Built this ultima last winter for some vintage racing at my LHS Trains and Lanes in Easton PA. We race on grey carpet indoors during the winter season. I thought the gear diff and available sway bars would make a good racer. After I first got it together I wasn't happy with the performance and needed lots of work to get it where it's at now.
Here's a running Video [youtube]https://youtu.be/3mLv3s4Faug[/youtube]
I'll post some pics once I figure that out.
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2022 8:28 am
by 1911Colt
Just drag and drop your pics onto to area where you type. The Ultima is one of my favorite non-Schumacher cars so please do post pics. I posted a couple of my old cars just to prove to myself I wasn't misleading you on the "drag and drop" thing.
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 7:07 pm
by Delorean
76jimmy wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 7:52 am
Built this ultima last winter for some vintage racing at my LHS Trains and Lanes in Easton PA. We race on grey carpet indoors during the winter season. I thought the gear diff and available sway bars would make a good racer. After I first got it together I wasn't happy with the performance and needed lots of work to get it where it's at now.
Here's a running Video [youtube]https://youtu.be/3mLv3s4Faug[/youtube]
I'll post some pics once I figure that out.
Wow mate!! you have that thing hooked up!! great work. What have you done to it?
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 7:56 pm
by Frankentruck
I liked when the Ultima tapped the green buggy and flipped it over. Don't mess with the OG!
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 6:09 am
by 76jimmy
So this is the mod so far. I used a Traxxas Bandit front end and losi wheels to get the front end wider. Also raised the camber link to match the taller front end caster blocks. The shocks are 70mm yeah racing big bores to get the front lower down for the smooth surface of carpet racing. had to use longer links to make it all work out. 58mm for the tie rods and 55mm for the camber links. the back end is mostly stock but the 90mm yeah racing big bore shocks. The car runs unbelievably well for such an old design. This buggy has my complete attention right now I'll be working on it a bit more.
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 5:18 pm
by Delorean
nice one mate, i commented in the other thread about how to fit 2.2 inch wheels to an ultima, I have done a very similar thing as you, but i used Optima parts, which adds 5 degrees of caster which i found helped the buggy turn a lot better and widens the front end and i had to do the same as you and raise the inner camber link point on the shock tower. I race on outdoor dirt tracks and i didn't like the difficult access to electronics etc so i ended up fitting it all to an ultima ii chassis which adds 13mm in wheelbase as well which made the car more stable, but looking at the way yours goes on the tight carpet track, i wouldn't change it
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 8:12 pm
by Delorean
Also forgot to mention that another way to widen the front end is to use Mr Ed's designed front bulkhead from shapeways
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 9:33 am
by 1911Colt
Very cool video! Ironically, the newer car seemed to be sliding around considerably more than the Ultima.
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 12:17 pm
by 76jimmy
I wasn't wheeling the Ultima in the video. It was a younger more capable A driver. I'd call myself a b average and equal to the guy running the 22-4. It really is on rails. The back end wags the tail a bit haven't gotten to sorting that out. Using the stock gold spring in the back. Could go a tad stiffer but not much. The grip is perfect in the corner don't want to unbalance the car.
Ultima 2 chassis has my head going towards a mid motor mod with an optima mid rear trans setup. But maybe it's just fine the way it is.
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 8:15 pm
by Delorean
76jimmy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 12:17 pm
I wasn't wheeling the Ultima in the video. It was a younger more capable A driver. I'd call myself a b average and equal to the guy running the 22-4. It really is on rails. The back end wags the tail a bit haven't gotten to sorting that out. Using the stock gold spring in the back. Could go a tad stiffer but not much. The grip is perfect in the corner don't want to unbalance the car.
Ultima 2 chassis has my head going towards a mid motor mod with an optima mid rear trans setup. But maybe it's just fine the way it is.
Mr Ed also designed a mid motor conversion parts pack which is also on shapeways.
i agree, the rear end setup is excellent with the gold springs, once i added the front caster, i had way too much turn using the standard black springs so went to the golds on the front end which balanced it up nicely
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2022 10:05 pm
by 76jimmy
Have a TBG body and undertray on the way. Been trying to figure how I'm going to attach the undertray to the chassis?
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2022 11:06 pm
by radioactivity
If it were me, I'd use servo tape as a first option.
Or velcro if the thickness doesn't matter and you intend to remove it frequently.
Chuck
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 8:48 pm
by 76jimmy
Finally got around to putting a TBG lid on the ultima. Turned out ok. Had a lot of bleed around the pinstripes. Think the tape was pretty old and I was a little impatient. Securing the lid to the chassis was good to. There is three countersunk holes in the bottom of the chassis. Also used clear gorilla tape across the bottom. The battery uses Velcro straps so a couple of pieces of hook tape on the under tray line up to that too.
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 10:50 pm
by RCveteran
So now I have seen a Bandit front end on an Ultima and RC10 here. SInce Bandit came out in 1994, it's vintage as far as I am concerned. I am building a carbon fiber chassis Bandit right now with the new 272R transmission. Nothing on it would not bolt backwards onto an OG 1994 Bandit. I digress.
You actually had me just go look at my Ultima and I can see why you chose the Bandit arms for that bulkhead, readily available parts that are right out of the early 90's! Nice work.
Re: My Ultima rere racer
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 5:36 am
by Nige55
Delorean wrote: ↑Sun Dec 11, 2022 5:18 pm
nice one mate, i commented in the other thread about how to fit 2.2 inch wheels to an ultima, I have done a very similar thing as you, but i used Optima parts, which adds 5 degrees of caster which i found helped the buggy turn a lot better and widens the front end and i had to do the same as you and raise the inner camber link point on the shock tower. I race on outdoor dirt tracks and i didn't like the difficult access to electronics etc so i ended up fitting it all to an ultima ii chassis which adds 13mm in wheelbase as well which made the car more stable, but looking at the way yours goes on the tight carpet track, i wouldn't change it
Hi, do you have any pics or info on the optima parts you used on the front end? Really curious to see. The bandit arms are a great mod, but in the UK we need mods that were available during the same time period as the car, so Optima parts might be better in my case.
Amazing to see Ultimas going so well!
so please do post pics. I posted a couple of my old cars just to prove to myself I wasn't misleading you on the "drag and drop" thing.