 |
Associated RC10GT
RC10GT - .28 Big-Block Conversion
My next project is dropping a Picco .28 into the GT. Since I already had a .21 in there it should be a simple drop-in, but things are rarely that simple with custom projects! The first problem is the engine case on the .28 is slightly larger than that of the .21 so I had to remove quite a bit of the material from the top-inside areas of the engine mounts. Not a big deal. The second challenge, however, is I want to slot the chassis so I can adjust the gear ratio. Last time I just drilled holes with a given gear combo. It worked, but couldn't be adjusted. I want to be able to put some TALL gears in there to take advantage of the additional power the Picco will put out, otherwise there's really no point in this project! I'm shooting for a 20/47 gear combo that should, in theory, give me 25% more speed. That theory, however, ignores annoying factors such as friction! Friction in the bearings, between the tires and the road, and most importantly air drag. That's where the additional power of the Picco comes in handy, to fight the lesser leverage of the new gear ratio and to push the truck through the air at a higher rate of speed.We did 62mph with the GS .21 and I honestly believe it had more in it, but the circumstances wouldn't allow us to realize any more speed. With the Picco I'll be happy with 70mph, but I think we can do 75mph. We'll see! A single-speed, 1/1-scale, off-road stadium truck doing 75mph....nice!
I'd like to put some harder, narrower tires on the thing, but what's out there? 1/8-scale buggy tires are the obvious choice, but they're shorter than the Masher 2000s I've got on there, and the M2Ks grow at speed, too, giving them more rollout and even more potential speed.
Anyway, that's what I'm working on now, between many other projects! I've got the mounts reworked, so now it's just a matter of slotting the chassis and breaking in the Picco .28, then finding a cameraman, minivan driver, and flat, straight, empty piece of road.
Stay tuned for updates!
RC10GT - .21 Big-Block Conversion - 62 MPH!
My big-block conversion was done in 2005, but finally tested and properly flogged in August of 2006.
I didn't buy a kit for this, I just worked it out for myself. I used a set of OFNA big-block engine mounts to bolt the engine to the chassis; standard big-block clutch bell (16T in this case); a 47T Savage spur gear with slipper pad attached, mated to a reworked GT inner slipper disc; a shortened 1/8-scale buggy header, RB 086 pipe, and beefed up internal tranny and diff gears from Robinson Racing Products. For a video of the outcome, watch Slap Ma Fro!'s "Farm Bash 8, Part 2" video, linked on the left side of this screen.
RC10GT - Humble Beginnings
I bought my first GT in November of 2002, along with a Losi Triple-XNT and a ton of parts. Got a great deal and had every intention of selling them off for profit. I played around with them first, however (naturally!), and hated to see them go! I ended up giving the .12CV-R RC10GT to a bro-in-law for a birthday gift and the Wasp .12-powered Triple-XNT to another bro-in-law, also as a birthday gift. I don't regret the decision, but man, they were nice trucks and that Wasp was a screamer! Tough to lose them. You can see them in a couple early SMF videos. The Losi would pull wheelies like crazy!
I had such a good time with the stadium trucks during the short time I had them, I had to get another! I got this old tub-chassis GT in April of 2003. It needed some TLC, but the basics were there. That blue Trinity chassis brace was a god-send! Those tub chassis are pretty weak under the engine, but add that brace and it's amazing how much abuse they can take! It wasn't pretty, but it was functional...once I added an engine.
Now I was getting somewhere! I threw on a new O.S. .12CV-R engine, Factory Team pipe, and a 125cc OFNA buggy fuel tank for longer run times and I was set for bashing. What a blast!
As much as I loved this truck, I missed my 4WD HPI Nitro MT and traded this GT to a friend for a Nitro MT in the fall of 2003. Well, it wasn't long before I missed the GT again! I bought another tub-chassis roller in early 2004, bought a flat-chassis conversion for it, powder-coated the new chassis, threw on an O.S. .15CV-R, OFNA Monster Pirate 125cc tank, and some Masher 2000 tires and was ready to go bashing again.
Well, a local track cranked off a new racing series in May of 2004, so I joined up in the Sportsman Gas Truck class with my GT. I put on some racing tires and went for it! I did pretty well for my first time racing a gas truck, ended up in third place for the series. The pictures below were taken at the track after the race weekend when I took first place in all three of my classes in the same day! Man, that was fun. RC10GT in Sportsman Gas Truck, GS SUT truggy in Unlimited Monster Truck, and GS Storm buggy in 1/8-Buggy Sportsman.
After the 2004 race season I decided to turn it back into a basher and haven't raced with it since! I started working on the .21 big-block conversion near the end of 2005.
Feedback is always welcome, please click the "Contact Me!" link if you'd like to leave some.
Copyright © 2007 Bruce Johnson