What's up Mike? Glad to hear everything's going well out your way. And
yes, I'm gettin' ready for another rewarding year of having Pulfer crush me every weekend. We'll probably come out to Y-city a few times..... after it cools off outside. (Just can't beat that air conditioning at Ultra!) I'll let Mikey know you said Hi, but a T-bar car? I just can't endorse that!!! :devil:

Mike K,
Do you know if they have decided which day they will be racing this season? I'm also going to try to race 1/12th scale this fall at Y-City.

Later,
Blake
www.2brainsdesign.com
- Custom Airbrushed Bodies

CypressMidWest,
How far is Ultra from Columbus compared to Y-City?

Cypress, David and all,

I am building my new Rev.3 kit in a few weeks!!! I cannot wait-sanding, filing battery slots, the burn of CA in the eyes and nose-YUMMM!!!:rolleyes:


But I am wondering how you guys set the caster and camber?? I use different thickness shims under the caster shims and front arms-eyeballing the adjustments using a RPM camber guage. What are some other methods that are more maybe easier?

Thanks,
Ray

I love my car!!! Took it out to practice last weekend, and it felt awesome. The only thing I don't like is strapping the cells in, but this weekend I am getting some Dan's saddle pack battery straps. hopefully they will adjust down for 2 cells, but if not I am sure I can modify them to work. I was suprised how easy 1/12th scale cars are to drive, and drive fast. I maybe could tune the chassis to make it better, but I was told my lap times are right on compared to some of the fast guys, so I will concentrate on learning to drive fast rather than tuning right now. I do know I need to work on consitancy.

I did notice a slight torque steer when accelerating from a dead stop, but otherwise anywhere else on the track I can grab a fist full of throttle with no worry!!! I noticed that with a 1/12th you can throttle deeper into the turns and yank the throttle alot sooner coming out. I also cannot say enough about being able to steer the car anywhere I want and not worry about pushing into a wall......

Man if I had only owned a 1/12th sooner I probably wouldn't even own a sedan!!!! but I love my Mission and Losi too much!!:dude:

Hopefully I can get a Pro 10 class, or even DD touring class running this winter!!! God I can't wait for the cold, the regionals and thr 2003 Trinity race!!!!!!

Sorry Blake, but I'm not sure when Y-City will race this coming season. If past seasons are any indication, they will race on Sunday afternoons.

As for the drive time between Ultra and Y-City, it depends on where you live in Columbus. I live in Pataskala which is only about a 1/2 hour drive from Y-City. To get down to Ultra it's about two hours give or take 15 minutes. Ultra has a premium facility there's no mistaking that, it's just that with a new baby I'm looking for places to race nearby. That leaves CRCRC or Y-City.

ImpactPlayer- You think 12th scale is good now? Wait till you get a full heat of them and you are racing in close quarters for 8 minutes. AWESOME!!!

Mike,

if you find a car to run soon, a buddy and I want to rent Y-city a few times to get some practice on carpet and do some more testing with both 12th scales, but also our XXXS'!!!! As you know, I am now both a Pro-Match battery dealer and a Putnum Propulsion dealer, so I have a lot of motors, batteries and springs and brushes to test from now till the Cleveland Champs!!!

Ray

Ray - Why rent? Come down anytime on a Saturday and you will have the whole day to practice for around $10. Or do you need the track to yourself? I would suggest waiting until it cools off a bit though because Y-City is not air conditioned.

Ray,
I actually went over to Y-City a few weeks ago on a friday evening. I showed up there at 5pm then ran till 9pm when he closed for only $3. Great track and a nice setup.

Also, as a dealer for putnam propulsion can you get me some prices for brushes and springs for the MVP? I'll need some for 1/12th scale and some for Touring

Thanks,
Blake

Mike,
I hear that about the baby...My daughter turns two next week. Finding time to race has been REALLY difficult. Anytime you want to head out to Y-City some evening like 5-9 let me know. I'll probably be able to meet you out there.

Blake

Blake,

I'll talk to Todd and see what he recommends on his Excessive Force MVP motors for 12th and TC. Last I heard the best brush for the MVP's were low silver, narrowed brushes with medium heavy springs (red) on pos and neg. When I get some more info I'll e-mail you.
I know a couple guys who are running them as well. At a recent race I had my infrared temp gun with me and a P2K2 came off the track at 120 degrees and the MVP (both cars equally fast) came off at 185 degrees. Man-they run hot!!!
Ray

I hear that...If you don't ice them down they are unbearable. If you do ice them look out!

Blake - I probably won't be able to hit Y-City until sometime in September at the earliest. It's still flying season and with my son due the first or second week of September I won't have many free evenings. Plus I still need to buy a car :)

You guys race on carpet all summer?

J-rod, wrong page.

No fred that was a legitimate question.

There are suitable racing surfaces besides carpet..... I think not!!!!

bstorey: I'm not sure exactly how long it would take to get down there from Westerville. Ultra's on the North side of Town, technically Hamilton, so I'm not all that sure what your best route would be either. I know Mikey King lives way out in the boonies (LOL)!! I'm thinking you're probably looking at about an hour and a halfish. I live in Springfield so I just go 70 west to 675 s to, 75 and then jump on whatever the heck it is that takes me over to rt. 4 from there. I can't remember it for the life of me! It only takes me around an 60-70 mins. to get there.

rayhuang: You don't need to do any testing, just build the car, strap in some volts and go!!!!! As far as setting up the front-end you pretty much nailed the only way to do it! It's a bit time consuming, but once it's right it won't change unless you break it!!!

Mike K: I don't know what you guys are talking about!(dripping with sarcasm) I mean I've got a 23 month old, and I've probably raced almost 10 whole racedays since he was born!!!! :devil:

Anyone know of any sites that have good videos of 1/12th racing??? I may end up getting the worlds video tommorrow, I can't get to the track til next Saturday and I really need my fix!!!!! Besides I like to look at different drivers with different driving styles so I can see how they do it and maybe learn a little in the process.....

Ray - I suggest you not listen to CMW and continue putting the tender loving care into your new ride. It will be great and you will thank yourself for doing so in the long run. The next thing is to do 3 very important things. Practice, practice, and practice. CMW would finish higher if he ran more than 10 times in the last 3 years.

In case you don't know what I am saying here, the message is really for CMW.

DavidL,
I've raced even less than CMW, maybe 3 times in the last 5 years. Do I regret that at all, not even a little bit. I will always put my wife, daughter and family ahead of racing.

It's a hobby...a great one but is nothing compared to the love of a little girl for her daddy.

Blake
www.2brainsdesign.com

davidl: Wow, that almost stung a bit. I think Ray will do just fine. He's very meticulous about car prep and I'm relatively certain he totally disregarded my previous post. You are correct though, with a bit more practice I could be the next JOEL!!!!!!!(LMAO!!!)

bstorey said it best. All the racing in the world can't compare to my wife and my amazing son. Now if his hands were just a little bigger he'd be able to get a much better grip on that Mars!!!!! :devil:

CMW,
Do what I did...get them a Tomy BitCharg. Got to start them early!

Blake

Thats the whole problem, it's not the baby ( I love my baby girl sooo much too!!!), its not the car prep, its not the practice, its the Radio!!! JR R1 baby-its the only way to fly!!!!:lol:

Ian-check out my comments on Tech Talk please. I wont be offended at all no matter what your response is!!! It is in regards to the Champs and Master's 12th scale.


Also-I try to be meticulous, Thanks!!! But too often I miss something critical.

CMW,
Your young protige is starting his fifth year. He really started improving when we hung up the Mars and got his M8 LOL. He wouldn't run a Losi radio or Losi Blue Thunder for that matter. He is gonna run the World's in Sept. Ya gotta come watch.

Ray - polish all of the moving parts.

David, I am a polishing fiend!!! You should have seen my Vector up-close!!! I polished every single thing on it!!! It glowed!!! Untill the first lap of practice-of course!!!

I have also seen some really nice front spindles on some of the new 1/10th Oval chassis I am thinking of buying. They look a lot stronger then the "old Style" spindles we use. I wonder if they would be stiffer and therefore be more consistent handling then the current ones we use? I am not saying the spindles we use are junk-I just wonder if these would be better???

bstorey: I get it.... tiny driver requires tiny car!!!

ohiorcdad: I don't think that dumping the Mars had anything to do with it. I think his mechanic has just had to work a whole lot less since he began the Pulfer and Ian school of Jedi driving tricks LOL. Ohhh, and about the Worlds.... watch? I hope to be cheering Baby Reedy on from the announcing booth!

Ray: would these posts be regarding the 10 turn limit on the Cleveland thread on TTT. If so I've already dropped a few lines. If they're responses to my responses I'll of course have further responses. Did everybody catch that?:devil:

Ian,

You spin a web of confusion!!! :D

You see-I now sell Putnam Excessive Force motors and I need to start ordering them for two drivers. If the USTC goes 10 turn and the Champs follows suit, then I know I just need to order 10 x 2 and 10 singles in only a few different configurations. If they go "open" I have to start ordering 8, 9, 10 turns in every imaginable wind and wire guage, layered, etc., etc.!!! Yikes-$$$$$$$ Its maddening for someone like me who knows NADA about Mod motors!!!

So I WAS a fan of Pro class running whatever they wanted, but now I am thinking maybe 10 turns aint too shabby!!!

Ray: Ahhhhhhh, I see that your fiscal responsibility has clouded your judgment about the intricacies of the Modified class. Very Interesting. I say you just order 7 singles and tell your drivers it's their responsibility to make time. I feel a 7 single is equally well suited for 12th scale and touring car. I mean really, you only have to use all that rip if you really want to! (lol!!!) :devil:

Ray,
Have you used the X20 body from Parma. How does it make the car feel. We are thinking about trying one.

Dean

dean,

hey, have you gotten enough Nitro in your blood this summer???

The X20 has more steering, but it feels starngely planted in the rear at the same time. Alot like what all the pros said about the Speed 8. I guess the boys at Parma did there homework on this body too!!! Some Pros, national and world champs have run them, they all say the same things. more steering, but planted, not twitchy or loose. Most have also said they just wish they could run them (sponsor obligations).

Hope that helps!!!
Ray

Hi,

I just bought my RC12L3 used. It's very new and everything work fine except the diff ring which I replaced with HPI parts. I'm very new to 12th scale so please forgive me if I ask some stupid question :D

I'm thinking about ordering some spare parts in the near future. What parts that usually break or need to replace periodically? I'm not living in the USA so I'm trying to find the place that has everything that I want to save the shipping cost.

Tower has most of the parts for RC12L3 and other items that I want but they doen't have the kingpin. Is it easy to break the kingpins in RC12L3?

I'm going to power it with 23T stock motor/4 cells. What is the roll-out that I should start with?

More questions comming soon :)

thanks,
tifosi

What is a good 12th scale road course body? I will be needing one this winter, I'm just wondering what is good.
Thanks
Jake

Tifosi- You will want the lower arms, the caster pieces that attach to them, the hingepin, which also comes with spare caster washers, t-plates, springs (front and rear), e-clips, pivot balls for the front suspension, and yes I would get a set of the king pins.

Rowle- parma x20- almost any speed 8- Trinity speed 9- Protoform/Associated Nissan P35 Gtp (for you oldschool boyz...LOL)

Ray,

Enough Nitro already. But where else can you get a chance to run at the World Championship and sleep in your own bed. We had to do it. We are starting our carpet program to get ready for USTC Oktoberfast. I hope this is Jake's breakout year. Time will tell.
See you at the races.

Dean: Jake should be able to finish third at all the Triple Crown races this year. Just have him follow me, cause I'll be following Pulfer!!! So that's Pulfer, Ian, Jake 1,2 and 3 LOL!! If only it were that easy!!!:devil:

Ian,
Someone once stopped a famous performer on the street and asked "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?". The answer was "Practice, practice, practice". That's where we will be. See you there.

See Ian. I am not the only one talking about the importance of practice. By the way, you guys are not going to be 1,2,3 this year. Hell, you won't be in the same classes.

The only thing as important as practice, is money. Some of us have to choose our battles wisely. I'll be trying to balance my resources with practice. Unfortunately, practice won't save you if you've worn out everything you have. With my limited funds, I have to be a little more careful about the # of cycles I put on my packs, not to mention the expense of tires, brushes, etc. etc. I will run as much as family and financial concerns allow. There are a few things that will be very different this year, that I feel may help me progress....... We'll see. :devil:

I have noticed alot of guys are using the old style associated front end on their cars, Why is this?? Is there a distinct preformance advantage? If it is to remove the reactive caster why not just mount the 0 deg. mounts? Or is it basically being lazy, with not having less to set-up on the front end?

There are several reasons I run the Old Skool front-end.

1. consistency: The Old front-end only changes if you break it. The Dynamic strut has some slop as well as a tendency to "move" if you hit things. Caster, and camber can change on that front end in collisions.

2. WEIGHT: The Old Skool front-end weighs a TON less than the dynamic strut front end.

3. Handling preference: I personally feel the car is smoother with the old front-end. Since it has no camber gain, or reactive caster, i think it makes the car more predictable. I always felt that when I backed off with the Dynamic front-end, the handling changed. The cars steering response became much less aggressive, and I didn't like having to adjust to that. The Old Skool front-end always handles the same.

There you have it. Those are the reasons I've run that front-end. I toyed with the idea of trying one of the reactive style front-ends this season, but I always keep coming back to the good old block front-end.:devil:

Ian,
I have a bunch of decent battery packs we stopped running midway through last season (you know why) that you can use anytime. I also have enough Carpet Knife parts to make a good Rev 3 LOL. I understand about the money thing (5 kids myself) but will be glad to help you out some. I also have some tires you can use for practice. The only thing I can't help you with is driving. My contract won't allow it. My boss is a tyrant.

Impactplayer.

I would say that the old style arms just suit the handling of the Rev.3. Also, the Rev.3 makes most of its tuning with the side springs and dampner tubes. Also with the center shock via it's overall length and spring choice. Basically you set the front end and forget it. Thats not as much lazy as it is smart. The newer style arms are tempermental and very prone to binding and tweaking of the car after contact on the race track, or adjustments made in the pits.

Ray

ohiorcdad: I know your boss, and he does rule with an Iron Fist!!
I really appreciate. When will you guys be resuming your carpet racing efforts? I'd like to get down and test one of the remaining Sat. this month. LMK and I'll see if we can do that.

ray: YGM.

Ian,
Nitro next weekend. Check the TSRCAR schedule. If no nitro we will be running electric. See you there. Bring Pulf with.

Dean,
I'll see when our schedules are open and come take my whuppin' from The Master of R/C. :devil:

So how do we all drive like Mark Adams??? I put his set-up on my car at the Champs last year and decided I dont have the cajones to drive a car with that much steering. But maybe this year-if I start with that set-up and "drive-it", maybe I can be a lot faster than last year!! I literraly need to pick up two or three laps at the Champs!! Thats pretty sad!!!

Ray that's my idea. Dial in the mad steering and teach myself to drive it! Pulfer and I are going against everything we once beleived about car set-up after our rude awakening last season. In the famous words of Jedi Master Yoda "You must unlearn what you have learned":devil:

So, are we going to try to get the Minnesota group to delay their Triple Crown race a couple of weeks?

Well, a month ago all was right with the world. I was convinced the UMH's are the way to go, but now we got the new kid on the block. If anyone gets a chance to strap a 3300 pack in there 12th scale, please let me know how it does!!! I am ordering a bunch already from pro-Match, but I dont have anywhere to run them for a month or so!!!