Marui Samurai...

[Brandon G]

I got this off fleabay a while back and finally got some pics done to share with yall.

It looks a little rough, but actually the car is in pretty good shape. Hardly a sign of use on the chassis bottom. Most of the wear is due to weathering more than anything else. The tires are flatspotted and have some cracking in the sidewalls. I wish I knew of a way to get the flatspotting out. Maybe the dryer trick would work???

I have NO idea what is wrapped around the motor. I will be replacing it with something a little hotter, so I am not too concerned with it.

The chassis has some discoloration on one side. I haven't decided if I will replace it with new or just paint it with some Fusion.

The body was painted with what seems like a non lexan style paint, so stripping should be a breeze.

I have new rear trailing arms to go on it. Seems these like to twist if they are stored sitting on the tires.

I plan on going through the whole thing, replacing bushings for bearings. Tweak the front torsion springs so the car will sit a little lower in the front. Pargu has aluminum wheels to replace these in the works, so hopefully I will hear from him soon. Rubber may be a headache to find though.

[civilguy]

Brandon- that looks like a great project. I picked up one almost a year ago and just got one in trade here (thanks RedScampi!), so I am hoping to be building it up this winter. I think I had found a couple CRP tires that fit on the rims while playing around-- I'll post up if I find any rubber that may work. Also I found a modern dogbone replacement too... Redcat or Himoto 02003, 61mm dogbones. I think Kyosho used the tapered axles without pins for their wheel hexes bitd... if you find anything to allow modern tires to be mounted please share.
Good luck with your project!

[mikedealer]

i could use the spray insulation stuff inside the wheels to get the flat spots out, they will expand and be solid but it will work

[Bormac]

Brandon,
I bought as nip bodyset for this car a while ago and gave it to Thomas (BUGLE) to make a plug. He has a mold made and could even pull a form if you need one...possibly?

Great little gem you have there by the way.

[Bormac]

Also this may be wishful thinking but wouldn't it be great to get a MARUI section....?

[Bugle]

Yeah the mould is almost done.
Love the Samurai I gotta get one sometime!

[mark]

I've never seen one of those before, when were these made?. That chain drive looks interesting!

[Brandon G]

OK, so I start tearing this thing apart to get an idea of what size bearings it needs.


Oh boy.

This car is a pain in the butt. Tearing em down is usually easier than assembling I've found. If this is the case, I will need 5 hands to put it back together again. It is not dirty or wore out, so I guess I am lucky in that regard.

On a positive note, if you want to bearingize (sp?) your Samurai, you will need:
(8) 6X10mm for the wheels
(10) 4X8mm for the tranny and front diff

The tranny is interesting yet painfully complicated. I'm hoping that the bearings will loosen it up a little. Anyway, it has 2 gear diffs in the trans itself, with another in the front. Chain drive between the 2.

Can't say I'm all too impressed with how the wheels bolt on. Tapered axles like an Ultima, and the aluminum "adapter" that goes between the axle and wheel simply has knurling on the outside face and that presses into the wheel itself. I can't imagine these lasted too horribly long. Might account for the lack of wheels available for it now.... I think a Kyosho hex adapter might work then allowing the use of a hex style wheel.

The torsion bar front springs are a bit difficult as well. Seems the previous owner wanted his car skyjacked, so they were bent to give more lift. Good luck me getting them bent back where the car sits even.

I am glad to own this car, but I will be even happier when the last screw goes back into it after reassembly.

[Bormac]

Well done on taking up the challenge with this Samurai. I have found that these cars work well even with their quirky designs. The drivetrain is very free and the chain doesnt need to be to tight either.
Im not sure on wheel replacement as they are quite odd.

[RedScampi]

Im not sure on wheel replacement as they are quite odd.

Yes, but they are some of the coolest looking rc car wheels out there!

[Bormac]

Yes, but they are some of the coolest looking rc car wheels out there!

I would agree. Thats why Ive never bothered to look at replaceing them. Its just finding the tyres are not easy.

[Brandon G]

Update on the Samurai....FINISHED!

After a long wait, I finally decided to get busy on my box of parts and get this thing back together. I managed to amass a good bit of new parts to freshen her up with. New cage tree and roof panel, front bumper, chassis, rear arms, wheels and tires, Diamond Power Modified motor, full ball bearings, body (by TBG), and decals (by Tamkyo). Decals aren't as good as the originals, but were my only option. Couldn't find a sheet of em. White lettered the tires myself. Tires are not glued to the rims.

The original motor "sock" was melted to the motor. After pulling the tranny, I could see why it got so hot. It was very tight. I replaced all the bushings with bearings, and with the use of a Kyosho shim pack I was able to loosen up the tranny nicely! Spins freely when spun by hand. Of course the front diff and all 4 hubs got bearings as well. I believe the bushings saved the car from too much use and abuse. I imagine it melted the motor on the 2nd or 3rd run, and it got stored thereafter.

With exception of the new parts I installed, most of what was original was in close to perfect condition. Just needed some cleaning. I pondered putting an old school Tekin ESC in it, but the original electronics and wiring were in such good condition, I decided to leave it in. Original Futaba S28 servos getting the job done. HAD to swap out the big ugly Tamiya battery plug for a Deans. Battery is the original Niconica Nicd pack that came with the car.

I really wasn't looking forward to the rebuild. Taking it apart made it seem like going back together would be a nightmare. But since I had the original manual, it was really quite painless. I'm sorry I drug my feet on it so long now.

Anyway, it's done. One of my favorites. Hope you all enjoy the pics.

[Brandon G]

Before and after

[flipwils11]

Great story and perseverance, plus a fantastic looking car!

[DennisM]

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