My RWD solid axle front engine Escort MK2 build

[Frederik]

The car weight about 4 lbs when I throw in every part I plan to put on it (servo, battery, motor, etc). Will add some bits and pieces but should not end up all that much more than 4 lbs I guess. So that weight is similar to my Tamiya TB-01 Rally which is not too bad. The brushed sport tuned might be a smarter starting point.

 

 

[Noj]

That's light. Very light!

 

My suggestion of flipping the ESC is moot if the grill isn't being cut out....

 

The castle combo will be fairly rapid on 2s, shouldn't be overkill though as it isn't a 3656 sized can....gearing will naturally be key.

[Frederik]

3 hours ago, Noj said:

That's light. Very light!

 

My suggestion of flipping the ESC is moot if the grill isn't being cut out....

 

The castle combo will be fairly rapid on 2s, shouldn't be overkill though as it isn't a 3656 sized can....gearing will naturally be key.

 

I am not having much flexibility with gearing on this car.. The gd600 plane tranny is pretty much fixed ratio, I think something like 2.5:1, and then there is the diff which I am not sure about the ratio (sdi axle). Also the m-chassis tires I want to run are smaller than touring car. 

 

Do any rc people discuss overall ratio, including diff and tires, or is it always model specific and spur/pinion only?

[Frederik]

I have just verified, the GD600 tranny is 2.5:1 and the diff is 2.09:1 so that's about 5:1 ratio not including the smaller tires. But that does not mean much to me until I try it out and get a reference point.

 

What is a common overall ratio for on road cars? I know a couple people used the GD600 for cars and it was ok but each car is different. I guess I'll try it out and see!

 

The TB-01 has 61/16 (3.81:1) gears, not sure about the diff, but tb-01 is known to be geared very slow. 

[RCbutcher]

Wait until you've tested it mate.  You could tune the esc down if needed if that's not enough then mayb look to swap out. 100.000rpm sound gooodd 

[RCbutcher]

K.

 

Wow mate just wow. I envy you I only wish I had those memories of those beasts. 

 

Altho I have felt the power of a full mod red top cav engine fitted to gsi astra full mod. One night on the m6 loads of cats tried but that car just left them all like they slammed the breaks on. A bmw m3 was the funniest the guy wouldn't accept it and kept trying again. 

 

The astra looked like crap tho. Full body kit but tatty. It was max power worthy when it was built tho I'm sure.  But not when we had it. 

[K]

3 hours ago, Frederik said:

I have just verified, the GD600 tranny is 2.5:1 and the diff is 2.09:1 so that's about 5:1 ratio not including the smaller tires. But that does not mean much to me until I try it out and get a reference point.

 

What is a common overall ratio for on road cars? I know a couple people used the GD600 for cars and it was ok but each car is different. I guess I'll try it out and see!

 

The TB-01 has 61/16 (3.81:1) gears, not sure about the diff, but tb-01 is known to be geared very slow. 

not sure exactly how it transpires across to RC's but ive actually got a 5:1 CWP for my escort, it lowers the top speed by a huge chunk 4:1 tops out about 135ish dependant on winds, 5:1 95mph tops, but gets there in like 5-6 seconds!, the acceleration is biblical, literally takes all your effort to keep up with gear changes...

 

Looking really nice Frederik, cant wait to see it all come together.

 

2 hours ago, RCbutcher said:

K.

 

Wow mate just wow. I envy you I only wish I had those memories of those beasts. 

 

Altho I have felt the power of a full mod red top cav engine fitted to gsi astra full mod. One night on the m6 loads of cats tried but that car just left them all like they slammed the breaks on. A bmw m3 was the funniest the guy wouldn't accept it and kept trying again. 

 

The astra looked like crap tho. Full body kit but tatty. It was max power worthy when it was built tho I'm sure.  But not when we had it. 

 

Cheers Fella

ive had that escort all round europe, Spa, Nurburgring, Le Mans, Hockenhiem so much fun, but on the roads ive not come across anything (other than my friends cars) that would hold  a candle to it. I wont even bother with hot hatches and M3s any more, go hunting for more exotic prey, Got banned from a piston heads meet last summer for racing the organiser in his maseratti on the way there... sore loser!

M3 drivers do like to spit there dummies out ive found too. Gotta love a good old red top!!

Edited February 17, 2016 by K

[jjams82]

Had to post as i've just read through the entire thread. Awesome work. I've had dreams of trying something similar myself though on a much more basic level, so reading all this was good fun. Ta for realising my own dream better than I could have

 

 

 

Here follows yet more evidence that I can't get to grips with this god dam quote system. Ignore it please.

Quote

Quote

Quote

 

 

 

On 21 January 2015 at 5:33 AM, Frederik said:

 

[Frederik]

Lol at the quote system thing!   Thanks a lot for the nice comment, it always starts with a basic idea but somehow ideas goes in the way and it ends up complicated lol ! But it is a fun complicated I think  

[Andy kirkwood]

How's it all going? Anymore pictures?

[Frederik]

No real progress pics for now, I have been quite busy with life and work stuff lately... But I managed to find a used castle link so I can program the ESC for lower power in case the 3800 KV is too powerful and I don't want to crash the Escort  I also have the Tamiya sport tuned so I have enough power train options to move on to the next thing, which is finishing the steering. 

 

I bought these servo horns thinking they would be a good starting point for the steering wrap-around servo horn for the cable steering, so I can bolt on something to. But they don't fit my servo for some reason, I guess I did not order the right type, even though it says in the description they would fit standard Futaba servo, but it does not. I'll have to mod plastic ones I guess.

 

 

 

 

The idea would be to make something like the Capo Jeep (see vid below) and the other end would be my steering "rack" I posted earlier.

 

 

 

 

[Frederik]

 

Also I ended up ordering a 30' length of Sullivan push-pull cable, I thought the 36" kit was not very long.. Not much room for mess-ups when doing my cable steering.. With the 30' I will have enough for the steering and then some, and also the front brakes! And if I like the cable steering I might use the idea again in future builds, who knows.

I have not spent time on the brakes lately, I want to get the thing rolling and turning, then I'll see about stopping lol Definitely want to do them though.

 

 

 

And a random new pic because even a no-progress update needs a new pic By the way the hot-glue tacked lights did not last long, my youngest son pulled them apart already lol 

[Frederik]

Hello all!!! huge milestone tonight! Steering works!

 

And also.... I ran it!!! 

I completed my first working prototype of the steering, and I was about to just push it around on the floor with my foot and steer it, and it struck me, I can just put the motor and an ESC, duct tape the drive shaft and go for a ride!!! I thought I could not do that first run and not film it, I am trying to upload it as I type this, it is a pretty poor vid with not much space to go (cluttered garage!) but at least I got one!

 

There was only the driveshaft extension I made which is missing a setscrew but I wrapped some duct tape around and it held pretty good! No grip though on the garage floor.

Here is the vid, sorry about the quality! I put the MK1 body because I needed the front part off to put the clamp for the steering assembly and the MK1 happened to not have the front half bolted.

 

And I mistakenly recorded at 120 frames per second so I'll be able to edit the vid and slow it down without losing frame rate (that will be a second video upload later though).

 

Lol I love how the still picture of the video looks like it is doing a burnout lol

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2016 by Frederik

[Frederik]

A couple vids showing the steering :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First outside run. I promise sometime soon I will make a proper video where I will (try to) follow the car with the camera for now it is another vid with the iPhone sitting by itself on the ground lol And you don't see on the camera when I rolled it, you can hear it though!

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2016 by Frederik

[Brandon]

13 hours ago, Frederik said:

A couple vids showing the steering :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First outside run. I promise sometime soon I will make a proper video where I will (try to) follow the car with the camera for now it is another vid with the iPhone sitting by itself on the ground lol And you don't see on the camera when I rolled it, you can hear it though!

 

 

You're amazing! Thus build has come so far! Looking forward to seeing it in its complete form!

 

[Wirralnitronoob]

amazing,i love it

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Frederik]

5 hours ago, Wirralnitronoob said:

amazing,i love it

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks buddy!!

 

I re-uploaded the first outside run video in HD, the first upload was really crappy quality, on that last one you can see much better how the suspension works! I think once the battery is at the final location (at the seats) it will handle very nicely!

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2016 by Frederik

[PurpleDrumstick]

Looking awesome. Have you got any plans to try stop the grip rolling? Looks like it topples over very easy lol

[Brandon]

I can't wait for it to be completed! It's looking amazing!

[Frederik]

Thanks a lot guys! Yes it does tend to roll over if you are not careful right now, there are many factors for that and they can (hopefully!) be managed pretty easily. The heavy nimh battery is currently duct taped under the dash (very high, on top of the tranny tunnel against the firewall). 

 

I put it there for the first run because of the trans tunnel and did not want to put it on only one side and have the car very lopsided, and I wanted to keep it closer to the front (not at the back of the rear wheels) for a more realistic weight distribution.

 

The real battery for the car is a lipo saddle pack, so I can place each of the two cells on each side of the trans tunnel, where the front seats would be.

 

Also the tires are very grippy, and the lack of a rear sway bar (for now) makes it roll a lot. I will add a mild sway bar to help that. The fact the shocks ar far inwards of the axle makes it roll more too. I have plans for the future to make turrets for the rear shocks so they can be real close to the wheels and also have more vertical room than where they are now, directly attached to the chassis floor.

 

Thanks for the interest guys!

 

Fred

Edited March 20, 2016 by Frederik

[PurpleDrumstick]

Well that answers that then lol quality. Keep the updates coming

[Isaacz93]

 Cant wait to see it finished,looks great!

[jjams82]

Very cool:D

 

I winced when you bumped it in the first video inside, but then when you rolled it... Oh god.

 

An idea, which you might already have thought of or may be totally impractical but here it is anyways.... Would it be possible to mount the steering servo vertically on one side so a little steering wheel could be mounted off the pivoty bit and turn with the steering? I wonder as with the cable steering it looks like you may have a fair bit of flexibility with regards to servo mounting position.

[Hotshot888]

Awesome build!

[Frederik]

On 19 mars 2016 at 19:40, PurpleDrumstick said:

Well that answers that then lol quality. Keep the updates coming

 

Sorry guys the msuk emails ended up in my junk folder for some reason? I did not see your replies. Yeah I will probably drive more carefully too now

 

On 23 mars 2016 at 18:06, Isaacz93 said:

 Cant wait to see it finished,looks great!

 

Thanks buddy!!

 

On 26 mars 2016 at 08:28, jjams82 said:

Very cool:D

 

I winced when you bumped it in the first video inside, but then when you rolled it... Oh god.

 

An idea, which you might already have thought of or may be totally impractical but here it is anyways.... Would it be possible to mount the steering servo vertically on one side so a little steering wheel could be mounted off the pivoty bit and turn with the steering? I wonder as with the cable steering it looks like you may have a fair bit of flexibility with regards to servo mounting position.

 

Thanks! With the cable mounting thingy, it gets a bit bulky.. If I were to do a moving steering I think it would be with one of those micro sized servos and a Y cable splitter for the servo. I already have the micro servos too so who knows, depends on how crazy I go with the interior detailing

 

On 27 mars 2016 at 09:29, Hotshot888 said:

Awesome build!

 

Thanks for commenting!! Much appreciated all.