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For more than 3 decades now Tamiya has been
producing scale radio controlled Formula 1 models. The last new Formula 1
chassis to be released was way back in the fall of 1993! Tamiya released the
F103 platform with the lovely Lotus 107B body. The F103 went on to be the
base for many great cars from F1 & Indy cars, to Lemans prototypes! In 2008
Tamiya brought the car back with some of the old F1 bodies from the past.
Here in Canada the new Formula 1 class was picked up quickly in the Tamiya
Championship Series and tracks quickly made a place for F1 racing in their
weekly races. The straightforward chassis, low maintenance and super
realistic looks appeal to racers of all skill levels! Not to mention, how
close the racing is! |
| Just a year after the re-release of the classic
F103,
Tamiya dropped the hammer on the 100% all new
F104. First to be release was
the Pro version, which includes all the bits needed to go out and race for
the top step of the podium! |
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Chassis As
with any Pro level kit these days the F104 Pro comes with a full very stiff
double deck type carbon Fibre chassis. 1st step is to take a file or some
wet sand paper and sand the edge of the chassis. Not only does this make it
easier on your fingers when you are picking up the car, helps stop your
chassis from catching an edge on the track.
After
you get the chassis all sanded down, the 2nd step is to apply the edges of
the chassis with some CA (Super glue). This protects your new chassis from
chipping, and/or delaminating. After you get all that done you are now ready
to start putting this F1 racer together. One big difference with the new car
is the T-plate and rear diffusers. There are options now available for the
t-plate. The Pro kit comes with the stiffer T-plate (Black in colour) and
there is also a Soft T-plate (White in colour) for lower grip surfaces. |
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Rear Pod
The rear
end of the new F104 Pro uses the rear diffuser as a structural piece. The
entire rear pod mounts to it. Like the F103, you can adjust the ride height
by changing the supplied drive axle locators. But the ball diff is
completely new! All previous Tamiya F1 cars had the same problem. If you
wanted to remove the right rear wheel you would release the pressure and the
diff would come apart! I am excited to say that after all these years Tamiya
has designed a new diff, works brilliant, and with the kit supplied blue
aluminium diff joints it is ultra smooth without any high spots. You will be
also happy to know that the 64 pitch spurs and pinion remain the same as the
previous generation car. |
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Shock
The Pro kit
gets the TRF Aluminium damper. With it comes a soft (red) spring. I used the
3-hole piston and 50-weight oil. |
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Front Suspension
The Front end is completely new with the exception of the
hard Carbon reinforced steering knuckles. This front end has the ability to
adjust the ride height as the tires wear. You will also notice that the
front suspension travels on a capsulated ball for super smooth movement. The
centre block has a new feature to adjust the camber. You will notice the
numbers 1 on side and 2 on the other side of the centre block.
1 = -0.5 degrees camber
2 = -1 degrees camber
The instructions show building the car with the –0.5
camber, but for anyone looking for faster lap times go with the –1 degrees
of camber. |
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Electronics
This is a
really cool feature on the F104. The battery runs down the centre of the
chassis to keep the weight as close the centre of the chassis as possible.
To get the battery in and out, the two mounts (that hold the receiver on one
side and the ESC on the other) swivel.
If you are
planning on running the Reedy Lipo you will need to remove some of the
material on the battery holder. I just used a hobby knife. If you have a
Nicad or NiMh battery, use it for the shake down runs. Weight is going to
have to be added to the chassis if you plan to run the Lipo. The great
things is you can add the weight were you want it! |
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Tamiya
really hit a home run with this new F1 platform. They have addressed the
annoyances the F103’s had and made a car that is easier to drive.
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