i used to be quite into my RC cars about 4 or so years ago, it all started with a humble tamiya TL-01 chassis that got tweeked and tweeked until i decided it too knackerd and it was time to upgrade, so i flogged the good bits to a mate to build into his new TL01, and i flogged the rest on ebay and bought this:
a TA-04R, this was the daddy-o of tamiya electric touring cars, it really shifted, adjustable everything (tracking, camber, caster etc) as well as two ball diffs, with plenty of carbon to ensure it weighs sweet FA.
i tweeked it, upgraded it, and raced my brothers and mates, great fun in a local car park late at night.
then we sort of went off it all a bit, so in a fit of madness i bought a tamiya Mad Bull, this is a £60 budget 'starter' kit, into this i smashed my speed control and 10turn motor from the touring car which made it crazy fast. for those that don't know sticking a 10 turn motor in here is like sticking a chevy small block in a daewoo matiz!
it soon became clear that it couldnt really cope with it, so i made that alloy deck to stiffen it up, tweeked the steering to make it a bit more direct (the steering was heavily damped before, which when it was flat out meant it just went where it wanted to!) and i fitted some oil dampers (it had bassically no damping before) as well as fitting ball races and few other bits and bobs. it really did go well!
on the road, you could wait for a car to pass, then accerate up to the same speed in no time at all in 30 zones! so it easily did 30! to give you an idea your petrol touring car will do 30-40 - this would happily do that off road! it was almost as quick as the TA-04!! it just didnt do corners!)
you could also get massive air of tiny jumps, like 6ft air from a 1ft high 30-40degree ramp!! and it would hit the ground flatish and keep on going! however it has taken its toll and tamiya's big wheels and tyres meant for 15mph in the hands of a 10yr old have ended up badly buckled, and it has eaten all my supply of alloy pinion gears.
i really should get it out again.
a TA-04R, this was the daddy-o of tamiya electric touring cars, it really shifted, adjustable everything (tracking, camber, caster etc) as well as two ball diffs, with plenty of carbon to ensure it weighs sweet FA.
i tweeked it, upgraded it, and raced my brothers and mates, great fun in a local car park late at night.
then we sort of went off it all a bit, so in a fit of madness i bought a tamiya Mad Bull, this is a £60 budget 'starter' kit, into this i smashed my speed control and 10turn motor from the touring car which made it crazy fast. for those that don't know sticking a 10 turn motor in here is like sticking a chevy small block in a daewoo matiz!
it soon became clear that it couldnt really cope with it, so i made that alloy deck to stiffen it up, tweeked the steering to make it a bit more direct (the steering was heavily damped before, which when it was flat out meant it just went where it wanted to!) and i fitted some oil dampers (it had bassically no damping before) as well as fitting ball races and few other bits and bobs. it really did go well!
on the road, you could wait for a car to pass, then accerate up to the same speed in no time at all in 30 zones! so it easily did 30! to give you an idea your petrol touring car will do 30-40 - this would happily do that off road! it was almost as quick as the TA-04!! it just didnt do corners!)
you could also get massive air of tiny jumps, like 6ft air from a 1ft high 30-40degree ramp!! and it would hit the ground flatish and keep on going! however it has taken its toll and tamiya's big wheels and tyres meant for 15mph in the hands of a 10yr old have ended up badly buckled, and it has eaten all my supply of alloy pinion gears.
i really should get it out again.
.
