the shop has been pretty flooded recently with visitors and members enjoying race practice and the new items that have recently arrived into the shop. today was no different but we also took in some fresh new, hot release items from the Kyosho Mini-Z Auto Scale Collection. be sure to get your hands on these items quick as usual, our stock is limited and these beauties won’t last long. every item in the gallery is now available in our online shop.
Atomic Option Parts
thanks to Hobby Society (BKK), we got in some Atomic option parts for dNaNo. we haven’t decided whether to stock them yet, but these product samples will give me a chance to test them before making them available to customers. i put them on the Porsche 911 GT3 and immediately noticed the difference. the 35 degree (front) tires are waaaaay to sticky for our rubber surface. i had to cut my servo steering angle to a minimum to reduce the extreme effect but the car was still turning on a dime. they’d probably be useful on F2L with an MM Chassis and possibly a loose diff. the high grip 8 degree (rear) tires weren’t much different than the stock tires though, i think we can comfortably use those on both race courses. i haven’t done extensive testing, but the T-Plate (Rear Suspension) Set is very nice. the only problem is the set doesn’t come with an explanation of which is hard/medium/soft. one set gives you 4 plates of different widths which is great since the stock plate needs to be replaced immediately in my opinion. i’m still waiting for the Atomic dNaNo Ball Differential, once we receive and test it, i’ll update you here.
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i decided to change the body on my Mini-Z, opting for the Audi A4 DTM – Sportsline joint. i really like this body style but the fragility of Auto Scale Bodies is a real issue. after changing my body and running the car on training mode, i decided we should try renting them but unfortunately, breakage will have to be met with a stiff penalty. with experience & care, one can avoid damage but even the best driver can hit a curb or another driver while in the heat of racing action. we’ll make those available once we get the IC Tag (Transponder) for Mini-Z making it possible to track races using our Kyosho Lap Counter. check out the gallery for some nice pics of the Audi A4 ASC. i’ll include pics of the Mini-Z rental fleet in a later post. if you’re in the area, please stop by and welcome the NanoTrax Girls, now training to compete in racing at the shop. Nang, Thoi & Rak have all posted best lap times of less than 20 seconds on Race Course F1R – can you beat that?
after a long wait, we’ve finally got new items into inventory. this time, we wanted to stock up on Mini-Z models for the showroom so our order consisted mostly of auto-scale bodies. next time, we’ll focus on more parts, accessories and maybe some of the newly released readysets, chassis sets and auto scale bodies. i stuck to my personal taste in body choices so i hope our customers will like the items i decided on. i’d say we’re still a bit short on opening stock but i’m so much less stressed about that now. if you’re in thailand and you’re interested in picking up any of the items before the shop opens, send us an email or use the info on our contact page.
no one knew what the vision was when Ray Kroc established the first McDonald’s; no one had any idea of the future that Bill Gates envisioned when he developed Windows, and no one knew the impact Tim Berners-Lee‘s creation of the internet would have on the entire world. yet, i’m willing to bet those people knew exactly what they were doing and never failed in their belief that they could make their vision a reality. there are numerous people in the world for which this can be applied. i’m not saying i’m anywhere near the ballpark of any of those pioneers but one must start from somewhere and all great creations start with a vision. my vision isn’t a unique concept but its one that has yet to be attempted outside of Japan (as far as i know… please correct me if i’m wrong). it’s an R/C lounge and its definitely not a place for kids. while because its in a major tourist city, it may become a tourist attraction, i don’t see it from that perspective. i expect NanoTrax to be a relaxed, comfortable location where adults young & old can come to enjoy friendly, competitive racing in a comfortable, relaxed environment. i expect many customers will just enjoy the “NanoMech” stations on the balcony where they can comfortably work on their favorite miniature r/c model or maybe they’ll just enjoy a cold beer while viewing some sattelite TV on our 2nd floor Racing Lounge. it takes time, a well thought out plan and a rather hefty investment to make this a reality, but for me, i’m doing it because i LOVE r/c. i just told my wife today, “You know… i’m not anxious to open because i want to make money, i’m anxious because i can’t wait to play with my cars on our [indoor] tracks!” she laughed at me of course. i hope that there will be loads of people who appreciate what we’ve done and enjoy their experience when they finally get to visit us.
now the bad news: i spoke with Charlie today and he’s informed me that prices on dNano have gone up 30% due to the strength of the japanese yen and other market forces. in addition, no parts or new models have come in and there’s no word on when they will come in. i know there are many of you watching and waiting so i’m sorry to disappoint, but that’s the deal at this point. with this in mind, i’m preparing for opening with only the stock i have on hand and plan to sell Mini-Z alongside our limited dNano selection and hope the future brings more positive news. i’m not sure what Kyosho has in mind for dNano but i hope they’ll give us the opportunity to enjoy this new creation soon and at decent prices. i’ve updated the shop progress gallery with a few more pics and included a pic that’s totally off subject but indicative of what Pattaya really means to many tourists. on the way to Nalani’s school, there is a small hotel that has a restaurant on the first floor. who exactly thought of this name? what’s the main menu item… hot dogs & kielbasa? a little comic relief is always good after a stress-filled day – wow.
Happy Birthday, Son! PJ, you are now 9 years old, right? lol – the years have flown by so quickly. you are growing so fast & i wish i could be there to see every second of it. i think of you every day & hope that i’m in your thoughts as well. i don’t want to get in too deep here online, but i wanted to dedicate this update to you so that you understand how important you & your future is to me, your father. i’m also very proud to have such an intelligent & well mannered young man, studying daily to be a leader & visionary of the future. while i love giving you praise for your accomplishments, i have to also find a way to help you understand the things you are doing wrong & how to fix them.
Respect Your Elders
your grandma is a really good lady and she has sacrificed a LOT to take good care of you. she’s worked for over 40 years teaching and disciplining children but now she’s retired. she left her job for a well deserved rest but because of her love for YOU & ME, she’s taken on a new job: taking care of YOU. i’m in Thailand as a father & an entrepreneur, slowly building not only for my future, but for you and your brother’s. i can’t be there and you can’t be here so your grandma is taking on the responsibility of insuring that you get the best education at the best schools and you are in a comfortable, safe home, the best of the best. your problem at this point, is that you can’t see what she means to me and you. you have it all, so you don’t know what its like to have nothing and this is the reason sometimes you behave in a way that makes her believe you don’t appreciate her. i don’t wanna be the dad that has to call & yell at you, i wanna be the dad that calls and we have fun catching up on what’s been going on in your life. i know my mom can be a little hard to handle… she knows this. everything you go thru with her, i’ve been there. i know how you feel but understand that your years as a child are short in comparison to the many years you have ahead of you as an adult. you are intelligent, but she has experience AND intelligence. if i had listened to her more as a child, i’d have advanced so much further in my life than i have now… appreciate what she is in your life son! if you feel like you wanna catch an attitude or she’s getting on your nerves, stop by and read this again: for now, listen to your grandma, do what she says and in a few years, you can do whatever you want and once you reach that point, you WILL appreciate all the things she has taught you and sacrificed for you. learn to control your emotions, focus on what’s important and let go of the things that are not. if you can do something about a problem, then do it… if you can’t, let it go and move on. just be sure all your decisions are positive and do your best to find resolutions that make your dad & granny proud! enjoy your day, as it is just a day, be grateful for the next, and every day you’re blessed with life, health & love.
dNano Lamborghini Murcielago Upgrade
now, to the upgrades! since you’ve been in a bit of trouble the past few days and have been showin’ out with granny, i gotta hold on to your gift. i’ll send it, but your uncle will decide when’s the best time for your to have it after a VERY long period of good behavior & approval from me. note that this gift is not only special because its from me, but its a collector’s item. it can’t be purchased at any retail outlet in the US and its the smallest racing car on the planet. this is NOT a toy! yes, you can play with it but in order to appreciate what you are getting, you have to understand the technology that went into creating it. be sure you read the entire owner’s manual before operating it and only run it on a track designed for mini-rc models. well, you can play around a bit on the hardwood at mom’s house, but… make sure the dogs are locked up! i’m going to upgrade your car as an additional gift with Ball Bearings, a Carbon Rear Suspension Plate & Aluminum Rear Wheel Hubs. you should read extensively on these parts and what effect upgrading them has on your car. i know you’re competitive so racing may be something you’re interested in. if you want to race, that just takes desire. if you want to WIN, then you have to combine your desire with knowledge, experience and practice. all upgrades have already been covered on this blog, so i won’t go into step-by-step details. have fun, and once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Shop, Track & Inventory Update
we’ve spent a few days wrapping up planning and initiation of the interior design while waiting for the construction workers to complete the installation of tile flooring on the showroom. Boonlak, our intereior designer, came by to wrap up the contract & deliver design concepts. his work looks good on paper and we’re hoping his work reflects the design concept. construction will begin on the 15th, the official move-in date on the lease. at home, the track is under slow but steady construction. we planned to take our time on this one as its the track that everyone will see upon entering the showroom. we ordered additional material for the track that we plan to build on the 2nd floor. the main track is black with green walls, the 2nd track is red with white walls. most of our time on the tracks is spent painting and applying the walls with various types of glue. dNano inventory is a bit scarce at the moment so we’ve decided to explore the possibility of stocking Mini-Z. i did express this idea with Charlie and though he’s not really for it, i feel its important to be prepared in case issues arise with our primary product, dNano. i’m really interested in providing a resource for parts and supplies for many hobby grade r/c products while focusing on miniatures, primarily Kyosho dNano & Mini-Z models. attempts at contacting a Kyosho distributor have been unsuccessful so we’ll see where that goes. actually stocking Mini-Z isn’t even calculated into the budget yet but in this business, its an avenue that must be researched. i’ll keep you posted with any major moves on that front. my birthday is tomorrow, February 14th… guess what i’ll be doing? back on the grind baby! Happy Valentines’ Day to everyone… enjoy the weekend.
