TOPIC:

Jonny wrote:

Edou wrote:

Who knows who Sinterklaas is? ...

Didn't he invent the process of diffusion bonding metal powders by heating to just below their melting point, thus creating better brake pads?

That's correct. Here he is with some of his helpers :


And one of them testing the new brakes they created on a Willy :


How weird is this country?

Might be better to go BOT...

Got to love the way political correctness hasn't spread to the Low Countries - the idea of having a celebration based on the duality of good and evil is fair enough - but "good" being represented by a priest who gave bags of money to prostitutes (sure it was just charity ) and "evil" by a couple of "Black Pete"s would make no end of liberals, clergy and left-wing do-gooders here heads explode :L

Coca-Cola gave it all a politically correct makeover and turned him into the Santa Claus we all know today.
Kids love the Dutch one though... and supposedly "Piet" might be black from the soot in the chimneys.

Btw (almost forgot) - the new arms have been put on. Looks smart.
Snoozed a bit on eBay by missing a set of universals for the front.
Suddenly all five got sold.

I wrote:

missing a set of universals

I was talking about some Top Force parts here. No need to think inside that box.
Modern parts might be a better option - this is the list of compatible cars with universals 53791 :

- Manta Ray (DF-01)
- Top Force (DF-01)
- Blazing Star (DF-01)
- Dirt Thrasher (DF-01)
- Terra Conqueror (DF-01)
- Baja King (TL-01B)
- Baja Champ (TL-01B)
- DF-02 Chassis (Gravel Hound, Rising Storm, Plasma Edge)
- DF-03 Chassis (Dark Impact, Keen Hawk, Avante Mk.II)
- DF-03MS (49496)
- Super Fighter G (DT-02) (with ball diff)
- Super Fighter GR (DT-02) (with ball diff)
- Desert Gator (DT-02)
- Sand-Viper (DT-02)
- Neo Falcon (DT-02)
- Holiday Buggy (DT-02) (with ball diff)
- Sand Rover (DT-02) (with ball diff)
- DT-02MS (49475)
- TNS-B Mad Spirit
- TNS-T18 RevStorm

These models all have the 70mm specification. The DF-02 has some other restrictions but that is not relevant here.
The Top Force / Thunder Shot dogbones with double ball diff is a pretty slick setup already.
Being a hop up man I will definitely put some on my wishlist though...

Funny thing about this build is that I made an exploration of it and took every step as it came.
Using mostly the manuals and parts numbers... not really paying any attention to the threads posted elsewhere on the net.
Contrary to my Group C build where I started to find sources of info on line straight away.

But now that I consider this build to be almost finished, I start looking at some of the other projects.
Some of whom are just gorceous - most of them are a conversion to Top Force of Evo with different cars as a basis.

Two new ideas have popped up. One is feasible and the other is just to dream of for now.
A very good new up upgrade for the car would be to use the 50529 all plastic TA02 gear set.
With this the vulnerable aluminium idler gear can be replaced.
New research has also led to the discovery of this site - just click through to the Tamiya parts :

Fibre-Lyte Carbon Fibre Products

A full carbon chassis!

... Our manufacturing and machining facility is geared towards production of smaller batches of components, anything from one-offs to 5000 parts. With our specialist set-up of CNC machinery and the latest Alpha-Cam CAD/CAM 2

The possibilities are quite endless with this description...
Don't even want to start imagining too much in fear of my head exploding from hop up overload.

Still waiting on some parts and couldn't resist to order some new ones either...
The black alloy 12mm grub hexes are certainly taking their time to get here.
And I need the one piece ball thrust bearing to complete the ball diff in the front gearbox.

This item I just couldn't leave in the store :



Not that I really need it... both chassis have titanium turnbuckles and TRF ball connections installed.
I think it's quite rare though. Not much info to find on this 53078 adjustable upper arm set. Not even on TB!

Other than that item there are some subtle new changes at hand.
A Top Force ball connector bag will hopefully arrive soon :


These parts will have a good purpose for both of the chassis.
First of all the damper mounts will give the Manta Ray the official setup on the rear shock tower.
The aluminium specimen I use is about as flat as the damper stay from the TF so they're needed to line up the shocks :


I had been winging it a bit before by using a spacer that was originally part of a CVA damper...



The flange tubes I've been using are actually a bit too short. This parts bag will solve that too...

I will also be able to use the "tubes" on the second picture.
These are the gear shafts and they are made from hollow aluminium.
The Manta Ray already has an even better setup - hollow carbon shafts.
But the Humvee is still using the basic solid steel parts.
So that will mean another cool upgrade for that chassis too!

Last update - another set of hardened dogbones. Both cars will then have a full set.
No more plastic joined Manta Ray parts...

Still gaining insight and progress on this build...

I wrote:

Still waiting on some parts...

Those parts are in!



Dogbones are the real vintage deal, having the 3-digit parts number.
Think I may get some that were produced later and leave these NIP after all...

I've assembled all the new parts that were available.
The hexes from Axial just fit. The different position of the grub screw (on the flat side) surely is a better method...



Second ball diff (front gearbox) has been built and fitted also!
And who needs universals when you have O rings?

I'll post some pics again soon. Starting to look like one slick ride.

Oh yeah, this too - I've clicked on another "add to cart" button for a final bag of items...
With this the chassis can actually be turned into a full blooded Top Force set up.


Once again from Gary at Lightwatermodels .