Background
The Tamiya TB-03D was one of the first cars in the Drift Mission garage. It has been gathering dust ever since the pursuit of counter-steer took over DM staff. After the success of Eagle Racing TA05 conversion, we decided the TB03 should also have an opportunity to be updated. This conversion kit also gives the TB03 some much needed upgrades. Similar to the Tamiya VDS, the motor is now shifted to the front of the chassis.
Conversion Kit Impression
The TB-03 V2 GRT conversion kit comes fully assembled from Eagle Racing. This conversion kit will update the stock Tamiya TB-03D into a high end Tamiya VDS style drift chassis. The Eagle kit includes many carbon graphite and aluminium alloy parts to enhance its performance and aesthetics. The new mid-ship motor design will also shift the weight bias forward for better drifting characteristics. This TB03 conversion will be performed using only stock Tamiya TB-03D and will include several Eagle Racing option parts. A full list of the parts used will be included at the bottom of the review.
The Review
Overall Chassis Build Process
The assembled conversion kit was disassembled and the carbon graphite is treated with CA glue. The assembly instructions are adequate, but could use more details and better descriptions. It may be a bit overwhelming for beginner builders, but if you built the TB-03D, then you should not have much problem with this conversion kit. Just take your time and pay attention to the diagrams, good quality chassis builds depend on your attention to detail.
Overall Quality of the Conversion Kit
The quality of this conversion kit is very good. It includes a generous amount of carbon graphite and alloy upgrades to enhance the look and performance of the TB03 chassis. The aluminium alloy is blue anodized for a stylish aesthetics. The carbon graphite quality appears comparable with many other carbon chassis in the DM garage.
Overall Value
The MSRP of the conversion kit is around $125USD, so it is an affordable conversion kit. There are no other TB03 “Drift Spec” conversion kits on the market, so Eagle has taken advantage of that with this kit. The primary difference between version 1 and version 2 of the conversion kit is the steering system; the V2 kit is designed with improved steering geometry. This Eagle Racing GRT Conversion kit is a very good value for the cost. It is everything you need to upgrade from the traditional TB-03 chassis to a competitive “Drift Spec” chassis; similar to the new Tamiya VDS.
Conclusion
Overall this is another excellent conversion kit from Eagle Racing, this will be sure to give your Tamiya TB-03 a new lease on life. The differences from the stock TB-03D are remarkable, everything feels more precise and crisp. We were able to find this conversion kit on sale for roughly $60USD from BroadTech HK. With everything that is included in the conversion kit you won’t regret converting your existing Tamiya TB-03D into a more balanced and upgraded RC drift machine.
Additional Information:
Eagle TB-03 GRT Kit (3851V2) Contents:
- CG top and bottom Chassis Plates
- CG front and rear Damper Stays
- CG front Bumper Holders
- CG Cooling Fan Mount
- 7.2V Cooling Fan
- Alloy Heatsink and Motor Mount
- Alloy Version 2 Steering Assembly
- Alloy Mounds for CG Damper stays
- Alloy Servo Mounts and Antenna Holder
- Alloy Center Post
- Alloy Hardware (Screws, Nuts, Spacers)
- Servo Steering Turnbuckle
- Turnbuckles for L/R steering
- Battery Holder
- Foam Front Bumper
Additional Option Parts
- Reverse Front one-way Axle
- Front and rear TSD Universal Driveshafts
Countersteer Modifications
- Eagle Racing TB03 Counter-steer CS Kit – Not much CS here, Active kit provides more ratio.
Post any questions or comments below! We plan to upgrade to the Active Hobby CS gears to get the CS Ratio up to 2.0 stay tuned!
