Tamiya recently sent through their latest Fighter model called the Neo Fighter Buggy. In Germany, they have the Fighter Buggy Cup that is a huge race series for young drivers and therefore these entry-level 2WD off-roaders are extremely popular. For 2014 they have introduced the brand new DT-03 chassis, which sees the Fighter buggy range grow up and emulate many of the top of the range buggies that are seen in world class competition. A slim chassis coupled with a longer wheelbase are just two of the points that set this new buggy apart from the previous versions. Now badged the Neo Fighter, could this be the buggy to have? Below is a sequence of photos of our quick build:
Tamiya kindly sent over a full set of option parts for our build
The chassis comes as two halves that after applying some sponge tape into the battery tray for dampening any movement – this is then screwed together with just four bolts
Here you can see the bathtub-style chassis that is very rigid and fairly light
The shock tower mounting points are attached to the chassis
Steering is next to be dealt with and we installed a Tamiya servo using the Hop-Up alloy servo mount. This then screws into the chassis with four bolts. Also included from the Hop-Ups is the adjustable turnbuckle set
Here we see the servo mount in place
The front-end has a very familiar Tamiya feel with the lower wishbones being held in place via a U-shaped pin
The front-end bolts together and the plastic top wishbones make way for the fully adjustable turnbuckles
Next up is the gearbox that again is a very basic build with the only option here being the lightweight axle shafts. You can fit a full set of bearings, but none were available at the time of the build. A torque tuned motor (10A) is included and is Fighter Buggy Cup legal
The gear diff is a simple three-gear set-up and is built in mere moments
The completed gearbox and rear-end now simply bolts into place on the rear of the chassis
The main bulk of the chassis work is complete and it really takes little time to reach this stage
Carbon fibre shock towers replace the standard plastic items. This has to be sealed with superglue so after this build they were sent off to be finished
A new Tamiya TBLE-02S brushless speed control is included in the kit. It can also run brushed motors so this is a great speed control for future proofing your Neo Fighter
CVA oil-filled damper shocks replace the kit friction set for better suspension
Power is provided by a Carson 2300mAh battery with the optional alloy battery holder replacing the kit plastic version
The finished chassis. Wheels and tyres are the standard size with the rears running 12mm hexes. The body and wing are off being painted, so look out for the finished item soon in Racer Magazine
