Pro10noob

iTrader: (13)

Or just drive the car as it is and perfect the setup.
I still drive my old and trusty F103 with a minimum of hop ups.
Alloy motor heatsink, TRF shock, long topdeck(home made) and flex T-bar.
For starters it was a F103RM.
It is now about 15 years old and still going strong.
Got me a F104Pro also but got rid of some of the "heavy" alloy parts and made it a wide version.
Drives a lot better and is a lot lighter also

regards Roy

dfx

How do You set 5mm disk springs (part# BA20 in F104 Pro manual)? The position like () is used with ball bearing in F104 Pro diff but in F103 manual with thrust bearing is the position oposite )(

bakaguyjean

iTrader: (1)

They use different bearings so you should do what the manual says for the diffs. So pro diff is () just like you said

shanem6793

has any one tried the TRG roll damper system that replaces the tamiya friction pads in the F104? I believe that r/c mart has this setup for about $57 USD.
I plan to use my 104 on tarmac using ruber tyres with a silver can for the time being

theatriks

iTrader: (8)

LOL i got money just trying to make u guys see the routine tamiya puts its customers through but it seems u guys like to wake up in the morning and bend over for tamiya lol

crashingbird

iTrader: (1)

that's (partially) bullshit

Let me tell something about expensive R/C, Tamiya F1, 103/104...

racing on a tight budget isn't easy, but spend your money on usefull things, not the 'bling things', but some needed spares, and tires !!!!

...and don't believe that hop-ups will bring your laptimes down, some parts are usefull, but there's so much (expensive stuff) just for the looks ......and of course every company just want to sell ....that's business

expensive you said ?

-> we started r/c a couple of years ago in 10th offroad -> finding a good setup isn't easy, and damn, those things eat tires....but we're still into offroad (became frustrated for a thousand reasons, swapped the local real old scool 'stock27t' club with it's strange rules, for the Belgian/Dutch nationals now), because there it's real fun, and there are so much nice and helpfull people competing in it !

also went a bit into 12th, (wintertime!) tires coming loose at the edges, wich results in tire-chunking, not to mention all those different compounds needed (f/r) to find the right balance to be competitive.... that's expensive ...real fun to drive, but it's a really sensitive car to adjust, not the thing if you don't have time to go testing...
And in my country, it was a spec class (10.5), hate that, because you need the best esc/batt's (that's expensive) and newest software...to be the fastest on the straight..

also tried 1/10 touring with some 'old' cars, (some time ago, when there were only Tamiya touring and no F1-races in my country) but didn't had the knowledge nor the time how to properly setup such a car

than F1 became a bit popular again, forgot about that rather complex and time consuming touring stuff
I had a real old second hand 103 lying around, bought it on ebay (before the reeditions and 15th ann. came out) and let my son drive this fantastic machine on a local (a bit bumpy though!) carpet track (with foams) and from time to time a Tamiya race : no hassle with setups or adjustments -> just make sure to use tire traction on the rears for half an hour, wipe it off, make a donut, drive 1 or better, 2 calm outlaps (because the tires are at first a bit slippery, and than.....let it rock !!!!!!!!
I even find those Tamiya foams good tires (on carpet, we have almost no experience on tarmac)
These cars are fun !
People at the track (touring guys) allways ask me, what car that is, if it's still available...and that they see that it drives great !

Got 3 of them right now(all second hand) and 1 new F104 (the F60) , never even changed a t-bar, just changed them to all have the adjustable height rear pod,and alu motor plate.
Now my two younger sons (9 & 11) also drive the 103, and like it so much more than their TT01's !
Only negative point is that it (unlike the 104) lacks the ability to adjust the front ride height !
And we must admit, for driving, these good ol' 103's we like them more than the F104, who is a fantastic scale looking car, but where the scale dimensions from my view, don't make it such a stable and easy to drive car as the 103's
(didn't they all drove the 104W at the tamiya Euro's, from what I've heard ...back to basic's, 200mm and F103 front suspension rulezzzz )

-> the 103 'camel' lotus and 104W McLaren are on my wishlist !

I'm sure the 104W is a good car too !

Who needs all those bling parts ?
Or even the carbon pro version....unless your name is Marc Reinhardt, and you're going to the worlds with it, and know all about setting up a carbon car, than it can give you a couple of tenth's advantage, but most hobby drivers will be better off with a standard glassfiber version !
-> a glassfiber chassis flexes, and a flexing chassis is what gives you grip !!

Never really understood why those touringcars became so popular, t-bar F1 cars are so much more fun !

Just my vision on r/c racing and Tamiya F1's

Kurt,
Belgium

crashingbird

iTrader: (1)

nice to see that there are realistic people into r/c as well

Pro10noob

iTrader: (13)

Hehehehehehe,

Drove my F103 this year in the Dutch Tamiya challenge after not competing with it in about 12 years.
Had some trouble finding the right combo tires to let the car work for me but still finfished 4th in the chapionship.
Had a nice rumble with some Belgium drivers at Rucphen for the final race and came in 5th overall after having a blast at the wet track( i need to get me some pitsu rubber tires for that )
Going to compete again next year again with my F103 and if that one will be banded i will get my F104W into the battle.
The tires from the F103 work great on a F104W

regards Roy

crashingbird

iTrader: (1)

Hope the 103's won't get banned, they are still for sale ! (lotus version)

Missed the 2010 and 2011 Tamiya Final events :-( but have good memories of the 2009 edition (a shame that there was no F1 then, and although I was second to last in the Mini's, my 3 sons did pretty well that day :-) )
http://www.tamiya.be/belned2009.htm

-> if the local guys at any track are helpfull by sharing the tire 'secrets', it would be a whole lot less expensive and not so time-consuming!
-> when there are no spec tires at an event, the recommended types should at least be mentioned in the rules !

Hope to be in Rucphen in 2012 ! :-)

Kurt

Pro10noob

iTrader: (13)

I don't know the rules in Belgium but we could use any foam tires that fitted the F103 and F104 rims.
What did work at most tracks except Eindhoven was front 36 to 45SH and rear 25 to 36SH.
At Eindhoven we had to use rubber as the track was so slippery(and dusty) that foam didn't work.
I say, get your F103 or F104 ready for next year and see you at the finals.

regards Roy

mattwoodcraft

iTrader: (10)

thanks mate

you racing on the weekend? my brother is using my F1 this weekend he usually runs the nitro will be interesting to see if i have a car left at the end of this

Pro10noob

iTrader: (13)

I have the springs like the F103 has it in the manual.
Smooth as silk.
Been driving it for a month of 3 now without any problems.

regards Roy

mattwoodcraft

iTrader: (10)

with running the 10.5 or 13.5 on carpet i was having problems with diff slip on carpet i use 4 washers and 12 ball bearings in the spur my diffs now are super smooth and dont need nearly as much rebuilds now

LordAnubis

iTrader: (19)

Yeah i was gonna race RRC this weekend but then thought stuff it, F1 has to be the winner on a nice warm day.

Its a pre-nats event so 6 rounds of racing instead of the usual 5

mugler

iTrader: (3)

Can anyone tell if F103 diff thrust bearing is meant to be lubed/ greased or needs to be ran dry in order not to leak slick stuff on the cone washers? was thinking of this upgrade for F104 but maybe that's why they went to regular bearing instead of traditional thrust style??