too many other metal-on-metal places that would make that much noise… The body mounting could not have helped, either, with the front and rear body mounts being in line with each other and lacking lateral support. This meant the shell was free to wobble from side to side, which would definitely contribute to some rattling. An undertray with Velcro may help, as on the Astute.

In conclusion, the VQS struck me as a fun if not entirely-capable off-road runner, but an unusual amount of fun on the road. It surprised me that this experience proved the concept of the Blazing Star, an almost completely-unrelated Tamiya buggy that combined an off-road chassis with decidedly-on-road tires. That was always considered an odd buggy, yet the design of the Avante series would have made for a much more compelling version of the same principle.

I would have run more battery packs that day, even if the motor ran a bit too hot after that first one, but I discovered that one of the step screws in the front suspension had backed out completely. The others were on their way out, too. With no hope of finding it, and no interest in creating undue wear and tear on everything else, I packed it up and returned home.

It was then that I finally learned that I had not only installed the wrong lower shock collars on the front (they are Part E8, in black – nowhere to be found on the yellow damper trees), but I must have also forgotten to thread the front stabilizer through the left suspension arm! Once again, I showed an unusual lack of detail and execution during this build.

At least those were easy fixes; the step screws, on the other hand… It was fairly obvious that the front suspension was rattling itself to pieces. Every remaining step screw got more thread lock, and a number of replacements have been ordered. A 3 x 10 mm screw is deputizing for the lost step screw, although that would not be a good thing to run. I may look to see if I can locate/create a shim so the screw can be tightened down without binding the steering…

In the meantime: I felt I asked too much of the VQS, but it sure looks nice :wub: I still look forward to future sessions with this spectacular car!

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Hi Grastens, one question: Are you sure Evert´s helmet decals weren´t already included in the original Vanquish kit? Don´t know, if I remember it correctly, but I have a strong feeling that they were there in `88. Need to check an original decal sheet...

And yes, threadlock on some screws is a must on the Avante series buggies, especially on the front axle...;)

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Great write-up. It reads like a professionally written magazine article. Top stuff!

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5 hours ago, ruebiracer said:

Hi Grastens, one question: Are you sure Evert´s helmet decals weren´t already included in the original Vanquish kit? Don´t know, if I remember it correctly, but I have a strong feeling that they were there in `88. Need to check an original decal sheet...

And yes, threadlock on some screws is a must on the Avante series buggies, especially on the front axle...;)

@ruebiracer indeed you are correct! Looking again, the original decal sheet does include it, and so does the manual:

7fH7sIi.jpg

I am not sure how I missed that, especially as that step was unchanged for the VQS. Thanks for the heads-up!

(and of course, thanks to Tamiyabase for the scan of the original manual)

With my new supply of step screws, even if I don't learn to go heavy on the thread lock, at least I can make the same mistake twice :P

4 hours ago, Fuijo said:

Great write-up. It reads like a professionally written magazine article. Top stuff!

Thank you! I know there are other places to read about the kits I build, but I like being able to share my own experience with them. To me, that is what makes build threads special, even if the project itself is not as spectacular as a scratch-build or a heavily-modified kit. So, I appreciate this ^_^

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Thank you for sharing your build and driving experiences with us!

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