Couple of questions about my Tamiya...

[ScrapinSi]

Ok... i have a Tamiya AWD Shaft Driven on road car. Its either a TA-02 or a TA-03, not sure which... Here are my questions/problems.

#1. I'm looking for a Civic Si body. I know HPI makes one, but HPI bodies dont fit Tamiya chassis really well... anybody know if somebody else makes one?

#2. I'm trying to make my r/c car look like my real car. Here is a pic of my real car... Where can i find wheels like this that will fit the car? They are the original Honda Equipment wheels.


#3. I blew out a tire on my tamiya, so i need new wheels/tires. I had rubbers on there that i would soak in traction compound, and the ass end would kick out but i could control it. I tried putting a friend's blue dot foams on, and even going into a turn at low speed, 1/4 throttle, the car flips... What do i need to do? Should i get some treaded rubber tires, since i can handle those better?

#4. What is a good LEGAL motor to run? I'm runnin a Reedy Sonic Green right now, and the car FLIES... i put a green machine 3 in, and it ran like CRAP... But if i recall, the green machine is a hi revving motor, for a pan car, more than an AWD car... I'm running Reedy Match Cell 2000 6 cell packs.

#5. My car glitches sometimes... like the steering will take off by itself... Now, my prop shaft from front to rear wheels is bent, and slams against a pole and causes noise... Could that be my problem?

[Asmenoth]

Originally posted by ScrapinSi
Ok... i have a Tamiya AWD Shaft Driven on road car. Its either a TA-02 or a TA-03, not sure which... Here are my questions/problems.

Shaft drive would be a TA-02. Of course it could also be a TL-01. The TL-01 has a long narrow one piece chassis, where the TA-02 has a wider three piece chassis (the center tub and front/rear gearboxes)

#1. I'm looking for a Civic Si body. I know HPI makes one, but HPI bodies dont fit Tamiya chassis really well... anybody know if somebody else makes one?

Not that I know of. You might have to make due with the HPI body. If it's an old enough shell, where you would cut out the rear wheels may not be as defined as the front. If it's like that, just cut off the excess lexan (without cutting out the wheels) and set it on the car. Line up the front wheel wells with the wheels. Take a sharpy marker and mark where the body posts are to be drilled and then mark the rear wheel wells.

#2. I'm trying to make my r/c car look like my real car. Here is a pic of my real car... Where can i find wheels like this that will fit the car? They are the original Honda Equipment wheels.

Havn't seen any like that. But that doesn't mean that there aren't any similar. RC Car Action did an article on different types of wheels a couple of months ago. If your hobby shop has back issues, check for the article. If not, check to see if the library carries it in their mag section.


#3. I blew out a tire on my tamiya, so i need new wheels/tires. I had rubbers on there that i would soak in traction compound, and the ass end would kick out but i could control it. I tried putting a friend's blue dot foams on, and even going into a turn at low speed, 1/4 throttle, the car flips... What do i need to do? Should i get some treaded rubber tires, since i can handle those better?

The foams don't seem to work because they are providing too much traction. The car may also be flipping because of other things, the ride hight may be too tall or the oil (if they are oil, if not get oil filled shocks) in the shocks may be too soft which would produce alot of body roll. Stick with rubber tires, foams work best on nitro cars...though they can be used on electric. If running in a dusty parking lot, get treaded tires. If you are running on a blown off track, get slicks. Depending on the temp of the tracks surface will determine on the type of tire to get, soft, medium or hard (though some compaines list the surface temp the tire is designed for instead of soft, medium or hard). Don't worry about traction compound unless you are running on a prepped track...though if you do get slicks, and run it in a dusty parking lot, traction compound couldn't hurt. Something else that could be causing your car to flip, if it's a TL-01, they are kinda unstable. I would suggest getting the long-arm suspension kit, it's kinda expensive($40 or more dollars) but it will stabilize the car...alot.

#4. What is a good LEGAL motor to run? I'm runnin a Reedy Sonic Green right now, and the car FLIES... i put a green machine 3 in, and it ran like CRAP... But if i recall, the green machine is a hi revving motor, for a pan car, more than an AWD car... I'm running Reedy Match Cell 2000 6 cell packs.

For Mod Motors, the new P-94's are good. For stock motors, an Orion Stock works.

#5. My car glitches sometimes... like the steering will take off by itself... Now, my prop shaft from front to rear wheels is bent, and slams against a pole and causes noise... Could that be my problem?

That could be doing it. Loose screws or a bad reciever as well. If it's a TA-02, Tamiya makes a hop-up shaft for it that you can still get at Tower Hobbies, I think it's called a Short Shaft or Hard Propeller Shaft. Can't remember, be sure it's the one for the TA-02. If you are not sure(as Tower doesn't always include item notes), go to Tamiya's web sight and look under the RC section. There is a listing of different parts with part #'s and what cars they are for.
If it's a TL-01 same thing could be causing the problems. Though the hop-up shaft for that car is made from carbon.

[ScrapinSi]

Thanks... I'm gonna hit up the local hobby shop and i think i saw the prop shaft upgrade there... any ideas about my other questions?

[Asmenoth]

Actually my responses to the other questions are in the quote above my response. :smoker:

[ScrapinSi]

Doh! Thanks! Here's my replies...

Its a TA-02... the gearboxes are separate. The chassis is black, and the gearboxes are red. It came with the BMW Warsteiner 325i body if that helps.

#1. I think i'll just get the HPI body... whats the cheapest place to buy HPI Bodies from? Locally, its $21.95 at the hobby shop. What you told me to do is basically what i had to do with my HPI Nissan Silvia body. My only problem was i had to lower the body posts extremely for the body to sit right, and when it did sit right, the front end was scrubbing the ground, and since the front end extended (About 2") past the front bumper of the car, it would roll under and drag...

#2. What about larger/wider wheels? Can I run those on my Tamiya? I'd like to have a bigger tread patch if possible. Not to mention bigger wheels look better... Gotta be bling bling yo.

#3. oh... i forgot to mention... i'm flipping on foams running on a flat carpet oval... The entire car is stock, with the exception of a JR Receiver & Servo, the Reedy Sonic Green Motor, and an ESC w/ Traction control & ABS. I'm not sure if the shocks are oil or not. I think they are, and i want to say that they have 40 weight in them... they might be loose.. Maybe some swaybars? or stiffer springs?

#4. I think i'll stick with my modified motor until i get caught...

#5. Hi Ho, Hi Ho, its off to spend more money i go..

And i was just given an RC10GT w/ a OS 12 CZZ motor that needs a rebuild... damn this is gonna get even more expensive...

[Asmenoth]

#1 hmmmm Tamiya makes different body posts and some are interchangable. There is one set called Skyline body posts and another called racing body posts(though I think those are for the TA-04). As for the body rolling under...I'm not sure if anyone makes a foam bumper for the car anymore, try looking at Hobby Etc. and Integy's websites since thet carry other companies hop-up parts. Tower would be the cheapest place I can think of to get the body.

#2 Well, the widest (and easiest to find) tires are 26mm. Tamiya did make some wider tires for that car at one time, for the Supra and other cars with wider bodies. You may still be able to find 'em. Check Tower Hobbies first, look under Tamiya wheels and tires...they should have the word wide in the title. If they are still on the site, look on Tamiya's site and check out the section on Touring Car Tires to get the item #...it will make the search easier.

#3 Try a heavier oil, 50-70 weight. Springs, yeah stiffer springs are good. Integy has a set on their site that is cheap(in the clearance section) but well made, they are not painted...they are anodized and look sweet. The set comes with 2 of each, from super soft to ultra stiff. You might want to get two sets if you want to have the same stiffness springs in the front and rear. Don't know if anyone makes sway bars for it. You may have to rig something, if you want them.

#4 ok. If you don't have 'em, get bearings for it and mabye a 2000-2500 mah battery for a bit extra punch and better run time.

#5 Exactly. Look at RC cars like owning a racing team and being the driver. Almost as expensive, but you can't get killed.

[ScrapinSi]

R/C racing can get you killed... And it has come close to killing me... Here is my example..

Me: I'm goin racing tonight.
Girlfriend: If you go racing again so soon, IM GONNA KILL YOU!

[Asmenoth]

True, but I don't get grief for racing...I get it whenever I get new stuff in the mail or from UPS.

[ScrapinSi]

i'm still trying to figure out how i'm gonna get her to believe that my boss gave me an RC10GT w/ a blown motor today...

[Psman32@af]

all good advice, but i wouldnt count teh green machine 3 out as a motor. if you geared it the same, then yeah it will, gear it down 2 or 3 teeth on teh pinoin, and it should preform quite well. my opinion for a motor has been expressed other places, but im gonan say it again, the Reedy Rage type R. They are now out of production, but better than the MVP in my opinion and expierence. Foam tires are only meant for certain surfaces. They do not seem to work on most asphault tracks. They are much better on cement and the only choice if you race on carpet. In my opinion, nitro cars are not suited to it any better than electric, it depends on teh track more than anything else.

[ScrapinSi]

yes, but what can i do to get my car to stop flipping over on carpet? thats all i race on is carpet... are the foams too sticky? Is there a soft/hard foam that wont flip me? What about putting shims in my springs/struts to tighten them up?

[Asmenoth]

That won't do anything for stiffness(or so I'm told), that adjust ride height. Did you buy this car new, or off eBay? If you got it new, or off eBay new in the box, look at the shock parts. There should be xtra parts, little round disks that go on the dampner's shaft with holes in 'em. Try replacing the ones currently in the shocks with ones with fewer and/or smaller holes. I'm guessing that the suspension is too soft and needs to be stiffened up.

As for the truck you boss gave you....how about you found by the side of the road in someones garbage? Or the RC Gnomes decided that yours would be the better home for the truck.

[ScrapinSi]

i'm gonna go with heavier weight shock oil...

and the r/c gnomes would go over about as well as the nitrous kit for my civic that just showed up at my doorstep one day...

[Asmenoth]

But that wasn't your fault....the man in the brown uniform felt bad for you and though you could use one.