Grastens

It could help. I have not run my Buggy Champ in a while but can get a chance to do so when I return home for the holiday break. I remember first noticing improvement in cornering when I installed the ball diff for the first time, but now I figure the stock rear camber setup on my car is not really doing the differential any favours, i.e.: reducing the contact patch on the rear tires to the point that grip is negligible, and therefore the effect a differential would have is as well. All of that will be cleared up in that fateful drive, however!

I had this problem as well with my Buggy Champ, but retightening the diff has not really been a problem since I realized I could just remove one grub screw from the left/right universal joint (I can never remember which) to get to the hex-shaped recess on the one axle. It does need to be done up fairly tightly in order to remain together while still giving some differential action, though every few runs I would end up tightening it again. For climbing obstacles, the non-differential setup is of course much better. This is an issue with the Tamiya Hop-Up ball diff, however, as many have reported its difficulty to keep adjusted! It is part of the reason the vintage Thorp hop-up differential is so highly sought-after...

PM sent. I know a shop that sells FG Modellsport cars, but it is a bit of a long-shot...

This is all encouraging news for my current project. It is fully-equipped with ball-bearings and I am looking at acquiring some composite dog bones along with that apparently-useful CRP front brace. I may keep that horrible front suspension geometry and pogo-stick dampers, however! Now as an aspiring engineer I actually realize how awful the Striker is but at least it can handle a modern 23T brushed motor! I could settle for a Sport-Tuned or one of those Hackmoto 23T motors, though.

Maybe you would be surprised, as I own an Astute and a Striker! I also have a version of the Avante and a Buggy Champ, though admittedly those are re-releases of vintage designs. Budget is preventing me from pursuing older models as prices for those have been driven high. Hence, the idea that I may be a throwback. I love the vintage models...

It is possible, though I thought that Tamiya was already too discouraged by the Avante to pursue an all-new design; hence the Egress. It represented quite an investment back then, so they must have been hesitant to drop it completely. On paper the Avante-based design had all of the desirable qualities in a race machine but translated poorly into reality once manufactured, but it seems that the problems with that chassis did not include the drivetrain (unless figuring that the buggy was overweight partly due to its complex gearboxes). However, as the Hotshot was the model that pioneered shaft-driven 4WD, if looking at how Tamiya failed to dominate high-level 4WD buggy racing one should probably look from there. The Hotshot was the class of the field but all too briefly as the competition quickly became stiffer shortly after its release. Thereafter Tamiya was known for its leisure models until the Avante was introduced, intending to change all that. This is my understanding of Tamiya's history of 4WD buggies, anyways.

Great to hear! My first car was a gift, but everything else for me has been out of my own pocket. Though in that regard, maybe an Avante Black Special was not the most sensible idea! I am based in Ottawa; currently I attend Carleton University. Alas, I am in the wrong engineering for this hobby (civil v. mechanical)...

I must have seen that picture dozens of times while on the site, but never bothered to look closely enough to find out it was not the box-art scheme as we know it... I would also guess that it was a beta model; admittedly the box-art patterns look better on the body than the stripes, even though they do carry over from the original Hornet. Makes me wonder about the Grasshopper II, though!

Thanks for that wealth of information; it was the kind of history primer I needed! The approach with 'the brick' on the JoMac cars was interesting, as was the perspective when the modern electronics fit with plenty of space inside the shell on that project. Eventually I did realize I meant the Hilux using that transistorized unit, though had no idea there were so many intermediate MSC and 'E-MSC' models before the first ESC. I wonder if Orton's car had any immediate performance benefit on the track with the ESC - that is, if he ever went racing with it...

Well, I mean in a year I will no longer be a teenager, but I assumed that few people under the age of 13 would be on this site (despite that previous thread that was started in 2007!). Granted, I am aware that adults tend to follow Tamiya while current teens usually go for HPI, Traxxas, Axial and the like... At my local hobby shop Redcat Racing recently supplemented Tamiya, and I fear the former may supplant them entirely. I never see Tamiyas in for repairs (possibly because Tamiya owners usually fix their own cars) or people bringing them in, though that could just be the clientele (many seem to be nitro touring car owners). And initially I grew up with their static models, too, though as a pre-teen they were hard to obtain without a driver's licence and enough pocket money. Even now my local hobby shop is a bit of a drive, but a journey on public transit. Maybe I am a throwback?

I got curious after remembering how many people on these forums are adults, and recognizing that the forum is rather classy as a result! A search turned up a thread with a similar question, but I did not exactly want to resurrect a five-year old thread... That said: are there any other younger members still on TC, subscriber or not? I am 19 and currently at university in Canada; it makes collecting difficult as I have to balance my budget between school, living costs and hobbies. But I also recognize that I am living in quite an age to be an RC enthusiast, with it being more accessible than ever. It does make me a bit of an oddball among my peers, though, as nobody I know my age enjoys the hobby like I do. Reading a number of stories about someone's first RC car or memories of Tamiya back in the day also get me thinking about the kinds of memories I will have later in life, whether I continue with the hobby or 'other interests' take over!

Please tell me you have experience building static models, though this skill level is already beyond my comprehension! That dashboard looks superb!

I was thinking about how little I know about the subject the other night. I know that there were mechanical speed controls that were eventually superseded by electronic types, and I know a bit about how each one works, but I have no idea about other things like: who created the first one for use in a radio-controlled model, when they did and who first made it commercially viable. Initially I heard something about the original Tamiya Bruiser using what can be considered one of the first ESCs, and something else about a now-prominent RC car company producing the first-ever ESC, but I am quite unclear on it and would like to learn more. If anybody can shed more light on the subject it would be much appreciated!

Greetings: Watching old promotional videos for Tamiya cars, I saw the Technigold motor being advertised as the default hop-up motor (except for the earlier and later models, where it was either the 540 v. the 380 or the Dyna-Tech). It seemed to be suitable for cars like the Thunder Shot or the Terra Scorcher, but it surprised me to see it advertised alongside the Striker as I had come to understand the gearbox could not handle anything hotter than a Sport-Tuned motor. Understanding that the Technigold performs much like a current 23T motor, was this just marketing fluff or could a Striker actually handle a higher-powered motor? Those large gears in the gearbox seem to suggest durability but at the same time I would believe it if the geared differential would give out. I guess in a roundabout sort of way this is a question about if I could fit a 23T brushed motor in a Striker, though I am also curious if Tamiya back in the day only advertised things that worked! P.S.: Not that I have a Technigold on hand... Edit: I also realized that I accidentally put this in the "Re-Release Discussion" thread instead of the "Vintage Discussion" as intended...

I am seriously considering a Torque-Tuned motor for one or two of my projects... Rear tires arrived to complement the rear wheels: And a brand-new set of bearings is under there somewhere!

I recently stickered my Striker: I made peace with the fact that I was never going to get a better finish on the body and so simply applied decals over the minor imperfections in the paint. The lower body needs work now, and obviously the driver helmet will get some paint over the holiday break!

I received Striker rear wheels (waiting on tires; searching for fronts) and a Spektrum SR300 receiver, which will likely end up in my Astute.

The "COMPETITION NOW OPEN" script is not a link; contest entry is done with the "Click here to find out how to enter" script below. It could be a problem with the Safari browse; I thought I did see your entry but cannot now.

It really depends on the material of the gears. Usually some type of ceramic grease is used for plastic gears on plastic; molybdenum grease is used for metal gears on metal, etc.. I use Tamiya molybdenum grease for any application, though, as it is the only one my local hobby shop has in stock.

I saw the test... Thanks for clearing that up!

Already read it, as mentioned in the post! However, I have since realized that only 'Misc.' entries can be put in!

Greetings: Seeing the new TC photo competition up and finally being a paid member of Tamiyaclub, I was naturally excited to submit an entry. However, even after reading TWINSET's thread on how to enter one, following it, acknowledging all the rules and selecting the "I understand and wish to enter AND I ACCEPT ANY IMPORT CHARGES..." link, I still cannot enter the competition, it seems. I do get taken back to my showroom and view it as I regularly would, but when I select a model there is no additional text in the model's showroom page concerning the photo competition; as such I cannot select a photo and have the option of entering it in the contest. That said: is it an issue with my subscription experience, (I only subscribed less than 3 months ago) the model type (in the tutorial thread, the entry was under "Action/Event Photos" instead of a model condition like "Runner" or "New Built") or is there some other issue? Any clarification would be immensely appreciated!

Duly noted. The car was delivered with the larger 2.1" - 2.2" front wheels and an-equal diameter rear wheel set, though I ran it with the lightweight wheels as they also feature on my Avante. Again, I was expecting different drive characteristics for the Astute, but those tips on dialing out understeer will help! A bit difficult to move the battery forward when it is equipped with the Super Astute battery holders... Do I re-drill the chassis plate to move the front holder and pad the rear holder to fit? The diff will be examined as well. I know the correct gear ratio is achieved with the 23T/70T setup, though a quick consultation with the manual reminded me that the correct pinion in 23T, which I do have but was unable to fit with the one 77T gear that arrived with the project. I should get my hands on some spare parts over the holidays, however, meaning I can gear the car more suitably by then. At the time, I was only surprised that I had forgotten entirely about the short gearing setup my car was running!

kontemax's ice tires at his showroom, made the same way: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=5135&id=24 For some reason, I thought he used a stapler, but they just turned out to be very neatly-applied screws.

Sounds like it has the makings of a great project! I will be keeping an eye on this one! The motor choice may be a bit hot; the Grasshopper drivetrain was known to be very durable though not necessarily with low-turn motors, but ask around and I am sure you can find a definite answer. Suspension upgrades can be done, and on the main TC website there are some very neat suspension setups, including double-wishbone conversions and four-wheel oil shock fittings. Best of luck with the restoration!