Saito2

I'll admit I'm toying with the idea of messing around with two things I don't commonly touch, a new-style Tamiya buggy and brushless power. I have a Castle 4600 series setup that I found a little too hairy for my WT01 or Blitzer so it now resides in my TXT-2 which works perfectly. I always wanted to combine quick but sensible brushless power with the better control of a 4wd buggy. Since I have a deep respect for vintage designs, I don't want to over power or tear one up, but have no qualms applying brushless to something newer. (wish the Thundershot chassis was still plentiful, sigh) So here come the questions. What exactly does the TT02B need for brushless running? From the things I've heard, it has a dodgy plastic (plastic?!) diffs front and rear, plastic prop shaft, plastic outdrives/dogbones and plastic motor mount. What does the MS give that would be useful for brushless power over the regular version? I see a metal prop shaft, metal outdrives/dogbones and bearings that might be useful. Would it be better to start with the MS or save money by going with the cheap Plasma Edge 2 version (which I do prefer the looks of) and upgrading it? I'm guessing a metal motor mount, better diffs (DF02? aftermarket?) and metal prop shaft are definites. Finally, what inexpensive but reasonably reliable brushless system would be recommended? I'm sorry for my ignorance with this new stuff, but I still run a few MSCs, a few NiCads (mostly NiMhs now though) and all AM radios. Your sadly anachronistic club member, Saito

I think the Bear Hawk might have used the same red friction shocks as the Saint Dragon. I also seem to recall someone one here (Pintopower maybe? not sure) was able to carefully dye the standard yellow CVA shocks red, if you'd like to "look" but with the improved performance of an oil filled shock.

Thank you for the kind words. That King Blackfoot of yours is a bullet! Wheelies on demand. Nice.

What's funny is the King Blackfoot, in many ways, is even more streamlined and simplified design-wise than the original Blackfoot. Early Tamiya designs (as well as other manufactures at the time) could be wickedly over engineered. But its this feature that makes them interesting to tinker with and drive. To this day, Tamiya still can over-think things (i.e. CR01 platform) but its one of their charms. Once the proper design architecture was nailed down, alot of vehicles began to look and act the same. Better performing, stronger and lower-parts count doesn't always add up to perfection in my eyes unless one is being totally pragmatic about it.

The Stampede is 23 years old. Other than an upgraded transmission and the usual body/tires wheels tweaks, its basically the same architecture. It was even a kit once. Today its sadly just RTR and somewhat less engaging, for that reason, than the WT01. Really, I don't mean to compare the two. While theoretically a better out-of-the-box performer, the Stampede lacks all the multiple configurations that the WT01 can be built to. Both are durable long-lived trucks. This is one of my pet peeves about the chassis. I agree (only my opinion) the Stampede is ugly compared to the WT01. However, many of the beautiful scale Tamiya bodies don't match the WT01 wheelbase. The Wild Dagger and Twin Detonator look good, but the Blackfoot 3 for instance just doesn't fit in my eyes. I don't mean to put down the WT01 or Stampede. They're great trucks, but just not for me. If I want a 2wd monster, you'll find me behind the wheel of a Monster Beetle or original Blackfoot, flawed though may be.

Welcome! Very nice modifications. I really need to track down a King Blackfoot for my collection. I love the design evolution of any chassis. A brief run down of its history: The KBF is the last in a very long line of vehicles to use the ORV (off road vehicle) platform. It originally came out (as the Subaru Brat) as a replacement chassis for the SRB (special racing buggy) which was Tamiya's first buggy chassis (1979). It eventually underpinned the Frog (and Lancia Rally) before being modified majorly the first time into the original Blackfoot. It gained, among other things, a new tall front shock tower, bigger steering blocks and uprights and a cover (that you mentioned) to protect the electronics (while covering the exposed chassis under the high-riding Ford F150 body). Extremely popular, the Blackfoot sold in record numbers despite being flawed in several areas. The Super Blackfoot was the first round of revisions which focused on the woefully weak rear gearbox. The SBF also lost the rear trailing arm suspension and gained a wider version of the original BF's front suspension. The King Blackfoot finished the transformation by revising the front suspension totally to a more up-to-date standardized design. By this point, the chassis itself was the main remnant from the old ORV days. The pieces you used as front shock mounts are the original ORV battery end caps/ side retainers. Nice re-use of them! Sadly, your right that the chassis could have used further development in certain areas. Rather then give the old girl another go around, Tamiya choose to move on to another platform (Wild Dagger/WT01,WR01). So the King Blackfoot wound up being the last of the line.

The truck is fairly bulletproof and compared to a Stampede, I agree, its a lesson in kit building and tuning. In my case I found the chassis devoid of personality that the older trucks had. But on the other hand, it's not a perfect performer either. It kinda fell in this weird space between quirky, but flawed vintage trucks and newer point-and-shoot performance trucks. I don't mean to offend anyone as I know it is very popular with folks which speaks volumes about its abilities.

Ah, don't feel bad. Its not one of my favorites either. Sometimes certain models "click" with us and sometimes they don't.

I have to sit down and make one of these. It'll keep things so much more organized.

Yes, Tamiya did make a specific sway bar kit just for the Fox. I seem to recall the part number was something like 272.

I would love to rally race 1:1 but I'm older and wiser now. My full size car collection is down to 5 and will stay there. My daughter and wife are top priorities now (as it should be). RC is about the only hobby I have held onto because I can fit it in here and there when time allows. I think Kyosho may be next.

Very nice. I like the paint scheme. The Grasshopper 2 shell fits the longish DT03 chassis surprisingly well.

That sounds like an ominous warning.

I've run this chassis in 2wd form with a Castle 4600. I found it almost too fast for the chassis to handle (although durability wasn't a problem). Then I had a 4wd variant with EVX 14.4v twin 550 power out of an Emaxx. Too powerful. The extra weight showed and the drive cups/dogbones wore quickly. The happy medium for me turned out to be twin HPI Firebolt 15T motors on 8.4v. It was just as quick with less weight and axle shredding torque.

I'll admit, 5th scale has crossed my mind recently . Reminds me of the old Raco Jackrabbit. I did get a re-re Bruiser a while back and it was a lousy runner, lol . I sold it, then years later decided I needed a least one original 3-speed even if it was for the shelf, so I got the Mountaineer/Mountain Rider. People will throw bricks at me, but I still prefer the High Lift series for running. You've definitely given me some things to think about.

I have roughly about 70 at the moment give or take some I might be forgetting or boxed away.

When they get to the shelf, they're up to my standards. I don't like broken bits, tattered bodies and bald tires but war scars are fine otherwise. Gives them character. Interestingly you mentioned multiples of certain models and that's one of the keys that got me thinking. I have 4 Monster Beetles, 3 Lunch Boxes, 2 Madcaps, 3 FAVs, 4 Clod Busters on so on. That's when I stopped and said "Wait a minute. how many don't I have yet to complete the collection I want to build?" That's when I saw the end in sight and it wasn't as far off as I thought. Randomly, since I joined Tamiyaclub in '04 or '05, I had managed to amass this collection by just picking up cars that I felt were the right price and caught my interest. I suppose when the reasonably priced ones are collected I could start saving money and going after some rarer models I never thought to own based simply on their exclusiveness like an original Hilux, but boy do I have trouble spending over $500 on one model. I know this is foolish considering the value of the collection as a whole is staggering but what else would I spend money on? Still your point that the rabbithole runs deep is true. I'll still collect old buggies even just to fix them up to give them new life. Its what I do I suppose.

Light at the end of the tunnel, but is it daylight or a train? I looked a my collection the yesterday (a mixture of vintage and re-release off-roaders from the first 100) and realized I'm only about 10 cars away from completing it. Now, my collection would not be totally complete, but with only 10 more cars I'd have every vehicle I want in the collection except those that are totally un-affordable. For instance, I would never want a Striker (sorry Striker fans) even if it was given to me. I also don't see myself as getting something so rare or expensive as a complete Avante 2001 or Blazing Blazer (unless re-re'd). So this leaves some cars to hunt down like a Super Sabre (very important to me as it was my late father's favorite) or Sonic Fighter because the likelihood of re-release is low. With some, like the Falcon or Mud Blaster, I'm going to be patient because I see a re-release as being plausible. Some, like a Grasshopper or Brat, I simply haven't gotten around to buying. There's a few odd on-roaders I'd go for like a Tyrrel P34 or Road Wizard, but not many. While its exciting to near completion, I'm stuck wondering what I'll do next. Collect other brands? I always wanted a Nichimo Spirit FF and Royal Ripper. Start looking at Kyosho? I'm a slow, patient buyer who relatively careful with his money. I'm certainly blessed and not complaining about the situation but it is a quandary.

Thanks!

This is great! I've been kicking around a similar idea for years. Where did you find the extension plates for the chassis? The width looks great too. Are the TL01 arms between the stock WR02 length (a little too short) and the TL01B/WT01 arms (a little too long)?

The idea behind this thread is to post up what your favorite Tamiya is at the moment. It could be a favorite runner or shelfer. It could even be one you don't own yet but can't wait to get you hands on. Since opinions change, you can post multiple times as you may find enjoyment in other models. Whether this thread gets legs or withers on the vine, who knows? At the moment I'm digging my Super Shot. I really have gained an appreciation for old Tamiya 4wd buggies in the last 10 years or so. While the Hot Shot is iconic, overall, I'm having a blast running my Super Shot. There's just something so cool about Tamiya throwing every hop-up they had at this platform and combining it with one of their most aggressive appearances. Four big, imposing, yellow shocks, silver bodywork, gold wheels with mean-looking pin spike tires add up to one tough looking buggy in my opinion.

The Frog and Hot Shot are kinda like apples and oranges. Both vintage buggies, but not alike. The Frog is one step ahead of the old full metal SRB-era. As such it has simple plastic parts combined with stamped metal parts. They are very light and a step up from the SRBs they replaced. Stock, they are bouncy but better than a Hornet. They do have a high COG with upright servos, a tall-ish chassis and high-mounted motor. They can be modified however to handle much better. Frogs were wildly popular with racers around here before the RC10 came out and put an end to all of it. It's quick and with a short wheelbase and adjustable caster, can really hook around a hairpin turns on the right surface. 2wd can be fun with throttle-induced over-steer. The Hot Shot is two steps ahead of the SRB-era, design-wise. It's mostly plastic and the plastic moldings are complex and accurate. Where the Frog is light, relatively simple, nimble but bouncy, the Hot Shot is weighty, complex and planted. The Hot Shot seems solid and hugs the ground. With longer suspension arms and low profile tires it seem to slink (but not drag) along the ground. Much more stable. The build is more involved (its one of my very favorites). The layered chassis over arched by a roll cage assembly with the addition of a unique suspension system is a work of art to me. It understeers as early 4wds do. You can't go wrong with either, They're both icons in Tamiya history, but they do behave quite differently.

There are folks with far more knowledge than I on the subject who will no doubt post shortly. Most of what I see is highly modified Tamiya SRBs (Sand Scorcher, Rough Rider, etc.) They have loads of awesome period hop-up parts on them. The one in the second pic appears to still have its original SRB gearbox with aftermarket swing arms, roll cage, suspension and chassis. The first/third pic have very little actual SRB stuff left on them (a few front end parts). These may be Taipans, ready made period competition cars based on Tamiya SRBs. Think of them as SRBs with nearly all the hop-ups available (there were alot as you can see) already put on them. These cars and parts are truly unique gems! Very nice!

Now here's a weird question that popped into my head. Tamiya vehicles endear themselves to us often because they have "personality" or a soul if you will. The question I struck upon, was could a certain Tamiya embody someone in a way? Strange, I know. Bear with me. When I was a kid my first Tamiya was a Lunch Box and in many ways it embodied who I was at the time. I was on the small side (The Lunchie was the smallest of the monster trucks back then) but I was durable and rough-and-tumble. I was energetic but didn't always land on my feet, much like a Lunch Box. Nowadays, its more Monster Beetle (the vehicle that originally hooked me on Tamiya ironically). I'm older, more mature (less wheelies, more stable). I come from a mostly German background. The Beetle is often described as humble, which, in person, I am. My joints have gotten looser and sloppy with age like a Monster Beetle's do. I'm less durable. Like the Monster Beetle's diff, I have an achilles heel, my bad back and knees, in this case. I don't do anything particularly well like a TRF201 (which was focused on competition), just an all-around performer with no focused strengths. Also, like the Monster Beetle, I'm quirky and offbeat, but not intentionally, I just am. So, as odd as the question may be, does a Tamiya embody you?

This might be a suggestion that would sway me from my 3 picks. If tire size and ground clearance beat 4wd then the Madbull suggestion might be perfect. It's simplistic and easy to clean. I could pull the wheels and tires off and easily fit it into a small backpack. Its also nice and light to lug around. I haven't tired of its performance like a Hornet, but its drivetrain and suspension is pretty sand-proof like the Hornet. Its not quite as old as I like, but I could see myself having fun with it. The TT02B (especially the excellent value MS version) tempted me, but the I think the quirky Madbull could be a winner.