AoD
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 429
- Location
- Hammondsville, Ohio
I want to first personally thank Jason from Platinum RC Products for helping me out with this mod the entire time of working with it. I've tested it to no end; and I've given it quite a beating.
First, the customer service. As a clincher with me and any company I plan on purchasing from; I want to know that they'll stand by their products and make sure it works out for me. Jason did an outstanding job and didn't leave me hanging at all!
So, the package came from PRC and I was astounded on the excellent packaging. I figured for a small company that the packaging would just be something in the sort of a ziploc bag with a sticker or the like. However the parts came with a really professional layout with a very nice logo that would compare to other high brand companies out there such as FLM or IRC.
Now, I ordered the kit with the Hellfire tank, and it came in stock HPI packaging which was excellent to see. Now I have a part number for future reference to the fuel tank I'm using.
Also, every bolt/screw that was needed was in the package which is one thing I've seen some mod packages lack. Having all the hardware, I went straight to the install.
Second; the quality must be there with any new parts. If you have a poor quality part; you might just rethink your decisions about buying them next time. This midtank mod was compiled of a Quasi-Woven 4mm midtank plate that is setup for three servo's (just like the radio box for a stock Savage X). It came with the chassis braces from the savage and also an HPI Hellfire fuel tank. Everything was new in the box or bag and really looked good. The plate looked as if it had been made with a lot of TLC. It was done very well with very few if any flaws at all. There also was more than enough included bolts for everything I needed with the mod itself.
The downside of the midtank mod would have to be that there is no included servo relocation kit or manual/parts list. I think Jason would be much better off to include some type of direction with the parts as some people just might not know how to complete the mod correctly. Also, making a kit that includes everything (such as a servo relocation kit and a new radio box) would also be a really good addition. I can't take any points off for this however, as most midtank mods are sold in this fashion as well. I think it would be a good idea however to make it a single purchase buy.
Toughness... I am looking for something that will take a beating. First, this midtank (as Jason pointed out way before my actual purchase) wouldn't fit the stock TVP's as it's designed for his chassis. However, with a few little modifications I got it to work easily. (PM me if you'd like to know how I did it)
I ran the midtank for over a month stress testing it in the thought that everyone put into my head that carbon fiber (even this ultra high quality Quasi-woven) would shatter and split apart in no time with. I was misled in a bad way. I first tested it complete with everything bolted in normally. It survived a bodyless bash session of over 3 hours each time over 3 weekends. Now, I know rocks and everything else were flying inside of the chassis (without my RPM skid plate) and the proof lies on my underside of the model. Not even a scratch on the plate. Good job there.
I was still not finished, as the thought of this shattering was in my head still. I didn't really know how to test it fully as it's not going to be exposed to much bouncing around being bolted straight to the chassis and steering rods. So, I figured out a plan that might do some good damage. I took out all the screws; removed any loctite and barely snugged them down. After 6 tanks of fuel (125CC a piece) there was only one bolt left holding the plate onto the model. This was a steering rod bolt that was limited in travel by the fuel tank. I took it for one more tank of fuel and didn't let up on it at all. I was jumping it over 6 feet in the air flying about 30-40 feet in distance (and even landed on the front body mounts and fuel tank a few times. After all this the tear down began and the plate came out unscratched! It was just amazing the rattling and bumping it was going through didn't bother it in the least. It kept asking for more, and there just wasn't anything hurting it.
Now, three gallons later, the plate is still like new, and happily sitting in my chassis waiting for it's next session of abuse. I will most certainly say, this has been the best engine/fuel investment I've made on any of my models. All in all, the mod is awesome; and definitely worth the less than $60.00 I paid for it. It has taken the abuse and passed my rounds of tests. And holding up to all of the abuse I put it through is just awesome! Certainly a high quality upgrade to do if you're as tired of the half tank lean virus that the savage has.
As you can see, I used a custom setup to mount my radio box. The radio box I used is an old one that I modified for another model. So; it was actually just a placeholder for the pictures. I had to re-machine a chassis brace for the radio box; then drill and tap new holes for the bolts I used. This gives the box a higher amount of stability and also secures the servo further. I will be modifying the brace later on; however it works very well for now.
Also; note how good the plate still looks after the massive abuse I have put it through. The plate is a very high quality part and I really must say, "It's actually beat my expectations".
As you can see here, there is a small blemish on the bottom of the plate in the rear section. However, this was my own stupidity due to an incorrect mounting job an I take the total blame for that.
This picture shows the basics, as the fuel tank is in perfect condition (since it's mounted in a position where it will not rub anything). The plate is also still in perfect condition, even after some really ferocious abuse put forth to my savage.
So, I know you guys love the ratings. Here is how I must rate this modification all in all. The scores are 1-10; 10 being the best!
Customer Service before and after purchase : 10 : Job Well Done !!!
Quality of the part : 10 : Extremely nice part, very good looking and smooth finishes everywhere
Installation : 7 : I wasn't quite sure on how to install it to my liking. And someone with little mod experience may not get the grasp of it. Jason didn't refuse help either. He explained it and even showed pictures!
Resistance to abuse : 10 : I haven't been able to break it yet! Not a single problem so far!
Package contents : 10 : Came with all the parts I needed to actually convert to midtank (accept for servo relocation no points loss as other kits are the same way)
Delivery : 10 : Ordered it on a Tuesday, came on that Friday!
Compatibility : 8 : Jason pointed it out that it's designed to fit his chassis, and may not bolt correctly to the stock TVP's. I knew ahead of time and ordered the parts anyways. Just having the courage to tell a potential customer that it won't fit perfectly shows the want to make the customer purchase a good one.
Price : 8 : I spent just over $56 on the entire kit. It definitely was worth it in my book. However this included the plate, mounting hardware, and the fuel tank!
Alright, for installation (as servo, receiver and battery relocation are a must) I would personally hope for an instructions manual or parts layout for the mod. It wasn't really hard after a few talks with Jason.
It isn't 100% compatible with any other TVP's but PRC's (That I'm aware of). This is a downside, however it can be considered a necessity for the carbon fiber chassis they make.
The price was a bit higher then some of the other midtank mods out there. And without being a direct fit to my chassis; I would like to see it a little lower. However, I do say it is well worth it. It's a very tough part that is a ton lighter then other aluminum midtank mods out there.
All in all, I have to give this mod a 4.5 of out 5 star rating. I would definitely buy from PRC again, as this purchase has pleased me to the fullest. Even with a slightly higher price; everything that came with the mod and all of the help Jason provided me with made it more than worth it. I would even recommend this mod to my friends as it is a great investment.
I must include that some parts of this review were copied and applied here from an original review I posted on a http://www.rcworldforum.comdifferent forum.
First, the customer service. As a clincher with me and any company I plan on purchasing from; I want to know that they'll stand by their products and make sure it works out for me. Jason did an outstanding job and didn't leave me hanging at all!
So, the package came from PRC and I was astounded on the excellent packaging. I figured for a small company that the packaging would just be something in the sort of a ziploc bag with a sticker or the like. However the parts came with a really professional layout with a very nice logo that would compare to other high brand companies out there such as FLM or IRC.
Now, I ordered the kit with the Hellfire tank, and it came in stock HPI packaging which was excellent to see. Now I have a part number for future reference to the fuel tank I'm using.
Also, every bolt/screw that was needed was in the package which is one thing I've seen some mod packages lack. Having all the hardware, I went straight to the install.
Second; the quality must be there with any new parts. If you have a poor quality part; you might just rethink your decisions about buying them next time. This midtank mod was compiled of a Quasi-Woven 4mm midtank plate that is setup for three servo's (just like the radio box for a stock Savage X). It came with the chassis braces from the savage and also an HPI Hellfire fuel tank. Everything was new in the box or bag and really looked good. The plate looked as if it had been made with a lot of TLC. It was done very well with very few if any flaws at all. There also was more than enough included bolts for everything I needed with the mod itself.
The downside of the midtank mod would have to be that there is no included servo relocation kit or manual/parts list. I think Jason would be much better off to include some type of direction with the parts as some people just might not know how to complete the mod correctly. Also, making a kit that includes everything (such as a servo relocation kit and a new radio box) would also be a really good addition. I can't take any points off for this however, as most midtank mods are sold in this fashion as well. I think it would be a good idea however to make it a single purchase buy.
Toughness... I am looking for something that will take a beating. First, this midtank (as Jason pointed out way before my actual purchase) wouldn't fit the stock TVP's as it's designed for his chassis. However, with a few little modifications I got it to work easily. (PM me if you'd like to know how I did it)
I ran the midtank for over a month stress testing it in the thought that everyone put into my head that carbon fiber (even this ultra high quality Quasi-woven) would shatter and split apart in no time with. I was misled in a bad way. I first tested it complete with everything bolted in normally. It survived a bodyless bash session of over 3 hours each time over 3 weekends. Now, I know rocks and everything else were flying inside of the chassis (without my RPM skid plate) and the proof lies on my underside of the model. Not even a scratch on the plate. Good job there.
I was still not finished, as the thought of this shattering was in my head still. I didn't really know how to test it fully as it's not going to be exposed to much bouncing around being bolted straight to the chassis and steering rods. So, I figured out a plan that might do some good damage. I took out all the screws; removed any loctite and barely snugged them down. After 6 tanks of fuel (125CC a piece) there was only one bolt left holding the plate onto the model. This was a steering rod bolt that was limited in travel by the fuel tank. I took it for one more tank of fuel and didn't let up on it at all. I was jumping it over 6 feet in the air flying about 30-40 feet in distance (and even landed on the front body mounts and fuel tank a few times. After all this the tear down began and the plate came out unscratched! It was just amazing the rattling and bumping it was going through didn't bother it in the least. It kept asking for more, and there just wasn't anything hurting it.
Now, three gallons later, the plate is still like new, and happily sitting in my chassis waiting for it's next session of abuse. I will most certainly say, this has been the best engine/fuel investment I've made on any of my models. All in all, the mod is awesome; and definitely worth the less than $60.00 I paid for it. It has taken the abuse and passed my rounds of tests. And holding up to all of the abuse I put it through is just awesome! Certainly a high quality upgrade to do if you're as tired of the half tank lean virus that the savage has.
As you can see, I used a custom setup to mount my radio box. The radio box I used is an old one that I modified for another model. So; it was actually just a placeholder for the pictures. I had to re-machine a chassis brace for the radio box; then drill and tap new holes for the bolts I used. This gives the box a higher amount of stability and also secures the servo further. I will be modifying the brace later on; however it works very well for now.
Also; note how good the plate still looks after the massive abuse I have put it through. The plate is a very high quality part and I really must say, "It's actually beat my expectations".
As you can see here, there is a small blemish on the bottom of the plate in the rear section. However, this was my own stupidity due to an incorrect mounting job an I take the total blame for that.
This picture shows the basics, as the fuel tank is in perfect condition (since it's mounted in a position where it will not rub anything). The plate is also still in perfect condition, even after some really ferocious abuse put forth to my savage.
So, I know you guys love the ratings. Here is how I must rate this modification all in all. The scores are 1-10; 10 being the best!
Customer Service before and after purchase : 10 : Job Well Done !!!
Quality of the part : 10 : Extremely nice part, very good looking and smooth finishes everywhere
Installation : 7 : I wasn't quite sure on how to install it to my liking. And someone with little mod experience may not get the grasp of it. Jason didn't refuse help either. He explained it and even showed pictures!
Resistance to abuse : 10 : I haven't been able to break it yet! Not a single problem so far!
Package contents : 10 : Came with all the parts I needed to actually convert to midtank (accept for servo relocation no points loss as other kits are the same way)
Delivery : 10 : Ordered it on a Tuesday, came on that Friday!
Compatibility : 8 : Jason pointed it out that it's designed to fit his chassis, and may not bolt correctly to the stock TVP's. I knew ahead of time and ordered the parts anyways. Just having the courage to tell a potential customer that it won't fit perfectly shows the want to make the customer purchase a good one.
Price : 8 : I spent just over $56 on the entire kit. It definitely was worth it in my book. However this included the plate, mounting hardware, and the fuel tank!
Alright, for installation (as servo, receiver and battery relocation are a must) I would personally hope for an instructions manual or parts layout for the mod. It wasn't really hard after a few talks with Jason.
It isn't 100% compatible with any other TVP's but PRC's (That I'm aware of). This is a downside, however it can be considered a necessity for the carbon fiber chassis they make.
The price was a bit higher then some of the other midtank mods out there. And without being a direct fit to my chassis; I would like to see it a little lower. However, I do say it is well worth it. It's a very tough part that is a ton lighter then other aluminum midtank mods out there.
All in all, I have to give this mod a 4.5 of out 5 star rating. I would definitely buy from PRC again, as this purchase has pleased me to the fullest. Even with a slightly higher price; everything that came with the mod and all of the help Jason provided me with made it more than worth it. I would even recommend this mod to my friends as it is a great investment.
I must include that some parts of this review were copied and applied here from an original review I posted on a http://www.rcworldforum.comdifferent forum.
