[Some pix back in P5] - "Blue Is Better" TRX-1 Resto-Mod (2017/07/07

[Lonestar]

Hi Guys

long time since I've posted a build thread... simply because I don't have much time for new builds these days. But I wanted to keep going... so I cheated. I'm just going to finish a superb build started by our very own Seabass. It's a TRX-1 for which he's done a few custom parts, as described here

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=33224


Custom-made by Jake:
- CWF chassis with kickup
- CWF shock towers
- Modded motor plate to greet the B4 cover
- Great looking aibrushed body!




Other Interesting features:
- STRC layshaft
- B4 slipper
- B4 gear cover




What I knew was needed was to put back the rear secondary transmission in stock shape as Jake had lathed the stock axles to run B4 wheels, with only minor success he said. I wanted to use TRX1 wheels anyway, as I'm not 100% sure the offset was the same on B4 wheels and I'm planning to gently run the car.


(easy to source from Tower)

The car was sold to me without shocks, a misunderstanding from my side. I ended up pulling the trigger recently and bought some B5 shocks as Jake designed the car for these (or the B4.2's, same difference) as Tower was running some interesting coupon codes lately.



Jake used some 1932 castor blocks for his build, but the car was sold without front axles. To be on the safe side, I ordered a set of Bandit castor blocks + spindles + axles, but toying around with the parts yesterday evening showed me this was not a good idea as the fit just looks wrong. I had already faced this front suspension issue during a former TRX1 overhaul, so I went back to my box-o-TRX-parts pictured here:



and I pulled out the ref of the parts that actually worked back then, which I just ordered.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJG82 - 2634R
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJE88 - 2536

The theme of the car will be black and blue. I will use blue accents on the hardware when I can and it makes sense. Think washers, screws and nuts, wing things, maybe ballcups/balljoints (the latter one might prove a challenge, the tamiya's I have aren't of the right size). I've gotten myself some STRC blue alloy shock mounts too,

Next steps are:

- disassemble the trans and diff and try to rebuild it to acceptable standards. I'm a bit anal about diffs and I want them done a certain way... and I've never managed to do a traxxas "super ball diff" right. I will try again with all the tricks I know...

- replace the plastics outdrives with the optional alloy ones - it's THE weak link on the TRX1. PN#4628
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0095p?FVPROFIL=&FVSEARCH=LXJG59

- Mount the shocks - and install them on the car. I'll use the stock B5R shock setup as starting point I guess

- Check the front suspension when I install the new c-hubs/spindles. There's something binding on the right side...

- Decal the body - I will use a combination of old and new Traxxas stickers. The body Jake did is really sweet, I don't feel like stickering it to death either Still have to think about the wing, though

- Chase the odd standard screw, as opposed to metric, as jake had mixed both it seems! Also replace with modern hardware (the shiny traxxas philips screw finish just doesn't look right with the blue theme )

Electronics is a big dilemma now... I have a couple of spare BL controllers that are blue (Reventon R, Xtreme Stock) and that would be a good fit in the car, but there's something about brushless electronics in a 90's cult buggy that turns me off. Luckilly it's somethign I can decide at the very last step. We shall see.

So that's where I am now



Stay tuned
(it's an easy one but as usual it will take me ages...)

Paul

[Lonestar]

woa pix didn't look that crappy on my iphone

[Coelacanth]

I think the body paint is pretty sweet, and hope you don't festoon it with stickers. Maybe just a few in locations that won't obscure the flames & fades. Cellphone pics are usually pretty crappy, but I thought your pics turned out pretty good, actually.

[klavy69]

Paul, pix aren't that bad.

Should be an interesting finish for it. I almost took that one but decided to hold off. Glad you got it because you are doing something with it way ahead of when I'd been able to do anything with it
Todd

[TRX-1-3]

Dude,

Pretty flippin' fantastic start. I just love this car in any configuration. Don't give a rip if some view the TRX-1 as "derivative". Most excellent and sally forth!

Mark

[Lonestar]

Glad you guys like it I have a bit of a fetish for the TRX1 - I just can't explain it. Somehow a graphite RC10 (which I have a few of, too ) doesn't tickle my fancy as much as the TRX1. I can't help it... it just looks right! Maybe that should be my new meta-project: a shelf full of TRX1's (and the odd TRX3 too )

Todd, yes, other people were showing interest for this beauty as Jake was selling it. I had to decide quick back then, it certainly wasn't cheap (especially when you consider no shocks in the deal haha, and even more so as I got hammered by import fees later on ) but then again how often can you get a purpose built resto-mod with once-off custom-made CWF parts? Better remorses than regrets

I did some work to the car yesterday night too, with more (cellphone! way more practical ) pics. Will try to post later. But I've got momentum now, so I commit to finishing before 2015

Later guys
Paul

[Seabass]

Paul I am glad you are showing us this car. It is going to be one of the nicest TRX1's when you are done with it.

I would have loved to had the time to figure out the issues you are pointing out. I got too busy with other things and that car sat for many months before I finally gave up. Cant wait to see more.

Jake

[Lonestar]

Ask and you shall receive - here is more


New stock rear axles - as said, Jake thought about using B4 wheels after some lathe-work, seems like it ended up being a hassle - Stock TRX1 wheels should do and I got rid of many of my B4 parts anyway BTW on one of my runner TRX1 I use LosiXX wheels, slightly bored out, and it seems to be a bolt-on mod... maybe later


(notice the blue "dry" loctite from Traxxas )



Here's what Jake had done to the trans - STRC top axle, B4 slipper, and a smartly adapted RPM gear cover for the B4. No touch from me here other than pulling it apart to ensure everything was assembled properly (it was ). Almost looks factory!




Next step - mandatory on anything trx-1 trans-related: alloy diff outdrives:




Plus they look great once assembled




Quick peek into the transmission box (yup - MIP- and Stealth-like, no inovation there, then again it's pretty much the standard still now). I hope the composite top gear holds up to the abuse, I still have nightmares from the efforts needed to fit the alloy option one on a stock shaft for my aforementioned runner...



I have rebuilt the diff fully. It always amazes me how "impractical" that diff is, the weird "grafted on" diff outdrives with the six small screws and split washers. Really weird - but the thrust bearing is 99.9% protected and it's adjustable externally. One assembly tip I've learnt from my friend Georges at www.overrc.com - diff rings are stamped on these cars, one has to identify the "rounded" side from the "sharp-edged" side, the rounded side should be used against the outdrive, to prevent any issue due to flashings/assymetries on either side. Flat side goes on the balls (after light sanding of course). I used the kyosho x-gear diff lube (best stuff I've found in almost 30yrs of building ball diffs) and AE's graphite grease for the thrust. The diff actually feels "fine", which is a first for a traxxas diff on my side

Then I received a few blue goodies




yum (although the shock-tower-to-bulkhead screws have been changed since - these were a bit short)






So, a few days ago, it looked like this:





more later

Paul

[DennisM]

It´s HOT - Can´t wait to see how it corners

[Seabass]

Paul I think you are doing a great job in staying with the creative spirit on this car. I am so glad to see the car in the hands of someone who appreciates the work involved with making a super unique car.....super unique.

Jake

[Lonestar]

Hi all

long overdue update. Basically the indoor racing season has started, we went on vacation, I had a few mods done to my full-size ride, in other words, I slacked around

Enough excuses - AE's V2 big bores showed up and I assembled them. It's the first set of BB I build from AE but I've seen my share of BB the past few years, and all I can say is WOW they are butter-smooth... and not that expensive. Super easy to fill and bleed too, rebound is great and super-sensitive. Net, they compare favorably to my RB6's and are half the price. I'm impressed!



The problem was fitting them. Jake says he has designed the car for them but really the bore is so big that caps and spring collars touch the shock towers and/or the camber links... I had to be a bit creative with the spacing, including between the rear bulkhead and the shock tower and it took a lot of trial and error.



If you check modern cars with BB's the shock towers only have a little plastic around the mounting points for this very reason. But with CWF, it's a bit more complex obviously!

I have stopped counting how much hard earned cash I've dropped into blue bits to make this thing look good - if you look close though you'll find out there are many different hues there's more in the works, including AE FT turnbuckles (and yet another hue grrrr....)



I'm still not 100% clear on which ballstuds/ballcups I'll use though, they have to be metric, blue (ballstuds) and black (ballcups). There aren't many combos that work. Suggestions welcome.

Next is fixing the front axles, the steering assembly (Jake... sorry man but you buillt in backwards ),



battery bar, wheels, tires, decal'ing the body, and figuring out what electronics will go in there. There are a few bits of hardware that will have to be replaced, too, as I'm not too happy with them.

By then I think I will put this car in a safe and never run it



Stay tuned for more... I'm committed to being done before year-end

(yeah right)

Paul

[Lonestar]

Paul I think you are doing a great job in staying with the creative spirit on this car. I am so glad to see the car in the hands of someone who appreciates the work involved with making a super unique car.....super unique.

Jake

Haven't seen this earlier... thanks. Hey, YOU did all the hard work. I'm just doing the pinstriping

[Coelacanth]

Beautiful build so far! One thing I've done to help bigger shock bodies clear camber links or CVDs is to use a 1mm or 2mm spacer before installing the ball-studs into the control arms; sometimes that's all that's needed to clear the obstruction. Another thing I've done, if the bottom shock spring retainer is rubbing or obstructing something, is slipping on a similar spacer on the shock rod before threading on the ball ends; then when you press it into the spring retainer cavity, it raises the retainer by a few millimeters.

[Seabass]

Paul I am super excited to see this car together. It is definitely a work of art and the most unique TRX-1 one there. Those BB shocks are a far improvement from AE.

You know when I did the steering, it didn't seem right but I went with it anyway. Glad you have the end sight in view.

Jake

[Lonestar]

Marc - yes, spacing the shock ball end out on the A-arm works to a point, you must be sure the who assembly isn't binding as the shock works at an angle vs. the A-arm motion. On the TRX1 the challenge at the rear is that the shock is "between" the arm and the tower, so you have to move the tower forward too (spacing it forward). It looks like I have it nailed at the moment, but it sure is a tight fit! At the front, the shock ball end is captured in the A-arm anyway. The only thing one can play with is the top mount. You have to space it forward the slightest, otherwise again the shock will bind under compression. Another thing I'm looking into atm is to actually shift the arm forward by removing some material at the back...

Jake - Glad to see you blessing this project. It's a pleasure to work on, and it will gorgeous once finished I think. If you ever get to work on that top-deck now...

Paul