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View Full Version : Team BlueGroove CF Chassis (p)review



pimpsmurf
10-03-2006, 11:12 PM
I recieved this CF chassis a good while ago. Unfortunately, I got in a car wreck and totalled a Jeep which was very very not fun (except for the morphine. Holy shit I have respect for heroin adicts now.) Regardless, I have gotten around to being able to pick up things more than 2-3 lbs and decided to hook up this new bluegroove chassis and see how she goes.

First overall impression:
Definately better quality that previous models I saw over a year ago (on other platforms.) The straight lines are (mostly) straight, and every single countersink was the right depth, size, and perfectly smoothe. Definately an improvement. The curves however are still kind of rough. I've been told that the type of CF used tends to flake, but offers exceptionally more strength in so far as flex is concerned. Strong where it needs it, but unsightly. Of course the only person to notice it will be you. The slight imperfections are indeed, very slight.

Ratings:
Heat: 2 of 10
Fit: 8 of 10
Design: 6 of 10
Flex: 9 of 10
weight: 9 of 10

Heat may become an issue on 3 cell Aon setups. It was already very warm, but my setup would want to overheat after 80% of the discharge on the 2100. (about 20 minutes, which is still very impressive.) Understand that my motor setup is pretty nuts to begin with. The fit was well. Others have reported that slight sanding to the UGLY ASS countersinks for diff clearance. I sanded mine slightly to clean up the look and be sure I wasn't mounting the chassis twice. The design is good, but the CF chassis from GPM (although a piece of trash) has PERFECT lines. all the curves are smoothe, etc. There must be a reason. Is it the material? Worn cutter? some sort of lube they use? I can't be sure. My design score was a 6 instead of a 9 because of the CHEAP alloy used for the motor-mount spacer and what seems to be stainless screws. While moving the motor mount from the front position to the rear, one of the screws stripped without any serious pressure being applied. I used red loctite so I wouldn't have to torque it down as one would with a CAW chassis. The flex was extremely good. I put over 4 lbs on the chassis's front with the rear in a vice before flex was noticeable with a straight edge. CF is your friend. Weight was around 1/2 of the caw chassis. Extremely great for top-speed bashing or long-track gearing.


Compared to the Caw v2 chassis (with the bent edges)
Heat: 8 of 10
This is all because of material. The failing is truely in the motor mount design from 3Racing.

Fit: 9 of 10
Only because there are not propper holes for the common, aftermarket servo mounts is this not a 10. Bithed fixes this for us if you are lucky enough to get one from him! =)

Design: 9 of 10
Perfect design, lines, and clearance for the diffs

weight: 6 of 10
Could be a 10 instead if you get hit durring races. Very heavy, but still the only one to be used on my buggy.

Flex: 10 of 10 actually less flex than the bluegroove chassis because of the bent edges. Impressed the hell out of me.


Overall, I give it an 8. Definately a great chassis if your into CF. Being more of a race track basher, I'll use my CAW to keep the motor super cool. Although, This guy might find it's way onto an inferno ST =)

-JNY

MrUnlimited
10-04-2006, 12:05 AM
Hope you are ok after all. I wrecked my car last year and thankfull my wife and 2 kids came out with no injury at all! It is just a car ;) Nice preview though

pimpsmurf
10-04-2006, 03:16 PM
I'm fine. We replaced the Jeep with an 04 Sante Fe 3.5 v6 with the tiptronic-like shifter (shift up, shift down.) It acts like a 5 speed with an automatic clutch, but I believe it is a 3 or 4 speed auto and it's using the overdrive to act like it has 5 gears. It's an absolute BLAST to drive. burns rubber to 30mph on command... fairly quick and handles MUCH better than the jeep. Also, when you are driving it, it has more of a car feel than a truck feel. I honestly forget I'm in a truck sometimes and feel like I'm in a sedan when taking corners.

-JNY

H8er
10-07-2006, 09:32 PM
So I'm going to be running stock class with my Mini Inferno (Kyosho X-Speed motor, 8-Cell IB1400), what would you recommend?

bermbuster
10-07-2006, 10:51 PM
i was wondering why your inspirational posts stopped......i wish you a full recovery......
i have a blue groove mini t conversion and the CF looks scarey.....

pimpsmurf
10-09-2006, 07:43 PM
I appreciate your support. I try not to waste peoples reading time, but if I've had more than 1 beer at any time, I can only appologise. :D

I wanted one of those for the longest time. My Mini-T is basically on a shelf. A new hobby shop here is talking about an indoor carpet track which might bring the Mini-T out of retirement.

I got my hands on a Schumacher Rascal 1:16th nitro truck with a 3.0cc nitro engine. It's a neet little truck with a 2 speed coming. It's about $300 RTR and they offer a model without electronics for much less. Pretty neat, and with the 2 speed and an aftermarket exhaust, your talking about 60-80mph.

It isn't a true hobby model. There is no slipper (although the design of the diff is built to not need one,) and the gear ratio is fixed. The two speed should help a bit, but with that large of an engine, it's hard to control from the get go.

-JNY