Fleet Update

So I decided to line up the fleet for group pictures. I’ve also started to work on the final phases of my GT-R widebody project, which has taken lots of time.

so without further ado, a picture grid:

before:

in between:

almost done!

what next?

Buch of goodies for under 20 bucks

I recently took a trip to Radioshack and bought up many upgrades. Needless to say, since the prices were cut so deeply, I came back with a significant batch of parts.

I brought back a stage-2 and bearings along with an awd kit.

These are the pictures along with my collection of 5 cars.

Happy modding!

A Fleet Collection Update

Well, I currently own 5 of these, and my three favorites are posted here: the 370, the STi, and the RSX.

The stats:

370: evo chassis with ball bearings, 45t custom motor, tuned suspension, awd, metal lug nuts

STi: generation 1 chassis with ball bearings on center shaft, lightly tuned suspension, wheel upgrade, foam tires, evo-board swap, front splitter, rear diffuser, and switch bypass, metal lug nuts

RSX: evo chassis with customized stage1 motor, ball bearings, awd, soft rubber, aero-kit, metal lug nuts, wire upgrade, tuned suspension

Click the pictures for full size:

Radioshack Sale on Xmods

This post will just be very brief.

Well, recently, Radioshack has been sellin their Xmods stuff for 40% off and more.  bearins have gone to 10 bucks, and the suspension upgrade has gotten to 4 bucks.  Heck tires, wheels, lights, you-name-it-upgrade are all 10 bucks or less. the Starters are 30 bucks too, so if you’re lookig to get into the hobby, NOW is the time.  Get some while they last (and while the discounts last)!

Patternwound Update!

I’ve been making some handwound motors, and I have 2 armatures to show you:

First is a 24t armature, and the second is a 45t armature.

The benefits of patternwound motors: cooler run, more torque, more consistent, and is finely tuned to mee the needs of your application.  They also are lighter, so they spin up faster.  I’ve been making these since last year, and I’m proud to say that I’m thoroughly satisfied with their performance.  I’ve used them in many of my xmods cars, and they have show very good results.

Marry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

Xmods Street: Red Nissan 370Z

This is my first post here, and I’d like to start off with a review of the 1:28th scale 370Z from Radioshack.

Quality/Attention to Detail:
First off, I’m quite impressed with the recent pickup in quality that Radioshack’s been doing. The 370 is molded just right, and the details are there along with correct proportions. I particularly like the detail molded into the 370Z Touring wheel replicas.

Performance:
Straight out of the box, it’s a pretty zippy car. It’s got a nice off-the line and decent top-end, though it could be a little faster. the steeri needs a little bit of trim adjustment from the box, but after that, it’s smooth and neutral. At speed and in corners, the 370 is pretty well planted and will only step its rear out to kill your run if you get on the throttle too fast in the corner. Braking is pretty decent and progressive, though not very powerful. The rubber mirrors are a nice touch too, as in your speed runs, hitting the barriers is inevitable, and the mirrors take the most beating. With rubber, it flexes instead of snapping like older generation mirrors did.

Durability:
It’s a durable thing. it’s been dropped on the ground, attacked by my dog, and slammed into walls, but it’s still running strong. Along with its tough carrying case, it can go wherever you want it.

Problems:
There’s quite a lot of wheel wobble, and the lug nuts crack real easily when over-torqued. The ride height is a little bit on the high side too.

The fix:
Ball bearings: These run around 20 dollars for standard ABEC-5 bearings all the way up to 50 dollars for ceramic-steel hybrid bearings. The eliminate much of the wheel wobble for more consistent handling.
Suspension: I’d recommend buying the suspension and steering upgrade from Radioshack if you can find it. It has 3 sets of springs: soft, medium, and hard. Playing around with them, you can find a balance that favors your driving style. There are also three different tierods: 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 degrees of toe in. These let you tune the steering characteristics to your taste. This costs about 16 dollars.
Motor: the standard motor has plenty of zip, but not quite enough to satisfy. The stage 2 motor upgrade from Radioshack doesn’t exactly satisfy either, but the gear ratios will be useful. Personally, I recommend an Atomic Stock BB or something that tops out around 30,000 to 35,000 rpm. This will probably run you about 16 for the Stage 2 and another 20 for the aftermarket motor.
Lugnuts: the stock ones suck, so while you’re at Radioshack, grab a bag of 2/56 steel hex nuts for around 2 bucks.
All Wheel Drive: This is one very effective upgrade. runs about 16 dollars, and gives you a 4WD 370z. That means easier to control, more grip, keeps its composure, and better handling all around. If you wrap scotch tape strips around your tires so they’re slippery, you can also pull sweeping drifts with a bit of practice. Some companies will make drift tires which require you to shave off the ridge on the stock xmod rim to fit the tires on, but they drift very consistently, and can be used onconcrete unlike scotch tape. The drift tire sets will cost anywhere from 4 dollars to 10 dollars depending on where you get them from. Foam tires are also very grippy on concrete, but tend to get ripped up really easily. They run about 5 dollars a set and need to be mounted and balanced correctly.

Pictures:
I was having a bit of fun with my sister’s Digital SLR.