RS4 2 Build thread(sort of)

[TenTlover12]

Hey guys! So I have an rs4 2, which has been in my family for 20ish years, and I figure it’s time to bring it back to its 2002 glory! Right now it has a bmw body, which cool, but I wanna get another Pontiac Grand Prix(like in the pictures with the black body) the pictures with it having a blue on engine was from 2002, the gray head is from 2022. The goal is to get all the parts it had back then, but make it better, and do a complete rebuild along the way. So here’s where we are staring:

Nothings been ordered yet, but I’m about to pick up a os .15cv-x(like it had in 2002) only issue is it’s a box engine, but me and my dad have had plenty of os engines, and since a lot of them use the same parts, also hoping he has the crank from his sitting somewhere to use. finding a backplate should be relatively easy(even if I can’t the os website has them for this exact engine!)

Working on getting a 2 speed from @Defiant. Hopefully that goes through, as in 2002 it had a 2 speed with the fastest gearing(44/37 and 13/20) I have the bell but I don’t have the main transmission just yet. Also gotta get a longer pilot shaft(the one that screws onto the crank)

Gonna get new belts, hopefully new pulleys, x pattern tires and hpi super star wheels(I have super stars on super radials but my rs4 3 needs wheels too and he had x patterns in it back then anyways) and hopefully I can find a Pontiac body, but if I can’t then the c6 corvette from hpi with suffice. So that’s the plan, not a super flashy build exactly, but a amazing vintage nitro rs4 that has been modernized with better belts, pulleys etc. just got some pics of the car as it sits and from 2002 for now, hopefully soon I’ll have more updates

 

[NitroR/C]

it is always nice for people like me, who love these nitro touring rc, to see these restorations of dated models. congratulations.

 

[TenTlover12]

Engine has been secured just need to get it, swap the crank and backplate, and go from there

 

[Defiant]

Engine has been secured just need to get it, swap the crank and backplate, and go from there

View attachment 164776

View attachment 164777

Converting it to pullstart?

 

[TenTlover12]

Converting it to pullstart?

Yes, I don’t feel like setting up another bump box, that’s why I’m selling my rc8b3.2, I only want one car with a box(my 8ight t)

 

[TenTlover12]

Well it’s been a little while, I was on vacation. However while I was on vacation some things came in. Being the idiot I am I didn’t take a lot of pictures, I may be able to upload more tonight if I can find them but this is it for now.




There’s the rs4 2. Most of its parts came in. The os .15 cv(still waiting on parts to convert it to a cvx), the 2 speed transmission, the 5 star wheels and the x patern tires, c6 corvette body. Engine mounts, battery, and maybe more that I’m forgetting.



The past few days I’ve been getting to it. Started by painting the body black and backing it with while(actually looks pretty close to the Pontiac grand priz that the rs4 had on it 21 years ago) glueing the tires. Then I gave it a good cleanup. Took off the top deck and put a new throttle servo in it(futaba s3003) and cable managed it pretty good. Then I opened up that 2 speed, started by doing the clutch assembly for it(btw I used 8x5x2.5 bearings instead of that poopy roller needle bearing, highly recommended to all with these hpi clutch bells that don’t use just 2 bearings). Once that was done I built the new 2 speed(so awesome I found that new). Put it in the car, the mounted the motor. Setup the electronics and endpoints, trimmed the body and BOOM. Rs4 2 almost done, I say almost because I’m still waiting for the os parts to arrive. But it does run. Last night I ran it for the first time in a year(had it going a little bit last summer but tbh it kinda sucked because I had a bad engine, single speed, and it was just falling apart basically) but this is the first time I’ve really had alot of fun with it(I did have it electric at one time but that got pretty boring after a battery or 2).

So yeah, she is setup pretty good, and once I finish the engine it will be even better. I will try to get a vid of it going and post it up on here, along with a photo of it under the body(I didn’t take any because I wasn’t expecting to make this post today)


Keep an eye out for updates and other builds, thanks for reading!

Alright, got pics last night, flipped it and scratched the head(dont ask how I flip an on road car) but my god this thing rips like a bat out of hell, also I agree @Defiant, the rs4 2’s are much more fun to drive than the 3s, different animals so that’s probably why but I digress. Here are the pictures(also a motor pic with its new backplate) if I can today I’m gonna run again and get some vids

 

[TenTlover12]

Found some pictures from when I crashed it(I really need to update this thread more, this was 3 months ago) and when I took the 3.0 out as the final few cvx parts were coming in, there’s your proof on how ridiculous this engine is, was on a lose surface and didn’t have time to break before my front left wheel had a nice chat with the curb, whoops

Got some more pictures finally! These are with a few revisions. The .15 is now in there, after spending $150+ on parts, which is especially upsetting since it won’t run right, but I’ll get to that later. Other changes are some adjustments to the suspension, a much better setup for the battery and wiring for all the servos. And that’s really it, the initial rebuild was a big step for me, and for now that’s all I really need, I do need to get some sway bars though…

Now the engine, the os .15 cv I converted to a cvx(pullstart) isn’t running right, it runs for about 5 mins or half a tank and then dies, I tried removing a head shim, which only made the problem worse, I’m thinking once it gets up to temp, it loses compression (these older abn engines are weird…) I can’t tune out of it either, and also after I let it sit for a day it fires right up and the cycle repeats, so maybe I’m gonna try another head shim? Not super sure yet, but man it looks good!(if not I’m just gonna drop a g3.0 in it because fit ripped with that engine before)
Also in the first tread I made talking about if I should get an rs4 3 instead of rebuilding this, and I got a rs4 3 anyways, I finally did some mods to it which you can see in the pictures(thread to come on that)