Mini Z Forum

[TB01 2NR]

Anything remotely related to the mini z is welcome here.

Right now i have a stock Audi TT (hey i wanted the altezza but this cost me like 129! so i cant complain)

[Smitty]

What is the outer diameter of a mini z tire?
I would also like to know how they are mounted. Thanks.

[TB01 2NR]

How you mount what? Tires? Wheels? Body? :confused:

The outer diameter of the tire is 15/16's of an inch.

Anything else? :D

[jeepinator]

Hows this ?
http://colo.theshreves.com/pics/miniz2.jpg

And ...

http://colo.theshreves.com/pics/miniz3.jpg

[ 06-17-2001: Message edited by: jeepinator ]

[TB01 2NR]

Nice, right now im working on a custom Acura Integra body. Its a Revell kit (after starting on it i've found several other people have done the same thing with the same model online), has perfect width, just make a custom H bar and it fits great.

[CBlakeNS]

Jeepinator---That is a sweet mini z!

[JP]

Stripped my servo today.

Oh what a world.

[jeepinator]

Hey, I am a sticker s1ut ! What can I say ?

Thanks for the compliments.
I had a lot of fun with mine, but the fun faded and the weather got better, and now I am borrowing the transmitter for my drag car ;)
Amaazing, but a 27 band AM Futaba receiver works great with the Kyosho "PERFEX" radio and crystals.

I am not sure what is next for my Z, but it will definately be something crazy. Like custom BIG foam tires and 5 cells, so I can blast up and down my road. Hmm... next winter ...

[ 06-18-2001: Message edited by: jeepinator ]

[CBlakeNS]

Jeepinator---sticker **** ahhhh hahahaha omg!

[TB01 2NR]

You can use a set of tamiya 4wd tires to make custom mini foams. You can get 6 tires out of a 4 pack im told.

[blegris]

I would really like a Mini-Z to cruise around the house with, but I think they're a little over-priced.

[JP]

Tekin, Novak and LRP?

I demolished my Yellow Porche GT3 body. My friend and I were playing "tag" and I broke this on it:

both parts to the rear spoiler (lights and top spoiler)
side mirrorS
both side things that hold the body on the car
windshield

Umm, the rear bumper/wing is when I kicked my car because Kyosho screwed me with the defective x-tals and i got POed at it :eek:

[TB01 2NR]

Wait until you get hooked, and start wanting hop ups lol those are the expensive part lol. But they arew a ton of fun. Actually you can get them used for a good price, as long as they arent screwed up.

[atm92484]

Hey guys this is sweet; my LHS is building a Mini-Z track in front of the store. I guess that will be one of my next cars. Do you guys actually race or just mess around inside your house?

[RallySpade]

I love my Mini Z, my girlfriend and i bought his and her's matching Z's and we race them around the house. Now we want to get all the Hop-up and start a local race for them. :cool:

[TB01 2NR]

I usually mess around, I have set up a temporary track and did timed laps. Right now my mini z is having a body make over with the Integra. I've done some pre-racing. I like it plus the longer wheelbase make it harder to spin out. However I do have an idea on how to take it off road....

LOL I knew this might interest some people cause on the HPI forums a while back people where trying to make them go off road. Anyways I found some tires from my tamiya 4wd Isuzu V-cross, as well as part of the chassis. I found that if I mounted the tires on the mini z it would raise the chassis a bit. However I lost the body so I have yet to try it. I might order a new one from tower if they have them. This wont let you do extreme off road but you might be able to tackle outside, and shag carpeting lol.

[T3GT]

MINI Z's are cool...I wish I could get one to play around with, or maybe even race'em if enough people around with them...But I have too much stuff to get for my GT & T3 to afford a MINI Z...since a race my trucks!!

I'll keep reading the posts though because I like them! :D

[RallySpade]

I know this isnt a Mini-Z but HPI is going to have a 4wd "Mini-Z" that i think i might want to check out...Off road 4ed mini-z that would be awesome!!! :cool:

[TB01 2NR]

The HPI is a Micro RS4. It looks really cool and I hope to buy one. I have everything but the chassis which should only be about $99 from towerhobbies. They are 4WD but no where near able to go off road. THey are designed for house-garage-and driveway use. And are nowhere near the size of a mini z. Thanks for the info anyways.

[Mini-Z 2001.5]

I got my mini-z yesterday, and I already striped my servo. but The car is still awsome. :eek:

[beeper]

I just got a Mini-Z, Viper, and I love it. It is so cool. I am just wondering if any of you guys have the alum. ball diff. If you do could you tell me how you like it. I am getting the bearings and then the diff for it next.
beeper

[TB01 2NR]

Have you guys seen the new body sets? They come in a display case with tires, wheels and a dummy chassis. This is good because my integra is taking a beating and I steped on my TT body last night i was so glad that the chassis wasnt in it! Anyways is crumpled the front pillar and chipped the balck paint around the window. Also there is some lines (you know how if you bend plastic it turns whiteish) on the front fender. The body still works, and ill use it for thrashing, maybe turn it into a rally body if I get really bored towards the end of summer. I havnt done much cause im working and saving for some TB01 parts.

[Jason C]

If you have little siblings or relatives in the house, keep your mini-Z away from them. My 7-year old cousin got a hold of my Audi TT and blasted it down the hallway. I had installed a Tamiya high-rpm motor in it so it took off in a hurry and the inexperienced little boy quickly lost control, plastering my poor mini-Z into a table leg at top speed.

Now there is a massive crack in the front of the body, both side mirrors got knocked off, and the rear T-plate snapped off where it attaches to the front unit. The impact also damaged the ESC as I no longer have forward. Next time, I'll make a big foam bumper for my car (after I buy replacement parts).

[TB01 2NR]

Jason how well did your mini handle to tamiya motor? I have three of them but never installed them in fear of frying the ESC. Hey now you have an excuse to buy all kinds of new mods for you miniz lol. FRP suspension plate, and if you are buying that then you have to buy the rear shock to take full advantage. And if you're adding shocks you need the new anti roll shocks in the front, and also tuneing springs for all of that to make use of all 5 shocks now lol. And what good is good handleing without the ball diff!. And with mod motors you have to add ballbearings! Oh and some nice rechargable batteries! And with all these mods a new body is needed you cant run a sweet car with a trashed body. So pic up one of the new body sets with a display case. And with a nice body you gotta add headlights right! lol. Anyways thats just my theory. A few more weeks with my mini z and ill have an excuse for an overhaul lol.

[Jason C]

TB01,

Yes, I have heard of some folks saying the ESC cannot handle hotter motors. My motor worked fine without any problems and it was a huge improvement over the stock motor. I forgot the name and model # of the Tamiya motor (picked it up in Japantown, San Fransisco), but the label read High Torque/High RPM.

I kind of tested both motors to compare the rpms by sound and there was only a slightly higher pitched whine coming from the Tamiya. You could try your motors - I'd try to use the Tamiya motor with the lowest rpm of the three that you have. But to be safe, you may want to stick with the stock motor or the one Kyosho specially markets for the Mini-Z.

The sad part of this incident was that I have already tricked out my mini-Z with many of the hop-ups - ball diff, spring set (f/r), rear shock, soft tires, Hi-capacity Ni-MH cells, and bearings.

Now my ESC is damaged and Tower Hobbies charges $99 for a new RC unit! I suppose I could reverse the motor wires and radio so that my reverse becomes forward... That'll make it legal for organized racing I guess...
:(

GPM has some nice aluminum hop-up parts for the mini-Z check them out.
http://www.gpmracing.com.hk/photo/mini-z.jpg

[TB01 2NR]

On the mini z motor there are the little brown things soldered onto the outside of the motor. Maybe if i put those on the tamiya motor? Anyways i have a stock tamiya motor, with a blue end, and high torque on with an orange end and a high speed one with a red end. I have heard of a lot of people who have had trouble with the kyosho radio sets being...cheap or in quality not in price. I wish Novak or Futuba or Airtonics would make a high quality replacment unit. It couldnt be that hard.

[TB01 2NR]

The Kyosho Mini-Z's body list keeps getting longer! I though I'd post a list of what is available at this time. If I have made any mistakes please tell me and I'll fix them gladly! :)

1. Toyota Sprint Toreno Red
2. Toyota Sprint Toreno White
3. AMG Mercedies Benz D2 Silver
4. Toyota Altezza White
5. Toyota Altezza Metallic Blue
6. Toyota Altezza Yellow
7. BMW Z8 Silver
8. BMW Z8 Black
9. BMW Z8 Red
10.Audi TT coupe Silver
11.Audi TT coupe Blue
12.Audi TT coupe Black
13.Porsche 911 GT3 Limited Yellow
14.Porsche 911 GT3 Silver
15.Porsche 911 GT3 Red
16.Dodge Viper GTR Blue
17.Dodge Viper GTR Red
18.Honda S2000 Red
19.Honda S2000 Yellow
20.Honda S2000 Silver
21.Nissan Skyline GTR KPGC10 Red
22.Nissan Skyline GTR KPGC10 Blue
23.Nissan Skyline R34 GTR Red
24.Nissan Skyline R34 GTR Metallic Blue
25.Nissan Skyline R34 GTR Silver
26.Subaru Impreza WRX White
27.Subaru Impreza WRX Metallic Blue
28.Subaru Impreza WRX Black
29.Subaru Impreza WRX Yellow
30.Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. 6 Tommi M. Edition Silver
31.Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. 6 Tommi M. Edition Red
32.Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. 6 Tommi M. Edition White

This is good, now all I need is a second generation Toyota MR2! :D

[ 06-29-2001: Message edited by: TB01 2NR ]

[aphex4000]

I bought my sister a silver Audi TT for her b-day and the brand new radio was shorted out(assuming so...it got quite hot) when she put the batteries it ...yes, they were installed correctly. Tower Hobbies quickly sent a replacement after she sent it back, but I think this just reiterates what TB01 2NR was saying about the quality of the radios.

Aside from that, she is having a blast with the car now. I wish I had some cash left over to buy myself one. Save up for Lasik, or Mini-Z...hmmmm. ;)

[TB01 2NR]

Go with the miniz. Lasik might have unforeseen side effects miniz's only have fun lol.

[TB01 2NR]

Hmm I just looked and saw the KO thing to. They usually make really good stuff. Maybe a recall or replacement is nessacary like the Traxxas EMaxx ESC.

[Jason C]

A recall would be nice, but it'll never happen. The Mini-Z has been out for some time now and there have not been any major maufacturing problems that I've noticed.

Actually, I think a Lexan body would be nicer to have than the polystyrene one - cheaper to replace and probably more crash damage resistant.

[Jason C]

TB01,

Those brown things on the stock Mini-Z are capacitors. They are there to reduce radio "noise" so you won't get glitches. Not all that neccessary in my opinion as I left them on my stock motor (too lazy to transplant them) and I had no glitches. I also swapped the dinky antenna for a longer one fron an old Radio Shack car antenna.

If you are going to use the Tamiya motors, go with the High Torque one. High rpms in such a little car spell disaster as they are already fast enough with a crappy silver can motor. Torque makes driving the little car fun as you can really make those wheels spin!

I haven't had any problems with my radio set except when my cousin crashed it hard and I lost forward. Guess the shock of the impact busted the ESC. Kyosho teamed up with KO Propo to make the electronic as I saw the KO logo in the servo case.

Anyways, HPI is releasing their own "mini" car: RS4 Micro. Seems kinda neat, but not as small as the mini-Z.

[CTRallyRacer]

Has anyone every tried to adapt the RCNeon lights or neon to the Mini Z? I'm thinking about doing it. :D

[TB01 2NR]

Talking about on your Integra CTRALLYRACER? Cause I gave up on mine I wanted to it seemed easy, but mines still cool without the lights, plus the battery would have either slowed it down or made it more top heavy.

[CTRallyRacer]

TB01, the car is finished. My LHS mentioned that they have some lights for 1/10th scale vehicles. I'm gonna see if I can get them to fit.

[NTRacinGuy87]

i got the mini-z the first day it came out and i have no where to race it!!!!! so i supered it up to handle the street. can you say fast 20 mph!!!!!! well i built a jump and it did it 10 times getting four or five feet of air. it ended up breaking and i havent fixed it....yet......

[racer_x]

ntracinguy87,

Which motor do you have in your mini-Z?
I just ordered the Toyota Altezza and a couple of my friend's will be gettin one soon. We plan to eventully do some racing. I'll let you know as soon as we can get together if your interested in racing with us.

[ProjectTwin]

Here's another bod..

Warsteiner AMG CLK (http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1614040121)


Jason

[TB01 2NR]

Nice find. :eek:

[Pat]

hey i just got a mini z and i AM going to race it at my lhs they built a track out front its called hobby city. Well i was wondering if anyone knew any necessayry hop ups like a new motor is the kyosho one good. i dunno ill take any suggestions.

hey ATM92484 you said that you lhs was building a track out front? where are you from cause it sounds like my lhs.

[TB01 2NR]

Probably depends on where you are racing, against who? what the track layout is, basically just like any other RC and track. If your hobby store runs a spec class go for that then see what other people are running in their mods.

[TB01 2NR]

http://www.stefanoparis.com/crx/miniz/LamboPaulPix/DSCN0881_01.jpg

[ 07-13-2001: Message edited by: TB01 2NR ]

[ 07-13-2001: Message edited by: TB01 2NR ]

[TB01 2NR]

yes yes yes yes yes! I finally posted a picture! wahoooooooo! Dont I feel special?


http://www.stefanoparis.com/crx/miniz/Lambo/DSCN0005_01.jpg


this is how they did it.

[TB01 2NR]

[ 07-20-2001: Message edited by: TB01 2NR ]

[atm92484]

Hey guys. I just got back from my LHS and a Mini-Z with a blue Altezza body somehow made it back with me. :) These things are awesome. The only bad part is I rolled it on the driveway and got a few scuffs on the body first time out. Oh well, thats RC for ya.

Any suggestions on good stuff to get? I plan on getting bearings, a ball diff, new body, and better tires. Anything else?

[Pat]

atm i would get what you said i dunno if all the aluminum stuff. but in an earlier post you said your lhs was building a track out front? what is the name of the lhs and where is it located because my lhs is building one out font and its dcalled hobby city.

[atm92484]

Ohh myyy god its a small world. Its almost finished. They just need to put some glass up. That is so cool.

[ 07-16-2001: Message edited by: atm92484 ]

[Pat]

atm you goig to race and are you good i think its gonna be sweet ill try to email you. maybe ill see you there ive never met someone from penna in this bulliten board before

[Pat]

atm i tried to email you but it says it doesnt exist if you ant to email my pfol10@aol.com talk to you.

[atm92484]

My email is atm92484@hotmail.com but they won't allow Hotmail accounts. Thanks for bringing that to my attention; I need to update my email since we switched internet services.

I think that track is pretty sweet for Mini-Zs. Its just disapointing they can't really get a track going for 1/10 nitro trucks also. Oh well atleast we have some form of track. Theres a track in Sarver for gas trucks but its 45 minutes away and a track in Washington (indoor carpet) but I don't feel like driving out there to race and the Washington track isn't opened in the summer, so yes I do plan on racing my Z. Hmm wonder whats going to happen in the winter? We'll need a new spot.

I guess I'm ok but I need to get used to these little things. They handle nothing like a GT, NDS, or F1. Also I think upgrading the suspension is a must for racing to improve handling. I have a rear shock set and bearings coming friday so that should help the handling a little.

Next time I go out there I'll try to get some pics of the track.

[ 07-17-2001: Message edited by: atm92484 ]

[ 07-17-2001: Message edited by: atm92484 ]

[SteveP]

Guys - I deleted two other threads related to the Mini-Z. I would prefer to keep it to one thread per vehicle if possible, so users don't have to search through 22 threads about the same vehicle to find the one they're looking for.

On a Mini-Z note, I can't wait until the F1 Minis are available. They are bigger than the standard Z based on the information I got, and the chassis is a new design. It also helps that I'm an F1 fanatic! :D

[atm92484]

Ya those pics that I saw in the mag really got me hooked. I might buy a second one. Any word on if the electronics and motor are the same?

[TB01 2NR]

I hope the electronics are differnt. The current set up is junk, I'd pay an extra $100 if things didnt keep breaking and replacement was needed every month. I saw in Japan they have a better version of the Prefex system I wish we would get it.

[Tokyo Kid]

Hey everybody ^^
I'm planing on getting a mini-Z racer.But i even used a Mini-Z but i used an R/C before.Which is on of the best Mini-z's around?

-TokYO KiD, LuMiNA RaCiNg
http://members.spree.com/sports/Tokyo_kid/1.bmp

[TB01 2NR]

They are all the same. Except for the wheelbase which varies with the bodies, and this only matters if you plan to race them, even then the only real advantage is smaller wheelbase and car turns tighter, longer wheelbase the car is less likely to spin out (which happens often even the stock motors pack quite a punch for the little cars! :eek: ) Also the wheelbase can be adjusted to the three lengths on all the cars anyways, its only the bodies that prevent you from doing it.

On another subject, does anyone have the Toyota Sprint Mini-Z body? Do the head lights flip up? Are they fixed? I have seen pics with the lights both up and down. :confused: Thanks

[atm92484]

The stock electronics are okay. I'm not going to complain as long as they get the job done. Futaba or Hitec should make an aftermarket radio system for these and make it on 75 mhz.

I've heard of a few people at my LHS ramming into stuff and something got messed up; they sent to Kyosho and got it fixed for free I think.

[TB01 2NR]

atm92484 wait until you want to add a Tamiya 4WD motor lol, then you'll see the defect. :mad:

Actually I wonder if you could re-route the wires in the mini-z and run all ESC functions through a differnt 1/10 ESC mounted on top of the chassis? Would this work? Could it be done? Or even better if somebody was really good at this stuff, gut the ESC portion of the control modual, then insert the electronics from the better ESC? :confused:

So nobody has the Sprint Toreno? Hmm this is both good and bad. I dont know the answer, but then not many people would have the sprint toreno. ;)

[Pat]

whats with the f1's will you be able to upgrade to them from the original? Whats going to be soo much better that the old ones because i just bought mine. But then i guess my lhs would have two classes then. I might be getting some of those gpm aluminum wheels a new motor and a a 1 2 or 3 oil filled shock set for it but im waiting on prices. Well peace out

[TB01 2NR]

I don't know, the F1s and original mini-zs dont seem to be very similar. Differnt sizes, and chassis. But you never know stuff like the expensive ball diff might fit lol.


Heres a pic from the RCCA site but maybe you havnt seen it

http://www.rccaraction.com/info/images/177.jpg


Home made shock, looks nice and probably works well, but if you dont have the parts its probably not much cheaper than buying the Kyosho one.

[ 07-18-2001: Message edited by: TB01 2NR ]

[TB01 2NR]

Nice full option mini-z if its too big ill delete it.

http://www.cs.ust.hk/~cheewai/Mini-Z/pics/dscf0059.jpg

[TB01 2NR]

Heres pic of a CRX on a mini-z. Its kinda cool cause the CRX is one of the first popular rice tuners, and the mini-z is one of the first popular mini rcs.

http://www.akuroda.btinternet.co.uk/crxpix/done2.jpg

[Pat]

hey tb01 where did you get all that cool stuff and do u need the aluminum mount to use the gpm shock?

[atm92484]

Has anyone here experienced glitching with the steering servo? It may just be something around me but I might take it to my LHS and have them look at it. Also my batteries are brand new. Its okay as long as its withing about 20 feet of me but after that it acts up. I took the car apart and I think I may have gotten whatever it was but does anybody have any ideas?

[Want MBX-4]

Where do u guys get those other bodies like the Lamborgini and The CRX?

[Pat]

i have notiaced it too and when it just sits the dervo moves a little bit but now i stripped the gears so img ingt to the lhs today anmd ordering new gears.

[atm92484]

Another thing I've noticed is there is more travel on the servo than on the steering so if you have the steering set to max you are stressing the gears. When you get the new gears adjust the knob on the steering so they don't turn as far. If the servo growls then its still too much.

If you don't get it I'll show you if I ever see you at HC.

[ 07-19-2001: Message edited by: atm92484 ]

[TB01 2NR]

I'm not sure about the GPM parts, thats not my car, too bad though its nice! :( The Lambo and CRX are both static models mounted on the mini-z. The CRX is from Japan it said on the site. The Lambo is made by revell/monogram i know cause i had one a few years ago, too bad I screwed up up really bad and dont have it still. :(

[SteveP]

Here are a couple of pics of the new F1 Mini.

http://www.rccaraction.com/pics/mclaren.gif

http://www.rccaraction.com/pics/MZF1chassis.gif

http://www.rccaraction.com/pics/set.gif

[ 07-20-2001: Message edited by: SteveP ]

[merkel54]

Howdy, The Mini-Z tires are held on by pure friction, You just push them on, you only have to watch that you keep the inside and outside straight. Kyosho or someone has got to do something about the servo gears, I broke mine allmost imediatly. Some guys from my area and maybe gals are going to be building a track in my basement, we live in Northern Illiois area if your interested, the more people involved the better the track will be. I thought we would build it in smaller module so we could make it bigger for 1/10 scale carpet racers.

[merkel54]

atm9245 The mini-z has no range at all, I had mine to work one day and ran it down a long hallway and near the end I lost all control. Does anyone know if you make a taller anntena would that increase the range? I would worry that the reciever might burn up because am radios and receivers might have to be a certain lenght??? Also thanks for the tip on steering end point, its possable that could have lead to the demize of my gears. Guy

[merkel54]

Jeepinator, what kind of paint and prep work did you use, I tried painting my silver TT and the finish looks terrable. I used Parmas Faschange Blue & Purple covered by faspearl silver. The paint didnt lay down smooth, it is very rough. Maybe to much air pressure? Thanks, Guy

[merkel54]

TBO1 2NR, I havent had any trouble with my radio yet either but I do know that a Futabo TX will work. Mt son and I got got mini's for christmas and they where both on channel 6. So here I am franticly calling around for a set of Cyrstals. I couldnt find any local so I figured I have this Futabo AM gathering dust over here lets give it a try, We where racing and braking stuff in minutes, and thats about how long it took to shear my stearing servo. OH Well

[Pat]

so steve your gopnna hook me up with one of the new mini's right at a good cost?? eh eh?

[TB01 2NR]

Its the receiver/esc/servo part of the radio system that is the biggest problem. Maybe certain people at RCCA the most popular RC magazine according to HPI's poll, will be able to bring this up to Kyosho? or another radio gear company in the rc industry..hint hint. :) Also the chassis pic of the F1 mini-z seems to have less suspension on the rear pod? Is this true or does it just look this way? Does anyone have one of these? possibly RCCA or perhaps a member from Japan? Too bad I'm going to London instead of Japan this summer, I would have liked to pick up some of the Mini-Z things we dont have yet i.e. Mitsubishi Lancer, better radio ( i know its illegal but I dont think there are police that check these things?) and some of the parts we are still waiting on or maybe produced and sold by smaller japanese companies.


Opps, forgot to ask. Does anyone know where I could get a Second Generation MR2 body for my mini-z? I know they dont make them specifically but I ment like a normal model body I could modify.

[ 07-21-2001: Message edited by: TB01 2NR ]

[Merkel54]

Jason C I went to the web site that you linked us to, they have some cooool stuff. To bad no one has started making brass or allumanum stearing gears!!! If I knew a machinist I would have him make me up several thousand sets and make enough money to retire! I need a set right now, broke mine the first day I had mine, I'm going to get a few things off this site, any of you other Z-crazies should take a look http://www.gpmracing.com.hk/photo/mini-z.jpg

[atm92484]

I picked up my rear suspension set and ball bearings on Thursday. If you get just 1 hop-up for the Mini-Z its gotta be the rear suspension set. It helps keep the rear tires on the ground so much; especially during acceleration. The bearings are nice but they aren't as big of a deal as the suspension set.

I still say properly adjusting the dual rates on the steering is the best thing you can do for the steering servo. I just finished my 3rd set of batteries and I've yet to have any troubles. I think this may have helped. I also took some pretty hard hits and I have to say the car has held up pretty well. I'm just bummed that I lost the lens to one of my headlights.

[Pat]

well i ordered a bearing set but i guess to race ill need the suspension set too. Does trhat come with the shock atm?

[TB01 2NR]

Someone on the HPI forums found a sweet ESC dealy, hooks up and aloows use of tamiya 4wd motors, gives better efficency, and faster speed/acceleration. Two versions a forward reverse and forward brake. I'll post some pics if i get a chance.

[atm92484]

Ya the rear suspension set includes a rear shock, spring, and the hardware to hold it on.

I want to get the rest of the suspension stuff but its too much. Personally I think the rear one is going to make the biggest difference out of all of them. Oh well I just need a new body and the softest tires and I'll look good and be able to hook up.

[TB01 2NR]

Turbo R
http://www.apexhk.com/turbo_r.jpg

Turbo B
http://www.apexhk.com/turbo_b.jpg

Heres the info you want to know:

Type R Power Increase-

Alkaline betteries 10%
NiMH batteries 20%
NiCd batteries 30%

Other info-

Input Voltage: 4.8V - 6V.
Ouput Amphere: 20A.
Internal Resistance: 0.1W.


Turbo Type B Power Increase

Alkaline betteries 10%
NiMH batteries 20%
NiCd batteries 30%

Other info-

Input Voltage: 4.8V - 6V.
Ouput Amphere: 20A.
Internal Resistance: 0.085W.
Breaking Amphere: 60A.

Both claim to be installed in less then 5 minutes, with no soldering, but I think soldering would lower resistance which is always a positive thing.


In other news heres a sweet custom mini-z

http://albums.********** .com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1621209&a=12380640&f=0

[atm92484]

Are those ESCs specially made for the Z or are they just micro ESCs? Also what would you do about the receiver, servo, and stuff.

When I was at my LHS a few days ago they had these micro servos for sailplanes and electric aircraft. These things were tiny. Anyways I was thinking; with the stock receiver, the steering servo is a 4 wire servo (+ - and 2 wires for the signal) as opposed to the standard 3 (+ - and 1 signal). This is because all the circuitry is on the chip thats the receiver as opposed to it being in the servo (like in normal electronics). If you got a micro servo like this and gutted it then rigged up a way to hold the motor and that sensor (I forget the technical name for it) in place, then you could upgrade the steering. You'd just need to solder the 4 wires to the parts in the servo. Then you just get some pushrod and make your own linkages for the steering.

If you took the insides out of a micro receiver, got a mirco ESC, along with a micro servo, you could totally upgrade the electronics system. I don't know how well it would work but it might get expensive.

[TB01 2NR]

Those things attach to the existing setup so it sits on top of the chassis, you still need the junky stock system as well.

[Pat]

hey atm i dunno if you have botiaced but sometimes HC is expensive on stuf but they are the only really close place so..

[atm92484]

Ya sometimes. Usually its no more than maybe 5% - 15%. I don't mind though. I'd rather support them over Tower just because they are the LHS and I don't want to see them go out of business. Plus, IMO, their service is great.

[Pat]

yeah thats why i shop there great service

[atm92484]

Does anyone know if you can use the rims and tires (or atleast the rims) from the body set?

[TB01 2NR]

Yes, the rims and tires from the body sets are functional.

[superpitstain]

Hi, i was just back from Hong Kong and i got a miniz, and i also start searchign for miniz forums, this is another good one aside from HPI. I hopped up my Z for cheap(HK prices are dirt cheap ya know..) I will switch another photo posting website soon so you can see my car.
the turbo on the last of second page, i think it was me that got the idea on the HPI forum(me aka super nitro) anyways, i bought one, it's not really an esc, it's jsut a turbo that mkaes your car go faster, adds punch to both foward and reverse(if you get the reverse esc) Anyways, that's a investmenmt, and you can solder it on if you want, i solderd mine for better conductivity, here's the sight, they ship to the US for about 40 bucks US, prett good deal since i got mine for 260(33 bucks US
here's the link to the turbo company www.apexhk.com (http://www.apexhk.com) there's some tips in the FAQ, scroll down

[ 07-26-2001: Message edited by: superpitstain ]

[ 07-26-2001: Message edited by: superpitstain ]

[ 07-26-2001: Message edited by: superpitstain ]

[NTRacinGuy87]

my full option mini-z been broken becuase of my stupidness jumping it..... if ur wondering i got 4 feet air lol. im too lazy to fix it and theres no where to race it. near me. i have a basement but my dog sheds too much...sighhhhhh

[superpitstain]

lol, i made a jump for mine outt aa duratrax intellipeak charger box, but it doesn;t get any air.. how'd you make yours? i recently hit dead on to my frige, and i had to solder wires back togehter.. heh

[CTRallyRacer]

I'm looking for a 1/24 or 1/25th scale model of a Dodge Stratus (96-99) model years. I want to paint it to resemble this pic...
http://www.stratusphere.org/images/natcc_7.jpg

[Milhouse]

I was just curious which hop ups people have tried and been very happy with. A friend and I race in a basement. We have both been tempted to buy some add ons, but we don't really know what is going to get us the best bang for the buck. I see people constantly looking for those "more speed" parts, but I would prefer something that might give me better handling first. We have a large track and I find the mini-z's to be pretty darn fast. The parts I have my eye on are the apex esc(supposed to increase accel and top end), bearings, rear suspension and ball diff. I just bought the blue tamiya foam tires. I've tried them a little and they seem to increase the grip A LOT. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I would like to hear personal experiences. Thanks.

[atm92484]

Get a set of bearings and the rear suspension set. These are the 2 things that, IMO, you'll see the biggest increase with. You know how when you go forwards then slam it into reverse how the rear pod sort of jumps around? When I added a rear suspension set it cut this to almost 0. Eventually though I think all the suspension pieces will help but you'll see the biggest increse with this.

[superpitstain]

the cheap hop ups which is a must is suspension plate and ball beargins

more expensive i find a must on my souped up miniz is a xspeed motor, and a rear shock of some sort, it really helps, but you don;t really need it. and a ball diff, little expenmsive tho

[Milhouse]

Honestly, I question how much of a difference the motor will make in my circumstance. The track I've built is large, but only has one straightaway and the stock motor seems more than fast enough, plus it's rare that we get the cars up to full speed. The track isn't small either. It's probably about 12 or so feet wide, and about 20-25 feet long. I've always suspected that the bearings, the diff and the rear shock or t-plates would make the most difference. I just want to get the most bang for the buck(don't we all :) )

[superpitstain]

Yea, the xspeed is not neccessary, but i got em for 10 bcks US, but here cost 22...

[NTRacinGuy87]

get the high grip tires if u race on concrete in ur basement and get the suspensoin package it really help when braking . also get the rear suspensoin plate, i broke one and if u get the option its going to be hard to break trust me :D . i also got the motor but its not a must have. it makes it more fun... the more speed the more fun :D :D .

[NTRacinGuy87]

oh yeah get the bearings

[NTRacinGuy87]

scatch that get two sets of bearing cuz they only give u enough for the rear.

[atm92484]

NT, which bearing set did you get? The Duratrax include enough for the entire car. You need 2 in each of the front wheels, 1 in the right rear tire, and the last 2 go where the axle goes into the rear pod.

[NTRacinGuy87]

oh i got only 4

i have 1 in the front, one per wheel

and on the axel i have 2.

[gtracer17]

hi
I need help
I bought a mini z of someone over the net
but I cant go 3 feet without it goin pyshco like is turns but itself and goes full throttle. :confused: dont know what it is I have the antenna up an everyhting

please help me
thanx
sscott

[Serius Black]

I just installed my new D2 CLK body on my Z, looks very sweet. Only thing that stinks is the Mercedes emblem on the hood is already about to break off, and I haven't even driven with it yet.

[merkel54]

GTRacer17 How far away do you get from the transmitter before it starts to go nuts. The Mini Z has no range what so ever, maybe 25 to 30 feet and then it will start to go out of control. If you arnt that far away start looking for loose wires in both the tx and rx . Good Luck, Merk

[CTRallyRacer]

You could also go to your LHS and get some thin piano wire and make an antenna as long as you like. My question would be how to nail down the steering. Everytime I take the car out to go for a run, I have to adjust the steering trim on the radio. O'well...

[CTRallyRacer]

Man, this was hopping for a little bit, but now it up and died... why?

[NTRacinGuy87]

ok lets keep this mini forum ALIVE! so what you guys wanna talk about anyway? .....where do you people race? i have to clean my basement before i race becuase i have a dog and he sheds all over! then i you hose to make an oval.....SPEEEEEEED.

[superpitstain]

haha, animals.... wel, i don;t race, but i got a hopped up Z(Hong Kong prices are so cheap!!) i'm not even plannign on making a track cause racing by myself isn;t much fun.
My tip, if you guys don;t already, is use the tamiya foams for hte dagun racers or mini 4wd, they grip soo much better than the kyosho in any hardness, and if the foams get dusty, run them on carpet for 5 secs and they are sparkling new!!(not sparkling really)

[CTRallyRacer]

Superpitstain,

Do you race at RC Madness in CT? I was talking to Chris from Madness, and he said this winter... he was going to make a Mini Z track. I'm sure he'll race the HPI Micros on the regular carpet tho. If that is the case... I would run the MiniZ and Micro at the track and leave the TC3 for Asphalt outside track.

[NTRacinGuy87]

Dude that sounds like a tight idea but the micro's will woop some ***** over that mini-z's you know...

[superpitstain]

whoa, connecticut's a logn way, no, i don;t even race my hpi super nitro even tho there is a track here.... i'd sure love to race my miniz tho..

[NTRacinGuy87]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......

[atm92484]

I have no idea where everyone is.

I need to get out to my LHS and have someone resolder the leads to the motor since one of mine broke and I lost the spring to the rear shock. While I'm there I think I might pick up a yellow Porsche body also. I've just about totalled my Altezza. :(

[superpitstain]

you should get a solder iron, i got one for 5 bucks on tower, along with the benz body, coming in tomorrow. hey, wanna ask you something, does the alteeza have a light bucket?

[atm92484]

Do you mean those silver things behind the headlight lens? If so they yes it does.

[superpitstain]

thanks man, i'll get one later and install my lights my them... sweeet

[NTRacinGuy87]

so what happened to this forum we had it rockin for a little bit lets keep it ALIVE!!!

[TB01 2NR]

Well, RC Car and Extreame RC have both done major mini-z articles in their last issues. I think its great that RC publications are promoting these mini racers. Will RCCA follow suit? I know that the RCCA that was for the same months as those other two didn't have anything. Also what do other Mini-z-ers think? Are mini-zs picking up? Or is this miniture RC pre-Micro RS4 hype?

[atm92484]

I've said it once, and I'll say it again; the Mini-Zs are true mini cars. The micro is nothing more than a 1/2 scale RC touring car. IMO you are still going to need space to run it. I think the Zs are and always will be much more popular due to the fact they can be ran anyplace. Plus a lot of people make hop-ups for them. I can imagine these manufacturers will follow suit for the Micros, but I don't think it will be as big.

[centralparkkiller]

i just get me a mini-z with a honda s2000 body. i have to say it was worth 149.99 i paid for it. :)

[TB01 2NR]

Try doubling up the wheels. If you dont know what I'm talking about on one of the other pages of the mini-z forum I posted a pic of lambo contach where someone did this.

[superpitstain]

i saw it, but where do you get longer wheel pins? ih yea, both miniz articles from rc car and extreme weren;t very good in my opnion, the rc car one was just telling you what hop ups there are. But xtreme rc told you how to install them , and what they are good for, they also had some maintenenc stuff, altho it didn't help me, but it was alot better than the rc car one

[NTRacinGuy87]

Im makin a viper body out of a model. it llooks sweet so far BUT the tire dont stick out wide enough :confused: any suggestions would help.

[NTRacinGuy87]

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1627680254 they are sellling f-1 minis at ebay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! heres one. i dont have any money for one but you guys might. ur wewlcome........

[TB01 2NR]

Well since the topic is dead right now I'll say this quote that fits it well.

"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"

Jonny Rotten, SexPistols :p (ha ha no censoring!)

[centralparkkiller]

does anyone know where i can get servo gears online? the mini-z servo soxs!

[superpitstain]

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?Q=1&I=LP3232&P=X

[stormperson]

i was racing my miniz with some friends, and i realized that i dont have breaks i just have reverse, and even when i tap reverse the thing spins even in a straight line. what will allow me to use reverse for braking, i hear some things like getting a stiff rear suspenion plate, and also rear spring, will this allow me to brake?

also my miniz barely has an hour on it, (this is my second one, my first one i got used, and probably used it for 10 hours before selling it) anyway it never had this problem that my new one does which is that it cant take left hand turns without spinning out, right hand turns are fine though. i heard this was because of the diff, and i would have to repack it with grease every run, or get a ball diff, is this the only solution?

thanks!

[beeper]

Hey Guys!! What thick grease are you guys put in you Diff? I want to try this. If I can't get it from the hobby store tell me where I could get it. And If you got a part # that would be cool.
Thanks a Bunch
beeper

[atm92484]

Storm, you gotta get some throttle control. Thats all there really is to it since there is no delay for brakes when you are going from foward to reverse. With some suspension parts you might be able to brake harder or if there was more traction, but eventually you'd probably still spin.

Beeper, I just use the Associated Stealth Diff Lube for the diff on the Zs. It works pretty well. Heres a link to the stuff on Tower: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p.pgm?Q=1&I=LX2882&P=7

[stormperson]

its not that i have to learn throttle control, since i race plently with tc's, and i have a tamiya f1 i practice in my driveway with alot.

its that there is something mechinically wrong with the car. both of my friends cars dont do the same thing, and theirs are stock too. and they tried my car and realized that there was something wrong with it.

but you suggest stiffining the suspenion so i can use the brakes (and by the way i only try braking in a straight line with the miniz, and it still spins out, and thats just using 25% reverse)

[TB01 2NR]

The Mini-Z Lite

http://www.kyosho.co.jp/models/car-ep/MinizLite/cut1.gif


http://www.kyosho.co.jp/models/car-ep/MinizLite/cut2.gif

http://www.kyosho.co.jp/models/car-ep/MinizLite/cut3.gif

http://www.kyosho.co.jp/models/car-ep/MinizLite/cut4.gif

http://www.kyosho.co.jp/models/car-ep/MinizLite/title.gif

What do you think?

[TB01 2NR]

Forgot to say, What do you think?

Im think Kyosho knows everyone thinks the mini-z is expensive, and they also know that nobody is complaining about run time and speed, the result? A cheaper, slower, shorter running mini-z. I think its a good idea. I might pick one up, even though I have a Mini-z, (what should I call it now? Mini-z Pro?) anyways.

[bullfrog]

hey u guys think your mini Z's are cool HA well look at my TYCO CANNED HEAT!!! ide like to see a mini z go up against this! mmooooooohahahahahahahhaha http://www.printroom.com/_vti_bin/ViewImage.dll?userid=mrfrogger25&album_id=34714&image_id=2&courtesy=1

[superpitstain]

errrr.. our miniz will crush ur "tyco monsta".... our speed, and durablilty will jsut smash that truck.... just kidding, nice truck man
about the elite, i donlt like the idea of beiing slower, and less run time, but i might pick one up if's it's cheap, i wonder what circuit borad it uses

[jeepinator]

Hey all,
Here is the "track" we played on last winter. I like it because:

1) You can build/tear down the track in minutes
2) You can change the layout easily
3)Garage flors are fun when very clean (realistic traction, I guess)

We would spray Simple Green on the floor and scrub it in with a push broom and then wipe it up with towels (not rinsing it). When it dries there is quite a bit of traction. Enough to dull full power turns, etc
Then we would lay out the track desin using hoses for lane dividers and cones just for obastacles (or to mark a turn, etc).

Plus, since it was in the garage, next to the beer fridge, we did not even have to go inside to get beers ! Woo hoo !

http://www.theshreves.com/pics/miniz_track.jpg

[bullfrog]

lol jeep Plus, since it was in the garage, next to the beer fridge, we did not even have to go inside to get beers ! Woo hoo ! lol heya jeep what kinda beer u got in that fridge??
:D

[ 08-26-2001: Message edited by: bullfrog ]

[jeepinator]

This is SERIOUS beer:

http://www.theshreves.com/pics/kegingarage.jpg

Left over from my birthday party. I usually drink Bridgeport IPA (what's in the keg), or Deschuttes Mirror Pond (pale ale), or Sam Adams Boston Lager, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, or Sam Admas Cream Stout, or Widmere Bros. Hop Jack, and sometimes Deschutes Black Butte Porter.

[bullfrog]

man jeep even though im under age (14) i gotta come to your house and have a beer! lol :D

[rims']

jeep you know you cant drink and drive....but as long as youre breakin rules can i come???

[bullfrog]

yep warhawk's right dont drink and drive ......cuz u might spill your beer. :D

[TB01 2NR]

"You might spill your beer"...ON YOUR CAR! On a mini-z it would be like it was driven into a wall of disillers at the brewery! LOL. So does this impair your driving at all? Any DUI's? LOL :D

[Interceptor]

TB01 NR- Dangit!!! You just sold me on getting a mini z, were did you get the Lamborgini Body from? I have to have one of those!!!! Please email me interceptor911@h o t m a i l .com

[ 09-03-2001: Message edited by: Interceptor ]

[TB01 2NR]

LOL, thats cool interceptor. Unfortunantly bad news its not mine. Good news is I had one about a year ago, its a revell or monogram model. Skill2 if i remember right. Anyways just do a search on tower or a similar hobby site and you'll find it. Bad news two, the wheels were made by a CNC machine, good news its not hard to get someone with access to make you a set. Anyways I'll try and post the site where I found the pic maybe you can get some help from the guy who made it. Also theres a cool police car Mini-z someone made on that site...wonder who would like that? ;)

[TB01 2NR]

Here yeah go intercepter.
http://www.stefanoparis.com/crx/miniz/miniz.html

Tell me what yeah find out and do. :)

[TB01 2NR]

Well theres somemore on the lineup

1. Toyota Sprint Toreno Red
2. Toyota Sprint Toreno White
3. AMG Mercedies Benz D2 Silver
4. Toyota Altezza White
5. Toyota Altezza Metallic Blue
6. Toyota Altezza Yellow
7. BMW Z8 Silver
8. BMW Z8 Black
9. BMW Z8 Red
10.Audi TT coupe Silver
11.Audi TT coupe Blue
12.Audi TT coupe Black
13.Porsche 911 GT3 Limited Yellow
14.Porsche 911 GT3 Silver
15.Porsche 911 GT3 Red
16.Dodge Viper GTR Blue
17.Dodge Viper GTR Red
18.Honda S2000 Red
19.Honda S2000 Yellow
20.Honda S2000 Silver
21.Nissan Skyline GTR KPGC10 Red
22.Nissan Skyline GTR KPGC10 Blue
23.Nissan Skyline R34 GTR Red
24.Nissan Skyline R34 GTR Metallic Blue
25.Nissan Skyline R34 GTR Silver
26.Subaru Impreza WRX White
27.Subaru Impreza WRX Metallic Blue
28.Subaru Impreza WRX Black
29.Subaru Impreza WRX Yellow
30.Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. 6 Tommi M. Edition Silver
31.Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. 6 Tommi M. Edition Red
32.Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. 6 Tommi M. Edition White
33.Mazda RX-7 Yellow
34.Toyota MRS Silver

[Interceptor]

Well, TB01, I am going after I leave work in a few minutes to buy a Mini z, and I ordered a Tamiya 1/24 Ferrari Testatosa kit. Gonna being doing it Miami Vice style baby...yeah... :D I'll post a pic when its done.

[atm92484]

Well guys I finally broke down and bought a solder so I could fix my Mini-Z's wire going to the motor. I flipped the car and the solder got ripped out. Now thats its up and running again it may be time for some more stuff.

[Interceptor]

Anyone here from Charlotte North Carolina?

Also, anyone replaced the wire going to the motor with a thicker wire?

[atm92484_3]

This stinks: I was driving my Z the other day when I slide and slammed into the leg of a table in my garage. I guess I messed up the ESC or the switch or something because everything in the car is totally dead. I make sure none of the soldering was loose and its ok. I guess the cars going to Kyosho for repairs. Has anyone else done this?

[draggerman11]

atm, yes!!!! Mine hit a little pebblecaught air, and went dead! I guess I have to send it in to Kyosho now! :(

[flyfishgeo]

What are these tamiya minis everyone is talking about. I have a viper and a f1 mini they are sweet. Any one have any tips. And how do I get the cool bodies for the z. I love mini z s

[flyfishgeo]

also where do they get the blue tires on the thing about the home made rear shock

[TB01 2NR]

Tamiya minis are these little cars that have a motor in them that they race on tracks in Japan. There is no control and they just follow the course along the to side boards on each cars track. Anyways not anygood unless you have access to a track and theres a group of people that race them. However the motors mentioned earlier that they use are the same size as the mini-zs. They are also faster...much faster...faster then if you put a 700hp NOS system in your real car! Even the stock one or the one set up for torque are much quicker then the stock and X-Speed mini-z motors. However they do not have capacitators on them as they are used in radio-less cars therefore you must graft the capacitators onto the new motors, its no big problem and if you lack a solding gun then go pick one up for a few bucks, this will come in handy as if by now you havnt you will soon break the wires off the ESC, Motor or both. Anyways my understanding is to stay with the torque tuned one as its faster then the stock tamiya mini motor, but wont overload your ESC for sure like the highspeed tamiya one will. however you will not need to worry about this i understand if you install that Turbo thing you can get from a company in Hong Kong, if you dont know what Im talking about search back in this thread youll see.

As for the blue tires those are foams (as you probably already knew) which allow the car to handle much mucher better then anything made of a rubber. they are also really cheap. Where do you get them? tamiya minis! Same cars as for the motors. You dont have to buy a car just pick up some aftermarket parts at your local hobby shop. The Tamiya mini tires come in red/orange, blue, and black (or atleast thats what ive seen so far)

As for the "cool bodies" I dont know what you're talking about specifically. Maybe a few examples? heres what I can help, is Kyosho makes a few aftermarket bodies that you can get but they are all available on the cars but this way you dont have to buy all the cars to get all the bodies. Just scroll up some i've listed the Kyosho bodies available. There is also another company again i believe out of Hong Kong that makes a very nice Peugeot 206 red/blue/yellow and ive heard of a silver. There is also a small toyota something or other, on of the "K Cars" as they are called I dont know who either that hongkong company of kyosho but dont quote me. As for the other bodies those are all custom bodies people have made from static models. Its very easy if you find a kit that fits right. Mostly its the width, length is easy to adjust with a custom t-bar. But as you can see that hasnt stopped people. The most common option seems to be modifiy the mini-z chassis to fit the body, however CTRALLYRACER modified a Ford Pick up body extensively, looks really cool.

Hope this answers your questions.

[flyfishgeo]

thanks but what kind of shops sell the foam tires

[flyfishgeo]

my lhs sucks and the closest good one Is 45 minutes away

[TB01 2NR]

Towerhobbies is probably your best bet then. Hey don't feel bad, the lhs i use is 2.5 hours away! And they are really bad, they don't answer questions because I have a "Tamiya" despite the fact that it is hopped up like crazy! And they don't carry any Tamiya in stock you have to order it! Im sooo happy that towerhobbies is there for me.

[pitstain]

here's the link to the blue foams http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?Q=1&I=LXWT49
and if you donlt liek blue, here's another set of tires made by tamiya for the 4wd, and they're black, the tires are wider too(the rear ones are wide enough you make tire tires) http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?Q=1&I=LXGX69

remeber the blue onces comes in pairs, and the black ones comes in a set of four with wheels(no use)

[carp]

finally got my car running. used four AA duracell batteries. went about two minutes at full speed then really slowed down. is that the best i can hope for or do i have a different problem

[cherokee]

get nimh batteries a lot beter i usauly get hour and half at most and 1 hour when i floor it the hole time e mail me or reply if you want to buy any miniz stuff> My mini z has viper body with white lines and blue body and clear blue chassis with x speed motor, bearings,rear shock,front springs,ball differ, and last but not least front lights and front stabalizer. thats my bad azz miniz that will whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip any miro so all micros dont even bother.

[pitstain]

just wait, i got a souped up miniz (HONG KONG style) with turbo, and jsut ordered a micro, and then we'll see who's faster

[Z-Maxx]

Hey I need help,I have a mini-z f1,but it always spinned out when I turn left.Even at low speed cornering without acceration the car tend to spinned out,but it only happen when turning left.I've installed the ball diff but it doesn't help much.:( I tried chaging the tires too but doesn't work too.Anyone who knows how to stop this problem please help.Thanks.

[OmegaTrac]

How fast is a stock Mini Z?

[ricderf78]

how are you guys fixing your stripped servo's?

[atm92484_3]

You just have to buy a new gear set for the servo.

Omega, you can expecet about 10 mph with a stock Mini-Z with stock gearing.

[boner]

Originally posted by Z-Maxx
Hey I need help,I have a mini-z f1,but it always spinned out when I turn left.Even at low speed cornering without acceration the car tend to spinned out,but it only happen when turning left.I've installed the ball diff but it doesn't help much.:( I tried chaging the tires too but doesn't work too.Anyone who knows how to stop this problem please help.Thanks.

Have you tried tighten up your diff? miniz f1 tend to spin out when you accelerate during turns. You might want to turn down the dual rate for your steering. I hope this helps. :p
here is my Miniz F1 McLaren Mika
http://bibo.hodala.net/mini/TN_DSCN1399.JPG

Here are the links to my collections
Page1 (http://http://bibo.hodala.net/mini/)
Page2 (http://http://bibo.hodala.net/RC/)
Page3 (http://http://bibo.hodala.net/RC2/)
Page3 (http://http://bibo.hodala.net/RC3/)

[ricderf78]

cool thanks

[navspecwar]

for a stock car that size, it burns. Also, on the 1st page of this thread, someone mentioned a Lancer Evo body for mini z's. I WANT IT. where can i get this?

[navspecwar]

here's my mini z:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1799950&a=13965919&p=56144612&f=0
its all three pics, and dont ask about the middle one. it shows the size of the tires well. whaddaya think?

[navspecwar]

Boner - nice name (j/k)
what kinda boat is this? its the one from your site-
http://bibo.hodala.net/RC2/DSCN1387.JPG

[boom]

That's my boat, it's a plastic model of a CESA 1882 Offshore racer. The real hull was designed by Fabio Buzzi. ABC Hobbies makes a few RC versions of his boats, namely the Super Hawaii, Baltek, and Gancia dei Gancia, Falcon (La Gran Argentina styling); they even have a RC CESA 1882. Horizon hobby has a couple on their site.

[beano]

Hi im thinking of buying a mini-z for fun use in my home and maybe to race my dad for a laugh but nothing serious.

I've seen pictures of the mini-z and it doesnt look that sophisticated or like it is a high quality product the plastic and look of the car make me worried about its durability and overall quality and performance

What is the car like?

How does it handle does it have suspension?

How fast is it?

Comparing it to the micro rs4 although not at all similiar is this more of a fun product as oppased to serious?

The radi it comes with, looks cheap whats it like the pictures seem not to do it justice? I use normally a radio control with sticks as opposed to one with a wheel. Is it possible to use a stick controller and not a wheel one?

I appreciate any help thanks a lot beano :)

[beano]

Why dont they like their micro rs4's then??

[beano]

Whats the controllers like then ??

Tacky??? Or good,?

[moorerc]

I broke my Dodge Viper Body into pieces. The windshield fell out, the rear wing broke off on one side, and the rest of the body is sratched up beyond belief. I guess that's what happens when you run it on you deck and it slides too much and falls off the edge. Luckily it was all body damge and I got a new silver BMW Z8 body. :D

[RS4rally1124]

I want a miniz and the rs4 but if i go with the z i saw that team losi also has a 1/24 scale
:confused: :confused:

[Shawn_S]

What batteries are every1 running? I'm tired of burning of AAA's!

It says in the manual NIMHs will work but that will only be 4.8 instead of the 6.0 Is that fine?

[rcjon]

Im thinking of getting one, It looks great! Good for the winter or when im bored around the house. Nice price too. What are its capabilities though? Like speed and can it go in carpet? My whole house is carpet so i hope so. Some over its kinda thick but not all of it. Is the thing just 2wd? Since its carpet i was thinking that maybe i should get the hpi mini 4wd but there more expensive.

[navspecwar]

MZR: are you mini-z at the mini-zracer.com forums?

[b3man]

hey guys can you please tell me where i can get the dukes of hazard body for my mini-z. also i saw these tiny tiny micro cars that were about three times as small as the mini-z. if you could help me i would be very thankful

[navspecwar]

have you seen that specific body on a mini-z?

[pitstain]

people buy models then mount the body on to miniz with little modifications, kyosho did make a body from a cartoon, the car is called mach 5

[navspecwar]

btw, b3man - i bet those little cars were tomica bitcharg cars

[b3man]

but the bodies were specifically made for the mini-z

[TB01 2NR]

I just go t back from Japan on the 2nd. Picked up a second Mini-z. Japanese only Initial D Trueno Sprinter (they also had the yellow suns RX7 and Speed Racer Mach 5) I also picked up the roll shocks, rear suspension, X speed, Kyosho Ball diff, and Turbo R. All for approx. $200 US! OHHHH YEAH! And I found a Tamiya Mugen CRX Pro model that fits with not modifications! I just have to wait for better weather to paint it up.

[bullfrog]

Hey guys tower is having a HUGE sale! Well i though what a better time to drop the cash on a mini now!I have a few questions..... will the megatech 25t bb motor fry the stock speedo? and what are some hop ups that are worth getting? thanks!

[bullfrog]

Hey dudes i just ordered my mini z from tower hobbies! I go the metallic blue subaru imprezza. I cant wait till it gets here! WOO HOO!

[Seal]

Hi guys, i just saw the mini-z's in action and now i want to buy one, a few questions though.

1. Whats this i hear about every1 stripping servo gears?
2. Why the hell is the ball diff so expensive!? its like 1/2 the price of the car!
3. When i get it i'll probably look into kitting it up with lights. I have seen many websites with how-to's on this, anyone actually done it??? Got any pics???

Thanks
Seal

[Seal]

Oh yeah, and what are the stock electronics like? Any good?

[TB01 2NR]

It is made by Kyosho I believe. Japan only release like the Tofu Delivery Trueno. We will get the regular RX-7 in time. If you want one I recommend checking out shops that sell from Japan and Hong Kong if you want one.

I need the weather to warm up here so I can paint up my CRX.

[Seal]

Can ne1 answer my post pls?

[Someone]

Are any non-painted mini-z bodies available?

[Fetztang]

i have this mini-z that i made a really long h bar for and put on an extra rx pack just for fun and i broke the wire tore of the circuitry would kyosho fix this or do i need a new board?

[Finishline]

Got my Mini-Z F1 Honda last Saturday. Great car. Fast and ya' don't have to let off on the throttle on a turn.

Makes my other Mini-Zs look bad.

I've got the Audi TT, Mercedes (silver), Porsche (Yellow), and Porsche (Silver) bodies.

We race Mini-Zs in Texas...

http://www.finishlineracetrack.com

C'mon and join us !

Finishline

[cherokee]

PLEASE PLEASE IF YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A FERRARI 360 MODENA for a mini z i saw it on a site they said its only in japan

[Finishline]

Some guy in eBay (from Hawaii) had a post (which is now over) for the Speed Racer Mach 5 car -- to fit the MiniZ. I bid at $26 and lost. Winning bid was $46.

Too rich for my blood.

I haven't see the Modena body.

[TB01 2NR]

Ok heres the answers

-The electronics are great, the only problem is if you install a Tamiya Mini 4WD car motor, it will fry the ESC (sometimes) pick up a "turbo chip" and you'll be set for any motor i've seen.

-Yes unpainted bodies are available. However its only the first 2 bodies in the US and 3 in Japan. Over here you can get a unpainted Skyline or Previous Generation Scuby (doesnt have ugly bug eyes like the new one) our lucky friends across the sea get a JDM only EVO body. You can however just paint a regular Mini-Z body, or make a custom one from a hobby model, which is what most of us veterns have turned to. It might seem hard at first just trying to find bodies that fit, but after some searching you'll find pretty much anything you need. Besides the simple design of the mini-z lets you hack it and modifiy it to fit the body rather easly.

-No, they dont have to fix it because you screwed with it in a way that voids the warrentee I bet (which is basically opening the box in the case of most electronics) They might fix it if they are nice, but if you fried the whole electronics system you're probably gonna get the shaft and end up paying for a new set of electronics. In which case with the price you might as well pick up a new car, you get all new parts and a new body. PLus you'll have your old one for parts which is good, its what i did.

Hope this helps guys, sorry not to have answered questions earlier but i havnt been doing the RC thing much, but a guy at school got a HPI SNR and im getting him interesting in Mini-z.

[navspecwar]

you CAN get more bodies than just the skyline and the impreza. towerhobbies.com has around 10 different bodies, like the toyota altezza, merc. clk gtr, viper, bmw Z8, honda s2000, etc. go to mini-zracer.com, and clikc on the forums.;)

[Shawn_S]

Plus the new NSX body looks killer but its only avaliable in a Ready Set from what I seen

TB01 2NR,

Do u have a part # for the Tamiya Mini 4WD car motor?
Also is there any modification u have to make besides the elecs.?
Thanks Shawn

[CK9887]

I just got my mini-z about 2 weeks ago.
what are the best upgrades for it?
it already has full bb's and a rear shock.

are the rear side shocks worth it?

also which body is the best for performance , because i have heard that the body makes a difference. It has a skyline on it now.

[Seal]

Can you reverse with a turbo/twinturbo?

[Bandini]

Good news for Mini-Z owners:

KO Propo and Sanwa/Airtronics have started making AM modules for their Mars and M8 radios.

KO PROPO 15732 RF-103A MODULE MARS AM27M
SANWA TM-151CW M8 AM MODULE

These cost slightly less than FM modules, and mean you can use your top-of-the line radio for your Mini-Z too.

If only Hitec or Futaba would make an AM module for Lynx3D/3PJ, I would be happy too.

[Seal]

Here in the uk the most common controllers are AM. Its what is stock.

[Bandini]

Originally posted by Seal
Here in the uk the most common controllers are AM.Yes, but the most advanced are FM. I bet that Mars and M8 with AM modules are the only Mini-Z transmitters with exponential steering, for instance.

[cherokee]

anybody want to sell there mini z

[RCtinkerman]

cherokee, last Sunday I went to Tokyo, got some parts for my Mini-Z Viper (Aluminum rims) and I looked for your FERRARI 360 MODENA. Sorry I couldn't find one. But week after next I go again, maybe I'll have better luck.;)

[navspecwar]

seal - go to www.mini-zracer.com and click on forums. look for a guy called wedginator. he can help you with LEDs. as for the ball diff, you can get it for $27 at the mini-zracer.com shop. yes, you should be able to reverse with a turbo. i think some have a brake function, where you have to hit reverse TWICE before it will actually reverse instead of just slow down.

shawn - you need a turbo to run the tamiya motors (99.999999% sure). otherwise, you'll have a pretty static model.

CK9887 - get a ball diff. it works wonders. and sticky tires help a lot too. as for the body, i think that the best would be CLK, NSX, altezza, with the CLK being the best, NSX is second best, etc.

[CK9887]

navspecwar,
what about the audi tt body?

[navspecwar]

since its a shorter wheelbase than the rest, i dont think that it would be quite as good. i personally dont have the TT body, but i know a few people who do and they like their CLKs and NSXs and altezzas much better. is the skyline long or med. wheelbase?

[rcpilot_971]

dose any one know if the mini z from japan are the same as the ones from the us also is the radio the same as the us I see you can get the castrol NSX & the mugen loctite these are the coolest looking mini z I have seen

[navspecwar]

they're the same cars, but i think they run on different frequencies, ones that arent FCC legal. 'sides, i bet you could find a NSX shell on ebay.

[rcpilot_971]

ok thanks

[Seal]

I just stripped the damn servo gear, went full speed and the wheel clipped the side of the door frame!

Doh!

Joe

[navspecwar]

Seal, you know where to get new servo gears?

[dont slow down]

you can get aluminum gears from tower hobbies for fairly cheap. go to towerhobbies.com/speedmart and do a search for mini z and you will find all kinds of stuff for cheap. the cheap prices only stick aroung till april 30 though.

[Notnerb]

What is the run time for an out-of-the-box Mini-Z? Me and a few other guys are planning to buy some, so we can have "equal" races with the same cars.

[dont slow down]

id say about 4 hours straight.

[dugrant153]

Anyone still running these?

I hope Mini Z hasn't died out.

[rs4_man2001]

mini z are cool

[Seal]

I ordered some more servo gears from www.modelsportuk.com

Hope they come soon, i'm having mini z withdrawal symptoms.

Anyone kitted up led's to their z?

Seal

[navspecwar]

i tried it last night as a matter of fact. a word of advice: 2 4volt LEDs WILL burn out if you run 9v thru it. after like 10 seconds. thats $10 down the tube in like half a min. sucks ***.

[phcky]

hey
i've had a miniz for three months or so and the damages have included a broken H bar (replaced with a megatech metal one) and a stripped servo gear. my skyline body is pretty destroyed, and i'm waiting to break a part to get a MR2 and chrome wheels so i don't have to pay double shipping.
mini-z is sweet but the radio is horrible. my first car's reciver came broken, so tower exchanged it... the tx glitches and the trims are a b!T<H :mad: to adjust... I wonder if a magum sport tx will drive it. Any advice?
i heard on some other thread (forget where) that kyosho will come out with a computer tx... anybody know anything about this?

[navspecwar]

the digital Tx is for japan only. about the glitching, just solder some bigger capacitors on the motor. that should solve the problem. just make sure they say 104 on them. the motor noise causes interference.

[StevePond]

I FINALLY got my Mini-Z F2001 Ferrari (I'm a big M. Schumacher fan). I noticed with the two new cars (Ferrari and BMW) they include new tire stickers. Not a huge deal but it's a nice extra detail I didn't get with the McLaren or Jordan cars.

[Randy Rathbun]

I have had my MiniZ for about a month now and the kids at the LHS are making fun of me. I bought a Morris Mini Cooper 1/24th body from Tamiya and painted it up to look like Mr. Bean's car. The thing almost fits - still needs some work on it. I also need to go find a pad lock that is really tiny for the drivers side door, plus it was suggested to me that I buy a recliner and tie it to the roof. If you've ever seen that episode of Mr. Bean you will see the humor in all this.

Have white LEDs on it for headlights and am going to be adding brake lights in the next few days.

However - does anyone else have a problem with the back end hopping? Maybe it is just the carpet I am running on here in the office, but the back end seems to be jumping quite a bit. Would the shock fix that?

[Randy Rathbun]

I got the ball bearings yesterday and put them on. Now the wheels seem to be very tight in turning. I loosened up the nylon wheel nuts a bit, but it looks like there is not much holding onto the threads now.

Did I do this right? I am using the bearings from Duratrax.

[TB01 2NR]

Hey, sorry I havent been around. (you guy probably arent happy im back lol) My Trueno is bashed to crap. I have given up on the lights being in the upright position. Most of the black paint is chipped away. Now it looks like the car was really boughten in 1986 and was thrashed in rally competition for 16 years. Not far from reality, as I have been setting up race courses throughout the house, needless to say I have added jumps, not on purpose but the transfers from some of the rooms required them. Havent broken anything other then the body. Wish I had more money, but I dont so I havent been able to hop my baby up much.

[RoadRunnerSpeed]

Will megatechs aluminum first servo gear work with kyosho's second,third, plastic gears?

[RoadRunnerSpeed]

It's sad to see this thread dead and is now swiming with the rats. :(

[Hypenotist]

I had some interest in these but after reading all the stripped servo gear probs and other radio glitch stuff I doubt I'd buy one just to drop a butt load of money into it fixing it.

I do know BRP buds racing products is making a really nice 1/18th scale car but the body selection is poor-but from what I've heard people are racing them on full size tracks with standard radio gear and kicking the crap out of any hpi or mini z that even tries to step to the plate. They come with a standard mini nascar style body but I hate nascar so... Maybe 1/18th scale plastic model bodies can be fitted to them.

I just wish one of these manufacturers would make a real touring sedan or rally car with real shocks but in a mini size. I'm talking 4 wheel independent suspension.

What are your thoughts on mini Zs after all the part breaking-is it really worth it or should I stear clear for a slightly larger car?

I'm not going to pay over $100 for a mini and have it hit a rock in a parking lot and break into mini pieces if thats the case.

[RoadRunnerSpeed]

The mini-z is a fun little car to drive indoors. They dont run well outside in a parking lot.

When the mini-z first came out i paid $150 for it. Did i waste my money? for 150,hell yeah. And it sucks now that tower hobbies has them on sell now.

The tires suck, the servo suck, and damn kyosho solders the electrical wires so thin, pisses me out. Especialy when i dont have soldering skillz and the car is so god damn small.

But i still love this car when everything is working. It's that the STOCK mini-z sucks IMO

[dugrant153]

Hmm...

I'm actually wondering the same thing now. IS it worth it to buy a mini Z?

If the soldering sucked anthe parts were breaking too easily, it could've been one that was made in China.

From what I heard, all of the new Mini Zs will be made in China, not Japan where they used to be.

Hmm... makes the Micro RS4 seem more attractice...

[navspecwar]

Randy, the duratrax bearings dont fit too well. they're a little too big. and when you say "nylon nuts" do you mean the stock ones? roadrunner, the mini-z doesn't explode when you so much as look at it. its really not as fragile as you would think. you can pretty much run it anywhere you can run a TC (save rough asphalt). i've even run into the dirt accidentally, and i havent had any problems with it. and i've never had to replace ANYTHING on the car, except for the motor wires, which really isnt that hard to do. i've had mine four about 2 or 3 years, so its pretty durable IMO. i would, however, recommend getting a set of cheap servo gears, just in case. and the rear shock will correct the rear hop.

i think the mini-z is completely worth it. i paid 150 for mine, too, and i dont regret it. its been nothing but a source of fun, with barely any downtime. so, yea, its worth it.

[Randy Rathbun]

Originally posted by navspecwar
Randy, the duratrax bearings dont fit too well. they're a little too big. and when you say "nylon nuts" do you mean the stock ones?

Yep. Those. The newer cars seem to be using a white nylon nut. The olders are using black plastic ones. The black ones seem better.

I did solve the problem, I think. I tightened the nuts up a tiny bit, then just ran the car. Seemed to work fine after a few minutes of driving. The bearings also seem to work fine on the newer MiniZ (one of the Chinese ones) - not too big. Wonder if that is what Duratrax designed them for?

[Jon3]

around how long do the batteries last on the mini z and how fast do thefy go or are they mostly the same. What hop ups can u get and how much do they cost. I'm intersted in getting one i just want to know more about them. And lastly are they very hard to maintain,.



Jon

[Jon3]

what mini-z would any of you recommend getting?




Jon

[Jon3]

For the Micro RS4's do you use rechargable batteries instead of Alkaline

[Jon3]

thanks

[Interceptor]

Who has a turbo and how do you like it? Were is a good place to get one besides ebay? ( I hate getting outbid and the last minute)

[navspecwar]

TLP Twin Turbo-R. its great, havent had any problems (except its ugly:p ). the instructions were a little vague, but not hard to decipher. i got it from mini-zracer.com

[Interceptor]

Well, got my Z and some parts. I have an Imprezza hooked up with a ball diff, rear shock, and bearings. Next purchase should be alloy front arms, a turbo, and a new motor of some kind. Any good suggestions? I wanna smoke Micro RS4s :-)

I also plan on getting the Ferrari Testorossa (sp?) body for it.

[navspecwar]

try and get a NML motor. they kick ass. and the ferrari body is F355 (DUH!:p ). when you say alloy front arms, are you talkin about the steering blocks?

[TC3B3L3T3GT]

the ferrari body is the 360 modena, not the testarossa or F355
i have a mini z, and i cant get it to hook up, and it pisses me off so much i just use my micro rs4.
do the soft tires work well?

[Interceptor]

Got a link for the motor?

Yeah, I mean the front blocks, thanks. I probably need to get some of those toe in things as well.

And I said exactly what I was going to get, a Testarossa:D
see it here
http://mini-zracer.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2449

They also have a 300Z and a Ferrari F 40:D :D :D Its about time we saw these cars again!

[navspecwar]

oooh, i thought you meant the F355 autoscale body (which, by the way, is out - and im not confusing it with the 360;) ) the NML evader is handmade, and you have to ask the guy for one. he quit makin em, but you should at least try to get one off someone on the mini-zracer.com forum. they're worth it, trust me. if you cant get an evader, get an xspeed (and if you're feeling extremely tinkerish, rewind it - i have a 29T mini-z motor:p BUT use it ONLY with a turbo [the handwound] cause it will cook your ESC/Rx)

[Interceptor]

I just got in from the hobby shop and I picked up a X Speed. I just got it installed, and the first thing I have noticed about it is that it seems much smoother. I haven't messed with it enough to tell how much faster it is yet, I'm way too tired right now and I don't want to damage my new car :-)

I have never messed with winding stuff. Could I practice on the stock motor?

Were did you get your turbo, and what kind is it? I will probably order one next week sometime. Oh, I picked up some of the Rayovac 700mah NIMH bats today as well. Guess I find out tomorrow how they do.

Hey, could a turbo equiped Z handle one of those mod motors for the Micro RS4?

[navspecwar]

i messed around with winding on a canned heat motor, that way i could compare stock, handwound, and evader. my turbo, the TLP Twin Turbo-R, came from, you guessed it, mini-zracer.com. as for the rs4 motor, i dont have one, but im pretty sure that they are too big to fit in the motor mount.

[Interceptor]

cool. I emailed the guy to see if he had any more evaders for sale. Hope I luck up on one.

[navspecwar]

yea, they're worth it

[Usagi]

here is my mini-z