bitPimps.lixlink.com

Stopped by my local Radioshack the other day and found a little surprise!

Edit: I'm behind the times, looks like this news has been known for some time now:
http://bitpimps.lixlink.com/pages/phpFo ... sc&start=0

...At least I can provide some actual pictures.

And now the money shots:

Logo and collector card:


Packaging


The Car



For the full rez pictures, check out my XMods Micro RC Gallery

...And here's some other info, besides what info is given...

- It's a "regular" ZipZap (no propo)
- Has dual-batteries in the car (2.4v @ 70mAH NiMH)
- Motor is hardwired (but the engine is pretty fast as is, so not a total loss)

Cool, so they are in America, I will have my eye out for those.

I wonder if they've updated the PCB for actual proportional steering.

So, the chassis is the newer generation of ZipZaps? The one with the geared steering, and the limiting resistor in line with the motor?

That looks like a different mold for the Camaro body. Now I gotta go dig mine out for comparison. They shoulda came back out with the 60s mustang body. I don't have that one.

Yeah it sounds to me like the same chassis as the Transformers, 3rd Generation, ZipZaps with different bodies. Oh well, not a total loss.

Heya fellas, new guys here.Ive been surfing this site for a a few years now so decided to be a registered member.I as some of you guys have had zz since they first came out.I dont have them modified like you guys but will like to.Today on my way to the post office(work) ive decided to stop at RS to see if i find that new zz renovation vette and i found it.Got home and was a bit disappointed that you can't switch engines like the first gen zz and se.I put it all together and put it to charge.When light turned green and i was ready for a test drive it only drove for 5 seconds.Charged it again and the same thing 5 seconds run time.My question is,is it damage? im sure it is,or you guys think it can be fixed or just simply go exchange it for another one at RS? Anyways glad to be part of this site and hope to see more movement,later guys.

Hey mailman,

- 5 Second runtime sounds like you've got some dead AA batteries in the controller/charger...But some fresh batteries in that badboy and try again.

- Even though the motor is hard-wired, I personally found the speed to be quite good as-is stock.

If after using fresh batteries you still can't get a good charge, then I'd definitely suggest an exchange.

Yeah, 5 seconds is not good. If the batteries are fresh then definitely go back and exchange it.

Hard wired or not, you should be able to switch to a different motor if you want, but I tried one in the store it did seem pretty good. Unless you're planning some electronic mods you probably wont pick up much by swapping engines (are fets available, do they use the same board as the old cars???).

You know, there are certain sexual implications associated with mailmen. You know, when house wives hung around the home, and the only people they would see all day were the milkman, and he mailman. There's also that thing with postal workers snapping and blowing everyone away with a shotgun, going "postal" so to speak. Mailmen are cool.

Oh yeah, answer to your question, if you just bought it, take it back. Sure, it could be fixed, but Radio Shack is good about about exchanges, so get your money's worth, and make sure you get what you paid for.

And if you make friends with the employees sometimes they'll give you the broken stuff or floor samples when they are done with them. At least the manager at our shop did, I found out latter that he was gay, I always wondered if he "liked me" because he used to give me free stuff at subway when he worked there too. I don't mind a gay guy finding me attractive if I get free stuff...well unless he ask for a "favor." Oh well, too bad he moved. What was I saying? Oh yeah, you can pile up quite a bit of donor parts from the floor samples and broken stuff. But yeah, return it, they usually don't even ask what's wrong. But maybe that just because I'm so good looking that even men find me irresistible.

Lol you guys are crazy with the whole mailman thing,especially crazydave,i guess the name says it all.Well i took it back and like you guys said they exchanged it with out asking to much what was wrong with it.Got home put some batteries on and guess what? same thing,logged on the bitpims and did what you guys told me.Put on some fresh batteries and wholaaaaa,runs pretty fast.Already put on some red dif and gear.Guys i have a few original zz and some zz se and now this new zz renovation.Are any of you guys doing mods to them like the mosfet and all those goodies you guys do?I cant seem to get a hold of codesuidae since ive seen and read what he does,but do any of you guys do the same mods i can send a few zz your way and paypal etc..? feel free to pm me or AIM me( carteroboricua28) thanks guys for your help.

Puerto Rican mailman, huh? Cool. Where at in florida are you? Let get some racin done.

And welcome to bP...

codesuidae has been MIA for some time now, but you could try to email him.

Plenty of other peeps here can help you out, though.






silla

I've never seen codesuidae post so its been close to two years at least. I'm not sure who still does the electronic mods, I've never had enough hard smooth space to make it worth trying to boost the power that much.

CrazyDave had that wild zip on youtubehttp://bitpimps.lixlink.com/pages/phpFo ... ed+youtube but I know he's busy, but I''ll bet he'd be willing to give you advice...he's pretty good about that sort of thing.

Yeah, someone at Ratshack had told me that the defective zips and xmods are to be destroyed/thrown away after they're returned. The opened but functional ones returned are the ones you'll see as a "demo" vehicle. You could even buy those from them at a huge discounted price too. I bought 3 "used" ones one time for $5. It was a Herbie that at the time, had been discountinued for a only little while, the Vanquish ZZSE and a Monster Patrol ZZMT. They didn't have controllers with them, but I have loads of those any way, so I didn't need them.
If you strike up a conversation with them or even jump on one of their demo computers to show some of the Bitpimps' modded cars, ask if they'd take your # if any are returned for any reason. You never know, I've gotten one from them that was supposedly defective, but just had some hair wrapped inside of the drive axle. But then, I also got a H2 xmod for free that was returned because it didn't work, and when I opened it up, the electrical board looked like someone had attempted a Mosfet Mod to it - but botched it.

For a while, my dad and I went into most of the RadioShacks in and out, and all around Atlanta looking for deals and freebies.
To give you a taste of it.........click me
And the lady kept a few 2nd gens for herself.


As far as mods done with the electrics.... I haven't seen any in the last couple of years, except adding more battery cells, or taking the limiting resistor out of the Cars/Transformers zips. I personally don't do anything to the boards, unless it's desoldering and resoldering the wires going to them.


Oh yeah.....
Welcome to the hood......
you've probably seen the flaming and bashing of people joining and asking the typical questions that more than likely have the answers in any of the stickied threads, or found by using the search feature. But you seem pretty handy with the use of a PC already, so I'm sure you'll make it okay.....

but get out of line... and we'll go postal on you in a hot second.....







ok. that was bad...