TOPIC:

better than TRF

I'm building it with the F103LM-TRF and F103GT manuals for reference.
TRF spec+ in most areas, just not with the foam tyres I'll be using...
Starting to wonder how it'll drive.

Friction plate and TRF damper fitted :



The F104 gearcase part is somewhat higher and more towards the rear...
But I have a cunning plan to do a mod on the upper deck with an F102 T-bar holder :



Not that it makes the setup dysfunctional or anything, it's just giving it a bit off offset.

Very blue... and still quite understated :



...so far.

High torque servo saver, alloy horn and fluorine ball nuts, hardened turnbuckles (and a curly wire) :





Edit - Also, servo stays from the F103GT. Needed to fit the long upper deck. Only the basic version there.

Not a lot of room for the servo with the camber-castor block on it. The upper arms are pointing 1.5mm more towards the rear...
Ball ends ended up on the inside. And the servo saver is about 3.5mm deep - the spline is goes on over a millimeter more.
So I filed off a bit, making everything just fit :



I'll put it in the car after I replace the E-clips on the Kawada block with black ones.
Also giving the Acto-Power Formula Tuned some serious wiring and have to wait for that to arrive :



To be continued (hopefully only in a little while)...

I'll never run with a so nice chassis...
I ran just one time with my F40 and Accident
And just one run with my williams F103 RS and every time are donuts.
I have them just for the beauty of the chassis now

Got a new spare chassis (58142) if I ever want to put it on a shelf.
Upper deck and T-bar shouldn't be too hard to find...

I wrote:

I have a cunning plan to do a mod on the upper deck with an F102 T-bar holder

Slightly adjusting the upper deck for the nut to have enough room :



Exactly what's needed for adjustment to the F104 gearcase (height and pointed more towards the rear) :



Even resembles an F104 upper deck now :



A bit of F102 to even out the F104 on the car.

Got a cool diffuser for it...

Serious wiring for the Acto-Power.

All that fiddling with the gearcase... only to get this in the mail :



No doubt it'll go on the car, I'm gonna have to take the rear apart to fit the diffuser anyway.

Wow, advanced lexan cutting. That diffuser was a lot more work than I expected.
Hardly any guiding lines, weird angles and edges, strange lexan texture that easily crumbles and makes it very hard to do fine detailing - and some instructions that aren't of much use at all. Apparently you have to cut off more than feels natural.
Took me a couple of hours altogether! And needs a polish or respray already. Remind me to get a precut one next time.



Gonna look awesome though.

The lower image is what can be seen on the instructions - the darker area.
But with a straight line (so far) and not a bend in it. The white upper part has been cut off.
I may stick with this if it fits. Being a perfectionist, getting near perfect symmetrical sides is sort of a must.
Feels a bit less flimsy too...