Throwback Thursday Grasshopper Truck Conversion

This converted Grasshopper with a Team CRP truck conversion kit is an oldie but a goodie. Really like how the paint job came out on this one. This truck is affectionately known as "The Frankenstein."
Planning on a brushless or modified brushed motor for this one soon. Stay tuned for more R/C stories.

Want to see a video of this truck? Stay tuned, this truck is a motor and esc away from being famous.

Mazda Mazda6 Mounted on the TT-01

Shown below is the completed Mazda6 body mounted on a slightly different chassis. Testing the mounting holes on the TT-01, surprisingly the holes lined up very well despite the switch from the TL-01 chassis.

 Really like the glare on this shot for some reason

 Tip: The number decals came from a scrapbooking sheet and stuck really well. Sizing and scale also seem to be right on target.

The verdict? Very controlled and balanced body. The TT-01 chassis handled smoothly with the stock gearing setup. The tire and wheel combo proved to deliver some very controllable and long drifts. Straight line and launch was very good.  Stay tuned for some videos showing the TL-01 running after the rebuild.

Have something to add? Leave us a note below.

Tamiya TL-01 Pretune Brushless

Here is a clip showing the TL-01 before the latest tune. Note that this longtime r/c driver needed to dial out quite a bit of steering to keep control of it.  On this day I was driving, without realizing it,
with 3 good wheels and a wheel with a rounded hub. This was putting power to the ground with 3 wheels, which is less than ideal for balance and handling.

While driving I noticed I was spinning out a lot and eventually spun it underneath a fence (shown in the video). Good way to break parts and discover it's time to rebuild and upgrade!

TL01 Mazda6 Build Pt II

Little bit more

Close to the finished product

The next step is "finishing" the body. Lots of decals followed by some time with the scissors and dremel smoothing out the rough edges. Finally have some dry weather coming our way. Stay tuned for a test run.

Although the color wasn't quite close enough I was able to get it a little closer with a little photo editing. Close to answering the question of what would a Mazda6 look like with a 787B paint job?

TL-01 Mazda 6 Build

The Mazda 787B race car was the inspiration for this paint job. The paint I received seems to be a little more on the red side than the orange of the race car. Oh well, the results seem to get better with more decals.

Here is a look at what this build entailed. Lots of parts and a totally clear body

With some masking

With the first coat of paint

 Check back soon for more photos on the TL-01 Mazda6 build. More pictures and video's coming soon!

Maybe my next R/C should be a sleeper?

Who doesn't love a great sleeper?  Check out the video below for ideas for your next R/C project.  I don't know about you but I am leaning towards the farm truck.  Imagine what people would think down at the R/C track!

TL-01 Tuning PT I

Step 1: Fixing the Broken Upright

A good drive followed by a good crash will sometimes break parts on even the best touring car. For this repair, I'll be fixing the right side front upright.

Here is a picture of the carnage. Shown is the broken upright and greasy drive shaft.

It is important to take apart these pieces carefully, as the pin which holds the hub likes to slide out and into tiny, dark, hard to reach places.

Step 2: Putting It Back Together

Once you have everything taken apart, it's time to start putting it back together with the new parts. In this case, the old broken upright (top) is shown next to the new upright (bottom). The old upright is usually missing a substantial amount of hardware. It's amazing how clean the new parts are and how dirty the old parts get!

Here is the driveshaft in the new upright with bearings installed (2). 

The second bearing is inside the upright and out of view. Next step is to put the pin through the hole on the driveshaft and then slide the hub into place.

This is what it looks like with the hub in place.

With the wheel installed.

 My Lego assistant makes a good stand and helps while I put the nut on the end of the driveshaft.

 Assembled from a different view.

Almost ready to install.

 Step 3: Installation
Well, it looks like this step might have to wait until the rest of the hardware gets here. We are going to need a new grub screw to hold the top and bottom of the upright onto the suspension arms.

Top view, notice the hole on top of the center of the upright.  

This is where the top grub screw goes.

Thanks for viewing, more updates will be coming along as the parts come in. Stay tuned!

Plantraco Nano Blimp Review

While waiting for my R/C parts to arrive from towerhobbies.com, I decided to shoot a quick review of our new Plantraco NanoBlimp. What a blast to fly. As mentioned in the review this thing is quite a bit different from flying a quadcopter. Enjoy! For more product information see http://www.microflight.com/.

Pacific Northwest R/C Blog is up and running!

Pacific Northwest R/C Blog is up and running!  Here is what you have coming up in the next few weeks:

• Mazda 6 Protoform Body Project
  First project is underway. Just ordered a Protoform Mazda 6 body and plan to paint it in a Mazda 787 race car paint job. I don't know if it's ever been tried, interesting to see what it looks like.
  
• Project TL-01 Update:
  Also ordered some new hex hubs that lock.  This should help the Tamiya TL01 get very finely tuned. Had to order some new front uprights as the TL01 went for a tumble the other day while testing out some sticky tires.
  
• Project TT-01 Update:
  New gears are on the way. Here is a picture of the best paint job to date on the TT01.
  
•  Plus I'll be showing off some of my favorite RC's.  In the meantime, check out my YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/MulkeyFilms) for some great RC footage. Stay tuned!