My Pro Radiant

[Jay Dub]

Well, we found that the long front belt caused the front end to engage later under acceleration causing an on power push. This was because of the long belt taking more time (or layshaft revolutions) to become taught in comparison to the rear with the short belt. It may not seem like much, but in high bite situations (touring car) unless the rear end breaks loose, the front never really has a chance to catch up. And in those first critical milliseconds on power coming out of the corner the car would push out. At first we just ran belt tensioners to take up the slack. However we also found that there was significant belt stretch under acceleration and the car was significantly better after we went with a shorter front belt. One interesting thing I found with the car (the short front belt mission prototype), was that I could control (to a small but noticeable degree) how much on power push the car had by how tight or loose I ran the front belt. It was (for a short time) a quick tuning aid.
This being said, I doubt that this will amount to much on a loose offroad track, as most of the tires are somewhat spinning most of the time. However, I always like to push the envelope and use the best knowlege available when designing a car. -Jeff

[isobarik]

I dont know if he made them but i´ll guess some one will like them ...




there is a lot more from where this came from...


mvh Isobarik

[JHarris]

I started to play with the carbon parts a little bit. Here's a mock up of the frames and rear arms.

[Charlie don't surf]

They did a quality job cutting that Looks killer

[Bormac]

Hey Jeff.
It realy is an honour to have such a driven guy see out a very ambitious and worthwhile project on this forum. Ive simply loved the AYK buggies right from my earliest involvement with r/c and your builds and racing of these cars truly are inspirational.
If anyone could make a real impact with the pro Radiant I am indeed confident that you are the right guy to do it.

More power to you buddy.

[m_vice]

Jeff this is simply beautiful . This car will be an awesome racer.
Looking good.

[JHarris]

Hey Jeff.
It realy is an honour to have such a driven guy see out a very ambitious and worthwhile project on this forum. Ive simply loved the AYK buggies right from my earliest involvement with r/c and your builds and racing of these cars truly are inspirational.
If anyone could make a real impact with the pro Radiant I am indeed confident that you are the right guy to do it.

More power to you buddy.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Jason. My desire to update this car and make it a racer comes not from any nostalgic feelings, but rather my own experience and success with the car. Even in today's world of modern race cars I am confident that this car can do well. If I didn't think it could I wouldn't waste my time trying to build a modern version. I realize I am the minority, if not the sole dissenting individual here, but I really don't care about restoring something or building a replica this or that. I care about racing. That was my focus beginning in 1984 and has remained my focus through today. This project is spurred by my inability to find a 4wd platform I am comfortable driving. Once it is done it will see regular use here in Florida against the likes of JR Mitch, Jason Ruona, Paul Wynn, Ryan Eckert and several other top level racers. Based on the little bit of testing I did with the Pro Radiant I have, I have confidence in this endeavor. If however it fails, it won't be for lack of effort. I don't think it will happen, but if I get it going (and dependable) before the ROAR off road nationals in August I will run it there. It is currently my plan to run my RC10 there in 2wd stock so it would only be fitting to run a Pro Radiant too.

[tiger1]

JHarris:

I have seen a lot of building/restoring/re-creating old cars on this forum or other places. You probably are the only one out there seriously thinking about and actually racing them.

I think this AYK is not only pretty but also has tons of real-world potential. With some meaningful upgrades this car could be as good as most cars out there.

Personally, my feeling is that newer cars are 'better' partly as a result of improvement in the manufacturing process (CAD-CAM, reduction of tolerance) and partly in the design.

It will be nice to hear about your experience running against the newer cars

BTW, how do you like the differentials??

[JHarris]

When it comes to serious racing, you are correct. There are a few other people, some members here, racing the older cars but it is more for fun. We have taken the RC10 and made it extremely capable against the newer cars. We have shown, by dominating races such as the JConcepts SuperCup series, that these cars are not as outdated as people may think. The biggest difference as a driver is that you have to actually DRIVE the car. I have also noticed that racing these cars has improved my middle son's overall driving, since he has to control the car on a different level than his "real" race cars. He has taken that experience and applied it to his modified racing and it has made a difference. It's not without notice. Others are building RC10's here in Florida so they too can come out and race old school. Not just for the fun, but the experience. I have 4 in my garage that will go out this week to local top level racers. Although this may never catch on nationwide, it is gaining some momentum down here. Who knows, maybe racing my RC10 at the off road nationals will help further the cause!

In my opinion the biggest advantage to the modern car (aside from parts availability) is that they just about fall together and require very little maintenance. When I first started racing I would clean my car after every run so that I could look for loose screws or missing "E" clips. It's a tradition that I still do today, and have insisted that my kids all do the same. It is a rare occasion that we find anything out of place during post race cleanings on the new cars.

The Pro Radiant is absolutely capable of running with the modern 4wd cars. As for the diffs; they suck now the same as they did in 1988 when I first started racing for Race Prep with this car. The car(s) I build won't have the AYK diffs in them, although they will probably be run as tight as the gritty ones that came with the car. That was a big part of why the car cornered and rotated as it did. Today's cars all use butter smooth diffs that spin almost as free as a gear diff. That doesn't help the car rotate or accelerate out of the corners. But, I'm just a washed up has been former factory racer so what do I know

[tiger1]

JHarris:

Understanding the differential of this car sucks, what will be your solution??

Just accept it??

[Bormac]

I think you can perservere with the diffs. I'd like to go with ceramic diff balls for a start and im using a better thrust assembly also. They aren't the best ball diffs ever made but I reckon they still work if you know what you are doing with them. Just dont run them with slip and make sure you keep an eye on them between runs to see if they develop and problems.
Thats what i do anyway.

[RETRO R/C]

Hey Jeff,

Coming along nicely mate.

It truly is refreshing to be in the company of another "racer" on these vintage forums. I have been criticised here in Aus in the past, not because its all about winning for me, but because I am always trying to perfect my cars, lines and lap times. People think I am "way to serious" about getting the best from the cars. For me personally, it is all about getting the best from myself and even more importantly the car. I love nothing more than people coming up and saying - "damn that thing flies" - as it is showing just how good these old cars truly are. I like to represent them to their fullest potential. I spend hours on getting the suspension, drivetrain and other areas of the cars "just right" so I can truly go out and ring the cars neck to show just how good it can be.

More recently, I think people have started to appreciate what I am trying to do with the cars and the vintage scene here in Aus. The meetings are all about having a great time - but it is also about getting the cars going to their max potential and to admire that level of performance again.

Myself and a former National Champion here in Aus are seriously considering running 5 link Losi's here at the next major "modern" meeting - as when we tested them a month or two ago - they were as fast as a current B4! That was on a track though that was a real "time warp" with no outragous jumps like modern "motorcross/XGames" tracks.....

It would be nice to have a race with you one day mate - as we seem to have very similar ideals when it comes to racing. Would be good to "stick it" to the new school guys!

Cheers - and keep up the great work.

Darryn

[JHarris]

First to address the diffs:

There are a couple of problems with the diffs. The first is that none of the parts are available. As I stated before; I'd run the car with the stock setup IF the diff housings and outdrives could be found. Since they can't, they must be changed. If I were to use the stock diffs I would have to machine the outdrives to run true. They weren't so great from the factory. That resulted in a very fine line for adjustment. It seems like they were either nearly locked or they slipped. For me, no big deal since I prefer them super tight anyway. I will still change them so that if/when one breaks I can replace it. I don't want to baby the car out of fear of breaking it. I want to drive it like it should be driven and if it breaks, fix it!


Darryn- you and I and the clear minority! That's not a bad thing and I don't think anything ill of the other side of the coin, but for you and I it is all about racing. I like that! It was my original intent to go to the vintage nats here in the states but as I learned that it is more of a club race and not geared towards competition, I have decided not to make the near 2000 mile trip. If it were closer I would still go since I think it would be a ton of fun to watch all the old cars like the Tamiya stuff, but with my boys so involved in hardcore racing I have to prioritize. So I am going to do the next best thing; race my RC10 at the ROAR off road nationals! What better test of old v/s new could there be? I may not be able to drive like I used to, but I won't finish last. Your idea of doing the same down under with your Losi cars is just awesome. None of the videos I have posted really show how these cars are running since the driving was less than stellar, but I absolutely know the car will do fine. I am actually looking forward to it. Who knows, maybe it will grab some magazine attention or something to finish in the top half of the field with a 25 year old car!

I would be honored to race with you. I'd love to throw down some laps with Jason and his Pro Radiant too. Maybe one day!

[Bormac]

You have raised a good point there Jeff and its one that constantly comes up here also. The point being that the majority of vintage enthusiasts are just that- 'enthusiasts' and not week in week out racers. Vintage get togethers are geared around fun and good times rather than racing for sheep stations. We leave that for the modern day racers.

I was suprised to learn that Darryn can indeed drive very well. Infact even better than that, he's got natural talent for sure. Most of the guys on the track at our vintage meetings always end up behind him on the podium but that's because the majority aren't experienced racers but more back yeard bashers that have a hard time stringing laps together.

I think competition is where you find it. For years ive been discussing with Darryn his ability coupled with his Lazer ZXR could easily turn heads at a big modern day meeting. Infact I bet he could hose many of the current crop of drivers with it. That car just works!

As the vintage scene has grown in popularity many of the older drivers from way back when are coming back with an old favourite and they hold their own quite well. I'd doubt I have enough skills to keep up with the creme of the crop but I just like the the diversity of old cars that are well represented on the race track where they belong and not on the shelf.

[Charlie don't surf]

I have to defend myself as a sponsored racer, this hobby-vintage cars-is my release from racing. I am type A to the maximum at the track, and damn near unapproachable at a National ( even to my close friends ) all and all, just way too serious. But...............these little toy cars, boxes of NOS parts-hunting for parts, all that vintage air--makes me feel like a kid again, when me and a few other kids in the neiborhood had a RC car and raced for little trophies, medals and Feature winner stickers etc just makes me relax and have a good time. I have never gotten upset ( Ok, once ) at someone else's score or car and have never thrown a $1500 dollar car across the room .



But I will say what Jeff is doing with reviving the 10 in real racing also lights a fire inside me as well----but I fear, as soon as I take it to that point I won't look back and will no longer enjoy this hobby as much

Jeff, when are the ROAR nats