TOPIC:

Fasteners have arrived - very long (60mm) & quite short M3 countersunk screws, long M2 (16mm) & very short M3 (4mm). Not that unusual, but I can't think of other Tamiya cars that use them.

Woohoooooo.go go go for the build Jonny

Step one, ties rods:




Step 2, servo saver:




3, front arms:




#4, 3 sub-steps:








Step 5, front suspension:




Step 6 is as far as I got, the genuine front bulkhead has moulded on standoffs for the bumper holder. I need to make something equivalent.

Made these this morning:

Step 6 complete ... holes in the bulkhead for the bumper mount (and the recesses behind them) should have been M4 but were M3, so I had to drill the holes out & use longer machine screws & washers & flange nuts behind.

Also note the rubber tube on the top of the front suspension - this corrects the silly positive camber to neutral, and lowers the front ride height.




Steps 7, 8, 9 & 10 are all about fitting the MSC, servos & RX ... I don't have the aluminium "switch stay" so will have to come back to these later.






Step 11 is fitting the RX switch & the rubber boot ...




Step 12 has 2 sub-steps to build the front body post, resistor board & fir them to a bracket.




3D printed mechanism box didn't have space for the resistor wires or a hole for fitting the driver so I added those (and tidied up & touched in the paint):






Step 12 is fitting the mech box lid & front bracket:

These are the irreplaceabl M3 x 60mm countersunk bolts (you can only get fully threaded screws now). Luckily the 2 needed for the rear suspension are ok, but the one for the upper gearbox is unuseable, thanks to the manual saying to use threadlock.




Step 13 - rear springs. Moving the collars down on the top lowers the back end & stiffens the rear suspension.

These rear springs are funny. I like this chassis. Very interesting.

Step 14: motor & wheelie bar supports, brass pinion should be a wider, pressed on item:




Step 15: Gearbox, note completely ineffective "clutch" assembly, and the nylon idler gear that was in Grasshopper/Hornet/Lunchkin kits for years...






16, motor frame & roll/body mount hoop:



Steps 17 & 18 - diff housing:






19, rear arms:



20, bearings & tie rods:

Great to see a build of a chassis I'm not familiar with

Step 21 is fitting the rear axle ...




Step 22 connects the tie rods & rear springs :




Step 23 is fitting the tyres & front wheel bearings:




Step 24 is the splitter, wheels, antenna tube & battery:




Step 25 is the driver:




Steps 26 & 27 are detail painting & assembling the body: