Here's mine with a fresh paint job:-
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Check your screws people!
I gave my Neo Fighter a quick once over a couple of days ago and the pin holding one of the rear wishbones in was almost completely out.
Screw for the servo saver is completely missing. Annoying as there's a hole in the bottom of the chassis to access it that I meant to tape over with duck tape & never got round to it.
Was looking at hop-up parts the other day & realised I can comfortably spend more than the kit cost on carbon fibre damper towers, better shocks, new tyres, a turnbuckle kit & anti-roll bars.
realised I can comfortably spend more than the kit cost on.....
You’re not wrong.
I can also suggest you never have a look on the DT03 section of the GPM Racing site. I’ll do you the courtesy of not posting the link 😉
@stumpy01 check this guy out for inspiration is you half an hour spare.
Can only imagine what he’s spent!
Anyone tried a maverick strada?
they look to be a good price for a bigger car than my colt.
Not after anything high performance just fun to play with around the £100-130 price
2CV Raid Afrique update.
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Canvas roof..
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That 2CV is looking lovely merak!
I’ve been inspired to have a bit of a play with a Grasshopper that I’ve had sitting for a while and this is today’s progress ...
Built up with some wheels borrowed from another project.
New front bumper.
Same treatment for the rear.
Fitted to the hopper chassis.
Different choice of body for this one!
Spent half an hour doing jumps in the pub car park and the car looks absolutely knackered! Never mind eh.
Going to have to mod the battery cover as it fell off numerous times, once dragging the battery for quite a distance. So the battery looks knackered too.
We're just using 2 pieces of insulation tape from side to side on battery cover, it's basic I admit, but works fine
There are a few fixes for the battery cover popping off online. It is a universal issue on Grasshoppers.
Self tapping screw through the tab to stop it sliding back. Let's see if it survives.
Nice^.
I'd be scared of destroying it.
Ha, it’s already had two runs and showing a few battle scars. Surprising how enjoyable the build process is, was slightly disappointed it was over when I finished it.
@demonracer Does that VW shell fit the Grasshopper Chassis without modification? Where did you get it from?
Thank you lots!!!
@Weeksy. What are you getting?
Rusty has posted me a 540 and I've ordered the 18T pinion so that my daughter can destroy the car even faster.
@ Merak Thanks, the garage was one of my most enjoyable R/C related projects to date, I’d highly recommend building one if you have the space, your work looks great and it would really show it off. Mine has a large shelf above and below to doubles as storage for cars/parts.
@Harry_The_Spider the body is a Tamiya Sand Scorcher body, (part number 51406) they are normally available on eBay for around £35-£40 but they seem scarce at the moment on there. You could try time tunnel models or fusion hobbies, both are normally good on prices. A cheaper option would be a Kamtec Lexan or ABS body but they aren’t quite as nice.
The chassis hasn’t had any modifications to the wheelbase, track width or ride height. The very front has been trimmed from the chassis, this can be seen in the first picture ... it’s then just a case of working out how you want to mount the body.
Harry, same.
Why the pinion?
18T
6 quid off eBay.
@Merak I’m not 100% decided on this one yet, probably a single colour with some of the “sponsor” decals in the rear windows maybe.
Got the 540 motor. Thanks !!!
I dont think my pinion gear comes off my standard motor so think I need a new gear, but how many teeth do I want guys?
I dont think my pinion gear comes off my standard motor so think I need a new gear, but how many teeth do I want guys?
18.
Page 6 of the manual.
Just took mine for a quick spin in the woods that turned into a 4km walk around the farm tracks. Was impressed that a) the battery lasted and b) my battery cover mod also lasted.
After the bouncy hit-and-hope antics of the other day me and my lad are getting better at controlling it with a ight touch on the throttle and easing off into the turns. My daughter is still reckless though.
We're getting it to go roughly where we want it to now. A bit of speed modulation can really change the handling characteristics from donuts to big arcing understeer slides.
Battle damage after three days of being thrashed. Not bothered about the body, but could have done without dragging the battery for 20 yards.
Battery case cover mod that seems to have worked.
clubby
You’re not wrong.
I can also suggest you never have a look on the DT03 section of the GPM Racing site.
Yeah, I've spent quite a lot of time looking at the GPM bits!
clubby
@stumpy01 check this guy out for inspiration is you half an hour spare.
A few good ideas but blimey that bloke it's bonkers. No way I could be arsed doing quite so much fiddling about.
I have considered getting Mad Bull or Aqroshot wheels for it to help out over grass with a bit more clearance.
grahamt1980
Anyone tried a maverick strada?
they look to be a good price for a bigger car than my colt.
My nephew has the Strada MT. It's good for the money and spares are readily available. There are certain weak points and the bumper mount on the chassis seems particularly vulnerable. If the bumper takes a significant whack then it shears off the mounting hole which is directly on the chassis, so it's a whole new chassis to replace (or bigger repair).
But he's quite young and tends to smash it into things at full pelt.
Only other issue he had was the radio just completely died. A new one from Amazon for about £30 sorted it.
Thank you stumpy.
have decided that until I get proper control of the colt anything bigger or faster is probably going to get destroyed.
Will def keep an eye on that for the next stage I think
Wife wanted peace to tidy today, so I gallantly offered to take the boy out in the bike trailer. Coincidentally the bike trailer has a luggage compartment big enough for a 1:10 buggy and handset as well as the boys usual necessities.
We’ve an army firing range close by, so after a nice 30 minute pedal I’d miles of mainly deserted road, gravel car parks and grass ranges to play on. Perfect place for a proper first bash about.
Grass was a bit long and the car bounced about a lot although there were plenty of verges to practice some sweet jumps.
Moved round to the next zone and found a rough tarmac car park with plenty of loose gravel and sand to muck about in.
First attempt at a wee video resulted in some nice donuts but the phone slipped downwards and focus switched to the grass in front of it. Second attempt was better but driving wasn’t as good.
As with a lot of 2wd, it’s quite understeery on the power. The ribs worked ok in deeper gravel and I bet they’ll be great on the beach, but on grass and hardpack the front just pushes.
Stock springs also quite soft, car bouncing about a lot. Bottom of chassis all scratched up already.
Been browsing and ordered some replacement parts to tweak set up. The DF03 spring kit comes up a lot on the Tamiyaclub site. Designed for 4wd buggies, so a good bit stiffer.
Might tweak the steering arms to give a bit more toe in, see if this helps initial bite.
Also ordered a set of blue star dish Tamiya wheels. Still looking at tyres but think I’ll go for Schumacher Cut Stagger front and maybe a sand paddle for the rear. The kit rear tyre was actually ok, so this would give me a sand set up and one for everything else. Not a good enough driver or going to be racing, so that’s as far as I want to go for now.
Does the Grasshopper rear fit a DT02/03 wheel?
Aye that’s the one.
Ace, cheers.
Killed the ftx colt again crashing. Front suspension arm today ftx6184 it seems none in stock anywhere on planet
Quite fancy changing the wheels and body on my Neo Fighter, something a bit more trucklike. Any suggestions for where I can get some less buggy-like wheels and a body?
mogrim
Quite fancy changing the wheels and body on my Neo Fighter, something a bit more trucklike. Any suggestions for where I can get some less buggy-like wheels and a body?
Not sure about the body, but Tamiya Mad Bull or Aqroshot wheels will fit if you but the longer uprights for the front.
I keep considering it to give a bit more ground clearance.
clubby
As with a lot of 2wd, it’s quite understeery on the power. The ribs worked ok in deeper gravel and I bet they’ll be great on the beach, but on grass and hardpack the front just pushes.
Stock springs also quite soft, car bouncing about a lot. Bottom of chassis all scratched up already.
Interesting findings. Did you see what I said on page 1 about 6 or 7 posts down? Virtually the same thing, so good to hear there is some correlation!
I wanna try some spiked tyres on the front and tinker with the steering geometry. Some people put some weights over the front end which I am also tempted to try.
I was a bit disappointed that it sits so low to the ground, to be honest. Tamiya used to do a truggy model called the Nissan King Cab. Much better handling than something like The Blackfoot but with the ground clearance and (almost) agility of a buggy. It's a shame they don't do anything like that. The Aqroshot is kinda there, but not quite.
Guy I linked to earlier was using Beetle Blitzer uprights to fit the truck wheels.
Anyone know if Modelsport are generally realistic with their estimates of when they are getting stock in? I'm a tad sceptical looking at how much they look be expecting on the 10th May!
Video of pub carpark trails course, complete with grumpy Tweenager commentary. https://photos.app.goo.gl/aNqyU2zm3AZgL32y8
@timmys, there’s big shipment of Tamiya due, but everything is coming by boat since most flights from the Far East are grounded.
When I was shopping around a few weeks ago, most model shops were quoting the same kind of drop dates. All depends how quickly stuff gets through customs as well.
Before all this Covid19 started I only had the 1 RC car
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I think I now have an addiction 😂
Some great looking cars and trucks in this thread.
Merak:
Does the Rally 2CV shell have the holes for the sand ladder pre drilled?
Noticed them in the previous photos but not sure if you'd open them up yourself?
Just about to order the kit but don't want to fit the ladder - if the holes are pre drilled I'll buy a standard Charleston shell too.
Also, what motor and shocks are you planning on running?
Fancy the rally version for the increased ground clearance 😀
Cheers fella!
Crashed and burned... wishbone broken, so waiting on parts.... No parts about the moment, so waiting even longer now !!!
Think i need to learn/buy a plastic welding kit. The Grasshopper seems far more resilient at crashing.
My Grasshopper has taken a massive beating over the weekend, but it appears to be intact.
I've raided my daughter's extensive Sharpie collection and have touched up the decals so it is looking OK again.
Had a chat (from 20ft) with a bloke yesterday who used to race Nitro cars and said that he jacked it in because they were too expensive and made him miserable. I'm quite happy with my relatively cheap battery job.
I'm with you 🙂 it's all just about a bit of fun really.
I don't mind throwing £3 here at a part, or a fiver there... but more than that, it's going to get very wearing very quickly.
This is why my 58117 Lancia Delta is sitting on the shelf with a shagged body and the wrong wheels, replacements to make it look nice would be circa £80. Been like that for 25 years...
No mate, body comes one piece. Ladders are optional.
All stock running gear. It's all about the body for me. It'll be for sale on FleaBay as a ready to run kit radio, battery the lot, when I'm finished.
Lets me do another one. Maybe that R5 Turbo although it looks like a real challenge to paint.🤔
Another update, nearly there.
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Bloody hell that looks stunning. I bet none of the full sized versions ever looked that good
That is excellent.
Cheers folks, it's no finished yet!
Ta.
That's saved £35 on a new body. 😀
Just posted a new thread before someone kindly pointed me in the direction of this one. I’ll copy and paste my post below -
Morning folks,
I used to build fpv quadcopters a few years ago but got frustrated with the technology generally being a bit crappy and failing which resulted in things falling from the sky a little too often. I’d probably spend. about 10% of the time flying and the rest fixing things…
I’m a bit bored at home and have been tempted to have another go with quadcopters (I sold all my stuff a few years back) but think I want to try something a little different.
I live on a quiet estate and have a large field directly opposite me. It’s mostly short grass but half of it is a bit wild. I’d like some sort of RC truck to play with over there and have absolutely no clue where to start.
Any recommendations?
I’d think I’d like something –
Big and heavy (monster truck style?)
Can take a bit of a beating
Electric
Budget about £300 give or take a little.
I’d consider popping an FPV camera on it.
What’s the range like on these things?
Any particular brands to look at?
Any other hints and tips for someone new welcome.
Looks like I have killed the 370 motor in my colt.
Does anyone know if the 370 motor is a standard size and I can fit a tamiya version as the ftx ones are out of stock everywhere
@stumpy01 what set up you using on your front shocks? Build manual for mine said to use the medium preload collar, so that’s how I built it. After Saturday’s testing I’ve put all three on and today there was a definite improvement on turn in. The back end still bouncing around but it was already running all three collars.
Spring kit has been posted out, so hopefully stiffer springs all round will improve handling. Also added in a bottle of heavier shock oil as it cost peanuts and I’d paid for postage anyway. Planning to refill only the rears with this.
Found a surface that ribbed front tyres work ok on, dug up golf links. Round the practice area (well is did say “driving range”) and there’s the area where they dig up the turf repairs. Massive bit not long been lifted and not reseeded yet. Lovely surface. Firm but with a sandy top and the ribs were pretty good. Getting better on grass but I reckon that’s down to me actually concentrating and lifting off before turning in rather than just keeping the power on the whole time.
New tyres also ordered. Gone for a Schumacher Cut Stagger slim for the front, for hopefully a bit more bit and a Proline Sand Slinger to go on the spare wheels with the original fronts for beach running.
Going to change the gearing as well. The Torque Tuned motor spins the rears from standstill pretty easily in the loose or wheelies madly in grippy grass, so added a bigger pinion to the order to tame this and add a bit of top speed. Gear diff quite loose in its power transmission and have read adding thicker grease helps, so going to try this when I have to split the gearbox anyway.
Looked at the other hop up parts I fancied and added them all to the basket just to see. Bit of a reality check. Could buy a 4wd buggy kit for what it came too.
Unfortunately have also been looking at crawlers. Oops.
clubby
@stumpy01 what set up you using on your front shocks? Build manual for mine said to use the medium preload collar, so that’s how I built it. After Saturday’s testing I’ve put all three on and today there was a definite improvement on turn in. The back end still bouncing around but it was already running all three collars.
I've got a medium on the front, I think. I can't remember if I fiddled with the pre-load collars or not. It was something I meant to do.
A bloke I work sells RC stuff online (Fusion Hobbies) lent me some white Tamiya springs which I think are of some DF-03 shocks and are firmer than the stock ones. I put them on the rears. I can't remember now if I tried them on the front, but didn't like them...
Which springs did you go for? The red/blue pack? I looked at the DF-03 spring pack earlier today, but it's around £20 which seems a lot.
You definitely do need a lift-turn-power technique to get it moving into the corner.
Funny you mention the Shumacher Cut-Stagger tyres for the front. I was looking at them in my lunch break!
I've not considered changing the pinion, but I have seen various information about sticking some thick grease into the diff to bind it a bit. I have some old Pace fork grease in the garage somewhere - I should give that a go at some point.
Yeah, the hop-up parts are just ludicrous. I frequently look at the red/blue spring kit, turnbuckle kit, roll-bar kit, some tyres and then realise that I've got the thick end of a new kit in the basket & just give up!
I'd be interested to hear how those cut-stagger tyres perform.
I think I need to do a test; fiddle with pre-load collars on the front dampers, adjust the steering rods to see what affect some toe out/in has on the steeering response & then once I've done that get some tyres ordered.
Which springs did you go for? The red/blue pack? I looked at the DF-03 spring pack earlier today, but it’s around £20 which seems a lot.
Went for the DF03 kit. Red/blue kit was only a few quid cheaper.
Is quite a lot for 6 small springs but did a LOT of reading over the weekend (wee man still napping for 2 hours straight and won’t settle in cot during the day. Cue daddy welded to sofa.) That guy on Tamiyaclub has made a lot of changes and also linked to another site where someone else has done similar things. Conclusion DF03 kit is better, soft front with medium rear.
Not sold on the turnbuckle set. Lots to change but also lots to screw up. Geek in me loves the potential but don’t know I’ve the patience to change-test-change-test..... Still won’t matter if spring rate isn’t right. Also, standard wishbones are pretty tough. At my skill level I’m not sure I’d want to remove one and replace with a skinny metal rod.
Wee video from earlier of some kid skids, hopefully the link works.
So after admitting defeat with the drift car, I coughed up £15 for a gyro. What a difference that makes, genuinely fantastic fun to drive now and went through 2 lipo packs last night messing about in the village hall car park.
Definitely recommended and much cheaper fun than crawlers!
So this thread has been super fun to follow, i've been wanting one for a while and dropped the cash the other day on a tamiya plasma edge 2 which has been super fun (but i want some lipos and a faster motor obviously). I'm also looking at the 1/24th crawlers that have been posted earlier. they look a laugh for building little obstacle courses.
Anyone know if Modelsport are generally realistic with their estimates of when they are getting stock in? I’m a tad sceptical looking at how much they look be expecting on the 10th May!
@timmys, there’s big shipment of Tamiya due, but everything is coming by boat since most flights from the Far East are grounded.
When I was shopping around a few weeks ago, most model shops were quoting the same kind of drop dates. All depends how quickly stuff gets through customs as well.
Boat must have got stuck as the date had gone from 10th May to 9th June :SAD FACE:
@weeksy is that 3 cars I count there now?
That kind of surface is my favourite. Found a big patch today and had great fun. Could have spent the whole battery pack doing donuts, but the boy was getting fed up sitting in the trailer so cut it short.
@weeksy is that 3 cars I count there now
2 were his school mates who were standing in the other side of the waste ground.
Finished.
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Bloody hell, that's stunning.
Love the trimmed arches.
Yeah, that 2CV looks amazing!!
I managed to find a screw for the one that was missing from my servo saver - it fitted, so it's staying in.
I also unhooked front steering roads & have adjusted to give a bit of toe-out. No idea exactly how much but will see what it does....
Any tips on how to paint the driver figure in the Terra Scorcher?
I have cut it out, but I can't tell if there is a film over the top, like there was on the shell, I am pretty sure there isn't.
I have the 'X' acrylic paints, but not sure if they should go on the inside or out. I did a test on a corner (should have kept the off cuts!) and it looks like outside would be better.
There is no film on the inner tray. I just painted mine black from the inside. I think for the best finish you will need to use polycarbonate paint as the acrylic stuff will flake off. I might paint the driver's arms and shoulders with some polycarbonate paint on the outside surface at some point.
Well thats a bummer, 6 pots of paint I probably wont ever use!
@timmys what you waiting on?
It’s my birthday mid-June and I’ve decided there’s a Hotshot shaped hole in my life I need to fill. I know a modern car would be much more capable but for some reason I can’t look past it. Not even sure it was what I particularly lusted after back in 1985, which was peak Tamiya amongst my better off school mates.
I would have thought that it would be OK to paint the driver with an acrylic if you prime it first. It isn't going to be subjected to any flex like the outer body shell.
"Ayrton Senna" in my Grasshopper is acrylic and he seems to be doing OK.
We are just over three weeks in waiting for Wonderland Models (our 'local' shop) to not dispatch a Lunch Box. I've just messaged them to cancel the order.
So frustrating - they appear to be doing the selling items without stock thing...then pleading lockdown challenges.
Youngest son had saved his paper round monies for it, he's so frustrated...
...also, you can speak to them on the phone.
excellent thread. Its great seeing everyones build.
As per many that have ventured in here, I am now browsing the interwebs looks at Tamiya cars. Brings back so many memories! I used to have a Ford Black foot and an Alfa 155 touring car back in the day.
And I see the Terra Scorcher, which my mate used to have some 25 years ago! amazing stuff.
Although I do wonder what Tamiya's inspiration is when choosing some models?! GT3 race cars, trucks and then a Suzuki swift?!
Hypothetical questions…
1) Would the Rising Righter be an equally matched running mate for the Grasshopper if they both had the 540 motor?
2) I assume that the “Channel” button on the controller would allow me to run on different frequencies so that we could race the cars against each other.
Asking for a friend. Obviously.
