Hi, just purchased a M-03r, first mini wanted to do a little parking lot race with this. I made it into a M-03m mid lenght chassis i guess. Looked on mini racer website and got a lot of info. A few questions:

are the kit tires useable to race I think they are 60d treaded?
whats the popular tire choice (doesn't have to be tamiya)

Is there a base line driveable setup anyone has or just build it per instructions.

for fine tuning, does shock oil/spring changes make that big difference, or is a mini just what it is and keep the car low to the ground and adjust your driving to the car? it appears oil and spring changes are the only real major options to tune a mini?

I built the car, but hasn't seen any asphalt yet.

thanks for any info.

The kit tires are not too bad. They just wear out too fast.
Major handling changes are done with tires and insert combinations. Small changes are done with ride ht., shock oil and springs. For most parking lots, don't set the ride ht too low. W/out knowing exactly how much grip you have it's hard to make specific suggestions. This is a combination of tires and inserts that seems to work pretty well out here in our California prking lots:
Ride med or hard tire with Ride inserts in front and Rp or Spice tires with the Spice 5.5mm thick inserts in back. No sway bars. You can change the handling more with tire and inserts than with anything else.
Would suggest the following upgrades:
1. ditch the dog bones and get the #53205 universals
2. TAO3 Ball diff and #53217 hardened out drives
3. #53509 flourine coated pinion. These do not wear out like the stock ones
4. TRF shocks

Sorry, I forgot we run Black cans where I'm racing now. If your running the silver can, try using the 60Ds type a slicks in front. Experiment with one set of double stuffs and one set using just foam.

thanks, I used my old gold trf shocks off my TA03, I guess I'll pull the ball diff off that too.

where do you get the Ride or Spice tires?

I'm attempting to be race ready for Corona Hobbytown this month if there is a showing of mini's.

so now that we cant not get any more RP's mini tires anymore
whats do I use on carpet now?
spice or Ride or jsut plan old tamyia?
anyone have used any of these on carpet?

Sure can:
try Tamiya S-Grips up front double stuffed with a shortened and glued Tamiya blue 24mm insert on the outside and a Tamiya Jun insert or hard foam on the inside cut and glued to size.

Out back plain old M Grips with Tamiya foam will do the trick. Blue front springs with 80 weight and rear reds with 35 weight.

If you're talking about Charlie's race (O.C. Circuiit), chances are I'll be there. Look me up. I had to run with the HPI Spec cars at LaMirada and felt like the ball in a pinball machine. It'll be good if we have enough Minis for a race. Most of the Mini guys have been at Tamiya trying to get ready for Doc.
I got most of my tires from RC Market. Warn you though, it's not like dealing with US suppliers. Once you figure out how their policies work, it's not too bad.
If you don't get yoyr tires in time, I usually have some extras you can borrow.

I hope after the Tamiya Race all the Minis will come back to Bending Corners Saturday racing. We had about 7 or 8 Minis racing three weeks in a row now there are none :cry:. If they don't come back to Bending Corners after Tamiya I will sell the Mini.

First Body
 

How does this look for my first body? Done with masking tape and rattle cans. I've already gotten a few complements, and I was thinking of making this my MO for all of my RC's.

They should be back. Don't sell the Mini, race the regional at Tamiya. I'm looking forward to racing at BCR later in March.

the little truck does wheelies? way cool... mines still in it's wrapper :p

Do you have to discharge / recharge after each heat ? or do you just recharge it again after each heat ?

Tks.

You don't discharge a lipo pack. Depending on how long your heats are one charge might last two heats. Different lipo's might go longer than that.

Peace Aaron(W-W)

See above for the answer....

I got a question for any of you mini guys. I probably know most of the answers now but I am having brain farts. I want to know what hop-ups from the mo3 will work on the mo3m. My mini has alu steering knuckles, sway bars, tao3 ball diff, cva short shocks, carbon shaft set. What out of all of that can I still use, I know the shocks & diff for sure the rest I dunno. Please let me know asap.

Peace Aaron(W-W)

It doesn't make ANY difference whether its an M03 or an M03M Aaron.... They'll fit on either.

The only thing which will be a problem is the steering knuckles as the M03M has a different front end and the old style alloy ones won't fit. But you don't need em anyway on the M.