I just want to understand... Why would you like to drive a 4WD Formula 1 car?

Ride tires fit with the wheels they make for the HPI Formula Ten/FGX. I have them for my car.

I've had the pan car based ones too. Not sure a solid rear axle car with undamped front suspension that you tune around chassis/rear pod flex is any more analogous to "real" F1 than a TC based version.

The appeal of the F201 is more in the fully articulated suspension than it's 4WD.

That I can understand, I've never understood why no other brands followed the paths opened by 3Racing...

Cost, durability, and more set up work.

That part is just like real F1 too :p

Put it into a wall, and you get to spend the night before race day tearing down the whole car to change out your gearbox case(s). I don't know if they ever made non-plastic or even reinforced versions of those, but they were a common failure point, after the lower arms themselves.

Already a niche class, adding to the complexity will not have mass appeal. While it would be awesome, and would appeal to the crowd that already has cars like the F201/FGX, the market appears to be limited.

If people ran out and bought FGX cars and demanded to have a class to race them, I think most track owners would take their money. It just hasn't happened.

Niche Class you say?

Tamiya: "Hold my beer..."

​​​​​​*Releases TC-01*

Tamiya also sells 3 wheel trikes, so there's that :D

Tamiya : Releasing niches in niches since 40 years!

LOL Isn't that the truth! The biggest knock I think was the fragility of the rear gearbox and it being nearly impossible to find. Well, thanks to 3D printing, I can confidently say that is a thing of the past! After many late night evenings (after the kids gone to sleep) of R&D spread out over the course or 4 years, and with the collaboration of my brother, we have come up with a gearbox design that is much stronger than the original and incorporates updated features.
We have finalized a few different versions of the gearbox, as well as tested with various filament materials, infill densities, temperatures, and various 3D printer models.
The biggest update besides the reinforced/sturdier nature of the gearbox is the ability to attach F104 style wings to the rear, allowing F201 enthusiasts to enjoy the latest generation of Formula 1 car bodies available on the market.

Here are a few pictures of prototype gearboxes as the design evolved.



https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...ec79c48a6b.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...920adb1022.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...93665bdb4b.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...bfa5998c78.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...156941de54.png
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...a5e7ac2a36.png
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...1b51b9ce58.png

(Sorry about the huge photos, this site doesn't really allow you to adjust the photos after they are attached)

I have also finalized a halo and diffuser to complete the modern F1 car look. If anyone is interested in completing the look, I am planning on making the gearbox, halo, and diffuser available as a package for purchase. There are some other subtle modifications and parts necessary but they are only a few things and can be outlined in another post.
Note: Top gearbox will fit both Tamiya F201 chassis and 3Racing chassis.
Note: Halo is designed to fit the Tamiya F104 2017 body set.
Note: Diffuser only works with 3Racing carbon conversion kit, replacing the spacers in the back.

To answer the question about why we love the F201 over the F104/pan cars, you simply cannot beat the realism of the suspension setup and it just looks so darn cool. In addition to the suspension setup, aero bits make a huge difference with this car much like the real-life scale version. Yes, it is a 4WD drive car but you can remove the front diff and centershaft to have a true RWD experience.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...f10246ad5b.png

Did you ever get to the stage where you were selling the gearboxes? I have 2 f201 chassis, and i’d like to make one of them more modern looking.

Tamiya F201 purchase
 

Hi, I recently purchased a stock F201 from eBay. It's missing the motor and radio. I went online and found that replacement parts are very limited and very hard to find. I know Tamiya at one point came out with some reinforced /improved parts. I also found out that the design has some flaws. My questions are:
How have you guys been able to replace broken or damaged parts? Has anyone created modified 3D printed parts for this model? What motor is recommended?
Thanks, any information would be greatly appreciated

I owned a couple Tamiya F201 cars and even raced in a few TCS races. It wasn't as popular as the 2wd F1 cars, but it was fun to race in a parking lot.

The big issue you will face getting a motor is that there were only 2 options for gearing. The stock motor mount does not allow you to adjust the motor, so you have to change the spur & pinion to select low or high speed. The F201 high speed gear upgrade is Tamiya Part# 53552, which is discontinued. I don't recall the low speed option. However, keep in mind that Tamiya uses module 0.6 pitch on the gears in the F201. You cannot use standard 48 pitch pinion gears or you will damage the spur gear

This link on the TamiyaUSA website might help you find some part numbers for upgrades even if most parts are discontinued (https://www.tamiyausa.com/hop-ups/13169/A07)
Here is a link to the basic F201 2001 Ferrari akit (https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/110-f...ferrari-f2001/)

There were several companies that made aftermarket motor mounts for the F201 such as 3Racing. Here is a link, but expect most of these parts to be discontinued.
- https://www.3racing-parts.com/tamiya...1_582_604.html

Here is an ebay link for an aluminum Cross Racing Equipment F201 motor mount that appears to be adjustable
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/25618209266...mis&media=COPY

As far as additional support, I would suggest using your favorite internet search engine to search for 3d printed Tamiya F201 parts. I was able to quickly find several parts for the F201.

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As far as a motor, I would try out the Tamiya Torque Tuned brushed motor. It should work well with the gearing options that came with the car and shouldn't be too fast. Also since the F201 had very little space to mount electronics, a small brushed speed control like the Hobbywing 1060 should fit well in the electronics area of the car.

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As far as supporting vintage kits, the best option for replacement parts will either be eBay or purchase a used parts donor car. There are several online Tamiya enthusiast clubs such as TamiyaClub that have great resources as well as a buy/sell/trades section where you might have luck. Here is a link

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/default.asp

Sport tuned motor works good too with the limited gearing options. Parts are pretty scarce and some parts are near impossible to find now.