Saito2

Excellent write up @TurnipJF! Hits most of the points I address when building up one of these chassis plus some new ones I need to try. Thanks!

Not sure, but I don't see why the optional DT02 ball diff with splined outdrives wouldn't work. Actually you're not alone. Someone on here used the term and I had to look it up too. Now I'm throwing it around like one of the cool kids. Still not sure why my daughter refers to everything a "sus" yet.

Its interesting how being produced in a domestic market changes everything. It was all Associated and Tamiya here with some Kyosho thrown it. Kyosho came here via the Great Planes/Tower Hobbies juggernaut of the era and featured very prominently in their multi-page ads. Schumacher 4wds were known here to be difficult to assemble yet some of the best performing buggies in that segment and very elusive. I think Trinity imported them IIRC. Yokomo had their deal with Associated to get them in the door.

Back in the day. the US 2wd racing scene was dominated by the RC10. I have to admit, being a Tamiya fanatic, I hated all the press that car got in the magazines. I swear there was probably a conversion article on how to make a toaster oven based on the RC10. Those days are past and while the current flood of RC10 re-release flavors have personally left me a bit cold, studying the development and the people behind the original RC10's success over the years has earned my utmost respect. I have 8 originals and 1 first gen re-release in my collection now. Back in '87 however, I was ecstatic to see the Ultima, boldly proclaiming to be the next world champ, then make good on that boast by sweeping the Worlds with a 1-2-3 punch. I've always appreciated Japanese cars more and while it wasn't Tamiya Foxes killing RC10's, Kyosho's upstart was pretty satisfying. Having had my hands on both, I ultimately (pun?) found the Ultima to be the superior product in my humble opinion over the short arm, 6-gear RC10. But despite all this, the Ultima never had the success of the RC10. Perhaps it was because the RC10 was first to dominate and perhaps it was because the RC10 was a domestic product with all the parts support that goes with that in my country. I also wonder if it was how the street version of the Ultima was introduced to the US public. The original Ultima looked nothing like the ones that won the top three spots at the Worlds. While the bones of a superior racer were there, it wasn't the complete package. So, despite all the parts to build a winner being there through the aftermarket or Kyosho's own Option House parts line, Associated managed to stay in the lead here in the US, still pumping out the same old short arm, 6-gear car as fast as they could, struggling to meet demand. The Losi JR-X2 became the car to pose the real threat to the RC10's dominance. The JR-X2's hook of including all the popular hop-ups of the period in the kit from the start plus the benefit of being US domestic did what the Ultima failed to do here unfortunately. However it could be theorized that the Associated's humiliation at the '87 Worlds (whether it was the Ultima's slightly more polished design or simply down to the tires they had) and advent of the JR-X2 lead to their all-out Stealth Car fueled assault on the '89 Worlds and beyond. Competition improves the breed after all. I'm curious how the Ultima did and was received in other parts of the world less touched by the RC10's influence. Any insight?

I gotta admit these deals are killing me, lol. I kinda wanted the MB trail last time they had them at $169 and $125 is sooo cheap. It was just 3 weeks ago I was considering the tracked GF01 too for snow use. I think they would both be novelties to me in the end like my old Blizzard. More importantly, I want a Super Astute so its best not to get distracted. The impending tariffs of doom that will be supposedly crashing down upon my country shortly mean I better buy all the MCI and TBG from Canada for future planned restoration projects too.

Thanks @JimBear. Just as an aside, I don't claim to have any insider info and these are just theories on my part. I've just always been interested in motives in life. There's always an angle, so to speak, particularly in product marketing and advertising.

Hi! Welcome to the forum. To answer a few of your questions, are you referred to the front arm brace that joins the inner pivot points of the top arms? If so, when that style of brace was introduced way back in the 80's its wasn't necessarily for strength as those points were no more vulnerable than the other pivot points. Tying those points together offered support and cut down on slop and wear. While there has been speculation over the years, no one can say for sure where e-clips go when they fly off to destinations unknown. Some say they go to e-clip heaven, where they never rust or get bent out of shape again. Others claim they get reincarnated as other fasteners like nuts and screws. If the e-clip was bad, it becomes a press-nut or worse, a c-clip, like the ones used on the original Tamiya 4wd outdrives, supposedly. Its odd the left rear arm is dragging. Tamiyas are usually built with a bit of slop from the get-go. Perhaps the molds are getting tired. CVAs are pretty pain-free shocks, just watch those e-clips on the piston though.

There's the answer, lol. No, that's a bit facetious. Part of it is the 40th anniversary of the buggy. In an interview last year, someone from Associated stated they had plenty planned to celebrate and they weren't kidding from the looks of it. AE's former president said in an interview a few years back that not a day went by that they didn't get some inquiry about a second return of the RC10. Demand seemed to be there. On the rumor side, it was floated that AE wasn't all that keen on doing another re-release, being more interesting in moving forward. This rumor postulated that parent company Thunder Tiger saw the money laying on the table and pushed for another re-release. The first re-release of Classics, over a decade ago, sold well here in the US, actually requiring a second batch to be made. They sold for $250. The second re-re, the Worlds Car had some transmission related manufacturing issues and sat of shelves before finally being sold at a loss. Much later, after both cars had disappeared, yet another batch of of the Classics was "found" by AE. They sold them exclusively on their site for an inflated $450. Reports from other counties were that both the Classic and Worlds Car sold poorly back then. Its possible this relentless stream of variations serve multiple purposes. First they are all "special" and "unique" as a way of really celebrating what a monumental product the RC10 was for AE. Second, there's limited numbers of each variation. The product doesn't get stale and sit around like the first re-releases did. The market was so thirsty, that the limited production runs seem to be eagerly gobbled up by consumers, limiting the risk of unsold stock. The limited numbers drive FOMO in consumer's minds. The multiple variations not only keep things fresh on the shelf but also are geared to the pokomon collector mentality of "gotta catch 'em all" that is prevalent in the completest in our hobby. For instance, I'm not overly excited about the Boomerang, but I have one because it completes my set of having all the early Tamiya 4wds in my collection. Its clear at this point there is no rhyme or reason to AE's methods. We have models that make an attempt at mimicking the originals like the Classic and Halsey car. We have models that are slightly off (at least in comparison to the original releases) like the RC10T and this Team Car. We also have models that are totally new like the clear and green versions. For those that like it, enjoy the ride. There seems to be something new around every corner this year at Team Associated.

My conclusion: If you want to do things right, use whichever fasteners or methods you choose because there's no "right" or "wrong" way to fiddle around with these toy cars.

Price drop, $45 shipped.

I have some tires that I figured I try trading before putting them up for sale. What I have: 4 Jconcepts 2.2 Ranger tires without foams. They never fit all that great and will definitely require gluing. Never used. 4 Axial 2.2 Rock Lizard tires with foams. Got them with with a bunch of other stuff in trade. Look to have little use. 4 Tamiya 1.9 tires (only one pictured). These are the stock CC02 tires I'm looking to replace. I doubt anyone would want them, but if you're willing to trade, I'm open. What I want: 4 Tamiya Rock Block tires or 4 Tamiya Highlift tires Hit me up if you want to do some trading or just want to sell me the Rock Block/Highlift tires outright. Established members preferred.

Were me and the Monster Beetle at the beach today? Looks like it but I could only dream...

The old Monster Beetle blast through the leaves.

Found a set of new, unused Traxxas Emaxx wheels while doing a little cleaning. Hopefully someone can use them. $10 shipped in the US. Paypal accepted.

Does anybody have the part number for "short" CVA shock shafts with e-clip grooves to accept the plastic piston tops? I have a Top Force re-re and Monster Beetle re-re that I would like to replace the stock, solid metal "nail-head" pistons on. I need to do a little damper tuning. Thanks!

Technically, since the re-releases have been improved across the board, the Pro is probably the best performer of the rear motored 4wd legendary buggies with its forward mounted battery. Personally, I find the body to be the most attractive, but that's subjective. The Pro was pretty overlooked when it came out and doesn't have the following the Turbo does. Like Twinfan said, with other rear motor 4wds having been out for some time, you're down to newcomers coming in who were out of the loop and completist who have to have every variation of Optima as potential buyers. Then again, AE is flogging the heck out of that sales model with the RC10 this year and the Optima series is "a lot more car" for less money than the US gold tubbed (or is it green now?) wonder.

That's a great deal. I wonder if there's cab rearward, B4-esque bodies that might fit.

Excellent question. I do value some quality of life features but I suspect we might all have different takes on the subject. Some vehicles are generally great for quality of life like the DT02. @skom25 nailed it with its simple, easy-going attributes. My wife drives one and I often think of how it makes a perfect, reasonably durable, good handling, simple, plastic Tamiya buggy that anybody can drive. I personally find it utterly boring but that doesn't change the aforementioned positives of its design. From a mechanical standpoint, I like a lot of things folks might consider a pain in keyster. Hotshots are not the simplest things to tear down for major service but that doesn't bother me. The joy of building, running and maintaining a Hotshot (or Fox if you want to stick with 2wd) far exceeds that of the technically "better" DT02. I like some technical complexity but I don't like designs that are not well thought out. Tamiya is great a detail work. Everything fits and has a purpose. There's a cohesiveness to its design, so much so that when there isn't, we pick up on it. The TD4 had some odd screws going into holes and strange small pieces added in here and there that they stood out from the Tamiya norm. I'm not complaining but those standouts just prove how Tamiya normally conducts business, so to speak. From everything I read, the CAT xls is the opposite of this. It sounds complex but not in an over-engineered Avante way. Its goal to be competitive is clearer and thus it succeeds without the compromises Tamiya tends to make in search of that design cohesiveness. The CAT's important parts (the parts that make it a winner) are nailed down, but all the parts in between sound like after thoughts or minimally, not totally fleshed out. e.g. Tamiya has a set screw to lock a sway bar ball end in place whereas Schumacher evidently says have a go at soldering it. This extends to missing parts, out of order instructions etc. and those are the types of things that drive me crazy. I'm speaking of the original that I heard about in hobby shops back then (though some of these issues may have carried over to the re-re) so I may be off base. Even Tamiya's more fiddly builds like the CR01 don't bother me as much as improper parts fitment or worse, missing parts and bad instructions. Surprisingly, I don't mind when Tamiya idiot-proofs some things. Pre-set pinion locations and a Manta Ray optional ball diff that just screws down tight eliminates ambiguity and doubts. I do like easily removed batteries. Nothing's better than swapping packs out in something like a Lunch Box where the body stays on. If the body does have to come off, I hate having to fish it over and around tight shock towers etc. I don't care for wiring and cramped quarters make the chore a burden. Overly complex paintjobs aren't on my favorites list either.

@RushRebel, @Ferruz, I admit I was dubious when I dug into my first Car Crusher, but mine have been running pretty strong for some time now. Kyosho's redesigned knuckles which added more meat around the ballstud hole somewhere around the Double Dare intro seems to have fixed the earlier knuckle breakage issues.

This guidebook pic shows a black endbell. Being a later 80's kit, I'm going to guess its a Johnson metal endbell. Interestingly, the bodyless example is showing the optional C.P.R. (P100F?) unit installed while the full body version has the stock MSC installed as evidenced by the resistor peeking out from behind the rear shock.

Awesome to see the Big Boss still a rockin' @Ferruz .

(puts on fire suit) Most of my research on the interweb points to the use of self tapping screws for plastic. The situation seems not only to deal with ease/speediness of assembly but also the strength of the joint that self tappers provide in softer materials over machine screws. Tamiya, in general uses plastics and these plastics are designed with self tapping screws in mind. The issues with cracking I've found over the years deal more with part design vs fastener selection. Typical ABS and PC gain strength through mass. Many of the small parts on RC cars lack this whether due to part design constraints or economical concerns (using less material saves money). While Tamiya started using CAD in the latter half of the 80's and is clearly shown conducting strength analysis/impact test on various structures in one of their videos from the era, it was probably nearly impossible to calculate every conceivable stress imposed on a fastener-related joint in every car they produced at the time. Nominal usage scenarios aside, crashes, flips, impacts alone affect RC buggies in seemingly countless ways. Rather than work around all that by simply using tougher materials like high-end Kyoshos, Associated, etc. Tamiya still relies on ABS/PC construction for most of their line (though more reinforced plastics are making their way in). All that being said, we have the scenario where we have a material and hole designed for a self tapping fastener but said part does not have the luxury of enough surrounding materiel for adequate strength in our use case. Micro fractures from initial fastener insertion that wouldn't affect a typical joint with more surrounding material and less stress applied, now becomes the start of a part failure somewhere down the line. Heating self tappers prior to insertion reduces the chances of the aforementioned micro fractures while still allowing the use of the superior self tapping screw thread pitch and design made for use in plastics. With any fastener, back threading prior to inserting is always recommended. Machine screws will cross-thread but self tappers are aggressive enough to cut new threads if one is not careful. That's why I use self tappers. YMMV. They are toy cars and if some enthusiast prefer tapping/forming holes and using machine screws that's cool too.

https://www.stanleyengineeredfastening.com/-/media/web/sef/resources/docs/other/threaded_fasteners_for_plastics.ashx Some reading, I believe another member posted, for when this question arises.

The re-release Hotshot has monoshocks front and rear. The front monoshock geometry compresses the shock from points below and inboard of the shocks ends. This creates some odd geometries and applies a bending force to the shock as it compresses. At the rear, linkages and a cantilever allow both rear arms to share one shock. It works well when the rear wheels are compressed individually, but travel is cut in half when the rear wheels compress simultaneously. The shocks are unique plastic capped alloy units with built-in adjusters. It has front and rear sway bars. The battery door is a smallish piece of FRP. The roof panel is flat and there are two dummy "resistors" at the rear to mimic the looks of the originals. Its a delightful build and has iconic looks but being the first of the Hotshot line, its design shows immaturity but also ingenuity. The re-release Hotshot 2 has a monoshock up front with mount extensions from the Boomerang that correctly compress the shock from either end eliminating the issues with the earlier version. The rear uses arms, first seen on the Boomerang, t allow twin shocks to be mounted ahead of the arms (unlike the Super Hotshot, which tacks them on behind). A shock tower is added to the rear. The shocks themselves are red versions of Tamiya's plastic CVA2 dampers. Front sway bar only. The battery door is replaced with a larger piece of plastic that leads to a smoother underside. There is a scoop in the roof panel and the bodies are obviously different as well. The Hotshot2 didn't have the popularity of the original for a variety of reasons but it is the superior performer. My Hotshot example in the pic has optional gold wheels. Both the HS and HS2 come with white wheels in the kit.

I'm fairly certain you can dye both the arms and shocks black. Standard Tamiya PC/ABS plastics don't take dye but fortunately the Fire Dragon arms and shock parts are PA plastics.