This is actually the first time I'm snapping pics of the truck from fresh out of the box. I think this is going to be a great truck and hopefully on these pages you will be able to follow my developments with it. In Phase 1, the truck is pretty much box-stock. I will however be adding some "goodies" to get it running.

Out of the Box

Here's the box on my bedroom floor. I was told I was getting a kit but the LHS was misinformed. It turns out it's a ARTR (Almost Ready To Run) version that basically comes assembled but without the radio gear; the engine is included though. I was a little disappointed because I was hoping to build it as a kit.

The box is very large and if you think that there's a lot of packing material in there you are wrong... the truck fills up the entire box (see second pic). Aside from the truck, packed in the box are also the instruction manual, setup parts and a whole bunch of color catalogs for HPI and Team Orion.

The set-up parts basically consist of the following:

• Servo horns for throttle and steering
• Linkages and rod-ends for all the servos to perform their duties
• spare air filter foam (already pre-oiled)
• allen keys for any assembly
• long body mount (for cab style shells)
• Radio box cover

First Impressions

Here are some pics of the truck with and without the stock body. I was also disappointed that the body came painted (the LHS also told me it would not)... sigh...

Anyway, on to first impressions! First thing I noticed when I grabbed the chassis and lifted the truck up was that it seemed like forever before the wheels actually lifted off the ground - these are because the shocks are so long and the suspension has quite a bit of "sag" even at proper ride-height; looks like she'll definitely get some pretty good articulation!

Everything looks nice and beefy - the arms, uprights and knuckles are HUGE! Check out the picture above where I compared a ballpoint pen to the suspension arm - it is BEEFY!

Not only are they beefy, the 7 inch long shocks look almost creepy on the truck when you realize just how long they really are. But thanks to the long shocks and some good suspension design, the truck is really plush and can easily be dropped from waist height without bottoming out or any noticeable bounce.

While on the topic of the suspension, I must say that I like that all the suspension components on all four corners are interchangeable. Even the 4 suspension arms are identical - no front or rear, no left or right. This should make for cheaper replacements and less spares to stock.

I know the first run of the SAVAGEs had knuckle that sometimes broke with abuse, but HPI has remedied this in later runs of the truck - I think I got the upgraded knuckles (see the second pic). Feedback online about these upgraded knuckles has been very good so far so I will see if they hold up.

To Do List

One thing is for sure - I'm definitely gonna take her apart and build her right. I noticed that one of the screws in the gearbox was actually only threaded 1/3 into the plastic... ACK! While I'm at it I'll oil the bearings and put in some heavier diff oil.

The first pic shows the stock 21BB pullstart engine that comes with the truck. I hear this is a decent engine, bit I have a spare hyper.21 8-port so I'm going to put that in instead. While I'm at it, I'm also going to swap the stock pipe (which I hear is *NOT* so good) with either a RB86 pipe or Paris AL650. Probably also replace the stock 2-shoe clutch to a 3-shoe one for better biting. Last but not least, that wimpy air filter will have to make room for a more respectable unit. :)

The second pic shows a little tip I read about on some forums. The pic shows the stock setup of the rear shock - the problem with this setup is that the end of the long screw (see pic) can actually puncture the fuel tank on bad impacts. To remedy this, simply remove the screw and install it facing the other way. :)

What else am I going to do? I'll be installing some high-torque servos for steering and throttle duties; and to improve the steering performance I've got 4 6x10mm bearings ready to go into the steering setup. The fuel tank also lacks a fuel filter so I have an in-line one ready to install.

Optional Bodies?

I don't like running the same shell that every other SAVAGE owner has, so here are some pics of the possibilities. Since the SAVAGE can use any Maxx/TXT shell, here you see some pics of it with my purple TXT basher shell and my Emaxx "rally style" shell - what do you think? I've got some unpainted shells too so it'll definitely get a look to call its own. The body mounts are adjustable via body clips but they have limited adjustability (about an inch or two) so it's a good thing HPI includes one LONG body mount for anyone who wants to run a cab-style shell.

Personally, I really like the look of the TXT shell there. Looks like this truck's gonna be a whole lot of fun. Stay tuned for more pics and information!

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