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Found 161 results

  1. Yes another toy grade conversion, or perhaps semi hobby grade conversion. A few weeks ago I picked up an interesting looking buggy on Ebay, a Radio Shack Black Wolf. From a first glance it looked very similar to the Nikko F10 chassis, which has a fair few fans here and is itself very similar to the Grasshopper. The cars are 540 powered, take a 7.2v pack and are fully proportional, so are pretty nice from the off, but can be improved with some tweaking. The car also came with a spare gearbox, body, tires and a few other parts, enough to potentially make two cars using some spares I had. I wanted to make something for my Nephew, so for £30 it seemed like a good deal. I When the car arrived it became apparent that although it was based on the F10 they were not made with the exact same moulds. Nikko and Taiyo produced many cars for Radio Shack and Tandy. Some of the cars are exactly the same, perhaps with a different body or stickers, but others like this one are very close, but not identical. However the Black Wolf and F10 are close enough that I should be able to swap parts from one to another without too much issue. So, on to the build: I started with the gearbox first. The good thing about these cars is that they take modern ball bearings, so I was able to replace all the nylon bushings with proper ball bearings, including inside the gearbox. The car takes 11x5x4 and 10x5x4 bearings, and they really make a difference compared to 30 year old bushings! I then replaced the old motor with a 540 Silver Can - the Tamiya pinions attached to them were identical, so that was a plus too. Looking at the gearbox I noticed some damage. There is a tab that stops the gearbox rotating too far back, either on acceleration or when the car leaves the ground. The shocks on this car are simple springs and work under compression, but simply pop open under tension offering no resistance. This means every time the car jumps or accelerates this tab bangs hard against the back of the chassis. This was clearly a serious design flaw as both tabs were cracked and lifting up, allowing dirt into the gearbox as well as failing to really work. I tried to glue them, but a glued plastic part is rarely as strong, and kept on popping off so I gave up. I then decided to glue again, clamp for ages and then trim off the tab completely You can see here where the tab was on the left hand side of the the pivot. I've tried to hide it, but can only do so much. The main thing is it is sealed. So, this was all fixed, but now when you lift up the car the rear end falls out and the springs pop out. A simple solution involved using an oven hob to get the rear springs hot. These were then pushed into the red cups, partially melting them and making a very strong bond. This means the springs are now attached to both ends, meaning they can work under tension too. Now the rear end is attached to the car, even if you pick it up. Next step, onto the electronics...
  2. Hi all, I would like to get a vintage F1, probably an F101. The goal would be to run it and use foam tires. I would also like the tires to be correct in terms of diameter and width i.e. F104 foam tires wouldn't do. My understanding is that the outside dimensions of tires are the same between an F101/2/3 although the rims and therefore the inside bore inside the tires at the front of the F101 are different. In other words, F103 wheels and tires when assembled together would fit the F101. Having asked the detailed questions above about such rare cars as these, I suppose I should have asked first: are there any members here who might still be running these beauties from the past? 😅 Is it realistic to plan on sourcing foam tires on a regular basis or are we limited to expensive NOS lucky finds? Many thanks in advance.
  3. A couple of days ago I decided to try rallying my M06, some tarmac slides and some light off-roading. Long story short I decided that I'd be better off with a buggy. I went on ebay looking for a used Grasshopper 2 and ended up with two Frogs. Frog A was the first one, this one came with a body, good back tires, and a controller. I didn't realise until later that it was short a dog bone! So I looked up dogbones, the Universal Driveshaft hop up, I decided to use vintage car restoration logic and buy Frog B which has shafts, posts, and a bumper. Frog B was the first to arrive, I must have spent 20 minutes looking it over un amusement, and not in a cynical "this is so bad" way, I was actually quite fascinated. The front suspension actually had halfway decent damping despite the lack of shocks, certainly better than the friction shocks on modern entry level kits. Unfortunately Frog Bs battery was misplaced I guess, but I did get a card for the sellers social media accounts (which I promptly pitched because I dont care). But I couldn't complain, you'll see why.
  4. There's a lot of history to cover with this project, and I may have previously covered some of it already, although I can't find it right now. Essentially, this is the story of how I came into possession of a vintage SRB chassis and parts, and how those parts came together to build a race car. We begin back in 2012, at the Tamiyaclub 10th year anniversary swapmeet and bash, where I had the pleasure of meeting lots of like-minded Tamiya enthusiasts in person for the very first time, not least being Mr. Tamiyaclub himself, @netsmithUK. At the time, I had owned my Buggy Champ Gold Edition for less than a year, and although I loved it, I was too precious with it to really enjoy driving it. In fact at that time, it had only been carefully around the flat at home. I had hoped to pick up a vintage SRB project for a more hands-on approach to SRB ownership, but I expected any donor chassis would be well above my price range. It turns out, I was wrong! Because Netsmith had his own swap table, and was trading all manner of vintage parts at knockdown prices. Spying a bargain, I came away with a vintage chassis, complete with Scorcher roll hoop, complete transmission and front suspension, although it was missing the wheels and tyres, front body post and steering crank and links, radio box and rear cage. I also bagged a set of Proline gold wheels, You-G front tyres, sand paddle rear tyres, and a new rear cage. All for a bargain basement sum - I can't remember exactly what I paid for it all, but it was at the lower end of double figures. Of course, it would be a good few years before I got around to doing anything with the old thing, and the first photo I have is from March 2014, when I collected the parts together for a build in what was then my studio and hobby room.
  5. Finally have new tyres, cleaned hubs and new penguin body (inspired by Toystheyrenot’s Dirtmaster). Decals are mix of MCI reproductions and left overs from the Turbo Scorpion.
  6. This isn't another topic on vintage models vs re-re, more so modern vs old kits. DT-02 vs Hornet, Frog vs Neo Fighter, etc. Is it more fun to build a modern kit? And what about driving a modern Tamiya vs the old designs? I do understand that most modern Tamiyas have more hop-ups, and easily more potential for "good" handling. But I don't understand the kits that require hop-ups just to go straight or be on par with modern RTR models. I absolutely understand why a design from 1983 is going to have its share of problems...even if re-releases of said design should have them ironed out.
  7. Here is my original GH2SG, not 100% certain of the history of this buggy, it came into my possession sometime between 2012 and 2015, the person I got it from was not the original owner. It came with an original Blackfoot (I will do a thread for the Blackfoot in the future) and a mix of Futaba and Acoms equipment. No box, no documentation, just the buggy and some parts. As you can see it was well used in the past, as evidenced by the scratches on the body and missing a-pillars as is common on this buggy. My plans are a little bit restoration, a little bit modification, and to get it running for old times sake. I originally owned a Futaba FX10, a Losi Jr-T (with added LXT hop-up kit), and a Kyosho Viper boat…the only one of those three that seem to have survived in my possession is the Losi (and some small remnants of the others), which along with this GH2SG and the Blackfoot will be running again soon enough. As for this GH2SG, well… the original rear tires are nowhere to be found, it is currently equipped with the original WELL WORN tires from my old FX10, I am awaiting delivery of a set of Tamiya 58517 rear tires from a Supershot/Hotshot as I believe they are the same/similar to what originally came on the SG the front tires are present, but dry rotted and a sidewall has torn on one of them, haven’t been able to find reasonably priced original style rib spike replacements yet, the current tires are good enough for when it is sitting on a shelf, but won’t survive the first outdoor drive, I have some other options to get it rolling for now only the rear yellow shocks remained from original (and they were in a parts box, not installed on the buggy), the front shocks were replaced with orange metallic coloured aluminum bodied shocks before it came into my possession, I have replaced the front and rear shocks with a set of yellow CVAs from a Terra Scorcher/Fire Dragon/Thunder Shot which seem to be the correct length aside from maybe the lower ends. The rears are very close to correct length, maybe only a couple mm too short, the fronts likely need the lower ends replaced…they currently have the short lower ends mounted and are at least 5 or 6 mm too short, I need to source the longer version of the lower ends and try them out. The springs on the back seem to be a little stiffer than what likely came on the SG originally, I might deal with that later. I also don’t think the Tamiya yellow shock oil is light enough to work properly once this thing is actually running, I might have to play with piston choice and/or oil weight to make the suspension work the way it should on the rear it also had what appears to be original super hornet lower shock mounts/brace, I have removed that but kept the pieces in the parts box for now looks to be the original 540 motor with black plastic endbell it is currently equipped with a Tamiya TEU-101BK ESC, which will likely stay in it, setup with Anderson PP15/45 power connectors, good for up to 10 awg and 55 amp, running off an older Onyx 3000 mah 6 cell nimh pack I still have the original MSC, mount, and linkage in the parts box…in fact I have 2 MSC, a brownish tan version and a black version, from pictures I’ve seen I believe the brownish tan was what came with the SG and the black came with the Blackfoot (anybody know for sure?) I have installed the resistor heat shield in the original position just to fill the hole, but the resistor isn’t in it and it obviously has no function beyond looks AM transmitter/receiver replaced with a Turbo Racing 91085G-VT 2.4 GHz radio and 4 channel RX41 receiver (hard to beat the $40 CAD price to get this buggy running again), I have kept the AM equipment but I am unsure of it’s condition as it is missing battery packs and can’t be tested old school Futaba servo is still in it for now Next steps will be tear it down, thorough cleaning, reassemble, and run it, install bearings throughout, small bits and pieces here and there, like correct size/length hardware, body pins, etc. I will likely install a 3d printed rear pivot brace to allow the rear suspension to work a little better Considering the Ampro double wishbone front suspension, if I go this route I will retain all the original parts in case there is ever a desire to return to original I have a plan to swap to modern 2.2 2wd buggy wheels and tires front and rear while also maintaining some of that SG look, this should allow me to run it without destroying the original style tires that seem to be more rare/harder to get these days…more on the 2.2 buggy wheels to follow in a future post in this thread I will run the original 540 silver can for now, but might replace it with a modern Sport Tuned I might switch to deans connectors and 2200 mah 2s lipo in a 3d printed stick pack adapter in the future…if I do this, I will also add a lipo alarm to keep an eye on voltage cutoff level
  8. Rare unassembled Tamiya 1/12 Lamborghini Countach LP500s competition special for sale. NIB, all bags are closed. This one is the competition special edition with larger 540 motor for a 1/12 scale model. Released in 1978. A true rarity for the passionate collector. Please do not hesitate to contact me for additional questions or more pictures. I'm happy to help! Price: 1 300 euros + delivery
  9. Hi, I'm new at the club. I bought about two year ago a Blitzer Stadium (a release maybe). Since then I have modified many things on it. Looking on Internet to find new thing to do on the truck. My fun is to find what is cool on recent RC cars and try to reproduce on mine. I have already: installed front and rear carbon fiber shock tower with homemade aluminium parts upgraded the shocks (aluminium) upgraded suspension arm shafts (basic) removed some plastic of the chassis. Lower now replaced most of the screws ... I have modified many parts. So if you are interested to know the parts that I used to upgrade the blitzer, fell free to comment. Hope you will enjoy my first pictures. I will list soon all the modifications on the truck. Glob356
  10. Thanks to a bundle deal I made I've ended up with an original Top Cat, originally I wanted to run it but it seems that some of the re-release parts have been canned for some reason. It mostly just needs shocks, electronics, and a fresh set of tires. Right now I have some old Rustler shocks on the back temporarily (yea I know, heresy!). My plan is to run it lightly with a brushed 540 motor in it and replace the missing/aged parts, but I'd like to know if these have any value on the second hand market. I've only seen a few of the re-releases for sale but no originals.
  11. Vintage Tamiya Martini Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI 4WD Nr. 5818 - for sale on eBay. Last of my models .Bought & built ca. 1997/8 and never run in anger. Sold in 2014 to a non-payer, so it stayed with me, but now it has to go. The ad is in German, but basically says: Immaculate. Never run. Displayed for last 25 years or so. Original box, spare decals, screws, cogs etc., instruction leaflet and original documents in excellent condition, original 3-step fwd/rev speed control unused - fitted with C.P.R. P-80F and Servo, Tamiya 1400NP Racing Pack 7,2v 1400mAh NiCd (not charged for donkey's years - has about 2volts residual charge. Any questions - just ask. Thanks for looking and I hope this finds a new home with someone who will cherish it as much as I have for so long!
  12. I am not sure what's quite wrong with me. I sold off my hobby grade converted Taiyo here, and now I have picked up another. This is the Taiyo off-road Tiger, also known as the Taiyo Giant Roader. It's got larger wheels than the classic Yellow/Blue Taiyo 4x4 but is otherwise very similar. This one was branded XGO by Tandy from 1995. Zero suspension but has large tires and the rear and forward wheels share the same differential right and left with two parallel prop shafts, making for a surprisingly capable off road car, especially with the (very) low gear selected. With a brushless this will be very fast, but will be prone to roll over so dirt and grass only. The plan here is quite simple. I am going to keep the battery bays so it can take 4 x C batteries, but I will add a connector to allow the option of the 2C Li-ion battery as well into the ESC. I will go brushless again with a12T 7200 KV ezrun. If that proves too hot I will move the motor to something else, and go for the 18T version. I will have a look at the steering, I think I might be able to get ball studs and turnbuckles to connect the steering over the original system, but we will see. The plan for the body is simple; remove the wing and reduce the rear roll bar height, paint roll bar and wheels white, take off all the stickers and dress it up like a clodbuster. If you compare if to the GF01 you can see they are a similar size. What I want to do is find a way of attaching the body to the chassis via posts, so I can clip the body into the Taiyo, but also have the body as an option for the GF01 to make a 4x4 1/14 clod. You can see the suprisingly good clearance with 105 mm tires. Now with a baby in the house this is really a build that might take a long time, bit I find it's nice to have a project to look forward too, even if I won't be able to make much headway. A little while ago @GeeWings asked if there was any consensus on removing stickers, I can't find the thread, was there an answer? 😀 I know compared to a hopped up TRF this isn't the sexiest build, but hopefully these have inspired builders on a budget and those interested in smaller scales.
  13. I need help identifying this vintage 1/8 Stock Car chassis please, I intend to restore it so I’d like to know what it’s supposed to look like. Due to the precision with which it is made, the chassis finish and the steering setup I’m convinced it’s commercially made (not the radio box obv), I’ve searched the usual suspects Mardave, Puma, Ke’Jon & Yu’Can but not found anything with nerf bars anything like that shape. I can’t think of any other manufacturers to look at so any relevant 1970s companies’ names would also be useful. Thanks, MZ. @Ascona1 @Grastens @Abarth1
  14. Hi everyone, I am new here and not really clued up about the modelling scene. A relative of mine left me some Tamiya formula 1 kits a few years back. They are in their boxes which are opened but inside they are not constructed, complete and in their original plastic packaging with instructions, decals and advertising.. I have attached links for photos of the boxes and was wondering how rare these kits are and their current values? I would also like to know if it is worth selling them now or should i hold on to them as an investment for the future? As i said i am not really into the modelling scene but any answers and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
  15. Hi all! I’m new here and inherited this old SRB Tamiya from my uncle maybe 12 or so years ago. And it’s been sitting in the shed ever since. Got the itch to break it back out and get it running! Any tips/info/help would be much appreciated!
  16. Dear all, i'm restoring an original Bigwig and I have to replace a bent dogbone. Seems pretty rare to find so I'm guessing if somebody has one to sell me. Looking at some good topics it seems they are the same dogbones of the original Boomerang... I need the original one as I'm mounting all stock items. Thanks!
  17. I finally found the Blitzer in stock, wanted one for so long. I never liked the orange wheels and thought this little bug deserves some attention. This will be not box art and hoping this will look like in my vision when done. What I am trying to do is… -try and guess! This will have 2.2” narrow front wheels and 2.2/3” wide thread rears. Anyway, lets start the build. The kit includes the new 04 esc, but I will use the TBLE 02. Like allways, Tamiya manual is super easy to follow. I did add ball bearings ( Had extra set of Carson DT-02 bearings laying around) Blitzer uses the same bearing size. Gearbox all ready. Notice the Sport Tuned motor.(it may be changed to ~10.5t brushless later)
  18. I came across some old Tamiya slot cars and a track and need assistance with finding out some more information and what their value might be. I have 3 racers fitted with a. FT-16D Mabuchi racing motor which there is also a container with a ton of spare parts I.e - wheels etc. 3 custom slot racers which all scale to 1/24 they are the following: Lotus-30 light weight die-casting chassis Lora T-70 spring suspention chassis The 3rd one is manufactured by Hasegawa and is a Ferrari DINO-166P The track has a figure 8 one the lid of a blue box and is labeled Tamiya circuit slot racing set
  19. For sale is a set of 90’s moosgummi tirea from the manufacturer GRP model EVI04E 40 shore, 12mm hex, very little use, vintage. With package. 30€ with shipping. open for offers. Will swap for M chassis Slicks 60D.
  20. Hello to everybody, Happy New year and best wishes in RC. Link of my topic : TAMIYA Humvee M1025 : French Hummer as Crawler I'm Charles from North of France, (near Belgium border). I don't know if i need to make a presentation but i will explain here why I'm here. I'm from 1986, and around 10/11 years old. At Christmas i will ask to santa some Lego Technic big set, and my Brother (8 years older than me), as Tamiya Fan explain to me RC is more Fun. I've listen him, and he found my first model : a Dyna Storm from a windows showase of a closing rc local shop. Already mount with a motor on it. And all start for me about RC ! With years, i've choose to spend some Birthday and Christmas into it. Next model was a KIT Subaru Impreza 97' with the TA03F , so great stuff to mount a model. And i follow with some other "iconic" model : Juggernaut, never heard about the fragile gear ( no internet community ). After a intership as a young dealer assistant into another Rc Shop,i work on holidays and saturdays. I spend lot of money & time in my TA04 Pro chassis, with lot of Hop Up, and good electronic product as Novak and Futaba. I make some race in local club as amateur. That so great to run these model on carpet. Good memories when at the end my model was well setup as easy to drive. Some other model come to my collection, I've bought ( between 2000-2005 ) a 2nd hand Dyna Blaster, to take some spare parts for my Dyna Storm. Finally i discover few parts are common. And after, that i've bought a Dyna Storm NIB, mount it and make it run with caution. ( before crazy price ) After that, i grow up and i spend less time in RC, to continue bigger on 1:1 scale car and need more time to high school and my engineer university (Electricity). Keep all my model at my family house. Now after some ( lot of ) years, my nephew "Ed" have recevied a Tamiya RC Model : Racing Fighter. ( son of my Brother ) and his cousin "Amb." recevied for communion a Neo Fighter. Me and my brother don't resist to buy again 20 years after a Kit ( 2 others Racing Fighter ) to plan to run with children with same models. In parallele I am in the process of rebuild / replace parts and clean. The Clean Dyna Storm became a Shelf queen and my first Dyna Storm still a Runner. I've upgrade my Juggernaut with 2000 gears and bearing with Amb ( he love to mount/dismount model) Bought in may 2020 a TRF414M (my teenager dream) for my Birthday, and planned to run. And now i've start to make on the Dyna Blaster a restoration that he deserved. Thanks to read this presentation. Sincerly yours Charles
  21. The Kyosho Icarus is a 2WD entry-level RC car from the year 1985/1986. It has the same chassis as the Pegasus, Cosmo and Cox Bandido. The original motor is the 360ST, size 550, 22 turns - 22,000 rpm and it has independent suspension on four wheels with oil dampers. This buggy is the version that Graupner distributed in Germany. I bought it disassembled and there were parts that were not from this car: I have the original rims and the new front tires; I don't have the rear tires. There were other front rims and rear rims on the Tamiya Hornet. The chassis was strongly marked by scratches on the bottom but no broken parts. The shock absorbers were new as if they had changed. The most important thing was to have all the transmission parts because they are expensive, hard to find and there are no alternatives. I disassemble the gearbox because there is a strange noise. The gearbox is fine and had a loose bushing. It is cleaned and oiled. The motor pinion has 18 teeth and a 0.8M module. The gearbox has a ratio 18/52 * 18/52 ---> 8.35: 1 The wheel axle is worn in the rolling area. This also occurs in the Cosmo and the Pegasus. TThe previous owner did not do the maintenance and there was no grease in the bushings. It is better to use 10x6 mm flanged ball bearings A new wheel axle is quite expensive and difficult to obtain; I placed a needle roller bearing 10x6 mm and 10 mm wide. The transmission parts have strange measures and shapes and are not compatible with other spare parts: The LeMans 360ST motor has interchangeable brushes but cannot be opened. I put the very fine sandpaper in a screwdriver and put it in the hole of the brushes to polish the collector. I use a drill to turn the rotor. Video: https://youtu.be/sMPhT_h9Wl8 Complete transmission test and measure the motor speed (sound level meter): https://youtu.be/LEozlwM9lzs The chassis is clean and the transmission mounted. The battery is placed by opening a cover under the car The double wishbone front suspension is made up of flexible plastic arms: there is no axle. Suspension clearance is repaired with an o-ring. I made two polyethylene holders for the servo. I did not have the original holders. I have new chrome rims and a rear wheel adapter; I also have new front tires. I mount 4x8x3 bearings in the front wheels. The rear rims are 1.55" size and I can choose between the Tamiya Hornet or Marui tires that I have. I paint the white letters on the tires. I also mounted the ESC and the receiver in the car. The Icarus buggy looks like this: In action (video): https://youtu.be/PN9w7e1kkTs Translated from: https://reparar-cochesrc.blogspot.com/2020/03/restauracion-reparacion-de-kyosho-icarus.html (sorry for the translation errors) https://classicrccars.wordpress.com/2021/01/15/kyosho-icarus-restoration/
  22. Howdy Folks, This is the true “barnyard” find. No funny business. So, back in Christmas of 1986, my uncle from Hong Kong mailed me a gift. It was a Tamiya Super Shot “Kit No. 5854**29800” in a box covered in Japanese... and superb artwork. He also sent along with it a KO Propo Expert EX-II Super Steering System, a Tamiya 7.2 Battery and a Tamiya charger. I was too young and stupid to know what I had. I opened it, put the tires on the super cool gold wheels (which still look absolutely brand new...), and attempted to assemble the first steps. I failed utterly in confusion... put all the pieces back into the box, and there they have sat for over thirty years, moving from house to house, closet shelf to closet shelf. And now... it is finally time to find this Super Shot a deserving home, with an enthusiast who can love and appreciate this wonderful toy. The Bad... So, first of all, bear in mind ALL of the parts are 100% unused, in both the Super Shot kit, and with the KO Propo. The box is slightly beat up over the years, with some tape that held it closed on the sides only (but thankfully secured the contents). All of the parts should be there, as I put them on a table, then put them back a day or so later, some of them in ziploc bags (several parts came secured in a plastic bubble blister cover). 90+% of the parts are still in the plastic blisters and little Tamiya/KO Propo bags... I really did not get very far at all. (YES, I have been asked— the “Technipower” motor is there, as well as the original battery, bearings, everything... unused and new from 1986.) The instructions are missing— I can only guess that I had a notion I could study the instructions and figure it out to try building it later (as I did that with the “Expert” Legos sometimes, studied the build first...), and then they likely got lost somewhere in time. The decals also seem to be missing; they are most probably in the instructions. However, I vaguely remember being advised by my cousin to paint the wing from the bottom so it could remain shiny (i.e., it is clear plastic), and I apparently applied decals to the wing in preparation for this. Lastly, several of the KO Propo parts seem to be in the Tamiya box (i.e., there are empty slots in the KO Propo styrofoam, and parts and connectors labeled “KO Propo” inside ziploc bags in the Tamiya box). There are some parts in the KO Propo box that are possibly for the Tamiya... little parts in bags, that a more experienced RC person could properly identify. (As of this writing, the kit is “as-is.” However, there is still some 50/50 chance that I may come across the instructions and decals in another one of dozens of boxes somewhere. If so, I do pledge to provide those to the new owner at my expense.) I do have photographs of this all. I am happy to share them, of course, and happy to answer any questions. I noticed this club is based in the the UK... I am in the United States, in Arizona. I have consulted with a few RC Hobby clubs and stores with regard to what I have, during my few days research of this vintage kit... especially considering the bottom threshold of “being ripped off” or taken advantage of. I understand that collectors want vintage toys to be as perfect and new as possible. As such, I do not expect the premium price of a “mint” pristine boxed example, especially considering the missing instructions and decals. However, I do think it is not unreasonable to expect a fair market value for this item, given the increasing scarcity of such toys. I have a very nice kit here, functionally complete and with much more upside than flaws, particularly for an enthusiast who would like to build the kit, or perhaps complete a collection or have “spares.” And I would greatly prefer that this kit go to a hobbyist who truly appreciates what this is, as opposed to someone who will just flip it for a fast buck because they have better connections in the RC community than a person like me with limited knowledge. So, if you can afford to make a reasonable offer, to enjoy this cool piece of Tamiya history... I’d love to talk to you. Let’s make a deal where this Super Shot finds a happy home. I am trying this route prior to ebay, because I was quite impressed with the enthusiasm and “showroom” collections of the club’s members... so I reckoned someone here would really appreciate this cool Tamiya kit. My name is Mort. I can be reached at “mortcompany” at google’s Gee mail. I am very happy to talk via telephone if you provide a name and number (and maybe a good time to ring). I would be returning the call from a 520 then nine-seven-nine number. I can do pay..pal or Zell..e, and guesstimate about $25 bucks shipping US. I don’t know about international cost, but I am willing to accommodate a serious buyer (and help deal with customs forms). Also, I am happy to provide my bona fides like identification, to ensure an honest and enjoyable transaction for us both. Thank you for looking! As for photos here... “Upload failed.” 🤷🏽‍♂️ “You are only allowed to upload 4.x MB” ...but I didn’t try more than a single 2MB pic. Happy to email them!
  23. 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.
  24. Nikko85

    Introduction

    Hi all, Thought I'd introduce myself here. 35 years old, used to play with RC cars as a kid. My brother had the hobby grade stuff, but I had the Nikkos. As lock down started I thought I'd try and find my old cherished RC on Ebay (A 1997 Nikko Spider 3) and that sent me on a rabbit hole of vintage RCs from the era. I've used these forums for lots of searches, so thought I'd contribute as the collection has grown. I'm not really into the more modern stuff - and when I was racing NiCds where the height of tech. What I find really interesting with Nikkos is trying to work out which model is which, which parts are interchangeable, particularly when it comes to Tandy/Radioshack. Hopefully I can post some pictures that someone will find interesting. I'll post some more photos and reviews soon, but I've managed to pick up a Turbo Panther, Mighty Max, F10, Turbo Dasher, Ford Ranger 4x4, Gambler, Black Fox and a Road Express 1/24 18 wheeler. Jeez, I didn't think it was so many, but that's lockdown for you. I've got a few questions: Is it better to make a larger thread with the collection, or a thread for each car with the review (particularly if a thread doesn't exist). I don't want to spam a new-to-me forum with loads of threads, but it can be useful to keep a thread about a rarer car separate. I've also picked up a cheap version of a QD clod (so a budget version of a budget version) which I want to upgrade to modern(ish) proportional stuff. Is there a place in the forum for very green questions about electrics, motors etc? Thanks in advance! Andrew
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