Keen Hawk review

[jimmy]

Just finishing up the Keen Hawk review (dark impact) - I really like this car I have to say, really is a true Tamiya with it's annoying and lovable traits in equal measure.

Just finished doing the electrics install - I'll let you guess what is in it - not the easiest car to install electrics in, it has to be said.. but WOW - POWER !.

[DCM]

That would be a Castle Creations Mamba then Jimmy, did you slap the receiver in front of the servo like most, oh, and fit an alloy aerial mount up front, save dragging the aerial cable all the way to the back.

[Southwell]

Nm

[jimmy]

Got the receiver beind the ESC at the moment - its at an angle and just stuffed in there at the moment. I might move it to where you say since it would fit ok

The mamba max motor was a @#$% to fit!
haha, I really didn't think it would fit. the Keen motor area (as you well know) is tight as hell (without dremeling stuff)- but the mamba max motor is massive and has external screws around the motor, only small but it meant that I couldnt mesh the pinion (17t 48dp) at all. eventually I realised I could flip the motor 180degrees and have the wires facing the rear of the car (and then looping back) and the screws no longer fouled on anything.

I have the tamiya slipper on the way now, I really need it before I take the car out with this mamba max thing - otherwise it will tear the car in half I am sure.

I love the car - only driven it round the kitchen, but that doesn't matter - I just love how it looks and the interesting build. It makes the slim4 look wide too! well, almost

[DCM]

It will rip the piss out of them poxy plastic rear diff half holders Jim.

re: motor, I found even with a normal brushed motor, it was a twat to fit, I am still wondering if running a Carbon conversion (albeit half baked, both of them.... grumble grumble) would give more clearance.

You playing it safe with the shell, or branching out Jim?

[jimmy]

To be honest - I think I will play it safe and do the same old paint scheme on there.. you know me, don't like to take risks.

The motor right now is fairly adjustable so I am happy.. I know it will tear right through that rear diff, I couldn't beleive how stupid that assembly is - I cant understand it at all.. Anyway, I have a proper diff from Square to fit when that one melts.

Its a shame (and again, daft) that the servo posts are moulded as part of the chassis - it means there is little advantage to running a low profile servo... the only advatage left is that you can stuff all the spare wires under it to make things look tidy

[DCM]

that will take only a couple of minutes of ripping it... I think mine lasted ooooh.... 2 runs with an 11x3 and I think that was helped by the fact the tyres weren't glued on at the time!!!

Apart from that, and the crap stock front driveshafts, the rest is reasonable for the price I guess, can't expect everything on a pocket money racer.

[jimmy]

Did the df03 hop up shocks help much? The kit items are rather horrid. The shock towers seem great for bashing but too soft for racing

[PaulRotheram]

do a new scheme man! maybe same design but jazz the colours up

[jimmy]

lol , I will see!

Steve, do you have any photos (of yours or anyones) car with cells in, so I can see how people do it.. not tamiya stick packs of course but racing packs..

At the moment I have fitted the Lipo as it was easy to fit (only a little dremel at the front)

[PaulRotheram]

some light colours dood, or go stealth style.

apache!!

[Elliott Hopkins]

I'm glad the DF-03 review is coming along.

That diff cover screw at the endbell end of the motor is a pain.

A 6x1 pack fits OK for me. On my packs the wires come off the end cells directly and curl over the top of the cell. I think this is what causes a slight bulge in the cover.

Elliott.

[jimmy]

Got any photos of the cells in the car elliott?
I got the Dark Impact when it first came out, literally a few days after it was released - but one thing after another put it off until it was too late (already in 'the mags'). Glad I can finally review the DF03 as it caught my attention more than just about any car I have seen in the last year or so.
I have the impact still, unbuilt, which I intend to review with the KM-RC conversion and a few other choice hop-ups (front one-way diff, square carbon towers etc)

[DCM]

Hey Jim, I had to go to bed, lol, but here is a pic of the car with cells in, how I fist done it


The positive coraly was dropped down to sit in the gap between the two last cells, but I then dremelled the chassis to cope with normal packs and it didn't weaken the chassis.

The TRF shocks make one hell of a difference, with the kit shocks you go from no damping to bare minimum, with the TRF shocks, you go from bare minimum to maximum damping with the pistons and springs supplied.

[Elliott Hopkins]

Sorry Jimmy, Photobucket isn't accepting my photos at the mniute.

I agree about Tamiya's upgraded shocks. They are much better. I bent a kit shock piston on a skate ramp. Although, I'm worried about the wobbliness of the piston in the upgraded shocks.

I'd be intrerested to see if you do some new logos and decals and stuff for the DI *cough*.

Elliott.

[Elliott Hopkins]

The wires off the cells get a little squashed coming out of the chassis.

[jimmy]

Thanks guys.

I didn't think of using deans connectors for some reason despite having loads after I swapped from them to corallys. I guess I will make up a few packs with the deans and see how I go.
Right now I am using the lipo since it fits easily.

[DCM]

I was going to go Deans on them too, but find them cumbersome so kept with Corally tubes.

[Elliott Hopkins]

I don't use anything but Deans. They're like an upgraded Tamiya connector.

Glad I can help Jimmy.

Elliott.

[dan_kitty]

just fitted a brandnew mamba max into mine yesterday havent ran it yet as it was raining, I used i little bit of dremeling on the bottom left hand side of the chassis to make the moter wires fit. Im a little scared to thrash it now after reading this, Ive got the 3 racing diff outdrives in it so hopefully wont be to bad. I guess running the slipper quite loose with low gearing as an initial test, what you suggest?. Ive heard these mambas are powerfull.