Tamiya CC-01 Chassis Advice?
Discussion
Guys, I'm looking at getting the Tamiya Unimog (CC-01 chassis) as a present to myself after some health issues. I understand that Tamiya might not be the ultimate manufacturer for RC cars these days, but their models will always be a bit special for me, plus It will make a nice companion for my Lego Unimog. I want a fairly realistic model that can still tackle some decent off-road obstacles/easy rock-crawling type stuff. Some online videos seem to show the kind of capabilities I want.
Any comments on this chassis in general?
Advice on upgrades (I'd like to go for a more engineered look with some aluminium parts)?
Also, the low ratio gearbox (hpi) looks good, but does fitting that make straight-line flat operation too painful?
I'd like to stick with a brushed standard motor, so any advice on esc's and batteries (5000mAh like my sons Mad Bull? It gives plenty of run time) would be appreciated.
Can a polycarbonate body be finished with automotive paint and 2k clear coat? I've had good results on plastic models, and the finish seems very tough. I remember painting my Frog body from the inside...
Finally, recommendations for suppliers?
Ta very much in advance for any advice.
Any comments on this chassis in general?
Advice on upgrades (I'd like to go for a more engineered look with some aluminium parts)?
Also, the low ratio gearbox (hpi) looks good, but does fitting that make straight-line flat operation too painful?
I'd like to stick with a brushed standard motor, so any advice on esc's and batteries (5000mAh like my sons Mad Bull? It gives plenty of run time) would be appreciated.
Can a polycarbonate body be finished with automotive paint and 2k clear coat? I've had good results on plastic models, and the finish seems very tough. I remember painting my Frog body from the inside...
Finally, recommendations for suppliers?
Ta very much in advance for any advice.
There's a goldmine of information on www.tamiyaclub.com with an active forum and thousands of built examples of every Tamiya and non-Tamiya model.
As for suppliers I've yet to try (but he comes highly recommended) Jadlam models who is on here as (I think?) Russy01. There are a lot of shops both in the UK and around the world, PM me if you would like some links.
You should paint all the clear polycarbonate bodyshells from the inside as this is the design intent. The Tamiya PS- range of rattle-cans are perfect and specially formulated as they are flexible when dry so bend with the thin plastic. Always back a colour with a base such as white or silver, depending on the finish required. There are other manufacturers of course such as Parma.
Hard plastic bodies can be treated like any other model kit, so auto paints such as Halfords sprays work fine too, but I tend to use Tamiya as I'm used to them and they are very consistent.
edited for repetition
As for suppliers I've yet to try (but he comes highly recommended) Jadlam models who is on here as (I think?) Russy01. There are a lot of shops both in the UK and around the world, PM me if you would like some links.
You should paint all the clear polycarbonate bodyshells from the inside as this is the design intent. The Tamiya PS- range of rattle-cans are perfect and specially formulated as they are flexible when dry so bend with the thin plastic. Always back a colour with a base such as white or silver, depending on the finish required. There are other manufacturers of course such as Parma.
Hard plastic bodies can be treated like any other model kit, so auto paints such as Halfords sprays work fine too, but I tend to use Tamiya as I'm used to them and they are very consistent.
edited for repetition
Edited by generationx on Friday 21st July 17:42
'Santa' bought my son the Unimog for Christmas (and spent a lot of time constructing it). Russy on here (Jadlam) did a cracking deal on it.
The steering on the CC01 is notoriously poor. So much so that I ordered a GPM aluminium steering upgrade kit for it last week - it arrived a couple of days ago, but I've not fitted it yet, so can't tell you if its worthwhile getting as yet. Looks nice though, I ordered it in blue metal to match the body.
The steering on the CC01 is notoriously poor. So much so that I ordered a GPM aluminium steering upgrade kit for it last week - it arrived a couple of days ago, but I've not fitted it yet, so can't tell you if its worthwhile getting as yet. Looks nice though, I ordered it in blue metal to match the body.
Gareth1974 said:
'Santa' bought my son the Unimog for Christmas (and spent a lot of time constructing it). Russy on here (Jadlam) did a cracking deal on it.
The steering on the CC01 is notoriously poor. So much so that I ordered a GPM aluminium steering upgrade kit for it last week - it arrived a couple of days ago, but I've not fitted it yet, so can't tell you if its worthwhile getting as yet. Looks nice though, I ordered it in blue metal to match the body.
Looks nice! The 'scale' look appeals to me much more than the rock crawler version.The steering on the CC01 is notoriously poor. So much so that I ordered a GPM aluminium steering upgrade kit for it last week - it arrived a couple of days ago, but I've not fitted it yet, so can't tell you if its worthwhile getting as yet. Looks nice though, I ordered it in blue metal to match the body.
Is it true to say that the old and new body styles available are on the same CC-01 chassis? And that the only other version is the rock crawler type?
Thanks.
generationx said:
There's a goldmine of information on www.tamiyaclub.com with an active forum and thousands of built examples of every Tamiya and non-Tamiya model.
As for suppliers I've yet to try (but he comes highly recommended) Jadlam models who is on here as (I think?) Russy01. There are a lot of shops both in the UK and around the world, PM me if you would like some links.
You should paint all the clear polycarbonate bodyshells from the inside as this is the design intent. The Tamiya PS- range of rattle-cans are perfect and specially formulated as they are flexible when dry so bend with the thin plastic. Always back a colour with a base such as white or silver, depending on the finish required. There are other manufacturers of course such as Parma.
Hard plastic bodies can be treated like any other model kit, so auto paints such as Halfords sprays work fine too, but I tend to use Tamiya as I'm used to them and they are very consistent.
edited for repetition
Thanks - I've bought some models from Jadlam in the past, so will have s look at prices.As for suppliers I've yet to try (but he comes highly recommended) Jadlam models who is on here as (I think?) Russy01. There are a lot of shops both in the UK and around the world, PM me if you would like some links.
You should paint all the clear polycarbonate bodyshells from the inside as this is the design intent. The Tamiya PS- range of rattle-cans are perfect and specially formulated as they are flexible when dry so bend with the thin plastic. Always back a colour with a base such as white or silver, depending on the finish required. There are other manufacturers of course such as Parma.
Hard plastic bodies can be treated like any other model kit, so auto paints such as Halfords sprays work fine too, but I tend to use Tamiya as I'm used to them and they are very consistent.
edited for repetition
Edited by generationx on Friday 21st July 17:42
dr_gn said:
Gareth1974 said:
'Santa' bought my son the Unimog for Christmas (and spent a lot of time constructing it). Russy on here (Jadlam) did a cracking deal on it.
The steering on the CC01 is notoriously poor. So much so that I ordered a GPM aluminium steering upgrade kit for it last week - it arrived a couple of days ago, but I've not fitted it yet, so can't tell you if its worthwhile getting as yet. Looks nice though, I ordered it in blue metal to match the body.
Looks nice! The 'scale' look appeals to me much more than the rock crawler version.The steering on the CC01 is notoriously poor. So much so that I ordered a GPM aluminium steering upgrade kit for it last week - it arrived a couple of days ago, but I've not fitted it yet, so can't tell you if its worthwhile getting as yet. Looks nice though, I ordered it in blue metal to match the body.
Is it true to say that the old and new body styles available are on the same CC-01 chassis? And that the only other version is the rock crawler type?
Thanks.
Changing the gearing might be a good ideal, I think it's too fast, and will topple over if you turn it at high speed. Fun for a child though. One other sensible upgrade is to buy a bearing kit to install when you're constructing it.
Overall I think it's a good choice, it's good value & I'm sure part supply won't ever be a problem 
The CC-01 is pretty capable out of the box as long as you lock the rear diff (instructions in the manual, + the needed parts are included in all the kits), I would aslo suggest swapping the kit motor out for something with lower revs (45 or 55 turns) as the stock (27T) motor is too fast for scale speed & body preservation. I'd stick with the stock Tamiya ESC, at least until you find it does somethign you don't like. The Unimog you've picked out has the best tyres & wheels of all the CC-01 kits IMO, again i wouldn't change them unless you find fault with them.
Steering is a bit limited & wayward, I have a GPM bellcrank kit in one of mine & it does help a bit. You might also look at the Tamiya "barrel spring set" for the chassis. Fit proper bearings from the start (rcbearings.co.uk would be a good place to start).
Not sure why you'd want to paint a polycarbonate/lexan body with auto paint unless it's to match a specific shade ... Tamiyas PS paints stick well on the inside & the ouside will be very shiny... at least initially. If you really want to use auto paints, spray the outside with PS in a neutral colour so you've got a base to stick to ... I'd test the paints on an offcut before committing though.
Another approach would be to mask the windows on the inside, very roughly spray the inside with a mix of something silver & something sort of rust colour, then spray your final PS colour of choice on the outside - that will give you a satin finish that will reveal bare metal/rust underneath when the outside gets scraped.
PS not claiming to be an expert by many means, but I am a fan of the chassis for it's good value scale(ish) looks & performance - having built an RV, Unimog, Bedford TM skip truck & Volvo Valp on CC-01 chassis, I'm currently working on a Ford CMP Riot Police truck, complete with water cannon
(https://tamiyabase.com/forum/forum/38-scratch-builds-paint-a-body-shop/18339-cc-01s-rv-unimog-bedford-tm-volvo-laplander.html?limitstart=0 if you're interested - long read though
).
The CC-01 is pretty capable out of the box as long as you lock the rear diff (instructions in the manual, + the needed parts are included in all the kits), I would aslo suggest swapping the kit motor out for something with lower revs (45 or 55 turns) as the stock (27T) motor is too fast for scale speed & body preservation. I'd stick with the stock Tamiya ESC, at least until you find it does somethign you don't like. The Unimog you've picked out has the best tyres & wheels of all the CC-01 kits IMO, again i wouldn't change them unless you find fault with them.
Steering is a bit limited & wayward, I have a GPM bellcrank kit in one of mine & it does help a bit. You might also look at the Tamiya "barrel spring set" for the chassis. Fit proper bearings from the start (rcbearings.co.uk would be a good place to start).
Not sure why you'd want to paint a polycarbonate/lexan body with auto paint unless it's to match a specific shade ... Tamiyas PS paints stick well on the inside & the ouside will be very shiny... at least initially. If you really want to use auto paints, spray the outside with PS in a neutral colour so you've got a base to stick to ... I'd test the paints on an offcut before committing though.
Another approach would be to mask the windows on the inside, very roughly spray the inside with a mix of something silver & something sort of rust colour, then spray your final PS colour of choice on the outside - that will give you a satin finish that will reveal bare metal/rust underneath when the outside gets scraped.
PS not claiming to be an expert by many means, but I am a fan of the chassis for it's good value scale(ish) looks & performance - having built an RV, Unimog, Bedford TM skip truck & Volvo Valp on CC-01 chassis, I'm currently working on a Ford CMP Riot Police truck, complete with water cannon
(https://tamiyabase.com/forum/forum/38-scratch-builds-paint-a-body-shop/18339-cc-01s-rv-unimog-bedford-tm-volvo-laplander.html?limitstart=0 if you're interested - long read though
).
RedCarsAnonymous said:
Overall I think it's a good choice, it's good value & I'm sure part supply won't ever be a problem
The CC-01 is pretty capable out of the box as long as you lock the rear diff (instructions in the manual, + the needed parts are included in all the kits), I would aslo suggest swapping the kit motor out for something with lower revs (45 or 55 turns) as the stock (27T) motor is too fast for scale speed & body preservation. I'd stick with the stock Tamiya ESC, at least until you find it does somethign you don't like. The Unimog you've picked out has the best tyres & wheels of all the CC-01 kits IMO, again i wouldn't change them unless you find fault with them.
Steering is a bit limited & wayward, I have a GPM bellcrank kit in one of mine & it does help a bit. You might also look at the Tamiya "barrel spring set" for the chassis. Fit proper bearings from the start (rcbearings.co.uk would be a good place to start).
Not sure why you'd want to paint a polycarbonate/lexan body with auto paint unless it's to match a specific shade ... Tamiyas PS paints stick well on the inside & the ouside will be very shiny... at least initially. If you really want to use auto paints, spray the outside with PS in a neutral colour so you've got a base to stick to ... I'd test the paints on an offcut before committing though.
Thanks for the info.The CC-01 is pretty capable out of the box as long as you lock the rear diff (instructions in the manual, + the needed parts are included in all the kits), I would aslo suggest swapping the kit motor out for something with lower revs (45 or 55 turns) as the stock (27T) motor is too fast for scale speed & body preservation. I'd stick with the stock Tamiya ESC, at least until you find it does somethign you don't like. The Unimog you've picked out has the best tyres & wheels of all the CC-01 kits IMO, again i wouldn't change them unless you find fault with them.
Steering is a bit limited & wayward, I have a GPM bellcrank kit in one of mine & it does help a bit. You might also look at the Tamiya "barrel spring set" for the chassis. Fit proper bearings from the start (rcbearings.co.uk would be a good place to start).
Not sure why you'd want to paint a polycarbonate/lexan body with auto paint unless it's to match a specific shade ... Tamiyas PS paints stick well on the inside & the ouside will be very shiny... at least initially. If you really want to use auto paints, spray the outside with PS in a neutral colour so you've got a base to stick to ... I'd test the paints on an offcut before committing though.
Presumably the slower motor would be in place of the reduction gearbox I was going to get? Can't help thinking I'd get more power and torque, but at lower wheel speed with the gearbox? I realise it means a bit of chopping to fit, but I've no issue with that.
My son's Mad Bull has a 5000MaH MiMh battery and a standard motor (plus a cheap aftermarket ESC, and we often get 40+ minutes out of it. In fact sometimes we don't run it flat. Is that a decent battery for what I'm talking about with the Unimog, or is it overkill?
OK, I'll go with the usual polycarbonate body painting method (done it before on my old Frog), it's just that I have some 2K clearcoat (and an airbrush) and there is a good local automotive paint supplier. Had good results in terms of a glass-like finish with these paints before, plus its very tough and seals in the decals nicely.
Re. the tyres: Did you mean the 'old' body version had the best tyres?
dr_gn said:
Thanks for the info.
Presumably the slower motor would be in place of the reduction gearbox I was going to get? Can't help thinking I'd get more power and torque, but at lower wheel speed with the gearbox? I realise it means a bit of chopping to fit, but I've no issue with that.
My son's Mad Bull has a 5000MaH MiMh battery and a standard motor (plus a cheap aftermarket ESC, and we often get 40+ minutes out of it. In fact sometimes we don't run it flat. Is that a decent battery for what I'm talking about with the Unimog, or is it overkill?
OK, I'll go with the usual polycarbonate body painting method (done it before on my old Frog), it's just that I have some 2K clearcoat (and an airbrush) and there is a good local automotive paint supplier. Had good results in terms of a glass-like finish with these paints before, plus its very tough and seals in the decals nicely.
Re. the tyres: Did you mean the 'old' body version had the best tyres?
NP Presumably the slower motor would be in place of the reduction gearbox I was going to get? Can't help thinking I'd get more power and torque, but at lower wheel speed with the gearbox? I realise it means a bit of chopping to fit, but I've no issue with that.
My son's Mad Bull has a 5000MaH MiMh battery and a standard motor (plus a cheap aftermarket ESC, and we often get 40+ minutes out of it. In fact sometimes we don't run it flat. Is that a decent battery for what I'm talking about with the Unimog, or is it overkill?
OK, I'll go with the usual polycarbonate body painting method (done it before on my old Frog), it's just that I have some 2K clearcoat (and an airbrush) and there is a good local automotive paint supplier. Had good results in terms of a glass-like finish with these paints before, plus its very tough and seals in the decals nicely.
Re. the tyres: Did you mean the 'old' body version had the best tyres?
I don't know what would produce the most torque - reduction gearbox with the stock 27T motor vs 45T/55T crawler motor, likely the former but my preference is to have a bit more correlation between motor speed & wheel speed, I don't like hearing a motor going NNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE while the truck is going slow
Plus, for some perverse reason I don't have any problem cutting up hard bodies or defenceless sheets of styrene, but I have a real reluctance to make any permanent changes to chassis parts ...Apologies if this is obvious but it does seem to be a common misconception - battery capacity is analagous to fuel tank capacity, just because you have more fuel in there, doesn't mean you're going to burn it any faster... a 5000mAH NiMH pack is not going going to make it go any faster than a 2000mAH pack
I still find the arms race for ever greater battery capacity a bit mind boggling, when I started out 1000/1100mAH Ni-Cd was the norm, 1200mAH was a lot, and (a bit later), a 1300mAH SCR pack was state of the art .... There is some anecdotal evidence (as in "I can't provide links") that once NiMH packs got above 3700mAH that they got considerably less safe, with vents getting blocked up & internal shorts causing explosive results... IIRC that happened about twice across the entire internet though - so your chances are pretty good
The other issue is cost, if you're never going to use all the capacity, Take a look at https://www.vapextech.co.uk/batteries/radio-contro... for example & compare costs - the 3300mAH 7.2v pack costs half what the the 5000mAH pack does - so having two of the lower capacity packs could give you more flexibilty than one larger capacity pack.
Between Gareth1974's blue 425 & my own preference for the more angular body style I made a bit of an assumption as to which one you were going for ... the 406 (older, curvier body) has the inferior tyres IMO - the 425 kit tyres have a chunkier tread & a slightly larger rolling radius so more grip & fractionally more ground clearance.
OK understood, thanks.
The question about battery capacity was separate to the motor speed one! For a brushed motor ( in broad terms) voltage equates to rpm, current draw to torque. I was wondering if 5000mAh would give more, or less run time than in the Mad Bull, accounting for 4WD, gearing and any size/weight difference in the model; I have no experience of this model type.
I'm assuming the lower rpm motor has less torque, hence a reduction gearbox with the standard motor would be better? I don't want to run it everywhere at 50mph, far more doodling about on rough terrain. I've seen videos of un-gearboxed models appearing to stall on obstacles, then suddenly jump forward when throttle is increased. I'm looking, I guess, for a compromise more biased toward smoothness and torque rather than speed. As you said though, not to the degree I'm at full throttle doing 2mph!
Cheers!
The question about battery capacity was separate to the motor speed one! For a brushed motor ( in broad terms) voltage equates to rpm, current draw to torque. I was wondering if 5000mAh would give more, or less run time than in the Mad Bull, accounting for 4WD, gearing and any size/weight difference in the model; I have no experience of this model type.
I'm assuming the lower rpm motor has less torque, hence a reduction gearbox with the standard motor would be better? I don't want to run it everywhere at 50mph, far more doodling about on rough terrain. I've seen videos of un-gearboxed models appearing to stall on obstacles, then suddenly jump forward when throttle is increased. I'm looking, I guess, for a compromise more biased toward smoothness and torque rather than speed. As you said though, not to the degree I'm at full throttle doing 2mph!
Cheers!
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