199 replies to this topic

[Victorious Secret]

Hello All,

I've always wondered why did Tamiya discontinue the rally and other cockpit set on their 1/10 scale line. I think it adds realism to the car just like the side mirrors. It's details like these that set Tamiya product and other RC companies apart. Anyone here know why?

btw, I'm looking for them. If you have any cockpit set to let go name your price

VS

[Tamiya1/10]

To save money on production cost and to make you spend more money by buying the PS smoke paint for the windows.

The argument could be to save weight without the cockpit and maybe some study showed that not everyone wants or care for it since one would have to paint it which will cost more money.

The cockpit does make the RC nicer.

[Butler]

Most people probably never fitted them I guess. It would be a waste of time on my cars. My shells and up pretty bashed quite quickly, but I can see why many would want them.

Its a shame because Tamiya are famous for the detail in there cars, but cost cutting measures like this mean the kits can be available to more people.

[Victorious Secret]

Thank you gentlemen for the relies,

I thought about the above reasons too. I guess the market is too small when it comes to purchaing cockpit set. However wouldn't it be more profitable if Tamiya offers both the smoke paint and the cockpit set? Some of their static models are in prodection for many years. I just wish they use the same practice in the RC division. Afterall, RC division is its bread and butter and not the static models.

VS

[Bin ^jammin^]

Thank you gentlemen for the relies,

I thought about the above reasons too. I guess the market is too small when it comes to purchaing cockpit set. However wouldn't it be more profitable if Tamiya offers both the smoke paint and the cockpit set? Some of their static models are in prodection for many years. I just wish they use the same practice in the RC division. Afterall, RC division is its bread and butter and not the static models.

VS

I've got a feeling it's the other way round with the RC making up only about 10% but don't quote me on this I could be wrong.

[Victorious Secret]

I've got a feeling it's the other way round with the RC making up only about 10% but don't quote me on this I could be wrong.

I thought the samething too until I went to Tamiya USA for a private tour few years back. One of the sales associate answered a similar question for to a fellow modeler. We were all surprised.

If I remember correctly it was RC Parts and RC kits, surrounding products, static car models, and military models.

VS

[Bin ^jammin^]

Really, that is surprising i wonder what the ratio is?

[Victorious Secret]

Well, he didn't say. But when we ask further related questions he said because the profit margin on RC parts are much higher with larger supply and demand (not the RC kits).

I grew up building Tamiya plastic models and I thought their military division would bring in the most profit. But I can see how everyone here have muliple vehicles in high dollar bracket. Even if you own severl static models wouldnt compare the price of just one RC kit...not to mention hop up and disposable parts.

VS

[falcon76]

I know that I never used to bother with the cockpit set before, I just wanted to get the car built and use it not waste time with internal dectails, adding weight to a car I'd be racing didn't make much sense either.
However, recently I bought a TA01 off e-bay for spares, the set was fitted but had been painted badly, not being in such a rush I re-painted it and it looks cool, as I don't use this car for racing anymore the weight issue is not a problem, I can understand it not being included in the kit for cost/weight/not being used reasons but it'd be nice if they could be purchased as an option part though.
Another bug I have on the same line is, why on the current details you get the smoked windscreens, every shell I've done lately has involved me carefully cutting the window edges away from the screen details so I can have clear windows - I don't want a sticker of a smoked screen it makes them look like toys!

[Victorious Secret]

Hi Falcon,

I guess it is use to mask the lack of details in interior. Maybe it is the modeler in me, it really bothers me not to have the cockpit. If they can do it for Monster Beetle, Hotshot, Frog, and other cars, why can't they offer the same for the 1/10 touring cars?

I think selling the cockpit as a part would not be such a bad idea.


VS

[madaz75]

Just to wade into this discussion...

I don't want to see a "New" Re-Re Model/Car..
I want to see some Re-Re Cockpit Sets, Group 'C', Rally, Touring..

Surly they'd still have the tooling for them,
just whip off a batch of say 500 to 1000 of each,
and sell them Direct. $$$$

[terry.sc]

Another bug I have on the same line is, why on the current details you get the smoked windscreens, every shell I've done lately has involved me carefully cutting the window edges away from the screen details so I can have clear windows - I don't want a sticker of a smoked screen it makes them look like toys!

Because it makes them easy to paint for new r/cers. One coat of paint, no fiddly window masking, then stick the windows on the outside. Also makes them a lot easier for Tamiya to do the prepainted bodies.

[terry.sc]

I thought the samething too until I went to Tamiya USA for a private tour few years back. One of the sales associate answered a similar question for to a fellow modeler. We were all surprised.

If I remember correctly it was RC Parts and RC kits, surrounding products, static car models, and military models.

VS

Tamiyas most important areas worldwide are the scale models (including some very expensive diecast ferraris), followed by the Mini 4wds. R/c is niche product for Tamiya Japan, but still bigger than any other r/c manufacturer.

Mini 4wds are huge in Japan, they account for one in every six AA batteries sold in Japan and in it's heyday their biggest meetings had 70,000 visitors. If only r/c was that popular.

[TamiyaMan]

Yeah, sadly just cost reasons. Same thing with not blistering the parts anymore unless you get a high end truck or tank kit.
Very very sad. That's part of why looking at the old NIB kits is so special - the Tamiya Presentation and attention to detail was second to none.

This reminds me of sitting in meetings with a certain American 1:1 car manufacturer where I seemed to be the only car guy surrounded by bean counters who would rather play golf than work on cars. And they systematically deleted the lights from the glove box and under the hood to save cost. I volunteered that if they were going to cut corners on cost, it might be prudent to do it in area's that would not be so immediately obvious to consumers. No no - of course they didn't listen. Dummy's.

[bakaguyjean]

Because it makes them easy to paint for new r/cers. One coat of paint, no fiddly window masking, then stick the windows on the outside. Also makes them a lot easier for Tamiya to do the prepainted bodies.

Terry is right about most of the pre painted bodies,but the Lancia has a cockpit in the kit still. But it a little strange as they give you the nice pre painted body but a standard non painted cockpit. From a different stand point if the painted body was the selling point then the cockpit being un painted is a bit of a pain for the newby that wanted a painted body, But they dont sell the body un painted unless you order it form Tamiya customer service direct. So in a way you can order the cockpit still you just have to be a little more crafty. You have to order it all seperate, cockpit, driver heads, decals. One of the sponsors on Tamiyaclub that is in the UK talked about this before in the forums.
Group C cars cockpits are really cool,and i have one im saving for a while. You can keep your eye out for them on the bay. But C cars are all ready discontinued.so i think we have missed the chance to get new cockpits from Tamiya. But you can order the bodies unpainted,or painted still from Tamiya customer service.
You have to see if your agent cares enough about you to order some,and also you have to be willing to wait a little while longer for them.
A universial cockpit to fit a few cars would be nice to see around these days, Maybe Scollins can be talked in to doing some.Like he did for the F350. Just a idea.

[Bin ^jammin^]

I've got a vague memory that Scollins did use one in a Porsche to great effect, but it could have been a dream....

[Victorious Secret]

I just went around the forum and club site realising there are alot of people requesting the cockpit set. I'm surprised no aftermarket part company would pick up this little venture.

VS

[Wireless]

I agree with Falcon76. Why can't it be an option...? I love the cockpit sets - can you imagine a shelf queen 959 without the cockpit set...? Sure it's a great model, but the cockpit add that extra dimension. When's the last time you looked in a 1:1 car and saw a giant servo, battery the size of a person and a huge speed controller...!!!

[Vin87]

I agree the cockpit sets are great parts for that finishing touch and they're nice to paint too! If you search on ebay you'll find the Z-Parts (drivers heads) and a group-C cockpit set. However no rally or touring car ones. Because the rally one was rereleased for a while with the Lancia HF you could try your local Tamiya agent.

1825096 is the partnumber of the figure body
9225045 is the partnumber of the drivers heads (z-parts)

[94eg!]

There was a guy selling replica Avante driver figures, but thus far he has only tried to sell them as finished models. This made is asking price $74... Now if the guy was just selling the raw plastic parts for say $20, I think they would sell like hot-cakes. I just the guy an email asking if this was possible...

http://cgi.ebay.com/...1QQcmdZViewItem

Having said that, I just finished my first driver figure consisting of an Avante cockpit and Vanquish driver head to fit into a Carbon Chassis Vanquish "Evolution". And after all the headache, I can clearly see WHY Tamiya has stopped including them in their kits. I think it's the simple fact that they are SO difficult to finish properly, and so difficult to install without damaging them that almost NOBODY completes them. IMO, the nicest idea Tamiya had so far was issuing kits that had dark tinted (not completely opaque) transparent window decals. My favorite is the Dyna Storm. If properly masked before painting, the windows look simply awesome. They let just enough light through to give the look of transparent windows, but they aren't SO clear that there seems to be something missing inside (like the driver & cockpit)...

Tamiya, bring back the tinted transparent window decals!!!!

[markbt73]

I must be in the minority... I never put driver figures in my cars (the one exception being Wild Willy, but I replaced his head with a troll doll head). I'd rather have nothing than a disembodied head and torso, or a guy sitting in a vat of tar. I guess I just think the typical "driver figures" are kind of creepy.

But I'd love it if more of the hard bodies came with an interior, like the old Bruiser or Marui Big Bear.

[Stefan(2)]

Wish they kept em, really.
It is the attention to details that got me hooked on Tamiya,

Could be a nice extra euro for someone like kamtech, just some lexan or abs touring / rally / c group cockpit sets!

We can all dream

Stefan

[Victorious Secret]

Here's an alternative cockpit I found.

http://www.ccn3.aita...n/RCP006-1.html

It is by Chevron models. It's no Tamiya but rather detailed. Anyone know where I can purchase their product in US or even in UK or HK?



VS

[Mike30]

Hi again, a few years ago i had 2 cosworths, an earlier kit had a cockpit in the kit, i think the yellow-blue tiger kit? the later repsol kit didn't...and had smoked windows instead, i was most dissapointed, so i carefully cut out the smoke sections, and was lucky enough to find a cockpit for the repsol car.
I agree, the cockpits make all the difference to (me), why Tamiya stopped them? Maybe people whom raced them left out the cockpits?,so Tamiya thought people didn't want them???
The cockpits do make the cars look more like miniture cars, smoked windows made them look more like cheap toys.
Thing is they are made of "very thin" light plastic and wouldn't weigh much more anyway, so (Tamiya...Please bring them back), my 2 cents, btw i sold my cosworths. I loved painting the cockpits and drivers, even printing out little maps for the navagator figure....and adding dash lights.....

mike32.

[andi4x4]

I am looking into the possibility of producing vacformed cockpits for Tamiya ( or any other) cars as I have quite a few cars I want cockpit details in. I have taken a plaster mould from the inside of a Tamiya cockpit - it is the one that looks like the front bit of the Lancia one ( I also have a Lancia cockpit ).

My plan is to modify the Tamiya one to make it suitable for a number of different types of car - rally, touring, GT, truck, pickup.etc. I also plan to do one to suit my Dakar race truck which will need two people in the front and three in the back !

I am pretty close to to making the first test mouldings , so, if there is a market here, I could do a production run of, say, a dozen of one type and see how they go.

I have easy access to a vac forming machine and plentiful supply of suitable plastic sheet to make them, but, buyers may have to source their own drivers heads in the begining. I would have to work out my costs, so if people interested would suggest a figure they would be prepared to pay for a cockpit with no heads, could you please let me know !

I am also in the process of making a moulds for:-

Metro 6R4 - mk1 Lotus Cortina - Ford RS200 - Ford Escort mk1 ( RS2000 ) and a Caterham/Lotus Super 7, all at 1/10th scale to fit standard touring chassis such as TT-01.

Any interest in any of those ?

( incase you hadn't already guessed, I am classic rallycar mad ! )