Pro-line Bulldog SX3 Paint

I have managed to make time to get some paint onto my new Bulldog shell.

I am yet to run it but the plan is to give it a run at SHRCCC on Thursday with a view to using it in anger at the 4wd Mid South Regional hosted by TORCH this coming Sunday.

I will report back with my thoughts but in the meantime have a look at the pics.

I am pleased with this, the white is a Createx pearl which looks reallly cool in the sunshine.

What d'ya reckon?

TORCH Summer Series Round 4

The RC gods smiled upon us for once this summer and granted us a decent day on Sunday to go racing.

I took full advantage of this and headed off to TORCH for round 4 of their popular summer series.

The TORCH committee have worked hard over the last year or so to turn this venue into a top notch off road destination for southern buggy racers that now regularly attracts national and even international drivers to darkest Hampshire. This season they have already played hosts to a round of the 2wd drive mid south regionals with a round of 4wd scheduled in a couple of weeks. 

(Click on any pic for full size version)

As has become the norm these days there was a decent turnout for this event, I estimate around 70 drivers.

All were catered for with a wide range of ability across 2 and 4wd classes. There was also a juniors class who were to be rewarded with trophies for their efforts at the end of the day.

Pro-line SX3 Bulldog Body Kit

I know this is a controversial subject but I have succumbed to the hype and indulged myself with a forward cab body shell for my trusty Schumacher SX3.

I think I am correct in saying that Pro-line are the first mass producer to offer this kind of shell for the SX3 although the final product is very similar to the versions already available for the B44.

I got mine from MB Models for the princely sum of £21. When I opened the package I was very pleased to discover the kit included not just a matching undertray but window masks and a full sized rear wing . . . Result! 

Layin' down the astro at SHRCCC.

 Everyone loves a bit of old school grass action but when the weather doesn't play ball the post race clean up can become a little tedious. This, coupled with the inevitable wear and tear of a grass track, has prompted SHRCCC to up sticks and relocate just down the road to a year round astro based facility.

I made the trip on a nippy Sunday in April for the innaugral meeting.

The enthusiastic committee, headed up by Neil 'Dudders' Dudman and Darren 'Tartman' Parker, have put in some hard graft to turn a 5-a-side footy pitch into the bristly green oasis seen in the pics below. The various members have bought their respective skills to bear and produced an interesting track with something for everyone.

(click on the pics for full size versions)

Area51 ... RC's worst kept secret!

It's a shame about the Petit and all the associated acrimony but as the saying goes 'The King is dead. Long live the King!"  (Or for the French "Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!")

So named because of the top secret location on military land in deepest darkest Oxfordshire this meeting was organised by the very capable crew from the Silverstone club.

If pre-event interest was any guide then this was going to be a big one.

270 entries across 3 classes (2wd, 4wd and SC) all looking forward to a weekend of racing and camaraderie.

The cars were prepped, the hotel was booked (2 nights in a Travelodge) and I was on my way.

 We were greeted at the gate by security who checked us in, warned us to behave, and directed us to a big mysterious hanger which was to be our home for the weekend.

Apex Winter Open at SHRCCC

I toddled off to Farnham last Sunday to get involved with Apex Models sponsored Winter Open at SHRCCC.

Problem is . . . I forgot my camera . . Doh!
So only a short review and just the one 'show-off' pic of my pot!

As usual the club made good use of the space available putting together a track with a decent selection of features to keep it interesting.

The turn out was reasonable with around 45 drivers making the effort.

I had a decent day with the SX3 managing 3rd overall behind a quick Terry Streeter in 2nd and impressive youngster, Ollie Crew, in 1st.

Dean Mandeville took the win in 2wd.
Everyone in attendance seemed to have a good time, most returning home with a smile, so well done and thanks to the organisers for putting on a good day.


SHRCCC have big plans afoot with a brand new outdoor astro track in the pipeline for 2012. Should be a venue to watch out for with regular Sunday meetings planned in addition to the evening meets of 2011.

In the meantime they continue to run their Thursday night indoor meetings until the weather improves.
Worth a look for your winter fix.

Cat SX3 . . . FAB system.

I have recently picked up a FAB (Front Adjustable Brake) system for my SX3.

The FAB comprises a fixed pulley for the mid belt and a one way pulley for the front belt. The one way pulley is sandwiched between a pair of slipper plates which provides an off power braking effect to the front wheels. The tension, and therefore the brake strength, can be adjusted via a nut in exactly the same way as the more familiar gearbox mounted slipper clutch.

MKGP ... Indoor off road at its finest.

It was off to Newbury at the weekend, to compete at the MKGP, an indoor off road event being held at the well known Newbury RC club venue.

So after an early alarm I arrived in the dark, bleary eyed, excited and nervous.

This was my first big buggy meeting and it was going to be a big one. Fully booked weeks in advance with 120 2wd entrants on Saturday and 100 4wd on Sunday. I was only attending on Sunday so was playing catch up from the start, most racers had made a weekend of it and the track remained unchanged overnight.

First lesson learned!

It was well organised and with plenty of room, tables and power all provided. I found a spot booked in and settled in. I was off the line in heat 3 at 8.16am.

Spoilt for choice at SHRCCC

I have entered the MKGP which is being held at the home of  the Newbury RC club on 18/19th November.

This is to be an indoor 1/10 off-road event running mainly on carpet, more specifically the actual carpet from SHRCCC.

With this in mind last Thursday I made the trip to Farnham to have a run with some (all) of my cars in an effort to to establish some kind of battle plan with the aim of minimizing potential embarrassment come race day.

Dudders set up a great little track with a variety of obstacles including a cross over, a couple of table tops, one being on a corner and some slippy stuff. It was all crammed into a fairly small space but more than enough to test any car. 

Get a grip Pip!

I think I may have got a little carried away with my buggy fetish.

I am hoping this admission in front of my peers is the first step on the road to recovery.

It all started back in the Summer when I met, what seemed like, a nice guy. His name was Neil 'Dudders' Dudman and he was about to set up a new off road club SHRCCC.

I trusted him when he assured me what he was offering was just harmless fun and that I would meet, and enjoy the company of, other people just like me.

Little did I know then that it would lead to this.

Cat SX3 upgraded 'Bando' belts

SX3 drivers now have options when it comes to drive belts.

Some have experienced high wear rates and fraying on their standard belts,  regular readers might recall that this includes me.

The solution to this problem is now at hand in the shape of some upgraded Bando belts recently released by Schumacher.

Japan based  Bando know a thing or two about belts, they have been making and supplying belts to industrial and automotive OEMs  for over a hundred years. Suffice to say these should do the trick!

The standard 6mm rear belt has not proven particularly problematic so no Bando alternative is offered. A standard 4mm replacement is however available for those keen to ensure as little drag as possible.

They certainly look to be tough as old boots, perhaps a slight sacrifice in flexibility is a small price to pay to guarantee a finish.

Some guys have been sealing the edges of the standard belts with cyno, this is what I have done with the rear belt with no noticable sacrifce in flexibility and maybe a little extra durability.

I will install these in my SX3 over the next couple of weeks and report back.

Oh Schumacher! You are spoiling us.

Details and prices of the new belts can be found here.

Lady Luck's done a runner!

Well readers my luck has deserted me.

Over the last few weeks I've had the kind of run that makes an RC racer wonder why.

Why do I get up at 6.00am on a Sunday?

Why do I drive 50 or 60 miles to stand in a cold wet car park in the middle of nowhere?

Why do I spend hundreds, nay thousands, of pounds in the vigorous pursuit of fractions of a second?

Why do I participate in a hobby after which I return home happy only around 50 per cent of the time?

Because I, like you, am addicted.

Addicted to what?

Those days when I beat my personal best.

Those days when I nail the 'A'.

Those days when I return home triumphant with a 2 bob trophy that's cost me a hundred quid to win.

Those days when the postman brings me an RC package.

 And those balmy summer days chillin' with my buds.

That's why I put up with weekends like the last 3!

Week 1: 10 minutes use with the brand new SX3, the rear belt self desructed and destroyed the rear diff pulley.

Super!

Credit to Schumacher who were excellent, the car is now sporting a new set of belts including the new uprated 'Bando' belts for the front and centre, all free of charge.

Thanks guys.

Wet astro . . . Summer, when was that then?

The weather man had, unconvincingly, predicted a nice day for Sunday.

It was indeed a nice morning so I packed up my gear, including my shiny new SX3 and set off for TORCH.

The only problem was that Saturday night hadn't been so good, in fact it had been chucking it down!

As a consequence the track at TORCH was a little soggy.

Oh well, I guess I've got to learn it all so I paid my money and got myself prepared.

Some of the earlier arrivals got busy with some industrial sized squeegies in an effort to clear the surface of standing water. This was a bit of a thankless task given the that the track sits in a bit of a dip.

A good effort nonetheless, well done chaps.

Schumacher Cat SX3 . . . The Build (Part 2)

So onto the suspension.

Most of these parts come straight from the SX2, thats a good thing. The drive shafts look like they are from a Scania truck, well up to the rigours of off road racing and no pesky drive pins and grub screws to keep on top of.

Schumacher Cat SX3 . . . The Build (Part 1)

(Click on any pic for a full size version.)

Ok then, time to get out the tools and get to work on my new Cat SX3.

I was looking forward to this build. It isn't very long since I built my SX2 and that was a really nice kit so I was keen to see how the SX3 compared.

Upon opening the box I was greeted by a familiar sight. All the parts are well packaged in clearly marked bags. The clear and well written manual gives specific instructions as to which of these bags are needed and when.

Simple as peas! 

I couldn't resist it! (Part 2) . . . Durango DEX410R

Do you remember what I said about a good day at the track prompting exravagance?
Well I had better start having some bad days soon or I am going to be completely boracic!
(I didn't really mean that oh great gods of RC)

Anyway I blame Michael Ball at MB Models.

Michael has struck a deal with Durango meaning that right now he is doing a cracking price on the 410R.



I couldn't resist it! . . . Schumacher Cat SX3

It's amazing what a good day at the track can make you do.

I spent Sunday at TORCH competing in one of their club meetings. It's a track I really enjoy. So much so I am pleased to call myself their newest member. 

I ended up being really happy with my day. I achieved 2 of my personal targets on one day. I cracked the 11 lap barrier and bagged myseld a 28 sec lap.

Yay for me!

Regular readers will know that it is only couple of months since I bought a brand new Schumacher SX2. Well I didn't let that stop me celebrating my day and went ahead and rewarded myself with a brand new SX3.

This is the latest buggy from Schumacher and is claimed to be awesome. In fact I fully expect it to make me the next world champion. (Maybe!)