My 3rd ever 1/10 Tamiya
Well, here is another way long overdue entry into my showroom, a good 9 years plus since the restore I am guessing.
This Manta Ray and I go WAYYYYYYY back, it was the 3rd 1/10th scale Tamiya I bought as I can recollect. I had finished my training in the Air Force and I had some pocket change and a new hobby shop had opened and looked like it might have a small track attached to it for future racing. I bought this with some hopes to revive my 4WD fun from the HotShot days and since this is a child offspring of that genetic tree, I figured I couldn't really miss by buying this one. It wasn't as technological as the Top Force, but then again, that wasn't even out by the time I bought this kit, so I just made do with what this had. It's too bad the hobby shop didn't even last 2 years and I don't remember much run time on the track myself. :(
It was fun to drive, I can't remember how many tires I have worn all the nubs off of and then enjoyed the street action the slicks provided. My one regret with this one is not buying a body from Tamiya when I had the chance since this kit also saw a re re version around the same time as the Top Force. I guess I just figured it wouldn't stay endeering in my heart this long and so I focused on other things, instead of making this a near perfect shelfer. Oh well, this is the ORIGINAL shell and wing I painted up BITD with probably Parma branded paint in silver and it shows my lack of skills with its many runs and silver metallic pools and such, but it is still pretty cool looking, so much so, you will see I went out of my way to find a Super Manta Ray body, to make another version, my own of course. More on that in my next post.
A little about this car. Kept it standard as you can see, EXCEPT, I gave it my twist. I found a TCer with some nicely painted silver Vanquish lightweight wheels, so we traded and then I had to add some Egress tires to those awesome wheels. Now if you are reading this nowadays, you are thinking, well that is easy with the re res, but let me tell you, I keep tweaking things so long, that all this I am telling you about for this Manta Ray is dating back to around 2004-2006 and those parts were 1) EXPENSIVE and 2) Not as easy to find, so, I could kick myself in the butt for what I paid for these things, but it would be pointless as these parts are still a little tricky in finding and I wouldn't have made the connections with the other TC members that helped me out with these things back then either. I really am sorry to say I have forgotten where the parts came from, so if you have a better memory than I do and you remember who you are that traded off the wheels, well then speak up as I have also lost my notes I had made for these things too. I did a lot of trading BITD with Zidane, and I wonder if he had the wheels. I think Traxxas donated the wheel nuts as they are darker blue than the Tamiya units and the blue shock bodies were from an XB Super Manta Ray originally, but I felt they worked much better here. Mostly standard parts all around this car, electrics with TWO servos as I wanted to maintain the MSC and then I recently decided to put my favorite period motor in this, the Pocket Rocket, so here it sits. It looks like I might have put a ball diff in the front from the looks of the hardened drive cups, but I can't be sure at this time, perhaps in the far future, I might get bored enough to open up the gearcase and check it out. :)
What else do I say, one of my favorite cars due to its selection by myself way back then and I have done my best to get the rest of the family represented here on TC as well. Those shots are what made me realize this car didn't have its own post.(more on that later)
In the link, you will see that I have had this around a loooong time, and its Mini 4wd comrade as well. Somewhere around here I even have the coffee promotion miniature version too.
Comments ALWAYS welcome,
Chris
If you liked those pictures, you should see these...
My first and by far my most favorite 4WD buggy
Comments
robertoro
nice shot, I like this car, well done CRASH
jeekelemental
Nice fleet! Can't remeber if that motor is Twister or Orion
Max Power
Nice family photos, the Manta Ray is a fantastic vehicle and a very important part of Tamiya's history. It deserves respect and should be a more sort after model. You have done a top job on yours and I look forward to the next post
bjorklo
Nice collection! I love these chassis, that said I have never run one
Crash Cramer
Thanks guys, it is a bit of a weird bodyshell, this one, so I can see where some folks were a bit standoffish about it. @Jeek, the Pocket Rocket is a Twister made/marketed motor.
Pintopower
I need to drive one of these one day.
mongoose1983
Those tires make the Manta Ray look different. Fitted with that pocket rocket the buggy must be pretty fast. So when are you going to surprise us with a video, Chris?
By the way, I'm surprised by the looks of the Terra Conqueror there
Crash Cramer
Erich, VIDEO, are you nuts??? That would mean I would have to run one or more of my cars!!! I don't do that. It may come sooner or later, but I don't know when. Keep asking, you never know when it might happen.
Chris
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