Loving this thread so much that I've dug my 33 year old grasshopper out of the loft.
I'm thinking of buying new transmitter/receiver, esc, battery, charger etc and making a bit if a project for me and my eldest (11 yr old).
Are the budget electronics ok or is it worth spending a bit more?
Will I need to replace the old servo? My plan is to get this one up and running and then buy another kit at a later date and move the electronics over. My old grasshopper is fairly tired but is fitted with bearings and bigger motor, so it will serve as a good learner for now but I suspect the plastic will have deteriorated and won't hold up to many crashes. Hence the new kit 😉
Can you video your first cartwheel please.
The Lunchbox has landed!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XMo18gsX8hc7AP8lWdhdXH0lbr09cr1P/view?usp=drivesdk
Have I mentioned the front double wishbone conversion? 😉
*sigh* Why won't it display public images from Google Drive?
The prop shaft in the Terra scorcher might as well be made out of spaghetti
Maiden voyage and I ploughed it in to a kerb, and the prop shaft bent.
Any one know if there is a decent after market one that is stronger than wet spaghetti?
I'd suggest that the strength of the concrete kerb is a bigger factor than that of the propshaft. - There will always be something that breaks if you drive into a concrete kerb at speed.
I used to have a Terra scorcher / Thunder dragon when I first started racing in the 90's and never managed to break the prop shafts despite, running motors that were far more powerful than the standard 540. It's normally the chassis and front bulkhead that are the weakest link on those cars, The pivots for the suspension arms, and shocks would occasionally bend as well. Wishbones didn't break but would stretch and become deformed with repeated impacts.
I'm not aware of anybody that makes a stronger propshaft for that car, but it is pretty unusual for them to break. I would just replace it (if you can't straighten it well enough to avoid vibration) but check your chassis, because in order to transfer axial load to the propshaft in a head on impact the chassis needs to deflect a lot, which it won't usually do without breaking. There will probably be cracks around the screw heads where the front gearbox attaches.
The most important mod on those cars was to the battery holders, I used to add elastic bands as otherwise the things would flex and the batterys would fly out.
@stumpy01 BIG thumbs up for the Cut Staggers, they totally transform the front of the car. Had a chance to try them on all surfaces and the amount of bite is perfect for RWD.
Front grip is now giving power oversteer on dusty surfaces desire the bigger pinion.
Not sure about the springs on the rear. Rear of car still getting kicked about on bumps. Going to refill the rear shocks with the heavier oil I bought.
Last job is to try packing the diff with grease. Hoped to avoid that for now as it’s a lengthy rebuild but the car is digging itself in on dusty stuff with only one wheel spinning. Half filling the diff with stiff grease is supposed to help.
I know. I did.
I wasn't aware of them before this thread
Yay! Still need to replace a few worn bits but it lives! Dead steering servo was shorting the ESC, quick swap for a new one and away!
clubby
@stumpy01 BIG thumbs up for the Cut Staggers, they totally transform the front of the car. Had a chance to try them on all surfaces and the amount of bite is perfect for RWD.
Front grip is now giving power oversteer on dusty surfaces desire the bigger pinion.
Great!
Will have to get some of those tyres ordered!
Might get a pinion too, as it doesn't really need the acceleration!
Still undecided on the suspension. Can see me buying new oil, then feeling like it needs different springs, then feeling like it needs different oil etc....
Will get the tyres & pinion, then go from there! Cheers.
Folks - does any 2.4ghz receiver work with any 2.4ghz controller?
We've an FTX controller (with 'pairing' button) I just need a receiver which will play with Tamiya ESC.
Folks – does any 2.4ghz receiver work with any 2.4ghz controller?
No. They need to be compatible.
Have been following this thread a little too closely, so have now taken delivery of an FTX Outlaw to go bashing with the boy. Stories of inept driving and mass destruction will no doubt follow...
*stares intently at battery charging in the corner
Hope your FTX lasts longer than ours, not had 15 mins out of it yet without it exploding a part.
Whereas I'm confident that the Grasshopper could survive being fired out of a cannon suffering damage only to the corners of the body shell. After a series of massive cartwheels on a tarmac carpark mine ended up looking like Shane McGowan's teeth. However, I found all the bits and stuck them back in with super glue.
I also accidently launched mine off a 10ft drop into a field. I tried to drive it the fifty or so yards to the gate so that I could retrieve it, but it beached so I had to climb over and get it. Luckily the horses in the field were not interested in me or the car.
3.7km in. If it isn't on Strava it didn't happen. https://www.strava.com/activities/3425446609
Next purchase update: Nobody has a Mad Bull in stock. I'm waiting impatiently.
My 2CV has just arrived. 🙂
I have a lot of uni stuff to do so will be putting the build off for a bit.
Still need a servo and rx/tx.
Might just start doing the body though.....
Hotshot shaped box just arrived from Howes 🙂
Now to decide whether to be good and wait for my birthday as planned (mid June), or my wife did say I could have it now as something to do while we are still (sort-of) locked down...
@harry_the_spider my local appears to have one in stock ... good guys and normally good prices too!
https://www.pegasusmodels.co.uk/product.asp?type=&maingp=RC+Cars+%2F+Trucks+&prodid=998349#.XrrOQiXTWaM
Mad Bull ordered.
The in-stock date at Howes seems to have been moved so I bought the car and a couple of bits from Pegasus (thanks for the tip off) and the rest off eBay. Cost me about a tenner more than than the bundle would have done, but bits will start arriving tomorrow rather than at some unspecified time in the future.
The stickers on the Mad Bull are "Gopping", so I'll be doing my own scheme. Also, as the bodyshells are £7.50 at some places, I may get a spare and was thinking of doing the faded American flag scheme on Vice Grip Garage Chevelle.
Once again. Damn you Rusty! 😉
Quite fancy a monster truck or crawler as well. Just back from playing with buggy on beach (sorry I mean taking exercise). Sand slinger tyres are huge fun but front end ground clearance meant it was skipping about over even small stones. Could get Blitzer beetle axles which run bigger fronts but building new cars is just so much fun.
On smoother sand though buggy was amazing.
🙂
They are a bit moreish, aren't they?
How about a Lunchbox?
Everyone needs a Lunchbox.
They should come free on the NHS.
They are a bit moreish, aren’t they?
Very nearly bid on a pair of dark impacts plus spares on eBay last night. Resisted as only one was complete. Reckon by the time I resold the working one and bought servo and receiver for parts car I probably still be better off just buying a new kit.
I know it’s heresy on this thread but .... the lunchbox just doesn’t do it for me.
Was looking at Axial build kits, but they need a lot of extras to finish them off and get quite spendy.
At least with Tamiya you get the build fun. Under no impression that they’re great cars But they are great fun.
Rock Socker is tempting me, as I can use current battery and charger. Can get a spare receiver for current handset as well. Would still need esc and servo but both pretty cheap.
I thought this purchase through. Seriously.
Originally I wanted something to run with the Grasshopper and a Rising Fighter seemed logical, but it only comes with the bigger motor and the terrain round here (along with the driver skills) is a little bit harsh and I'm running out of super glue.
So, if I was going to get another it had to be a bit "different". Higher ground clearance would give it more scope for messing off road, so daft wheels were necessary. Also, with me being a bit of a model kit nerd it had to be the same scale as the Grasshopper.
The final variable was a reasonable budget.
1/10 scale + 540 motor + daft tyres + not too expensive = Mad Bull
Toying with the idea of painting it in Splinter Camouflage.
I know it’s heresy on this thread but …. the lunchbox just doesn’t do it for me.
I quite like the idea of one, but they look too simple to build and that's at least 75% of the fun for me.
You're both right, it's a very, very simple build.
I'm looking forward to the 2CV as it looks a bit more complex.
Adding upgrades to the Lunchbox is fun though, you don't have to risk stripping loads of fiddly little screws and the upgrades make a huge difference. Mine almost goes round corners now....🙂
I'm dreading fixing the steering on the TT02B, again. It'll be a right faff.
Should have stayed away from this thread. I now have less money than I did. Have just finished a Tamiya Landfreeder after putting off doing the body shell for a while. Actually that was one of the most satisfying parts of it. It’s amazing the finish you can get on these polycarbonate shells. It comes with a huge amount of sticker which I decided against. Hopefully this link will work.
Then after reading, I decided I needed another. The Holiday Buggy is now under way though a global shortage of Matt black paint may delay it. Great kit though. I prefer the building to driving which is just as well as finding cheap radio gear also seems to be an issue at the moment.
Anyone any idea why I can’t get the link to work. I have posted the link using the IMG thing.
That's lovely man, great colour.
How does it go?
Thanks Househusband for fixing that for me.
Sorry about the late reply. I’ve been working on the Holiday Buggy.
It goes really well. People criticise them - unfairly in my opinion. You can spend a lot of money turning them into a rock crawler but that’s not what they were designed as. They’re great fun on dirt, grass, in the garden or wherever.
If you search CC-01 on YouTube, there are some fantastic videos made by a Swiss bloke called Matteo that are well worth watching.
Having been following this thread for a while, I finally decided that having wanted a Tamiya RC car in my teens and not being allowed one, it was time I treated myself.
I have gone for a Mad Bull and have ordered the bearing kit at the same time having read all the recommendations on here.
I will no doubt be back for advice during the build.
The Mad Bull does look like a good model. It's a shame Tamiya don't do a bigger range of those kinds of vehicles.
@clubby - my cut stagger front tyres arrived for my Neo Fighter today - they weren't due until next Monday so a good effort from rossmod1986 on eBay!
They have transformed the car completely! It's a bit of a shame that Tamiya doesn't ship the car with a similar tyre. It's completely altered the character of it.
I'm having to re-learn how to drive it, as I'm used to it lazily understeering round corners whereas now it whips round nicely and can even induce a bit of oversteer.
Such a huge transformation for a small outlay.
Hmmm... might have to get some for the Grasshopper.
In other news, the Mad Bull has arrived. Got to wait for bearings and the radio.
Need a hand. Got an ecx roost 1/18 4wd. Very little power is going to the rear wheels. Rear diff is in perfect condition. Spur gear and slipper are integrated and power the rear wheels through a diff and the front via a dog bone and then diff. Any idea why no power would go to the rear?
Going to upgrade soon when I can find some stock of better cars... Ecx are not great.
Got out early doors for a bash around with the ftx this morning, still surviving well and manageable for the boy. Spent some time reading through the owners thread on MSUK so now have a lengthy wishlist of hopups. Boy also keen on us getting another, so have been eyeing up blitzer beetles - looks like another expensive hobby!
Harry_the_Spider
Subscriber
Hmmm… might have to get some for the Grasshopper.
I think the front Grasshopper wheels are smaller, so check before you buy.
I can measure mine if you want?
You can buy them pre-mounted so you could possibly just get them on bigger wheels. I suppose if the OD is broadly the same it won't matter.
Bearings and radio didn't arrive, so I took the opportunity to paint the body shell.
Was originally going to go "Camouflage",but as the wheels are yellow and the shocks are red I thought that it would look a bit daft.
Hence this colour scheme.
Very nice
Decals on.
I thought I'd keep it quite understated as the suggested scheme using all of them would make it look like my duvet cover from 1985.
The body shell will never look this good again.
Body shell looks great!
Tamiya do go a bit loony with the decals. I used about 1/3 of the included ones on my Neo Fighter.
Got as far as we can without the radio and bearings with my lad doing most of the work.
The kit is quite a lot simpler than the Grasshopper with pre-assembled shocks, wheels and steering.
and it is a proper chunky Mutha Hubbard as you can see in this comparison.
Thinking of getting another body shell and going a bit "Mad Max" with it, or maybe do it in "Souther" camouflage and stick Rogue Trooper in the driver's seat.
Today I rebuilt the rear shocks om my Rising Fighter with "valved" CVA pistons. They already had the non-vented pistons, so I have gone straight to the 3 hole piston heads and the original springs to try to reduce some of the hop at the rear.
I them spent AGES disassembling and rebuilding the propeller drives at each end of my Terrascorcher. This was meant to be a simple installation of thrust bearings to replace standard bearings that I'd stuck in when building instead of the thrust washers. The propeller joints are SO TIGHT, and incredibly notchy. I have removed some material using a Stanley knife and a needle file, but there is still a lot more to do. The front is improved, but not sorted. The rear still has a way to go. I reckon if it make the prop joints smooth there should be a significant increase in speed. Running a 13.5T brushless.
Our build awaits a servo and Rx.
He's made a good colour choice - metallic sparkly...
I've ordered a couple of these.
and will get a new body shell when they arrive.
Project Nu-Earth All Terrain Fast Attack Vehicle is go! The driver will have a blue face and red eyes.
