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Found 38 results

  1. I started this build more than a year ago, but hoping to bring it all together in the next few weeks. The original thread is here, but as I near crunch time I thought I will put together proper build thread: The idea for the build stems from my love of the Avante, but it gradually crept in scope to factor in the Paris-Dakar Rally, the Mini 4wd Dash Warriors anime and copycat brand mini 4wds from the 1980s. This image sums up the influences …
  2. Hi, I have an Avante (original) that I would like to fit with VQS Hi Cap Dampers (47455). Will these fit directly onto the Avante? It seems like I could swap the rears without any issues (please correct me if I’m wrong). But what about the fronts? Can they be built so they are the correct length (using internal spacers)? Or do you have to get a longer front tower? I know in the past Tamiya made an extended front shock tower for the Avante (that came as part of 53036), but those are no longer available. If a longer tower is required, could I use an Egress front shock tower? Thanks, RC Enthusiast
  3. Hi gang. Does anybody have experience with the TBLM 02S motors in motors in an Avante or Egress for that matter? How much will performance increase by going with one of these motors compared to a stock Avante motor? Talking re-re of course. Thanks
  4. Hey, Picked this up as part of a barn find a few months back and the old owner threw it in for free, I have started by stripping and cleaning, unfortunately it was full of rodent waste, not a great time of it tbh. It was rather rough but all seems to have cleaned up okay, search for parts is tough, any tips or advice welcome. P.S - Sorry for the crap images
  5. A few websites have them due in tomorrow or Friday. Found on Time Tunnel Models and Wonderland. Be quick!
  6. Like many other people on the forum and as a child of the 70s and 80s, the past year lockdown has brought about a time to reflect and be nostalgic towards better and happier days. And again like so many, having had a more or less 30+ year gap since the last time I dabbled properly in RC (aside from a short foray with a TL-01 and TA04 Pro around the time of the millennium), the lockdown has provided an opportunity to stay home and turn back the clock with some kit building. I was lucky enough to be into RC at the height of the golden age of Tamiya. But like many here, as a child at the time with relatively meagre pocket money, my purchasing power (after much saving) only extended to a Falcon bought from the long since gone chain of UK model shop Beatties . A classic bundle, the kit came with the useless trickle charger that took forever to charge Tamiya 1200 packs, the ubiquitous ACOMS servos / transmitter / receiver and of course the obligatory Beatties black and yellow RC bag that offered little protection to the prized possession in side. But it was wonderful thing! The Falcon fared as well as you’d expect with broken bathtubs, cracked uprights and lost dog bones – all of which I tried to repair with superglue, sticky tape and things that I found in my father’s shed just to keep it on the road. But, between my friends and I, we were able to swap around amongst us Hornets, Grasshoppers, Superchamps and Frogs – all in various states of disrepair. But, as much time as we spent running our cars, we spent even more time flicking thought the pages of Tamiya guidebooks and longing and lusting after unobtainable and unaffordable hop-ups, Bruisers, Avantes, Astutes and much more. So, having fast forward three decades and now having a bit more pocket money to play with so to speak, when the Tamiya nostalgia kick came I decided that I’d try to set myself a challenge. I decided that I wanted to try to buy and build new kits (NIB or Re-re) that I thought best captured the spirit of Tamiya, and to try to fulfil a few unachieved childhood dreams. I initially set a challenge of picking two cars to buy and build that I thought would kill a little bit of downtime in-between work, family and life. But, thanks to the continuing pandemic lockdown and the fact that I’m now sucked in again to RC as I was when a child, I’m now 4 new build cars in and contemplating a 5th. More of that later….. So, after a 35 year lust from watching the grainy Tamiya promo video of a blue truck spinning around the beach - my first purchase was a Bruiser. As most know who’ve owned and built one, it was a very rewarding exercise. A surprisingly complex process – especially getting the body right - I did wonder what state I would have made of the build as a 10 year old kid. I built it as stock – but on completion decided to venture into the world of brushless and lipos (which is a whole new world to me) and took a punt on a 4300kv motor and 80amp ESC. I should say at this point that I had already decided that anything I build should be fully operational – but - would only ever be shelf queens (a new term I was rapidly learning!). I added a lighting kit from Banggood and spent an age painting and finishing to the best I could and I was pretty pleased with the result. It was at this point that I realised again the importance of the box art and livery. There are just some body shells and paint jobs that are timeless icons of RC. I strongly argue that the Bruiser is one of them and this got me thinking. The liveries of some of Tamiya’s cars are so entrenched in the companies ethos and identity that the two things go hand in hand. Adding to my challenge I decided my car selection should also be representative of the idea of iconic livery. So – this in mind, I resolved that my next build would be a Sandscorcher. You may disagree with this, but in my opinion it is indeed truly an icon. The little blue and white VW I believe was pretty instrumental in kicking off Tamiya popularity in the early 80s. I decided that I wanted to build this classic trying to bring in some subtle modern upgrades and interventions but without ruining the charm and spirit of the original. With my new found knowledge of brushless, I binned the silver can and fitted a Tamiya TBLM-02S 10.5T brushless (….in a Scorcher….. I know….). To make the job neat, I bought the 3d printed brushless motor end cap from ‘Scorched Parts’, along with their inner fenders and servo saver. Like the Bruiser, I fitted a lighting kit and roof rack (inspired by Bob on his Hobby Concepts Youtube channel). I know there are many out there who customise the Scorcher far more than I, but I like the charm and character of the SRB chassis, the leaky shocks and clear plastic inner shell. Similar as the Bruiser, the metal components and design of the Sandscorcher whilst rudimentary, are beautifully engineered. Keeping the theme of “spirit of Tamiya” and “iconic livery”, my next decision was pretty straightforward - The Lunchbox. I won’t lie – a decision partly influenced by my kids who had been showing an interest in my efforts, it seemed a no brainer to get them involved. To me, the lunchbox is the personification of 80’s Tamiya fun. I remember at the time thinking that it was cooler to have the Falcon than the Lunchie, but secretly perhaps realising it wasn’t. I actually bought two kits – one each for my 11 and 8 year old. You’d be unsurprised to know that building two kits at the same time with two young children who have the attention span of a goldfish, is as stressful as you’d imagine. But, despite a few hiccups here and there (a few screws not in straight, omitted bearings etc…..), the classic yellow van turned out great. As did its twin with Scooby Doo livery. I’ve so far managed to keep the box art car as a shelf queen I’m pleased to say, but it might be that I have to build a third one as a runner…. Anyway, inevitably, the elephant in the classic Tamiya car show room had to be addressed. It couldn’t be put off anymore. My justification of the prolongation of lockdown meant that after 32 years of waiting, Santa finally delivered at Christmas an Avante. I don’t actually think there is much to say about it. No introduction or explanation needed. Spirit of Tamiya? Check. Iconic livery? Check. Possibly the car that most perfectly capture what Tamiya is all about? Maybe. In my mind yes, but you may no doubt think differently. But, I just give a knowing wink to the forum and all those of my similar age, or those who have built and / or owned an Avante. Over engineered and over designed like little else Tamiya has ever done before or since, it didn’t disappoint I have to say and will sit as pride and joy for me to look at. So, by now, my budget is blown. Tamiya has me hooked like a school boy once again but I’ve had to draw a line before I head into an RC money pit abyss. Indeed as I write at the beginning of 2021, the new list of cars due to be released by Tamiya has me flicking through the pre-order websites. But, this is the question to you (assuming you’ve got this far in my story….), given my brief of “Spirit of Tamiya” and “Iconic Livery”, and given the 4 cars I’ve bought and built so far – what would your final 5ht selection be? What new kit / re-re would you suggest I buy to complete my story? But indeed, if you had to pick 5 cars in response to my challenge – what would you go for? I very much look forward to hearing your thoughts and wish you happy building.
  7. Had to have one... I know it's pricey, but if I was worried about price, I'd for sure be in a different hobby. A bit of backstory... I have a thing for the Avante line. I remember staring at them in the catalog and in magazine ads (well thumbed paper catalogs and magazines, no digital back then) and just in awe of the design. There was nothing like it back then, and I'd argue there still isn't. I couldn't afford it - couldn't even afford to think about affording it - but I could look at it and dream... When it was re-released in 2011, I had to have one. Ordered and put it on the shelf, saving it for a special day when I could sit down, block out the world, and thoroughly enjoy the build. It's now been years, and I still haven't cracked it open. Not sure why honestly, I've had plenty of opportunities to build it up, but just haven't been able to bring myself to crack it open. Now it's been on the shelf for so long, it's kind of a fixture in the shop....the longer it goes, the more I hesitate the open it. Enter the Vanquish "VQS"... the Avante's lighter, simpler brother. Same driveline, same basic suspension design, and none of the nostalgic hang-ups preventing me from building it. I have zero qualms about building and tinkering this one. I had one in the past that I picked up in rough shape. I restored it as best as I could and ended up selling it w/o even running. This one will see some running, though probably very light driveway testing. The fraternal twins... And Cousin Eddie. I had the Aero Avante too at one point, but never really warmed to it and sold it off - didn't quite fit in the family with the basic chassis. The DF03 Avante is just cool enough to stay and has been a shelf queen since assembly. Eventually I'd like to display all three somewhere. Opening the box...no blister packs, but there's always that Tamiya new kit smell. Nothing like it! Two box wrenches! Not sure if that's a screw up or intentional, but now I'm up to at least 100 of these things floating around. I've got a box full here somewhere, plus they end up randomly scattered around the house. I find them in the oddest places. Digging right into the build. Interesting that the B parts tree has a unique textured finish to it. Very different from the usual ABS gloss of most kits, and the other parts. Hard to capture on camera, but it's noticeably different. Possibly the smallest 1/10 gear diff I've ever built. I thought the King Cab ball diff was tiny, I think this is even smaller. For a second, I debated tearing the diff out of the King Cab to compare, but only for a second. I get easily distracted. Slathered inside with Tamiya's AW grease as recommended. Tamiya sometimes does odd things. The bearings on the diff outputs are enormous compared to the usual 5x11's, but the counter gear rides on teeny 5x8 bushings... Weird. Granted it's quite an old design. Not interested in bushings, I replaced them with bearings of course. On a side note, when I was 15 and building my first kit, I asked Dad if I could use some of his grease I found in the garage. He recommended the Penzoil 705 tub, and I ran with it. I've been using this same tub now for nearly 30 years! I have no clue how old the grease is, but I know dad used it on his '65 Thunderbird so most likely it's older than I am. Works fantastic, my OG TA02T used this grease, and the gears still look great after years and years of running. I'll probably hand this stuff down to my kids. I brush a light coating on the gear surfaces and it runs super smooth. And that's as far as I got. Not as far as I would like, but dad bedtime duties called. Next up is the center ball diff... Between "home schooling" and the holidays, build time is super limited right now...not to mention I'm building this the old fashioned way - no power drivers, dremels, or anything. Just a set of hand tools, an X-acto and some sandpaper - the way any vintage kit should be built.
  8. I’ve made a school boy error and tried to restore 4 identical chassis at once - Avante ‘88, Vanquish (x2) and a 2001. I now can’t find two rear drive shafts and can’t remember if all 4 eBay purchases came complete with them. Anyone got 2 x original Avante / Egress or Vanquish rear dog bone drive shafts to sell? They don’t have to be originals, but I don’t think any re-re kit came with these of the same length. I’d be happy if so! Thanks!
  9. SOLD Rebuilt original 1988 vintage Avante 58072. Original blue paint. Some new parts. It has the original Technigold RX540vz motor and Tamiya original Adspec transmitter (with stopwatch in wheel), P-100f speed controller and steering servo. It’s all been tested and working. Just the stopwatch to check. Not been driven since approx 1990 and has been stripped and rebuilt this year. I’m looking for £499 for the car and transmitter. would consider splitting if an offer was made. please PM me for any photos or questions.
  10. For sale: original Tamiya 58085 Avante 2001 - Rare and sought-after Tamiya radio-controlled off-road racing buggy. Unrestored condition - body shell is not mint and has some minor damage Vintage contemporary hi-cap hop-up shocks. Original-spec Tamiya black-can Sport Tuned motor. Full set of four very-rare original white Cam-Lock wheels in very good condition (not painted yellow ones!) New re-re Avante cam-lock wheel centres. Original-spec spike tyres in good condition. Custom FRP front suspension damper stay. Also supplied with a carbon-fibre aftermarket replacement option. Tiny cracks in lower gear cases - see photos. More photos available on request. Item is in Cambridge, UK. The Tamiya Avante 2001 shaft-driven 4-wheel-drive off-road racing buggy was released on 19th June 1990, featuring multilink wishbone suspension and a twin-deck FRP chassis . An evolution of the original Avante, this model utilised the lengthened chassis dimensions developed for the Egress. The original Avante bodyshell was redesigned to fit and protect the rear suspension arms. Perhaps the most beautiful of the Avante/Egress series, no vintage Tamiya buggy collection is complete without one! The only model in this series not re-released. With the others (Avante/Egress/Avante Black Special) having been through repeated re-releases, and this model never re-released so far, it is looking increasingly likely there will never be a re-release (hence two recent completed ebay sales for NIB kits at ~£650 and ~£1250). Sales price excludes delivery and local customs/tax/fees. The item is sold as seen and not refundable - I have been very honest and open about details of the condition. The photographs are of the actual item and are to be considered part of the description. Apologies to anyone watching/ bidding recently on eBay - the car is still for sale as auction won by overseas bidder despite the details specifying UK only. Sorry I would prefer to dispatch to the UK, due to frequent problems with overseas deliveries being severely delayed, getting damaged or going missing and as a private seller not a business I cannot afford to reimburse a disappointed buyer.
  11. I have alot of incomplete threads on this forum so I thought I'd follow the lead of some of you. This will be my one go to thread to track all of my projects as I go. All of the projects are running now but are in various stages of their build. There is atleast one more that Im going to add in the near future but first I need to update you all on where is what in what stage. First up is the Astute. The Astute is the first Hobby Grade RC I got. I spent a summer doing chores for my Grandfather to save up for it. AFter about 27 years of neglect I decided to bring it back, man I am really that old. Ill update that thread one more time, Ill post the finish goods here as well. First the group shot!
  12. Hi everyone, I've been stalking this forum for about a year and been really grateful to everyone for the accrued wisdom that I've been able to tap into to help me build my Avante shelfer (first RC car I've owned since 1993!). I wanted to ask for some help /inspiration for the next phase of my project. As this is fo the shelf, it's mainly cosmetic, so might not interest everyone, but, here goes … I've built my Avante box art, and I also have Black special shell and wheel tyre set to give it an alternate look when I feel like it. Just a visual flip, not all the mechanical changes. I thought I could use one more change of style to give me some options, and I went searching for nice custom Avantes online. I think the price point means not too many people have gone far from box art with these, but I did find some interesting things. I was especially taken with @neobrunox 1/10 Azente, based on the special edition Mini 4WD variants: https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=117752&id=24357 . As you probably know, the 1/10 black special is also based on a Mini 4WD, which has me excited as I got interested in RC as a child having been weened on Mini 4WD. So, I wondered if I could do another Avante variant that stemmed from a Mini 4wd. The idea I've settled on is to do something based on one of the styles in the Avante Mini 4wd Dress-up Sticker Set (I'm thinking the pin stripe one): and here, alongside someone's nice Azente: So here' say vision for the car, and I wondered if anyone woud like to add any imaginative suggestions or give me some advice? VISION: Both the Azente AND this dress-up sticker set mention "TXR", which is spelled out in very small letters as "Tamiya Experimental Racer". I understand that the 1/10 Avante was the first effort by the tema that became "Tamiya Racing Factory", so I'm going to imagine that TXR is an early interpretation of TRF. The colour scheme here is also reminiscent of the white/cyan/blue/pink used in later TRF models. So I thought I would style my car with these things in mind, though I'm on the fence about using much pink. I'm seeing this car as like a development version of the finished Avante, before everything was finalised, but also aiming for a race spec, rather than the 'retail spec' of the finished machine. ARTWORK: I plan to draw the graphics myself and get them printed at MCI. Anyone have any experience of MCI custom decals? Anything I should watch out for, or any recommendations for another supplier? SPONSORS: For the most part, I'll scale up the Mini 4wd stickers, but I'll try to add in a few more details and small stickers, the same as how the original Avante and Avante BS decals are not simply scaled up versions of the Mini 4WD version. If anyone could suggest some additional sponsors or details that might add some flavour of Tamiya's experimental racing division c 1988, I'd be delighted! DRIVER: Well, Paranoid Perry I guess, but open to other ideas? I found this fun article the other day which suggests maybe one of the other Tamiya drivers. This is really just silly fan fiction, but i guess that's the realm I've descended to with this project! Here's the quote: "First, be aware that I was the one chosen for this project among almost one hundred drivers. Among them, the promising Albert Attaboy who remained stuck in Baja Buggy races, Evert Edwards who had relatives working at Tamiya and who couldn't get more than the Vanquish. Even Greg Martin, who was popular thanks to the Hornet, was in the list. The most pathetic of all was undoubtely Ricky Roop." COLOURED BITS: TRF stuff tends to have some anodised cyan/blue elements. Anyone recommend some avant compliant shocks I could try out in this colour? Or any other metal parts? WHEELS: In keeping with most TRF creations, probably white wheels, but I'm after something that might have felt experimental in '88 Or could have been donated from another car at the time, as part of the development process? Perhaps some white Thunder Shot rims? Like on the Terra Scorcher? Anything more interesting out there? TYRES: I fancied doing something a bit crazy, like some slicks? If not that, perhaps some more modern looking buggy tyres, to suggest the car was ahead of its time, but that ultimately Tamiya went with the more conventional option in the release product? (sorry, in fan fiction territory again!) REAR WING and OTHER AERO BITS: I was toying with the idea of a wing fro another car. I've not seen other wings that I think really look good on other custom Avantes (you often see an astute or Egress wing, I think). I was thinking maybe something more out there like a terra scorcher wing? Other thoughts? I hope some of you find this interesting and might be willing to chip in. Once I've got started properly, I'll try tout a build thread together. Appreciate your help!
  13. Recently, a TamiyaClub member had an idea for a project which interested me: I offered to write some fiction for it, using ideas from that thread, the sources that inspired it, and influences from my own work. Reading the initial post there will give the required context for this thread. The result is a story that chronicles a potential development route for the famous Avante. The actual Avante's history is documented, so this is purely fiction. It uses details from the RC car's development, but otherwise attempts to treat it as a real racing car - and the driver figures as people. Certain elements of the story may not be entirely accurate - I never owned a Vanquish, Egress, or Avante 2001, after all - but are adequate for the narrative. My knowledge of Tamiya's actual racing programs is likely not entirely accurate, either, including the bits about the TRF 211X and 411X. Again, fiction. I am putting the story here in case it is not accepted as the vision of the project's creator, in which case it is my stand-alone writing. Personally, I find it interesting to think about an RC project including elements that go beyond just the car and its parts. The writing is amateur at best, but so are my other hobbies! This first part in particular is heavy on exposition, but will set up a story later. And now, presenting: Tamiya Azente: TXR, the Avante, and the Driver who Never Raced "First, be aware that I was the one chosen for this project among almost one hundred drivers. Among them, the promising Albert Attaboy who remained stuck in Baja Buggy races, Evert Edwards who had relatives working at Tamiya and who couldn't get more than the Vanquish. Even Greg Martin, who was popular thanks to the Hornet, was in the list. The most pathetic of all was undoubtedly Ricky Roop." These were the words attributed to Marcus "Paranoid" Perry, the lead driver for the Tamiya Racing Factory (TRF), and the one entrusted with the famous Avante. Chapter 1: The Avante Today, the Tamiya Racing Factory is a formidable force on the racing scene, fielding competitive racers across all categories and winning prestigious events around the world. Privateers using the team’s equipment have managed to score many successes at the club and national levels. The genesis was the Tamiya Avante program. *** Tamiya was responsible for the democratization of off-road racing; their Rough Rider and Sand Scorcher kits allowed even the casual enthusiast to take part in competitions. Both were setups high on value, with rugged components that could withstand the abuse of hard driving under harder conditions. The pair had a certain aesthetic flair, as well: purposeful lines that emulated the Volkswagens upon which they were based went well with the simple appeal that their oversized tires and sturdy mechanicals had. The ones with the most time and money of these amateurs became the professionals that established dominance over drivers with lesser vehicles. It took some time before the Rough Rider and Sand Scorcher could be challenged, but once rivals began improving on the basic layout, the racing scene began transforming rapidly. Lighter, faster racers emerged from other shops, and yesterday’s heroes became today’s second-class citizens. Tamiya sought to retain its stature within the racing community, and achieved it with the Frog. This lightweight rear-wheel-drive buggy was built on the principles that made the pioneering Rough Rider and Sand Scorcher so successful: durability, value, and aesthetic appeal. The emergence of composite engineering allowed Tamiya to drastically reduce the Frog’s weight compared to their earlier models, blessing the new one with the sprightly acceleration of its animal namesake. Thus, a cycle ensued between Tamiya and the other racing companies that were beginning to establish themselves to challenge the incumbent. As these rivals advanced, so did their designs, producing a gap that Tamiya would close with a new design of its own. It was an arms race that saw Tamiya launch weapons like the Hotshot, waging its wars on the track, fighting ferocious battles in every heat. As time passed, the cycle intensified… At last, Tamiya did not have an answer. The company had cars winning at club and national races, but was dangerously far behind its rivals on the international scene. The Hotshot, once the car to beat, had spent precious little time atop the time sheets, and new developments on this design proved ineffective in bringing the fight to the rivals once outpaced by the racers bearing the twin stars. It was in this tumultuous time that a new racer – something completely different – was unleashed. *** The new car was Tamiya’s superweapon. It was supposed to change the balance of power in the off-road racing scene, and restore Tamiya’s name as not the producer of cutting-edge racers, but of winners. Yet the design of the Avante would have guaranteed both. It would win Tamiya the war. Extensive research and testing programs resulted in a highly-sophisticated chassis in an innovative configuration. Four-wheel-drive was not new at this level, not even shaft-driven four-wheel-drive – indeed, Tamiya introduced it with their Hotshot – but a longitudinally mid-mounted motor certainly was. A double-deck composite chassis was specified in place of the then-standard ‘bathtub’ type, and metal was used extensively in the suspension links, in place of plastics, for more precision and adjustability. Metal was also used for the coil-spring damper bodies, and the dampers themselves were of much-higher specifications than those found on other Tamiyas. Special attention was paid to aerodynamics; while this aspect of design is a vital component in on-road competition, the incoming design placed new importance on it in the off-road category. The swoopy Thundershot predated the new car; however, the former did not go to the lengths of the latter, which even had a special undercowl to streamline the bottom surface. A large rear wing generated downforce, which at its most aggressive settings brought its aerodynamic performance closer to its contemporaries, but with much more useful grip. Set low, the car cut the air quite well. Even the wheels featured aerodynamic hub caps, with cam-lock mechanisms that allowed for tool-free wheel changes. This new racer was designed exclusively for electronic components. Eliminating the bulky mechanical speed control setup found in contemporary cars allowed the designers to wrap the body shell tighter around the chassis, reducing frontal area and chassis size. The cockpit featured fully-electronic controls and displays, and the steering wheel was shaped accordingly, to accommodate the requisite buttons and switches. It would only look slightly dated in a current Formula One racer. The result was a racing package that was (in principle) fully optimized for its intended use. Many bold decisions went into its configuration, creating a car unlike anything ever seen before in the racing world. Could a design rife with such fresh thinking really be as fast as it was believed to be? *** The Tamiya Experimental Racing (TXR) team was formed as a testing group for this groundbreaking car. The lead driver was Hinomoto Rikimaru, who was selected for his ability to adapt to ‘progressive’ designs, like the unusual Saint Dragon that he campaigned with the Coro Coro Racing Team. The finished prototype would be christened “Azente.” Some sources claim that it translates into “gift from God,” which is certainly how highly Tamiya regarded it, while others suggest it was the name of a powerful deity. Whatever the case, the Azente would be tested thoroughly by Rikimaru, and it was in this car that he was rumoured to have set unofficial course records faster than the leading racers of the day. Stifling secrecy characterized the Azente testing program. At the time, TXR was not even officially acknowledged by Tamiya itself! A special design with such prodigious potential could never risk being spotted by anybody, let alone a rival. Reportedly, the Azente was troubled by poor handling during early test sessions, but swiftly developed into a devastatingly-quick machine. Rikimaru spoke quite fondly of the car, and his lap times – some on the same circuits that appeared in the international racing scene – seemed to vindicate Tamiya for going ahead with such a bold design. Much of the prototype testing was done in America; hence, TXR would be based there. The location did allow for relative seclusion from Tamiya’s primary home in Japan. As the Azente progressed, the prototype gained new decals as different liveries were subject to tests, too! Tremendous excitement was building within Tamiya around the program. The astounding success of the race test sessions prompted Tamiya to push for an early start to the racer’s campaign. This decision was assisted by the acceleration of the program, owing to test driver Rikimaru’s devotion to the project and his long hours spent honing the car. *** The Azente was now deemed ready for competition. Somewhere before its first public unveiling, the name was changed to Avante. Refinements that went into the Azente was now changing the car’s design to the point that a new name was merited. Tamiya believed that “Avante” was more dynamic and indicative of the forward thinking that went into the new car’s design. The flamboyant lettering and colourful stars and stripes were replaced by a brilliant dark-blue finish, with sponsor texts in bright yellow. The intent was to give the car a more “professional [and] purposeful” appearance, befitting the high hopes that Tamiya placed on their latest weapon. Similarly, the TXR officially evolved into the Tamiya Racing Factory, to be the first team to race the Avante. The laid-back atmosphere that followed the crack squad of engineers working on a secret project was made more formal, in time with the group’s new role in the public eye. Suspension geometries and minor finishing details were revised for the Avante’s launch. A new testing program was launched, a quick one to further optimize the design for racing. Since it was felt that an engineer/driver was better at developing the Avante at this stage, Marcus “Paranoid” Perry, an emerging engineering and driving talent with the program, replaced Hinomoto Rikimaru. While Rikimaru did the driving for the Azente, Perry did the work refining the overall design package that resulted in the Avante. He would continue this role for the duration of the Avante’s career. Complementing the electronics package was an additional computer system that would allow the team to record and access live telemetry from the car. Data gathered here would be used by TRF and Tamiya for the further development of the chassis, as well as succeeding models. The Avante was unlike anything seen before in the off-road racing world at any level, and the engineers believed that its unique combination of adjustability, precision, and creativity could be leveraged into spectacular success on the international circuit, the kind that had been eluding Tamiya for so long. It had been designed from the outset with the qualities that made a championship racer. Tamiya felt that the car simply had to win. Nothing had been left to chance… *** What happened next is well-documented. The Avante, Tamiya’s great hope, and the flagship of its off-road racing efforts, failed conspicuously. The operation went into disarray as the new model showed poor handling tendencies and even worse reliability. The precision metal ball-end joints that were selected for their tight tolerances developed alarming slop after a few races, while other metal parts were either too fragile or too heavy. Drivers complained of vague-feeling steering that could suddenly snap into a spin, owing to its wide front tires and short wheelbase. The innovative wheels were also to blame, being much heavier than standard types, and less reliable. Cooling problems were evident in some events due to the compact packaging of electronic elements within the chassis; the motor was placed largely out of the slipstream, which made for better aerodynamics but poor heat exchange. The varied use of metal, composites, and plastic did not allow for a particularly-cohesive design, and so the overall quality of the product suffered. The Tamiya Racing Factory and its lead driver, “Paranoid” Perry, could only therefore collect limited in-race data from the Avante, and spent frustrating amounts of time replacing broken parts and tuning the chassis during the only season it was raced with factory support. At the end of its only factory racing season – a national one, no less – it could only finish seventh overall. *** The Avante was too expensive to write off as a total failure, and so different solutions using the existing chassis as a base were tried. Much of it was based off the data collected by TRF and “Paranoid” Perry: The Vanquish attempted to simplify things to the point of creating a new, less-expensive (and thus more marketable) model. This was an Avante with a longer wheelbase, bathtub chassis, cheaper components, and a new body. It featured more plastic than the racer upon which it was based, which increased slop but reduced the complexity of maintenance. The subsequent reduction in weight benefitted its handling. Unlike the Avante, the Vanquish could be equipped with a mechanical speed control, which increased its appeal with privateers. However, it remained out of the price range for many others, and so it did not recoup as much of the losses that Tamiya had hoped it would. Of note was the lightweight wheels: initially an upgrade for the Avante developed during its short front-line career, it would be specified as mandatory equipment for the Vanquish, along with aggressive pin-spike tires, to help address the vague steering and heavy rotational mass that plagued the Avante. The Egress, on the other hand, sought to upgrade the Avante to its maximum potential. In the process, it lost the metal ball-ends, but gained new chassis plates that extended its wheelbase to that of the Vanquish. Many of the plastic parts that were introduced on the Vanquish were used on the Egress, this time in the interest of lower weight. Switching to plastic ball-ends for suspension links further reduced weight and complexity. The Egress also featured Tamiya’s finest dampers, nicknamed “Hi-Caps.” The result was an improved car, but despite an elusive international victory, it was not a dominant racer. Incidentally, that winning car was heavily-modified from the factory Egress… Lastly, the Avante 2001 was a refreshed, simplified Avante. Unlike the Vanquish and Egress, this model would retain the Avante name and an appearance much closer to that of the original model, but using many of the chassis components that made their debut on the former two. This meant more plastic, including in the damper bodies. The Avante 2001 also returned to the same wheel design that appeared on the Avante, in a different colour. This model therefore retained much of the aesthetic character of the Avante, but would be easier to service and race. Despite these intentions, not many of them were produced or campaigned before Tamiya finally left the platform – and competitive four-wheel-drive off-road racing – behind. *** With the demise of the Avante, and the lingering spectre of its dubious competition legacy, Tamiya sought to quit four-wheel-drive off-road racing, and instead focused on rear-wheel-drive platforms. Much like its four-wheel-drive campaign, the two-wheel-drive effort saw few returns for the effort (including the notoriously-complex Astute). It was the end of an era. Yet TRF persisted, and once again Tamiya developed competitive two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive racers for off-road competition. These models, dubbed the 211X and 411X, were tested extensively, under a much more thorough program that was influenced by the lessons learned from the Avante. The 211X went on to become the moderately-successful and well-received Dyna Storm, but the 411X was not developed further and was ultimately never released. Many years later, when TRF returned to off-road racing, they did so with a two-wheel-drive car: the TRF201. It was only after cautious research and development that a four-wheel-drive chassis was announced. To this day, the Avante remains a cautionary tale too close to Tamiya. In a twist of events, though, the Avante now enjoys premium collector-car status with off-road racing enthusiasts. Even in the face of poor results, time has allowed for the appreciation of the Avante as a seminal design that perhaps was just the victim of poor execution. Several features it introduced, such as the longitudinal mid-mounted motor, became standard on the next generation of top-line racers, and it has since been lauded for its forward-thinking packaging, use of high-quality materials, and pure aesthetic appeal. The vintage racing scene gives the Avante a new competitive setting, and with new modifications available, it has become an easier racer to live with. What it may still lack in speed, it makes up for in glamour, and it is partly due to its lack of success that the design has become quite unique among off-road buggies. There may well never be another quite like it. *** Stranger than the Avante’s elevation from factory flop to blue-chip collectible is another theory for the Avante’s ultimate failure: the appointment of Marcus Perry as Tamiya Racing Factory’s lead driver for the Avante’s campaign. It is unthinkable now, with “Paranoid” Perry being the most famous name linked to the model, and yet it has been suggested that the release of the very driver who paced the prototype Azente through its entire program – Hinomoto Rikimaru – was the primary factor for the poor competitive career of the Avante. Rikimaru certainly showed a pace in the car that Perry struggled to find; had the man most familiar with such a unique car been permitted to race it in anger, Tamiya could have found itself with the international trophies it so longed for. Counter to this theory is the notion that Rikimaru worked to the Avante’s detriment. A driver with more experience in conventional machinery could have developed the Avante to the style of a conventional driver, making it easier to access the design’s inherent speed. This theory posits that by entrusting Rikimaru with almost all the driving development, he built the car too much in his own image, and so the performances of other drivers in a car inherently set up for him would consequently suffer. Rikimaru was noted as having little experience in four-wheel-drive racers, which could have made a driver expecting the car to behave more like one drive it poorly. The Avante, by accounts, required more attention than most other racers to point it in the intended direction of travel. Confusing this further are the reputations of each driver: Hinomoto Rikimaru is simultaneously recognized as having exceptional car control and poor driving instincts, while Marcus Perry is at once a gifted off-road racer and a hard-luck loser. Whether Rikimaru spoiled the car through his incessant development, or Perry was too impatient to find an ideal race-day setup, controversy surrounds these two men’s involvement in Tamiya’s grandest plan. Rikimaru, for the record, has been bitter over his release from TXR and its allegedly-preferential treatment of Perry, while Perry continues to speculate that Rikimaru somehow set him up for failure… … They don’t call him “Paranoid” Perry for nothing, after all It is here where the story of Hinomoto Rikimaru begins…
  14. The last parts I need for my Vanquish restore are:- 2 Nr battery tray catches, 2Nr BP2 with screws BC2 & 1 Nr BL7 the screw that lets the front wheel carrier turn in the front upright. I suspect (hope) these parts may be common to the Avante or Egress. On the Vanquish they come from 3 separate screw bags and are like rocking horse poo with a cost you can expect from such hard to find parts. Even if someone has the relevant part numbers (parts/screw bag) from Avante that I can source for a lot less then please let me know. Thanks in advance.
  15. I'd like to fit some black Thundershot style wheels and tyres on my Avante project, but could use some advice. This is just for a shelfer, but I'd like to it could run if needed. I don't want to cripple it. I bought a pair of the Thundershot rims to test the fitment. At the back, things are OK, but there are very close to rubbing on the screws that connect to the uprights. They are a bit wider than Avante wheels, and have a significantly smaller diameter too. I think with a thing spacer in there, they will do. The problems are at the front. Here, they really do rub the screws, and the steering can't turn properly. There is not enough thread on the wheel axles to space them out enough for it to work. Once they steer, i think they'll just hit the screws again any way So on the front, I considered whether I could cut the wheel itself down to a narrower width, inspired by @TomEG's awesome thread about his Avante XL project. This throw up a few issues. Will it be enough for a comfy fit? How on earth do I cut the wheel effectively (In @TomEG's example, he says it was simple. Maybe I'm a bit simple, too . Finally, and I think maybe this is the really tough bit. If I trim the wheels down, is there a tyre out there than might still fit? Interested to know if anyone thinks this sound plausible, or if I should give up the dream. I lined up the rims on top of my current wheels and, with one eye closed to help me blur reality into fiction, they looked sweeeeet! Even better, someone tell me I'm being dumb and there is a narrow front wheel and tyre version of this awesome design! Appreciate your thoughts.
  16. Looking to buy a complete 53038. Accepting to pay between 500 and 750 euros depending on location, condition and how complete the kit is. A kit without the carbon plates but everything else intact will still be very much of interest. Payment through paypal. /P
  17. Returning after a long absence from RC I’ve just purchased an Avante 2011 and Egress 2013 from Tower Hobbies here in the US. As a kid these were the two kits I dreamed of owning as I turned the pages of the Tamiya catalog. At the time, my after school job only allowed me the cash to get a Hornet. So now I have these these two kits, found this site and wondered if I could get some advice on motors, ESCs and servos that would suit these two cars? I have been doing a fair bit of research online - but there is just so much to choose from. I was looking at going for a Spektrum servo and receiver with AVC, and going with an ESC+motor combo from Hobbywing. Understandably, I’m trying to mix some nostalgia with the up to date Lipo batteries, brushless motor and so on. The cars will end up as weekend drivers - some moderate bashing fun. Although I wouldn’t mind if I could give a couple of my buddies with brushless RTR buggies from Arrma a run for their money. Lastly, if I documented the build, would anyone be interested in seeing the progress and pics from these two cars? Thanks in advance for any guidance you might offer.
  18. For sale an complete all original parts Avante 2001 in pristine condition Pictures speak for themselves but if any questions .... pls askLocated in Europe - BelgiumLooking for 350euros
  19. Hi guys, I am considering selling some of the collection as it is becoming to big and i have to move to a new house. Maybe they can find a lovely new home First up is this avant 2001. It is completely original. Used but in near perfect condition, has the original shell with original stickers on. There is no esc nor any servo incl but it does come with an 540 motor and pinion. I am open for offers. Paypal available between friends offcourse Thanks
  20. Hello there, I'm looking for Avante 2001 Wheels. You may contact me in WA +6289603100886 (Indonesia) or by PM on this forum. I Hope you can give me best offers. Best Regards
  21. Hi all. I'm struggling to find a PDF manual for the avante mk2 58387. Hoping someone can help me or send me a copy. Thanks in advance
  22. Hard times are happening around here, so regretfully I am listing the following models for sale: - Tamiya Striker (58061) - Tamiya Lancia Rally (58040) [sorted] - Tamiya Buggy Champ 2009 (58441) - Tamiya Avante Black Special (84270) [sold] All four are in complete, used, working condition. The Striker is near-box-art (except for front cockpit screen and driver torso). It has been fitted with alloy rear wheel hubs, a modified Team CRP front chassis brace, and ball bearings all around (sealed types at the front wheels). The car shows signs of wear and use, with some tattered decals - it was definitely a runner, and will be cleaned before shipping. Many of the spares from my other TamiyaClub sale listing will be included in the sale of this car. Looking for $225 CAD, shipped worldwide. [Lancia Rally sorted] The Buggy Champ is finished in dark-green with box-art decals. It is fitted with the hop-up ball differential, an aluminium chassis, a homemade switch cover, and a set of Tamtech GB-01 aeration dampers all around. Of the four, this car is in the most-used state, and could benefit from a restoration. Looking for $200 CAD, shipped worldwide. [Avante Black Special sold] These cars are being sold with their electronics; upon request they can be removed at a discount. I am listening to offers and will negotiate via PM. These cars are located in Canada. I have PayPal; payment a gift preferred. Thank you for reading. Edit: Note that I will be absent from May 11th - 28th, so communications will be sparse during that time, and shipments delayed until the 29th.
  23. Just looking at what's going to be coming out again this year: BigWig Top Force Avante 2011 (Again) Schumacher CAT XLS and I wouldn't fall off my chair in amazement if we didn't see a variant of the Optima Mid being released either as the pro was released last year and the MIDs arch rival the CAT xls is making a comeback. It's going to be a year of tough decisions ............. If I had to pick one at the moment, taking into account cost, it would probably be the Top Force, or the Mid if it appears, what are other peoples thoughts ?
  24. linkedtamiya

    Lot

    Great vintage collection, make offers
  25. Look at this on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122296237808 Tamiya Avante 2001 #58085 Completely Original
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