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By Mokei Kagaku on Facebook! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0eMXiDwwrBt2ApEoF87NtmvYcgXjEf19zxv677dw3MR8FtBcs4YKdYfDgnPxKST8vl&id=100057730537170 Model no. 58737

Having skulked around taking so much advice and so many tips from these forums, thought it was time to contribute! This will be my second ever Tamiya kit build. My first was a Bigwig re:re a couple of months ago, which was very much by the book. This, a Boomerang re:re, is going to go off piste a bit! Now I've bitten the bullet and put this out there, I'm really hoping I don't make a total hash of it!

Time on my hands, and kits in my stash. I now have the pleasure of building a: (A Loosely-Researched) Overview Following the failure of the Avante to either place well in competition or sell the expected volume of kits, Tamiya sought to improve the original concept. In many ways, the Avante was innovative, but it was also deemed overweight, fragile, overly expensive, and difficult to drive. Its use of many different materials was one source of its issues; pioneering several different types in the same chassis meant that it would always be difficult to perfect the design. Said materials also increased the cost and complexity of the kit, and when the Avante’s inability to fulfill its promise became apparent, units stopped selling. Stories abound of retailers moving Avante kits at heavily-discounted prices, even removing the included RX-540VZ Technigold motor in a bid to recoup some of their costs. The Vanquish was developed in part to amend this. Released as kit number 58076, this new car used the same gearboxes, shaft drive, longitudinal motor position, and suspension configuration as the Avante. However, it differed in several important ways. The Vanquish would use a longer wheelbase than the Avante, adding stability at speed where the Avante was found to be lacking. The suspension system now used plastic lower front arms and plastic ball ends, reducing weight and wear. The Avante’s aluminum dampers disappeared; in their place were yellow plastic C.V.A. types. The tool-free “Cam-Loc” wheels were replaced by a lightweight one-piece design, with staggered widths front and rear. This change helped to address problems with unsprung weight and turn-in response. The double-deck FRP chassis was swapped out for a plastic “bathtub” chassis, reducing both complexity and cost. This also enabled the design to dispense with a separate undertray, simplifying the kit. Almost every piece of fibreglass-reinforced plastic from the Avante was substituted by plastic in the new car, with the exception of the steering plate. The Vanquish would also be issued with a standard 540 motor, instead of a specialty type like the Avante, and was designed to accommodate a mechanical speed controller. By including the MSC, which the Avante was unable to carry, the Vanquish was more accessible to hobbyists at the time. The design was topped by a sleek new shell, whose design ethos probably owed more to the earlier Thundershot than the model which gave its basic design. Forward and futuristic, its aesthetic may have been less radical than the startling Avante, but still conveyed performance and style. A driver figure was still included, but this time was attached to the bodywork via a single screw in the roof, as opposed to a separate cockpit sitting on the chassis. Interestingly, it appears that the Vanquish was not pitched as a successor to the Avante, but rather a development. The new model performed better; however, it was aimed more at casual RC enthusiasts, suggested by its standard MSC and motor. It was not until the Egress was released, combining parts from both the Vanquish and the Avante, that the concept returned to top-level racing. Today, the Vanquish is well-regarded by collectors. For a time, following the re-release of the Avante, it was considered much rarer and consequently more desirable. With a distinctly-different appearance from the Avante, it would always remain in demand by enthusiasts who appreciated the Avante’s original concept, but wanted something just a bit different from it. The Vanquish, of course, was re-released as the VQS in 2020. It may have been rebranded partially in consideration to the Mini 4WD cars that borrowed its design. With new-design CV joints, modern pin-drive axles, and a sturdier steering rod, the kit re-emerged in the 21st century with a few updates, but otherwise as the same model. In so doing, the story of the Vanquish makes it to a new generation of hobbyists – and is retold to the ones who remember the original! Grastens and the Vanquish/VQS Since I bought and then sold an Avante, I have come to regret the decision to move it on. Not only did I lack a four-wheel drive off-road buggy, but I lacked a model with the same spirit of the Avante. Even when I did have one, though, I remember being drawn to both the Vanquish and the Avante 2001. To me, these were models that simplified the original design to its benefit – a bit of an evolution. While the Avante 2001 did so more directly, both in aesthetic as well as chassis design, the Vanquish was an interesting answer to the Avante’s issues. It also did not look like the Avante, which added to its intrigue. As I struggled on with my car’s maintenance issues, the Vanquish seemed an appealingly-simpler alternative, while keeping much of the Avante’s spirit. However, as it had yet to be re-released, it was much harder to find an affordable example. Harder still would have been finding the parts required to keep it running. My experience with an original Audi Quattro reminded me that 1980s plastic tends to get brittle… I cannot say I had the same emotions for it as other models, like the Rough Rider/Buggy Champ, Striker, or even the Avante; inaccessible as it was, I could never imagine actually owning or driving one. When the news came that the Vanquish would be re-released, I was still quite excited. It may have changed its name, but in almost every other respect it was the exact same car! I recall scarcely believing that Tamiya was producing the plastic bathtub chassis again, to say nothing of bringing back a car almost exactly as it was from the past. I placed a pre-order with my local hobby shop and waited the long months for its fulfillment. The irony is that once it arrived, my life had taken a different direction. In the midst of my employment and ongoing struggles with depression, I had again lost interest in the hobby. I tucked it away, still in its shipping box, and there it stayed for several more months! It changed when I acquired a Hotshot, which was a gift from my fiancée. The experience of building and running it, as well as the tacit approval I got for my hobby, emboldened me. Additionally, I was placed on a Leave-of-Absence from work; suddenly, I had much more time on my hands… … And so, we find ourselves with another build – and another build thread! First Impressions and Build Overview I have a habit of calling it the Vanquish, or even the Vanquish VQS. One look at the box shows why: To me, it will always be the Vanquish. I actually do not mind calling it the VQS, but as it is so much the same car, and is one less syllable to say, I continue to use Vanquish. Typing it out, though, as on here, I will likely refer to it as the VQS. Names aside, the inside of the box looks like this: A fair number of people do not seem to like the pre-painted and pre-cut bodies in some of Tamiya’s kits. I can be counted as a fan. The VQS kit has one in the box’s central section: Hard to argue with black paint, I guess. The Vanquish was not an unsightly car! There are more parts hiding under the orange insert. Fully disembarked, the contents – including those special chassis mouldings: The left-hand section has plenty of sprues: We get another box-within-a-box, too. I am not sure I will ever tire of these: Unloaded: Tire foams are a nice addition: The basic creed for RC car running is printed on the inside of the box, on an insert: I may never tire of these partitions, either. I appreciate some presentation: And making their special appearances: The ESC is an inexpensive brushed waterproof ESC from overseas. The more unique development would be the incorporation of a full-armed driver figure in the cockpit. I have always maintained that I would put one in any Vanquish/VQS I own, mostly as there are plenty of angles where the lack of arms on the original driver bust are all too apparent. I understand that this is due to clearance issues for the steering rod attached to the bellcrank, but I would like to see if it can be done. I have already seen this effort, using a Wild Willy torso. This is from TamiyaClub member Chip1: And just as I write this, I see that TamiyaClub member pininy has also done this, using a Ferrari 312T3 cockpit as a base: Come to think of it, I have the parts for that, too… However, the part was previously being prepared for my Hotshot build, but never used. With it being partially painted, I will look to use it in the VQS. Oh well – at least I have never put a figure with arms in a Vanquish/VQS! This will all be new to me. I do not mind the pre-painted shell, as I am just fine with the box-art scheme. Cosmetically speaking, the driver figure may be the only modification I undertake. The build itself will feature nothing else exciting: I have a generic waterproof servo and a Spektrum receiver set aside for it, and I will in all likelihood use the stock motor. The fact that this car is essentially a time-travelled Vanquish will be enough for me. And just like with any other time-traveller, I would be remiss to keep it waiting much longer! On we go!

UK based £160 Inc UK shipping No ESC PayPal gift please On eBay as well

Stuck on two restores (as is the way) and so time to crack this one open. My first NIB build since 1987. It feels great knowing I won’t discover half way through that I’m missing a part. I didn’t realise though that the Ladder Chain (OT226) was NOT in the kit. I’ve seen kits online where the same sticker and blister space “Option Parts OT226” is there with a chain inside. Are there two versions of the kit? Not to worry, I’ll build belt drive.

Just spent a little time scanning in my available recent off road and re-re Tamiya reviews. Been trying to search if anyone has done a definitive database or list so I could refer to so I could buy the back issue if I desired Can anyone help update this list? Specifically off road re-re's, I'm unaware at this time if any of the following were reviewed and in what magazine, month and issue no. Still looking for Subaru Brat, Super Fighter GR, Desert Gator, Sand Viper, Hornet, Lunchbox, Thunder shot, Top Force, Manta Ray, Rising Fighter etc etc Below is what I own so far ANY MARKED WITH ** ARE ONES POSTED IN THIS THREAD WHICH I HAVEN'T GOT BUT WOULD LIKE! Off road and Re-re reviews Feb 1997 - M-02L Volkswagen Beetle [ in RC Car Action] Nov 1997 - TA03RS Porsche 911 GT1 [ in RC Car Action] Sep 2004 - TRF415 [ in RC Car Action] **Sep 2004 - Super Clod Buster [ in RC Car Action] **Nov 2004 - DF-02 Gravel Hound [ in RC Car Action] Feb 2005 - TG10 Mk. 2 and Tamtech F1 [ in RC Car Action] Mar 2005 - NDF-01 Nitro Thunder [ in RC Car Action] Apr 2005 - CC-01 Volkswagen Touareg [ in RC Car Action] Jan 2005 - TNX [ in RC Driver] Mar 2005 - TT-01 Calsonic Impul Z [ in RC Driver] Oct 2006 - Dark Impact [ in RC Racer] Nov 2006 - Dark Impact [in RRCi ] - incomplete, only first 3 pages Sep 2007 - Nitrage 5.2 [ in RC Car Action] Nov 2007 - TNX 5.2 (long-term review), TA05 IFS Ebbro 350R [ in RC Driver] Jan 2008 - Hotshot 2007 [ in RC Driver] Feb 2008 - Tamtech Buggy Champ [ in RC Driver] Mar 2008 - Hilux Hi-lift [ in RC Driver] Apr 2008 - DB-01 Durga [ in RC Driver] Jun 2008 - Tamtech Hotshot [ in RC Driver] Jul 2008 - CR-01 Land Cruiser 40 [ in RC Driver] Aug 2008 - 501X Worlds Edition, Tamtech Hotshot (Chapter 2) [ in RC Driver] Aug 2008 - CR-01 Land Cruiser 40 [ in RC Car Action] Mar 2008 - Hotshot [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Sep 2008 - Plasma Edge DF02 [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Nov 2008 - Fire Dragon [in Radio Race Car] Oct 2009 - Buggy Champ [in Radio Control Car Racer] Nov 2009 - Buggy Champ [in Radio Race Car] Jul 2010 - Sand Scorcher [in Radio Race Car] Sep 2010 - Unimog CC-01 [ in Radio Control Car Racer] **Oct 2012 - DB-02 Leonis [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Dec 2010 - Holiday Buggy 2010 [ in Radio Control Car Racer] May 2011 - Avante [ in RC Car Action] Jun 2012 - VW Type 2 Bus [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Jun 2012 - FAX XB version [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Jul 2012 - Bruiser [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Aug 2012 - Jeep Wrangler CC01 [ in Radio Race Car] **Aug 2012 - Super Clod Buster [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Sep 2012 - Street Rover [ in Radio Race Car] Oct 2012 - DB-02 Leonis [ in Radio Control Car Racer] **Jan 2013 - Wild One [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Mar 2013 - Mud Blaster 2 [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Apr 2013 - TA-02T Desert Fielder [ in Radio Control Car Racer] May 2013 - XV-01 Rally [ in RC Car Action] **May 2013 - DF-02 Aero Avante [ in Radio Control Car Racer] **May 2013 - Asterion XV-01T [ in RC Driver] Jun 2013 - Fighter Buggy SV2 [ in RRCi ] Jul 2013 - Farm King [ in Radio Control Car Racer] **Oct 2013 - TXT-2 Agrios [ in RC Car Action] Nov 2013 - NovaFox [ in Radio Control Car Racer] **Nov 2013 - NovaFox [ in RC Driver] Feb 2014 - Egress [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Jul 2014 - DT-03 Neo Fighter Buggy [ in Radio Control Car Racer] **Sept 2014 - Rock Socker [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Oct 2014 - Lowrider Pumpkin [ in RRCi ] **Sep 2015 - Aqroshot DT-03T and Unimog 425 CC-01 [ in RRCi] **Sep 2015 - Honda City Turbo [ in Radio Control Car Racer] **Nov 2015 - Jimny MF-01X [ in Radio Control Car Racer] **Jan 2016 - Monster Beetle [ in Radio Control Car Racer] Mar 2016 - Toy FJ Cruiser Black ed. CC-01 [ in RC Driver]