Fletcher's Baja 5B SBK chronicles

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fletcher said:
Hiiii guys-

I've been out of RC cars for a long time. Last car was a Tamiya Hornet in the mid 80's! Man did I have fun building, driving, tuning, and rebuilding that thing... in like the 7th grade. Visiting the local hobby shop all the time. Great times. I bet it's lurking over in Mom's basement somewhere still... I really should take a look.

I've glanced at the RC sites every few years - but either nothing struck a chord, or I was just too busy.

Well I just turned 50 and have a whole garage to tinker around in now, so it's time revisit those good times.

I'm finishing up doing a frame-off restomod build of 1975 Honda Z50 Mini Trail minibike.

View attachment 88398


You can read "Fletcher's Z50 chronicles over here if you're interested at all: https://www.planetminis.com/threads/fletchers-z50-chronicles.255461/


So I need a new project to build, and here I am back into RC cars 30 something years later. I have a hunch there's either a lot of us coming back from those days... or there will be soon.

Once of the things that kept me out was electric cars seemed a bit like... toys? A lot had changed. So many cars come already built. What kind of fun is that? The style of the cars didn't jive with my sensibilities. And the wheel transmitters... meh.

I saw that HPI had re-released the Baja 5B as a kit... that thing just screamed gnarly out to me... and down the rabbit hole of hours of research I went.

And here I am with a big old pile of parts...

HPI Baja 5B SBK
Zenoah G320RC 32cc engine
Victory R/C Pro Side-Mount exhaust, non-silenced
Savox-0235MG servo
Hitech D645MW servo
6v DDM Ni-Mh receiver battery pack
Hitec RDX1 charger
Madmax Super Hog tires
Futaba 4GRS Transmitter (sticks 4 life!)
Futaba Transmitter reachargable battery pack+charger
Futaba neck lanyard
VP Racing Powermix gas


Let's. do. this.

View attachment 88399
Click to expand...
Funny , I just saw this post with the Honda. We were just remising about being kids at my work and myself and a co-worker both had Honda mini trails growing up.
His was the hard tail version and mine had rear shocks. I must have put a million miles on that thing.
Had no idea the had a race version back then. Really cool restoration project.

Thanks.
 
Mick Boomer said:
You will be sad after its built. I always am lol.
Click to expand...

Man. I'm so beginning to think that really will be true!!! Slow and steady she goes now :cool:

Got some more time in the garage last night.

During my previous build session, I was hung up on the fact that the right engine mount bracket... simply wouldn't fit.

The hole to bolt it to the engine/clutch was completely mis-aligned.


Screenshot 2024-03-22 at 11.33.59 AM.png


Now WHAT did I do wrong here?

Was the plastic mount on the chassis backwards? no.

Was I using the right stand-off? yes.

Reviewed the instructions again and again. Couldn't find anything wrong.

Did some deep Googling, and really didn't come up with much.

Then finally on some Australian RC forum... 14 years ago... somebody mentioned the same thing when trying to fit a Zenoah G270RC to a Baja 5B RTR.

https://www.ausrc.com/threads/problem-fitting-new-zenoah-g270rrc-into-5b-rtr.20650/


OK - maaaaybe I'm not crazy then?

I'm trying to mount a Zenoah G320RC. Similar for sure.

They were having the exact same problem.

They realized that the Aluminum collar was too high - creating the engine misalignment.

At that point... I realized, when mounting the engine, I had a bit of a time getting the bolts to line up and thread in - and now it makes sense.

While the instructions only show one collar... the text actually states "102164a OR 102164b".

Screenshot 2024-03-22 at 11.48.05 AM.png



A HA. I clearly was "going to fast" and just identified the part visually, and went on my merry way.

Back in 2010... it sounds like the consensus in that thread was that people were grinding the mount on the engine itself to sit lower. eek.

Today, the the modern age, I popped in the shorter collar (which looks entirely different than the one in the image... smooth on the sides... surely the cause of my original confusion) and it all lines up now. pow pow pow!

IMG_2531.jpeg


Satisfying to figure that out for sure.

Onward!!!!

IMG_2528.jpeg
 
Right there with you! Feel like I've been working on this for-ever with my lack of free time. Loving every minute of it, and it's really shaping up now. So much so... that I flipped a few pages ahead in the instructions - and there's NOT THAT MUCH LEFT TO DO NOW. Say it isn't so! Rear shocks, exhaust, body, tune a few things... and start it up? Having a ton of fun building...

IMG_2649.jpg
 
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