Room335

Currently building Manta Rays with my 2 boys, and this gives me hope for making that shell look good. Nice job!!

Nice. Like you I also have a Turbo Optima waiting to be built. Are you going box art or custom?

As someone who enjoys building even more than running, this post rings especially true for me. I've come to realize that just the mere IDEA of building kits brings me enjoyment, as evidenced by my ever-growing stockpile of Tamiya goodness...that I have no time to build! And your line about it "not being work" struck a chord with me. I find kit-building to be relaxing and even somewhat cathartic; it's an opportunity to work with my hands that my day job does not allow. The payoff of a completed project is nice, but the road that takes me there is what I enjoy most about this hobby.

So I just bought a TB02 from eBay on a whim. I know it's a little dated, and the ball diffs are a love/hate thing, but the price was too good to pass up. Curious if anyone has any advice for this chassis? I'm in this hobby more for the builds than the running, but I always like to hear other people's experiences. Thanks!

Just wanted to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the detective work in this thread. Including the grainy spy pics. Great find!

Sorry @TurnipJF, I wasn’t trying to be snarky. I actually bought Manta Rays for my sons, largely because of Manta fans like you and others here. Full disclosure...I also picked up a Top Force for myself in the early days of the lockdown.😀 Now, if someone can point me to a place to buy time to build these kits...

So what you’re really saying here, is that the Top Force lives up to the hype? 😉

Amazing reply @speedy_w_beans, thanks so much! Really looking forward to the challenge of this build, and decal set:

Great thread @speedy_w_beans, thank you. I'm looking at a TB-04 standard kit. Just finished building a pair of TT02's, and wanted something that was a little more challenging. I have a couple of questions for you (or any other TB-04 gurus): You mentioned the unsealed center gearbox. Is there any way to remedy this? I will be running in parking lots. Is this a recipe for disaster? Anything you recommend as critical upgrades (keeping in mind this a standard TB-04 kit)? Is the shimming necessary for casual use? Thank you!!

I feel obligated to uphold TamiyaClub tradition and say...get both. I was deciding on the same 2 buggies a few months back...I went Top Force with no regrets. And I fully expect to get a SHS in the near future, when the wife looks away.

I used these and cut out the middle with a hobby knife. Turned 50 cones into 100. The small size is perfect for the smaller scale cars like the RC28 pictured. The added benefit on the larger cones is that with the middle removed, it’s much more forgiving and won’t cause the 1/10 cars to flip. Win-win!

There's an argument to be made for buying the Top Force based on looks alone! The fact that it's a competent runner is icing on the cake.

Great work guys. I know the info is sprinkled throughout this thread and others, but can you summarize what parts/mods were needed for the gear diff conversion? Looks like you used the 54471 TA06 diff...anything else? Stock gearbox? Also wondering if the slipper clutch would serve any purpose with this conversion? I was planning to use one with the stock ball diff. Thanks!

Great stories here. Funny how so many of us had similar paths in this hobby. The cars and dates may be different, but the vibes are the same. Like @Finnsllc said, there’s something about this hobby that stays with you, even when life takes you elsewhere. For me, it started with a used Boomerang bought from a neighbor ca. 1987. Pretty sure it had a Technigold. Then an Inferno 7.5 around 2003...mostly for the joy of building a kit...but I never really caught the nitro bug. Fast forward to Xmas 2019, 3 kids later, when I got a pair of Lunchboxes for my 2 boys. I ended up building most of the kits for them, and I was hooked once again. A YouTube search uncovered the Tamiya Legends channel, and his video ranking the best Tamiya 4WD buggies (highly recommended if you’ve never seen it). Of course I had to buy a Top Force after watching it. Shortly after that I discovered TamiyaClub, and the DN01 love here compelled me to get one of those too! Followed by a pair of TT02’s for my boys...yada yada yada you know the story. Anyways, happy to be here amongst some of the most friendly, helpful, and enthusiastic forums I’ve found.

x 2. You have some of the cleanest looking builds @Nicadraus. Great job!