Original Hot Shot Questions?

[Tamiya King]

I have had an original Hot Shot now for years that I am going to be restoring. I know they re-released it and wanted to know some things.

1 - What are the differences between the re-release and the original?

2 - Are decals the same or are there differences like with the Grasshopper and Hornet Re-releases?

3 - When I posted my find back when I bought mine, I was told it was the rare first edition one because of the bumper. What does that mean?????

4 - Any other help or advice on restoring it would be great. Thanks!

[94eg!]

I have had an original Hot Shot now for years that I am going to be restoring. I know they re-released it and wanted to know some things.

1 - What are the differences between the re-release and the original?

2 - Are decals the same or are there differences like with the Grasshopper and Hornet Re-releases?

3 - When I posted my find back when I bought mine, I was told it was the rare first edition one because of the bumper. What does that mean?????

4 - Any other help or advice on restoring it would be great. Thanks!

1 - The drive shafts and propeller shafts are different as well as the cups that connect them to the wheels and transmissions. Also, the front suspension ball-joints are a darker material and use a hex wrench to install. There is no mechanical speed control, and the resistors have been replaced with dummy aluminum look-alikes.

2 - The decals are the same except for the ones that go over the lights. Instead of saying "KC", they now read "BL"...

3 - The original hot-shot had a 3 piece front bumper, and also an aluminum Hex shaped piece that connected it to the transmission. The latter cars had one piece bumpers, and a brass hex piece.

4 - Replace all plastic bearings with ball-bearings. Try to find some carbon-steel front suspension balls from Parma, and replace all the plastic bits in the front suspension with re-issue parts. For running, use some of that super sticky silver Tamiya "anti-wear" grease in the differential gears (not running gears) to gain some cornering speed. And if you plan on running it, try to get the Parma front upper arm stabilizer thing. This helps reduce slop in the front suspension (of which there is an abundance).

[Wandy]

3 - The original hot-shot had a 3 piece front bumper, and also an aluminum Hex shaped piece that connected it to the transmission. The latter cars had one piece bumpers, and a brass hex piece.

Not true. The Hotshot always had a two piece bumper, consisting of the underguard and bumper itself. The difference between the early models and the "Mk2" version was that the early bumper/underguard was made of a much softer plastic and that the underguard angled the bumper up at a much greater height. Added to this was the fact that the front gearbox casings were thinner and the metal hex mount was made of a softer metal than the later versions. All of this made the car extremely weak and vulnerable to damage at the front. Tamiya improved all of this by making the bumper and underguard thicker and more stiff, angling the underguard at a lower angle, strengthening the front gearbox casings at the bumper mounting point and then making the hex piece out of a harder metal (Brass, if I remember correctly).

An early bumper/underguard cannot be naturally fitted to a later model because there are lugs on the guard that clash with the hex piece area of the gearbox. To make it fit you have to cut those lugs away.

Tamiya, realising the ineptitude of the early set up, quickly redesigned it and as far as I am aware never made the early design available as spare parts. Certainly, in 3 years of watching, I have never seen them come up on ebay as a NOS set of spares.

It's a pity that the early design was so ineffective because it gave the Hotshot a much more compact and aggressive look....in my opinion of course.

[terry.sc]

1.

Centre propshaft has pin drive and is one piece rather than the original hex drive 5 piece propshaft

Driveshafts are all one piece instead of original 3 piece alloy driveshafts.

Large E clips instead of the small C clips to hold the diff outputs in the gear case. A lot easier to get on and especially off than the originals.

Hotshot 2/TA01 front uprights. Originals are still on the D sprue but are not used.

New ball joints on front uprights, hex fitting instead of original slot or pozidrive means there is less chance of rough edges grinding away plastic in pivot ball cups.

Reinforced rear upper arms, extra webbing in the lever area of the monoshock mount to stop them breaking off like the original.

New design of dampers. New alloy bodies and new seals, but still uses original plastic parts. A spare set of the plastic parts are included in the new kits.

Reinforced wing mount, two vertical struts have been added to the roll cage. Actually means the wing might produce downforce instead of just flexing the wing mount.

Rubber boot over switch.

A steel antenna like the original Hotshot but also a plastic antenna pipe with aluminum holder.

3.

All the differences between the bumpers and gearboxes are covered here

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8096

4. Get an extra four 5x8mm bearings and fit them between the drive cups and 5x11 bearings on the diff outputs. This supports the diff better so it lasts longer.

[Wandy]

3.

All the differences between the bumpers and gearboxes are covered here

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8096

Yep, thats when Terry educated me on Hotshot bumper issues all those moons ago.

[Tamiya King]

Thank you all for the great info.

Mine is an older bumper. It also has the front and rear stabilizer's.

But it looks as though the gear box is cracked where the bumper mounts to it.

I take it that it will be hard to find a older gear box huh?

Thanks again.

[bakaguyjean]

Tamiya, realising the ineptitude of the early set up, quickly redesigned it and as far as I am aware never made the early design available as spare parts. Certainly, in 3 years of watching, I have never seen them come up on ebay as a NOS set of spares.

This is kinda Dorky but Tamiya released the Alloy hex piece as a spare in the shop box that had all the other spares such as the motor adjusting plates,Frog parts, body pins, and such. It the Tackle box that was allways behind the counter at the hobby shop that you dug the single screws out of.

So how do i know this? we have one of these boxes at work full of all the parts. Most of the parts are out dated and silly. but those alloy hexes are in there.

[Z]

On the decal issue again, Tamiya not only changed the "KC" stickers on the headlights, but also changed the "K&N" stickers on either side of the body. It is really a shame that Tamiya couldn't iron out any licensing issues it had with those companies and given the re're'd Hotshot authentic and original sponsor decals.

[larbut]

This is kinda Dorky but Tamiya released the Alloy hex piece as a spare in the shop box that had all the other spares such as the motor adjusting plates,Frog parts, body pins, and such. It the Tackle box that was allways behind the counter at the hobby shop that you dug the single screws out of.

So how do i know this? we have one of these boxes at work full of all the parts. Most of the parts are out dated and silly. but those alloy hexes are in there.

Even more sponsor names has been changed. Take a look HERE for a picture of the original Hotshot Decal, and compare to those beeing sold on ebay now.

-Lars