Liko

Before you start plugging the chassis that won your last club race, lemme lay down a few ground rules:

- Box kit from Tamiya must cost less than $150 USD (and tell me where). eBay counts if you tell me what some of the other chassis are going for there. I know I can get a TB-02 kit for ~$130-140 + s&h, just wondering what other good options are.
- Kit has to be VERY durable, even kit stock. I may race it eventually, so it should be relatively lightweight, but I'd rather have FRN than carbon fiber for stuff like the body tub since my kits are mostly bashers (not literally, but more sidewalk than track).
- Should have hop-ups. Tamiya has pretty extensive hop-ups for almost all of their chassis, so this shouldn't be a problem. Bearings, shocks, and suspension top arms are probably all I'd swap out from kit stock.
- I prefer shaft drive for the durability, but I will consider a belt system with the right stuff
- Ease of assembly is not a factor. Ease of DISassembly is. I don't want to take the entire car apart to get to the front differential, like I have to with the TL-01 LA. I understand that quite a bit of tear-down is necessary for that kind of thing in any case, but the ENTIRE CHASSIS?
- I'm not really interested in the EVO chassis. It's the best, I know, but let's consider other options here.

I have an F-103 RS car that's pretty much restricted to indoor flat surfaces due to the clearance, and a TL-01 LA chassis that's far more suited to just taking it out on the sidewalk without sweeping. Tamiya advertises the TL-01 as "bulletproof" , and it does hold up pretty well running over bumps in the sidewalk and into walls, but the body plastic is ABS and awful thin, and the pack and motor are largely exposed. The TB-02's FRN bathtub might be better suited for harder use. I'm mildly interested in the TT-01 since it's got the bathtub and looks a bit lighter than the TB-02, but it's also advertised as "easy assembly", which translates to "beginner's kit, no adjustments" in my mind.

So, any thoughts on all of this? Is the TB-02 turning out to be a good chassis? Is the TT-01 even worth a look?

TRF Drive Hard

You pretty much limited yourself to choices... you dont want anything greater than a tb02 and you dont want anything lesser than a tb02... with current models the older ones are pretty much faded, unless you wanna try a ta03... anyways, lets say you do wanna buy the tb02... later on youre gonna want the hop ups needed to improve the performance... somewhere along the line youre gonna shell out money for these improvements... evo3 comes to mind... not much is really needed to improve 'cept the tuning and dialing of the kit... you will a well spent higher-end model will pay off... and where did you hear the tt01 is lighter than the tb02? imho, no matter what... with all the electronics slapped in, its still heavy... you'll have a better with an evo3 or if you can shell out a few hundred more, an evo4... i have all 4 cars mentioned, and a 414m2, 414m wcr, 415... and more tamiya sedan chassis'... but if youre serious into taking up some real racing, id highly suggest an ev0o3 or higher... id leave the tt01, tl01, even the tb02 to TCS races... just my 2 cent bud...

FlyinGT

$150 isn't alot ,an just as TRF HARDDRIVE said u have just limited all ur option ...!!

I say if u plan to bash around then ur $150 range will do ok, but if u plan to race then u shold b looking at either increasing ur budget or b buying second hand ..an looking at others kit's besides that of tamiya !!

Buying hop ups 4 a cheap(tt01 an tl01, even a TB02) car isn't really worth it, the cost will just keep adding up an in no time ur gonna b spending as much or more on a full race ready chassis, which i'd rather save up an shell out 4 a 415 or an evo4 in the first place ..(even a pro4 or a TC3/4)
(yes i kno budget an money but this is an opinion)

i started out with a TL-01 4 bashing , an in no time got racing an found i had to spend big all over again ... an when i look back i spent alot, wasting my time an money !!
do u really plan to race ?? if yes then i say look at 2nd hand car's
if u plan to bash then stick with the tb. tt an tl ...
u can't have the best of both worlds
the cheaper kits are easier to work with an are more durable but are less likely 2 have out right performance


A TB02 is better than a TT01 .... better option on the TB u can turn it into a EVO3 .. but thats a waste of cash

jesse's #1 girl

I have a question I have a TB-O2 but i don't have a set-up for it I was wondering if anyone could help me out with that.

jesse's #1 girl

sorry everyone that reads that post i ment TB-O2 my fault

TRF Drive Hard

What sorta set ups you lookin for?

jesse's #1 girl

Well, i'm not really sure I just want something that will get me across the track at Burien.

jesse's #1 girl

i guess i want sespension. sorry i can't spell that word i hope you can still help me out.

TRF Drive Hard

I can try

Do you know how to adjust your ride height? There are these 10mm droop screws in each of the suspension arms... you can use that to adjust the ride height of your chassis...

greencactus3

suspension. well you have suspension. what kind of setup do you want means we wanna know wut kind of track you run at i think. carpet. asphalt. dirt? tight? wide? open? grippy? slippy? even surface? jumps!? lol .

TRF Drive Hard

Hmmm, jumps... never thought about my tb02 doin jumps...

jesse's #1 girl

it is an asphalt track. have you ever been to Burien Toyata to race at? That's where its at

jesse's #1 girl

sorry everyone i told you that i had a tb02 when it really is a tb01. i'm so sorry about that

jesse's #1 girl

there are no jumps there . it is a long track or it can be a small oval. things like that. i don't know does that help you at all?

minicooper

iTrader: (5)

My best advice... Talk to the people at Burien. They are loyal Tamiya racer's and darn good at it too. They use to have set ups on their website but I haven't checked recently.