Pioneer Camaro - Tuning Tips Anyone?

[Wobble]

Open to suggestions of tuning tips for a Pioneer Camaro using as many stock bits as I can although MJK's might need to come into play on the rear and smaller tyres on the front.

 

What else makes these puppies sing? Also, has anyone tried dropping the body on the chassis a bit and how did you go about it?

Edited April 11, 2015 by Wobble

[Roger Miller]

Wobble,

 

Well Im gonna say it..........It supposed to be a known problem..........

 

The last couple of Pioneers i have got have the wire between the interior and chassis. This ensures the chassis has a bend in it.

 

 

You can see the knotch in the wire insulation.

 

 

Once that's fixed, its best to gear these up to the hilt. They sell a 13 tooth pinion, for that purpose.

 

Then its as scaley, grind down the fronts and get the guide in the groove. They also have a deep guide that usually comes with car. Some hate this, I'm OK with it.

 

They are a little tricky to clearance so attention to detail is needed around front and rear of body.

 

 

 

The front axle bushes are awfully loose , So other ones would be better.

 

The rear bushes were once, nizetight, but no longer, So others there would be of benefit. I glue my motors in after getting the mesh osotight.

 

The mounting screws are good once they are finally out and some lube is on them.

 

 

Im told the Mustang is probably better.

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2015 by Roger Miller

[Wobble]

Thanks for that Roger Miller. For starters I'm pretty sure I've got the wrong Camaro to play around with. It's the Alan Green car and it has a pile more plastic inside it than yours has. I'm thinking it must have a different body shell to yours. My Mustang goes real good and so I expected one of these to have comparable performance. Just need to get another one to play around with instead.

 

Notice the plastic mouldings each end with body posts moulded onto them rather than the body shell.

 

Edited April 12, 2015 by Wobble

[Ember]

Wobble, I don't think that's enough to make much difference. You should still be able to do everything that Roger did. The extra plastic you refer to would make for a stronger shell.

[Roger Miller]

Thanks for that Roger Miller. For starters I'm pretty sure I've got the wrong Camaro to play around with. It's the Alan Green car and it has a pile more plastic inside it than yours has. I'm thinking it must have a different body shell to yours. My Mustang goes real good and so I expected one of these to have comparable performance. Just need to get another one to play around with instead.

 

Notice the plastic mouldings each end with body posts moulded onto them rather than the body shell.

 

 

 

Camaro innards

[Peter Gunn]

Hi Wobble done 3 of these and lowered all of them , last one the Alan green one did it to keep the original interior which I normally change, this time cut the bottom 2mm of the bottom of the drivers platform and covered it with a very thin bit of plasticard and slowly filed the posts down a bit mainly on the chassis mountings so I can now screw up tight and just have a little play in chassis to rock.

Front tyres ground down until tread gone, glued and trued and found that the right guide to tyre height, bearings run brass/bronze all round glued in, except the Orange 23 car which is ballraced all round , makes that car very smooth, guide!!!! being lowered the standard guide is fine even on my Carrera track but do have the spare deeper one on 23, that's my basic tune up, have done a lot more besides as regards motor, gears, wheels, guide changes, use MJK's as I have found them the best on all the rears.

[Wobble]

Thanks guys. Food for thought there. Roger Miller, the upside down Muzzie body had me fooled until you added the other of the Camaro.

I just weighed Alan Green and he's 96gm in standard trim whereas Dean Gregson's Mustang is 83gm including ballast. Someone needs to go on a diet. I'm thinking those extra bits of plastic might need to come out and body posts glued in instead.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Wobble

[David Carter]

Yes ditch all that plastic in there including the interior

That is just all unnecessary up high weight

Replace the axle, bushes and gearing with lightened nsr

And get the body as low as you can but not really necessary if you get the body light enough

That is the plan of attack I would take

 

[charlesx]

Appreciate where you are coming from David but my pref. would to be to use as much of original as possible. By all means lighten, alter, glue as much as possible but spend little extra. They are dear enough to start with.

 

Regards Chas Le Breton

[David Carter]

Appreciate where you are coming from David but my pref. would to be to use as much of original as possible. By all means lighten, alter, glue as much as possible but spend little extra. They are dear enough to start with.

 

Regards Chas Le Breton

 

It all comes down to what you want to get out of it

Having it go good and look good or just straight out go like the clappers

I prefer the later

[Ember]

Then why buy Pioneer at all? Why not buy something with no interior and blacked out windows?

[David Carter]

I built my muscle car to nz nationals race rules

So must have a interior but can be lexan and clear windows

All wheels must fit with in the body everything else is open

I love racing the muscle cars and like to be competitive

Everyone has their own thing mine is going as quick as possible

[Wobble]

I see where you're coming from Dave but this won't be in the Nats. The minimalist route will do me, just want it to perform somewhere near the Mustang so the tyres will get some attention and drop the front a couple of mm and save the odd gram here and there will be about it.

After the shine has been taken off the paint I might get a bit more 'savage' at a later date.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Wobble

[rosco01]

I'm watching this - I can't get to my two Alan Green cars for another 2 days yet..... Mrs. Rosco has them stashed.

 

frats,

Rosco

[David Carter]

are you keeping the standard rear wheels and spur gear

if so you could drill holes in the rims the same as nsr spanish rims and also drill the spur to lighten that as well

drill the front rims to if you want that way you can lighten up the moving parts and it is free

[Pioneer]

Must think about removing those two underfloor ribs and the the two screw posts near the seats. They do not serve any function any more. I may get into the tooling and magic them away to save a ton of guys carving them off.

 

Might also be worth changing the chassis tool by taking a mm off all around the edge....

 

.....for those that like to rock.

 

Jules

[dangermouse]

"Might also be worth changing the chassis tool by taking a mm off all around the edge....

.....for those that like to rock."

 

now that would be handy

[shadow_rusty]

Must think about removing those two underfloor ribs and the the two screw posts near the seats. They do not serve any function any more.

Hi Jules,

 

Just curious what function those ribs were there to serve...

 

 

I know they annoy me on my charger as they stop me from putting lead inside the chassis along the side pans.

They will definately be coming off at some stage...

[Peter Gunn]

Speaking as a rock 'n' roller Jules a good idea to take some plastic of the edge , never have used the centre holes ever since I first bought your cars first job was to remove them , any chance of replacing the nylon loose front bearings with the same as the rear.

[Wobble]

are you keeping the standard rear wheels and spur gear

if so you could drill holes in the rims the same as nsr spanish rims and also drill the spur to lighten that as well

drill the front rims to if you want that way you can lighten up the moving parts and it is free

 

Yep standard rear, come to think of it, the new diff arrived today thanks to Pioneer and it's as smooth as silk so it's full steam ahead, well sort of, there's also an iceberg called a Valiant Charger lurking around too, ohh, and a couple of Mustang conversions and

 

And thanks to all for the tips and hints both obvious and subtle.....I'm sure I won't be the only one benefiting from the advice.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Wobble

[difinity]

Jules,

I tend to grind away whatever is raised in front of the motor to lay lead weight, but also add carbon or plastic strip/tube to adjust the flex for my track layouts.

I reckon the chassis would need the ribs to stop flexing front to rear, unless you have some other way...

[Wobble]

Must think about removing those two underfloor ribs and the the two screw posts near the seats. They do not serve any function any more. I may get into the tooling and magic them away to save a ton of guys carving them off.

 

Might also be worth changing the chassis tool by taking a mm off all around the edge....

 

.....for those that like to rock.

 

Jules

 

Pioneer, I'm thinking you're referring to the ribs on the bottom side of the interior tray where it seems some are thinking you mean the ribs in the chassis.

Please clarify.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Wobble

[Pioneer]

I was referring to the areas marked in red:-

 

 

The original intention of these ribs and the screw anchors from the chassis into the bottom of the floor was to prevent sagging of the chassis with magnets wanting to pull it down onto the track, a la Scaley Trans-am. In the final design we managed to get more structural integrity into the chassis and sagging was never an issue but we never got round to removing the fail safe 'tight up' feature.

 

With regard to the movement in the front bushes and the guide, this was not an 'error'. They were designed like that to cope with the variety of levels, stepped connections, undulations and rail heights on plastic track. It may be possible to add a couple of tighter front bearings into the spares bag for those that on running on smooth wood.

[shadow_rusty]

Thanks Jules...

 

That's the area I though you were refering to...

Very nice to know the reason behind them, as most DPR Scaley's have them too.

[Wobble]

Thanks guys, done it now and it'll give a Scaley Camaro a run for the money and where I race they're the car to beat. Goes better than I expected.

 

Here's some specs and photos. 88gm all up, 54gm over back axle. Slammed a couple of mm up front. Interior and chassis trimmed a bit for float and lowering.

Home made low grip urethane front tyres (Scaley Escort size). NSR Supergrips for Ford Mk4 on the rear.

 

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Edited May 29, 2015 by Wobble