Hi guys, SIMSpec Racer here.
So yesterday I got my hands on the brand new Advance RC R12FF, the latest TCR FWD kit. First off a huge thank you to Smokem RC for getting this kit to me. I have been running the ARC R12 Touring car since we got back to racing from the COVID lockdowns. I have found it to be a very good platform and have had great success with it.
Now to building the kit. The instructions are fantastic! A Full 40 pages and they show what is included in each bag; full size 1 to 1 reference of screws etc. in each section. This does come in handy even for someone with many years’ experience with building RC cars.
I only had 1 redo and that was on me for not paying attention to how the mounts for the shock towers go. But overall, this instruction manual is one of the best I've seen. Everything in this build fit perfectly. I did ream the holes on the suspension arms as it’s something I always do. I also polished pivot pins, but it really wasn’t need as they moved freely as is. The DCV drive shafts come pre-built and seem to be lightly oiled but I did rebuild these and using my favourite anti wear grease. Again, this isn’t a necessary step; just one I always do. The shocks on the R12 cars are super smooth and are pretty easy to build.
The only upgrades I used to build this kit were some spare stainless screws that I had laying around and the spring retainers. The car uses the long suspension arms and plastics from the R12 touring car but it does come with the new optional steering knuckles that don’t require you to install small shims (that can be a pain to install), so it’s great to see them included. The kit also comes with the new ARC Silver springs with 2.5-2.8 progressive springs in the front and 2.7’s in the rear. I have heard great feedback on these so looking forward to testing them out.
I really look forward to getting this new ARC R12FF on the track next weekend. I will do a full run down on how it drives out on the kit setup and any changes I do it in an upcoming video. If you want to grab yours, then definitely hit up Vincent over at Smokem RC!
