ANOTHER dusty RC10 grapite with no clue...

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Hi all,

Firstly, awesome site, buggies and people! Thanks!

Here is my variation on the theme: Started with a Marui Samurai, then an MRP GP10, then the dream car - an RC10 Graphite. Raced it a few times in Stock class and got my butt handed to me. The driving could have definitely been better as well as motors, tires, batteries, chargers etc. $$$ Kinda lost interest etc. Well, my office is now right beside a large hobby shop... I couldn't hold out and have dusted the old buggy off. Wow! Things have changed! I have started upon a slightly out of control upgrade program - tires, wheels, axles, hubs, lipos, chargers, brushless, radio.... Could have just bought a B4.2RTR on sale but not now, no turning back! Besides, it's MY OLD CAR, which is just a cooler thing to do, no?!

So here are some pics. I have intstalled the wheel conversion front and rear as well as a few other things since these shots were taken but you get the gist. Feedback is welcome.

I know what the first thing that people are going to say, 'A six-gear with as 13.5 brushless?!?!' and that is my burning question: What is the best transmission plan if I want to race this thing against modern machines? Just lay down the $109 for the nip Stealth that is at the hobby shop right next door? Do I piece together some sort of "B1.5" with a B2 tranny, B4 gear diff, B3 alloy top-shaft as well as a B2 rear bulkhead and shock tower with plutonium bearings (something like that)? Buy a B5M rear end and some how mount it to the graphite chassis?(!!!) Other?

Another question: The 5000mah(!) battery will not fit between the 2 holders when mounted sideways... is there another system? Velcro straps? Something from touring cars? I am trying it this way because I want to shift the battery front to back to play with the weight distribution.

I was told that most 2wd buggies run 2" front wheels and tires these days with 2.2" on the rear - is there a way to run 2.2" on the front with the specific intention of using wide, spikey tires off of a 4WD car? I really want serious front traction - still traumatised by maddening understeer on track back in the day!

I think that's about it. Should be finished the build soon and then time for a body. Speaking of which, any 4WD bodies that will fit this chassis with a sideways battery?

Thanks all!

[RC104ever]

A couple things -

1. Reorient the battery lengthwise. It will fit but you'll need to have it fit right up against the servo.
2. Move the ESC and receiver to the sides or mount on rear bulkhead vertically
3. One of your rear tires is backwards. The Proline Caliber is directional and the arrows have to be pointed forward. Great tire for bashing as its very long lasting and can go on a variety of surfaces.
4. You want to convert it to the Stealth transmission. It can easily handle a 13.5 or more with no difficulty. 6 Gear won't last long with a brushless setup much hotter than a 13.5 but if you replace the idlers it will be okay. Just remember that it doesn't have a slipper clutch but Stealth does.

[Minter]

Thanks Chris.

Yeah, will change that tire. Have to glue them too. That foam was a new thing for me.
Have also concluded that, with so much to catch up on, I should keep things simple so will just get that Stealth at the local shop.
I have another idea for mounting the battery like this but if it does not work I will switch.

Took it for its first drive outside today and it was fast and smooth. Great feeling to see the old car rip!

Will get another set of pics up soon.

Also, I used to live in Burlington around 1980. Winterpeg is home now!

Cheers!

[RC104ever]

Congrats on the car! Another Canuck on the board - watch out everyone

One more thing - check out FlySky for radio / receivers. They are cheap and work really well if you want updated stuff.

[Minter]

Thanks Chris!

Here are some progress shots. Switched the battery because it was too wide which makes the narrow car now ready for a new body - Proline Bulldog! Really need a stealth thanksmission.

Cheers!

[teman]

Looks good, nice to see you squared it away

Get a tranny brace on that sucker if you can - asap!

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More work.
The Bulldog is for a B44 and seems to fit well.

Really need some suggestions for a rear shock tower, rear bulkhead and stealth transmission combo - T2 rear bulkhead with a B2 tranny? WCE stealth with stock bulkhead and a carbon tower that is low in the middle? Corresponding wing mounts? Suggestions please! Thank you!

I cut up from the center bottom of the tower and down from center top of the bulkhead so that I could route the motor wires really low. They end up coming out under the tranny brace. This is required to get the rear of the body low enough. Still fiddling with this. Need to finalise my strategy for mounting the body. Might move the electronics forward a little so that I can mount some of those 90deg/sideways body post - this way I can use the same posts to hold the undertray and the body on. Suggestions on these posts?

My daughter CAN NOT WAIT to help me paint this thing. From the front we are thinking hot pink fading to a black band of white stars fading to silver. Rear wing will be pink on top and silver on the bottom. Forgot how much work bodies are!

Cheers!

[backlash]

A cab forward body on a classic...

[LosiXXkid]

That's beyond tears.....

Stewie says.....

Yukk!.jpg (10.84 KiB) Viewed 1688 times

Stewie says.....

Yukk!.jpg (10.84 KiB) Viewed 1688 times

[Minter]

Ah hahaha!
Well I got a reaction!

I didn't want to do another Viper etc.
Yeah, some of the cab forwards are pretty ugly but this one seems to work well *in my opinion*. Kinda like a Kyosho Ultima Pro XL or a Turbo Optima Mid Special with maybe a little Tamiya Egress/Boomerang/Thunder Dragon mixed in. I also like the low profile. Thinking about mounting the esc and trimming the body so that the fan on top protrudes out making it more 'tech'. I always got a kick out of how futuristic and sci-fi the old Tamiya models were. My mind was blown when the original Avante came out! I am going to have some fun with this one. I am not interested in producing a museum piece.

As a matter of fact I have just now decided to do the fan cut out and take this look a little further. Why not!

Please check in and see what kind of monstrosity I make!

Oh, any transmission/bulkhead/shocktower advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Cheers!

[ca-rj]

What's wrong with the stock bulkhead, shock tower and a 2.25 Stealth?

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You are right. Bought a Stealth kit the other day. I seem to remember seeing at T2(?) transmission that bolted right to the back side of a lightweight looking black bulkhead. Thought perhaps this would be the ideal set up. Decided to go with what is proven and simple although now I need a template to drill my graphite chassis for the Stealth mounting holes. Any tricks to this? Best template? Will a regular drill bit work on carbon fibre? Are there ways to prevent burrs and delamination? Better to use a grinding bit?

Thanks!

[jwscab]

carbon fiber likes to splinter, especially on exiting the bottom of the hole being drilled. If you can put a sacrificial surface under the chassis as you drill it will improve greatly. hardwood, aluminum, fiberglass, all work pretty well, and clamp securely so the part doesn't 'walk' up the drill bit.