Epoch Indoor Racer - epoch1-43.com

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Old 05-25-2006, 05:10 AM
LBRC LBRC is offline
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Default Outlaw Jungle Micro Racing

Finally a decent place to drive and check out some of the cars I’ve been building.



Ever since a freak storm last winter I’ve been more or less trackless. The timing couldn’t have been worse since it was just as I decided to go with the round 7mm coreless motors for the Shotgun motor mounts and testing them on a small 12’ oval or kitchen floor wasn’t giving me any real useful info other than they where too fast for small spaces.

I wanted a portable platform that could be set-up almost anywhere big enough for s HFAY two wide-L RCP track setup. With two people you can break down and/or set-up the platform and tent in less than an hour, although depending on where leveling can take a bit longer. Each foot, 9 total, can be adjusted up or down 4 inches which is enough to then use small bricks or 4”x 4” blocks for very uneven ground. Currently it’s set up in a nice secluded and unmowed field. Probably have to do a little mowing if it ever stops raining or get a goat (am voting for the goat) but the point is that you really can set a track up almost anywhere.



For the Epoch the 33” wide RCP track is like a 6 lane highway although the funny thing is that with the modified cars the faster you go the narrower the track gets. For the modified Epochs I do miss the ultra smooth yet gripy surface of my custom chalkboard painted track with it’s painted over sanded and taped connections but the portability of the RCP track more than makes up for it.

RCP traction side.


Old Epoch friendly custom track surface.


Discoveries to date:

Yea the Shotgun cars really are as fast as a stock Mini-Z, although sadly not as stable but then what do you expect at almost twice the scale speed, a Mini-Z that can keep up with a stock M-18 isn’t exactly stable at that speed either.

Handling: Once I got use to the Hot-Wheel type rolling resistance, no drag break at all with the coreless motors and ball bearings all the way around, it’s not too bad but does take some getting use to. However a clean differential is a must and just like a Mini-Z on an RCP track suspension and tire choices can make the difference between night and day. Unfortunately I achieved the best results by using a set of the prototype NASCAR type slicks on the front and a soft wide dark black set with an aggressive tread (of unknown origin) in the rear. What these tires are giving me is a very slight under steer so that the car tends to drift instead of rolling, oh it still rolls just not as easily.

For the RCP track the orange motors are the way to go, the red although having more torque are simply just too fast resulting in less control, baby if we ever get a good ball differential, and who knows thanks to the Mini-Z Lit we just might.

BTW for anyone seeing the Mini-Z Lit video and thinking they’re way faster than an Epoch I drove one and although slightly faster than a stock Epoch they don’t hold a candle to a modified Epoch, the single lap and small track in that video gives the illusion that they are faster than they actually are, the taller tires and 4cell battery pack make them faster however they are heavy and that top heavy weight slows them down too. We won’t know how they actually compare until they can be driven side by side, but I urge anyone who can afford one to please buy them as soon as they come out because an aftermarket ball differential that fits the Lit will be just what a modified Epoch needs. In a bizarre twisted sort of way I’m hoping that the Lid will do for the Epoch what the Xmods and Iwavers did for the Mini-Z, the rolls are a bit reversed so the analogy is not quite accurate hence bizarre and twisted the point though is that competition and diversity in scale is a very good thing.

Runtime, oh that lovely runtime, especially with the front ball bearings and a peak charger they run forever and with the LiPo pack it seems like that stretches into eternity. I peak charged a 195 pack and must have driven for two hours with 4 or 5 quick tip-offs during breaks from an Epoch charger.

One experiment that I am now testing out is a car with ball bearings, dual orange motors, and a 195 battery pack but no turbo if the circuit board holds up although not the ideal it will be a much easier car for those without advanced soldering skills to assemble.

Have a lot of driving to do to make up for lost time but overall I’m happy with the track and the Super Epochs as some people are calling them.

One last interesting note:
Although all of the cars in the above photo are more than great on new track I have discovered that two of them are getting significantly more track time simply do to how fun they are to drive, can you guess which two they are, the 1/24 LiPo powered Tagu conversion, Ultimate MR-02, Full Race 4WD MR-010, or the Full Bang Shotgun Epoch?

Last edited by LBRC; 05-25-2006 at 06:45 AM.
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Old 05-25-2006, 02:59 PM
Reaperman93010 Reaperman93010 is offline
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hmmm, looks like somebody's really been holding out on us as far as body replacements--they fit very well.

It's a very nice track too, I was meaning to comment on it over at r7r, but my job has recently gotten too busy for any kind of coherent forum surfing during working hours. I didn't notice the leveler feet before though. Seems like more than a minor pain, but it keeps life portable.

also, dragging yet another topic in, what's up with the lexan? not exactly my style, but is there somebody around with a vacuform setup and desire to do epoch bodies?

Last edited by Reaperman93010; 05-25-2006 at 06:09 PM.
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Old 05-25-2006, 07:46 PM
LBRC LBRC is offline
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It’s an old photo, the truck and jeep are from a single toy kit with trailer that I bought at K-Mart a year or two ago. There are/where threads about and with them on several forums, the truck used an Iwaver CB mounted upside down with a single E-Tec 200 mAh LiPo so that the back of the cab didn’t need to be cut to fit the circuit board. The Dodge is also on my list of cars to redo with custom made wheels and a different battery & CB arrangement as soon as I find the right size rubber for the custom wheels. The Jeep body was my cats favorite, it had a short but glorious life.

Lexan bodies? Why didn’t you know that they use to sell them for the Epoch? I think there is a picture of one in the photo gallery.

Anyway to answer your question yes there is. Mike the guy who now owns Apex has a vacuum table that he plans to set up once the new shop is open. He also has a friend who collects die cast cars that he uses to make Lexan slot car bodies, this friend made us (epoch fans) a batch of test bodies that he sent to Mike who in turn sent them to me, I intern not being much of a painter sent them the Steely along with a 1/24 scale Willies that I really liked and had plans for if it came out ok, which it quite obviously has. The only problem seems to be that he used the shell thickness preferred by a bunch of slot car fanatics, very thin for good detail and ultra light weight, but painting appears to be difficult and they might just be a bit flimsy for RC.

Once I get some of the bodies back I will see how well they fit, work out a mounting arrangement, give them a test run or two, and post the results on the Lexan body thread.

If there is enough interest it will be possible to get some made, probably a little thicker though.
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Old 05-25-2006, 11:14 PM
arfin arfin is offline
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Very cool setup you have there, it's great that you can run some tests and know exactly how the shotguns perform. Yeah it took me a while to get used to how easy they roll! It's insane compared to the stock resistance.

Yeah i told you i loved those runtimes! And i don't even have a peak charger. I'm really happy there was no increase in twitching i guess that's thanks to the 3-cell? But i don't have a big track to run the car in, and my floors have no traction so it's hard to get a good race going with this thing, but that doesn't make it any less fun!
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Old 05-26-2006, 01:21 AM
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cdog4w cdog4w is offline
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Excellent setup. We definitely need to meet up sometime. I finally got my friend into an epoch, so that makes at least 3 people who run epoch within 2 hours drive. I can bring my 45 degree kit even

I think the orange motors on a non-turbo could be the killer combo if it works since the buy in would be less than having to buy a turbo AND motor mount. I think a lot more people would go for it - price and soldering skill wise (outside the hardcore element that has been on your waiting list for so long And as you said, the turbo could be ready and waiting for those who want to take the next step.

How feasible is it to sell prebearing'd front wheels/knuckles (or do a mail in service)? I'm loving the turbo/shotgun but I desire bearings up front!
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Old 05-26-2006, 09:39 PM
arfin arfin is offline
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The front ball bearings kick ass! They are so easy to dismantle and clean up. The bearings and batteries would make a perfect upgrade for those looking for longer run times, and don't have the space to run the shotgun. I would definitely recommend them both.
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