After completing my first series at the M-03 challenge and placing a very respectable joint 4th place (out of about 20 drivers) I decided I would look into getting the recently launched M-03R chassis kit from Tamiya. I wouldn't be allowed to race it on a regular night but would be able to on an up and coming GP event in a second class. So with a little help from my friend out in Bahrain I had ordered myself a kit from a modelshop in the USA (made it a lot cheaper). It found its way from China in two days which was amazing and I set to building it straight away.

The kit..

Building starts, building up the gearbox

Nice shiny aluminium uprights etc

Wheels on - bling!

Back end and suspension on, radio gear installed.

Temporary body stolen from my other racer, new one on order to paint up.

1st time out on the track will be Tuesday but 1st test around the living room looks promising.

Very nice.

Looks very nice indeed - some nice looking components in amongst there

Like the temp Mini shell too

Steve

very nice

how much does all this stuff cost?

I got the M-03R kit for

don't tell me that, I've got far too many hobbies already!

Looks cool.

A friend is trying to get me to purchase a SVM Crono Buggy, there site seems under construction so heres an alternative, http://www.rckingdom.co.uk/mam/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=180

I know feck all about them, theres a few different types bascially with additional bits. There making a purpose built track in Navan for them so they should be good.

You really want one of these:

HPI Baja, IIRC the RRP on these are about

My new Tamiya shell finially turned up from the US, price you pay for half price bits its a fair wait..lol.

So I set about painting it. Masked up the windows and decided a simple yet bling silver would look good with the shiny wheels. I used a Tamiya semi gloss aluminium paint. Now something kinda unexpected happened, call it a mistake if you like but the normal practice when painting lexan bodies (on the inside) is you score the plastic with a light abrasive pad so the paint has something to key into and it doesnt flake off after an impact. This normally doesn't show as the paint fills in the scratches. But after I started painting I noticed that this semi gloss was very light (it has to be backed with black as it remains semi transparent) and it wasn't covering the scratches. At this point I was thinking bugger I have wrecked a new shell. But oddly enough the scratches which I was quite carefull doing are all quite uniform and tied with the aluminium paint has given it a kinda brushed effect, looks cool IMHO. So much so that I resisted covering the thing in the usual stickers and left it as is. See what you think,

What ya think?

I think that looks ace Ross

Less is more

Steve

Looks nice that, I still have 3 shells I havnt got round to starting lol.

I trimmed this one out last night but got the painting done (two cans of silver one black in a few hours this evening. Very light coats of paint (cans warmed up first in a cup of warm water) and then a slow speed burst with the missus hair dryer, works a treat in setting the paint.

does that use an electric motor or one of those little 2 stroke glow start engines??

does that use an electric motor or one of those little 2 stroke glow start engines??

Electric 540 motor;)

Looks good

The first...and only body I have painted wasn't sanded first and all the paint is flaking ...ya live and learn

does that use an electric motor or one of those little 2 stroke glow start engines??

As Pembo said, a 540 type (Sport Tuned) motor running a 7.2v battery,

all the rc cars i've ever built were all plastic... it might be a trick of the light in the photo.. but are there aluminium parts in there too??

looks very complex to me:O far too much patience required to build

Looks good

The first...and only body I have painted wasn't sanded first and all the paint is flaking ...ya live and learn

Put a light coating of silicone bathroom sealent on the inside around the usual problem areas, using wet fingers. Stops it flakin:thumbup:

Yes Tom the M-03R has special edition anodised aluminium parts to the chassis for added strength and bling

Put a light coating of silicone bathroom sealent on the inside around the usual problem areas, using wet fingers. Stops it flakin:thumbup:

I tried that alright, unfortunately the Silicone seems to be falling off aswell and when that peels off now the paint is also coming. I think I'll go the sanding round the next time, with a bit of silicone.

Apparently PVA glue thinly spread over the paint when cured also woks.

I tried that alright, unfortunately the Silicone seems to be falling off aswell and when that peels off now the paint is also coming. I think I'll go the sanding round the next time, with a bit of silicone.

Very strange, Ive done this with all my cars and its always been ok for me. Perhaps it was gammy pammy silicone lol

Very strange, Ive done this with all my cars and its always been ok for me. Perhaps it was gammy pammy silicone lol

Quite possibly