The Tamiya RC car thread
Discussion
Caddyshack said:
andy_ran said:
Caddyshack said:
Wow, that FF3 took me back, I had totally forgotten about those.
When I was a kid all the local racers had them, no way on earth could I ever have afforded one. When the time came for a computerised setup it was the 3VC (which I still have).I have over the years collected quite a bit of old Futaba PCM - I have 4 Field Fore 3 (one doesn't work, one mint and in the box with manual and receiver etc) - I fly (try not to crash) helicopters too and have collected some of the older things like the Field Force 9 and 7, Super 7 etc too
Been a nice easy day today, and spent far longer than I expected getting the Avante in to a roller - I am not sure I like the "Special Pink" wheels, so may still find a set of original wheels and paint it blue
or Get a set of white wheel and paint it box colour black
I still have a fully working Hirobo Shuttle heli.
I have what would have been its major competition back in the day a Kyosho Concept 30 still new and never flown with box. It's built so not nib
Submitting my contribution.
I got this Vanquish about 10 years ago, in as "not new" condition from Ebay. Was about £60 and included an old Acoms 2 channel radio, no crystal, and mechanical speed controller. There were parts missing so it was a three wheeler.
Since then, I got carried away and collected new parts from all over the place, in fact, all over the world. Some took years to find. In 2017 I bought the Pargu Parts twin deck set, like the Avante has, then set about a world of pain converting it. This needed a lot of patience as some parts were like rocking horse doo doo.
This year, after finding a new steering rod that is actually Tamiya and the right part number, I started doing more.
It has hopped up steering, HiCap damper set, new Tamiya body, and Avante driver. I have Avante wheels with the fasteners as well as some good, original Vanquish ones.
Today, I binned the rubbish Etronix Probe ESC and put in a Hoobywing that my wonderful son got me for Christmas.
The body needs painting and stickering. I am going box art for this.
Front suspension is riding a bit high, so there will be more hours of building and tinkering.
Spent a small fortune on it over the years. Hundreds, but it has been satisfying restoring and upgrading it beyond new.![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/PwDW6n34.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/Qh5HkYv1" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/Qh5HkYv1.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/Th9a47cs" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/Th9a47cs.jpg)
I got this Vanquish about 10 years ago, in as "not new" condition from Ebay. Was about £60 and included an old Acoms 2 channel radio, no crystal, and mechanical speed controller. There were parts missing so it was a three wheeler.
Since then, I got carried away and collected new parts from all over the place, in fact, all over the world. Some took years to find. In 2017 I bought the Pargu Parts twin deck set, like the Avante has, then set about a world of pain converting it. This needed a lot of patience as some parts were like rocking horse doo doo.
This year, after finding a new steering rod that is actually Tamiya and the right part number, I started doing more.
It has hopped up steering, HiCap damper set, new Tamiya body, and Avante driver. I have Avante wheels with the fasteners as well as some good, original Vanquish ones.
Today, I binned the rubbish Etronix Probe ESC and put in a Hoobywing that my wonderful son got me for Christmas.
The body needs painting and stickering. I am going box art for this.
Front suspension is riding a bit high, so there will be more hours of building and tinkering.
Spent a small fortune on it over the years. Hundreds, but it has been satisfying restoring and upgrading it beyond new.
Edited by TUS373 on Thursday 28th December 15:01
Edited by TUS373 on Thursday 28th December 15:03
TUS373 said:
Submitting my contribution.
I got this Vanquish about 10 years ago, in as "not new" condition from Ebay. Was about £60 and included an old Acoms 2 channel radio, no crystal, and mechanical speed controller. There were parts missing so it was a three wheeler.
Since then, I got carried away and collected new parts from all over the place, in fact, all over the world. Some took years to find. In 2017 I bought the Pargu Parts twin deck set, like the Avante has, then set about a world of pain converting it. This needed a lot of patience as some parts were like rocking horse doo doo.
This year, after finding a new steering rod that is actually Tamiya and the right part number, I started doing more.
It has hopped up steering, HiCap damper set, new Tamiya body, and Avante driver. I have Avante wheels with the fasteners as well as some good, original Vanquish ones.
Today, I binned the rubbish Etronix Probe ESC and put in a Hoobywing that my wonderful son got me for Christmas.
The body needs painting and snickering. I am going box art for this.
Front suspension is riding a bit high, so there will be more hours of building and tinkering.
Spent a small fortune on it over the years. Hundreds, but it has been satisfying restoring and upgrading it beyond new.
Sounds awesome - pictures when finished please!I got this Vanquish about 10 years ago, in as "not new" condition from Ebay. Was about £60 and included an old Acoms 2 channel radio, no crystal, and mechanical speed controller. There were parts missing so it was a three wheeler.
Since then, I got carried away and collected new parts from all over the place, in fact, all over the world. Some took years to find. In 2017 I bought the Pargu Parts twin deck set, like the Avante has, then set about a world of pain converting it. This needed a lot of patience as some parts were like rocking horse doo doo.
This year, after finding a new steering rod that is actually Tamiya and the right part number, I started doing more.
It has hopped up steering, HiCap damper set, new Tamiya body, and Avante driver. I have Avante wheels with the fasteners as well as some good, original Vanquish ones.
Today, I binned the rubbish Etronix Probe ESC and put in a Hoobywing that my wonderful son got me for Christmas.
The body needs painting and snickering. I am going box art for this.
Front suspension is riding a bit high, so there will be more hours of building and tinkering.
Spent a small fortune on it over the years. Hundreds, but it has been satisfying restoring and upgrading it beyond new.
I have two cars at the moment a re release Egress which I run regularly (hence different wheels and a knackered body, I have a spare):
And a shiny new BBX:
(Chose slightly different paint from standard, lighter blue and some sparkly white I had knocking around):
Egress has a brushed motor and old-fashioned battery, BBX has a copperhead and lipo.
And a shiny new BBX:
(Chose slightly different paint from standard, lighter blue and some sparkly white I had knocking around):
Egress has a brushed motor and old-fashioned battery, BBX has a copperhead and lipo.
My wife got me the TT02 Ford Focus RS custom kit and little number plates of the registration of my old ST170 for Xmas so I can build a replica of it for my collection.
Just need some Tamiya bright silver paint and I’m away with it. Literally can’t wait.
Two of my kids got WL toys buggies for Xmas too and they are amazing for the money!
Just need some Tamiya bright silver paint and I’m away with it. Literally can’t wait.
Two of my kids got WL toys buggies for Xmas too and they are amazing for the money!
Since I turn 50 this month (
), what better way to kick off the inevitable mid life crisis than with the purchase of the RC car I had as a kid, the epic Tamiya Boomerang?
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/tamiya-boomer...
I have zero experience of building an RC car - the one I had as a kid was purchased secondhand from my mate's dad who was one of the leading lights at the local RC car club and was upgrading to a Schumacher Cat. That suited me at the time, as a kid I had no patience for building stuff, I just wanted to get out and play! Now, though, I'm more excited about building the thing than I am about driving it! That said, any top tips for a beginner would be gratefully received.
I intend to build it with the full ballrace kit from the outset, which seems sensible for the sake of an extra 15 quid. Much as I loved the Boomerang, my recollection was that it wasn't particaularly fast even back then, so no doubt it'll seem even more pedestrian these days when compared to more modern stuff. To that end, what are the options for improving the performance to give some more pace, preferably without lunching the gearboxes? Brushless may be a step to far (?) but how about a brushed motor with a lower T rating? Appreciate this might necessitate a better ESC...
), what better way to kick off the inevitable mid life crisis than with the purchase of the RC car I had as a kid, the epic Tamiya Boomerang? https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/tamiya-boomer...
I have zero experience of building an RC car - the one I had as a kid was purchased secondhand from my mate's dad who was one of the leading lights at the local RC car club and was upgrading to a Schumacher Cat. That suited me at the time, as a kid I had no patience for building stuff, I just wanted to get out and play! Now, though, I'm more excited about building the thing than I am about driving it! That said, any top tips for a beginner would be gratefully received.
I intend to build it with the full ballrace kit from the outset, which seems sensible for the sake of an extra 15 quid. Much as I loved the Boomerang, my recollection was that it wasn't particaularly fast even back then, so no doubt it'll seem even more pedestrian these days when compared to more modern stuff. To that end, what are the options for improving the performance to give some more pace, preferably without lunching the gearboxes? Brushless may be a step to far (?) but how about a brushed motor with a lower T rating? Appreciate this might necessitate a better ESC...
So.....
My son (10) was dead chuffed with the Aqroshot and we started building it yesterday. First couple of steps were fine but then disaster, I managed to break a ball connector that fits to the servo assembly, the thread actually snapped just flush with the hex nut so we need both a new ball connector and hex nut as I can't get the remains of the thread out. Sourced online but will take until end of the week for delivery so opportunity to build during the school's holidays pretty much gone. 12 quid as well for 2 tiny parts.
I'm annoyed with myself for using too much force but in fairness I was following the suggested method on the instructions for holding the ridiculously small (2mm) hex nut with pliers while using a screwdriver to tighten the ball connector. I suspect the problem was probably more the angles of force rather than amount of force if that makes sense as the 2 handed technique seemed a bit tricky.
So we now need to wait for the parts to arrive. While it's too early to review the kit (we're not even off the first couple of pages of the instructions) my initial observation is that this dt03t kit has some questionable design issues. The 3x 5mm screws for example that hold the main 2 parts of the chassis together just don't seem right for the job and it looks very much like a point of failure.
I'll post an update when we eventually get the bits and get back into this.
My son (10) was dead chuffed with the Aqroshot and we started building it yesterday. First couple of steps were fine but then disaster, I managed to break a ball connector that fits to the servo assembly, the thread actually snapped just flush with the hex nut so we need both a new ball connector and hex nut as I can't get the remains of the thread out. Sourced online but will take until end of the week for delivery so opportunity to build during the school's holidays pretty much gone. 12 quid as well for 2 tiny parts.
I'm annoyed with myself for using too much force but in fairness I was following the suggested method on the instructions for holding the ridiculously small (2mm) hex nut with pliers while using a screwdriver to tighten the ball connector. I suspect the problem was probably more the angles of force rather than amount of force if that makes sense as the 2 handed technique seemed a bit tricky.
So we now need to wait for the parts to arrive. While it's too early to review the kit (we're not even off the first couple of pages of the instructions) my initial observation is that this dt03t kit has some questionable design issues. The 3x 5mm screws for example that hold the main 2 parts of the chassis together just don't seem right for the job and it looks very much like a point of failure.
I'll post an update when we eventually get the bits and get back into this.
TheGreatSoprendo said:
Since I turn 50 this month (), what better way to kick off the inevitable mid life crisis than with the purchase of the RC car I had as a kid, the epic Tamiya Boomerang?
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/tamiya-boomer...
I have zero experience of building an RC car - the one I had as a kid was purchased secondhand from my mate's dad who was one of the leading lights at the local RC car club and was upgrading to a Schumacher Cat. That suited me at the time, as a kid I had no patience for building stuff, I just wanted to get out and play! Now, though, I'm more excited about building the thing than I am about driving it! That said, any top tips for a beginner would be gratefully received.
I intend to build it with the full ballrace kit from the outset, which seems sensible for the sake of an extra 15 quid. Much as I loved the Boomerang, my recollection was that it wasn't particaularly fast even back then, so no doubt it'll seem even more pedestrian these days when compared to more modern stuff. To that end, what are the options for improving the performance to give some more pace, preferably without lunching the gearboxes? Brushless may be a step to far (?) but how about a brushed motor with a lower T rating? Appreciate this might necessitate a better ESC...
Fantastic!! Thats like me and my Super Sabre (although I did build mine in the first place) ), what better way to kick off the inevitable mid life crisis than with the purchase of the RC car I had as a kid, the epic Tamiya Boomerang? https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/tamiya-boomer...
I have zero experience of building an RC car - the one I had as a kid was purchased secondhand from my mate's dad who was one of the leading lights at the local RC car club and was upgrading to a Schumacher Cat. That suited me at the time, as a kid I had no patience for building stuff, I just wanted to get out and play! Now, though, I'm more excited about building the thing than I am about driving it! That said, any top tips for a beginner would be gratefully received.
I intend to build it with the full ballrace kit from the outset, which seems sensible for the sake of an extra 15 quid. Much as I loved the Boomerang, my recollection was that it wasn't particaularly fast even back then, so no doubt it'll seem even more pedestrian these days when compared to more modern stuff. To that end, what are the options for improving the performance to give some more pace, preferably without lunching the gearboxes? Brushless may be a step to far (?) but how about a brushed motor with a lower T rating? Appreciate this might necessitate a better ESC...
Get a Tamiya tool kit, Tamiya use JIS screws (not standard Philips/Crosshead) and normal screw drivers just tear up the parts - TAMIYA 300074085 RC Tool Kit 8 Pieces £25 from Amazon comes with all you need including Allen and box tools.
Really good idea to ball race it from the start for a few £ more - thats what I have done
To make it a bit faster but still usable, opt for something like a Core Racing 21T brushed motor and a 2s Lipo Battery - It will make it much more punchy without risking stripping the gearboxes to shreds and wont need a better speed controller.
Edited by andy_ran on Tuesday 2nd January 12:14
Massive progress so far! 
There's already been a fair amount of head scratching and muttering of obcenities trying to figure out which part the instructions are referring to but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it! 
One question, at the top of the instructions, it tells you to use ceramic grease where the grey grease bottle symbol appears:
However, in the second section, there is an additional note referencing using molybdenum grease. Should I assume that for that whole section, wherever the grease symbol appears I should use molybdenum grease and not ceramic? That would seem logical to me but it's far from clear. It would seem sensible to me to have 2 distinct symbols for the 2 types of grease to avoid any confusion but hey ho!
There's already been a fair amount of head scratching and muttering of obcenities trying to figure out which part the instructions are referring to but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it! One question, at the top of the instructions, it tells you to use ceramic grease where the grey grease bottle symbol appears:
However, in the second section, there is an additional note referencing using molybdenum grease. Should I assume that for that whole section, wherever the grease symbol appears I should use molybdenum grease and not ceramic? That would seem logical to me but it's far from clear. It would seem sensible to me to have 2 distinct symbols for the 2 types of grease to avoid any confusion but hey ho!
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