TOPIC:

Hi Guys,
I've got a rere frog and a rere hornet I plan on using for backyard bashers. I'd like a litte bit more juice for the Hornet. Does the HPI Racing Firebolt 15T 540 have motor mount holes compatible with the Hornet? If not, is there another hot aftermarket motor (brushed) I could consider?
Regarding the tires... The Hornet/Frog/Super Champ rear tires have historically lasted about a week of running (dirt or concrete) at best. Can anyone recommend 1.4" front and rear aftermarket tires compatible with the stock 3 piece rims that would provide longer life than the knobbies and smoothies?
Thanks!
"If you ain't first, you're last!" -Ricky Bobby

Any 540 will have the motor fix holes in the right place ... but with both the Frog and the Hornet the gearing can't be lowered enough to suit a 15 turn motor - it'll bog down & overheat, and never rev high enough to go faster than a basic 27 turn silvercan motor

The Hornet has the one choice of gearing - a 18 tooth pinion, so you can't practically go lower than a 23 turn motor - unless you get the pinion & motor mount from a Lunchbox/Pumpkin & go for really stupendous power, I'm not sure I'd recommend that as you'd get through a lot of spur gears The Tamiya Sport Tuned 23 turn will give about 30% more speed.

The Frog, provided you go for the lowest gearing available for it (smallest pinion, largest spur, I can't remember the tooth counts off the top of my head, but it's in the manual) will theoretcially handle a bit higher power, perhaps a 19 turn motor - but the diff & gearbox casings will suffer unless you screw the outer gears together ... someone on here has done that, hopefully a link will be forthcoming

Tyres - I do remember getting aftermarket grooved slicks in the mid 80's, but the only tyres I'm aware of that fit that size now are the smoothees and the stock rear spikes, or the grasshopper/scorcher padlatraks. FAV/Brat/Pajero wheelie wheels are larger

A popular upgrade back in the day was to use wild one wheels & tyres & rear hubs - with the recent re-re all the bits should available (comparatively) easily & cheaply

All good information, Mr. Retro. Thanks, I'm a fan of your work...

Welcome, Ricky Bobby.

Little to add to Jonny's post other than that you could put some 12mm hex adapters on so you can fit different wheels.
Not sure if the front wheels are a straight fit on the Frog but any DT-02 wheel set'll fit your Hornet that way.

Thanks Edou. I found this picture of your Grasshopper on another post. Those tires look cool and it sounds like they help the buggy handle better. What parts would I need besides the 12mm hex adapters for the rears (wheels, tires, etc...) to copy your Grasshopper?
It appears that the shocks are similar to that of a Super Hornet... Do you know if Tamiya offers front oil filled shocks that fit the Hornet as a stand alone hop-up item or would I have to purchase several parts bags to get the oil dampers?
Thanks again for your help!

Cool that you found my Grasshopper.
Coincidentally I received a set of Hornet dampers for it from eddrick today. Body mounts and all - awesome!
Gonna let him know in person this time his parts arrived after this message...



Best thing about the wheels is that they're cheap as well - I paid 15 euro for the whole set :

www.haertle.de/...a550fca877

All you need is the Frog adapters and a pair of these to run...
Front suspension arms and dampers are indeed Super Hornet. Spring was shortened.
Could have done a better job there, really...
I'll also put on some decent turnbuckles to get rid of the slop in the steering. Really winged it there.
As far I know there isn't a direct hop up for the front shocks. Maybe just older CRP parts...
They'll have to be quite short and narrow to not cause any problems fitting them.
Haven't really gone there myself yet.
Best upgrade for the front would be the Team CRP FX-10 conversion :


(Not my own build)

Invaluable information. Thanks again.

Hope to have a go at a couple this year as well...
Rerebuild my very first car and put another one together to bash around with.
They're really classic and a lot of fun still.

HI!... If your interested, I have the same wheels/tires as on EDOU's car just in chrome. They are brand new. LMK if your interested.

A quick oar-sticking from me - I found the harder compound Wild One (etc) tyres wore more quickly than the rubber kit ones, plus the larger diameter of the wheels cows the gearing up (Too high geared, cooks batteries & motor).

I was gonna suggest Brat tyres, I hadn't realised they were a different size! Way around that would be to fit Rough Rider or Buggy Champ wheels, as the brat tyres fit those, & the wheels fit the 'Hopper adaptors.