Toyranosaur

Bromvy, it does seem we're both correct (And Geniuses!)  I simply opine that they should go the extra little distance when they introduce-Or re-introduce- anything, and remain the high-quality company they're always been rather than try to be the Wal-Mart of R/C, over analyzing the price point & such. Basically, put out product geared towards the chaps who are willing to spend 5 or 10% more for, as you mention, the bearings & pinion (Good point BTW,) a few less screws & a bit more actual design, RUBBER tyres, etc.  badword, they could do all that plus add a decal sheet for the 2nd body, hex hardware, etc. if they just left out the ESC.  I see why they include it, for the new guys, but I have a million ESC's would rather have a better kit.  Anyway, enough beating on the Brat I guess, I'm actually thinking of CNCing up some wheels for it, since it'll be a shelf Queen after all.  (And I actually don't have a million ESC's, so nobody PM me looking for a free one!)  Chris

I'm not missing any point, and nothing is 'Obvious' or there would be no reason for this discussion.  I was making a point, that being, since this thread is about Tamiya 'Upping its Game', that from a value-for-dollar standpoint, they could do a few small things (Like hex hardware, tyres that aren't plasticky, etc.) that would make their re-re's more appealing to a buyer.  I don't need to have Tamiya nostalgia explained to me, thanks though: That's just why I bought it.  I'm not looking for nor expecting performance: Simply put, the fact is since one may purchase a much nicer kit for the same money from many manufacturers, that takes out half of their potential target market of such kits: Newbies and 'nostalgia' buyers- The nostalgia chaps, like myself, may get them, but newbies have much better choices.  Ergo, if their re-re's & lower-end kits were nicer, they might sell more, or is this too deep?  And their engineering on all but their highest-end cars is still mostly hardware with some plastic to give the (Phillips-head) screws somewhere to thread into: Look at the CR-01 compared to any other crawler.  10 lbs. of screws & some other parts.  Not impressive!  Seemed like a knee-jerk reaction to shove a truck out the door because they were popular- If you wanna try to defend that design, by all means, feel free. Chris

I just splurged & got 2 kits from Tower, having not built in a long time.  I got the re-re Brat, and the HPI 240Z Cup Racer.  They both cost exactly the same, $169.99. What a world of difference!!  The Brat is, plainly speaking, a piece of you-know-what- Except for the body, it's a poorly engineered pile of ****.  Tamiya seems to throw bags of screws at everything instead of properly designing.  The HPI is stunning!  Dual diffs, shaft drive, alloy dogbones, BEAUTIFUL Lexan shell, AMAZING scale looks, inboard front suspension, all in all a much higher-value, better looking, better performing kit.  Now, I know the Brat is based on an older chassis, but still, they did some strange things with the front suspension that made me almost laugh:  Who's doing their designing?  If the chassis is not identical to the original, with 20+ years under their belt, you'd think it would be MORE advanced, not less so.  I've always liked Tamiya, but have never deified them, and lately they are just asking for my scorn it seems.  That said, there are a couple more cars I'd like to get, but it's getting harder to justify.  Chris

Got a re-re Brat, and......Not blown away by the engineering!  Front suspension is really weird, especially since it has nice 'real' shocks on the rear.  Chassis was such an ugly colour I had to paint it black.  Some real tongue-in-cheek stuff, at least I got 2 bodies (With 1 decal sheet....) Tyres need to be bead-blasted to look anything like rubber, have a patchy shiny look that's NOT acceptable. A nice cheap car, but I'm getting tired of Big T's attitude lately- I'll pay the extra nickel, just give me the quality they're been famous for in the past!  Chris

Well Thanks Gents! I stumbled across this thread whilst Googling, and it makes me feel very good, cheers all! As my little endeavour gets along, I realize my niche is vintage parts mostly- I'll be on the Scorcher for a while yet. Planned items include: SS name badge, rear wing, running boards, chassis, revised F&R suspensions, faux rear engine, etc. Presently doing a package with fuel door, sunroof surround, and rear alloy vent (Under the rear window,) if curious let me know & I'll link ya some info. Also, will have a FEW dash kits as I'm cutting them now, so let me know if'n youse gotta have one.

I'd like to have a bit more presence here since most vintage is Tamiya, and am always open to suggestions! Wish I could spend more time on the boards, but I must do everything & am usually behind as it is.......Anyway, many thanks for the positive comments, and you can reach me direct anytime at chris@rogueelementcomponents.com if you wanna chat, have ideas, or? Best Regards, Chris Cazan REC