Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Land Models / December 2003

I suspect your engine is worn out, plug is bad, glow battery is dead, your not priming it,
carb is gummed up, fuel is bad, or you have air leaks around the carb or front bearing.
Thats pretty much everything i can think of that would keep an engine from at least
firing. A badly out-of-tune carb will at least fire, especially with an electric starter.
A new engine may be a good idea anyway...you could be chasing around that problem for a
while, and success may not be so sweet with an old clunker engine.
Tires may be hard to get. If you measure the tire diameter & width and the rims diameter,
maybe a modern tire can be found that fits.
Engine and glowplug will be easy. Todays mildest engines, such as the Ofna force and its
twin the Duratrax Torq, are cheap as butt and easily more powerful than your Irvine. And
have pullstarts.
Mind you, pullstarts are also a pain, but they dont take up room in your toolbox!
Also, with a pullstart engine, you have the option of removing the outer housing and spool
and installing a rotostart
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXEVM9&P=7
I have one and like it. However, it does take up room in the toolbox....
You can certainly use your old electric starter too- even on a pullstart motor - after you
fix that switch...
You'll find that a happy engine will fire right up either way.

I have the Force in my antique Kyosho Vanning and a Torq in my Axis. Both are as fast and
strong as i want them to be. Parts are cheap. Hassles are mild-to-moderate. Fit was
perfect.

Both engines are the only ones i know of left on the market with the old-style threads on
the crankshaft - i needed that to fit on my vanning. No other new engine will work. You
*may* have the same situation with the Marauder.

For expert tuning advice, ask here.

As for the car, well it wont be that competitive. Todays cars are a bit lighter and have
near perfect suspension. Sometimes when the gods smile upon me and i have both my Axis (an
inexpensive modern racecar targeted for beginners) and my ol Vanning (the Marauders
racetrack nemesis about 15 years ago) running at the same time you can clearly see the
handling differences. They both have identical motors and near identical gearing, so top
speed is about the same, but the axis can outcorner and outslalom the Vanning hands-down.
Besides, one crash and you will be searching ebay for parts for a month. Trust me 8(
The axis parts are cheap and readily available from Towerhobbies.com
If you plan on racing, you'll want a new ride. Even the Axis isnt exactly on par with
todays racecars, but its maybe half the price. Go to your track and ask what everybody is
driving and what the shop stocks parts for.
Chances are you'll end up with a Kyosho mp7.5, Mugen Mbx, or one of Ofna's many buggies.
All are better cars than most drivers.
Having said all that, i STILL recommend resurrecting the ol' battle ax for fun. Us RC guys
have a great deal of nostalgia, and you'd turn a lot of heads at the track by running some
practice laps with antique iron.
Good luck with her
As always, if your in the Central NJ area, id be happy to look at her and help out.
MikeF

I am surprised that you are having that much trouble with the engine, I had
one of these cars with a Veco .19 fitted and had to start it the same way as
yours,
I don't know hold old the carw as when I bought it but it certainly wasn't
new. I could get the engine started no problem. Suggest Good clean of the
whole engine and new glow plug. If you try Nitro Fuel, Use a cool plug. I
ran mine on Nitro and it went like stink.
For Mardave spares, Just enter Mardave into a google search, there are
numerous dealers, especially here in the uk.
Here is one link that carries spares. http://www.mardave.com/
Regards........Mark