best vintage 80's buggy to buy as runner

[tamiya monkey]

was woundering which 80's tamiya buggy, would be best bought to use as a runner, so a well built reliable buggy that does'nt cost the earth to fix if i break it and fun to drive, can be 2wd or 4wd and be able to handle maybe down to a 14turn motor.

some ideas would help me choose.

[technical.burP]

The  best vintage 80's buggy to buy as runner would be one of the re-releases, because parts are still or again available.

I would choose a Hornet or a Frog. Personally, I like 4 WD cars, so maybe a Thunder Shot would be interesting too.

[eek!]

I would have to agree.  The re-re's are a very good choice.

If you want something more scale (2wd only) a WildOne/FAV "may" be a

choice.  I say may because what is cheap to one may be a lot to

another, but certainly easier on the pocketbook than an SRB.  Both

cars have many interchangeable parts and they are generally not (too)

difficult to find.

Best,

[focus1]

Thundershot parts where pretty easy to gett before it was rereleased. You can also gett some good hop-ups for it and it can handel almost any motor if you do it right. You should check out Mud4fun's showroom for lots of info about this chassis. I also recomend the Manta Ray witch a friend of mine own. Part's should not be to hard to gett as it is basically the same as the Hummer.

Check Ebay for used cars with parts lots. When I bought my Fire Dragon (Thundershot) It also came to other almost complete cars in a parts lot with it. And it was not to expensive!

Good luck.

focus1

[technical.burP]

Yeah the Manta Ray is a very good choice too, but I was not so sure if it was from 80something, so I left it. Top Force for example is definetly from 1990.

[Stickman]

Hi there,

Out of the 2wd re res I think the Frog would be best, its pretty adaptable and there are plently of cheap hop-ups available from ebay, I found the best mod (apart from ball races all round) was putting fat tyres on the front to improve the understeering on tarmac.

Keep a few spare diffs for it though....

Have fun

Dave

[djmcnz]

A lot depends on whether you want something
80's _specifically_ or just an "old school" buggy.  If it's the
later I would go for something from the Manta Ray range.  Why?, simply
because spare parts are a dime-a-dozen and there are heaps of Hop Ups available,
especially since the Top Force has been rere'd.



IMHO a properly hop'd up Manta Ray chassis is still competitive.  Some will disagree and I'd race them any day...

[Cul-Tech]

Well if you want an SRB style car go with the SUPER CHAMP!!!!! Or if something not so rare but vintage go with the re re Frog.

Mike

[HunterZero]

I have a Top Force re-re, and it's a really nice car - so nice I can't bring myself to run it, even though I built it with the intention of running it! It has just done a couple of laps of the kitchen floor. []

My vintage off-road runners are a Fox, Frog and Super Shot, and of those the Super Shot is probably the most fun to drive. It's stable off-road, has good suspension travel and just looks awesome running. Only problem is that spare parts for the Hot Shot/Super Shot are becoming increasingly rare.

If you do end up getting an 80's runner, you're going to find it most cost effective to buy multiples of the car you want to raid for parts to keep one runner going.

Cheapest options are probably going to be a Manta Ray/Dirt Thrasher/Blazing Star, or a Thundershot.

- James

[Tipsy]

I have a Top Force re-re, and it's a really nice car - so nice I can't bring myself to run it, even though I built it with the intention of running it!

I know that feeling. I bought a re-re Top Force NIB for the same reason, but once purchased, couldn't  bring myself to waste a NIB, so I went on ebay and bought an original runner. Dont mind thrashing that!

[nigeninja]

Buy a Hotshot,out of all my cars that's the car I have the most fun with.My Hotshot with the 4 shock conversion has got through 2 Kidder weekends and loads of other days in my local woods without any real brake's.

Front up rights have a spare,change the prop shaft and drive shafts to Boomer ones and you will be fine.[][]Oh and it goes without saying stick a ESC in it.

[ukzz4iroc]

I got myself a bearhawk and it is a great runner. Very simple to work on and rugged. I can recommend it!