Blackfoot
Model Number: 58058
Released
8-Oct-86
Drive
2WD rear, gear differential
Suspension
Front double wishbones, rear trailing arms, friction shocks
Chassis Description
ORV, spaceframe plastic
Body Type
Styrene Ford F150 Ranger
Motor
RS540
Original Price
N/A
Width
290mm
Length
440mm
Height
270mm
Wheel Base
246mm
Tread Front
225mm
Tread Rear
225mm
Ground Clearance
45mm
Weight
2220g
Scale
1/10
Tires
front:60/130mm
Rear:60/130mm
Reviews
TWO STAR
as a runner stock out of the box its not bad at all,perfect sized tires for the bumps & small jumps,a very interesting rear suspension design,the realistics of the ford body is amazing,the ladder type frame chassis is bulletproof.the only downfall
i can see is the front body mounts always break,& the stock rear end is not the
greatest design.with minor rear end,& suspension modifications it makes for a very tough truck that can handle allot of hard running & jumping.it is definate two thumbs up truck!.
J3cubfan
The Tamiya Blackfoot popularized the R/C monster truck craze here in the USA and around the world. Tamiya’s 58th kit was a combination of bringing the in the old with the new and has been and continues to be a popular and desirable kit.
When one thinks of monster trucks, images such as the Big Foot, Grave Digger, the Wolverine and USA1 to name a few come to mind. However, before any of these trucks where brought into fruition, with possibly the exception of the Big Foot and Grave Digger, Tamiya was there to capture some of the spirit of the Monster Trucks during it infancy. As I mention before, the Blackfoot is combination of melding the old with the new.
Here’s what you get.
The Blackfoot is comprised to the Ranger F-150 hard plastic body. It looks similar to the Ranger that was released in the early 1980’s with the exception of the switch being in the truck bed. Folks familiar with Tamiya will immediately recognize the chassis is that of the Frog, Brat and eventually the Monster Beetle. The main difference between the Brat and Frog is the chassis is molded in red plastic versus gray. You get 4 oversized tires and spring-loaded shocks. I restored mine stuck a RS540 motor on.
Some initial observation…
I bought this truck used from Ebay and at the time, I thought I really screwed the pooch on this deal. Upon receipt, I found that this thing had no motor, shocks and body had a bad case of road rash. I am thinking at the time, I spent way too much on this dog-gone thing. Basically this thing was built with new parts.
I kept hearing about how the dog-bones would fall out these trucks during high speed take offs and jumps and can see why. These things are a rather simple affair with two hex head type of ends to them and rubber boots strapped on with a wire tie down. Seems kind of cheesy if you ask me. The transmission casing is a three-piece assembly with gears acting as a slip-differential for good measure. I took this time to insert a ball bearing instead of brass fitting that was in the transmission. The end plug and motor are held together with two machine hex screws. I am not sure if these are standard screws, but if it gets the job done then that good enough for me. I found some old spring load shocks and mounted those along with the front servo cover.
The frame and the front suspension is very study. You would really have to try and break these before any thing became destroyed. The frame is a hard red plastic and has a trap door for the battery. Speaking of which, the battery gets mounted sideways and there are two red plastic stays that keep it from falling out when making turns. I am not sure that you can place a “hump” type battery in this area, the room is quite limited.
Aesthetics 101.
Man this thing looks fantastic. Oh wait a minute, it’s a Ford! Oh well, it still looks good and that’s saying something from someone whose a “Dodge Man”. You have a set of tinted windows and an actual working rollbar. There is actually a wire going through the middle of the thing. What a concept! Nice looking and functional, only in a Tamiya. Much of chrome grill and tailgate are similar to those of the Ranger from just a few years prior. If I had any qualms about this, it would be the grill mainly around the headlights. Why not use clear plastic lenses on these? It gives it a better look and well as an added touch of realism. Oh well just me being picky I guess.
Driving the Blackfoot.
I have not completed my restoration process so driving this thing is going to be something that will have to come in an updated review. I am anxious to see how the truck drive especially after I put ball bearings in the transmission and the tires.
Conclusions:
We have another winner here. This isn’t anything anyone who has one doesn’t already know. What you have is an accurate replica of a monster truck that looks like it going to be a blast to drive. If you are a collector and don’t have one, get one. You won’t be disappointed.