Unfortunately, lots of people run mini for a while and then get sick of it, so there are always tons of good ones on the market, driving prices down. If it's a roller with no radio gear I'd say you could get $65-$75 for it.

Go to the for sale forum and do a search.

Does anyone know what are the springs that come with the super mini CVAs relative to the TRF red/yellow/blue?

Also (reading from rc-mini.net) the main advantage of the TRF shocks seems to be only in their adjustability?

thanks!

In a mini i cant feel the difference and there are two things nice about the trfs finer adjusterbility and bling :p

OK. But is the adjustability critical?

Also does the adjuster come loose easily? I noticed it doesn't have the rubber 'o' ring like the touring car version that gives the adjuster some 'tightness'

Sorry for the newbie questions, it's my first time with M03.

The need for adjustability in shocks varies greatly, depending on your racing surface, and your abilities.

If you're racing on ultra smooth carpet, laid over an equally smooth floor, then you can drop the suspension right down, and run on the bumpstops. I actually ran my car a few weeks back with the shocks completely bottomed out. (I use o-rings for bumpstops) and the thing handled like a dream.

If you're outdoors, or on any rough surface, even slightly rough, then the shocks are a much bigger issue. Run hard front, soft rear, with a few mm of shock travel, and your're good to go. I ran outdoors this weekend, and had it bumped up a little for clearance. Maybe 1/4".

I've never noticed my adjusters coming loose or moving around, but it's a good idea to eyeball them after each race anyway.

Is the adjustability critical? Yes and no. Yes, because it does help fine tune the car and make it a bit easier to drive. No, if you're a very good driver. You can get almost as much adjustment out of the mini CVA shocks, so if you're on a budget, they're the way to go.

As we have said a number of times in the past -

Performance wise there is nothing to choose between the two (on a Mini anyway)
In the end if you want the bling you go for the TRF, if you dont care about shiny blueness, go for the Super Mini CVA

I went for the M-Chassis specific TRF dampers as I was under the impression that they were shorter overall than the CVAs and therefore more suitable for the mini. Not so?

The TRF Mini shocks have the same body length (short) as the 'Super-Mini' CVA shocks (50746)

And both have a shorter body length than normal 'Mini' CVA shocks (53619)

The 50746 have a longer shaft length though which can be useful on a bumpy track as it can be set to allow more droop.

Thanks all, that helps! :)

guys,

got a question about servo savers for the M03R. I use Hitec servos for all my RC gear and once again caught by Tamiya's lack of support for Hitec spline. In the past i have used the Kimbrough red servo saver, but the mini uses a longer arm which requires me to shim up the ball joints and still don't get enough throw etc. (basically a bad setup all round).

Also, i cannot find the B Parts that include the servo saver anywhere! The part# i have is 9005698 in the manual. rc mart etc. come up empty.

Any advice or is it a case of just go out and buy a Futaba servo?

Chris...

Get yourself a Kimbrough Large Servo Saver. (the black one)

You will have to drill a couple of holes in the right spots, and shave the corners off, but it's very worthwhile. They're durable, easy to find, and seem to have a fitting for every servo made.

I'll try to get a picture posted for you.

Jim

PS: Oh, and Tony is King of all things mini. All hail the King!

thanks, i'll give it a go.

Any difference between #53205 and #53597 universal shafts?

53597 are rebuildable - plus they work better anyway.

They're the same type as used on all the Tamiya Touring Cars, just with a shorter shaft.

I see, thanks! They seem to be cheaper or same priced anyway and come with some anti wear grease!

Just curious, how are they better?