Mitsubishi Pajero Metaltop
Model Number: 58132
Released
TBA
Drive
4WD, lockable geardiffs front and rear
Suspension
Independent front, liveaxle rear, coilover oilfilled shocks
Chassis Description
XC (Cross Country)
Body Type
ABS white hardplastic body
Motor
540
Width
195 mm
Length
445 mm
Height
192 mm
Wheel Base
242 mm
Tread Front
160 mm
Tread Rear
160 mm
Weight
2150 g
Scale
1/10
Tires
front:88x33 mm
Rear:88x33 mm
58132 is the first in Tamiya's XC family. ABS hardbody offers fantastic detailing opportunities - this is one for the shelf! Sporting 'generic' underbody detail which included independent front suspension and a solid/live rear axle, this is a super-realistic scale model of the popular Pajero in a short wheelbase variant. This is RC scale-modelling at its finest! (Description by urban warrior)
Reviews
Tamiya1/10
Regardless of which hot motor one put in don't expect the PJ to perform like a F1 or sedan car. You will roll the Pajero. Stick with the stock 540 motor, is good enough. To lock the front diff. "Play dao" or puddy should be used. (epoxy or glue could prevent the release of the lock diff. in the future.) Add lights only to the center fog lights. (Due to the clearance between body and chassis, the electrical wire for the regular head lights could be crimped.) To stiffen the rear suspension, zip tie the rear axil at the damper locations to the single leaf spring like attachment at the axil. Only upgrades needed are ballbearings, high torque servos and ESC. Fancy radio equipment not requiremented. At time of writing June/03, tires, wheels, drive shafts are still available at Tamiya. Have fun...at your son's sand box or nearby beach or construction site.....
miramar
Tamiya's best ever 4WD off-roader! What? Haven't I heard about the 3-speed cars or the TXT-1? Yes, I have, and as for monster trucks, the TXT-1 is my favourite. I consider the 3-speed cars to be very overrated though. So what makes the Pajero (and other XC-chassis cars) so much better? Most important, the suspension, relatively low center of gravity and short wheelbase ensures great lowspeed off-road crawling handling, and it outperforms all other 4WD's in really tricky terrain as long as the surface is firm. Sorry, I just had to say it.
Two light bulb sets for the front lights is a must!
Needless to say, the model is a joy to build. Tamiya quality all the way. I consider ball bearings instead of the original bushings to be an absolute must, otherwise, I don't think this model needs a single hop-up. For serious off-roading, both differentials should be locked, but only parts for locking the rear diff are included in the kit. Buy a gear bag set to get the necessary parts to lock the other diff, or lock it with superglue or similar. Sounds drastical, but you will never want to "open" it again! With both diffs functioning, the XC-chassis is a surprisingly good on-road performer though, but a TL01 is better and the XC deserves be enjoyed off-road!
The XC-chassis isn't perfect. If you use the model for heavy duty off-roading, the screw holes in the chassis for the front gear box cover will strip. Using slightly longer screws and threading them with grease the first time helps. Also, the rear upper damper mount is mounted to the chassis with just one screw, so it tends to "rotate". Also the damperspring clamps tend to slide on the damper cylinders, even if tightened to the max. The steering mechanism is also a little unprecise, but I consider it to be OK.
The body is one of the better "hard plastic" bodies ever. I would have liked it to have clear lenses on the taillights, but I suppose you can't have everything!
All together a great model with maximum off-road capability and realism.
For even more off-road performance I have a few tips:
I have 5 XC-chassis cars, so I made an "extreme off-road" project of one of them. I wanted to keep the stock looks (I have enough monsters), so I stayed with the original tires and suspension. I mounted a "model airplane type" gearbox from Graupner between the motor and the gearbox. With hardened steel gears, ball bearings and a 4:1 ratio, it makes the XC really slow and powerful. (To do this, plastic has to be shaved from the bottom of the chassis, the mount for the mechanical speed control / upper battery mount has to be removed and the battery must be rotated 90 degrees.) I installed a standard 27 turn armature in a racing can for maximum torque. Both diffs were of course locked. For durability, the front gearbox joints were replaced with # 53218 Hard Joint Cup Set, but I kept the original driveshafts instead of replacing them with universal joints as the original simple dogbones are more durable and friction is not an issue on this model. My best off-roader ever. Ever. Period.
One final tip:
For a nicer look, I replaced the original blue (TA02) steering uprights with identical black (TA03 TRF) parts on all my XC-cars. TA03 aluminum uprights would be an alternative.