TB-01 / TT-02 / XV-01 Body Shell compatibility

[drb99 1]

Hi all, I've just joined so this is my 1st post (be gentle!)

After a break of over 30 years (Uni, women, wife, kids, several houses, and real cars - expensive stuff) I'm getting another RC car.   Back in the day (1980's) I had several Tamiya buggies plus a Mid Optima.   Nothing too serious, though I did race at my local club (but never won anything!).

Anyway  - I've bought a new, unused (but built up) Tamiya TB-01 Subaru Impreza (2000 Arai version) complete with Acoms radio gear, ESC, battery, charger, cockpit set, spare (new) Lotus Elise Motorsport HPI body shell,  spare wheels etc.   It was a great price - the guy just wanted it gone I think,  despite literally never using it.    The Subaru shell is still new and unpainted.   It's all currently in transit - hasn't arrived yet.

I did a fair bit of reading and from what I can tell, the TB-01 is pretty robust and has a strong following.  But I'm a bit concerned about spares availability.  And I really want the '99 Monte Carlo (Richard Burns) decals on the shell, rather than the very busy looking Arai ones that it comes with.  I loved going to rallies in the 1990s / 2000s and it would be a great nod to Burns, who is sadly missed.   Plus I had a rally blue Impreza Turbo back in the day too.  

So I started looking at the TT-02 as there's a '99 version.  Then I read reviews saying it's entry level and after spending on upgrades (bearings, shocks, rally block tyres etc) I may as well buy an XV-01.

Thing is, there's no XV-01 Impreza with the '99 shape/decals.    The XV-01 Lancia Delta Integrale is however very appealing - it's just as iconic as the Impreza...

So I figured I could buy an XV-01 Integrale, sell the TB-01 on, but keep the radio gear, ESC (perhaps - depends what it is) and the body shell.   But that still doesn't give me the lovely '99 Impreza decals.....

After reading this far you're all thinking "what do you want to use it for - display, bashing, rallying or light road use etc" right?     Well it's a bit of everything I think - whenever I have time/inclination, I'll jump in the car and take it out for a blast somewhere.   But I want to keep it nice - like my cars (I'm a Lotus nut!).

Anyway - I'm a bit confused about what to do - so my first question is this - will the Impreza body shell with the TB-01 kit fit the TT-02 or XV-01 ?    Is it basically the same as the one on the TT-02, or is it narrower (I'm sure I've read somewhere that a 190mm body is too wide for a TB-01)?

Any help would be much appreciated, it it will greatly help me to decide what to do.   My head says keep the TB-01 , heart says move it on, but pinch the body, radio, wheels etc and get the XV-01 Integrale and a '99 Impreza decal set - that also gives me the nice job of doing the build......

Here are a few photos showing the options that I'm talking about.....(yes I know the Integrale has been lowered, but boy,  does it look good!)

[sosidge 624]

Tamiya have been consistent with their bodyshell dimensions ever since they released the first "touring" size chassis, so there won't be any issue fitting the Subaru body to other chassis (they are all standard wheelbase).

Normally Tamiya keep the same body mount positions as well although there are a handful of exceptions out there, i would expect these chassis to have the same mounting positions as they have always been sold with bodies and Tamiya do a lot of re-releases of bodies on different chassis.

 

[Juhunio 6830]

Hi @drb99, and welcome!

The short, happy answer is yes, a 257mm wheelbase shell that will fit a TT02 will also fit an XV01, and vice versa, even if that shell has pre-drilled holes for body mounts. The body mounts are in the same position on both chassis, attached to the damper mounts, so it’s a straight switch. 

The slightly longer answer is that there is an old thread on this which I would include a link to but I can’t seem to find it. The only reason I reference it is that I asked the exact same question in it last year, and @svenb kindly responded and also posted a couple of pictures of his TT02 and XV01 side by side to give added reassurance that it would work 😊. So if you can find that thread it’s worth looking up, as it will give you visual confidence that it will work 👍

[drb99 1]

Thanks for the quick replies, seems the shells are interchangeable then 👍🏻
 

Any thoughts on the keep TB-01 / swap for TT-02 / XV-01 dilemma?

[Juhunio 6830]

I’ve no experience of the TB-01 but have got a TB-02 which I love. It was a great build, more enjoyable than a TT02. Spares will probably be an issue, and if it’s anything like the TB-02 the ride height is quite low, whereas the TT02 is adjustable and gives you a bit more height for rallying

But I think if you are going to drive it in anger over some rough rally style terrain, the it’s the XV-01 all the way. It’s specifically designed for the job. So maybe buy the Delta XV-01, build both, keep the TB-01 on the shelf or for some light on road duty with one of the shells and drive the XV-01 with the other shell, and swap the shells between the two chassis as and when you fancy 👍

[drb99 1]

Sounds good - but I can’t justify having two cars if I’m honest, unfortunately, so I need to decide between TB-01 and (probably) XV-01

[TurnipJF 9192]

Do you want nostalgia or performance?

Nostalgia = TB-01

Performance = XV-01

[InsaneJim69 1584]

I would keep the newer one for the parts availability XV01. TB01 parts are becoming harder to find these days and are more expensive. 👍

James.

[Juhunio 6830]

3 hours ago, drb99 said:

Sounds good - but I can’t justify having two cars if I’m honest, unfortunately, so I need to decide between TB-01 and (probably) XV-01

XV-01 then I reckon 

[drb99 1]

Thanks, that’s what I’m leaning towards as well. So if I wanted to buy an XV-01 Integrale kit, can anyone recommend what Radio gear, ESC, battery and charger to go for?    It doesn’t need to be ultra fast, so NiMh batteries and the stock 540 motor will be fine.   I’ve been looking at the bundled deals that Time Tunnel models do, are they any good or would I be better buying it all separately.

I do need to keep my costs down - that’s a priority - but I don’t want to cut corners and buy rubbish!   Do I still need a waterproof ESC for an XV-01?

Alternatively I could keep my Acoms radio gear and use that, just not sure if it’s suitable for an XV-01 that’s all (I’m sure there are faster/smaller/better servos now!)

[Juhunio 6830]

Haven't built mine yet, but my understanding from reading other threads is that the challenges are:

• Space. The area of the chassis designated for the ESC is pretty tight, so an ESC without a fan is ideal. Plenty of others have found very elegant ways to make fans work, but you make your life easier if you don't use one. So a standard Tamiya ESC (TBLE-02S / 04S) will be fine. This limits you to brushed motors 25T or higher (ie stock 540 or Sport Tuned) or brushless motors of 13.5T or higher, which shouldn't be a problem based on your specification above. If you do go brushless, I like the Hobbywing Quicrun series of motors as they have male bullet connectors on them (the solder posts in the pic slide off to reveal the bullets beneath) which means you can attach the female connectors of a Tamiya ESC directly to the motor without needing to be able to solder, which is ideal cos I'm rubbish at soldering
• Distance. I believe the ESC and motor are quite a long way apart, which can make cabling a problem. If you use a stock 540 or Sport Tuned (which have motor leads attached) and a stock Tamiya ESC (which has ESC leads attached) as per the manual then there should be enough cable to make the connection. If you go for a brushless motor like the Quicrun (which doesn't have motor leads attached, but does have bullet connectors) you will either need to solder some motor leads to the motor to connect to the ESC or do what I did and buy extension cables that you can plug directly onto the male bullets on the motor and then attach to the female connectors on the ESC. Again, this was my choice because I am useless at soldering. The Quicrun are sensored motors so you will also need a long sensor lead to run between the motor and ESC. 

My plan is Tamiya TBLE-04S and Hobbywing Quicrun 13.5T with extension cables. No fans, no soldering!

Servos; metal geared and decent torque would be a good idea in a rally car, I really like this one which is also low-profile which helps when space is tight

Radio; up to you, your Acoms will probably be fine, or these are pretty cheap and cheerful if you want a more modern 2.4Ghz stick transmitter 

Hope that helps!

[drb99 1]

Thanks for the detailed info - very much appreciated.   What advantages do brushless motors have, and can you still use a NiMh battery with it or does it have to be a Lipo?

[Juhunio 6830]

20 minutes ago, drb99 said:

Thanks for the detailed info - very much appreciated.   What advantages do brushless motors have, and can you still use a NiMh battery with it or does it have to be a Lipo?

Low / zero maintenance seems to be the main brushless advantage over brushed. You can get brushed motors (eg Tamiya Super Stocks) that are just as quick as most brushless motors, but the brushes will wear out over time and will need replacing (spares are available) and they're 23T so you can't use the stock Tamiya ESCs, you need something else like a Hobbywing Quicrun 1060 which is dirt cheap, very reliable and also quite a small form factor so helps with tight spaces 

The Tamiya ESCs come with the same connector as most NiMh batteries, so yes that will be fine too. If you order that Hobbywing ESC from Modelsport (and you can't solder yourself!) you can get it with either a Tamiya or Deans connector. NiMh batteries are available with both. 

That's a basic answer....beyond that it's down to personal preference 

There are plenty on here with stronger opinions on why brushless is king, Lipo rules and NiMh is for grandads, but I'm not that bothered. I find NiMh easy, safe and plenty quick enough for me. 

[Toad16v 282]

The stock motor with the xv01 kit comes with longer wires, which is nice.

[Juhunio 6830]

14 minutes ago, Toad16v said:

The stock motor with the xv01 kit comes with longer wires, which is nice.

Oh, that is nice