Lonestar's Fox Runner :)

[Lonestar]

(I know there's a bit more love for Shizuoka-made stuff here than on rc10talk, so figured out you'd like this here too )

Hi guys,

been a few months since I've posted car pics of my own I've been busy with the indoor racing season (3 classes, 4wd, 2wd, and DTM) as well as the usual logistics challenge of having 2 young kids in the winter season (chicken pox, otitis, flu and the likes).

Still, I've managed to find time to get this Fox back to running shape.



I bought it on a non-US vintage forum as "runner chassis only with repro body and decal" and it came as RTR wit a radio (Hitec Challenger 250) and all. I started pulling out the mechanical speedo as obviously it wasn't working properly and replaced it first with a Novak 4 and then after a LONG troubleshooting period which ended up with almost ALL electronics replaced by elimination, a T-4, a Kyosho Pulsar TX, a hitec Rx. The car runs on LiPo's and a new 540.











The first run was a miserable failure as one of the front arms broke - it appeared that it had been glued already, of course it didn't last more than a couple of seconds.



Somehow I had a spare in my box, dating all the way back from that HotTrick Red Fox I shortly owned some years back, so that was luck, especially when you know how much a new set of front arms cost. There was also significant time involved in trying to get the suspension to feel right, but given the geometry I suspect it's a lost cause...









Anyways, the car runs now, we even ran it at the last round of our indoor OR series, and although it couldn't clear ANY of the doubles properly, it was looking remarkably at ease in the whoops (big hole pistons obviously helped there). Other than that it handle like the typical tamiya's from the 80's i.e. poorly.





Next step is to install a front rollbar which I already have in stock and is well-needed!

Enjoy the pics, comments welcome









For the French speaking folks, article coming very shortly on overrc as well as on VintageRCCars (eboulme, not the other one!)

Cheers
Paul

[Gayo]

Nice one Paul! Lovely Pulsar too

[gainsy]

Love it, the Fox was my first rc car, wish i still had it, here's the only pic i have of mine, 1986 i think

[Lonestar]

Thanks for the comments guys The Fox certainly is a killer-looking car, but the way it handles certainly is a bit of a disappointment even if I kind of knew what to expect. I think the "engineer" working at tamiya in 1986 didn't have a clue about suspension geometry

But then again... it looks sooooooo good! All the french kids remember that Tamiya ad from 1986 (not sure it was worldwide) with the fox jumping in the dunes!

(credit www.retromodelisme.com)


What a car!!!

Paul

[93works]

awesome paul, very nice pic's makes all the difference

[Lonestar]

Thanks folks

As said - it's a relief that the car looks so good cuz it sure drives like crap it was intended by Tamiya as a attempt to take on the RC10 and the Ultima, but boy my CE runs circles around that plastastic buggy

Off to another project now!

Paul