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So I won a Grasshopper II - Now with Super G content

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Hey guys,

My WW2's wheel swap is on the back burner at the moment, and honestly, I just got a little tired of working on it, so I needed a new project.

What to get?

A Wild One? My first car? Hmmm...as much as I would like one, I don't want to tarnish my nostalgia and experiences as a kid :P Oh one of these days.

A Scorcher? Someday, a little pricey for my budget right now

A Grasshopper? The first Tamiya I ever saw, seems like a good route. Cheap to find an old one and cheap to restore.

So I'm perusing the Bay looking for GH's and what do I see. A GH II. Wow, I had almost forgotten about this little guy. Great looking graphics, nice flowing lines, and this one looks to be in good nick (Mike from Wheeler Dealers voice). Not a huge bidding contest, but I think I got it for a great price. It's in very good condition but doesn't include the transmitter which is okay because all I need is a $10 rx for my GT3 FlySky. I also ordered a replacement decal set for it from the UK which looks to be of very good quality. It should arrive by mid/late this week from inside the US (Arkansas to be exact). It is a regular GH2 and not a Super G.

I do plan to dump a 540 in it along with a new pinion and drive it like a guided missle :D Other things will go in it like a TEU-105 ESC, MAYBE dampers (don't know about this just yet) and a full set of bearings.

Can you guys give me a little insight into the car? Tips, tricks, upgrades, quirks, pros/cons?

Thanks fellas,

Blake

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I had a one of these and it was a blast.

Terrible handling, and it spent a lot of time on the roof (which usually breaks after about the umpteenth time landing on it, LOL) but otherwise fairly indestructlble, although it did finally just wear out after many years of fun service. I think I even still have a NIB body set with decals, driver, etc. somewhere. Always thought I'd get another, but never did.

I used a variety of wheels and tires, including standard Grasshopper stuff and it never complained. I don't even have a guess how many sets of wheels/tires I used up, but it got ran A LOT. I had to swap a full gear set once and I bent an axle, but those weren't flaws, just lots of hours and the occasional kerb.

Other than a steel pinion and bearings and an ESC it doesn't need much for hop-ups IMHO, and it goes plenty fast with a silver can.

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Well, after seeing what you did to that Wild Willy 2 all I can say is that I'll be waiting to see what you make out of that Grasshopper 2, Blake! ;)

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I had a one of these and it was a blast.

Terrible handling, and it spent a lot of time on the roof (which usually breaks after about the umpteenth time landing on it, LOL) but otherwise fairly indestructlble, although it did finally just wear out after many years of fun service. I think I even still have a NIB body set with decals, driver, etc. somewhere. Always thought I'd get another, but never did.

I used a variety of wheels and tires, including standard Grasshopper stuff and it never complained. I don't even have a guess how many sets of wheels/tires I used up, but it got ran A LOT. I had to swap a full gear set once and I bent an axle, but those weren't flaws, just lots of hours and the occasional kerb.

Other than a steel pinion and bearings and an ESC it doesn't need much for hop-ups IMHO, and it goes plenty fast with a silver can.

Taliesin,

Thanks bud. The body is in decent shape and I do plan on shooting TS-26 white for color after sanding down a couple of scrapes. Had to order a set of ahem...not original decals...cough. And will order a set of re-re Grasshopper I decals to replace the insect logo next to the "I'm Hopping Mad" to make it look original. If you ever want to part ways with that NIB body set, let me know :) (see below for why).

Picked up a Z-parts tree for the driver, set of bearings and will use my old stock 540 can from my Midnight Pumpkin. Going to also get a spare rear GHI tire set as I don't want to wear down the original pin-spike tires.

Mongoose,

I've had a change of heart on this project. My sons asked me last night after a printed out the PDF GHII manual from TamiyaUSA, "Dad, can we drive this one?" FINALLY my kids are interested in buggies!

Up until now, my models were for the most part off-limits. The Pumpkin is too fast, the WW2 too fragile and the 58002 is for me only. This is a perfect car to get them started with learning to drive. Therefore, it might get a little dinged up. No use in making it a show car if I'm going to teach them the basics. This will be a pseudo-runner until I can get them a Rising Fighter in a couple of months. So maybe this can be a runner body as I search for original decals and body.

So the plan is to repaint and re-decal the body, put the new driver figure in (painted of course), clean up all the electronics and install an ESC and the new rx, clean the chassis and gearbox, and get a set of GHI tires on it.

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I'll take some pictures and send you a PM about the body set if you're interested. Now I just have to go digging around in the Tamiya cave to see where that thing is.... Not a bad thing, right? B)

Sounds like it might come in handy to have a spare body set after the "break in period" with your kids - which sounds a lot like "broken - period." :lol:

Still, that is what they're for and if the kids want to have a go then they absolutely should!!!!!! More young Tamiya addicts!!! And the GH2 is a great beginner's model (especially if you leave the 380 motor in - or even a 45t crawler motor).

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Sounds like it might come in handy to have a spare body set after the "break in period" with your kids - which sounds a lot like "broken - period."   :lol:

 

Still, that is what they're for and if the kids want to have a go then they absolutely should!!!!!!   More young Tamiya addicts!!!   And the GH2 is a great beginner's model (especially if you leave the 380 motor in - or even a 45t crawler motor). 

LOL! Ain't that the truth!

Sounds fantastic and will talk to ya soon!

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Should probably post of a pic of this booger :P This is the ebay pic and the car should be here on Thursday. Yay!

All components have shipped out. Rx, runner decals (cough), replacement driver. Will get her running in the yard by Saturday! Sweet...

GHII.jpg

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That's a nice clean looking GH2 you got there! I remember when mine used to have decals on the roof. :lol:

The kids are going to LOVE driving that one for sure.

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Thanks Guys! You can see whoever owned this car originally put the "I'm Hopping Mad!" decal upside down.

Taliesin,

Stupid question, I think I remember something about Wild One tires working for the GHII. Is this correct? The reason why I ask is that the hubs for the Wild One look great and if I could use the rear knobbies from that kit, it would make for great runner tires.

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Thanks Guys! You can see whoever owned this car originally put the "I'm Hopping Mad!" decal upside down.

Taliesin,

Stupid question, I think I remember something about Wild One tires working for the GHII. Is this correct? The reason why I ask is that the hubs for the Wild One look great and if I could use the rear knobbies from that kit, it would make for great runner tires.

Yes they will in fact the Grasshopper II shares almost all the parts to the Super Hornet apart from the SH came with CVA dampers as standard

The GHII Super G came with CVA dampers and the same wheels as bellow in green or yellow

misc_35.jpg

Image taken from Google

Wheel wise the mouldings are all the same for this just different covers and will fit your GHII IIRC

Wild One

Fox/Nova Fox

Grass Hopper II (super G)

Super Hornet

01-shb4.jpg

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Awesome Wood and great post!

No worries, as you know I have more than a soft spot for the Super Hornet, thus the GHII sparks more than a little interest too :D Rising Fighter parts also can also be used though not the rear end (gearbox is DT01 etc) and so the wheels are no good rear end wise as they are hex mounts. Check out my Super Hornet and Super Hornet II threads for pics which you can use to ref for bits and bobs ;)

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Your SH thread is awesome! Was looking through it yesterday as a matter of fact :)

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Yes, it's correct, they perfectly fit:

GHII02_zpsab4534b7.jpg

GHII01_zpsbe9dfa66.jpg

Max

Stupid question, I think I remember something about Wild One tires working for the GHII. Is this correct?
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Yup, what they all said. Those tire/wheels combos will all work. I even ran some old Blackfoot wheels and tires at one point, and even a set of lunchbox wheels and tires briefly, LOL That did end up bending the steering rods eventually, but what fun it was. That prompted me to actually buy not one, but two Madbulls.

God, seeing that Super G with the yellow CVA's and wheels brings back memories of my GH2!!!

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Doh, looking at those pics of the Super Hornet made me remember that I actually have a Super Hornet project somewhere in all the bits and bobs in the basement. I had totally forgotten that I even bought the stupid thing. :o Not sure what that says about me and my hobby...?

It's like a bad R/C joke - "You might be a Tamiya junkie if ... "

Jeez, now I'm really starting to wonder if I've got too much stuff. :lol:

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Doh, looking at those pics of the Super Hornet made me remember that I actually have a Super Hornet project somewhere in all the bits and bobs in the basement. I had totally forgotten that I even bought the stupid thing. :o Not sure what that says about me and my hobby...?

It's like a bad R/C joke - "You might be a Tamiya junkie if ... "

Jeez, now I'm really starting to wonder if I've got too much stuff. :lol:

ws_virus1.jpg

:lol::lol::lol:

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Max,

That is a beautiful Super G and I was staring at it many times over the last couple of days! Can I ask where you got that driver figure?

Guys,

This is the CVA short shock set II correct?

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Max,

That is a beautiful Super G and I was staring at it many times over the last couple of days! Can I ask where you got that driver figure?

Guys,

This is the CVA short shock set II correct?

+1 Max that Driver may be just what I am looking for to add to a future project :)

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I seem to remember kontemax modifying an existing Tamiya driver to build that awesome-looking driver figure for the Grasshopper II.

Unless he corrects me, it looks like either styrene skills are required, or he will have to sell you one ;)

... Do you think he can make 3?

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Just found the answer on the shocks, Short shock sets 84365 & 84366. Looks like I'd need the mounts also.

Yeah that driver and rollcage are slick!

Argggghhh...now I'm going to have to get a Grasshopper I at some point. After looking at so many trashed examples on the bay, you really forget how beautiful they are when fully done up properly in box art colors. Rollcage and driver painted, top painted, wheel lettering, all the decals, etc. etc.

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There is a cure to the T virus, it's called lack of money lol.

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