kyoshofan223

@lowspot I don't have one of those fancy gauges to measure my tie-rods, and I've been putting off a badly needed adjustment. Is there an easier way to do so without taking apart the whole assembly? Better yet, are there any aftermarket options to make those more adjustable? Twisting those suckers to size was one of the least-pleasant parts of this build. I haven't found anything obviously, but by the looks of this effort, I figure if anyone knows a workaround or modification, you would. What is that gray gunk on the inside of the driver part of the body? Can you show a pic of that "glide tape for industrial conveyor belts" you added for the chain? That system has baffled me since the 80s..this choice on such a marvel of engineering for the time; feels like roll-up windows on a new BMW 750. The fact that it works as well as it does surprises me, but I have to believe a smoother guide for that chain would be a big help. One other bit of info I've been unable to find - anyone know the difference between the original re-re & the CRC-II? Thank you for any info you get a chance to add.

This might be a good place to add this question... It seems silly, but I dug this out of my closet, and was trying to remember how/why there is a separate driver AND one built into the lexan. I can't remember how I came to own this painted driver & separate body, but see that Team Blue Groove is offering the set the same way - and I have no idea how this would work or why it's like this. Someone here must know. Thanks!

I started using eBay around 1999, when it was still a novelty, and sellers were turning their old stuff into real money. I’m sitting here looking at the $34 offer for my old 1/5 tires listed at $40, questioning the madness of haggling over $6...With eBay’s user base now consisting of noobs w/ 0-5 transactions, ppl/bots looking to scam, folks with more $ than smarts (or just enough not to have to care), & sellers setting eye-watering prices...Oh yeah, and these new users expect Amazon-level service – unrestricted returns, immediate shipping, etc., or you’ll be accused of being a scammer (over $10) & threatened with disputes (which the buyer will win, so you can’t even really trust feedback anymore), etc. ... So to my questions - 1) Now that eBay doesn’t allow you to view sales history beyond 30 days, where do you find a true average purchase price for rare items not really sold anyplace else? Take the market for the Technigold motor for instance. You can get a new one for $350 here; but a used one may vary by $100 even in similar condition. It’s a total crap shoot. I have items that haven’t shown up on eBay for years, with no idea how to price them. 2) Where do you find the same kind of experience that made eBay the “last man standing” while the dot-com universe imploded around them? Not only “standing,” but making acquisitions north of $100M in 2000, when fancy tech workers like me were showing up to work to find a cardboard box on their desks. The online equivalent of that little hobby shop outside of some random Japanese city that posted on Yahoo Auctions once in a while... 3) Posting anything <$100 on eBay doesn’t seem worth it, and local options like OfferUp or FB Marketplace have driven me nearly to madness dealing with locals for whom showing up at a certain time and “price is firm” are totally foreign concepts. What do you do with R/C (or really any) stuff you need to get rid of, but is too valuable to discard & not valuable enough to bother selling? I’m clearing out my place & donating tons of stuff, but after losing my job, I really need to bring in some $$ for some of this stuff. Thank you!

Wow, very cool. I just found your instagram; didn't include the underscores at first but I found it @pretend_rc_shop! Very, very cool collection. I love that Wild One Blockhead Motors edition; always wanted a Wild One. I've been in the middle of that build now for many months; keep procrastinating on it; it's not coming out so good. I have been very disappointed in the quality of the parts...the "chrome" coming off when separating the parts trees. I haven't built a Tamiya kit in many years, but compared to the instructions & quality of the parts in the Kyosho kits, it's just not in the same league. I dunno; if I don't finish it by the new year I'll probably just sell it as-is. Those 240Zs are fantastic.. wish I could afford a full-sized one. Maybe if I stop blowing all of my cash on R/Cs!

That is a really sweet looking collection! I see a Z on that shelf too yah? The Scorpions look great too...another re-re on my wish list.. Are those the same "red" shocks that were on the original Ultima? I'm sure they fixed the leaking issue ...They look different. I am going to have to spend some time checking out your "garage" ... I thought I was an R/C hoarder! Your workshop looks like how mine might if I had a bigger budget & didn't get laid off Though I still have more projects than I will ever finish. Speaking of the Mid special edition ... y'all ever hear of this Kosword Edition? Euro-only .. I remember how much everyone drooled over the Custom Special ... any of these kinds of limited versions (I have a few myself of Kyosho 1/12) always generated excitement among fanbois like us, but I wonder if re-re based versions will have the same panache ... This one does seem to have some interesting upgrades; and at $400, it doesn't even seem crazy - right around the price of the original

A known weak-spot for these cars is that ABS chassis. I saw these aluminum chassis by Kingly all over eBay, and am wondering how one might work for the BigWig...anyone here have 1st hand experience with one? It is a little odd to see the HotShot pictured with the item; assuming it is a direct replacement & doesn't require any mods to fit...asked the seller for clarification there. Thank you!

I tried to quote the original post, but it got all screwy .. this is in response to that amazing re-re Ultima above by @Willy iine - is there any chance you have a list of upgrades someplace handy? I would love to see that. I picked up that new green special edition Optima Mid (well, it's on pre-order anyway), but stopped short of the new Ultima Pro-ish release, as I already have an original Pro NIB I am trying to get around to building one of these days. I would love to see them re-release that one so I could finally run the thing knowing replacement parts are plentiful & not so overpriced as to be afraid of a lost dogbone. [rant] The insanity of the market for vintage parts (on eBay anyway), has gone completely mad, following this trend of making sure inflated prices stick around because behavior hasn't changed - the rich people who got richer these past few years keep paying them no matter how high they get (hotels, luxury items, and nostalgic toys), while prices of necessities for the rest of the peasants like me slowly coming back to earth - gas, eggs, etc. I walked into a horror-themed collectible shop recently & ran into a "Good Guy" doll from Child's Play that I would have had to put on layaway! Case in point, do a search on eBay for anything related to the Tamiya Falcon, my 1st car.. examples in pretty poor condition are priced > $600; a decal sheet for $150. It is completely bonkers. Kyosho re-releasing these kits in very limited quantities are causing scavengers to buy them up & flip at double the price (Fantom 60th anniversary gold edition)...smart for them I guess; you don't really see the same phenomena with Schumacher's Cat line..interested to see what happens with the re-re RC10. [/rant]

Y'all think this means there won't be a re-release of the production version that eventually followed, a proper Ultima Pro?

One more thing to add about this kit - I know it's more for nostalgia than performance/durability, but it really reminded me of why I was such a Kyosho snob back in the day. The quality of the parts is just terrible. You can't separate any parts from the trees without damaging the chrome 'finish', and the instructions' solution is to buy paint to try and touch it up. The plastic bushings are annoying too, but I also used to think Tamiya's instructions & builder steps were good too, but Kyosho provides extra e-clips & washers where you know you'll lose one, and doesn't use a bunch of screws that are almost identical... I dunno, I just feel like when I finally get it finished, it isn't going to look all that pretty as a display model, and isn't worth upgrading for the track... Compared to other re-releases, like Kyosho's Turbo Optima, the quality isn't even in the same ballpark.

Ahh, modern technology. This is the downside of the unconventional way in which I enjoy the hobby today. I can't usually spend 2-3 evenings to build a kit like I used to, so when you revisit ongoing projects with a month or two in between, it's easy to forget ... that I already bought a tool like this back in '19! Though it was initially for installing ball-ends, if I can locate it (thanks Amazon Order History!), it should be smooth sailing from here. I did the exact same thing with a special e-ring tool a while back, forgetting I'd already purchased an alternative solution to launching those tiny little ******s across the room with a needle-nose & then frantically crawling around on the carpet trying to find the darn thing. Though I suppose learning this way is better than buying the same tool twice, which also could have easily happened here. Thanks for the reminder!

Tamiya’s excellent customer service made up for the lousy online catalog/search tool at tamiya.com. I know which matters more to me. I filled out their online contact form on Saturday & received a reply Tuesday with direct links to the items I needed. I’m glad I didn’t spend way too much on a big package of parts I didn’t...wish I was more patient with the actual build. Now I just have to thread those plastic ball ends without scratching them up again... In case anyone is interested: Rear: https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/7-digit-spare-parts/rc-piston-rod-58391/ Front: https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/7-digit-spare-parts/rc-front-piston-rod-58525/ Thanks for the input!

I used a thick cloth, but accidentally grabbed the wrong pliers ... they were really, really hard to get screwed into the plastic thingies - my hands were sore after gripping them tight enough to keep the piston rod from rotating. I don't think cardboard would work but I will try next time. I scuffed them up badly enough to completely ruin the motion.

Unfortunately this seller doesn't ship to the US. I can't tell if these are the correct pistons; seller hasn't replied, can anyone tell for sure?

I scuffed up the piston rods when building the shocks & need to replace them. The part numbers are completely different from anything I've been able to find online, and all I can dig up are a few examples from overseas that are from the original model. Are parts for this thing really this difficult to find? It has to be a standard Wild One piston rod.. I haven't built a Tamiya kit in a few decades, which is probably why I'm goofing it up, but if parts are this hard to find, I may just throw in the towel & sell the 25% assembled kit. What am I missing here? Anyone know where to get these? Do I have to buy a new set of shocks for front and rear?

I am having a terrible time finding some true street tires for my Turbo Optima re-re. The block-pattern that comes stock with the kit have worn down and are not very good in the parking lot; I really need some more grip... I'm looking for something like this, preferably pre-mounted to rims that'll fit without modification. It does surprise me that I seem to be the only one interested in something like this. Anyone have a link to something close?

Yeah, I guess it really is just everywhere. I went to a Retro Gaming Expo last month and my jaw dropped at what they were charging for old Nintendo & Sega games... games that could be had at a local Gamestop for more than 10x the price. Sure, shows like that are always more, but it was completely bonkers. It's the sheer profiteering though that bothers me more... Like how gas is $4.00 one place, then up the block it's $4.50.. Hotels that don't offer housekeeping daily anymore because they don't want to bring their staff back (and make the COVID/environment excuse). That's got nothing to do with the price of oil or the pandemic, it's simply greed... Unfortunately consumers largely don't seem to impact that stuff with their choices & just seem to pay whatever the price... More disposable income, more people willing to spend it on convenience I suppose... We've all gotten a little spoiled with the Amazon & Instacard lifestyle, but I'm still annoyed I have to wait 6 months & pay 500% markup for a part for my Kyosho pancar. The problem with it all is that I don't think the cat is going back into the bag... For one brief moment you heard all about how wages had finally gone up, but anyone in the job market can tell you that salaries are nowhere near what most people need to live a comfortable lifestyle if you're a runofthemill worker-bee.

Anyone know if this version of the Lunch Box has been discontinued? Most of the online retailers that have it on their sites note that it is out of stock & have a space to enter an email address to be notified when it is in stock, but in my experience only about half the time that option is actually used for the displayed purpose. When I do a Google/Shopping search, it turns up only the "Black" version..which is equally as cool I think, but all else being equal, I think I'd like to get my hands on the blue version if I can. Thanks!

I was just wondering if I was alone in this conclusion that certain segments of the R/C market has gotten a little out of control in the last year or so. I suppose that could be said about prices on everything, ranging from the somewhat legitimate (shipping problems / shortages related to COVID in Asia) to outright gouging (eBay sellers charging $75 for a spur gear that'd otherwise be $18 retail if it weren't backordered for > 1 year & just impossible to get otherwise). I have to wonder about why the prices of used items or vintage parts/kits are also increasing in price suddenly at such a ridiculous rate beyond normal inflation, sort of like used full-sized cars, seemingly because..well, I don't really know. I sorta get the full-sized car thing, assuming the shortage of new vehicles contributing to supply problems in the used market, but is it just the same reason anything nostalgia-related has just blown up the last few years? Classic cars from the 70s have increased astronomically, while the demand for toys, collectibles, retro video games.. .just about anything middle-aged folks like myself with too much disposable income can buy that recaptures a piece of their childhood now costs far more than it did just a few years ago. I'm getting a little off topic here, sorry... The main reason I'm ranting is because of the last two R/C kits I've purchased (both re-release incidentally) - a 1/12 Kyosho Fantom & a Tamiya Wild One (Blockhead Edition). The latter is still on backorder, but in both cases, there were a glut of marked-up examples on eBay, seemingly offered by sellers who, aware of the limited production runs, bought in bulk intending to resell for a profit. Now there are those who'd argue that this is just free enterprise, but other industries/products, like concert tickets or even auto manufacturers (with less success) have stepped in to try and help poor schnooks like me who wind up waiting months & months because we don't want to pay 1/3+ more than retail just to get it sooner. I was just wondering what y'all thought.

Anyone know a website that might list the specs for the original Kyosho USA-1 Nitro Crusher, the 1990 version? It seems like the re-release has displaced all information about the original, and I can't find anything to use in my classified ad.

Once I glue my new knobbies & hit the track, I'll definitely be in a position to report on this... though I do expect to spend a lot less time on my lid with the new wing installed. It handled like a champ last time, but my only complaint was that it was difficult to control over the jumps & I am confident the wing will make a bit difference. I'll report back.

The wing stay is screwed into the gearbox; the body clips are just connected to that little platform at the top. It's big enough area to chop off that I can make a mess of the body in the process no matter how much I try to Dremel-away my shame. I can't hang a picture straight! I'm going to try to get help with that, but right now I'm mostly interested in figuring out if the Mid-style body will work out better for the next one.

So I decided to go with the Javelin setup...It required disassembling more of the car than I expected, so the Javelin wing stay is ... here to stay , but for some reason I forgot about this part. I'm going to hold my breath & do my best not to destroy my existing bodies that weren't originally trimmed to accommodate it. The chances of it looking terrible when I'm done are very very good, so I'm already planning on buying at least one new body. Before I do, anyone know if the shell for the Optima Mid or Turbo Mid SE would be a more natural fit, accommodating the wing/stay without butchering the rear end?

Was there a really noticeable boost in top speed after making the switch? I'm wondering if there's any fiddling that can be done with the timing of the motor or adjustments to the ESC...though I can't imagine either comes from the factory with a deficit in that department. The price gouging & difficulty getting parts is definitely frustrating. The re-release was supposed to eliminate that! Ironic that even the re-releases are now overpriced & scarce. Anyway, I'm just worried about spending > $100 for 2 fewer turns on the motor & $50 on a spur gear without some more confidence that it'll have the effect I'm looking for.

It's really just the idea of doing much more cutting on any of my finished bodies that scares me the most, but it's inevitable on the Salute body anyway to clear the shock towers. I've done a bit more searching and it looks like the best option is actually the OT-65 wing stay set originally intended for the Kyosho Salute. The only wrinkle being that it seems like one of those parts that may turn up on the other side of the world every few years. This version for the Mid-series, most similar to the Javelin setup I think, is the way I think I'd like to go. It's certainly far more available. I don't have my car nearby at the moment, but there's gotta be a way to mount this someplace without a giant headache, no? If I can't figure it out, I'll probably resort to fastening it to the actual body. I'm not babying it completely, but I'm also not planning on abusing it so I don't think I need to worry much about it coming apart in a crash much (famous last words lol) if I had to go that way.