Doglover

So - I have a Grand Hauler and Fuel Tanker on order but today I got to play with a real Big Boy! Yes I'm in the industry - we make the drive axles, steer axles and drive shafts for these Kenworths here in Australia.

I remember August 1982 - my birthday is end July - and guess what I got! There I was - 14 years old and confronted with a Tamiya Rough Rider! At that time - and age - I had no idea what shock absorbers or gearboxes were, never mind what they did. Who else remembers waiting hours for the hump back battery to re-charge? Then girls, life, university, career, divorce, re-marriage, kids, emigration to Australia - life got complicated. But somehow that Rough Rider stayed with me - even though it was in a dusty box in the garage somewhere. Fast forward 26 years and my son is now 6 and interested in cars and scalextric, so its off to the hobby shop for a scalextric set. But - it's Friday night and they are racing RC Cars! Sudden change in interest and plans - we bought two Associated 18R's to race indoors. I remember many magic hours spent with my son teaching him how to use the radio, accelerate, brake and steer - not easy for a 6 year old to grasp. Fast forward three years and my son is club champion and now racing a 1/5 scale 4 wheel drive Mini with a 26c petrol engine and doing well. His reward - let's go Karting - where things are really expensive. Ten years later I'm still paying off the karting expenses. My son is now a qualified commercial pilot - where he gets to play with really expensive toys! And I came across my old Rough Rider in a box when clearing out my garage. It is now restored / rebuilt and in prime position on a shelf in my study - and I have forty other rc cars - from a Tamiya Hilux 3 speed to SCX 10 crawlers and custom drift cars. And every time I work on, build or modify one of my rc cars I am transported back to that time at the dining room table in 1982 - trying to figure out how to put my Rough Rider together - before caving in and asking my Dad for help. And I can't help smiling. My Dad and I then went on to rebuild and customise a beautiful Karmann Ghia as my first car - and the car bug was firmly set. Yes - cars and RC cars are definitely a part of my life - and responsible for some of my best memories. Along the way I have also built hundreds of plastic model kits (both cars and planes) and collected nearly 8000 (EIGHT THOUSAND) die cast cars and trucks - all on display in my house - which my long suffering wife calls the Toy Shop! And I will never part with my Rough Rider.

I have a few: - Original Rough Rider that I got for Christmas in 1983 - fitted with a re-re body - it still runs but is pretty much a shelf Queen. Re-re Rough Rider - because why not? Re-re Buggy Champ - my runner for the beach - much modified. Original Grasshopper with modified suspension and Baja Bug Body Re-re Grasshopper with modified suspension and a Baja Bug Body - Super detailed with lights etc Re-re Wild Willy - standard Mini Cooper Monaco Rally - standard TT01 Drift with Nissan Coppermix Body - standard but for Tamiya light kit TT01 Rally with ABC Mitsubishi Evo 10 Body - slightly modded. 2 x Gravel Hound - one standard - one with every upgrade and Brushless Power - squeeze the trigger and hold on! Wildly impractical! Most of an Original Avante - slowly gathering / making parts Most of an Original Fox - slowly gathering parts Mostly I make scale crawlers and scale drift cars - making my own parts with lathe and milling machine - my Tamiya's are just a link to my childhood. My crawlers have working lights, sirens, flashing lights, engine sounds, working winches and full interiors - but none of them are Tamiya I have my eye on a Tamiya Amarok to match my real one

I use mostly M2, M3 and M4 allen headed cap screws (Machine Screw) to replace Phillips or JIS self tappers. But then I cut a shallow vertical slot in the last three threads of the cap screw with a Dremel cut-off blade to create a slight tap effect - then use a bit of hand soap for lubrication. Goes in great, doesn't damage the plastic and looks way better.

My other vice is Die-cast cars - over and above my 30+ RC cars. I have 7200 on display in my home - with no duplicates. I have been collecting since I was 8 years old in 1974 - that's 46 Years. All have been taken out of their boxes and are on display. I also build 1/24 and 1/12 scale plastic model cars - usually Tamiya but I have been known to indulge in a Revell as well. We race Associated 18R cars indoors on carpet and I build hyper detailed RC 4x4's, trucks, off-roaders and drift cars. Oh - I also like building working model tugs. My Highlift Hilux tows my Nissan S15 Drift car - with custom made chassis. One of my display cases for my 1/64 diecast. My Austar Ford Bronco with full lighting, flashers, siren and working winch. My other Bronco - cheap eastern chassis with upgraded engine and electronics. My Sand Scorcher Body on a Grasshopper Chassis.