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I wasn't really quite ready for a motor upgrade since I just got the hang of driving this little thing. Yesterday was only the 2nd time I drove the car and it just so happened that they changed the track layout! After my 1st set of batteries, I was actually spending more time on the track than backing up from hitting the wall. LOL! Then my friend decided to give me his old Speedy 05 motor, and the car turned into a different animal. It was harder to drive but more enjoyable since you have more power on tap. I will definitely run this motor for a while.
As much as I'd like not to upgrade my mini z, there are a few things that must be done. Replacing the bearings is one of them. I bought the PN racing bearings that can be found here. It made my car run smoother and much quieter. There are 7 bearings in this pack and the pictures above will show you where you need to install these. 2 in each of the front wheels, 1 in the rear wheel (spur gear side) and 2 on the motor mount where the differential shaft goes through.
No, no, I really don't like supras. Ok, maybe just a little. Here's a body I just got for running at the track. As you can see, it has already been used and has battle scars. Again, I'd like to thank Rod's Hobby Shop in studio city for this great body.
When it was time to choose batteries, I just went with a good brand with the highest possible milli-Amp/hour. So for my radio, I went with the duracell 2650 mAh. For the car, I went for the sanyo 1000 mAh. Since I don't have plans of racing yet, I just went for the batteries that would last longer. I will be running at PN again tomorrow with my new batteries :).
First thing I noticed when I got my mini z was that the suspension wasn't smooth. The finish on the king pins in the front suspension was really rough. So I went to Rod's Hobby Shop and they sanded and polished the king pins for me. Yes, I know, it's something I can do myself but it was free! I am satisfied with the results. You can actually feel the difference when you push down on the car.
Went to PN Racing yesterday and finally drove my mini z. First thing I did was to change the tires. Philip, the owner of PN Racing, suggested the 20º slicks for the front and the 8º Radials for the rear. He said this setup is good for beginners. I did not try the stock tires at all so I don't have a point of comparison. All I know is that the car handled really well, it's just point and shoot. From what I heard, these should have excellent tire life. My friends have been running them for a few months now.
I have been into RCs since I was 12. I always had the "the bigger the better" mentality. The Tamiya Clod Buster just came out, can you blame me? My 1st real or quality RC was the Kyosho Javelin. 12 years later, I got into nitro RCs,... monster trucks and sedans. Fast forward a few more years, I suddenly found myself driving a kyosho mini z. This is so different from what I'm used to. The bodies are already painted, decals already applied and best of all, it's very very detailed. It is much easier to drive (in stock form at least) and maintenance is close to nothing. It's very economical and I'm sure that appeals to everyone. The last thing I need is another money pit.
I'm starting this blog to document the modifications I'll be doing to my mini z, maybe some reviews and hopefully race results (when I become a better driver). I'm sure the modifications I'll be writing about have been done before. But hey, this is my blog and I'll document it anyway ;). I'll leave you with a picture of a Kyosho Javelin. The image was from vintagercweb.com
