Vintage Trans-am racing.

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Iowa crawler

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Thought I would start a thread about Vintage Tran-am racing or VTA. It took me a while to figure it all out. But basically it’s a class of racing that uses 1/10 scale 4WD touring car chassis with a 1960s/1970s muscle car body and a 25.5 turn motor and rubber tires. The spirit of the rules are to get vintage cars that looks the part driving at a relatively slow or at least scale speed. Spec class so it’s a driver class as all the cars are similar.

These are the rules.

http://www.usvintagetransam.com/rules/TransAmClassRules4-4-2021.pdf


But what is available ? Who makes what and what is the best rig.

I’m looking at kits like Yokomo and X-Ray that are on the high end price wise and also kyosho and others that are much less.

I can’t start racing this class till next year. But want to start gathering information.

Plus I had a bad ass 71 Firebird so this body is a first choice.

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That’s is a cool body but it’s 200 mm and the VTA is 255. They actually specifically mention the body’s you can use. But they don’t specifically state what chassis. This is what had me so confused. Apparently this whole class was started because the touring class guys buy the latest greatest chassis and want the cutting edge. That leaves everyone with old yesterdays news chassis. So they put 25.5 motors in them to slow them down and a vintage body. The cars are slow but controllable and can be inexpensive if you go used. The class had taken off pretty well in Iowa.
 
That’s is a cool body but it’s 200 mm and the VTA is 255. They actually specifically mention the body’s you can use. But they don’t specifically state what chassis. This is what had me so confused. Apparently this whole class was started because the touring class guys buy the latest greatest chassis and want the cutting edge. That leaves everyone with old yesterdays news chassis. So they put 25.5 motors in them to slow them down and a vintage body. The cars are slow but controllable and can be inexpensive if you go used. The class had taken off pretty well in Iowa.
Interesting. Never knew that. I thought it was the touring cars with certain wheels and year bodies. Didnt know they went for the scale look with the speed and all.
 
I was talking to the guys in the hobby shop. He says the class is his favorite.
 
That’s is a cool body but it’s 200 mm and the VTA is 255. They actually specifically mention the body’s you can use. But they don’t specifically state what chassis. This is what had me so confused. Apparently this whole class was started because the touring class guys buy the latest greatest chassis and want the cutting edge. That leaves everyone with old yesterdays news chassis. So they put 25.5 motors in them to slow them down and a vintage body. The cars are slow but controllable and can be inexpensive if you go used. The class had taken off pretty well in Iowa.
200mm is width, not lenght
 
I have been doing some off and on research regarding touring cars and Vintage Trans-am cars. Plus there is a pretty strong 4 Tec group that race at the same time. This is all coming together because there will be a major new track opening in a month. So I will want to figure out what to race. This depends on first what class will the track offer and how many people have the same car that they can race at the same time .it takes three cars to make a class and VTA seems to be the best bang for the buck. I have looked at touring car chassis and they are all very very nice. And you get what you pay for. The other option is used and that can go either way IF you can even find what you want or can use.
I had some time at the hobby shop looking at the different options and stumbled on this kit from 3 Racing called Sakura Advanced S 6/4 1/10 touring car chassis.
It seems pretty good and it has everything I need without anything I don’t. Like the 4 tec comes with electronics I would not use. So I got it for 100 bucks and let’s see how it goes. The guys building the track are kinda thinking it would make a good VTA for the carpet track but it is made for asphalt. So some tuning might be required.

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One of my local tracks does that Trans am on road racing. Not sure what they were racing as of chassis and such but been looking at xray and yokomo but they are the top of the line kits so might look into something like this if I want to get into on road.
 
that was what I found. And Yokomo is not at my shop . The idea is any 4wd touring car chassis but specific 25.5 motor , body and tires. So it’s even racing. It is going together pretty well there is a ten video build series on u tube. The parts seem good enough to race. Not sure what I’ll do if I break stuff. But the company makes a lot of kits so parts should be available.
 


This is a link to a ten part build series on this rig. I have not watched all of it yet but it is pretty good at explaining what this kit is.
One thing I found interesting is it has one differential. So the center driver is fixed the front drive is fixed and no front diff. This is super light weight and with a 25.5 motor it should be ok. I am just wondering if this is normal for touring cars or drift cars.
 
I always like the idea of VTA because it is scale speed, they dictate FDR, really evens the playing field. Thats not to say the latest and greatest Xray isnt still the latest and greatest, but you can be competitive with an AE TC4, or the Sakura, or whatever. And maybe it's my age, but I love the look of the VTA cars.
 
I figure if I build this and it’s not good enough to be competitive. I can always got an X-ray T4 later. BTW the X Ray appears to have a single rear diff.
 
Trying to think about there being no diff up front. I guess it makes sense if the sway bar picks up the inside tire in a turn the diff would spin the tire. With a fixed axle it just puts power to the outside tire . That can be good and bad but I guess it is what works.
 
I was at the hobby shop today talking about the lack of a front diff. So as you go into the turn and the body rolls the “ spool” front end will keep traction and screw sideways into the turn. A diff will lift the wheel and “diff out “ one tire and have less traction.

I got a lot don’t over the last couple days. This is a very nice kit and for 100 dollars it’s a bargain . And I can get parts right there at the hobby shop.

Picked up the Protoform 68 mustang. Going to go with a little brother paint job to my DR10.

First race is next Friday.

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I am guessing all of the on road cars have belt drive systems which is cool. The only off road car that has belt drive now is the Schumacher one which they just discontinued. Schumacher cat l1 evo. I watched this one guy that did a belt drive conversion on a Xmaxx but it didn't work. Belt kept slipping.
 
There's still a couple shaft drive. Tamiya TB EVO 8, Kyosho Fazer MK2 come to mind. Shame about Associated completely bailing on tc
 
I was at the hobby shop today talking about the lack of a front diff. So as you go into the turn and the body rolls the “ spool” front end will keep traction and screw sideways into the turn. A diff will lift the wheel and “diff out “ one tire and have less traction.

I got a lot don’t over the last couple days. This is a very nice kit and for 100 dollars it’s a bargain . And I can get parts right there at the hobby shop.

Picked up the Protoform 68 mustang. Going to go with a little brother paint job to my DR10.

First race is next Friday.

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What body is that bro?
 
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