402 - A Song For Billy Ray: Servo and ESC Ready To Be Installed.

The first step to give my Stadium Blitzer (Beetle) a new life is the choice of the electronics.

In the bunch of servos and ESCs rescued by my spare boxes I've choose the Tamiya TSU-01 servo that came ages ago with my Grasshopper and the Quicrun 1060 bought years ago for an unknow reason.

The ESC has been switched back to Tamiya plug for battery making a joint between OEM and spares cables already equipped with the J plug meanwhile motor cables have been only extended awaiting to be soldered to motor tabs.

In a short time a will order a simple radio easy to handle by a 11/12yo young gun.

401 - A Song For Billy Ray: A New Beginning For My Stadium Blitzer

Billy Ray is the nickname of a young gun, the younger son of my best friend.

The friendship between me and his father, a talented and passionate mechanic, counts more than three decades and it is mainly focused on cars, fourwheeling, having fun and lending each other an hand when needed.

My Stadium Blitzer is laying around from a while since when I’ve repaired, renewed and converted it in to a kind of Blitzer Beetle. I haven’t the intention to put it back in to my runners fleet so I’ve rescued it, I will complete and I will give it to Billy Ray that, for sure, will have so much fun in driving it… of course i twill be a suprise.

Some electronics have been rescued also, I need only a good radio set for a beginner.

 

400 - The Story of The Two Stigs

 

The first time with my Wild One it haven't been intentional: I just wanted to avoid the complex paint of a open helmet driver figure, in watching the freshly built car someone says it recalls the Kyosho's drivers figure style and someone else claimed that loved the Stig style driver.

I'm not a fan of open cockpit buggies but I really love both of mine (The Wild One and the BBX) so, in building the BBX, I've decided to go for a second Stig style driver with the already known difficulties.

399 - Wild One 99% Complete And Ready For Its 4th Life

Well, the revamping of my Wild One is 99% complete.

After the body paint some decals have been applied but I guess some other are needed to finish the work.

I've also installed the reinforcing brace for the front shock towers filling the gap with a pair of plastic spacers (unknown origin) rescued from my spare screws boxes and swapping the original screws with longer ones.

Counterwise to my plans I've been forced to keep the original servo saver because of there isn't room enough for the Hi-Torque (both long and short horns).

Concerning motor I've decided to go for my Dirt Tuned avoiding from every modify (opening it to fit bearings) or sacrifice (mixing it with the Super Stock BZ) in anticipation of the future shortage of Super Stock Tamiya motors (made in Japan) due to the poorly made new serie coming from the crap's factory.

398 - A Little Break

We need a little break from work and Venice living, so this week my wife and me are on holidays in our cottage on the alps. Some gardening and some renewing works are in our plans... for sure I will be involved in some mumbling about future RC works.

397 - BBX Renewed, Driver Start Your Engine!

Finally my BBX has the decent driver figure I've planned from the early beginning. Most of fails are due to the desperate attempt to avoid the use of paint brushes and to achieve this result I got all of my knowledge as modeller plus several sorceries as masking tape, masking fluid,  paint markers, spray cans... in short everything to compensate the loss of sight due to be a Gen X guy.

396 - New Paint For The Wild One

Some minor works have been made on my Wild One: new body posts, new servo horn and new screws for ESC switch but the main is the new paint for its body.

The fresh painted body and placed on the chassis to see how it came out.

Well it could look a bit monotonous because the paint scheme is more or less the same of my Ultima and BBX but I'm pretty satisfied to have find a good colors combination after all this years in the hobby and  like to have a kind of team livery for the running cars in my fleet.

Some mistakes have been made, as usual... but it's the teenager in me :)

395 - A Disappointing Purchase

To revamp my Wild One with in mind the improve of its durability, some weeks ago, I’ve bought the GMade crossmember for the front shock towers.

In other occasisons I’ve built this kind of parts from scratch but, this time, I decide to go for an aftermarket item.

This GMade reinforcing brace looks like a nice piece of alluminum and I was convinced that it was minded to be a direct fit but unfortunately I realized that it need some extra millimeters to fit between the Wild One shock towers. It’s disappointing, not scaring for a modeller but, IMO, an advice that it needs some extras to be completed could be included/printed somewhere.

Surfing the Web, as result of a simple Google search I’ve found that someone used the same parts with in addition some spacers so, to complete my Wild One revamping, I will look for something usefull to do the job in my spares boxes.

394 - I Did It Again!

The head banner of this blog have been updated… again!

I really love graphics inspirated by the californian bmx/skate/punk scene they feel so “energetic” in some way but my heart beats hard for something different and it depends by my background of course.

With this new graphic I've made an attempt to be closer to classic racing cars appeal that are my soft spot from when I was a teenager: I love the clean and sharp looking of some old motorsport sponsors plate or banner and the patches on racers suits so, here the result, not definitive... for sure. 

393 - A Step Ahead For The BBX And The Other For The Wild One

Finally the BBX driver figure have been finished with a coat of flat clear Tamiya TS-80 and with its driver's head.

The TS-80 did a god work giving to the figure a matt finishing that is expected by the driver's suit and by the seat belt but, on the other hand, it makes evident the imperfections due the use of water based markers to paint the driver's body... that's fine, my other attempts were far worse and the most important target to well define the white parts from the black ones have been reached. Its head also have been painted, with some smears of course, but it's ok overall.

I wanted to make a try to upgrade the Dirt Tuned motor destinated to my revamped Wild One with a pair of ball bearing in place of the bronze bushings but I've realized that open it is not a quick and clean work as I expected... so I give up to avoid damages to the endbell or to the can.

392 - Wild One: Works Ongoing

To me it's ever a pleasure to work on the Wild One both for its classic allure and for the sense of lightness that it carries.

With all the parts needed ready to be installed I've completed  the electronic set up keeping the KO servo in use from its build and fitting the new Futaba receiver linked with the updated Robitronic ESC.

The motor cables are still free, not soldered to tabs because I'm thinking to make an attempt to improve the Dirt Tuned with a pair of bearigs as done with my Super Stock motor.

After the electronic I've fitted back the transmission, the roll cage and the suspensions (front and rear).

I've also placed back the driver figure and, of course; I couldn't resist to fit the four wheels with their new yellow rims as shown by the first pic.

391 - This Is The Best I Can Do

 

Ok, I guess that it is the time to forget that, at my best as modeller, I have been a talented painter of fantasy miniatures.

A while ago I've decided to give to myself a last chance to complete my BBX with a decent painted driver figure and I though that using some marker would be a good idea so I've purchased on  porpouse some water based Uni Posca.

First coats with markers on the previous coat of black

Here the raw and partial result of the third attempt, of course it will be completed with a closed helmet head that I prefer than  the original one and with a coat of Tamiya TS-80 to secure the water based markers paint. For sure, at over 50yo, e this is the best I can do. 

390 - The Wild One Revampin Is Going On

Continuing with the works on my Wild One I've finished to disassembly the car and with the bare chassis in my hand I've deeply but gently washed it and I've replaced the 13 years old "Ko Propo" stikers with a pair of new "Oakley" ones according to the trend settled with my Kyosho Ultima SB Dirt Master and to my Tamiya BBX.

For the moment I will keep this original chassis it's that is intact spite it shows  many signs of its use... but I like it ✌!

To be ready when it will be the moment to install the electronics I've update the Robitronic Speedstar 2 (17 turns motor limit in this case) with 4mm bullet connectors and extending the motor cables that will reach easily the Dird Tuned placed on the back.

I've prepared also the set of new wheels placing the Schumacher tires from  JC Racing pink rims to a set of yellow ones.

389 - Bringing My Wild One Back To Life

It is the time to start to work on my Wild One. It is a car that I love as I never figured and for its build, at that time, I’ve spent a lot of time and payed a lot of attention. Just for information it was my first build with Tamiya Craft Tools RC Tool Set.

I’m ready to give to this car its 4th life: the first out of the box with black FAV’s parts and some black custom parts, the second with 2.2 pink rims and Super Stock motor, the third (never lived) with that horrible aluminum chassis and Dirt Tuned motor (to save the transimission) and the life it is going to live with a new body, new yellow rims and front suspensions reinforce.

So I’ve started to disassemble the car to give a deep cleaning of the old parts involved in this revamp. The KO receiver will be swapped with a new Futaba one and I’m planning to use the original chassis saving the new one in case of breakages.

Cabling will be better organized, I will keep the KO servo (old but good for this car), front shocks need to be rebuilted and a new livery will revitalize the car considering that the original always looks a bit faded.

Bearing on axles, pure old school 😎

388 - Chrome or Yellow?

Finally I’ve been able to wrap the set of BBX rims I’ve dechromed and paintend in yellow with a new set of tires.

I’m not full happy of the fresh painted rims but I shouldn’t make a full valuation without watching it with tires on and I have to admit that it isn’t so poor.

For a while I’ve considered to switch from the stock BBX wheels to a set of standard 2.2 buggy wheels because, running it on the grass, I should have prefer to gain some millimeters of air under the car.

Time ago, with my BBX and my Ultima side by side, I’ve noticed that Ultima’s wheels are not so taller than the BBX one so, with wheels in my hands, I’ve decided to make a direct camparison.

Well, it’s pretty clear BBX wheels are taller than 2.2s and I’m satisfied because the higher sidewall tires will keep the full spirit of this car.

387 - GForce Pit-Cube 300, A Compact Charger!

 

I’m going on with the idea to slim the equipment destinated to follow me on holidays saving weight and space and making it more practical to use.

The matchbox sized box and its contents 😎

 

From a while I’ve noticed that on the japanese market are available some compact chargers powered via USB-C and I've keept them in sight considering that for weight and dimensions they could help me.

In particular my attention was on the last released: the GForce Pit-Cube 300 saw on the IG of Masami Hirosaka, the legend, himself.

Weeks ago I’ve bought another USB-C powered device, a Miniware TS101 soldering iron that requires a powerful USB charger to properly works so, all was ready to try the jump.

I’ve found the Pit-Cube to buy in one of my fav online shop: Banzai Hobby in Japan so, without esitation, I’ve bought this charger even if it was in backorder and I received it in almost ten days.

Great service from Banzai, as usual.

The GForce Pit-Cube is surprisingly small, less than a cigarettes pack (I’m a former smoker), it carries toughness when in hand, it looks well builted.

Unlucky its default language is japanese and after some attempts to find on the manual the way to switch to english I was considering to bring it to Venice and ask to my wife to help me, until when…

… for pure chance I found the right menu and we started to understand each other. Great!

386 - The TT 60 ESC Sits In Its Place, Finally

The Tamiya BBX is a great model: I love how it looks and I like how it performs but arranging the Electronics isn't an easy task.

Recently I've decided to avoid the use of the cover for the ESC and to be safe I've decided to swap the freshly installed Robitronic Speedstar for he MTroniks TT60 ESC bought year ago and used only a pair of times.

I preferred the MTroniks for its solid construction and because it claims to be waterproof… a good feature for an exposed installation.

Unfortunately the TT's cables are stiffer than usual cables and placing it in the narrow spaces of my BBX have been quite difficult. I've decided to extend the motor cables with softer ones hiding the original blue and yellow under the ESC shelf in the attempt to make a clean and tidy work another cable extension for the battery was already in place.

I've been a bit in trouble to find a good place for the switch, it's bigger than usual also compared much older ESCs.

Found the place for every cable I've well secured them all to the BBX cage with some nylon bands; some other will be needed at a second glance and I will consider to do some more adjustement because I'm not full satisfied by the result.

385 - I Got A New (Smart) Soldering Iron

Two weeks ago my Dremel Versatip stopped to work before starting the soldering session to arrange my MTroniks TT ESC to fit my Tamiya BBX.

I was quite happy about that soldering iron mainly because of its portability that made it good when I pack my stuff for holidays.

As my usual I've started to surf the Web to look for a good alternative and I found out this Miniware TS101 usb powered smart soldering iron that with its marker-like size should be a good choice to my needs.

The TS101 stands on my laptop during its firmware update

It's not cheap a cheap tool and I hope that the money payed forces me to take good care of it to keep it properly working for a long time. 

My new soldering iron have been immediately put at work on my TT ESC to swap the old 3,5mm bullet connectors to 4mm ones, to extend the motor cables and to solder them to the motor tabs and all went good: it reaches the working temperature in a few of seconds, it is very handly and easy to clean. Finger crossed for next soldering works.