I)arkness

iTrader: (7)

if granpa is happy to race what he currently uses then perhaps his driving style suits that. not everyone has the same driving ability.

back on release i ran the v2 at a state titles, won the event and then sold it, and im glade i did as since then seen nothing but people cracking the chassis

ill continue to run my std m05 v1 or much rather v1.5.

oh and in regards to the setups, ive found over the number of years ive raced mini at point to which its the quickest is when its on the ragged edge of driving where at any point to could snap and flip over, not what you would call optimal setup

tony gray

iTrader: (7)

These things even SOUND the same as Minis!

https://youtu.be/cfugcCopVb

sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

Granpa - Noted on pocket book. Yeah no biggie, I was just thinking how it could be fun. .

BoneCrusher

iTrader: (2)

..... fun thread to follow .....

This post is for the guys that still run a M03 or maybe guys that have one packed up and want to bring it out of retirement. Tried a M05 V1. Still like the M03 better. Easier to setup and so simple to make work. I have the complete opposite experience than Granpa and all the setup gurus I read about on here about the need for the perfect setup. Just my experience. It's still a competitive chassis.

So it doesn't sound like I have no clue what I'm taking about, I race with monkeyracing (our Mini Guru) up here in Western Canada. Home track is medium grip ozite. Been only racing minis for around 6 years. If all the best mini racers up here in my area raced at one of our larger regional events, it's a top 10 car. It's now my fun class.

Setup summary:

Any basic setup to start
Get the rear planted first and work the front to increase steering (thanks Scott West)
Glue the outer edge of the front tires as little as possible only to eliminate traction roll
Decently stiffer front diff to get out of the corners quicker.
Getting more front grip sometimes means reducing the rear grip
S grip front and rear work on any ozite conditions and even commercial type carpet

Seriously that's it. Tweak a little here and there to make it go straight and turn left and right equally.

I race with guys that are super meticulous about their mini setups. Mine started this way 6 years ago. After 6 years it's basically the same car except replacing a few broken parts when needed to. Mini to me is the beginner friendly but anybody can race at any level FUN classes. It has less intense serious racers (generally), you can trash talk on the drivers stand, there's less "attitude" when there's on track accidents and these little cars are durable as hell.

Tires are 90% of the setup IMO. The biggest difference between the M03 and M05 is that the M03 can run on almost bald tires. It also doesn't need a smooth diff just as stiff as possible. Nor perfectly oiled shocks. Softest front springs and hardest rear ones seem to work. No need to reduce weight with light screws. Any body you run works. I'm an expert in this department. It can even be held together with zip ties and gorilla tape on suspension parts. Seriously. That's why it's my fun class.

I'll keep my M03 going as long as possible cause it's just so easy to keep it competitive. It would be fun one day to try my setup outside on asphalt or whatever racing surface against the guys in Southern California or Australia.

Ivan

Boons

Ran my M05 V2 last night at my local indoor carpet club. Very nice, just as I remembered my old M05 V1 and V2. I then switched to an M03 as all the fast guys have either started out with M03's or switched from M05's to M03's. I had some success with my M03 but I just prefer the M05. It felt better last night, my lap times were lower and I just like them better! I am the last surviving fast M05 driver at my club

Last night it had a bit of lift off oversteer but my old 5's did that and seem to settle down somehow.

Nice car the V2

Granpa

Wow, it seems as though I inadvertently pissed you off. Sorry man, didn't intend to. Curious though about how I managed to do this, since most of your set up tips you will find in my posts over the years.

Also, you're wrong about a # of things.
1. There is no such thing as a perfect set up. Nothing works all the time everywhere.
2. My race car is the M03 on asphalt. Prefer the M05 on carpet or other hi-grip tracks.
3. Mini is all that you say it is, but is one of the most competitive classes around. It just depends on where you race. Here in SoCal, because of the Mini Mafia, your set up had better be right and you better have your A game just to keep from being embarrassed. I've won a lot of races over the years, but I feel like the tail of the whip when racing with these guys. I have won only an occasional heat after starting to race with this group. Figures cause they've won all but one TCS Finals since I transferred my home track to the Tamiya facility.
4. If the guys you race with are meticulous about there set ups, they are competitive.
5. I don't tire tune cause we use a Spec tire. So 90% of your set up has just gone out the window if you race here. We can't just swap to a different tire. We're stuck with the pre mounted S-grips.

We'll just leave it there. I do want you to know that in my postings, I'm really just sharing info that I'm lucky to be privy to. If that in your mind makes you think that I believe I'm some sort of Mini guru you could not be more wrong. I just like to help guys out to make their Mini experience more enjoyable. One of those guys was Jim or Monkeyracing. He first sent me a PM about how to make his Silvercan go faster. We still compare notes from time to time. The last few PMs were about the 21.5 motors. When I started in Minis, guys were pretty secretive, but I was very lucky in that Dennis took me under his wing and showed me how to do stuff and the rc-mini web site was a real gift. I'm just trying thru this thread to pay back and pass on some of that.

I'll admit that it has gotten me into hot water with some people, but for the most part it's been fun and hopefully helpful.

Also, be glad to see you come to SoCal and the Tamiya facility. You can test drive my car to compare to yours. You can also measure it, ask what's in it and get a truthful answer, bum parts if you promise to replace them, etc.

I still don't understand why your experience about the M03 is different than mine. I've been a M03 advocate. Ask Jim.

monkeyracing

iTrader: (10)

Ivan's car is well tuned junk, his tires are crap, his bodies are riddled with duct tape and he still wins races. Driving talent has a lot to do with it, I suppose. The zip tie holding
The suspension together does the rest.

Granpa

Looks to me like he's the Canadian R/C car version of Max Balchowsky. For those who may not know who that is, he built and raced the Old Yeller race cars.

Don't let him pull the wool over your eyes like Max used to. Hmmmmm, Kimbrough servo saver, KO Propo servo. Shock ends don't match, but they're the same length. Also SS hinge pins with no scarring. I have the sneaky suspicion that he knows what it's all about and is just messin' with y'all.

KA2AEV

iTrader: (1)

Ive been keeping a low profile for the past few weeks because of family matters, but as Im catching up on things here, Im noticing the same things as Granpa and he couldn't be more correct!

If you guys run on the same type of track every time you drive, your setup will be easy to do, but if your on a traveling team, trying to get the setup for the track your running at is almost impossible without help and practice.

The best thing you can do is just try and get your setup as close to as you want before you hit the track and then try different things as you progress thru the day. One thing Ive learned is don't change anything before the mains!!!

KA2AEV

iTrader: (1)

Could be that he's on a limited budget like TGR is and is doing stuff like that to get his cars to run!
But then again, being able to drive is a BIG Bonus!

BoneCrusher

iTrader: (2)

We're cool Granpa....

Actually the car was setup great when I first started so it's just been left as is since with mainly repairs. Doesn't really un-tune itself. Also, my car works everywhere I've been to. That's probably 9 different indoor tracks in Western Canada in the past 6 years with no setup changes. I have driven a well setup M05 and it drives smoother and rotates better than my car. It also costs a bit to get that car into that shape. I've seen a few M05s just a gram over minimum weight. I'm 130 grams over. WTH? But I still like my car. Also, we kinda have a spec tire. Tamiya brand only so basically everyone runs the S Grips.

No wool over anyone's eyes. My cars are free for everyone to see or drive. Even lent it to a 9 year old newbie to run his E Main finals at our biggest race of the year cause his car didn't start up. Even though he broke my car while having a great time during his run, I slapped it back together and ran my A Finals after. And yes, I do race on a budget. I also do this in our most competitive classes like TC and 12th scale. Good way to get lots of track time and not worry about setup.

Keep sharing and helping guys Granpa. I respect that and enjoy your posts. Also thanks for your kind offer. Will take you up on that if one day I visit. And vice versa if you ever come up to Canada. I'm just curious though. I think you probably know or have raced against Mark Brown before. I've only shared PMs with him and know he's a 'fast guy' and some of my club guys have raced against him. I'm just wondering if he were racing with your Mini Mafia, on average where would he finish? Just trying to guage the level of your mini program.

Ivan

sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I know, just wanted to see what kind of magic could come out of it (V2), that's all. I'm cool with people driving what they prefer.

I think I will put some thick tape under my V2 just in case like eR1c. I don't foresee mine cracking, but never know.

Awesome, Boons! Glad to hear you are having fun with your V2.

sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

That's funny.

monkeyracing

iTrader: (10)

Are you kidding? Ivan wouldn't know what to do with wool if you gave him a toque with instructions, he'd just unravel it an use it to hold his crappy car together. I've worked on his car and driven it. It's nothing special, just very well and comfortably setup.

The part I don't get is how he can win races on tires other people would (or have) disposed of. I think it's a bit like when you get in a taxi and you realize it's probably been on the road for close to a million miles, but somehow, among the rattles, creaks and your terror at being ensconced in a rolling mistake, the whole has settled into some kind of mechanical unison, the driver knows all the quirks and he's gotten you to the airport in record time.

Granpa

Mark Brown is a member. Cool guy and a good friend. He kills on carpet, but very few of us race on carpet, preferring the asphalt. Excellent on asphalt too. Mark visits so often, he was included as a Mini Mafia member. Mark would usually be in the mix.

Ivan, the Mini Mafia is the group of guys who run minis at the Tamiya track. We've run together for years and the only requirement is you run on a regular basis and are a "good guy". Information, help, parts and BS is passed freely. It's one of deals of you are or you aren't a member.

However, we are a dying group cause there are only a handful of us left. Here's what has happened. In TCS racing, once you go on the Trip to Japan, you're done. You cannot race the Finals anymore so the guys just stop coming out. These are some of the guys we've lost:
Devin White----Won twice cause one year Mini wasn't a Trip class.
Dillon White----Lost him to other things
Brandon Koslosky---Won twice, but did not ever go on the Trip. Lost him to
marriage. Best Mini driver I've ever raced.
Michael Monaghan---racing go karts now and is a sponsored off road racer. If Brandon isn't the best Mini driver I've raced Michael is.
Bensi Lopez---lost to an expanding family, but still does R/C cars, not Minis
Danny Eggar----last years winner. I think he'll still run Minis. May not lose him.

You don't lose that many good Mini wheels w/out feeling it. There's still 4 or 5 good guys really good Mini racers in the group, not 10 like before. Hope that answers our question. I'm not one of the "fast" guys----Just a pretty fast guy, but i'll take that at my age.