Bormac's Nichimo Midships 443 WDS - An unexpected project

[silvertriple]

Unexpected, somehow

I still have no words for what is happening right now. And I need to tell the long story, as it is part of what came as a result of the Nichimo Spirit FF project for me.

Few weeks back, an Australian guy mentioned he was searching rear arms for a Nichimo FF car in one comment of my posts on Facebook. I had the link as I had a set in my ebay watch list (for no reason as the intention was to get them printed anyway), so I gave him the link... Discussing with another friend I discovered this guy was behind a Youtube channel (TRUE VINTAGE RC, https://www.youtube.com/user/Bormac073), and looking at few videos, I found them quite interesting and detailed, so I subscribed...

Few weeks later (it was about 3 or 4 weeks ago), my Nichimo Spirit FF was printed and built. And that week, that same guy, Jason, alias Bormac, posted he needed parts as he received an incomplete kit from Europe. Among the missing part, there was some which I could help with my own now unused parts as replaced by 3D printed ones, and the broken chassis I thought myself I could not do anything with it. Jason told me he would get the buyer to pay for the shipment, and I told ok, and on the next day, the parts were going to Australia (and if I can see a nice video on those cars, that will be a nice bonus already).

2 weeks ago, I was in the car sitting doing nothing as one of my colleagues was driving while we went back from a 3 day trip for business... And Jason contacted me as he found a car in France on ebay, but the seller would not ship to Australia... He asked me if I can help again. I said why not. Jason knew from the discussions we had earlier that I would be interested to model that car as well, and he proposed me not only to get the car going to me, but to allow me to tear it down to parts, get it in CAD and then send the package to him... I was finding this a bit crazy, a lot of gamble (specially with a seller who got only to feedbacks on ebay), but that was Jason gamble... On the next days, I helped him a bit with the translation, gave him my full details so he can eventually get it send to me, but I was kind of thinking that story could turn in a nightmare as well...

This morning I got advised (I had the tracking link so I knew it was incoming) that I had to get the parcel from the destination point (a relay nearby). Jason told me "it's going to be amazing or a nightmare".

Here is what was in the package:


A Nichimo RC Midships 443 WDS. So it is definitely amazing
Some parts are common with the FF cars, and I'll start to model it soon

This is typically the kind of things that tells me that putting the stls on Thingiverse for the Spirit FF was a good thing. I have the authorization from this car owner to do a proper thread, and I'll start that as soon as I start to tear the car down to parts...

Well, I was not really able to wait that much to do something. I need a empty box to get it down to parts, so I just started to have a look at something easy for today. I took a wheel off, and modeled the rim.


That was quick to start. I could not help doing it
I'll get a box tomorrow while on the way back from the office and the car will get a proper tear down.

[silvertriple]

Yesterday, while coming back from the office, I got another box, so I can start to tear the car down to parts (note for later, once this car is going back to Australia, that means there will be another car that can start ).

After the dinner, I started to get the car down to parts. There is a lot of screws on the roll cage itself. This car was never thought for easy maintenance, clearly.

After quite a good time, the roll cage is separated from the rest of the car...


Another lot of screws, I opened the chassis and the internal are now visible, I also see some cracks here and there (nothing really surprising, this is a Nichimo)...



Basically, I stopped yesterday at this point, and restarted today after my day of work.

After a lot of work, I got the front and rear train separated from the chassis (quite a lot of screws again).


While doing this I was also assessing what is the same as the Spirit FF and what is different. There was two recipients on the table to separate the to be modeled from the already modeled...



The central diff is also acting as a slipper clutch


At the end, I put the elements I need to model on my plate (at the exception of the tire), while the rest is in the box.


That will be interesting

[Dadio]

Bormac's going to be saved a deal of work if you clean it up ! Quite jealous of you truthfully , I'm still betting that the front transmission case and suspension will be virtually the same as the FF .
This is one that I'd really like to own myself and a 3d printed one will probably be better than original ! It may well be worth thinking of a modified version that uses more commonly found parts like I did for the Dogfighter .

[silvertriple]

I'm still betting that the front transmission case and suspension will be virtually the same as the FF .

Well, while the suspension is the same, the gearbox is not. first the motor placement is not the same, and second, the central diff/slipper clutch is added in. There is common design cues, that being said. And obviously part of the work is already done...

And for the rest, I feel very lucky with this opportunity, and I until it really materialised, I did not really thought it could happening... And somehow, @optimaforever , @HiTec , @XLR8 , yourself and some others on other forums participated into getting me in this stuff, so I must say thanks for that, and if I have the opportunity to give back, I'll do

(Last : i'm not sure I will clean it up, I'm too afraid to break it more than what it is already )

[silvertriple]

And just to give an idea how the difference is:


And that will be even more complex in Fusion 360 : many of my reference points where taken from the motor face of the gearbox. It's a bit more complex that what I envisioned without having the parts in hands. There is still lot in common though. The most complex parts will be chassis (bottom and top), gearbox parts and roll cage sides... The rest should be easy.

[Dadio]

Is the front diff and bevel gear the same ? , Looks like the diff housing is the major difference .

[Dadio]

Is the front diff and bevel gear the same ? , Looks like the diff housing is the major difference .

[silvertriple]

Is the front diff and bevel gear the same ? , Looks like the diff housing is the major difference .

Front and rear diff are the same, as well as the bevel gears (I had no doubts, I will need to check one detail though : there was no washers between the diff and the spacer, although there is in the Spirit/Vantage FF - is it a builder error, or is it because the clearance is not the same (very much possible as it is a different gearbox). That being said, the central diff is different and includes the slipper clutch.

[Dadio]

Is that central diff the one that kind of clicks , seem to remember reading somewhere they were kind of a spring detente ?

[GoMachV]

I actually took a video of mine while it was apart several years back. Interesting setup!

https://youtu.be/F1XmDQQ4tJM

[Dadio]

I actually took a video of mine while it was apart several years back. Interesting setup!

Your vid is not working I'm afraid .

[Dadio]

Is the front diff and bevel gear the same ? , Looks like the diff housing is the major difference .

Front and rear diff are the same, as well as the bevel gears (I had no doubts, I will need to check one detail though : there was no washers between the diff and the spacer, although there is in the Spirit/Vantage FF - is it a builder error, or is it because the clearance is not the same (very much possible as it is a different gearbox). That being said, the central diff is different and includes the slipper clutch.

Hmm are the assembly instructions online anywhere ? Could be builder error or a revision in the design ?

[GoMachV]

Changed the forum link to a clickable link. Should work now.

I have the 443 manual posted here, I believe most of the corporal parts are the same. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4hnd1wJQLh5eGVPWEZmSWJKekE/view?usp=drivesdk&resourcekey=0-065zBzajr4DR_OCQjRyVrw

[silvertriple]

Changed the forum link to a clickable link. Should work now.

I have the 443 manual posted here, I believe most of the corporal parts are the same. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4hnd1wJQLh5eGVPWEZmSWJKekE/view?usp=drivesdk&resourcekey=0-065zBzajr4DR_OCQjRyVrw

Thanks for the vid . I had a quick look at the differential/slipper clutch assembly, it's an interesting piece. This is again a proof they had some interesting ideas: those cars are technically interesting .

On the Pegasus Exceed 443 vs Midships, the differences are quite similar to what they are between Spirit FF and Vantage FF :

• Wheels

• roll cage and bodyshell

• some clusters although being the same are just having different colors

That being said, while modeling the Spirit FF chassis, I noticed some elements that let me think there was 2 chassis versions, but I could not link this with any specific reasons, and as per the pics I found online, both versions were used indifferently on Spirit and Vantage variants, but it is really difficult to find out about this after so much time, as many of what we see nowadays was not build from a NIB but from some parts...

[silvertriple]

Let's start easy... Top rear arm!

One sketch to define the surface, one to define the face, and one to define the sway bar attachment...



And this is done


Looking at the bottom arms, I believe it will be an headache, as it is not plan... It will require more thinking