Red Fox - A Modern Classic

[CNA75]

Hi all. 'bout time I did another build thread....

I've recently purchased one of the Lohas Red Fox kits and intend to embark upon the build shortly. Firstly, I must say that the quality of the Lohas kit is top grade - Emerson has done a fantastic job, so I'm really pleased with it. I understand that the original Hot Trick stuff was not always of the greatest quality, however, as I have never seen an original Hot Trick Red Fox in the flesh I can't testify to that statement definitively.

Anyway, this build is going to be a "Modern Classic" in that I will be using the Lohas kit as the (modern) basis - including a nice set of Lohas rims - but adding on classic original Fox parts where required to complete the build. Apart from the Hot Trick dog bone rear drive kit which I have just received in the post, I will also be using the following classic period hop-ups:

1. Full Thorp ball diff with counter gear or Paranoia adjustable ball diff (haven't decided which yet).
2. Parma adjustable front arms.
3. Dirt Burners aluminium wing.
4. Front anti-roll bar - not sure which yet as the fitment may prove a little difficult with the dual front shocks. Could be any of the Pro-Track, CRP or Parma (and I may have to get creative...).
5. Others (yet to be determined)....

The Lohas kit doesn't come with instructions (although Emerson has posted a host of close-up pics on his website to assist with the build). I was, therefore, delighted to find a copy of the original instructions for the whole kit when I opened the rear drive kit which arrived today. A picture of the instructions is set out below and should, I hope, assist others who may wish to embark upon a Red Fox build at some point. More pictures to follow but here just a few to start with:

PS: Apologies for the double set of photos. They are not showing up when I edit the post so I can't delete them......

[emerson_shih]

Charles my friend, I hope you can finish it smoothly! I can't wait to see the great build!

[CNA75]

Have today made some progress on this build. Put the chassis together and the Parma adjustable front arms. I then managed to fit the front shocks. All in all, I'm really pleased with the quality of the build an the red colour is awesome when combined with the black plastic parts. I'm thinking that some silver (rather than gold) Lohas 5 spokes will look nice on this build and will post some pics of those wheels as soon as they arrive.

Otherwise, here are some pics of the build thus far:

[CNA75]

And some more:

[CNA75]

And now some pics with the front shocks fitted:

[RichieRich]

This looks really nice! One question: Are the holes countersunk on the underside of the chassis?

[Coelacanth]

Looks like a beautiful project, and I dig the red shock bodies!

[CNA75]

This looks really nice! One question: Are the holes countersunk on the underside of the chassis?

Yes, that's correct, and countersunk screws are provided so the fit is flush on the underside. I'll post some pics of the underside to show you in due course.

[CNA75]

Looks like a beautiful project, and I dig the red shock bodies!

Thank you. And I agree, I really like the red anodized shocks too. They (and the other parts) are a very satisfyingly deep red and contrast very well with the silver/chrome look of the springs. I'm hoping the silver wheels will fit right into this scheme. As soon as they arrive, I'll post some pics.

[CNA75]

So I've been trying to figure out how to fit a front anti-roll bar to this build. I have a range of options including the Tamiya Fox OEM roll bar, the pro track roll bar, the Parma roll bar or the CRP roll bar. The dual shock arrangement, however, makes it impossible to fit any of these as they were intended. So I think I have come up with a solution which combines the Tamiya OEM roll bar and the Pro Track roll bar. I've set out pics below showing how it would be fitted but I would like to canvas thoughts from those who consider themselves proficient builders as to whether they think the arrangement will work. Any comments most welcome:

Here's the roll bar which is a combination of the Pro Track and the Tamiya version:

And this is how I see the roll bar being fitted. It clears the wishbones throughout the whole of the suspension travel but I think my main concern is the impact it will have on the placement of the steering servo when connected to the steering cranks. It will also require drilling holes (i) in each lower wishbone so the bottom ball joint can be fitted and (ii) in the red chassis so that the blue mounting points can be fixed:

[Mad Racer]

Looks great.

I often thought of doing a red foc conversion. After many weeks of thinking to do one or not i decided not too.

I love modifying my Tamiya vintage racers but still like it too look like a Tamiya.,

The red prince might be on my list but really doesn't look like a Frog.

This looks like a awesome build up.

Keep us posted.

[losiXXXman]

Could you slide the blue bracket outward and just mount them under the nuts above the side rails - using those existing holes? It looks like the brackets might just stick forward enought to clear the side plates - you may also have to switch sides - i.e. put the left on the right and vice-versa. Just an idea, maybe save drilling more holes...

[CNA75]

Time for an update on this build. After having spent the last few weekends working, I finally managed to have this weekend off and progress this build yesterday. I fitted the front ARB which ended up being a combination of the original Fox stabaliser and the original Pro-Track front ARB. I had to drill two holes in the lower front wishbones to connect the roll bar to the suspension. The chassis mounting uses existing nuts/screws/holes so no additional holes were required to be drilled. I'm quite pleased with how it worked out and it fits quite neatly into between the wishbones without affected the steering rods throughout the complete suspension travel:

[CNA75]

Next up was to make a start on the gearbox. Here I fitted a Paranoia adjustable ball diff. I have Thorp counter gear on the way to me in the post but couldn't wait to put the gearbox together so currently it has an original Tamiya countergear. The Thorp countergear will be waiting in the wings as/when I run this beauty and need to replace the Tamiya one. The drive train is original Hot Trick (rather than Lohas). Hot Trick have copied the original RC10 axles and then coated them black. The Hot Trick instructions suggest using RC10 dog bones. As they are not supplied with the Hot Trick kit, I need to dig a set out of my storage when I have a moment.

Notice also the metal rear lower arms, and adjustable upper rear arms. Each is a vast improvement on the originals - the original rear lower arms break very easily upon rear-end collisions. The mounting of the rear arms to the gearbox is also a lot smoother. All-in-all, very nicely designed. Which is a tribute to both Hot Trick and Lohas. I have heard from others on this site that much of the Hot Trick stuff was not that much of an improvement over the originals (and in some cases was a downgrade), however, assuming Lohas have followed the design of the Hot Trick faithfully (which I believe to be the case from what I have seen/heard elsewhere) the drive train and rear suspension is a marked improvement on the OEM equipment. Have a look for yourself:

[CNA75]

And just a couple more pics for now: