Tamiya

Cheers for the reply. Watched part of a SA build, looks a few levels up from the DT02 platform, which is what I'd be after, building my Sand Viper was fun, but not challenging enough, only thing really putting me off the SA is, that for a top end 2wd, it still comes with plastic shocks. Guess that's what hop ups are for though, a fettlers dream.

It doesn't have a ball diff either, and as far as I know, you can't retrofit one unless you swap out the entire gearbox with the Astute gearbox (should you find one) and then you lose the slipper clutch.

It's a great buggy though, I get the pragmatism of it, as a result of the Astute's over engineering / complexity & weakness.

Food for thought, heart says SA, head says TC (if only for spare parts availability), wallet is screaming "don't get the fookin Cougar".

You finished building yet?

Hah I'm eyeing up an Avante 2011.

Taped down the speed controller, receiver and switch the other night then instantly regretted my choices.

With the 2.4ghz stuff you don't need the arial pipe, right? Just put the receiver arial in a loop in the chassis?

Aye.

Yeah, got mine taped to the inside of the chassis, seem to get a decent distance (full football pitch length) away, by that time the cars that small you want to bring it back anyway.
Like so:

Ta. Think I'm going to have to pull the speedo and receiver out and re-think. Probably would help if I cut the body shell out too!

I did a couple of dry runs (no double sided sticky tape) before I decided where esc/switch and receiver where going, ended up going for what gave me the tidiest cable runs, a bit ocd that way.

Funny you should say that.... the plan is to build a Terra Conqueror, which was not one of the bigger Tamiyas but I really like it. A lot of the hop ups it has were standard on the TF, so easy to transfer them.

For your buggy, if your gonna race go modern, they are just better. But they do lack a little something, that soul element that Colagno lovers go on a about, so if your not racing, grab an SA, it’s such a nice looking piece of kit

Terra Conqueror

Such a 'huh?' kit that one.

I know! Released after the TF, but with extras the TF didn’t have. A weird middle spec model

Had to look up Terra Conqueror, not heard of that one before. Being honest, prefer the look of it to the TF.
Only things putting me off going for the SA over the TC, lack of spares and the fact that a £200 (£289 before discount) kit still comes with plastic shocks. I know Fibrelyte do carbon shock towers and chassis for the SA, so main parts getable.
Couple of months til birthday, so oodles of time to pontificate.

Good post day.

Waiting on the ball diff grease (I prefer the AE black grease over the Tamiya stuff) before I build the diffs, but I’ll probably sand the rings to ensure they are flat over the weekend.

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These all from HK?

Japan and Germany so far. Depending on the stock levels.

HK stuff in en route

Nice little haul you got there.

You wait till you see the other two packages.... :)

FB served up an image from when I used to race 1/18th scale years ago, the tracks we made were ridiculous

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My racing was mainly indoor on carpet, but they were the days before jumps.
Some big jumps for what looks like a smallish school gym.

Did both outdoor and indoor racing with Chingford, first possibly at Gilwell park then outdoors only next to the Golf course. I remember the outdoor track at the scout centre to be very demanding, jumps galore and twisty. Must have been a sad day when they lost that.

The golf venue not so much; we used a grass bank but for the most part it was smooth. Did have the added hazard of taking a golf ball to the groin when on the rostrum. Yes - this actually happened and took a guy down for about half an hour. Requesting an ambulance was mooted but in the end not needed.

Can’t find much trace of CCC on the internet; a few unanswered posts on a couple of forums. This saddens me.

Yeah, as far as I'm aware, the club I raced at in Oldham (Fitton Hill school I think), died many years ago, a friend's parents set it all up, but having moved away mid 90s I kinda lost touch with everyone. Found a couple local to me (Cheshire), but one is road cars, the other seems to be an outdoor track in a park, may pop up one weekend see what's occurring.

That looks epic!

We only ever used to set up flat tracks on the AstroTurf at school. We had the 1/8 scale road track up at Crystal Palace which was epic but a little bit big for our 1/10 and 1/12 cars unless they were well tuned. The paddling pool in Alexandra Park in Sydenham was empty most of the year and made a pretty good concrete banked oval. There was a dirt oval with concrete kerbs in one of the parks in Anerley as well. I want to say it was in the park up near the tip, but I can’t remember it’s too long ago now. It was too small to be a bmx track and I always wondered if it was an RC track. Would have been great for banger racing!

I took my Sand Viper for it's maiden run in my local skate park, too much concrete for my liking, so moved onto the playing fields, but was wary of there being lots of dog shit about. May look into trying to set something up locally, buy some second hand guttering and lay a track down.

Second buggy incoming, no need to wait til birthday, got myself a TRF 201, with loads of spares.

Space is about the size of a badminton court, but with micro cars it’s fine.
The club had a rep for crazy courses, mixed surface, crossovers that sort of thing. Made each club night super interesting and you had to be a good driver, pure speed wasn’t as important

That jump runs right to left, it basically launched you almost vertical meaning you had to adjust the flight of the car to get the landing right, was a blast.

I’ll try and find a vid of one of the races.