Tamiya TA01 MRE Nitro Conversion
Status: Project
Date: 3-Mar-2020
Comments: 10
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I bought this from Yahoo Japan via a 3rd party back in Jan this year. This listing the the second iteration of an ongoing project which got started with an engine refurb (thread in the Forum) and general sharing of info about this model in the 'Projects' category in my showroom (link in first comment below). However, as you can see from the pics, I'll have to come up with another muffler solution, possibly an alternative engine/muffler combo with the muffler on the other side so it's out of the way of the drive shafts and gear and servo mount area under that.
So to the plan. Well, although I received this a couple of months ago, it was only unboxed for the first time today. It appears as it was listed, complete and unused, albeit some of the MRE parts are a little tarnished. My first step will be to strip the whole thing down and clean everything up, separating out the MRE conversion parts from the Tamiya donor chassis parts (which as you will note from the wheels looks to be from a 58113 Schnitzer BMW M3). I'm first going to rebuild the TA01 chassis up fully to make sure I have a 100% complete donor chassis. Then I'll swap out the TA01 tub for the MRE chassis parts. After that comes probably the more complex part - working out how to get engine, servos etc all fitted in so that the car actually drives!
I'm sure this will all take me some months, I'm not in a rush. Let's see how it goes and I'll post updates in the thread I started in the Nitro section of the Forum (link in first comment below).
Update Sept 2020: the MRE parts have been dismantled and cleaned - see last pics. Everything has come up really well. I'm hoping to find some time before the year is out to do some more on this project.
Update Jan 2021 - managed to find time to make some progress, and now it's almost completed (final pic). More in the build thread in the Forum (link in first comment below).
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No space! A servo goes under there.
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Need a better muffler solution
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Close ups of steering assembly
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Missing spacer now in place - problem solved!
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Muffler inverted to create more space
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Comments
Futureworks
Link to other showroom entry for more general info: [Click here]
Link to thread in forum about the build: [Click here]
neobrunox
i have seen one of these chassis for sale but too much expensive for me ! it looks great , for the muffler maybe the TM-1 will do the job ?? but i do not know
Futureworks
So an update on the muffler issue - acprc identified that I was missing a spacer which would have come with the original conversion kit. Being a loose item, this part was not included with the new built chassis I purchased as it had probably been lost by the original owner. Luckily acprc didn't use the spacer for his MRE build, and I now have it - as pictured (all held in place with matchsticks pending arrival of some very long M3 bolts). That's a major problem now resolved, so I can get on with stripping down the chassis to clean and check all parts before the build.
neobrunox
Interesting, for sure you need very very long M3 bolts, that is really impressive !
Futureworks
M3 x 55mm is what's needed, and hopefully arriving in the post shortly!
Re-Bugged
Great job buddy.
Futureworks
A couple of examples of this conversion set from other TC’ers
[Click here]
[Click here]
cat007
Thanks for sharing. it would provide good reference for my 2nd built
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