TAG/SG Coyote

[dinglem]

So.... i have posted a few of my old race cars on the forum already, and they are the usual RC10 and Yokomo offerings, but when i was just getting into R/C i always lusted after the adverts of the TAG Coyote which was posted in Radio Race Car magazine each month. I remember it boasting about it having won the Italian 4wd championships some time in the late 80's. Anyway, i always thought they looked cool and a little different.

I had long forgotten all about them until somebody mentioned them in a thread on here a couple of days ago and that mention jogged my memory and as clear as day i could see the old advert in my head.

Reminiscing, a quick eBay hunt later and i just won one. It appears to be a mish mash of a NIB 2wd kit, but comes with the 4wd central drive shaft included, as well as also coming with some spare parts of what look to be the missing 4wd items. Namely the other gearbox and the required front hubs and 4wd black wheels. I will know what is there (and what isn't) when it eventually arrives, but i am pretty excited about this build project. Certainly something very very different anyway. In my eyes at least these buggies look amazing.

Supposedly they drive like an absolute pig having read a few reports on here, but i'd love to try to make something of it and get it on to the track, and I already have a few mods in mind for it. Does anybody on here have any spares (or know anybody who might have)?

Some pics from the ad....

[Lowgear]

So you're the person who won it. I had it on my watch list, and also happened to watch the auction end. You sniped it at the last few seconds, no? I was just interested in seeing how much it would go for. I think you got it at a really decent price. A little over a year ago I bought one that a member on here built. They have a peculiar design that's for sure.

It will be interesting to see what you do with it. Keep us updated!

[dinglem]

Yes, i had been watching it all week and thought the starting price was certainly very very good! Still a bit of a bargain for what is mostly all-new parts in the end. I think it is a 4wd kit which appears to have had the front gearbox and driveshafts removed, but the used parts come with a gearbox so i am hoping it can combine the two and complete a 4wd build. The main thing i want to know is whether it has the hardened metal diff internals or the plastic ones which i have read fail frequently. I asked the seller but he said he didn't know. I will certainly be after the metal ones if at all possible.

Do you have any pictures of your car please? Always interested to see others - there aren't too many posted online as i have had a good look.

The design is a little unusual but it screams 80's RC to me - just love it and it makes a nice change to not have the looks of the car interrupted by tall shock towers front and rear. I would like to get it up and running and then race it, developing it as i go. It won't be staying standard that's for sure (as per all of my other cars!)

[GoMachV]

not sure of you saw my thread here...http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=31971
I took pics of some of the differences in my kits

[dinglem]

not sure of you saw my thread here...http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=31971
I took pics of some of the differences in my kits

Yes mate, thanks for the link. I think i have read through every post which mentions these cars now! Tough to tell what is what as the packaging seems to carry over between models. The flat sheet in the box i have is the 4wd colour (grey) plus it also has the long central drive shaft which is a bit of a give-away! However it seems to be missing the front gearbox... plus i am not too sure on the front stub-axles as to whether they are the same in both kits?

Obviously i have the spare gearbox with the load of spares which are included, along with the 4 black wheels.

I am curious about the metal/plastic gear components that will come with the car too. Hoping i have the hardened steel versions but doubt i will be that lucky.

[GoMachV]

Hopefully you have a front gearbox in the lot, as it is different from the rear and hard to find. The rear box only has one bearing at the input shaft, where the front has two.

[dinglem]

I am hoping so too! So the casings are slightly different front and rear to accommodate the additional bearing?

[naushad]

You need the hardened steel gears..otherwise the car wont withstand running.

Design fault.

[dinglem]

Yeah, i have read about the plastic gear issue

I won't know what i have until the kit arrives though.

Just had another thought as to why my NIB kit appears incomplete. Perhaps it is one of the FWD versions that i know they also produced. This might explain the inclusion of the long central driveshaft and only one gearbox and pair of dogbones? Perhaps i was just thrown by somebody having started the build but putting the gearbox at the rear? Just a thought anyway.

[1300GT]

A nice score indeed.

You are in luck. That is definitely a front gearbox in the 5th picture. It'll be interesting to see if you get the hardened steel gears.

If you find that the suspension pivot balls are tight in their sockets (all Coyotes seem to have this problem) and the arms don't fall under their own weight, do not try to loosen them up as per the instructions. This can lead to splits in the areas around the pivot balls. Some people have had success and others haven't.

I found the best way was to put a long M3 screw through one pivot ball and lock it on with an M3 nut. Then insert the excess thread into the chuck on a Dremel and reduce the diameter of the ball using 200 grade wet and dry followed by Autosol metal polish. It doesn't take much. Best to use verniers if you have them.
The pivot balls in my kit were 6.92mm diameter. I reduced most of them to 6.84mm and found that the arms fell under their own weight. A couple had to be reduced a smidge more.

It's a bit tedious but well worth the end result.

[tamiyadan]

.

[dinglem]

A nice score indeed.

You are in luck. That is definitely a front gearbox in the 5th picture. It'll be interesting to see if you get the hardened steel gears.

If you find that the suspension pivot balls are tight in their sockets (all Coyotes seem to have this problem) and the arms don't fall under their own weight, do not try to loosen them up as per the instructions. This can lead to splits in the areas around the pivot balls. Some people have had success and others haven't.

I found the best way was to put a long M3 screw through one pivot ball and lock it on with an M3 nut. Then insert the excess thread into the chuck on a Dremel and reduce the diameter of the ball using 200 grade wet and dry followed by Autosol metal polish. It doesn't take much. Best to use verniers if you have them.
The pivot balls in my kit were 6.92mm diameter. I reduced most of them to 6.84mm and found that the arms fell under their own weight. A couple had to be reduced a smidge more.

It's a bit tedious but well worth the end result.

Can you let me know how you are able to id that gearbox as definitely being a front please? Just curious as i honestly have no clue.

Great tip regarding the pivot balls - i will definitely be doing that. Thanks!

[dinglem]

tamiyadan - thanks for the info.

The kit is now marked as dispatched and i am hoping all is ok....

I am assuming i will get the one in the photographs as it is partially built, and comes with the spares pictured.

I will obviously need the hardened gears from what everybody is telling me, but like you i am interested in how the car looks more than anything. If i can get it up and running well then even better but either way it will be a great project for me. Something a bit different anyway. Cheap too i thought

[1300GT]

Sure can! It has six screws holding it together as opposed to four for a rear gearbox. Plus the gearbox is slightly longer to cater for a second bearing on the pinion shaft.

[dinglem]

Oh yeah - pretty obvious now you have said that!

Are there any other external features which differentiate the early and later cars apart from the metal gears???