kb525

I was looking for how much it'd take to transform my f104w to a narrow. Figure for that amount I may as well just get an fgx. What site sells them for the least?

ShadowAu

iTrader: (7)

Because if they did all that, people would just bitch instead about the extra cost of the kits. Go and compare the cost of B&w and Colour photocopying to get an idea of just how much more a full colour manual might cost. It'll add a lot more than $5 to the cost of a kit I'd wager.

BTW my last phone (Motorola) had NO instructions supplied at all - had to look them up on the net. More and more consumer electronics are placing very basic instructions in the box and anything technical or detailed needs to be looked up on the net. In comparison, RC manuals are brilliant.

If you are stripping so many screws maybe you need to lay off the elbow grease a little.

As for switching to Torx screws I'd rather be forced to try and use my teeth. My partner owns a Renault and the thing is FULL of Torx screws and its a nightmare to work on, and that's WITH a full compliment of bits and drivers to use.

robk

iTrader: (22)

Phillips screws suck. That is all.

fritzzz

i second that

eff one

yes they suck, u r correct sir...

IndyHobbies.com

One thing I learned last month was that Japanese phillips screws (like what comes with most of our cars) are different than our standard. They have was is called JIS screws or "Japanese Industrial Standard." That why we often strip them out using our standard Stanley or Craftsman phillips screwdrivers. I learned this from a motorcycle mechanic.

http://www.amazon.com/Hozan-JIS-4-JI...crewdriver+set

What you need is a set of JIS screwdrivers like the above link.

Or, the screwdriver that you can buy from Team Associated, for example, is a JIS. You've probably seen it at the hobbyshop for like $12, and thought, "are they joking?" But, that's why its there. I finally bought one. Haven't stripped a phillips screw since.

Here's the Associated one:

http://www.teamassociated.com/parts/details/1553/

IndyHobbies.com

"What do you get when you cross the F1 class with the Mini Cooper class?"

edhchoe

iTrader: (41)

I have those screwdrivers also. However, I prefer the hex drivers. The hex head screws are much less likely to strip for repeated use. And there is no question which size driver is the one to use while Phillips heads can take the wrong size driver and still work while it slowly gets worn out.

terry.sc

Each to their own. As you can guess most people can happily work through a kit build using the manuals provided. I have had a kit with a full colour manual with lots of extra photos, unfortunately (like pc and phone manuals!) it was included on a CD, meaning you had to build your kit next to your computer, or as in my case as I build my cars on a workbench in the garage meant I had to print out the manual to take it out there with me.

As for Tamiya not including the body in their high end race chassis, for most regular F1 racers we have a preferred body and as they last considerably longer than touring car bodies we usually transfer bodies between cars. Tamiyas modern body selection is the McLaren MP4-25, Ferrari F60 and generic F104 Pro. Due to licensing Tamiya would end up including the F104 Pro shell, which we would all then throw away as it isn't scale enough. Giving the option of being supplied a body we won't use or saving the cost of including a body, we would all choose the kit without the body.

The vast majority of Tamiyas F1 cars come with bodies, the only exceptions are the F104X1 and F104v2, both are expensive high end race chassis aimed at the experienced racer. There are 12 other F104 kits, every one of those includes a body and wings.

Can't say anything about the screws in the HPI and FGX, but Tamiya screws are pretty good if you sue the right size screwdriver as they aren't phillips heads. Having run various Tamiya F1s over 20 years now, having used the correct type of screwdriver I have never had a screw head strip out, although have destroyed plenty of allen head screws.
They are in plastic because that's the best material for them. Plastic reduces the unsprung weight, enables ball joints to snap into place, and gives a failure point. If shock ball ends were metal, and they were in the early days of r/c, it would need to be bigger and increasing weight and inertia. Metal ball ends would also mean in an accident it would put the impact load through the shock breaking or bending the shock shaft or breaking the shock mount instead of a plastic ball end popping off the ball or being pulled off the end of the shock shaft.

terry.sc

As you've already got an F104W there's not that many parts actually needed. The F parts contains all the front end plastic parts, and even a set of plastic kingpin pivot balls if you don't want to buy the low friction ones. You will need 35mm turnbuckles, 5mm balls for the upper wishbone mounts and the kingpins, but all the small hardware and steering arms are the same as the F104W.

edhchoe

iTrader: (41)

I think terry works for tamiya.

robk

iTrader: (22)

I'd rather buy allen screw sets for my cars. I already have the tools, including ball end wrenches. I don't think I could get any screwdriver to work at a 45* angle on some of the funny locations on these cars.


It's not a matter of stripping them. I just hate them.

sell682

iTrader: (81)

What are the better F1 chassis out there? I am looking to get into F1 and need some advice I am an avid TC driver.

terry.sc

No, but I've spent more than I should have over the years buying their kits.

addicted2blue

Last sunday i had a race against 3 FGX cars while i'm running an F104X1 and i must admit dat those FGX cars look so plastic, fragile and cheap and they do make a lot of noice on the track.
Te sound of gears that not mesh properly, and with the right tire choice i think the F104 is a faster, better and is easier for doing maintenance on the car.
But that's just my opinion.