Search the Community

Many users have made the head of Willy move in their Wild Willy. I wanted to do the same in my build but was surprised I couldn't find a topic* describing the steps so I decided to document how I did it, and post it here. What's needed: - Willy (obviously ) - Mini servo - 6mm wall plug - Small screw - Servo Y-connector (Not on picture, still awaiting delivery) Take some narrow tape (or cut a narrow strip from wider tape) and use it to mark the middle of the bucket seat Now get a wider piece of tape and make it 32mm wide. Next mark the middle of it, I used dots so I could easily align it. Mark the area to cut away from the bucket seat as seen below. 7mm from the bottom, 10mm from the sides, the top is 22mm from the bottom. Cut out the square, make sure to not make it wider than 12mm as you need the mini servo to fit tightly Remove the mounting extensions from the servo. Take the plug and remove the protrusions, fit it on the mini servo and position the servo in the seat as shown below Now drill the hole in Willys body to 7mm (I did this in several steps just to be cautious to not damage the body) and place it in the seat. If needed wiggle the plug a bit to reposition the servo. Attach the servo to the receiver, test the servo and see if it moves without obstruction. When the servo is in the right place, make a mark on the plug where Willy's 'neck' ends. Carefully remove the body so the servo doesn't move and glue the servo to the seat. Now drill a 6mm hole in Willy's head, again do this in small steps and be careful not to split the head in two. If you had previously inserted the nut before glueing the two parts you can use Tamiya glue to soften the plastic and pull the nut out. Now take the plug from the servo and put it in the hole you just drilled in Willy's head, use the mark to get the height right. Important! Observe the direction the plug will extend in when inserting the plug, make sure you don't split the two parts of the head! Now use the small screw to fasten the plug inside Willy's head. Now you can place Willy's body back in his bucket seat and fit Willy's head by pushing the plug on the output shaft of the servo. Last thing to do would be to add the Y-Connector to the steering servo and attach the 'moving head' servo to it. That's basically it, I hope this is useful for anyone wanting to make Willy's head turn when steering! * It could be a guide was posted earlier, but I was not able to find it. If so, sorry for the double post

UPDATE - link Simenwsays Shapeways designs I've finally had some time to work on some more parts for my favourite Tamiya, namely the Wild Willy. Actual pics will be updated soon! Bumper: Wheels: Jerry Can Insert: Hard Top: Arm Stays: Simensays on Shapeways

Scorching Willy is complete. My Sand Scorcher's tribute to the original Wild Willy M38. I am happy with how it turned out.

So the essence of this project is simply to make something fun, a bit different, whilst making use of stuff I already have laying around. I’ve started with a WR-02 chassis that I bought a few months ago, nothing spectacular about it whatsoever other than it being in almost perfect condition for a 2nd hand purchase, although it was fitted with Traxxas(?) wheels & Monster Beetle tyres. Having already got 4 other WR02’s I wasn’t going to feel too precious about this one + having plenty of unused parts in boxes was all the inspiration I needed to start something. the first thing to do was remove the shell & put it on another model, the chassis was stripped & fully ballraced, the wheels were removed & replaced with a set of Bush Devil wheels which I had bought on a whim in another box was another random purchase of some Pro-Line Road Rage tyres which fitted perfectly so they were slipped on, and a set of Abisma height adjustable mini dampers were fitted to replace the Pogo stick suspension. These bits alone gave the chassis a really low slung carpet racer stance. Digging through a few other boxes turned up a few more colourful parts (hence Opal Fruit) to go on at some point (though I might buy some white parts & dye them) But the most important piece of this will be the body, to match the low slung look I need to make a body to match...

Original Wild Willy M38. Not run much. Clean and comes with original speed controller. Original tires that are NOT dry rotted. You can still see the mold rib on the rubber. Rubber on tires is very flexible, with no weather cracking (you can see in picture where I am pinching the tire.). Chassis is very clean, and not beat up. Comes with no electronics other than it's original speed controller, but I did check the speed controller, and motor and they both operate as they should. Very little restoration needed to complete if you want a beautiful shelf queen, or install your electronics and enjoy the heck out of running it. I would rather trade for a Sand Scorcher (vintage or re-re), Super Champ, Fighting Buggy. Will consider other SRB buggies. Or will sell outright for $300 US. Located in East Texas.

I would like to find a Sand Scorcher or Fighting Buggy. Re-Re is fine, or vintage project is fine also. Will consider other SRB chassis I would prefer trade with somebody looking for an original Wild Willy M38.

Digging though my old parts from the 80s to help a friend restore a early Wild Willy (SWB), I found Wild Willy gold. I didn't even know I had this. I must have bought it decades ago and simply forgot about it. A never installed, original Wild Willy grill!!!... There is also an original windshield frame (not WW2) cowl and other parts sprues I forgot I had.. I'm putting this in the safe. lol.

I have a cast resin wild willy grill available. I cast this from my original wild willy grill. It isn't "perfect" and will require a little clean up and sanding, but it will work good for a runner, or if you have a WW2 you want to get rid of that ugly grill. I made one for my extra body tub, and made a couple extras to hopefully help offset funds on my restoration projects. It does not have the tabs on the back, so would have to be glued into place. I did mine that way, and it looks pretty good. The other picture is my Wild Willy with my cast grill. I would like $10 shipped to your USA address. Not sure what it would cost to ship abroad, but might be a little more for that.

Original Wild Willy M38 tub, including the illusive lid. It is dusty, and has glue on it, but it is not cracked up. Needs to be cleaned up. The dust on it is also original. The lid has a burned spot on it but is still good and serviceable. Not really interested in selling it, however you are welcome to make an offer. I also have other Wild Willy small parts available. I am more interested in trades for other WW parts. Some things I am looking for: Windshield hinges. Wild Willy figure left arm. NOS bottle, a few other pieces. Also in the market for an original Sand Scorcher or parts. Prefer one that requires restoration. Condition not important.

A quick test of the new (old) motor I just put in the old Willy. Burned the original one up the other day. Fortunately, I had an old spare. A little "Slow-Mo" action. He looks pretty good at almost 37 years old. A uick

I posted an introduction of myself and my Wild Willy with a little history of it earlier. But here are a couple more pictures with a couple things I did, and had to do over the years. 1st, you might notice the fuel cell in the back is not original. I did this not long after I first bought this WW back in 1983. I wanted to put a larger battery in it, but to make it fit, I had to cut out the fuel cell. I made what would look like a military crate in the bed of it. I made it simply out of balsa wood, and painted it up like a large ammo crate. Also, many years later, my Wild Willy was stolen, and when I recovered it, the thief tried to make it un-recognizable by painting it a horrible silver. Painted it thick, and crappy that nearly ruined the body. The only way I could bring it back to accept a re-paint, I had to scrub, sand, and sand some more to get it all off. In doing so, it messed up some of the body detail. You will notice the side of my WW does not have the molded in loops, and top mount detail. I had to sand those flat because the crappy paint had ruined any of that detail. So, I sanded the body side smooth. I hated doing that, but the outcome turned out cool in it's own right, and giving my WW that "shaved" clean look to the body. I liked it but still wish I did not have to do that. The outcome was much better than the alternative. I do have a replacement body now from a parts WW that I bought some years ago for one of the restorations of mine. But, for now, I will keep my original body on it. Years ago, after resourcing some original tires to replace my deteriorating tires, I ended up replacing the original spare on the tailgate with an actual spare tire & wheel, which I think looks pretty cool on it. I am the original owner of this one, and it will never be for sale. The WW and I have quite the history together. I and I ran the snot out of it back in the day. And today, it still runs as nice as it did back when I first built it some 36 or so years later.

Just putting it out there. I have a bunch of original Wild Willy parts left over from the restoration of my Wild Willy. Not really wanting to sell anything but am open to make some trades. Below is listed some things I need or would be interested in. Wild Willy Dash and Cowl body parts. NOS bottle, Decals I am also interested in finding a Sand Scorcher, or Super Champ in need of restoration. Condition is un-important at this point.

Hi all. I'm after all of the wheelie bar parts from the 'F' sprue for a wild willy 2. Ideally new or lightly used but so long as all of the parts are there I don't really mind. I know I can buy a whole F sprue but I don't need the other bits as the wheelie bar is for my lads WT01 And I don't own a WW2

So having seen people's cars with moving drivers heads I wanted to have a go myself - works really well but what cars have people done this to and how ??

Hello all, I am looking at trading the following cars. The wild willy is an unused XB version and has the Tamiya servo fitted and the second buggy is a used TT02B-MS. The buggy includes the box, instructions and a Acoms servo. The tt02 is in very good condition, has had very little use and the only damage is the bodyshell has a crack near the front body post. I am looking to trade for a Hotshot or dark impact kit or new build. Please let me know if you have anything of interest or you would like any more pics or info. I would also be interested in a stadium Blitzer or thunder or frog. Thanks UK Only

Rims in very good condition, no kerbing and not yellowed Tyres flexible, have fine cracks when pushed - refer to 3rd pic Some writing has perished - refer 4th pic Original foams and inserts included Original hardware included No bearings $ 100 us + postage from Australia, paypal prefered terragni

Hi, First time poster here, so please be gentle I've been given (my son has, to be precise) a Wild Willy M38 which I've been told was first purchased in 1989. It's mostly built and painted (except for the driver) and is in remarkably good condition despite being 'run' with no scratches, scrapes or knocks. For example, the tyres still have the mould flashing on them so I doubt they've seen much use. As to me, I've got some experience with RC cars (Mardave, oval) as I raced them for a short time many years ago but I'm a total Tamiya/buggy novice (I did covet the Hornet back in the 80s, though!) I have some questions, if anyone can please help. 1. Gearbox. This felt a bit stiff when I first tried to turn it so I sprayed some 3 in 1 light oil into the hole which made things better. I eventually opened it up to check the teeth etc, which all appear to be fine and soaked the parts in synthetic car engine oil (it's what I had to hand) and put it all back together again. It now runs very smoothly indeed. Was that OK or should I have oiled/greased it with something different? 2. Diff This is my main area of concern. If I turn one wheel, or the other, it all feels very nice and smooth but if I turn both wheels forward or backwards (at the same time), it feels relatively smooth with a bit of resistance from 'stationary' that I think is a bit more than overcoming the motor magnets. I did try to split the diff but one of the two directly opposing screws doesn't release so I guessed something inside is broken? Otherwise, if I drive the car, it all works OK without any slipping or odd noises except for a clunk going off/on the throttle (or when changing direction) as there is about 1/8th of a turn of slack when changing direction if I watch the knuckle joint between the diff and gearbox. Should these be greased with Moly/graphite or is it OK to just use oil ? Any general advice here would be a great help since I don't want to destroy the diff. 3. Battery Unsurprisingly, the NiCds were not in great condition and held charge for about 30s. I've since purchased some 3700mAh VP racing tagged NiMHs (along with a charger) and soldered them up into a humpback set. As such, the car now runs! However, is there any shrinkwrap that can be obtained to package the humpback neatly or is it a case of taping them up? 4. Motor I presume the motor is original. It has a black end and grey shrinkwrap around it which is consistent with the instructions. I've read that this may be a RS540-SD which could make it 27T or 23T...can anyone tell me for sure? Also, is it worth getting inside this to clean it or is it best to leave it if it is working? 5. Radio set The radio set (receiver) doesn't have a BEC but I thought about making one out of a Schottky diode, a big cap and a 5V regulator (I presume it's 5V supply). In the end, I decided against it in case I blew something up or it all went horribly wrong. Any recommendations on how to get rid of the ob board 4x AA cells without changing the radio gear? 6. Speed control. Despite it being built to the instructions, the speed controller doesn't behave. On full throttle (stick pushed all the way forward), the motor cuts out so I suspect the servo/arm geometry is wrong and I can't adjust it out. Is this a known problem? Otherwise, I wouldn't mind fitting an electronic ESC to it for learning purposes (I may start RC racing again once the kids are old enough to go). Any recommendations for a cheap one to start with that would suit the motor? 7. Use It's a shame to use it but that's what it's intended for! In this case, I thought about getting a rough shell to put on it that doesn't matter if it gets knocked about + a perspex “bumper” to bolt to the original to protect it and the front wheels. Any recommendations on a shell, especially one that may give it a different look? 8. Fusing No fuse on this which I found surprising. Is it a good idea to have one in the main battery line? 9. Spares. Are spares readily available for this model? I see that it has some compatibility with some rally models and diff gears etc were in stock although some parts were out of stock (is this permanent?) Once again, thanks for any help and advice that people can spare and it's great to see such a great following for these old buggies. Thanks, D

We all know that certain vintage Tamiya models were so popular that they inspired clones. And virtually all of those clones were made outside Japan (in places like Taiwan, Korea and China). Some were whole R/C kits with blister packs and everything (albeit made from lower quality plastics and lacking any fancy bits, especially in the motor area). Others were cheap toys controlled by wired remotes, or even "bump-n-go" models. There's one however, that was a high quality RTR item and was made in Japan. It's inspiration was the Wild Willy. It was manufactured by Taiyo of Japan, while being primary-marketed by Tomy. It was the Tomy/Taiyo 4WD Army Commander. It's release year was almost certainly 1983 or 1984. After many years of searching, I just acquired a mint/boxed example, so I thought you guys might find this interesting. Especially since this car is so rare that I've come across 2 in a decade. (I actually wonder if it was killed-off early in production due to legal reasons, and this might explain it's extreme scarcity). Who knows, perhaps this is the last brand new example left. The 4WD Army Commander is about 1/16 scale. It can of course do wheelies, but has full differentials at front and rear since it is also 4WD (unlike the 2WD Wild Willy). It also comes with a metal bull bar you can fit at the front, in order to prevent it from popping wheelies.The driver is styled and painted just like "Wild Willy", with facial features, and arms positioned - one holding the steering wheel, the other holding the gearstick. As always with Taiyo, the whole thing is made from excellent molds and materials. I'll leave it there, just thought Willy fans might like this If you are interested to see more, I will be blogging about it eventually. H.

Hi: I purchased a vintage Wild Willy over 20 years ago. I assembled it but it has never been run. I purchased it from a hobby shop and they seemed to have removed the correct pinion gear before they sent it to me. Wild Willy is in overall good shape. The windshield will need to be replaced and I only partially painted Willy. I still have the box, instructions and all the spare parts (very good condition) however its not technically NIB. I would like to sell it on Ebay. How much do you think it is worth? I see the prices on Ebay range from about $300 to $1,100 to an NIB kit. Thanks in advance for advice about the value. Alan

Looking for People to join our weekend get-togethers to Race & Bash around our Tamiya Wheelie R/C trucks and cars. All Tamiya Lunchbox, Midnight Pumpkin, Montero, Wild Willy, Unimog, Black Foot, Jimney, Monster Beetle, Subaru Brat, and any other Wheelie type RCs are welcome. Let me know if you are thinking of joining us. This is a fun get together race and parking-lot hang out with Wheelie RCs. Please no modern super fast RCs. This is not that kind of race. Stock or after market motors are fine. So Far we have 9 RCs: 1 - Lunch Box (Blue) 2 - Lunch Box (Green) 3 - Midnight Pumpkin (Black) 4 - Midnight Pumpkin (Green) 5 - Midnight Pumpkin (Cherry Red) 6 - Midnight Pumpkin (Metallic) 7 - Black Foot III 8 - Bolink (LB Chassis) 9 - Unimog Wheelie A date is yet to be set but it will be on any given Sunday from noon to 4pm. Contact me....! Thanks!

Does anyone have a Wild Willy M38 SWD or LWD that's looking for a new home?

Hello Everyone, I am the club secretary at Mendip RC Raceway in Weston Super Mare and we are planning a Tamiya Club based weekend in 2014. Dates subject to discussion. We have both an on road and off road track with full timing facilities, sit down cafe, toilet block, covered pits with electric, on site camping and plenty of car parking. We plan to have on road classes for Touring cars, Minis, F1s and anything else on road. For off road racing classes for SRBs, Wild Willys, FAVs/Wild Ones, and any other Tamiya off road 4wd & 2wd cars. After much discussion we are proposing using Tamiya silver (standard or torque tuned) or Black (sport tuned) 540 brushed motors for the event for four reasons. Most tamiya collectors already have them, they are cheap, they will keep the speeds pretty level making the racing close & competitive and the lower speeds will help protect peoples prized cars from too much damaged. All classes depend on the number of entries. On the Saturday night we will have a BBQ and night racing. As Weston Super Mare is a popular holiday destination there is no lack of B&Bs and hotels if camping is not for you as well as pubs, clubs and bars to make a weekend of it for all the family. We will also do souvenir merchandise for the event. We will also encourage a swap meet. I have already spoke with a few people on here and there seems to be a lot of interest. We are currently sorting out our diary and I will be back to publish some dates by the new year. Let me know if you would prefer a Saturday/Sunday meet or a Sunday/Bank Holiday meet if possible. Below are links to our web site with videos of both tracks. http://www.worm-racing.co.uk/ http://www.mendiprcraceway.co.uk/ Let me know any feedback. Paul

For Sale... Link to my showroom post... http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=119944&id=31334 Tamiya Fast Attack Vehicle featuring Wild Willy... Fast Attack Willy This has been built by me, and is based on the Tamiya re-release Fast Attack Vehicle, kit no.58496. The idea was to build a Wild Willy M38 themed FAV. So basically this is a FAV with lots of nods to the Wild Willy M38, including; all-round Padlatraks (fronts by SRB Bloke), winch, jerry can, NOS bottle, fuel cell, roll bar foam and spot-lights, fire extinguisher, spare wheel (including a spare wheel), and of course Willy himself at the wheel. The model has been run once on a sandy beach, for the purpose of taking the showroom photos. It has been cleaned but there is evidence of sand in the model. It includes an acoms steering servo and Axial 55T motor, both of which were new when they were put in the model and therefore have only been used the once. No other electrics are included. The model is ballraced, includes the Tamiya FAV hop-up aluminium damper set and has Axial bucket lights (the lights are for display and do not function) Included also is the kit instruction manual, bespoke Fast Attack Willy decal sheet, Kit decal sheet, various USED kit parts, ie. front and rear suspension, the lights (one of the light mounts is missing). Please note that some of the kit parts have been used/painted and therefore are not as new. There is visible evidence of use where the ESC wires have rubbed away some of the chassis paint. Additional photos can be sent on request. £550 ovno, including UK Postage & paypal fees Postage overseas - please contact me for a price.

I haven't posted in a long time, but seeing all these WW thread going on atm, it inspired me to make a project thread on some WW work I have been doing. After restoring and building several WW M38 over the last few years, one with a soft top - I have planned a hardtop one for a long time. Late last year I finally got around to actually designing one, based on some pics found on the net, and had it printed on Shapeways. I made it as 4 parts that screw together, with frames ready on the inside for fitting clear lexan for windows (not in the pics yet). I didn't want to have doors, as I want to see Willy himself, as he is such an important part of this model. The hardtop clips onto the rollbar (just flip the spot lights backwards) and fits both the WW1 and WW2 bodies. I've been busy with several multirotor projects over the last year, but dedicate some more time for the Tamiya collection again. I've orimed and painted the HT, installed windows and have planned on weathering the whole car now. Original hardtop CAD dumps Test fitting on a WW2 WW1 I will take more pics as the works continue in the upcoming days.

Hi All. After much searching and what seems never ending encounters with bidding bots on fleabay i have a Wild Willy M38. I didnt pay much in the end as its a little rougher than i had hoped to get. The chassis is good but the body is a little worse for wear. The grille is smashed as is the "passenger" side corner and wheel guard. So. Quick question. Is it worth trying to patch it up (Styrene welded in and shaped) or a new shell. I imagine i could be paying as much for a replacement shell as i did for this whole model. so whats the difference between a WW and WW2 body? I admit the thought of a WW2 body on M38 isnt thrilling me. But a broken body doesnt appeal much either Your thoughts and advice are welcome. Cheers