oOple 501X long term review.

[stefke]

After the runs I had with the TRF, I wouldn't worry too much about parts : the car is a tank ! Perhaps the R&D Tamiya did for the RC King Tiger was used for the TRF

I'm going to stock only the obvious : belts, pulleys, front A-arms and hubs. Perhaps a shocktower but that seems pretty bulletproof too.

[jimmy]

I'll add this to the review soon - but the camber link mounts have a design flaw and can be damaged with a knock on the bottom edge of the wheel (so it PULLS on the camber link). They just need more material to stop this.
I got a load of suspension arms, hubs etc, but nothing has broken as yet.. it is a tank, for sure. The only thing that is damaged is the rear camber mount.
So I'd get a spare one of those, just to make sure.

[footey]

glad u got woody for ur team jimmy but now u need some more team oople drivers for all your other cars a proper massive team oople that would push even the big teams go on jimmy you know it sounds good

[MikePimlott]

Excellent for you both WoOdy and Jimmy.
I saw the car in the hands of Stu on sunday at Bury, and it was quick.
This team is going to produce some good results this season.

[jimmy]

We are hoping to have a good spread of results - Stu is obviously aiming to Win nationals - and vicky will be bringing up the rear by attempting to finish last at every national

sorry vicky, I had to!

[BenG]

lol, oOple really has both ends of the nats covered then....



I love oOple. I first joined because of the cracking race shots. At the time I was a touring car racer only. Then, I got a buggy (B4, again cos of oOple) then I sold my tourers, and am making the transisition to buggy racing with the MKI4. I may even get to the nationals next year, after I learn to drive hehe.

Anyway... my point is I think manufacturers should really invest in oOple. I mean, imagine what Jim could do if he got free cars. He'd be able to do tonnes of reviews.

Why do they invest in magazines? Its daft for many reasons:

Magazines are a dying trade, the web is where its at....
Magazines have deadlines, and short, almost seemingly incomplete reviews
The magazines hardly ever seem to say 'this car could do with some improving', they are biased.
Magazines are limited on space and picture sizes, Jim is less restricted in this area, so his reviews are much more in depth, and jam packed with oopley goodness.

Perhaps, Jim could set-up a donations page, so we can all help to fund the next oOple review car, or the nest upgrade to the site, and help take the load off Jim a bit?

[DCM]

Thing is, whislt Jim funds his reveiws, then he is free to give a definitive reveiw and un-biased. If companies thought there was a chance of having a reveiw that wasn't complementary, then I think they would rather stay with the mags.

A company that will give Jim stuff to do an honest reveiw is brave, but I also think, it would work in their favour, as they could go back, improve and come back for an update.

[BenG]

If companies are confident in their product this should prove no problem

[modelimages]

i keep hearing the old magazines are dying the internet is the new media comments, sadly the facts are different i sell £400 a month in magazines and have done for the past 5 years it has not changed at all, as for reviews on this site clearly jimmy can devote as much space as he thinks is required to do the car justice,put in as many photo's something of course the magazines cannot do, online reviews are a risk for the distributor, who is oople? a 15 year semi literate schoolboy with no journalistic training, no audited classification on who reads it?. how many emails do you think AE,CML etc get a week from people asking for free stuff to put on the web promising a 155000 hits. now we know that jimmy is in fact a 20+ semi illiterate schoolboy who actually can influence a cars sales can write a damn fine review and takes some blurry pictures at every national event, i am convinced in a few months that when the latest new off road car is due for release the marketing people at cml/helger will be saying 1 car for racer, 1 car for rrci and 1 for oople, in the mean time those of us who can help will do so, in my case i am helping jimmy with some stuff, but make no mistake i am doing it because i believe i will get more sales and therfore more money in my pocket, by helping him i get shop advertising targeted at the off road racing community which will hopefully mean more sales for me.

[BenG]

Originally Posted by modelimages

i keep hearing the old magazines are dying the internet is the new media comments, sadly the facts are different i sell £400 a month in magazines and have done for the past 5 years it has not changed at all, as for reviews on this site clearly jimmy can devote as much space as he thinks is required to do the car justice,put in as many photo's something of course the magazines cannot do, online reviews are a risk for the distributor, who is oople? a 15 year semi literate schoolboy with no journalistic training, no audited classification on who reads it?. how many emails do you think AE,CML etc get a week from people asking for free stuff to put on the web promising a 155000 hits. now we know that jimmy is in fact a 20+ semi illiterate schoolboy who actually can influence a cars sales can write a damn fine review and takes some blurry pictures at every national event, i am convinced in a few months that when the latest new off road car is due for release the marketing people at cml/helger will be saying 1 car for racer, 1 car for rrci and 1 for oople, in the mean time those of us who can help will do so, in my case i am helping jimmy with some stuff, but make no mistake i am doing it because i believe i will get more sales and therfore more money in my pocket, by helping him i get shop advertising targeted at the off road racing community which will hopefully mean more sales for me.

Some interesting stuff there, I looked into racer, and found it to be too pricey, not sure what RCCI is like.

I think Jim has a good portfolio of reviews under his belt now, which could be used to throw his influence a little more. per haps we can put a media pack together, and try and measure the effectiveness oOple has. Jim I have an idea, I will speak to you on MSN.

[jimmy]

The thing about magazines is that its there for a month then gone forever - I like the idea that people can read up on stuff months and years later. I know when I started that I wanted to read up on the cars that were about, which might have been out for years.
I do read mags often, I don't read them so much now because I don't like to be influenced in any way (compromises my originallity!) but I do like to see some blurry photos sometimes .

Most of what I ask from companies is their words - but most are simply not interested even to answer a few Q's -which winds me up a bit sometimes.
I really am grateful to you john- This is my favorite way to do it.

20+ ? you are too kind john! haha.

[modelimages]

i got the semi illiterate bit right then

[jimmy]

I would never attempt any claim at English language proficiency! Indeed- I leave behind me a tattered and confused garbled mess which is refined and honed by a parallell array of 'oOploid' helpers, well versed in the art of spell checking.

Just read some of the 'race reports' I write- now those aren't checked by anyone (even me) but usually written in the car on the laptop, or at 3am after a race day - you'll vomit from the lack of sense.

[PaulRotheram]

nice one woody, glad to see things got sorted in the end.

as for other cars + members, i'm happy enough to put summet together for the bj4 over this season if you want jim, the car will be remaining in my stable for a long time to come.

[Northy]

Originally Posted by jimmy

the camber link mounts have a design flaw and can be damaged with a knock on the bottom edge of the wheel (so it PULLS on the camber link). They just need more material to stop this.

Jimmy, I have an idea for strengthening the part I think, PM me

G

[jimmy]

yeah I think that would work mate, the back of the brace is slightly angled - the front (where the studs attach) isnt. But if you put it at the front it would push them further forward slightly which might be a problem.
I think a brace of some description would be a good idea though.

[Mrs oOple]

Originally Posted by PaulRotheram

i'm happy enough to put summet together for the bj4 over this season if you want jim.

Hold that thought, I have some ideas forming in my rather fuzzy brain.

[TRF_Tastic]

Jimmy, we are working on an additional brace for that item, when I have finalised drawings I'll let you know, as we are getting a couple machined up for local drivers.

[HairySteve]

Keep us posted on those braces TRF Tastic, I haven't bent my top lin k mounts yet but I suppose with the outdoor season approaching it's only a matter of time! I've just got some parts through from ebay, stocking up on spare drive belts, wheels, and a set of eccentric belt tensioners and some anti roll bars for the grass tracks... My motto is you cxan never have too many spares
-Steve

[jimmy]

Stu will be racing the Tamiya at Worksop tomorrow if anyone is going? Spares aren't here yet so the rear camber brace is a bit of a worry, if any Tamiya guys are going and have a spare of this part then please bring it!