Monster Motorsports: Group A Tamiya TA02
The following pictures show Monster Motorsport's owner, Alvin's personal ride. It is a pretty old car by today's standards, but manages to hold its own on the race track. However, it's just his "weekend" car, as he does not race at all.
The basis of this car is it's stock tub chassis; forget graphite chassis, inline composite chassis or whatever, the stock one still works best, and is cheaper to replace when it does break.
Click on each image to see a bigger picture
This TA02 was first bought in 1993, as a limited edition, Calsonic Skyline GTR Gr.A Upgraded Special. Since then, almost all the components have been replaced for better equipment, or due to wear and tear. The front anti-roll bar you see in the pictures was actually there before Radio Control Car Action did their TA02 front anti-roll bar article, but Alvin isn't claiming credit. Hey, someone had to come up with the idea sooner or later! One thing is for certain: the front anti-roll bar really helps with the car's handling, so that it corners flat. What is special about this anti-roll bar setup, however, is the fact that it integrates a Kose front end stiffener kit, yet not hindering the roll bar's operation. Another point to note is that the roll bar has a near 1:1 actuation ratio between the left and right sides, making it very effective in "pinning" the car towards the ground in hard corners.
The tires you see are HPI X-pattern radials, molded after real-life Yokohama radials. Alvin uses only Tamiya Castrol Celica rims for all his tires.
Another interesting feature is the front chassis stiffener links stretching from mid-chassis up to the front. It helps to prevent flex as well as absorb damage from frontal impacts. The pink ball joints you see are Kyosho products.