New Wild One BH Motors defective tub/failure

[kevinb120]

Well, just got this for Christmas from the wife, another of many re-re's I typically adore.   Got about halfway through and a section of the front tub inexplicably disintegrated and shattered, of course in Tamiya fashion  a completely irrelevant area combined with a critical one with atypical plastics that should never be in an RC, but one of those things I typically love about Tamiya models over 45 years.

Competitive?  Never.  Modern hardware or materials? Not a chance.  Over-engineered to the point of not making any sense whatsoever? Of course. 

But quirky, maniacally desirable, and works of art in the own lovely Tamiya way that has me to this day with 30+ of them and more than 20 re-res.  

The corner mount/combination decorative light rail just spontaneously fell apart, rendering the entire tub useless, of course after I installed the sticker set.  So complete no-go from here.  

Under my belt I would guess around 150 tamiya R/C builds, 200 ish repairs/rebuilds for others and well over 400 total Tamiya products/kits built.  So it aint my first rodeo.  I even looked at the light rail and even more parts flaked off.  I hadn't even mounted lights yet as I didn't like the options.  Fun times.   Apparently they also don't include the fake 'resistor' any more as I track down and install non-functional resistors on just about even re-re.

This is flat out junk plastic.   Not sure who to contact about this other than buying another tub and sticker sheet, making this a pretty horrific value if so, as it's already a little pricey at MAP. 

Very disappointed in this one. 

 

[kevinb120]

[Hypoxic]

Interesting post. I have a BH Wild One on deck for build tomorrow if work doesn’t come calling. 

[kevinb120]

Hard to describe but this tub looked particularly cheesy even for Tamiya ABS, very swirled injection look to it, looked more Radio Shack than Tamiya.  A tub is ~$18 or so but the stupid stickers being step #1.  Not sure why I bothered as anyone that's done a few could put them on after the build.  Where it kept breaking off the fake light rail looked like a broken hard candy.   I have the BH Hotshot and a Kyo Fazer 240Z rally en route and plenty to paint so there's something to do.  REALLY miffed about the decals.

[Hypoxic]

Do you think the pilot holes for the screws were undersized? I’ll report back my findings regarding my kit.

[kevinb120]

It just seems a bit scratchy brittle for tamiya plastic, hard to describe.  I have 'tamiya torque' long programmed into my brain so nothing overly tight nor having abnormal resistance I would have noticed.  Akin to how certain Lego pieces have had a recent change in some of the plastic composites and even changes to the pin ejector marks I've noticed since they opened a Chinese production facility that I can't explain to people.  But after the first $50k worth of it I'd bought, it just 'is'.   Reason I mention that as I have regarded Tamiya and LEGO the long time masters of plastic.  Or as how autoart has figured out a way to make clear plastics for decades that nobody else has matched even on a model 5 times the price.

Already ordered another tub.  I'll compare and break this one up when I swap it out.  With tub and now new decals it's a $50 defect.  People pining on the no name decals because they're 'unique', should be a $12 sheet.  Could just be a bum piece.

As an aside, cut those side panels perfectly on the blue edge or you'll get flash that will catch dirt on the edges of the tub.  If I see a messy flash on a hole I just spin a body hole reamer with barely the weight of it to clean the edge, but they looked fine.  

[kevinb120]

It's just disintegrating just flaking pieces off

 

 

[hamtaro]

Interesting.  When I purchased a new tub for my og wild one I thought the plastic felt different/brittle compared to the the old one it was replacing.  Never felt their abs like that before.  What's really strange is the original broke at the exact same place as yours did but in a racing crash.  I also thought the newer top force gearbox replacement felt more brittle than the original.  Might just be me though

[F-150]

I've always wondered about the quality of the re res, compared to the original cars. Even The RC10...  Are they really as good made as the originals.

I'm sure Tamiya or whereever you got that car, will give you a new chassis tub. 

[kevinb120]

Unfortunately my wife went through Amazon but not my preferred vendors(I try to avoid Amazon at all costs at the worst case from a known vendor portal).  I may pull the Amazon card on this one... I hate random drop shippers playing in the struggling hobby world.

She got it from my amain wish list prowling my laptop.

[RyantheRed]

So sorry this happened to you, super bum deal brother...  I have this stupid personal rule with my tamiyas that when an original part breaks, i am compelled to upgrade it with hopups or if unavailable- Aftermarket parts. That would have been and expensive break for me...

Have any of you ever had any luck with Tamiya making something like this right for an odvious manufacturing defect in a new kit like this? Ive never even tried. The hobby shop you got it from might help make it right as well. Yeah,  The decals are probably over $30... Might be worth a shot and maybe at least take the "miffed" off if you get some satisfaction.  That shouldnt have happened to you. Its a new kit- I sort of expect stuff like that with vintage kits, but that sucks!

[RyantheRed]

Amazon might be a pain in the a$$ but you could box the whole mess return it and start over if you want, its a fun build anyway... my brother just built one of these with no reported issues, its definitely a wierd defect... Maybe the plastic was not mixed properly during that specific molding or something?

[kevinb120]

I saw those aluminum sets.  I kind of do all my Tamiya stuff though in 'box art' spirit and leave the 80mph jump over the entire house stuff to my Traxxas pile in the garage.  I just bee-bop my Tammys like I have to wait two weeks for mom to take me to a hobby store in 1983.  I have the hotshot BM inbound too and waiting on the wheeler and bigwigs to show.

 

And considering what my wife does yearly with Amazon, they do whatever we want them to do.  I checked the seller they ain't a hobby store.  

[RyantheRed]

I saw one of the other TC members built one recently with the carbon fiber chassis version, it came out looking super clean and rad!... a little overkill maybe for what this particular kit is and can do. I mean, a sport tuned motor is nuts and overkill in one of these. I have never been afraid of overkill  but I agree with you, especially on this model... I mean, your basicly buying the box art and it really is a work of art. Anyway, i feel your pain brother.

[Saito2]

I had a Boomerang re-release with a body so thin that my pinky finger poked right through the lexan while I was holding it during painting. The seller directed me to Tamiya USA. I contacted them. They asked for proof-of-purchase and a pic of the damaged body and then immediately sent me out a new body, totally free of charge.

[Gibbo78]

Sorry to hear you have had this experience, and like you say not your first rodeo, so novice experience doesn’t factor.

I have one of these sitting in the ‘queue’, following with interest.   Will need to have a look at the kit to see what my one looks like.  
 

[F-150]

I have one of these still sealed. I'm going to bust it open tomorrow and see what my chassis looks like in that area. I'll take pictures. 

Thanks for posting, saves some of us from the same trouble, unfortunately at your expense 

[MadAnt]

On 12/26/2024 at 4:30 PM, kevinb120 said:

It's just disintegrating just flaking pieces off

Oh man, that sucks! That should not happen, contact customer service and show them the pictures of the chassis. I'm sure Tamiya will do what is right, and they will probably send you a new chassis and decal sheet.

[kevinb120]

I'm pretty sure it's just cold injected and completely random defect.  There's a bazillion wild ones/FAV's with no issues.  Sent emails to the seller and Tamiya USA and will let it stew for a couple days.  Got plenty of other stuff inbound or incomplete   More angry I put a sticker on before a screw was turned, tubs aren't hard to get.

[kevinb120]

Well the seller was cool and was willing to take the kit back which is kind of silly, or hook me up for new decal and tub costs which is a little pricey.  Just asked for a few bucks to cover a new tub so I can get started quickly and will hit up Tamiya USA for decals after the holiday.  Actually is a hobby supplier with a bad store name, have about 6 on the list to buy I'll hit him for something if he has it.  In the interim I will make sure Tamiya heads will roll while I have to wait it out!

 

[Hypoxic]

Just to get back to you, I didn’t have any brittle plastic issues with my build.

[kevinb120]

Just that one odd duck.  Bought a replacement tub as Tamiya is on a big inventory vacation right now.   I have a HSII BH stickered 540 on the way(just 'cause) and ran out of receivers.  Thought my 'stock' was good but they were micro air receivers...  Will sticker up the plates when all is set.  I'm sure Tamiya USA will take care of the decals for the tub.  Was able to squeak the stock HW esc to reach by cutting down the unused post and shoehorning the esc in the corner(BH 540 standard and Sport Tuned have WAY shorter leads).  Didn't realize the wires were blue and yellow to boot   Tucked the switch behind the random hole-for-no-reason and just put the rubber switch cover in anyway, because old school.

Not sure why people run the battery wires outside the car body? Even t-plugs easily fit inside the storage notch with a stick pack.

 

[kevinb120]

So it's all together, Tamiya USA is taking care of the decals, and it's been storming around the basement waiting for the thaw out.  Good to go!  This one is just a bearings box art bopper, other than the HSII Blockhead-stickered stock 540.   Sometimes I just like them basic like I remember the originals(other than the 4 minutes run for 90 minutes of charging part).  Fighting Buggy is next on deck with some hop-ups though.

 

[rookierabbit]

I had a very minor collision with mine and it smashed off one side of the light 'bar' and a big chunk of where the shock tower mounted also came off when I pulled it down. Touch wood the new chassis will be ok, totally anecdotally I'd say it feels more flexible and less brittle than the old one, in hand, but it might be purely psychological. Of course, now I have no tub side decals 

If I may make a couple of suggestions...

Run the small pinion, it's much livelier. I swapped the front tyres for 53094/19805552 triple ribs as seen on DT01 cars, cheap improvement if you ask me. Wide Stud Spike rears. I only use the car on unmade surfaces. 
Stock steering is woeful. I've centered the servo as far as possible, fitted a hi torque servo saver and made up some turnbuckle tierods using F103 ball studs and adjusters with aftermarket M3 turnbuckles. Not perfect, still hits the springs at full lock and needs spacing the servo off the tub a bit but helps; it is nice to have some toe adjustment and some toe-in does a world of wonders for it. I'd like to try the Pine Beach servo centering kit soon. I also shimmed the front control arms and the stub axles to reduce the slop, the front end is altogether tighter now. All up I think it is now much more focused to drive, far less savage with the lift-off oversteer, very predictable to powerslide; you can really drive it on the throttle. I'm about to try and add a front antiroll bar also. I'm still thinking on what to do with the front dampers, needs softer springs and less damping I feel. I might try drilling another hole in each piston for starters. I think the rear end is if anything too softly sprung but maybe over damped.

I think a Sport Tuned would wake it up but you will need to lengthen the motor wires and/or ESC wires most likely.