Tamiya F201 Forum

[CarterTG]

Originally posted by XXXER
...could someone give me the part# for the Williams BMW O-Z Wheels?

Tamiya Part #51009

Just wonderin' if they'll release an FW25 shell...
http://www.hp.com/f1racing/multimedia/gallery/malaysia/images/hp_f1_mal_lg01.jpg (http://www.hp.com/f1racing/multimedia/gallery/malaysia/mal_photo01.htm)
:D

[tarheelquality]

What does everybody recommend as far as tires for a medium traction asphalt track? cs 27's work well for the touring cars on this track, just had the nationals over the weekend and that was the spec tire. open to any brand tire dosen't have to be tamiya.
Thanks,
Tom:)

[InspGadgt]

Carter,

Typically Tamiya will wait until the year after the current car is running to release a kit/body for it, if they have the licensing for it. So if they do a FW25 it won't be until 2004.

Tar,

Pit Shimizu, Ride, and Tamiya make aftermarket tires for this car. The Tamiya A compound, Pit soft, and Ride soft compound tires are cold weather tires. Tamiya will be releasing a B compound tire for warmer climates soon. Until then both Pit and Ride have hard compound tires for warm weather. Pit also has a medium compound tire for milder weather. Both brands make great tires and Ride makes the tires for Tamiya as well.

[tarheelquality]

Insp,
I could order any of those but was wondering what peoples personal experience is with particular tires in the conditions i mentioned. I have a new car on the way and was trying to get the right parts ahead of time so I will be ready. Avg temp right now is 85 + air not sure about track 120-140 depending on weather.

[InspGadgt]

Tar,

At those track temps I'd suggest either the Pit or the Ride hard compound tires. I currently run the Pit medium compound tires but racing at night the track temps are a lot lower. Though I'm now switching to hards as the summer temps come up.

[tarheelquality]

Thanks Insp,
That was just what I needed, putting together another list of items to buy from formula1-rc. Tires, wheels, spring set, damper set, aluminum motor mount, aluminum rocker arm set, turnbucles, and universal shaft set. I like their prices and how quickly they ship and the cheap shipping. Cant wait to get my kit, Great Planes is running real late again! My kit was supposed to be in last Wed and the shipment still has not shown up. Cost my local Hobby shop some money to because with the Nats last week he was counting on stuff in that shippment to sell. Oh well they will get it here one day.

Tom

[Rinkrat99]

Hi all

I am placing my order today for these parts. I had some trouble getting aproval from the higher authority to order from the Pit Shop so I had to go with Tower and the Tamiya Type A tires.

Tamiya Spare Wheel F201 (4) LXCCE9 for $7.69
Tamiya Reinforced Tire Type A Front F201 (2) LXDLU6 for $18.99
Tamiya Reinforced Tire Type A Rear F201 (2) LXDLU7 for $18.99
Tamiya Racing Spring Set F201 LXCPU7 for $5.49
Tamiya Dampener O-Ring 81/02/62 TAMC5097 for $2.19
Tamiya Low Friction Dampener Piston Set Front F201 LXDLU9 for $6.99
Tamiya Low Friction Dampener Piston Set Rear F201 LXDLV0 for $6.99

Question for Inspector gadget, if I replace the dampers, which oil do you reccomend? Please use AE/Trinity weights

Thanks

[XXXER]

Burt, well, I got beat by the old F103 chassis, ROFL! He did not know it was F201 only this year, so he agreed to just "Run for fun". He is a really good racer though,(Over 10 years) he goes out to the off road track too, and does really well. I was leading for the majority of the race, the last minute and a half is where I blew it. Another thing that is totally crazy was with 30 seconds left, I tapped a board, only to see something black to flinging across the track, and all I knew, was if I gave my car full throttle, it would do a donut to the left, so my last 2 laps were very tricky, especially since I was trying to hold onto second place lol. After the race, I pulled my car over and I discovered I flung a dog bone up front! The wierd thing is, the suspension arms did not break! Not even stressed by the looks of it. I think my pivot balls are slightly bent though. I gave the kit away that I won to my girlfriends little bro to get him into R/C. We are a little more than half way through building it. I really want to pull my head out, and go race the Nationals now. I think it would be a ton of fun! I will see if my shop owner would sponsor me. If he gives me parts, I would probably go out and race there. The hard part would be doing it without my parents knowing I was going there to race. You see, my parents don't know I even have my F-1, because they don't want me to spend my money on that kind of stuff (They think it is a waste). So, maybe I could just plan a road trip with a friend, and go race the nats. If I moved onto the international champs, then I would break the news to my parents, heheh "Mom, Dad, I need to go to Japan to race a car that I bought back at the beginning of June, without you knowing. you understand, right?"
Sure, like that will happen. Either way, keep it real, and keep me up to date on what is cool/new.

-Steve

[InspGadgt]

Tar,

That's great...Jake has done a great job with F1-RC and I can't thank him enough for his efforts there and helping me with the race organization for my F1 race. What initially was to be a site for my F1 racers has grown into so much more it's both incredible and exciting to see.

Rink,

Sorry to hear bout the permissions but you've got a pretty good list there so for the most part you'll be allright. Though the A's are cold weather tires they will be better then the stock ones. Check with some of the Tamiya America racers in SoCal and they can give you some great tips on how to make them work better. FYI the B's are listed to be out in Japan the end of this month. These make a lot better tire for US tracks.

Steve,

Yeah those F103's are really fast especially if the track is prepped good enough for them to have any decent traction. The arms on the car flex so much that you can easily throw a dogbone and not even show signs of it on the arms...been there done that. Lucky for me I was using universals in a 40min race and was able to snap them back in in a pit stop. Jake and I were hoping to either go to a regional or nationals TCS this year but that's not going to pan out. Well if all goes well then next year we definately will. My last trip out to Cali racing with those guys was such a blast. And up to Seattle racing with the Burien guys too. I still want to make a trip out to SLC and meet and greet with the F1 racers out there that have contributed so much to the class over the years. Ah well...someday.

[CarterTG]

Just wanted to post some progress pics of my Williams Kit. I didn't wanna dig into chassis assembly yet until I get some must-have hop-ups. The LHS (http://www.alshobbyshop.com) has been s-l-o-w to stock them so far. :rolleyes: :mad: :(

That leaves bodywork to tackle...

[CarterTG]

Old-school maskin'. A bit more challenging to get into some of those narrow areas than masking a typical touring car. Note the two nosecones. Manual says to use one as a spare.

[CarterTG]

Initially bought a jar of Tamiya Acrylic X-4 Blue, but after some scrutiny, the blue in the decals was darker and was more centered in pure saturated blue whereas X-4 had a tiny hint of green (blue-green) when tested on a scrap piece of lexan. Heading back to one of the closer hobby shops, I found that Tamiya Acrylic X-3 Royal Blue was actually a FAR better match to the decals. (blue decals rely on blending into painted blue areas)

[CarterTG]

Yeah, I know there's no head yet. Still tryin' to decide if this kit should be driven by Ralf Schumacher or JP Montoya. Most all of the other decals have been applied though. Hopefully, once some outdoor pics can be taken, the blue might look a little closer to the real thing. Indoor lighting makes that blue look almost black.

[XXX/TC3 Racer]

JP Montoya! He won Monaco, and the indy 500, and, as a rookie, he kicked major butt in the champ car series! I watched his career here in the us..not to mention..he R/C's! (can you tell, i like him?) I think go for him, or, paint your helmet as if it was you! Perhaps a bright helmet would be easier to see on the track, with all the other beemers? hehe

Where can I get a red light, so I can put it below the rear wing, like on a real f1 car..both to state I am a rookie, in this class, and as a way for me to tell it's my car from behind? I know I have asked this befor,e but I am pulling my hair out!

-A. Swift

[CarterTG]

Originally posted by XXX/TC3 Racer
Where can I get a red light, so I can put it below the rear wing...


http://www.compusa.com/product_images/images/full/97/289397_f.gif (http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=289397&pfp=BROWSE)

Maybe one of those micro-flashlights like the ones sold at CompUSA checkout counters or on eBay. Otherwise, the more elegant way is to get the Novak Super Rooster ESC (http://www.teamnovak.com/products/esc/super_r/super_ro.htm). It's got an optional taillight kit that lights up when the ESC brakes.

[SteveK]

A simple Radio Shack red LED should suffice. Just splice it into the battery so it's always on, instead of to the motor so it's only on when the throttle is applied (Some Mini-Z lights are like that). Brake light circuitry would work, but is a little heavier and more expensive.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGF41&P=7
There are also light sets for the Mini-Z and from Ram that should work.

A better option for the brake lights would be the Explorer II, which should fit that tight chassis better. It's also half the price, but only has a 15 turn motor limit.

There used to be a 'spark kit' for the pan car-based F1s: It was a lighter flint mounted to the underside of the rear pod, and when you hit bumps it would spark away.

The best way to make your car stand out is a unique paint scheme. Inverting the blue and white might look cool, or going to a completely different color with the same scheme could work.

[XXX/TC3 Racer]

Thanks for the help! I personally love the BMW Williams scheme, but I want the light for better visual reference from the rear, since when they all go by, they look the same..not to mention that it would look much more real..perhaps I could get it to blink, like a pit road limiter light does? I have a LRP F1 Pro Reverse esc, with a futaba 2peka magnum sport fm radio, so I think that i will stick to those electronics, as they have proven to be a great asset to my fleet.i know the esc does not have break-light circuitry, but..yeah..any ideas?

-A. Swift

[CarterTG]

Well, for the ULTIMATE in realism and short of finding that intruiging spark kit SteveK mentioned, I think that a Tamiya F201 decked out in JP Montoya scheme should have a cherry smoke bomb attached to the rear. You can't miss a car on the racetrack when it's billowing smoke down the stretch!

;) :D ;) :p :)

[therealdanimal]

You better get some practice with that thing 'cause I'm bringin' the pain next year!!!
:eek:

[InspGadgt]

Whoa wait a sec Steve. LED's are usually only rated for like 1.5 volts. You splice that directly to the battery and your going to blow it right off the bat.

[tarheelquality]

Has anyone installed the Novak BL system in this car? If so any tips on it , or comments on how it fits or runs? This car will be more play than race for me so I was thinking the BL would just ease maint worries a little. Thanks

[SteveK]

InspGadgt-

Dude, I failed basic circuits, OK? You could probably just wire up a single AA or smaller to power them, stick it inside the body with Velcro. A AAA or receiver pack cell wouldn't add too much weight.

That Tamiya setup looks like it will work with any ESC setup, but unless you need it to like actual brake lights, a regular LED seems like the best idea. Especially if you want the light to always be on.

[InspGadgt]

We had one guy wire his micro brake lights he made to some AA batteries and used a mercury switch on it...that way the car's own acceleration and deceleration turned the brake light on and off. Course it turned on at some odd times but it was cool and quite an original idea I thought. I've also see people hooke up an LED to the brake FET of any ESC with an exposed FET. Not sure exactly how they wired it but it worked well.

[yf22k]

i have an led mounted in a small black lexan box with a red plastic shield where the light on the formula 1 cars go. Its a bright nichia led. I use resistors to lower the power supplied to the led. I used shoe goo to attach the light box to the aftermarket rear crossbrace between the rear toe ball connectors. here's a pic...hopefully it works

[AgentG]

Thinking about getting the Williams F1 and have a few questions. I'm relatively new to electrics, so I dont know which motors fit in this. Does it take an electric motor just like the 1/10 scale sedans take? And can I put a brushless motor in this?

[tarheelquality]

Just got my kit today, high speed gears back ordered of course! Wondering if any one has experience with cross chassis? I am hearing all these wonderful things about the 3 racing chassis and in the same paragraph people say, well they did not include needed spacers, and I had to file this, or dremel that, and the motor could not move enough to mesh right and it still does not run side by side packs! I expect a chassis kit to bolt right up the first time and work. I understand having to mod one of the original kit parts but not one of the aftermarket parts you just payed extra money for.

So if anyone has some info on the cross or any other chassis or info that 3 racing has fixed the problems with their chassis I would appreciate it. I am putting the car together with stock chassis for now but would like to change soon due to wanting to run a mod motor without having to worry so much about heat issues, plus carbon just looks so cool!:D

Thanks

[kiwikid]

The 3R chassis is far better than the Cross equivalent and much cheaper too. Provided your 3R chassis kit is complete (ie. no missing parts), everything you need should be there. I have been using mine for awhile without modification and it seems to work fine.

[tarheelquality]

ok, just going by what I saw on formula1-rc forum. After I hear a little more I will probaly get one.

Anyone else have comments on any of the aftermarket chassis?

[yf22k]

have both the 3 racing and cross chassis. I keep the cross chassis as a spare incase the 3 racing one breaks....if that's possible. THe 3 racign chassis is much lighter and easier to work on. a motormount comes with the 3 racing chassis. Also the spur gear mount is heavier on the cross chassis.

[XXXER]

Originally posted by therealdanimal
You better get some practice with that thing 'cause I'm bringin' the pain next year!!!
:eek:

Bring it on She-Male! I may hang out at the dirt track this Saturday, maybe I will see you there? I will not be racing though, I would need to swap all my electronics to the B4, and I have not even set that thing up. I have raced that stupid thing all of one time. Oh well.

-Steve

[InspGadgt]

Originally posted by tarheelquality
ok, just going by what I saw on formula1-rc forum. After I hear a little more I will probaly get one.

Anyone else have comments on any of the aftermarket chassis?

Tar both my F201s were built up from aftermarket parts instead of starting off with the kit. Both the Cross and the 3racing chassis are great chassis but the 3racing one out classes the Cross. The Cross uses 2 bulkheads in the center to hold the spur gear lay shaft. Because of this the battery and body mounts get moved foward about 1/4" in the car. That's going to change the weight distribution more to the front in a car that allready needs more in the rear. Also you'll have to elongate the body mount holes. The 3racing chassis uses one 3 piece bulkhead to mount the layshaft so battery and body mount placement is the same as stock. Also the Cross chassis raises the height of the rear gear box and puts it at a strange angle in order for the diff gear cover to clear the chassis. Other then lowering the ride height this seems to do nothing to the handling of the car. But the gearbox gets pretty tweaked where it bolts on to the chassis. The 3racing chassis has a cutout in the chassis to allow the gearbox to sit at it's proper height and angle. The Cross chassis has a 2 piece upper deck. On the right side it extends from the front gear case to the motor mount. On the left it extends from gear box to gear box. The shock mounts are bolted on to the upper deck with the lock nuts underneath the upper deck. Working on the electronics of the car pretty much requires disassembly of the whole upper deck. Also if you run a motor heat sink you cannot run the motor brace. The 3racing chassis is a 4 piece upper deck including a graphite motor brace. With this chassis the shock mounts are bolted on with the screws coming up through the upper deck into threaded standoffs. The mounts slide on over the screws and are secured on using a lock nut on the top. this makes it easy to only disassemble the area over the reciever and ESC to work on them. The 3racing chassis comes with a motor mount and a steering bell crank...the Cross chassis does not. The 3racing chassis costs a little more then half that of the Cross chassis. All in all for the money and the features the 3racing chassis is the best aftermarket chassis made for the F201. People have been able to use side by side packs with both chassis after some modification to the battery box.

[InspGadgt]

Forgot to mention the 1st one I built up was on the Cross chassis and the 2nd one that I am currently racing was built up on the 3racing chassis.

[tarheelquality]

thanks Insp,
I hust built mine today just have to mount the wings and body but left that part of the instructions at the house. Great car, I love the way it built and how solid it is. Can you run safely without the motor gaurd and does that help with the cooling?

Thanks to everyones input I will be ordering the 3 racing chassis next week. I was going to convert this car but looking it now it almost seems like it would be a shame to do that. Inspgadgt or anybody else have a list of things to get if I wanted to go total custom and scratch build? What I mean is parts you would reccomend from experience of building your own. I would like to order as much as possible from formula1-rc. If this has been covered on that sites forum let me know I may have just missed it.

Thanks again for everyones input this is my first f1 but definitley not my last. Now where is that FG site.........:D

[InspGadgt]

Tar, The list is extremely long and quite expensive. If you plan to build up a mostly aftermarket car like mine expect for it to cost well over $500 in rolling chassis alone. There's a partial list here in the bodies forum where I posted pics of my 3racing chassis in the "Wow, decked out car competition" thread.

[tarheelquality]

Insp,
Thanks, found your list looks good. Ran my f201 for the first time today, handles great runs good, stock tires stink in hot weather we have here. They would be great first couple of laps but once they got some heat in them they started to push awful.

Car puts me in a delima, I like to run mod motors but just one battery pack has shown this is probaly not a gud idea due to heating up chassis. love the look of the stock chassis so I hate to get rid of it but the only other choices are to build one from scratch or buy another kit knowing I am going to replace at least half of it. From that point of veiw I do not know if it wouldn't be cheaper to build from scratch.

I am going to look at the prices and email The Nige about some parts and make a decision. Of course several of the parts I want to use are out of stock right now.

Thanks for everyones help,
Tom

[InspGadgt]

Oh it would probably be cheeper building it from scratch. But it's still really expensive and with the kit you don't have to get all the hopups you want right away like you would if you were building it from scratch.

[tarheelquality]

Are there any foam tires available for the f201?

[CarterTG]

Some hop-ups came in so I was able to start assembling my FW24, most everything went smoothly, but the steering linkage is slowing down progress. I'm using the S9550 digital servo. The critical height from the mounting flange to the servo gear isn't too different from any standard servo. Despite that, the fit isn't as forgiving as in the other Tamiya chassis I've built. The TA04 and ML04 have downright cavernous allowances compared to the F201. I've tried fiddling with the servo mounting blocks, but it doesn't help.

As you can see in the pic, if I install it as instructed by the manual, the back of the servo saver rubs against the chassis piece behind it (red arrow), and worse, the link rod rubs against another part of the chassis (blue arrow)

If I adjust the servo mount to move it out closer (to remedy the red arrow), it'll be even worse for the obstruction at the blue arrow.

I'm trying to see if this is normal for some of you existing owners. Cutting/trimming the chassis would be a no-no if I have hopes for future TCS races.

[CarterTG]

Yes, I've already tried swapping the balljoint at the servo saver so that it's outside.. but with the steering rod sitting on the outside of the chassis piece (no pic), it would rub against they body that covers the area.

Another reason for not moving the servo out (closer to viewer) is that it'll hit ANOTHER area of the chassis for sure (orange arrow)

The green arrow shows the plastic ball cup hitting that same spot when the servo travels in the other direction.

I understand that there's limited space in the F201 chassis, but this particular area seems poorly designed. A rarity for my previous experience with Tamiya.

[dabait]

That web between the upper and lower decks, between your arrows... is there a structural member behind it that connects the two decks? Could that web be removed to provide more space?

If not... looking at the photos, I wonder if maybe just putting shims under one end of the servo would provide the clearance you need at both positions.

I don't have one of these cars, but I think I need one. :p

[InspGadgt]

Different servos have different dimensions as far as their height from the monting flanges. Typically Tamiya cars fit Futaba servos the best but others can be used usually without modification. But not always. Sometimes it takes a little work to get them to fit right.

[CarterTG]

Nope, nothing that structurally connects the two pieces... but the reason I'm avoiding the temptation to cut it off is that it might be one of the things prohibited in the Tamiya Championship Series (http://www.tamiyausa.com/events/tcs/index.html) rules... if not under the current rules then possible future F201-class rules. If I didn't have any aspirations to that series, that #&@%$# piece woulda been outta there long ago. ;)

After fussing over this throughout the weekend, I think I came up with a workable fix. The manual instructs that the neutral position of the servo saver should point 90° straight up.

What I did was change the neutral point by moving the servo saver two notches clockwise while at the same time shortening the steering rod to compensate. This seems to provide enough clearance to the arm's travel range. As for the back of that arm rubbing against the chassis spar behind it, I moved the servo closer out. The combination of changes seems to work right now, but it still looks like I'll have to limit the servo endpoint travel to at least 90%

Hey Dave, you won't truly need one until you see the on-board video (http://www.geocities.jp/ymkm482/dit2.html) !!! :D :) ;) :D

[dabait]

DAMN YOU! ;)

Well, I should probably wait for the dust to settle from my house re-fi.

Meanwhile, I need you to spec out exactly what I should get. And, there is a really nice facility somewhat nearby where they race these:

Speedworld Raceway (http://www.speedworldraceway.com/)

[XXXER]

Today I threw in a 12x2 that I had just kicking around into my F201, because the guys at work thought that sounded like a good idea, I did too! One thing that surprised me was how stable this thing is a high speeds. It flat sticks, and is very balanced and in control. I did not run it much longer than 3 minutes though, so I did not cook my motor. Has anyone else thrown some serious motor into this car? The stock tires even hooked up pretty good at the high speeds. It drifted superbly.

Oh well, later fellas.

-Steve

[AgentG]

I'm going to be buying an F201 soon and before I buy it I'd like to know where you buy the hop-ups for these. I've tried searching on the net but I came up with nothing.

So where do you buy mods online for this car?

[dizzy]

http://www.formula1-rc.com/

Go to the Pit Shop link for parts. There is also a ton of info on this site...

-David

[dabait]

My F201 showed up along with most of the upgrades that I ordered. I opted for
- aluminum motor mount (53518)
- aluminum shock cylinders (53566)
- low-friction damper pistons (53567, 53568)
- turnbuckles shafts (53513)
- l/w prop joint set (53553)
- universal shaft set (53522)
- reinforced prop shaft set (53514)

I'm still waiting for the prop shaft set and the front damper pistons, but I went ahead and assembled the car using what parts I had on hand. So, I've got my F201 mostly assembled now... remaining things to do are, glue tires to rims, mount ESC and RX, paint/trim body, rebuild front shocks and install prop shafts when the new parts arrive.

I noticed that there's a fair amount of slop in both the front and rear wheels. It appears to be coming from the cups not fitting tightly over the balls on the suspension arms. On the front, these are the tie-rods... not sure what they're called in the rear.
Is the slop going to be an issue? :confused:

Also, I really don't think I'm going to be able to fit both my RX and ESC in the area provided. And the wires between the ESC and the motor aren't long enough to route over the top as shown in the manual. I just routed them under the deck... seems to be ok.
Is there enough clearance to mount an RX on the top deck? :confused:

Painting: well, the guy at the hobby shop didn't think the Tamiya acrylic (XF-3) was the right formulation for lexan... he suggested I try Faskolor. I picked up bottles of blue, black and white. The blue appears too bright, so I'll try mixing some black until I get the tint right.... time to whip out the ol' Badger airbrush. With some luck, it might turn out ok.
:p

[Rinkrat99]

dabait

I hope I can help you with your slop. Mine had a very similar amount which I ended using o-rings on the studs and then placing the ballcup on. That slop dissapeared. The wheels I had to shim with either 1 or 2 axle shims/washers. That helped. Then I just slightly tightened the slop away without adding drag.

I ended putting my JRX2 receiver above the main driveshaft by using velcro on both sides leaving the exposed area where the driveshaft would go through. The velcro created a few maybe 1/8" space between the receiver and the drive shaft.

I mounted a LRP Runner esc in the electronics bay and ran the wires around the gear cover to the motor.

Do a search for my name and you should find some pics of the setup.

Good luck

[dabait]

I got it somewhat arranged now. I tried fitting the RX up top, but the crystal was hitting the underside of the driver. I was able to arrange it so it cleared, but ended up getting it to fit in the electronics bay.

The ESC is a F1-Pro, and the RX is a Hitec FM (single conversion). I was hoping to keep the motor leads routed through the chassis, but it looked like the rear drive-shaft could end up rubbing them... so now they're run up over the top as shown in the instructions.

The body is trimmed... just need to mask and paint it. I prefer to paint after trimming... makes it easier to get the wiring all sorted out when you can actually see through the body. Masking the area up by the intake doesn't look like fun.

Do you think there'd be an issue if I cut a couple slots in the chassis for zip-ties? I'd like to be able to keep the wires tight against the chassis... particularly the battery lead from the ESC. The slots would just be large enough to slide a zip-tie through them.

[InspGadgt]

Well if your going to be racing a TCS race then they will take issue with any material removed from the chassis. But I'm guessing your not so it shouldn't be much of a problem. I'm running a graphite chassis and don't want to be drilling holes in it just for zip ties. There's a sticky back mount that has a little ring for a zip tie to go through that phone and network cablers often use to keep wires organized against the wall board. I plan to pick up some of those to organize my wires if need be. Right now they are pretty good though so I probably won't need to.

[HKjai]

i try to get rid of all my F201.
4wd is not improve any skill.

here is the link (http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=136334)

[dabait]

Almost done now... after the chore of painting and decaling, I wish I'd gotten the Ferarri :P

Painting was a near disaster, and I'm not entirely thrilled with the results, but it looks OK from a few feet away. Paint ended up wicking under the masking, but I cleaned up most of it after it dryed. Also... I guess I didn't clean my airbrush quite well enough between shooting blue then white. There are a few areas that aren't quite pure white :P

The blue I mixed up turned out to be very close to the decal color... probably about 70% blue : 30% black

Decals look great... they helped clean up the appearance quite a bit since they cover all the blue/white transitions. All that's left to do is attach the nose-cone, apply the nose decal, and paint the helmet.

[dabait]

Ok... I've had a chance to run it... and I encountered a problem. It was having massive oversteer under throttle. Even under hard, straight-line acceleration, the back-end would slip out.

Off throttle, throwing it into a curve, it'd hook up just fine, a tad bit of understeer... any bit of throttle would spin it.

I guessed that the rear diff was too tight, and the front too loose. Well, it turns out the front diff was completely open because the screws backed out. I mean, absolutely no tie between the prop-shaft and the wheels.

I tightened it back up and took the car for a drive and it was tons better. I could easily control drifts with throttle in the corners and straight-line acceleration was stable. The motor tended to load up in the corners, so perhaps I need to loosen the front-diff up a bit... maybe the rear as well.

So, I read elsewhere that a bit of blue loctite on the diff bolts is recommended. Someone else suggested a more typical nut and bolt arrangement. Any suggestions here?

Also, what's the BKM (best known method) for getting at those bolts for adjustment? I removed the wheels and the four screws that hold the upper wishbone ends to the chassis, then flexed the suspension down enough to pop the ends of the shafts out. I had to do both sides because I wasn't sure which diff bolt needed tightening (turns out both were completely unthreaded). Suggestions?

[InspGadgt]

The light weight diff set for the F201 uses a more conventional nut and bolt type of setup. To adjust you only need to remove the upper arms on the passenger side from the gearbox and swing that, the universal, and the upright out of the way. From there you'll be able to get a 1.5mm allen driver in there to tighten it. Hold the driver's side wheel will keep the nut from turning.

Note - Driver's side and Passenger's side refer to the US style Driver's and Passenger's sides.

[dabait]

Thanks... looking at the manual it became more clear which side (Right-hand, facing forward) needed access for the adjustment. However, the manual states that the screw on the other side is to prevent the adjustment screw from loosening ... it seemed to fail at that on my car :p

Until I get the lwt-diffs, I'll try a bit of loc-tite.

Also... it feels like the steering isn't always returning to center... it may be fine for a bit, but then the car will start veering left or right when it had been trimmed true. I'm using a Hitec BB servo and Hitec FM RX (single conversion)... TX is Futaba.

With RC planes, this is usually due to a binding control rod or surface... but everything seems to move freely on the F1 car... is the servo-saver causing this?

[InspGadgt]

Well there's 3 places where this problem comes from. First off slop in the ball joints. This can be remedied by putting an o-ring on each ball stud. Secondly from slop in the servo saver. Best thing to do here is to replace the servo saver. We've found the black kimbro works well for this car. And thirdly the servo itself. Hitech servos are notorious for not centering properly.

[dabait]

Oops... the machine screw that secures the steering pivot to the chassis (through the bottom) came loose... and the steering gets extremely sloppy when that screw comes all the way out :P

I found a replacement and secured it with some thread-lock... much better. I also took the time to thread-lock other metal-to-metal fasteners like on the aluminum motor mount.

[HKjai]

i am getting rid of my collection Ferrari F2001.
58288.



link (http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=137610)

[dabait]

Originally posted by HKjai
i am getting rid of my collection Ferrari F2001.
58288.
link (http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=137610)

So HKjai,

Are you an individual who purchased a lot of these and are now looking to unload them, or are you a retailer/reseller who is looking to get out of the F1 business?

You appear to be selling them in blocks of 3 or 6 ... how many total do you have for sale? If you're a reseller, do you have anything more substantial than an Hotmail address ... like a website or anything?

[InspGadgt]

Rumor has it that there's a reinforced lower suspension arm coming and a TRF type kit...

http://www.formula1-rc.com/News/News.asp?ID=232

http://www.formula1-rc.com/News/News.asp?ID=233

[InspGadgt]

For those of you who run the 3racing/Eagle chassis FPM has now made a pair of bearing braces to replace having to use the stock gear cover over the spur gear. This makes it much easier to set proper gear mesh on this chassis.

[InspGadgt]

Ok here they are! Not only will these make setting gear mesh easier on the 3racing/Eagle chassis but will also let you run slightly larger spur gears.

[InspGadgt]

Pic 2

[walds11]

I am not biased to tower hobbies, but are the f2001 and f201 parts interchangeable? I am new at this, so please go easy on me:)

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0005p?&I=TAMC0288&P=Z

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0005p?&I=TAMC0294&P=Z

[tarheelquality]

Yes, The F2001 is just a particular body package included with the first F201. The F201 is the actual kit designation

[walds11]

Thanks. I just picked up an f2001. What are some basic hop-ups that I can pick up without going nuts buying stuff (maybe aluminum motor mount and guard)? I guess high grip tires would be the first hop-up. What are recommended tires?

Does the car run decent with the stock motor?

How durable are the front and rear wings?

[InspGadgt]

Tires definately. Pit Shimizu medium compound tires work well in a variety of temps. In hotter weather try the Tamiya B compound tires or the hard compound tires from Pit Shimizu and Ride. Aluminum heat sink motor mount and brace will definately help with cooling the motor. Something this car definately needs. Also I'd suggest the high speed gear set with the stock motor. It'll be a lot faster and more fun and a lot cheeper then buying a whole new motor. For the stock gears a 19 or 20 turn motor seems about right.

[tarheelquality]

go to formula1-rc.com they have great articles on what to hop up and you can get just about anything you want for your car.

I know I have spent way more on hopups from there than I did on my car just because there are so many goodies. But the car itself is great out of the box. Just get some Pit tires because I quicly found out the stock tires are as worthless as everyone said.

[walds11]

Can you guys post some scans of where you put all the electronics and wires on the F201 chassis?

[InspGadgt]

I'm surprised no one here has mentioned the new F201 coming out. Looks like a great way to get into a F201 however it looks like they left off 2 of the most important hopups...the lightweight dffs and better tires.

[Manuel]

What is better, ball diffs or planetary gears? Tamiya has apparently put in two systems for the different models of the F201.

[InspGadgt]

The F201 has 2 different diff options but they are both ball diffs. The stock ball diffs use 2 screws to set the diff. One sets the diff tension and the 2nd one is a jam screw to keep the first screw set properly. The option diff is the lightweight diff which uses a single screw with a nut like any other ball diff car out there. There is no planetary diff option for the car. If there were you'd still be better off with a ball diff.

[Manuel]

InspGadgt: Thanks for the info on the diffs. I got a little confused by the way Tower advertised this car in the "tech tip," area.

[tarheelquality]

Insp,
Do I need 1 or 2 of the lightweight diff sets for the car? I need to get them tired of the stock ones just dont know if both come in one set.

Thanks,
Tom

[PhantomRacer1]

Does anyone have any speed stats on your F1's? I'm interested in getting one of these, but I don't want to get a 20mph F1 car or anything. So can some of you list how fast yours go? Thanks.

[InspGadgt]

Tar you need 2. They come one to a package.

Phantom in terms of top speed they are quite comparable to a 1/10th electric touring car with the same motor and gearing. Essentially they are a TC style drive trane just made to fit under a F1 body. They are slightly longer then a TC in wheel base so their cornering speeds can be slightly slower but this also gives them more stability. On some tracks they ran both the F201 and TCs together and it was quite even.

[walds11]

My F2001 is pretty much stock except for the high speed gear set. Never clocked the speed, but my guess is 25-30 mph top speed?

[warhedf1]

Inagural Formula 1 R/C United States Grand Prix to held at Toys For Boys Raceway in Kennesaw (Atlanta,Ga) November 15, 2003! Deadline for entries is November 1, 2003. To see pictures of the outdoor asphalt track go to www.tfbraceway.com . For more info and to download the entry form, go to www.formula1-rc.com or email me raymitchell@charter.net . Get registered NOW!!

[Troy Lyman]

Okay, question for you F201 guys. I've been trying to set up my ride height and I'm going mad. I've adjusted the suspension links (for lack of a better term, the rod that goes from the outter suspension up to the cantaliever arm for the shock) and just when I think I have it set, it settles back down. The front is good but it is the rear that I'm having a problem with. I have a 3mm spacer on the rear shocks and if I add one of the included 1.5mm spacers then my back end is TOO HIGH...the hardware that holds the cantaliever arms are all tightened up so there is no play there. Shock length is set to the David Jun settings posted on F-1rc.com (or whatever the address is). I'm at a loss. Anyone else experiance this problem? Am I just missing something?

Thanks.

_________
Troy

[Sasso]

leave the 3 and 1.5 mm spacer in the shock and just tighten your (for lack of a better term, the rod that goes from the outter suspension up to the cantaliever arm for the shock) otherwise known as a PUSHROD.

[Sasso]

Has anybody converted their F201 to two-wheel-drive? I did and it runs faster in the straight, the motor runs at a lower temperature, but it handles like an RC10 on road car. The spins are really realistic, but if its tuned right it should handle well...I'm working on finding a good setup.

[InspGadgt]

Many people have tried but no one has been able to get a setup that's as good as with 4wd. The battery is simply too far foward in the chassis to keep enough rear grip.

[Sasso]

Doggone batteries!! when will they make ultra light battery packs? this is RC racing for pitty's sake!:mad:

[InspGadgt]

The problem is not the weight of the batteries...it's the weight distribution from front to rear. Lighter batteries would have the same problem.

[Sasso]

What if I break my battery pack apart and stick 4 batteries where the receiver goes(across from the motor) and stick the receiver in the remaining space of the battery compartment ?

[InspGadgt]

Interesting idea...it might work...but the pack is going to be a pain to get in and out.

[ferrarigr]

Well...here is mine....Always Ferrari....

[ferrarigr]

Originally posted by ferrarigr
Well...here is mine....Always Ferrari....

[InspGadgt]

Looks really nice man...did you paint a set of silver FPM arms or did you polish the ends of a black set?

[ferrarigr]

Thank you very much..
I paint them and I put nail polish on top so the paint can not be removed that easy.
This is my running body and I wana do another display body with the 2003 decals.

[InspGadgt]

The FPM arms are great. I reworked mine by getting the silver set, sanding off the machining ridges, polished them, then got them hard anodized black. Now they look even more scale and easily mistaken for the stock arms.

I hope you put the brace set on too. If not I'd highly reccomend it to protect your gear box.

[Doomed]

What kind of compound, if any, did you use to polish your arms? I would like to do the same to mine.

[InspGadgt]

well hopefully your starting with the unanodized arms...that's a lot easier then stripping the anodizing. Then I first used a dremel with the sanding wheel (not the drum) attachment to knock the ridges off of the machine cuts. Once I was done with that I sanded them by hand starting at 400 grit and working down to 800 grit. To polish I used the dremel polishing kit which comes with a polish compound. First I polished with the dremel compound on the dremel. Next I polised with Mothers using the dremel. Lastly I polished by hand with Mothers. It's a hell of a lot of work. I guess you could do it in a tumbler or other polishing device if you have one...I didn't so I had to do it by hand.

[ferrarigr]

geeeee...I wish I had that free time to do all that...hehehe...
I'm focusing at the 2nd body at the moment..I'm doing with the Ferrari F2003GA as I have the F2002 body...so pictures will be posted some time next year....
Merry Christmas to all

FERRARIGR

[InspGadgt]

I didn't have a whole lot of free time either. It took me 4 weeks to complete the sanding and polishing.

[Doomed]

Thanks InspGadgt, I just got in to the polishing thing. I am using a grinder with a polishing wheel, and the brown compound. Could you post some pics of your arms? I have the plain aluminum arms also.
Dana

[ferrarigr]

Is any of you racing the F201's?...
We'll my self the only place I can properly run mine is on the basketball court we have on board the cruise ship that I work.
I use a 19T motor on mine.
Hope you finish your A-arms....don't forget to post some photos
Good Luck

[InspGadgt]

Doomed there are before and after photos allready posted in the general forum I believe. Just do a search for FPM and you'll probably find them.

Ferrarigr I'm the race director for our scale formula 1 race out here. Our site has been the top site for RC Formula 1 cars for awhile now. It was just mentioned in the "Sites to see" section of RC Car Action for the 2nd time :) Check us out sometime. If the link works it's www.formula1-rc.com

[Doomed]

Thanks, will have to look later as the search function has been disabled.

[ferrarigr]

Originally posted by InspGadgt
Doomed there are before and after photos allready posted in the general forum I believe. Just do a search for FPM and you'll probably find them.

Ferrarigr I'm the race director for our scale formula 1 race out here. Our site has been the top site for RC Formula 1 cars for awhile now. It was just mentioned in the "Sites to see" section of RC Car Action for the 2nd time :) Check us out sometime. If the link works it's www.formula1-rc.com

So I think you know me....I've been buying all my staff for my F201 from you for a long time.You ship for me in Alaska and lately in Miami Florida.I work on the cruise ship.I wish I was in Hawaii now.

[InspGadgt]

Ferrarigr,

Jake, aka TheNige, would know you then. The site itself and the shop associated with it are his. It was originally setup as a place to keep track of stats and advertise our race and has grown into much more. I play very little part in the site itself.

[ferrarigr]

Yep...Jake should remember me.I've been shopping all my hop-ups for my F201 from him...Great site.I chec dayly for updates and the forum for ideas.I have my F201 there posted at the photo section Yiannistaz from South Africa...Looks like I'm the only one in South Africa with a F201....hehehe...it's ok...

[InspGadgt]

Ah cool...oh hey did you see my post there on how to make the 3racing shocks work better? Jake mentioned it in his write up of the 3racing shock. Right now I'm working on a write up of the GPM knuckles for the site.

[ferrarigr]

I think that was a post back in July sometime if I remeber well.
I need to work a little bit harder to make some more money and buy the rest of the stuff on the Pit Shop...hehehehehe.....
HAPPY NEW FORMULA 1 YEAR.

Yiannistaz

[theskunk]

okay,
i just drove a friends, and i have decided i NEED one of these.

here's the down side, im on a college budget right now, anyone know where i can pick up one of these cheap? i have all the electronics, and know how to build stick packs out of my 3300's, so please, tell me, what do i want to buy?!?!
thanks,
-Rob

[CarterTG]

Just thought I'd show how I routed the reciever antenna. Simply cut out from a water bottle with a narrow taper toward the front to match the chassis. A series of holes are drilled along the sides to lace the wire through. A quick 10-second run up & down the street shows no glitching... then again, it didn't show any glitching when I previously laced the wire between the two side body posts.

[AEcrazyT3]

Nice antenna mount. I might try that if I get some smaller electronics. Right now I have my recv and transponder sitting right there....

[alerio]

THE F1 CLASS WILL BE LIMITED TO A 19T MOTOR AND A STANDARD 2400 PRE-BUILT BATTERY PACK. YOU CAN HOP-UP THE REST OF THE CAR TO YOUR HEART DESIRE. THIS WILL MAKE THIS CLASS ALL ABOUT THE DRIVING AND NOT ABOUT THE MONEY. HOBBY CHAMBER (http://WWW.HOBBYCHAMBER.COM) :D

[revzalot]

I'm selling it at the moment but I'm thinking of keeping it after reading this forum. Here's the link:

http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176496

[minijosh]

I just got bit by the F201 bug. I'm trading off my Dyan Storm buggy for one hehe. Time to get hop ups. I've heard the motor mount should be the first thing to add. Is that correct? LMK.

[CarterTG]

Time to get hop ups. I've heard the motor mount should be the first thing to add. Is that correct?

The 53521 Lightweight Diff Joints ought to be the FIRST things to get. This isn't about weight. The stock Diff Joints are held together more or less by two screws basically pressing at each other. The 53521 upgrade changes this to a diff assembly much more like a TA04 (IOW, far better). I consider this a CRITICAL upgrade. The rest.... more or less a toss-up by comparison.

You can see the entire F201 assembly manual over at TamiyaClub -dot- com

[minijosh]

I'm a member of Tamiya club already hehe. So how does it change it? I got a TA04 with ball diffs. I guess I'll check out the car when I get it and see what I really got. Are you on TC? I'm minijosh. Anyways, is the high speed gears worth it? I heard you sacrafice the bottom end hardcore. How many different gear ratios are there? My car isn't coming with the manual so I might be guessing at alot of things. I wish tower sold them.

[CarterTG]

The right half of the pic shows the 53521 upgrade parts. The outdrives are held together by one long bolt & lock nut... like the TA04.

The left half shows the stock parts. Like I said, two bolts come together from opposite sides to press against one another. You think that's gonna hold? :p

The only two gear ratios available under TCS parts are ones with the low and high gear set.

For adjustable gearing, you'll have to install a non-Tamiya motor mount.

I'm sure this stuff has been covered in the previous pages of this thread.

[minijosh]

Thanks alot for the photo. Got it in my shopping cart on tower.

[microrcdude]

Mind if i join the F201 owners club? Im getting one, since F1 is slowly getting bigger around here.

[CarterTG]

The Chicago Hobby Show provided an opportunity to evaluate how well those wireless cameras perform... so now the F201 has a li'l addition to it...

[CarterTG]

I made the white mount by simply fusing trimmed pieces of styrene with plastic welding solution. This way, the tiny camera can be panned and tilted into a set position.

[Doomed]

Very cool, lets see some footage from that thing.

[microrcdude]

Thats a sweet mounting setup ya got on there! BTW, hows it mounted to the body? is it in place of the drivers helmet?

[CarterTG]

...hows it mounted to the body? is it in place of the drivers helmet?

Yep, Juan Pablo got decapitated. The screw from underneath is now used to hold the mount in place.. thus it pans left & right to a slight degree. Up & down tilt is acheived from the pivot hub I designed into the mount.

Next task is to adapt a similar mount for the TA04 and M04L chassis... maybe even one for the Mini-Z chassis

[atm92484_3]

I'm thinking about picking up one of these cars. Does anyone recall which magazine/month the tuned version of this car was reviewed?

[microrcdude]

In what magazine?

[atm92484_3]

Any magazine will work.

[minijosh]

Man doesn't anyone run these cars anymore? I'm doing the full 3racing upgrade chassis kit and I'm running into trouble ie missing pieces and undrilled parts. Has anyone else had this problem?

[^j!nx^]

i do i do, I actualy just dusted it off to get ready to run. Man i missed this chassis over the winter. I just installed a novakSS brushless and its F A S T ! ! !

[erikderaaf]

does anyone know if there is a possibility to mount a front one-way in the f201?

[nad138]

Hi. I'm searching for an on-line instruction manual for the tamiya F201 (ferrari). Google's search didn't produce anything near to it. Lost mine when we were moving. Appreciate the help.

[CarterTG]

...on-line instruction manual for the tamiya F201...

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/manuals.asp

58288 and 58303 will be your best shots.

[duanewho]

Hey, lets get this thread rolling again. Just bought an F201, after watching them at the TCS race last year I had to have one!

[microrcdude]

Man i want the bmw FW24(I think) or the High Performance F201 w/ the original body kit, but i cant get any r/c's now, stupid SCCA car.

[duanewho]

Stupid SCCA car? I would gladly give up RC to have the time to race 1:1 scale :) What kind of car do you race?

[microrcdude]

95 mitsu eclipse in ITA. Just now building the car, trying to have it done by june.

[TVRTuscan]

For those of you who have also driven the F103: I can get both (F103 or F201), new in box unbuilt, for the same price. Which do you guys think would be the better car? I'm strongly leaning towards the F103 because of the better team/body selection, RWD, and they seem to be quicker, but the parts seem kind of hard to get.

[microrcdude]

F201. Much better handling, and you can get decals to make any body look like your favorite team. Also, F201 parts are much easier to find.

[topelement]

For those of you who have also driven the F103: I can get both (F103 or F201), new in box unbuilt, for the same price. Which do you guys think would be the better car? I'm strongly leaning towards the F103 because of the better team/body selection, RWD, and they seem to be quicker, but the parts seem kind of hard to get.

The F201 is a lot easier to drive, and more realistic. The F103 has been re-released, and there will soon be a lot of parts for it again. The f103 is faster in the straight, but harder to control around turns and it's not very forgiving to mistakes.

[topelement]

Is anyone using foam tires? I haven't seen them used so far, but it's the only way i can keep the car straight on the track.
The kit tires wore out after like 5 battery packs, so I haven't tried rubber tires again. Not sure how long the Tamiya and aftermarket tires last, but I don't feel like spending $50 on a tire set every saturday.
Any inputs and suggestions on tire brands and compounds are welcome.
Thanks.

[minijosh]

There is a forum on a different website that only does the F1 cars. Did anyone else besides me watch the A1 GP race? If you don't know about it, each country is given 2 cars to race with. All the cars are the same and they are very fast and so much more entertaining than that Formula 1 crap.

[minijosh]

http://www.formula1-rc.com.

[topelement]

http://www.formula1-rc.com.

I've been there for a long time, and that place is dead. 1 post a week maybe.

[topelement]

Just to get things going in here, i though i'd post some pics of a few upgrades on my car.
You can see the carbon fiber rear wing, cf gearbox/suspension brace, and the motor guard. It may be hard to notice, but the wing now has a small Gurney lip at the trailing edge, and will produce less drag at this angle. It's still contoured on the bottom, so it's a better reproduction of a real wing profile. (Should give more downforce and less drag)
I put in long bolts that go from top to bottom of the suspension arm mounting points. The carbon brace connects all 4 bolts to distribute the impact load to 8 points, instead of just 1 like stock. This made a huge improvement in stiffness and the gearbox doesn't crack anymore with hard impacts.
http://www.geocities.com/temaxima/Images/F201_1.jpg
On the front of the car, the same was done to the suspension mounting points. No more loose pivot ball screws! Also visible are the chassis braces in front of the servo. There's one on each side, and it makes the car much more rigid, and makes it work smoother. The front shocks actually travel a lot now like they should, as the chassis used to flex so much that the shocks weren't really doing anything. It was worse with stiffer springs. (Push on the front end, and you will see the upper and lower chassis halves flexing away from each other.)
http://www.geocities.com/temaxima/Images/F201_2.jpg

If anyone is interested in any of the parts, i'll make some more sets!

There are 2 more Tamiya flaws that i'm working on resolving. One is that the rear shock mounting points on the chassis are uneven. The motor side connector ball is about 2mm forward on the chassis compard the other side. Look closely and you'll see. Therefore, the damper needs to be built 2mm longer, and use a 2mm thicker preload spacer to achieve balanced chassis handling.
Another issue is the front shocks hitting the rear mounting point of the upper arms. They rub around the pivot ball when the suspension moves in its travel.
I'll post more pics when i'm happy with the final results.

[minijosh]

How stiff is the ride without the rear shocks? That looks really trick.

[minijosh]

Haha I think I had the last post also.

[desfjr1300]

Hey guys, sorry about reviving this old thread, but I've got a quick question-I'm finally getting around to the 3racing chassis conversion and have it just about completed, but am stumped on how to mount the antenna. There's a hole in the brace over the electronics "compartment", but nothing was included in the kit to attach there. I would'nt mind keeping it under the body, but as it's strictly a basher I need the range. I think I've got a spare M03 antenna mount lying around that I could hack up and use, but something like the aluminum unit used on the mini T graphite chassis would sure look a lot better. Haven't been able to find it separately though, so........
Any ideas?

[elcid4300]

Hey guys, sorry about reviving this old thread, but I've got a quick question-I'm finally getting around to the 3racing chassis conversion and have it just about completed, but am stumped on how to mount the antenna. There's a hole in the brace over the electronics "compartment", but nothing was included in the kit to attach there. I would'nt mind keeping it under the body, but as it's strictly a basher I need the range. I think I've got a spare M03 antenna mount lying around that I could hack up and use, but something like the aluminum unit used on the mini T graphite chassis would sure look a lot better. Haven't been able to find it separately though, so........
Any ideas?


Is this what you are looking for? click (http://www1.instantestore.net/merchant10762/pd_antenna.cfm)

[desfjr1300]

Elcid, you are amazing. That is EXACTLY what I'm after. THANK YOU!!

[elcid4300]

Elcid, you are amazing. That is EXACTLY what I'm after. THANK YOU!!

aw shucks, thanks :o

[Dakota2763]

This looks to be the new thing in the F201 Chassis it is the talk of the town out in cali! George C, Rod C, Tony Phalin, and a few others as in 2005 tcs champ 2004 and 2003 tcs champ are all moving over to the MLP Chassis check it out,.

and there is also talk of an F2006 2WD F1 Chassis and a Nitro Chassis to come!

MLP Motorsports Int (http://www.mlpmotorsports.net)

[topelement]

/\ Thanks for the link to MLP. That must be one of the worst websites if seen, but the product seems cool. I was so confused going to the different pages and trying to understand the jibberish.
Anyone know which kit i need to simply convert my plastic chassis to a full CF chassis, but keep the 4wd and stick pack?

[desfjr1300]

topelement-If you read thru this thread you'll see what others are using. I think the only cf chassis out right now, (besides the new MLP) is the one by 3racing. I've just converted mine over to it and it retains the 4wd and stick pack configuration. The instructions aren't the greatest, but the fit is perfect-no dremeling required-and it includes everything but the antenna mount. Check ebay for best price, or hit up RCBoyz.

With that said, I'm not sure that it makes any difference in the way the car runs, as I've noticed no effect on handling, but that blingy CF sho' do look cool! :D

[CarterTG]

Made available first on Radio Control Zone. Download to your hard drive before playing -- Enjoy!

WilliamsF1.wmv (http://www.freebmw.net/carter/tamiya/58303/WilliamsF1.wmv)

[elcid4300]

Made available first on Radio Control Zone. Download to your hard drive before playing -- Enjoy!

WilliamsF1.wmv (http://www.freebmw.net/carter/tamiya/58303/WilliamsF1.wmv)


Awesome stuff Carter, love the suspension shots. It's amazing how much the suspension actually travels!! Good work ;)

[topelement]

topelement-If you read thru this thread you'll see what others are using. I think the only cf chassis out right now, (besides the new MLP) is the one by 3racing. I've just converted mine over to it and it retains the 4wd and stick pack configuration. The instructions aren't the greatest, but the fit is perfect-no dremeling required-and it includes everything but the antenna mount. Check ebay for best price, or hit up RCBoyz.

With that said, I'm not sure that it makes any difference in the way the car runs, as I've noticed no effect on handling, but that blingy CF sho' do look cool! :D

Thank you, but i was referring to the MLP kits. Just want to know which one i need to convert my F201. Or at least just the bottom deck.
I think the F201ST1 is the carbon lower deck, but it seems to be slotted, and might not work with stock packs. The F201ST3R seems to be what i need to get the top and bottom CF decks.
Again, very confusing site and part numbers, but i'll see if i can contact someone at MLP directly.

[desfjr1300]

Oops! Sorry 'bout that!
You're right about the site-kinda hard to decipher which is what. The current update makes it sound like the "F2006 4wd" chassis is what you're after but part numbers are hard to find.

[topelement]

*cricket cricket*

Man, this place is dead! Anyone still running the F201's?

I was able to get a hold of the guy at MLP, and he was helpful in choosing the kit i was looking for. Should be interesting to see how much stiffer and lighter it makes the flimsy F201.

[topelement]

Quick question on gearing the car. Should the speed tuned gears be used with a P2K motor? The stock 7.15 gearing seems to low, but the motor was getting pretty warm with speed tuned. Any thoughts?

[henryj]

Really depends on the size of the track. I ran stock gearing at a TCS race in Pa. on a very small indoor asphalt track. Did pretty well. Noticed most of the guys had a fan or fans mounted to the motor guard. My car got so hot it melted the main chassis.
Ran another race in Md., but used the high speed gear set, with a fan added. Motor got hot, but not enough to damage chassis. The next time I run it I will have two fans on it. Just not enough interest around here for a class to get going. The car is a little complicated to get set-up right, but once you do boy does it make a difference.
With all that said, for just bashing I would run the stock gearing and yes the motor will get hot after a few minutes. Just run it 5 minutes and let it cool off I guess. Lmk if you need anything else. I went to two TCS races with mine and learned a ton from those guys. It was truely a blast racing with them. I plan on at least 3 maybe 4 races in 06.
See ya!

[topelement]

Anybody have info about the up coming F201 races being held in La Mirada, CA? Wanted to get some info on exact location and the exact rules.
Never raced my F201, just tested a lot at the Tamiya America track. Might give it a try.

[Dongskie Pinoy]

Hi Guys!

Just wanted to ask if any of you have tried these F201 hop-ups by 3Racing:

http://www.3racing.com.hk/Image/TF201C/TF201C008_s.jpg
Aluminum Adjustable Motor Mount

http://www.3racing.com.hk/Image/TF201C/TF201C001_s.jpg
Carbon Fiber Upper and Lower Deck for F201

If you are currently using one, pls post some pictures, I am very interested to purchase them and would like to see them mounted prior to my order...

Thanks!!

[microrcdude]

Those hop-ups are amaaizing. They work great, MUUUUUUUUCH better than the stock pieces.

[topelement]

Should I use speed tuned or stock gears with the Novak 5800SS? What's everyone running?
Tamiya25 turn is too slow with speed tuned gears, and the Tamiya 23turn RZ runs pretty hot. 19turn gets really hot with speed tuned gears, but the car moves! Then I switch to stock gears for a 17turn, and the car seems slower, and it needs a 12 turn to go fast again with stock gears. Damn limited gearing options!
I'm open to suggestions for motor/gearing combos for a high speed track, specifically Tamiya America.

[microrcdude]

id use the speed tuned gears. the speed tuned are more suited for "hotter" motors

[topelement]

id use the speed tuned gears. the speed tuned are more suited for "hotter" motors

What type of "hot" motors are you referring to? 23 turn and lower don't seem to do too well temp-wise with the speed tuned gears. The problem is exacerbated on tight tracks, but i only run on the Tamiya America track which is fairly wide open.

[Dongskie Pinoy]

Here's a pic of my F210.. almost stock except for the aluminum motor mount.

[topelement]

Any advice on what gearing i should use for a Novak SS5800 with the rotor upgrade? The upgarde increases torque, but reduces max rpm's.
So the 7.15 gearing will have massive torque, and won't put much load on the motor. But the car may not go very fast. The 5.88 gearing will have a much better top speed to compensate for the lower rpm's, and i think the motor will have enough torque to be geared this way. However, i don't want to get the electronics too hot.
Any input?

[cfjan]

I would definitely run the 7.15 gearing.. right now, I run the Sport Tune motor w/ the high speed gear set (5.88) and it is burning HOT.. (and this is a 27T motor..)

So for a 5800, I'd say it is similar to 13-15T brushed motor, I'd definitely run the stock gearing....

[cfjan]

Built up my F201 (Ferrari F2001) last week.. no, the Sphere / Neo-1 Brushless setup didn't go into it.. I used the stock Sport Tune.. the Sphere went into my Lunchbox.. (so yes, my Lunchbox is faster than my road car.. :P)

[cfjan]

All wired up.. looking nice!

[cfjan]

With the high speed gearset, the motor gets pretty hot.. I decided to put the heatsink from my TB-02 on it.. needed to remove some material on the chassis to make it fit, but nothing a Dremel can't fix!

[cfjan]

Another angle..

Waiting for the Tamiya aluminum motor guard / chassis brace...

Gonna mount a fan to blow air into the heatsink / motor to cool it further... should be good to go!

[cfjan]

Stock tires are pretty bad.. after 3 runs, the front tires became slicks.. (used to have 3 groves..!)

Any suggestion on the tires? (and where to get them!) I know I can get the Tamiya reinforced ones from Tower.. but I don't know where to get tires from other brands...

[Dakota2763]

Gadgetworks.biz has them the after market tires and wheels

and on ebay

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&fstype=1&from=R10&catref=C12&satitle=f201&sacat=2562%26catref%3DC6&bs=Search&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search&fgtp=&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=60172&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=

[cfjan]

Yeah, I looked into eBay.. might try the "Square" brand.. but I might just stick w/ Tamiya Type B.. We will see!!

Definitely need hard compound for a basher like me!

[Dakota2763]

http://home.comcast.net/~martylee38/Picture_949.jpg

Or you can use these the same tires and wheels we run on our New F206F1 2wd car and our F201SCFPRO II !

[Dakota2763]

http://home.comcast.net/~martylee38/Picture_748.JPG

Here this is an F201 From MLP ok

[cfjan]

How much are they?! (the tires) Do they last?

[minijosh]

I have the exact kit from 3Racing. I have pics at tamiyaclub.com with all my F201 hooked up. I just need the front and rear shocks and she's a racer. I've spent too much money on my other cars to finish it atm.


Hi Guys!

Just wanted to ask if any of you have tried these F201 hop-ups by 3Racing:

http://www.3racing.com.hk/Image/TF201C/TF201C008_s.jpg
Aluminum Adjustable Motor Mount

http://www.3racing.com.hk/Image/TF201C/TF201C001_s.jpg
Carbon Fiber Upper and Lower Deck for F201

If you are currently using one, pls post some pictures, I am very interested to purchase them and would like to see them mounted prior to my order...

Thanks!!

[soulstice]

Is it possible to put a sedan body on this chassis from a wheelbase perspective? Does it take normal touring sedan hexes?

I need a low profile chassis for a few bodies that I have. I know there is the F103GT but I like the 4WD and inboard suspension on this chassis so I was wondering if it was possible.

Thanks

[cfjan]

Is it possible to put a sedan body on this chassis from a wheelbase perspective? Does it take normal touring sedan hexes?

I need a low profile chassis for a few bodies that I have. I know there is the F103GT but I like the 4WD and inboard suspension on this chassis so I was wondering if it was possible.

Thanks


The wheelbase is about 0.5" longer than the typical touring car, but I am sure with some careful trimming, the sedan body would fit just fine..

[cfjan]

Built a carbon fiber bracket to mount a cooling fan (as the motor gets pretty hot due to the high speed gearset).. Top view..

[cfjan]

A different angle where you can see the fan.. these LRP fans are very strong for its size.. hopefully it will provide plenty of cooling... !!

[graeme_rsa]

Hi All

Just changed to the 3Racing carbon fibre chassis kit. Kept all my other settings the same. At a race meeting last Sunday, I was lapped by a F201 car that I beat by a couple of seconds at our last race meeting when using the std chassis!

Does anybody have any suggestions on how I should change my previous settings to suit the 3Racing chassis?

Specs are - all lightweight parts, Tamiya TZ motor, hi-speed gearset, Type A's all round.

Cheers

Graeme

[minijosh]

Hey CFjan that's a nice little set up for the fan.

Hey graeme rsa, how was your driving this time around? Any freak accidents that caused you to lose time? I don't have a set up sheet for the F201 but since your car is lighter and stronger than normal, you should tweak the car a bit. I'd say more toe in on the front but that's just me.

[cfjan]

Hey CFjan that's a nice little set up for the fan.


Thanks! Yeah, it helps a lot.. the little fan is strong.. it keeps the heatsink cool.. you can put your finger on the heatsink and feels almost no temperature... (compare to burning hot when there's no fan / no heatsink!)

I am happy w/ the outcome..

[cfjan]

Added a Novak power capacitor to the ESC (Futaba MC330CR).. I know it is probably not doing much as I am only running the stock RS540 Sport Tune, but it never hurts.. :)

[cfjan]

Top view... !

[cfjan]

Finally put on the aluminum motor guard / chassis brace.. had to cut the 2nd fin on the motor heatsink to 1/2 length to clear the brace..

Made another bracket to go from the chassis to the fan.. and installed a hard rubber tube in between to make the fan "rubber mounted" (yes, I used threadlock on the nut/bolt).. this way, the fan is lowered to the proper height to blow directly into the motor..

(it wasn't needed before as I didn't have the added height of the aluminum brace)

I think it looks good! Looks clean..

[cfjan]

From another angle...

[cfjan]

Finally painted the body and put on the stickers.. looks good!

[cfjan]

Good looking wheel / tires.. those are Tamiya Type-B compound.. (hard compound) It is good for a basher like me... !!

[cfjan]

Frontal shot!

[cfjan]

Everything fits within the body.. the fan, the power capacitor, etc. :cool:

[minijosh]

Looks all good. It doesn't touch the shell but I'm going to bet you break it off when you smack the walls or a curb.

[cfjan]

You mean the fan? Hopefully I won't smack into a wall.... :)

Touring car obviously offer much more protection!

[cfjan]

Another shot!

[cfjan]

An outdoor pic...

[cfjan]

Just for kick - I took the set of old worn out tires and cut the center portion out, but leave the foam / insert in.. then slip on the ABS pipe / drift tires.. here's the bizzard creation.. F-1 drifter!!

[cfjan]

Works great.. my best drifter.. :D Better than my touring car! I guess it is because the tires still got some rubber on the side for some bite.. it works great.. ;) (after the rubber on the side sticking out worn down a little bit.. initially it was a little bit hard to drift as the car would snap back once off throttle due to the excessive rubber.. but now it is perfect!)

[topelement]

An outdoor pic...

Looks like you installed the tires wrong. The tires have a groove in them, which is supposed to mount on the lip of the wheels.

[cfjan]

LOL, yeah, I realized that after I glued them up.. ha ha! I will know what to do on my next set of tires..

[rx78gp03s]

quick and simple question, what configuration of batteries does this thing use?

[cfjan]

Scroll up a little bit and you will see the pic taken from the bottom of the chassis..

It takes a regular stick pack.. I am not sure if the SxS pack would fit, but probably would... not sure, though, as I don't have a SxS pack... :rolleyes:

[microrcdude]

if you upgrade to one of the MLP chassis you can use almost any configuration

[RoadrashAZ]

I went to my local Hobby Town and guess what I found? They had a big box of Tamiya hop ups and spare parts. I found a bunch of F201 parts real cheap....Tamiya universals for $2 and F201 tires for $1 a pair! Lightweight diff cups for $1, aluminum motor mount for $2! Needless to say I got everything they had for the F201 and some misc. TA04 parts...

[microrcdude]

how much did you spend in total? Sounds like a crazy deal, you gotta love the bargin bins!

[RoadrashAZ]

Let's see, Monday I spent like $30 and today I spent another $40 and on top of that, the guy that rang me up undercharged me $1.75 (I think he lost count trying to ring all that stuff up). I'll have to see what I got in total...I may ebay some of the stuff I don't need!

On a separate note, it's too bad a lot of the local hobby shops don't like to stock Tamiya kits and parts. Over here all they want to sell you are Associated, Losi and Traxxas.

[microrcdude]

Same here, so i always order tons of parts from hong kong and sell what i dont need hehe

[minijosh]

Come on RoadrashAZ, hook us up with some spares. What store was it at? Tucson or Phoenix areas? I need shocks for my F201.

[RoadrashAZ]

It was the HobbyTown in Gilbert, AZ, but I didn't see any shocks for the F201 in the bargain box. In fact, you won't find any more F201 parts in that box since I pretty much bought them all :)

[topelement]

I went to my local Hobby Town and guess what I found? They had a big box of Tamiya hop ups and spare parts. I found a bunch of F201 parts real cheap....Tamiya universals for $2 and F201 tires for $1 a pair! Lightweight diff cups for $1, aluminum motor mount for $2! Needless to say I got everything they had for the F201 and some misc. TA04 parts...

Wow, good finds! A lot of stores aren't carrying much Tamiya stuff nowadays.
Let me know what tire compounds you got, and i'll buy a few pairs for a couple bucks each.

[minijosh]

Hey Rash, any TA04 or TA05 parts in that bucket? I tried to search lhs's when I went home to the Phoenix area but I only got a old skool servo saver. Worth peanuts. :(

[RoadrashAZ]

I found two sets of lighweight drive cups for the TA04 but I'm gonna use them in my TA04. I didn't see anything for the TA05, but that's probably a good thing or else I would have ordered one (a TA05 kit) if I found spare parts for it!

[topelement]

I found two sets of lighweight drive cups for the TA04 but I'm gonna use them in my TA04. I didn't see anything for the TA05, but that's probably a good thing or else I would have ordered one (a TA05 kit) if I found spare parts for it!

Did you pick up any A compound F201 tires? With the upcoming cold weather, they should work well. If you have a set, i'll definitely give you a couple bucks for each pair. Wheels would be great too.
Thanks.

[RoadrashAZ]

There was only one set of rear regular compound tires that I could find and I'll probably keep those. I'll see how many sets of wheels I ended up with and I'll keep you posted.

[RoadrashAZ]

Does anyone here have a preference on whether to run universals all the way around or just in the front on their F201?

[topelement]

Does anyone here have a preference on whether to run universals all the way around or just in the front on their F201?

I prefer to use universals all around for best efficiency. Steel shafts up front, and aluminum in the rear.

[RoadrashAZ]

I've never used universals on my cars before and I just got a set for my F201. Is it a good idea to use the anti-wear grease like it says in the instructions or just leave them bare? I have a feeling the dust and grime will stick to the grease and cause premature wear on the universals.

[topelement]

I've never used universals on my cars before and I just got a set for my F201. Is it a good idea to use the anti-wear grease like it says in the instructions or just leave them bare? I have a feeling the dust and grime will stick to the grease and cause premature wear on the universals.

Definitely use the AW grease, but not too much. Dab the wheel end of the dog bone in the grease, put a little on the cylinder that goes inside the dog bone, a tiny bit on the pin, and a dab inside the wheel axle joint.
After assembling, spin the universal while pivoting the joint. This will get all the contact parts lubed. Then wipe off any excess.

[RoadrashAZ]

Wow this thread is dead...

Has anyone used the 3Racing shock sets for their F201 cars? They look nice and all but I'm wondering about the quality and if they leak or not.

[topelement]

Wow this thread is dead...

Has anyone used the 3Racing shock sets for their F201 cars? They look nice and all but I'm wondering about the quality and if they leak or not.

I haven't tried them, so i can't comment on their quality. They may work better than stock, but i would recommend just getting the Tamiya hop up versions.
Along with the aluminum rocker arms, they're by far the best improvement to the car.

[minijosh]

I need to purchase the full 3 racing shock set. I got the chassis but never mounted the stock shocks.

[cheerwhiner]

anybody know where i can get an f201 now? Thanks. I really want to customize an F1 car, may have to get an F103 chassis which *can* work

[cfjan]

You still see them on eBay now and then... F201 is discontinued, so either used or eBay!

[cheerwhiner]

bidding on one on ebay right now, literally ONE on ebay at the moment (wait probably shouldn't have broadcasted that)

I can hold off......... just want it, don't need it kind of thing

[cheerwhiner]

i put a max bid of $150 for it, not gonna go any higher. I probably wouldn't drive it at all or drive it all the time knowing me.................discontinued chassis, how long will the parts be around being the concern. F103 with an F1 body so I can actually drive it and not worry about parts may be what i do if i don't win the auction----but an f201 chassis is better!! F103 being a pan car on a parking lot hmmmmmmm not such a good idea. I love F1 but may just stick to 190 or 200 mm touring bodies on my ta04, tc4, and NTC3

[cheerwhiner]

phh that f201 is up to $190 with an hour left, my max bid was $150, uh gotta pass for now

[alphaslider]

Sorry cheerwhiner, keep trying. Another idea, if you have not done it, is to call around to your LHS and ask if they have the F201 left. If you really want one I think my cousin has two F201's and I think he runs only one of them. He maybe willing to part with one ever since he got a nitro on road (funny story on that...some other time). Just PM me with you email address or contact phone number and I will pass it on to him.

[RoadrashAZ]

It's really too bad that Tamiya has discontinued the F201. It's the ultimate in scale realism and it handles pretty well too. I have one that is going to be a shelf queen but I wouldn't mind getting another one.

[jamesbernatchez]

Figured Id bring this back from the dead. I have two F201 cars that I recently got. Both have aftermarket chassis' and other goodies. I have lots of spares and 3 NIP bodysets as well as NIP tires/wheels. Ill try and get some pics tomorrow for ya.

[cheerwhiner]

Yeah i got on yesterday that I won on ebay, and I knew it wasn't coming with the pinion gear, and I don't have the appropriate one, so I need to wait a few more days to drive it; I just ordered the 20/21 pinion for the stock spur gear AND the high speed gear set; I am kicking my self for not doing this before the car arrived, BUT I wanted to make sure there was nothing else I would need. Can't use standard 48p pinions (yes I tried too JUST to make sure, I have a spare spur gear anyway for it) and low and behold nah, but man its gorgeous.

With my Full scale car racing (auto cross) this weekend, I can be patient for this part. Can't wait, it has my Novak GTX and airtronics micro receiver in it, so its pretty stout. Have a Monster Stock Pro in it, once I am comfortable with gearing/heat, its going to have a 10x2 Reedy before too long, if possible!!

What motor/gearing combos are you guys running without damaging and decent run times? I don't want a missile that only lasts a minute, looking for a good compromise, 10 minute run time if possible on 3300s with a good motor...................speed gear set too!

[cheerwhiner]

well i realized the mini cooper that my friend has would use the same pinion as this car, so i put it in and drove it

man this thing likes to swing out on the rear of the car, its fun though. At least I can drive the car now. Motor runs a little warmer than I would want, and I think with the option high speed gears it would be warmer; I may need to get a tamiya motor on it perhaps.......I have a highly suped up 27t stock motor with all the bells and whistles from my tc4 when I raced it this year.........maybe too much? I wouldn't think it is; i may need to make sure there is no binding and probably just relube bearings and all as I bought the car used..............

I am just excited to finally drive the car :D

[jamesbernatchez]

I haven't even used either of mine and im already planning on sticking one up on ebay. :( Oh well...I need the cash more and ill still have one :)

[tambrose]

I haven't even used either of mine and im already planning on sticking one up on ebay. :( Oh well...I need the cash more and ill still have one :)

I might be interested in your F201. Email me at thomasambrose at mindspring dot com.

Thanks,

-tom

[jamesbernatchez]

Ill let you know. Pics of the one im definitly keeping up later tonight.

[aherpo01]

It can't be done already!

I got my F201 a few years back and just played around with it. Now I have time to race and it seems as though everyone is done with the F201, and most f1 racing for that matter.

Lets get something going! Anyone in the west michigan area still have some of these and want to race this summer???

Anyone looking for good upgrade options that may be hard to find?

How about great technical advice and set-up options?

Lets res erect these awesome and loved cars and get them back into the spotlight.

[toaster]

Saw F201 chassis pics in this forum and fell in love with it. So I lokked around and bought it the A type a few weeks ago on ebay for $160. I am not new in rc cars, but it took me the better part of 2 days to build the F201. Took real care assembling it and I love the end result. I already had a high speed gear set and installed that. Everything else is out of the box. I really like the intricate engineering that comes with the car and the quality is so good - for that price. When I took it to my local asphalt track for a spin I was impressed with the handling. Like I said, straight out of the box the F201 is very predictable and accurate. I immediately did power slides with it as the standard tyres do not have such good grip. The only problem was that it oversteered coming out of corners, but I adjusted my driving style, hence the power slides. The other problem is that the black body was hard to see on black asphalt, so I sprayed it yellow. The F201 is reasonably fast with the sports tuned motor. Although the motor is almost fully enclosed, it did not get too hot (track temperature is around 45 degrees C). When I finished building it I though I'd keep it as my shelf queen because spares are hard to get now. But after a few laps I got hooked and love driving it. It is a great car. Too bad that it is not made anymore and that spares are hard to get. I have ordered reinforced suspension arms and universal drive shafts, as they are the first to get damaged. Next will be a new set of Tamiya A tyres and new body.

[cheerwhiner]

i don't know if i should keep it or not, i mean parts are hard to get but people want the car, so I could sell it easily on ebay. I want to drive it but I dunno....... if I brake a part I can't get then it would be over!

[TamiyaIFSDriver]

I believe that there will be a new F-103

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/coming_soon.php?sub-id=36100

[RoadrashAZ]

I believe that there will be a new F-103

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/coming_soon.php?sub-id=36100


Actually, this doesn't sound like it will be a F201 4wd type chassis. The description says it is based on the F103 which is the solid axle rear/front coil spring kingpin chassis. These cars are very lightweight and hard to drive.

[graeme_rsa]

Agreed ...

About the Model
The F103 chasis is based on the F-1 chassis.
53248 Formula Lightweight Diff Joint Set.
*The rotating parts have been lightened, therefore faster starts are possible. 53257 Formula Height Adjustable Gear Case is supplied.
* There is no need to worry about tire size as the vehicles height is adjustable. 53273 Formula Car Rear Suspension Ball Mount Set is supplied. * The conventional rear suspension O-ring support is now a ball support. Reduces vibrations which provides a smoother roll action. Comes equipped with a battery holder, which has been built to reduce possible road contact.
Comes with RM type body (Markings not included).
Front suspension has a kingpin coil spring, T-bar type rear suspension has a friction plate and coil spring.
Equipped with full bearings and standard ball differential.
Isometric steering rod.

I have no idea what they are talking about re. the "conventional rear suspension O ring support" ... O rings??? Looked at part # 53273 and the only thing I could see is that perhaps the shock mount has been modified!

RM type body ???

Sounds to me as another re-release of an F103

[cheerwhiner]

ok well i guess i will keep an eye on that car then. f201 is going on ebay next week.

[RoadrashAZ]

ok well i guess i will keep an eye on that car then. f201 is going on ebay next week.


Dude, I would keep it if I were you. Sure you could drive it till it breaks and run out of spares or you could clean it up and have it on display to admire the scales looks.

I have one F201 that is freshly built with hop-ups but I don't think I will drive it...outside at least! I even have enough spares to keep it going for a while but I like it too much to drive it and get it dirty lol. It's staying on the shelf for me to admire because Formula 1 has always been one of my favorite types of race cars.

[cheerwhiner]

well i just really want some dough for racing and I don't want a car I don't run. I'm getting a bunch of stuff together to list on ebay including the f201. I kinda regret buying it but got to learn. I just need my race car and one parking lot car to be happy. So other cars are being sold not just the f201

[cheerwhiner]

I need to free up some dough to race and I decided to sell a lot of stuff so the F201 is on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220260601437

[fritzzz]

Hi There,

I lashed out and bought an F201 on the weekend so I cannot wait for it to arrive.

Does anyone have any "how to build" threads / information on specific things to do through the build in addition to what's in the manual? Sometimes people work out that there are little tricks along the way.

Also, if anyone has links to F201 specific resources I'd appreciate them.

Thanks for your help.

[fritzzz]

Has anyone by any chance got the December 2003 issue of "Radio Control Car Racer"?

It has an article in it about a hoped up Tamiya F1 so I was trying to track down a scanned copy for my collection.

Thanks

[fritzzz]

Just starting to think ahead about my car and what parts I should start accumulating for the future when they become a bit scarcer.

The obvious things I can think of are:-

- body
- tyres
- rims

But what else is there....

[fishymamba]

Front wings break easily. I just installed one on my F103GT