GabeBoudreau

I've had my MATRIX for a full season now, and have done numerous test days at the track trying to get the most out of the car that I could.

With 20 years in RC Car racing and 18 of them building my own equipment, I know a trick or two to squeeze out a little more from the car or truck. I've played with shocks, diffs, tires, foams, engines, and clutch systems but left the chassis in its stock form. That is about to change...

Follow me on a journey to the LIGHT WEIGHT zone! I was reading the review on the LOSI 8ight. The car weights 118.5 ounces or 7.43 pounds {3,360g} which is ULTRA light compared to some of the other 1/8th scale cars on the track. So begins this quest...

I started to look at my car, and where I could take off weight. Everything is about as light as you can get it stock (arms, bulkheads etc.) but the chassis is thick (4mm) and very heavy. So here is where I am going to begin my quest to take 1 full pound off my race car.

Now, I know what your thinking in your head right now. WHY bother? It's an 1/8th scale, put more motor in it! Well, you ask any race car driver at a track what they want their cars to do and they always say "predictability". The heavier the object is, the more unpredictable it becomes in entering and exiting of turns and flying over jumps. It takes longer for a 1hp engine to push a 8.5lb object than it would to push a 7.43lb object.

I'm going to post up pictures of this little adventure and when the car is all done and ready, take it too the track with a car that has not been modded up. The lap times will prove to be the tell tale sign.

All I know is that in 2007 if I expect to run with the Losi at the top levels (i'm talking racing the drake, peanut, and the likes of the worlds top pro's) i must take the red pill!!

Picture number one is attached here

GabeBoudreau

Nice tight close up of the chassis and the plans I have for it!


The solid areas are the areas where the chassis will be drilled or removed. The circles are where I will just drill about 1/2 the chassis out.


I'm taking out the entire area where the radio box sits. NOT NEEDED if you ask me. I will replace that missing area with some light weight screen mesh to keep rocks out.


The front wings are gone as well. I want this sucker light, and I want to be able to add droop if needed.


Take one more look at her in the natural state. It's choppin time!

GabeBoudreau

More pictures to come...im off to drill, cut and file this puppy down!

GabeBoudreau

Im Back!

Changed my profile name to GabeBoudreau.com

I will post under this name from now on!

Gabe

dustin7837

My Feedback: (1)

Looks like it should work out pretty well. I wouldnt imagine there will be any chassis flex? and it should be a whole lot lighter.
Might look like swiss cheese though

poor judgement

Jesus... and I thought I was dremel/drill happy...

Go for it Gabe, show it whos boss!

GabeBoudreau

I'm the king of lightweight cars! My truck this past weekend weight in at 58 ounces (60 is legal limit for roar, but they had no tech area for weight so I was legal!) That was with minimal chassis releif.

Light is fast, the 8ight is fast because it is so flipping light, so I am going to go for it...time to loose 1 full lb off my car.

Gabe

andrewtexas123

Sounds like fun to me!

GabeBoudreau

Here is more pictures! Enjoy...Gabe


This is the pre-drilled weight of the chassis. It weighed in at 253 grams or 8.9 ounces.


Here is the chassis weight when all the holes and countersinks were completed. Shaved off 23 grams or 0.9 ounces. Total weight is now 230 grams with two holes still to be drilled.


Here is the chassis from the top view. You can see that material has been removed everywhere there is room. Holes were drilled through and then countersunk.


This is the countersink. If you don't have a countersink handy you can use a very large drill bit to do the same thing. You have to be careful if you use this technique so you don't drill completely through the chassis. You have to countersink any holes that you drill through the chassis otherwise your going to have issues with the new holes collecting dirt and slowing your car or truck off the jumps.


This is a production version of the Matrix TR Truggy. She is next to go under the chopping block! The body that is on the truck is a FULL BLOWN production version. When you get the RTR version, this will be the paintjob! Not bad ehh? The paint work was done by Blade Luna of www.RGXRacing.com Hit them up if you want custom paint!


A close up view of the front of the Matrix TR arena truck! All this puppy needs is an engine and she is ready! *NOTE* The full production arms will not be white.

eddy2785329

will the rtr, pro kit, and the factory race edition have the same chassis?for the matrix tr

GabeBoudreau

The pro kit and the factory kit will have a differnt color chassis than the RTR. The RTR chassis will also not have the custom mill work done to it (similar to the RTR Matrix and the Pro Kit Matrix).

Gabe

GabeBoudreau

Alright, update on this as well! The chassis is complete and I knocked 1.5 ounces off her total! Should help the car accelerate out of tight turns! That is what I wanted and accomplished it so far!

I will take a picture of the finished rig when she is in race trim this weekend for you guys!

Make comments and let me know what you think!

Gabe Boudreau - CEN Factory Pilot

poor judgement

Hell... you meant it!

Hows the stiffness baby? Still there or did it get a bit floppy from all that hole making?

Im liking it so far, but whats next...?

I remember youre pretty bonkers in the nut from another forum, going back a bit though - keep it up! Only another 14.something oz to go!

GabeBoudreau

A bit bonkers? Please elaborate. If you mean KRAZY with a "K" American then heck ya! LOL!

The stiffness is right where I want it now. It does flex more than stock with the holes. This helps the traction coming out of turns belive it or not and also helps in the bumps. The chassis gives more now than ever, and the stiffners are doing their part to keep it straight.

I ran this car at Revelation ALL night Tuesday night. Revelation is a MAJOR supercross style track so you guys know with HUGE ruts and big flying 20' long jumps. The car worked PERFECT from the get go. The engine gave me fits at first and it turned out I had a leak in my fuel tubing line. Changed that and boom back to normal!

I'm getting 7mins a tank out of the NX-26 matrix RTR engine with the full pull starter still attached and everything! This engine is GREAT for testing purposes as it is durable and long lasting! Runs really good at 280+ as well.

A guy came over to me in the pits at Revelation and I quote, "You were running 22.4 to 22.6 second lap times." I said, "well is that good?" His answer was, "That is the best on this layout yet young man. Good job." And he walked away into the abyss of the pit area! My wife heard him say this as did 10 to 15 other drivers that were near my pit. That made me smile and the ENTIRE day was a complete SUCSESS!

So I guess drilling holes and making your chassis light WORKS! The durability was still there, no bends or breaks even after 7 hours of running today. Tomorrow I tear her down, re-lube the diffs and the put fresh oils in the shocks, rebuild the clutch and the next time she runs will be the best of the west series at ARC on Friday and Saturday. Go figure, the factory was up in arms over me drilling extra holes in the chassis!!!!! LOL!!!!

Gabe Boudreau

poor judgement

Lol, yes, I meant a bit "krazy".

Really? Well... whod believe it? Taking their prize buggy and going mad like that!

Well done re the laptimes, nice to be overheard too! Any chance of some vids the next time you take it out?

Makes sense I guess re the flex and handling on rough tracks, and I dont suppose you see many really smooth tracks, so it shouldnt be too much of a trade off. So... whats next?

GabeBoudreau

Next is Ti diffs and drive shafts. Anything to shave weight. ROAR is going to change the weight rules to suite the Losi 8 buggy so I am trying to get our buggy down to 6.75 pounds. I weight a stock 8 buggy last night and it was NOT 7.25lbs like they claim. With a full load of fuel it was under 7lbs.

I guess being the FASTEST driver at the Best of the West yesterday will keep the factory happy for a day or so. Everyone was very impressed with my buggy, both pro's and the sportsman at this event. So you know, my engine flamed out in the main when I was in 2nd place ;-)

Regards,
Gabe Boudreau
www.GabeBoudreau.com/trophyroom.html

GabeBoudreau

Well my car is all finished. No pictures Got to keep them happy.

If you want to see pictures you will need to PM me as I have told them I wont post in open forumns any more prototype pictures. But PM is fine they said.

Gabe