RC10Talk - The Net's Largest Vintage R/C Community

mrlexan wrote:Jeff, I can't remember if you and I talked about this in our email exchange, but do you have access to either a new or used Pro Radiant body?

Jay,

You never mentioned it. Do you need something just to make a mold or do you need something that can be damaged? I don't think Mike has much left outside what is pictured but can ask.

Also, did you get the stickers I sent?

Jeff

Jeff is Mike's Pro Radiant the actual car used for the 89 worlds in Australia? Masami also ran the RC10 rear uprights on his Yoke. Perhaps these were a hot item back then?

JHarris wrote:

prp wrote:Nice
On the rear of the Mike Pro Radiant, he use the RC10 hub carrier and Wheels and a hand made toe in part...
Why the RC10 wheel and hub , and the hand made toe in is better than the washers with alloy post on the rear ?
Thanks for the pics

The hub carrier allowed for more "dogbone scrub" which basically gives more suspension control to throttle input. Makes the rear suspension more stable specially on smoother tracks.

The rear toe block was made that way just to tie things together better. Bottom chassis to side chassis. You may have also noticed the carbon fiber angle pieces that tie the bottom to side chassis eliminating the bottom chain guide.

Looks like the front had CVDs what kit where they from? I'm trying to find a set that's compatible with my proRadiant

I had a member email me this question. I understand guys wanting to keep the posts on topic and not redundant, but I also know that if one person is wondering so are others. The only silly question is the one not asked!

Jeff-
I don't want to take up more posts about the ceramic shaft motors
but did the stock or modified ceramic shaft motors have a special name or
marking on them? I've been looking for one on e-bay for a couple of years
and when you ask the question to sellers most don't have a clue what their
shafts are made out of or are not willing to send you a photo.

The difference between the steel and ceramic shaft motors was just that; the shaft! The can, labels and endbells were all the same but the shaft itself was distinctly different. The steel shaft armature is the traditional shiny metal armature shaft that we are all familiar with. (the round part that extends the length of the motor and protrudes slightly from the endbell and extends beyond the bottom of the can. The part where you mount the pinion gear.) The ceramic shaft was white in color and was made of a hard ceramic material. I don't have any left so I can't post you a picture but maybe someone else does.

Jeff

bormac wrote:Jeff is Mike's Pro Radiant the actual car used for the 89 worlds in Australia? Masami also ran the RC10 rear uprights on his Yoke. Perhaps these were a hot item back then?

AYKBOBCAT wrote:

JHarris wrote:

prp wrote:Nice
On the rear of the Mike Pro Radiant, he use the RC10 hub carrier and Wheels and a hand made toe in part...
Why the RC10 wheel and hub , and the hand made toe in is better than the washers with alloy post on the rear ?
Thanks for the pics

The hub carrier allowed for more "dogbone scrub" which basically gives more suspension control to throttle input. Makes the rear suspension more stable specially on smoother tracks.

The rear toe block was made that way just to tie things together better. Bottom chassis to side chassis. You may have also noticed the carbon fiber angle pieces that tie the bottom to side chassis eliminating the bottom chain guide.

Looks like the front had CVDs what kit where they from? I'm trying to find a set that's compatible with my proRadiant

Yes that was the car used in Australia. The car that Steve won the Winterchamps with in FL. was very much the same. The front Universal Drives were a Kyosho part that was modified to accept the pro radiant one way hub. The axle was actually welded together.

The Radiant/Radiant Pro used an unusual tire design/pattern. Did any of the team drivers ever race with the stock tire? Also if aftermarket tires were used during races, what was the preferred brand for the team drivers?

Dirtdiver wrote:The Radiant/Radiant Pro used an unusual tire design/pattern. Did any of the team drivers ever race with the stock tire? Also if aftermarket tires were used during races, what was the preferred brand for the team drivers?

The stock tires appear to be duplicates of the Schumacher Cat frt/rr tires.

Dirtdiver wrote:The Radiant/Radiant Pro used an unusual tire design/pattern. Did any of the team drivers ever race with the stock tire? Also if aftermarket tires were used during races, what was the preferred brand for the team drivers?

We used the stock tire a few times but never did very good with them. The stock tire was a take off from the cat tire. Was not exact copy. The Pro Radiant tire was a much nicer mold. It was a little bit lower profile and not as wide. The side wall was completely different.

Steve and I were also on Team Losi for the later part of the Pro Radiant era so we were able to use the Losi tires at most of the races. At most of the events the 2wd class would run prior to the 4wd class, so by the time we would get the Pro Radiants out, we knew exactly which tire worked best on the track. We would then just run that tire on the Pro Radiant. We had limited choice in 4wd front tires until we started using the same (2wd rear) tire all the way around. Steve won the Fl. Winterchamps using Losi X Pattern tires front and rear. On my Australia car I ran Yok fronts and X Pattern rear.


I will add my own comment to this since you asked about other drivers too. I prefered my car to drive very loose and to drift. I did not like mine to go around a corner if it wasn't sliding sideways. For most tracks here in Florida I used the Hot Laps TF-8 fronts and matching rears (don't remember the number). I believe that's what's pictured on my car on page 2 of this thread.

I went back and read this thread from the beginning and it occurred to me that in a couple of the responses I was able to answer the question but in most Mike answered. I wanted everyone to be able to tell which answers are from Mike so I edited each post with a response from Mike and changed the text color to orange. I figured it would be a fitting color. So, when I post a response from Mike it will be orange. Anything I type I will leave white. If the orange is too hard on the eyes let me know and I will try another color.

Did I find the missing Scorpion..? If so, there are a few of them for sale over in the bst forum.

Seriously though, am I remembering correctly (as the smoke drifts out my ears I am trying) that Mike Dunn's Scorpions have that checker pattern belt around the body? Would love to see photos of the old Scorpion days if Mike has any he'd want to share.

Thanks to Jharris and the Dunn's for doing this, I always ran Race Prep motors when I used to race in Tucson. I appreciate the family business and your product was tops.

Also your products picked up a win this past weekend, I ran new old stock R brushes on my vintage onroad nationals RC10-DS... it was as fast as the pan cars on the straight!

Hi & thanks for opening up this can of worms...all the questions ...

I did email Mike a few months ago & sent him the pictures of my "team car" from wobber goober ($$$$). He told me it was a team car but did not know what/who the car originated from. What i would like to ask mike was, before the switch to Kyosho, did he use a belt drive conversion or even test it? Was the switch to the dark side due to the closure of AYK factory & related issues or was it just the end of development of the car? We all know the diffs are not the smoothest but is there a solution to fix it? That will do for now & thanks

Y'ernat Al wrote:Did I find the missing Scorpion..?

Capture.JPG

If so, there are a few of them for sale over in the bst forum.

Seriously though, am I remembering correctly (as the smoke drifts out my ears I am trying) that Mike Dunn's Scorpions have that checker pattern belt around the body? Would love to see photos of the old Scorpion days if Mike has any he'd want to share.

I only have one picture of me holding my scorpion. It was a cover shot on Copetion plus mag. I will see if I can scan it. Yes my car had the checkered sticker around the body.

mallos2000 wrote:Hi & thanks for opening up this can of worms...all the questions ...

I did email Mike a few months ago & sent him the pictures of my "team car" from wobber goober ($$$$). He told me it was a team car but did not know what/who the car originated from. What i would like to ask mike was, before the switch to Kyosho, did he use a belt drive conversion or even test it? Was the switch to the dark side due to the closure of AYK factory & related issues or was it just the end of development of the car? We all know the diffs are not the smoothest but is there a solution to fix it? That will do for now & thanks

Your team car was either one from a driver up in the Mid - west. Can't remember his name but I think it was John. Or maybe it was Tem Raskins car. Jeff may recognize the body??

I never did see the belt drive conversion or I would have tried it.

The switch was due to the closeure of the factory as well as Race Prep wanting to concentrate on motors and not cars.

We did alot of work with the diffs particularily in the thrust ball area. The outdrives had to be machined true from the factory. We rejected a bunch that were not and they may have ended up in the Boost kits. Not sure. As I said before I don't think the car worked as good with a "free" diff. We used teflon outer bushings that fit in the diff hub. They replaced the black molded pieces. We added a bearing in the center of the diff outdrives as well. All this was not production. Just our own develpement.

Since Mike mentioned it I will respond. I do not recognize the body as one that ran here in Florida. It is definitely not mine and it's not one of Tem's cars. We had other guys running the Radiant here but I don't remember seeing that body. It could have been someone's replacement body after they bought the car. Also, I never did the front arm modification to my car and Tem still has both of his cars, so I would put my money on the midwest theory.

As for the diffs; Mike and I just discussed this topic. It may sound strange but the imperfect diffs are what made the car drive so perfectly! After talking with Mike about the diffs I am now trying to take the diffs in my B44 and make them terrible. It sounds crazy, but the car needs to drive like a 4wd off road car, not a touring car!

Jeff-
I don't want to take up more posts about the ceramic shaft motors
but did the stock or modified ceramic shaft motors have a special name or
marking on them? I've been looking for one on e-bay for a couple of years
and when you ask the question to sellers most don't have a clue what their
shafts are made out of or are not willing to send you a photo.

I mentioned the ceramic shaft question to Mike and below is his response.

The ceramic shafts were white color ceramic. That was how you could tell the difference. Modified motors only. No stock motors.