Bush Devil
Model Number: 58101

mud4fun

Well I thought I'd add a review on this much overlooked Tamiya. I got mine second hand via ebay and it was in a dreadful state but with some TLC it is now nicely rejuvenated. This design is a vast improvement over the earlier Monster Beetle/Blackfoot design. The gearbox is much stronger and I have experienced no problems with running a Tamiya super stock RR motor or a technigold. I replaced all the bearings with new ball bearings. The rear wishbone suspension gives both better handling and greater articulation. The front end is pretty much same as Blackfoot with subtle changes to arms and uprights - still a weak point, a slight impact with anything hard either snaps the upright or tears the front trailing arm support from its mounting. The Bush Devil comes with a blue chassis which I personally think is better than the bright red of blackfoot but in the end I swapped this for the dark grey (super blackfoot I think). I changed the original wheels/tyres for mad bull items as they give better stability and lower CoG. I also replaced the shocks all round with oil filled CVA so that I could tune them better. Front was a bit bouncy initially so I softened the springs and that improved things. This car drives very well around the garden and handles very rough ground with ease. It doesn't have the handling of a buggy but it is better than blackfoot. It has a very tight turning circle which is good but it also tends to understeer into a corner and then abruptly oversteer half way round. OK, it's 2WD so won't go as far as 4WD but even so it still surprises. The good ground clearance makes it a fun car which can be driven anywhere and not restricted to tarmac like so many modern cars. My Bush Devil also came with a quick release battery holder which I'm not sure was standard but it certainly makes changing battery packs a breeze especially as you don't need to even remove the body. This kit is easy to build and very simple in design. Fixing broken parts is easy even if parts are now difficult to come by. Overall I'm very happy with the car and would recommend this design over the earlier MB/BF.