PROVA Impreza WRX

My new shell!
Self improvisation of the PROVA Impreza WRX from HPI.
Although I have not really put the light buckets yet...

Soldering Dean Plugs

Intriqued by the more efficient power transfer offered by dean plugs, the team does a massive change of plug heads to the coverted equipment...results? Well, car feels alot more responsive, batteries drain out alot faster too hahaha!

The soldering iron!

Rockstar clipping the rubber housing to expose the wires

Dean connectors!

Holding the wires and dean plug in place while soldering...

Tyre Maintanence

Want that set of HPI T-Drift tyres or any other brand of tyres to last alot longer and also perform alot better the moment you use them? Well I found the perfect solution. Gleamed this off the internet though, alot of people swear by this; after every drift session, remove all four tyres and soak them in warm water, at the same time scrub off all excess dirt, dust on the tyres & rims to keep them clean.

Do this for all four tyres, after that, take them out and dry them immediately with a dry cloth or tissue. You should notice your tyres looking alot newer again, this also translates to the next time you drift again, as your tyre surface is now cleaned up, tyre performance should be nearly 100% from the first time you bought the tyres!

Hop Up Parts 1

Well, I (Jecht) finally got down to buying a couple of vital hop-up options for my TT-01 that actually did enhance the car's performance overall, not to mention aesthetics. First up was the Steering Link as seen below that goes above my blue aluminium propellor shaft. Made from brushed aluminium, the steering link is the center-piece that ensures your front wheels are aligned while u are going straight or turning, needless to say the stronger this link is, the more accurate your car steering will be.
Next comes the carbon upper deck, another essential bit of hop up that any good RC drifter should have. This piece isn't just for show, what is does is act like a car's actual strut bar, linking the top front and back ends together and preventing the body from flexing while drifting, the result is an extremely rigid chassis and very little bodyroll while going sideways = precision.

Of course I couldn't resist the temptation any longer either and got my self the Tamiya accessories set which included this awesome looking brake rotors that function as wheel hubs as well. Inside the pack is also a huge-assed bazooka muffler, wipers, side mirrors and also a LED holder for the muffler tip. Doesn't do anything to performance, but who cares hahaha!

Car Cam Trial

Fitting HPI T-Drifts onto your HPI rims

Having trouble fitting those impossibly tight T-Drift tyres onto the rims? Well, me and my friend were trying to fit 26mm T-Drifts onto his Worx XSC rims and we found it tough!

We put the tyres in boiling water for 3mins, took the tyres out and tried fitting them onto the rims. Didn't work.

We used hair dryer to blow the tyres for 30secs and tried fitting them in again. Didn't work.

But today, I managed to fit in 4 T-Drifts into my my rims with ease, although I must warn you guys, its HOT. Plus, you most probably will get slightly burnt.

Here's how to do it (without pictures! Sorry!)
First, feel a new tyre. Try squeezing it. Its rather stiff and hard ain't it? Once you know how it feels like after squeezing the tyre, you will know how it feels like when its ready to be fitted onto the rims.

1) Take a small box, your battery charger box to prevent tyre from running while blow-drying.

2) Put a tyre in, and using a hair dryer with max heat, blow-dry the tyre.

3) Blow dry at close range on the outside of the tyre for about 15secs, turn the tyre 90degs and blow dry. At the same time, take a cloth (to prevent burning yourself) and occasionally squeeze the tyre. It should be easy to squeeze once your are halfway through the tyre. If you squeeze and feel that plastic-ky, then its not ready.

4) Once the tyre has been blown all round, and the tyre feels softer than usual, its most likely ready. Blow dry the centre of the tyre for about 10 secs before switching off the hairdryer.

5) Now taking the towel, reach in and grab the tyre, immediately placing them on the rim. With the towel on your palm, push down on the tyre over the rim on a hard surface, like a table. Rather than hearing the loud snap, the tyre should fit with a soft click-feel.

6) Now comes the crucial part. Flip the tyre around and if you notice that the tyre has not fitted on the last beam, quickly push the tyre into the beam with abit of force. I did this holding onto the towel as well and with abit of force, the tyre fitted onto the beam. Quickly work around the tyres! Careful its hot and could burn you! You should still have time to make adjustments if needed.

What happens if the tyre still can't go in even if you applied much force? Then it means the tyre is not hot enough. The tyre should be near scalding, like a hot potato fresh from the pot or oven when you take out from the box. Remember to squeeze. The difference between a hot tyre and a new tyre out of the box should be obvious. If it feels hard and plastic-ky, even if the tyre is warm, then its not ready. Don't forget to use a towel!

Vertex Ridge Toyota Soarer

wooot!

Finally Uploaded!

DIY Headlamps/ Tail-lamps

Got no light buckets from that 2nd-hand shell you bought off someone? Can't find anyone selling them either? Here's a quick-fix solution to you styling issue!

1. Get a copy of HOTstuff or any modified car mag, search for ads that feature angel-eye headlamp assembly like above, cut out the headlamp pic.

2. Affix headlamp onto some scotch tape like this.

3, Now gently move the headlamp into the original lightbucket area, before pressing down on the tape to seal it in place. There you are! Headlamps with angel-eye lights!

4. For tail-lamps its even simplier, just grab any red coloured paper (if you can't find any, use red pages from your tuner mag and compensate) - that's what I did *LOL. Do the same as the headlamps and presto! Instant tail-lamps!

DIY Stickers

Can't get those highly sort-after decals from your favourite actual track/drift car for your RC? Fret not, here's a simple and relatively easy/cheap way of getting those stickers which you always wanted! Here's what you need!

1. Any tuner magazine (Eg: Hotstuff, Banzai, Hot4s, MaxPower etc.)
2. Lotsa scotch tape
3. A good pair of scissors
4. Some handicraft skills & imagination!

Ok, first locate the tuner logos and pictures you want. Cut them out and affix the tape over them like the above picture. This is dependent on size of course!

Now start pasting all your favourtie tuner brands onto your shell! Presto instant stickers! You're only limited by your creativity! Be bold, go wild with them! Here's my dressed up bashing R34 GT-R shell!

Jecht (Car Profile)

Well, here's my two cars, ok, one chassis, two shells...

Stock
TT-01D Drift Spec RTR
Mazda RX-7 FD3S (Showcar shell)
Nismo Skyline R34 GT-R Z-Tuned (Bashing Shell)

MODS
Chassis Specific
Aluminium Drive Shaft w/ Cupholders
DIY Exhaust Tip
Extended Shell-holder columns front & back
Tamiya Drift Spec Slick Tyres
Tamiya Drift Spec multi-spoke rims
HPI 26mm T-Drift Tyres
HPI Work Emotion Chrome Rims (6mm Offset all round)
Front 1-Way Differential
Rear Ball Differential
Team Orion 4600amp Battery
Steering Link Set
Carbon Upper Deck
Tamiya Hop Up Accessories (Exhaust, Brake Rotors, Side Mirrors. Wipers)

RX-7 Shell
3X Tamiya 5mm/3mm LEDs front & back
DFM Dry Carbon Bonnet
AR Aluminium GT-Wing w/ stand
DIY Windscreen Visor

Nismo R34 GT-R Shell
Custom paint job
Tail-lamp ringed stickers
DIY Windscreen Visor
East Coast Tuners Lightweight Drift spec GT-Wing

NEXT MOD
Steering Arm Set
Yokomo Shell

DIY Exhaust Tip

Here's what you need to make your own exhaust tip for your chassis!

1. At least 2 cylinder-like spares (like the one above)

2. Lots of heavy-duty duct tape

First, tape the two cylinders together, then tape them to the chassis, do take note that the taping should not affect your rear axle or wheel movement - don't want tape getting stuck while drifting would we? Okay, once you are done, it should look very much like the above.

Right, now put the shell back on and adjust accordingly, so that the tip will not rub against the shell during motion, You have to use a little imagination here and tape the tip to the correct position. That's why I recommend duct tape, because its stretchable and won't lose it's stickiness overtime - perfect for moving the tip into place.

There you have it! Your very-own exhaust tip! Angle it a little to the side for that Fujitsubo-look!

The Mage (Car Profile)

Stock
-------
TT-01E chassis
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP Car

Modded
-------
Alum Prop Shaft + Cup Joint
TT-01 Type E Full Bearing Set
Rear Ball Diff
Adjustable Upper Arms

Next Mod
-------
Front 1-Way
T15 Charger
Blue Alum Steering Arm
Speed Passion Drift Master Turbo + ESC

Who are the Noob Drifters?

Who: 4 average dudes, holding normal jobs
There's...

Ibrahim (aka Bro John) Real Life Car: S13 Silvia; RC Car: TT-01 Drift-Spec CopperMix S15,
Tom (aka The Mage) Real Life Car: Lancer GLX; RC Car: TT-01E Porsche Cup 911 GT3
Gerald (aka RockStar) Real Life Car: Swift Sport; RC Car: TT-01E VWRacing Golf GTI
Jackson (aka Jecht) Real Life Car: Hyundai Getz; RC Car: TT-01 Drift Spec Mazda RX-7/Nismo R34 GT-R Z-Tuned

What: Picked up RC drifting so that we could do something on weekends instead of just idling away our free time.

When: Usually weekends we would practise throughout the night, but we do get some action on weekdays as well when work permits...no specific time though

Where: Favourite drift sites includes "The Dome" at Pasir Ris, MSCPs in Bedok Central/Marine Parade, Pavillions along Marine Crescent

Why: Intrigued by the art of RC drifting and the vast array of hop up options available for RC cars, we take a break from modifying our own vehicles and tried out RC Drift Cars...