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Note: This build log is excerpted from my web site . You can check there for larger versions of every photo or further reading.

I loved the look of the LaFerrari body shell from Tamiya the first time I saw the ad for it which, as per usual for me, was already after it was out of production. This body was available in two different chassis options: the common TT-02 and the higher end TB-04. The TB-04 version cost twice as much and was harder to find, but since I already had a TT-02 chassis it seemed the obvious choice for me. I also felt that this car deserved the higher level of performance that the TB-04 would give.
I already wrote about the history of the TB line of chassis on my TB-03 page. The TB-04 was released in 2013, and the primary difference compared with the TB-03 is that the motor is mounted sideways in the rear of the chassis (see the ad at the top for more details). The general bathtub layout, shaft drive system, and double wishbone suspension system is the same.

I immediately knew I wanted a brushless system in the car and ordered a genuine Tamiya 10.5T sensored motor to use with the stock ESC. Since the real car is also electric, it seemed like the performance should match. This kit also happens to come with a lighting set for the body which really takes the realism up a notch. I naturally chose to use Ferrari red and am very happy with the way it came out. The wheels are tires are also quite scale accurate in appearance. It drives quite wonderfully, although I am afraid to push it too hard for fear of damaging it. I have already flipped it and scratched up the roof. Those giant mirrors are also magnets for damage.

I didn't take any photos during assembly for some stupid reason, so I only have pictures of the completed chassis. This is a one piece bathtub style chassis with four wheel double wishbone suspension and shaft drive. This is the first Tamiya model I have seen to use sealed differentials which means you can tune the performance by changing the fluid weight. I was a bit surprised to see that it uses dogbones rather than CVDs, but of course it can be upgraded. This model also features the inboard front suspension which uses pushrods and crank arms to move the shocks inboard and make room for a low nose body. The kit comes stock with plastic CVA shocks.
Here is a close-up of the electronics installation. I used a Tamiya 10.5 turn sensored brushless motor, the stock TBLE-02s speed control, and a Futaba analog servo. I used my usual Spektrum 2 channel receiver. With this setup it has plenty of speed for the rough road in front of my house. There is also an extra set of wires coming from the battery to power the LED control unit in the body. Since I do not use the stock Molex connectors, I had to solder the wires directly to the battery leads. You can see that the motor is mounted sideways and protrudes from the side of the chassis. I am a bit worried about it getting damaged by debris, but no problem so far.
The masking and painting process was a bit arduous because I wanted it to be perfect. It may also look like there are not very many stickers on this model, but they are actually numerous. All the windows are outlined, the front and rear bumpers are completely covered with carbon fiber appearance, and the side intakes are actually separate parts. The head light and tail light buckets sit behind the clear body so those sections need to be masked.

The lights really help give the finished model a realistic appearance.

I knew I wanted this car to be special, so I ordered an array of upgrade parts before I even built the model. Pictured here are aluminum steering parts, motor mount, sway bars, and some differential parts.
I was worried about the durability of the tiny plastic gears in the differentials so I ordered this set of metal cross pins and gears. Sitting above the upgrade bags you can see the exposed rear differential after I removed the bulkhead.
The left hand image shows a comparison of the old and new differential gears. The stock plastic parts are on the right, and the new steel parts on the left. I have no proof that the stock parts were inadequate, but I feel better with the upgraded parts. Similar tiny plastic bevel gears are still present right next to the transverse mounted motor. I originally intended to upgrade both the front and rear diffs, but I could find only one set of parts in stock at the store I used, so I decided to go with a one-way spool in front, shown in the right hand image next to the stock diff. It radically changes the handling of the car when braking since only the rear wheels brake.
The left hand image shows all the parts I removed from the car. Apart from what I've discussed so far, you can see the motor mount, the rear shock tower, the shocks, and the steering cranks. On the right are the extra parts from the upgrade packs. There were two motor mount options and I only used one of them. The sway bar set came with three stiffness options, only one of which was used, so the others remain available for some other car.
These final images compare the chassis before and after the upgrades. The most immediately obvious difference is the shocks. I got some really nice TRF shocks that are perfect. Most of the other changes are hidden inside, although you can see the blue shock tower peeking out in back, and you can see the anti-roll bars if you look closely.

TB chassis look very interesting. Nice custom blackbird.

I painted the car Ferrari red and with the accurate wheels and lighting kit it really looks fantastic. The lights were not actually on for these photos since they are not very noticeable in the daylight.

Are the diffs like the xv01? Lubricated by oil bath? Like a, real car?

stingray-63 wrote:

Are the diffs like the xv01? Lubricated by oil bath? Like a, real car?

Yes, exactly like XV-01. Not filled completely, just enough to continuously circulate oil around the gears. There is enough extra space for thermal expansion.

Dude! Thanks for the info.