Part I
Growing up in high school I was always the nerd on campus, however, with reality shows on TV such as American Chopper, Monster Garage, Overhaulin', and Pimp my Ride, I dreamed of being a master fabricator that could make such amazing pieces of work as the stars of these shows did.
I started by enrolling in welding class, but after catching my booth partner on fire and welding the welder to the table my teacher advised I take pottery instead. I enrolled in small engine repair and overhauled the family lawnmower. It looked like something straight out of the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction, but unfortunately ran backwards and had quite a clunk in the motor when I was done. My final attempt was by enrolling in metal fabrication class. My first assignment was to repair broken desk from the art room. I carefully fabricated replacements for the broken pieces and re-assembled the desk. The next hour the new kid was sent to the hospital for stitches after it collapsed on him while sketching a portrait and cut open his arm...and ruined the sketch.
Needless to say my hopes and dreams of becoming a master mechanic/fabricator/builder were slashed for life. I would never be the next Gas Monkey Garage or Orange County Choppers...or would I?
Hands down some of my greatest early R/C memories and good times were all thanks to one car. The legendary Losi XXX-4 1:10 4wd buggy. This beast has been dominating for years, but unfortunately is no longer available as a new kit. For Losi/TLR diehards, this is the only option of a 4wd buggy (at this time) if your looking to race the 4wd buggy class.
While searching the trusty internet, I found myself a "Race Ready Losi XXX-4" for sale. The buggy had been raced, but "taken very good care of and always freshened up and rebuilt before every race". Not to mention it includes the "option parts used by the pros". The pictures were a little blurry, but this thing sounds like the perfect entry back into 4wd buggy racing. After a slight bidding war, I won the car for $160.
The UPS man delivered me a box full of packing peanuts and this beautiful piece of...art.
No worries because this car has been rebuilt before every race...I must have caught him just after the race.
Not many realize this, but rust is a speed secret used by only the nation's top pro drivers on hinge pins, slipper assemblies, and bearings.
Those are not graphite diff covers, they are "PHIT" covers.
Right - A note reminding me there is a broken hex on this axle.
Some guys anodize just tie-rods. This buggy is a limited edition "mud-stain orange" anodized plastic, rubber, AND tie-rods
Fact of the matter is, I spent $160 on this beast and I have two options. Option A - donate it to someone I want to never see at the R/C track again, or Option B - restore this beauty to fit the advertising headline "Race Ready Losi XXX-4". Although a few people came to mind, I don't hate anyone enough for Option A...so that leaves me with Option B.
In true American Chopper, Gas Monkey Garage, Pimp My Ride, & Overhaulin' fashion, I will be doing a multi-part restoration on this car and in the end will HOPEFULLY have it race ready and set to hit the track in only 30 days.
The first race of the 2013 schedule is the Novak Offroad Race hosted by the Hobbytown USA HobbyPLEX in Omaha, Nebraska on January 4th. The event is sold out with 300 entries, BUT we are first on the waiting list for the 4wd buggy class...that is assuming the build is done and ready for the unveiling at the event.
Part 1 of "Project XXX" is complete as necessary parts and replacements have been ordered...
Part II
After watching hours upon hours of the reality restoration and car building shows on TV, I have learned that the next step (after over paying for a vehicle) is to do what is called "The Break Down". Basically this means stripping every part off of the car from front to back and top to bottom. While doing so you have to make a pile of what will be restored, what will be junk piled, and what is in good condition and needs no work.
So I began tossing parts into their appropriate category of piles as I disassembled the beast. I was very anxious to see what I might find as this car was purchased with the title of "Race Ready...Lots of Pro Driver Mods". I got my camera ready as this was going to be a very cool inside look at how pro drivers set up their cars and the tricks they use.
After about an hour I had completely torn down the entire rear end of the car. I had carefully examined all of the parts to ensure they were organized correctly and these are my results:
Restoration Pile:(Parts that are old and worn, but with a little work can be brought back to working condition)
The two items placed in the "Restoration Pile" are the diffs, and hinge pins. With a fresh rebuild kit, some polishing, and a warm bubble bath these should be ready to rock and roll...I think.)
Junk Pile:
(Parts that are beyond restoration and will be welcomed and well-loved in the bottom of my trash can.
While this appears only dusty, it features stripped out screw holes and some sort of sasquatch like odor.
Possibly the previous owner was some sort of oval racer had a "Pro Driver Mod" of pre-bent the tie-rods for left turns only.
Despite its appearance, you cannot "restore" 4 bent shock shafts, and yes the ball came out with the screw as they are factory team welded together.
There are crush tubes inside the rear hubs, I will never see they have become one with the surrounding bearings which are apparently even older than the musty dust covers.
A little known fact about pro drivers is they often run CVD's until the pin breaks through, and then continue to run for a natural wear and lightening process of the drivetrain and surrounding a-arms.
Oversized screws and nuts the size of Donkey Kong are a factory fix to a broken chassis.
When trying to get a medium/neutral feel to a car, simply equip one side with long ball studs and the other with short ball studs.
Good Condition Pile:
(These parts need no work at all and are completely ready to go!)
I found this body clip inside of the chassis in the "belt tunnel". While it is too big to fit anything on this car, it is in MINT condition and shows no wear on it what-so-ever.
As you can see from the pictures above, I have learned a lot. I don't feel as though I am at pro driver level to drive a machine such as this with so many "pro mods", unlike its previous owner, therefore after much debate I have decided to convert all of the "pro mods" shown back to the stock parts and condition. Part 2 - "The Break Down" is complete.
Part III
Some kids wake up on Christmas morning ready to rip open presents, play XBOX, and eat candy from their stockings. I, on the other hand, woke up Christmas morning with one thing in mind...Project XXX.
The UPS man (my Santa Claus) delivered two full boxes of parts to my front door on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holidays I decided to wait until Christmas morning to dig in. As I opened the box I was greeted with Losi XXX-4 parts galore! Chassis, shock towers, a-arms, tie rods, shocks, belts, gears, and more.
I started off trying to salvage whatever possible on the original Project XXX buggy, but quickly decided a far less frustrating approach would be to build off of a NEW chassis with NEW parts, using only the old parts where absolutely necessary.
(Left - Spare parts box is fully stocked, that is until I started replacing old parts. Right - I only used the new parts that were absolutely necessary to use...the number of empty bags filled an entire trash can)
After invading all of my new parts and accessories I only had to replace the following few items. Below is a list of those parts, and my reasoning for doing so:
- Chassis - The super-glued front end of the original chassis I'm sure offered premium flex, but I prefer a stiffer car.
- Front Shock Tower - While many prefer to mount their shocks on the inside hole, I didn't want to be forced to do so, seeing how the outer two holes were broke off.
- Rear Shock Tower - Doubling up a shock tower is a well-known trick, tripling or maybe quadrupaling a tower with JB Weld is a little overkill.
- Front A-Arms - The precision sun baked arms shattered while taking off the front shocks.
- Rear A-Arms - Runaway CVD pins had custom milled and lightened the end of each rear arm.
- Rear CVD's - A CVD is not actually supposed to look like the letter "C"
- Rear Hubs - TLR makes shiny ones, I like shiny objects.
- Belt - The belt I was wearing wouldn't go around me anymore.
- Spur Gear - A pro racer trick originally on this car was a "step spur" in which the teeth are worn in a wavy pattern from side to side and front to back.
- Slipper Assembly - Was required to replace with a new chassis, since the original one was welded to the old chassis.
- Tierods - The bent Mini-T tierods probably would have worked, however, I wanted to bring the buggy back to original as possible.
- Shock Bodies - Instead of using limiters to limit the travel, just use dented shock bodies.
- Shock Shafts - While shock shafts with slotted grooves up and down provide an excellent shock oil squirt gun, it doesn't do much for suspension.
- Wing Mounts - Maybe the pro racer trick was to run without a wing, but I'm not good with change, so I put wing mounts back on.
- Front Differential - When building your XXX4 the manual says to use diff grease, not tire glue.
- Rear Differential - 5 of the 8 diff balls were still in mint condition, but it was the missing 3 I was worried about.
- All Ballstuds, Screws, & Nuts - If "Gorilla Glue" is really as strong as they say it is, the pro racer used bottles and bottles of it.
- Battery Strap - Sharpie flames are cool on your 9th grade English notebook, not so much on your battery strap.
- Gear Cover - Similar to the wing, optional.
- Front LCD's - THANKS to all of the Facebook help and the guys at Stormer Hobbies and AMainHobbies, I was able to replace broken front LCD's and return the XXX4 to a 4wd vehicle.
With the help of TLR & Losi the Project XXX is looking fresh, but the original mud-stained and rusted parts have tainted my work area with an odor similar to that found in the house of an elderly woman with a overpopulated collection of indoor cats
For added durability I equipped the Xtreme Racing heavy duty towers front and rear.
Fresh gears, belt, and gear cover look good and also return the car to an actual rolling chassis.
I'm not even sure this bronze motor mount will work properly, but it sure does look good.
Shiny hubs, I love shiny hubs.
A fresh new chassis with RCScrewz stainless steel screw kit adds serious bling.
Despite what you may think, I did NOT replace all of the parts on this buggy. Here is a list of the parts I did not replace and the reasons why:
- Front Bumper - Losi no longer offers the front bumper, therefore my MEGA bumper will have to do.
- Body Clips - As I mentioned in Part 2 of this project, the body clips I found in the chassis tunnel are in mint condition and in no way need repair or replacing.
Attention all Mod 4wd participants, I may not be as fast as you...but I can guarantee you that I can mega plow through traffic better than anyone on the track, so WATCH OUT
I saved the old chassis and belt simply because I'm going to send it as a late Christmas present to an ex-girlfriend, she can hang it from her car mirror and be the one blessed with the aroma of rotting R/C car and mud
All-in-all I am anxious to finally hit the track with the Project XXX buggy. Assuming the remaining parts arrive in time (fingers crossed), the Project XXX buggy is almost set for the final chapter, "Part 4 - Raceday" next weekend at the HobbyPLEX for the sold out 2013 Novak Offroad Race!
