oOple 501X long term review.

[HairySteve]

Just a thought, might be worth buying a complete trf501 kit off ebay and break it up for spares, things like the body shell, wing, undertray, all the plastic parts, drive belts, wheels, pulleys, bearings, cvd's etc would be popular enough spares, and I'm sure people will need some of the carbon and aluminium bits. I doubt you'll have much of it left within a couple of weeks once the outdoor race season proper starts.
-Steve

[footey]

ive got a tamiya 501x plus alot of spares pm me for details of sale

[jimmy]

Woody finished 2nd today at Worksop. In practice he clipped a corner which rolled the car and the shock tower grabbed the floor which cracked it - pretty much any car would have done the same or worse in the same situation so no biggie really. The tower held the rest of the day though (no spare).
We put on the new optional front blocks thanks to TRF-TASTIC after checking them against the kit plastic blocks (both 10degree, kit ball stud is slightly higher than the alloy default setting).
I think the main changes stu did today was aimed toward getting more steering on the slippy worksop track - silver (AE) front springs, raising the outer ball stud 2mm on the new alloy front hubs. The setup definately wasn't quite as dialled as it has been on other tracks but it was still good. It was woodys first time at the track in many years and its a bit of a strange one.

Damage so far - the rear camber brace needs replacing, the front shock tower needs replacing soon, the undertray got destroyed, the rear diff balls got destroyed.

Stu also noticed something with the front one-way. Push the arm up whilst the wheel is spinning freely and at the top of its travel the CVD binds up and will unsettle the car. The cause is the orange foam things included in the one-way kit to keep the outdrives in place. They are just too hard. Stu replaced them with tiny off-cuts of inner foam which takes all the binding away.

[DCM]

Jim, I beleive you can swap the diff plates out for Yokomo ones on the diff (well, on the TRF tourers anyways) and it allows you to run Carbide balls, and jobs a good 'un.

Fabien has a carbon rear camber brace, will ask him if he can make some up.

[geebee]

Hi,

I noticed that the stock diff balls wear fast. The optional tungsten balls from Tamiya (3mm) will give you smooth diff that will last almost for ever.

Gil

[jimmy]

Well, I now have Jimmy Maddison / Ballys old 501X, so I can now review 501X parts without going over to woodys house to borrow the review car back and of course it means I have a whole car in spares in case Woody breaks anything.

[cherrypop]

Originally Posted by jimmy

The thing about magazines is that its there for a month then gone forever

Couldn't agree more.

This is a clear case of old media (print media) versus new media (the Web in all its forms).

There's a place for both. But the resistance, or lack of interest, Jimmy receives from manufacturers baffles me in some ways and doesn't surprise me in others.

Jimmy, what you're doing with oOple.com reminds me in some ways of what WRC did for rally. oOple has stylized it's category, it take's an enthusiast's approach to the content, it doesn't under estimate the reader's level of patience (read: oOple isn't afraid of in-depth coverage/reviews), and it succeeds at making it all fun and exciting.

I know you're not looking for suggestions, but I think you would have a market for some paid-for content, much like WRC.com has.

For example, some of us might pay for as-it-happens SMS race updates and results. Or a subscription model (of some sort) for access to quality race video and/or pit interviews.

Keep up the insanely good work, Jimmy. I've been a fan for a long time and have really enjoyed watching the site and oOple lifestyle flourish.

[stefke]

Originally Posted by geebee

Hi,

I noticed that the stock diff balls wear fast. The optional tungsten balls from Tamiya (3mm) will give you smooth diff that will last almost for ever.

Gil

Just rebuilt my diffs with ceramic diff balls from oOple sponsor Kanzen. WOW : what a difference ! The diffs are smooth as silk now.

Service from Kanzen was first class.

[jimmy]

Well I'm sure we'll have a proper update later, but Stu took the car out for its first National this weekend and qualified 2nd in the B final. The car took some time to dial into the dirt surface, but with two 9th in round scores Stu was one point from the A final.
The only real upgrade we tried on the car was to add the Kanzen ceramic diff balls - these are a world of difference from the kit items which tend to slip and quickly ruin the diff rings.


Other than Stu and myself - was anyone else racing the Tamiya 501X at the Tiverton National? I didn't see any that's all.

[woOdy]

I dont think so mate. Just me and you . Then again there was only ten imported into the UK .

[ashleyb4]

Yea stu good luck with the 501x this year it looked a beast at the indoor finals. And i hope to see you about at soem of the other nationals.

A

[geebee]

Jimmy, Stu,

that would be great if you could post the 501 Tiverton setup. Thank you in advance.
Next round of French national will take place in Montigny (Euro 2005 track, grass) and then it will be in Vierzon which is a dirt track. So it would be nice to have a good starting setup for dirt

Hope you can enter the A main next time

Gil

[woOdy]

Originally Posted by geebee

Jimmy, Stu,

that would be great if you could post the 501 Tiverton setup. Thank you in advance.
Next round of French national will take place in Montigny (Euro 2005 track, grass) and then it will be in Vierzon which is a dirt track. So it would be nice to have a good starting setup for dirt

Hope you can enter the A main next time

Gil

Thanks Gill. I will do it as soon as possible. The car was very good in the end but had to do a lot of changes to it to make it go faster round the long sweepers. Thanks again.