Plaza Japan - what it's really all about

[Raman36 1657]

10 hours ago, Willy iine said:

Plaza Japan has excellent pricing due to weak JPY, FedEx shipping is very reasonable, cheaper to buy out of PJ vs local given TowerHobbies does not have what I want.  

rcMart to me is only good for stuff I can't find inventory anywhere.   They are not friendly at all when you need customer service.. but they do ship timely and package very well.   I'll give them that.  

Good news for us here in the states!  Just received an email from the owner of tqrcracing.com who used to be my go to shop for Tamiya parts. about 2 years ago, TamiyaUSA cut them off from ordering direct and forced them through a distributor, who did not have access to the entire parts catalog. 

Well, they are able to order direct from TamiyaUSA again, with a 1 week turn around time!  I keep a healthy wish list with all parts I frequently need. My entire wishlist went from being out of stock (red) to blue available. I’m a happy lad 
 

 

[Willy iine 18806]

 

4 minutes ago, Raman36 said:

Good news for us here in the states!  Just received an email from the owner of tqrcracing.com who used to be my go to shop for Tamiya parts. about 2 years ago, TamiyaUSA cut them off from ordering direct and forced them through a distributor, who did not have access to the entire parts catalog. 

Well, they are able to order direct from TamiyaUSA again, with a 1 week turn around time!  I keep a healthy wish list with all parts I frequently need. My entire wishlist went from being routed is stock (red) to blue available. I’m a happy lad 
 

 

Awesome!  Thanks for sharing, I will check them out.  I use to buy from TQ long time ago.  

[Raman36 1657]

22 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

 

Awesome!  Thanks for sharing, I will check them out.  I use to buy from TQ long time ago.  

I’m super happy as I’ve been really frustrated with Tamiya parts supply in the US. 
 

I’ve been using Plaza Japan a lot as their pricing is incredible. Only problem with new items or out of stock items.. eg I wanted the XV02 spool and diff for my TT02. They listed the spool but not the diff. I asked them to special order the diff, they said sorry we can’t. So you just have to wait till they decide to list the item. 

[Sogogi 3219]

Only caveat is their website is not mobile friendly..

[Kowalski86 3035]

54 minutes ago, Raman36 said:

I’m super happy as I’ve been really frustrated with Tamiya parts supply in the US. 
 

I’ve been using Plaza Japan a lot as their pricing is incredible. Only problem with new items or out of stock items.. eg I wanted the XV02 spool and diff for my TT02. They listed the spool but not the diff. I asked them to special order the diff, they said sorry we can’t. So you just have to wait till they decide to list the item. 

I was hoping to order a Kumomon myself, or just any of the basic modern entry level kits but everythings out of stock, whats up with that?

[alvinlwh 5895]

20 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

I was hoping to order a Kumomon

I think that is because it was a limited release kit that is now well out of print. I seem to recall I had seen an XB WR-02 version for sale at Tamiya showroom Singapore and that is about it.

DJ has the DT-02 XB one but I have no experience with them and the price is just ridiculous. A year or more ago I had seen one of them (cannot remember which chassis) on RCM but again, ridiculous postage.

[Kowalski86 3035]

1 hour ago, alvinlwh said:

I think that is because it was a limited release kit that is now well out of print. I seem to recall I had seen an XB WR-02 version for sale at Tamiya showroom Singapore and that is about it.

DJ has the DT-02 XB one but I have no experience with them and the price is just ridiculous. A year or more ago I had seen one of them (cannot remember which chassis) on RCM but again, ridiculous postage.

The only other kits that I can find in stock are a TT-02, and XV-01s which aftet shipping are a fair bit cheaper off Plaza Japan.

That being said, would an XV-01 be a good starter kit? Its pricier than the TTs but it comes with shocks and bearings (for a change!).

[BuggyDad 4477]

7 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

The only other kits that I can find in stock are a TT-02, and XV-01s which aftet shipping are a fair bit cheaper off Plaza Japan.

That being said, would an XV-01 be a good starter kit? Its pricier than the TTs but it comes with shocks and bearings (for a change!).

If you're in the UK, you are adding vat and import duty if Iver £135?

Depends what you're after but the XV-01 is a very well liked kit and I'm really enjoying mine. You are looking for a rally car or road? Stock, one is one, the other is the other, although both can be either with extra parts. I haven't built a TT-02 yet but I suspect over that the XV-01:

- will take more time to build but be more satisfying in doing so. It's not "difficult" although it will take more assembly than TT-02 I'm sure. 

- obvious hop ups not required (shocks, bearings) but still buy a steel or coated pinion. 

- some very common but not essential hop ups also included: steel drive shafts (although I'd go straight to universals/CVDs), turnbuckles, metal motor mounting

- different driving experience with front weight bias and just a higher quality kit so things like steering slop aren't really an issue. 

- enclosed chassis keeps muck out. 

- some don't like the screw in battery door, but I do. I use hex screws throughout and an electric screwdriver - it's off as quickly as a body shell - and it uses captive lock nuts so you're not wearing any plastic with repeated use. 

- takes same body shells anyway. 

Personally, if you get a decent deal on it I would go so far as to say it's very good value. Once you knock off the price of the "essential" hop ups (bearings, shocks) you are paying not that much more for some other real advantages. 

And (to keep on topic) if you get it from PJ you might get a small rubber fish too. And they're worth their weight in [rubber fish?] 

Can you tell I like it?! 😜 It's my favourite car. NEEEEEEEEOWM! 

[Kol__ 3377]

23 hours ago, Sogogi said:

Only caveat is their website is not mobile friendly..

Can't say I've had any issues on Chrome on Android, they recently tweaked the site too, so it's even slicker now too. What are you browsing it on bud?

[BuggyDad 4477]

My previous PJ parcel had this in it. A little building on a string. 

What's it all about I wonder? Is it the banishing of my hobby to the shed? Or an inviting home? Perhaps the characters on it might tell us. Anyone read Japanese? 

A tiny Mount Fuji sounds delightful. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

22 hours ago, BuggyDad said:

My previous PJ parcel had this in it. A little building on a string. 

What's it all about I wonder? Is it the banishing of my hobby to the shed? Or an inviting home? Perhaps the characters on it might tell us. Anyone read Japanese? 

A tiny Mount Fuji sounds delightful. 

That is a good luck charm, the string is for hanging off phones, bag, etc...

The words translate to mean 'certain victory', typically used for going to exams, interviews, sports, etc... To grant the carrier luck for success.

BTW, the Japanese and traditional (old) Chinese characters are exactly the same. My phone defaults to Chinese as that is what I usually use. The modern characters will be 必胜.

You might have seen the characters of the  Japanese version on a hachimaki in a war movie.

And here is the modern Chinese characters version (bottom one).

 

[Willy iine 18806]

On 2/2/2023 at 5:07 AM, BuggyDad said:

My previous PJ parcel had this in it. A little building on a string. 

What's it all about I wonder? Is it the banishing of my hobby to the shed? Or an inviting home? Perhaps the characters on it might tell us. Anyone read Japanese? 

A tiny Mount Fuji sounds delightful. 

It’s like a wish or pray plaque (called ema) you write your wish and hang at a shrine/temple. 

So mine is has “hope injected” and hung on my little computer table thingie in my pretend RC shop.  So far everything I hoped for has been realized!!   Hope yours work too.     

[XJman 74]

There was a performance shop I always used to order my STI parts from. It didn't matter what it was. Suspension bushings, stickers, a closed deck crate engine, or brakes they always sent goodies with it. My favorite was the warheads when a guy Tony was doing the shipping that day. It wasn't the specific reason I ordered from them and had them do the tuning for the vehicle, but it didn't hurt.

[Kol__ 3377]

20 minutes ago, XJman said:

My favorite was the warheads

🤔Warheads?

[XJman 74]

24 minutes ago, Kol__ said:

🤔Warheads?

Not the city nuking warheads.

The taste bud nuking kind.

It's the only sour candy that's actually sour.

[Willy iine 18806]

One of my vendors for musical instruments includes candy in the cartons and I told them to stop.  I don't want sweet smelling boxes on my porch, in my house where it's not supposed to be, and in the recycle bin in my garage as it will attract ants.  They started packaging them into small pouches so I guess that is better.. (?). I forgot to tell them not to include on my last order as it had been a while since prior purchase.  

 

[BuggyDad 4477]

Another little piece of loveliness from PJ that I hadn't noticed before. On my parcel just received:

I mean, it isn't going to affect the actions of your Evri (others are available) box thrower but still - ❤️ PJ. 

Will save box opening for later. Eraser incoming! 

[BuggyDad 4477]

And the curiosity within is a....

....Buoyancy aid for mice? 

Gotta love PJ. They really have thought of everything. 

[SlideWRX 785]

That is what I got last time too.

[Kol__ 3377]

21 hours ago, BuggyDad said:

Evri (others are available) box thrower

😂😂😂

[Kol__ 3377]

@BuggyDad I found this in a little pot of odds and ends in the kitchen today, and so I have gone to the effort of photographing it for this thread😆

Best I've had yet!🇯🇵

[Rally! 150]

1 hour ago, Kol__ said:

@BuggyDad I found this in a little pot of odds and ends in the kitchen today, and so I have gone to the effort of photographing it for this thread😆

Best I've had yet!🇯🇵

Put a brushless in it!

[Sogogi 3219]

Pj is like so good at taking my money haha. Though really good source for hop ups. Especially prices for tires (m chassis slick, block buggy tires) are so good. Basically 1/3 price + shipping. (For US)

[Juggular 4964]

In the summer I got a fan. My wife liked it.  They should send stuff wives would like... such as lipsticks or land lotions...

Wait... maybe not.  It could backfire... "Tell me, Who is this black Emo lipstick for?"  

[Kowalski86 3035]

On 2/20/2023 at 4:41 PM, Kol__ said:

@BuggyDad I found this in a little pot of odds and ends in the kitchen today, and so I have gone to the effort of photographing it for this thread😆

Best I've had yet!🇯🇵

Someones telling you to buy a Heavy Dump Truck for your next kit!