Build thread: FF01 meets Manta Ray
 

I recently purchased a cheap Manta Ray in bits off flebay. My aim in doing this is to convert my trust FF01 into a TA02. A few people have asked me to do a build thread on this forum so they can see how it goes, and to see how many fingers I lose in the process.

My first bit of advice for anybody think of doing this is:

DONT DO IT!!!!!!

The amount you have to spend on extra bits, you might as well just buy a TA02 (£30-£40 inc body + p&p)

As well as a Manta Ray donor car, i've also needed the following:
Front and rear wishbones
Rear driveshafts
Shorter prop shaft
Front camber links (will make my own so they are adjustable)
Front and rear shock towers

I've also forked out on a set of ballraces, a new front idler gear (missing) and a front gearbox case (stripped screw).

I will upload some photos shortly.

Given that this car is now arriving in bits throughout the course of this week, the Shamcar will be named "Shergar".

More to follow, now off to pour myself a Brandy:D

Why do you think I didn't jump at your suggestion of turning the Bandit into a Rustler. All in it works out to more than a Team-C buggy. Mind you, most things in life cost more than a Team-C buggy :bored:

Anyway, looking forward to the pics, is the Manta Ray in good nick?

Should be interesting - I've had several DF-01 chassis'd cars and never thought to deviate this much from type ;)

Now you have an FF01 and DF01 anyway, why don't you build this? :lol:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...e/DSC00358.jpg

A FWD Buggy made from a FF01 with DF01 suspension! It's a total blast to drive, and all you might need apart from the parts you have are M3 threads for upper links (which can be long M3 screws with the heads cut off).

That looks so cool - plus I have all of the parts!

The man does have a point, that thing looks awesome!

Built it!

Just need some Manta Ray driveshafts (none came with it) and some smaller shocks and it's game on!

Does this leave you without a Clubman spec TC for now?

Hopefully not - everything I need to get both cars finished is now ordered - so running a 4wd TC and a fwd buggy, both silver can this friday.

It will be shambolic to the max, but am hoping to enjoy myself:lol:

I would expect no less from you :)

Cool! :D I'm curious what you think of the handling :) When I tried the car like this the rear end was relatively loose off-power - softer tires (more suitable to the surface I was driving on) and the long DF01 tub helped stability a lot I recall.

Also, a thing to note on the FF01 is that in the manual you're instructed to put the rear hubs on to end up with toe-out. It's completely undrivable like that, so I would highly recommend to use toe-in.

Thanks for the advice.

I have used the longer Manta Ray chassis, wishbones and front hubs, but FF01 gearboxe, shock towers, and rear hubs.

I learned to use rear toe in on the ff01 at a very early stage so have no intentions to run toe out!

Expect photos later tonight:thumbsup:

LOL! Oh Tamiya... Seems like these older tourers were designed to be as twitchy as possible :D

The TL01 came with negative caster, I always wondered why on earth it was so incredibly nervous... They did eventually notice though, the TL01LA fixed the issue.

Every Tamiya i've own has always been tail happy. With FF Manta Ray I will probably still use the rear wing. I've got a good selection of buggy tyres and, given that the Manta Ray has rear wheels on the front also, I have several combinations to experiment with.

The TL01 is planted with the TG10 caster blocks :) Mind you, I also do have that massive HPI wing, plenty of expo, way stiff springs up front as well as substantially more dampening. I would not say it was ever tail happy, the front was just hyperactive!

You will be running rear tyres up front and fronts at the back with the FWD buggy, right?

We'll see! whatever works I think - I have a feeling balistic green rear might work ok on the back as there is little weight there. Maybe Schumacher silver venoms up front.

Clubman or off road for the FWD buggy? Might be fun to see it beat a few RWD buggies :D

I'm not sure the gearbox can stand many impacts - either crashes or the impacts on the gears from landings etc... I'd love to be proven wrong though! :p That aside, I bet it could do pretty well against the RWDs!

Tire-wise, I'd start with rear tires up front and 4WD fronts at the rear using the same tread and compound - That's what usually works best on my DEX210 FWD Buggy anyway :) I have been looking at running staggers on the rear, but with that the car lost all stability into corners, so I went back to MiniSpikes front and rear. It could be the tread, it could also be that the lower profile tire resulted in a lack of rear droop after I adjusted the ride height.

Are you lot blind or what? That thing looks like a sniffer dog to me.