Tamiya RX7 Topping My HPI Sprint 2 – Will It Fit?

Question:
Hey Doc,
Would a Tamiya 51270 Mazda RX-7 Body fit on my HPI Sprint 2? I read somewhere that it will fit no problem, but upon doing a little research the Tamiya body is 190mm with a wheelbase of 257mm and the Sprint 2 is a 200mm with a wheelbase of 254mm. I know 3mm in wheelbase doesn’t seem like much but what about the 190mm to 200mm? I’m new to this hobby and didn’t know that I would like a lot of the Tamiya bodies. Had I known I would have just bought a Tamiya RC car. Thanks.

Andy

Answer:
Hi Andy.
The HPI Sprint 2 is a solid car right out of the box. I’ve used a couple in projects and, with it’s huge aftermarket following, you can upgrade this car to make it a very fast touring car, drift car or even a rally car.

You’re right to say that the 3mm isn’t a big deal on the wheelbase. The 10mm is an issue, however you’ll be happy to know that the Sprint 2 is really a 190mm car with wide, offset wheels, making it 200mm. So, you could put that Tamiya RX7 body on the Sprint 2 and use 0 (zero) offset wheels to narrow the car to 190mm!

Your other option might be to pick up a RX7 body right from HPI. They offer a 200mm RX7 here: http://www.hpiracing.com/en/part/7482.

So does that affect handling at all? Well, yes it does. A wider car will be a lot more stable to drive around, but if you just plan to have some fun with it, I wouldn’t worry about this too much.

Good luck Andy!
The Doc