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A Second Chance: Grastens Builds the Tamiya Buggy Champ (2009)

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Grastens Builds the:

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A memorable build of great personal significance begins!

Overview (aka Grastens' Understanding of the Buggy Champ and its Predecessors)

The Tamiya Buggy Champ was released in 2009, as a re-issue of the original Rough Rider that first appeared in 1979. Along with the Sand Scorcher, it played a role in the popularization of off-road RC buggy racing. The chassis featured full cast-metal independent suspension, which emulated the Volkswagen Beetles that was the basis for many dune buggies of the time. As such, the performance was also quite similar to the full-size subject, which at the time represented an improvement over the current state of off-road RC buggies.

The Rough Rider in particular was based on the Bob Maynard Racing Funco SSII, and was set to become a properly-licenced version of his bright-orange racer. However, the deal fell through during the prototype stage, and as a result, the name was changed to “Rob Mitchell Racing” (Tamiyabase has some more information on this for further reading). If nothing else, this footnote reaffirms Tamiya’s attention to authenticity in those early days of their RC venture.

The suspension was not the only factor influencing its scale performance: the use of a water-resistant mechanism box to protect the electrical components from moisture damage also allowed the buggy to tackle the elements. This opened up new possibilities for running, which contributed to the chassis’ popularity among more casual enthusiasts. The bodywork did require some deviation from the original Funco buggies to fit the mechanism box, but for all intents and purposes the Rough Rider was an authentic dune buggy at 1:10 scale – and a fraction of the price!

The combination of scale aesthetics and performance was befitting the “Model Suitable for Radio Control” philosophy that Tamiya’s nascent RC department sought to embrace. With pronounced positive rear camber and no rear differential, the Rough Rider was really best suited for sandy beaches and dunes – again, like the real thing.

As mentioned, the chassis was also used for the Sand Scorcher, which took the Beetle theme even further by introducing a modified Volkswagen-style shell over the original platform. Later, Tamiya would use the chassis underneath a Ford F-150 Ranger body as its own release. In response to the growing number of racers using these buggies, Tamiya would eventually develop the chassis further for the Super Champ (now around today as the Fighting Buggy).

The chassis became known as the SRB (Special Racing Buggy), and for all its innovation, there were plenty of improvements that could be made to increase its performance. It has been written that the Rough Rider and Sand Scorcher may have created the “cottage industry” of aftermarket parts (think Team CRP, MIP, Thorp, etc.) as enterprising builders and racers sought to gain the edge on the track. Popular upgrades included items such as lightweight suspension arms, alloy chassis plates, parts to replace the mechanism box with a lighter solution (addressed later with the Super Champ), and an ever-increasing variety of wheel and tire combinations.

The legacy of the Rough Rider (and Sand Scorcher) may be similar to that of the later Grasshopper and Hornet, which also brought off-road RC cars to a wider audience. As buggy design evolved into something quite different in the name of outright performance, the scale appearance and driving characteristics of the SRBs remain part of a past era, though revived in other genres such as trail driving!

Grastens and the Buggy Champ

I bought my Buggy Champ at the local hobby shop (back then, Advance Hobbies near Toronto, Ontario) for what was probably $350. I had been in the hobby for about one year, having started with another Tamiya: the Toyota GT-One on the F103RS. I enjoyed it immensely, and a whetted appetite was now eager to try off-road buggies. At the time, I had little clue as to what the Buggy Champ represented.

I found myself living the experience of a Rough Rider enthusiast: once marvelling at its performance off-road, I sought to improve its overall handling by introducing new parts. The modifications I remember the most were the alloy chassis plate, the ball differential, and a succession of coil-spring dampers that replaced the leak-prone originals. I had even considered the RC Channel double-wishbone upgrade for the rear suspension, if only because I found the positive rear camber made handling tricky, and the wear on the outsides of the tires was not looking good…

Life intervened, as it usually does, and for a period, the Buggy Champ sat along with my other cars on the shelf. Over time, it was joined by others, and as the on-off relationship with the hobby continued, the car saw less and less action – I would be too engrossed with other projects, like the Lancia Rally that I had taken on and with which I began my love affair with RC rally cars.

Unfortunately, life then saw me sell the Buggy Champ (along with the shell for said Lancia Rally) when I needed the funds for a trip. I sold the car to another member on TamiyaClub, who, like me, had been looking for a fun and reliable runner.

Perhaps it is best that I have since forgotten this member’s name (and I believe this member no longer frequents the forums), for it broke my heart to learn that this member decided it was not to his taste and sat it on the shelf. I had given him a bargain for it, too… It was at that moment that I came to realize my mistake, though it would take some more time to regret it (after all, it was a good trip!).

The Intervening Years

Over time, while moving a well-loved car for pocket change to someone who did not appreciate it still hurt, I could also understand that the Buggy Champ was a car best suited for a specific set of conditions.

As I grew up and settled down, I would continue to waver between full and zero commitment to the hobby. I struggled with unemployment for an embarrassing amount of time, which definitely affected my ability to continue with my RC cars. Even when I did find full-time work, a diagnosis of clinical depression and the resulting medical struggles changed my life and threw it into turmoil…

… And as if in the eye of a storm, I calmly picked up my RC cars again.

This time, having finally moved in with my partner and being otherwise completely independent, I found I could focus more time, energy, and (most importantly) money on the hobby that I knew I still loved. The acquisition of a Tamiya Hotshot (courtesy of said partner!) rekindled my interest, and a succession of builds signalled my return to radio-controlled cars.

And then: well, where I now live, there is a beach less than an hour’s drive away… Could I really be thinking…? Even with all of the other off-road buggies I have now?

A Second Chance

Everything pointed me towards another Buggy Champ. Remembering how much I have come to miss my first one, I made the decision to find one – and this time, not let go!

Unfortunately, like pretty much everything, the Buggy Champs that were once plentiful online and beyond (namely, the ‘Metallic Editions’ in silver and gold) were now going for way more than I recalled. I had to remember that it had been several years since I last seriously sought one out, but this seemed ridiculous; the majority of them were asking $700 and beyond.

The advent of coronavirus inspired me to turn ‘local,’ which is to say to the local online classified ads. There, I found a seller who had a new-in-sealed-box Buggy Champ for well under what everyone else wanted for theirs, out of Toronto. It was even somewhat near where I grew up…

I wanted it, but my bank account did not! I made a deal to put down a deposit on it, following which I would come up with the rest of the money in two weeks’ time. I had it all paid for by the next week, and while perhaps I could have negotiated a better price, I felt grateful to have found a brand-new one in the country that did not cost me half a month’s pay!

The other nice thing about buying within the country is that shipping is commensurately fast. By the following week, I had it in my hands! When I opened it up and set out the shrink-wrapped box, I just stood there, staring at it: while I may never find my original Buggy Champ again, I have been given another chance to experience it. With the experience I had accumulated with other models in that time, I would appreciate it more than I ever could have back then, and now know better than to part with this one – would you believe I embraced the box and told it I would never let go?

I was unaware of the full extent of my emotions until the day it arrived. Maybe it will become a nice memory of mine in this hobby.

The Kit

Many of you have seen a Buggy Champ before, but for the Gamilans, Betelgeusians, generally-uninformed, and nostalgic types like me out there, I have some photos:

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Would you also believe I found the box smaller than I remembered?

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The beauty of a new-in-box example is that I can relive the build, too! That blister packaging brought back so many happy memories:

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Beneath the blister pack with the tires, there is a special box, decorated with photos of the Buggy Champ in action. The contents of that box:

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Essentially, it contains all the hardware and most of the main chassis pieces.

Under the blister pack with the cast-metal suspension parts, we have the grey three-piece wheels. Sitting in the centre compartment in bags were the bodyshell, the rear bumper, body parts, mechanism box, and the kit-supplied ESC:

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At the very bottom are those famous box-art decals:

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And thus, the kit! It will go together in a manner unlike many modern offerings, which I look forward to!

The Build

The Rough Rider and Sand Scorcher were popular in their day, and the Buggy Champ and re-released Sand Scorcher also enjoyed a following. However, in over a decade since they were re-released, the supply of non-LiPo batteries compatible with the kit’s mechanism box had seemingly gone from small to infinitesimal… There are still several offset-hump Ni-MH batteries available in Europe, and I found myself importing three of them from the U.K. specifically for this model. With the first one, I had the local hobby shop (again, Advance Hobbies) produce some for me from two standard stick packs I supplied. Far away from them or any other suitable hobby shop this time, I went overseas.

My experience with the first one showed me that I could not make good use of a ball differential in the back, but that the alloy chassis I had purchased was definitely useful. I found one online, and decided to pair that with a smaller metal bumper for this kit.

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The electronics I will be using:

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Pictured are an aftermarket Spektrum-compatible receiver, an old HPI SF-10W servo, an Axial RC LED module that will allow me to fit lights, and a Tamiya TBLE-02S ESC.

The last-named is of great confusion to me. I clearly recall my first Buggy Champ being issued with the TEU-101BK, and thought that the original re-issue’s run (excluding Metallic Editions) predated the TBLE-02S completely. There is a thread on TamiyaClub stating that kits are not shrink-wrapped at the factory, so I have no illusions about that. However, is this really as the kit had arrived?

While I was at it, I purchased some Sand Scorcher body accessories:

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The plan had been to use the exhaust pipe from this set on the back of the chassis, though it looks like the Buggy Champ was not issued one for good reason: it is likely not to fit with the shell on the chassis…

The build will therefore make use of an aftermarket front bumper and metal chassis plate, but will otherwise be mechanically-stock. LEDs will be equipped using a leftover sprue full of light buckets and lenses from my Comical Avante build, which was a suggestion from Tamiya’s release of the sprue as its own hop-up part. At this juncture, I intend to use the kit-supplied decals, but will not use the suggested TS-12 Orange for the paint.

For body colour, I actually have a few options that do not require more purchases: on hand, I have cans of TS-43 Racing Green (the colour I used for my first Buggy Champ, I think), TS-35 Park Green, TS-15 Blue, and TS-8 Italian Red. I even have enough TS-26 Pure White and TS-7 Racing White if I feel so inclined, but at present, I do not. The Racing Green would evoke my first buggy, though the possibilities of the other colours I have are compelling – a decision I am happy to mull over while I build the chassis.

The rare revisit of a memory is the subject of this build thread. Onward!

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Looking forward to this one! I do enjoy your build logs and it is great to go old school. Nothing like a full box of unopened blisters packs. 

TS 43 Racing Green with TS 7 Racing White would make a sweet combination.

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Great intro @Grastens.I get a strong pang of nostalgia and I was only vaguely aware of the Buggy Champ first time around. There can't be many more significant buggies in Tamiya's history. Subscribed!

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Very nice!

As a thought, if you did want to utilise that Sand Scorcher rear exhaust (and perhaps one of Toykid's scale engine covers too), you could go a little custom and chop the rear end like Sayroll did with this awesome Bel-Ray Bullet replica using that body?

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=122033&id=22164

Looking forward to seeing what you do!

Jenny x

ps. While you're at it, I'd also use the Sand Scorcher driver head with the open face helmet too - I think that would look even more period correct.

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That’s fantastic you got the one that got away back again 👍🏻
 

It was a Buggy Champ that came with a spare Sand Scorcher body and wheels that kicked things off for me about five years ago.

And I can confirm that the SS exhaust fits with the BC body on as seen here..

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Lovely. Another Grastens-buildB).  I'm gonna need more time than a breakfast to read it all and study the pictures properly, 

 

In my on off relationship with the hobby I bought a well used Sand Scorcher for nostalgia-reasons back in 2005. Until now nothing is made out of it other than using the rear wheels (from a Nikko Bison F-10) on the Hopper and revitalize its Yokomo Esprit motor. But perhaps now... 

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... Wait, who's updating this thread?! Oh, right :wacko:

The first step:

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The cast-metal gearbox, with its solid final gear and mixture of plastic and metal, is the first item to be assembled. Memories of my first Buggy Champ had me recalling filling this up with molybdenum grease, being persuaded by my local hobby shop that it was "the same, if not better." Ah, youth!

Metal-on-metal contact still benefits from the black grease, but the intervening years have since allowed me to choose the kit-supplied ceramic grease for this car. The gears in question:

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I might have run into that brass idler gear during my (mis)adventures with the vintage Audi Quattro... In any case, smooth-rolling ball bearings are a welcome improvement over metal bushings. Everything went together nicely:

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And the intervening years has also taught me that a thin coat of grease works just fine!

A small collection of cap-head screws seals it up:

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Wherever my old Buggy Champ went off to, I am sure the new owner would be having quite a time prying loose the seized screws on its gearbox! I am not entirely looking forward to this development on my new buggy, though I won't have to worry about that for a while!

The packaging of the parts is something else:

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To get through the first two steps, I needed to open almost all of the metal parts bags! They were all open before the build was halfway through. Such chaotic packaging might make sourcing spares a bit of an expensive proposition, although at least they are still available!

With the universal joints added, the rear torsion bar linkages are next:

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I am surprised how effective this system is, though less surprised that it may not perform as efficiently as today's designs. It does speak to Tamiya's attention to full-scale detail that this was the solution envisaged for this chassis; as before, the actual Volkswagen Beetles in period used a similar configuration. It translates well to scale performance as well as authenticity, which is probably why racers were left wanting once newer designs came out...

Rear arms and the motor are added:

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The first time around, I had tremendous difficulty with these steps. Since then, my dexterity has improved, and I am happy to report that this part of the build was fairly easy ^_^ I can still hardly believe that the motor is not bolted onto the gearbox, though :wacko: For the uninitiated (and it may be apparent in the shot of the manual visible in the above photo), the motor sits in notches cast in the right gearbox half, and is held in place by the clear motor cover on the left half. Using the larger pinion may also prevent the motor from backing out. It does give an appreciation for the fit of the parts, since generous tolerances in this area would definitely lead to premature drivetrain wear.

The spur gear lives under a similar-style clear cover on the right side of the gearbox:

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To think I once used molybdenum grease here, too! I have come a long way since those (expensive) early days.

These pieces:

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Secure the rear cage to the rollover bar:

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I did not realize that the rear dampers also fasten to the screws running through the pipe clamp halves. The plastic cage helps with the rear-end impacts; a metal part would stress the gearbox more under compression (and yet, I still ordered a metal front bumper!). And while I am not using a period receiver (and therefore do not require the rear aerial location), I decided to use the metal aerial mast anyway, for visual effect. It is my understanding that the full-scale racers used masts of their own for identification and visibility among the steep sand dunes - useful on an event like the Mint 400...

Joining the torsion bars with a brass sleeve, the nature of the undampened rear suspension is quite evident:

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My scant background in materials engineering has me dubious of the reliability of torsion bars, but then, that's why it is only a scant background! For this RC car, I am sure it suffices - and replacements are easy to source/fashion, regardless.

And with that concluding the rear gearbox, it can be attached to the chassis plate:

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I am glad I invested in an alloy chassis; I found the suspension to be much less effective with the more flexible stock FRP option.

Front suspension and dampers are next! Are the latter as leak-prone as I remembered? Likely! :P

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