Newbie, Hello And Help

[Boothy]

Hello there,

I am new around these parts so be gentle with me Many years ago I always wanted a Tamiya car and after what felt like years of pestering my dad got me a Monster Beetle for christmas, I ended up with that and a Thundershot but in a moment of madness back when I was about 16 I sold them to a mate.

Anyhow I am now 30 and a month or so ago I spotted a Lunchbox in a model shop in the Trafford centre and it brought back so many good memorys I thought I have to get myself another Tamiya. After looking around on the internet I have found the re-re's and I really fancy a hotshot, I live in the Bolton area near Manchester but I cant find any good shops that deal with Tamiya.. There used to be quite a few around these parts but they all seem to be stocking other makes instead.

I went back to the Trafford centre today but they are out of stock so I am wondering if anyone knows of anywhere locally I would be able to pick one up as I fancy a play over christmas

I have even found out my pal still has my Monster Beetle but he wont part with it, its pretty beat up these days I am told so I think I better wait for Tamiya to re release it.

Thanks in advance and merry christmas!

Boothy

[omegabri]

Hi

Its a bit of a trek, but may be Formby Models could help you. Theyre on the internet somewhere.

Is the Model Shop not gonna get you one in stock, from the Trafford Centre ??

P.S. Im 35and also just re-started on a Tamiya TT-01 (full race spec), also gonna dig my old TA-02SW Taisan Porsche out the loft !! Theyre so cool RC motors, arent they !!!?!?!!

Good luck finding what you wantand Happy Christmas !!

Bri..

[blakeatron]

im sure there is a big rc shop on the high street somewhere....

bear with me - at the bottom end of the high street (other end of the station) past the shopping centre to the main road, then its left somewhere

sorry - ive been there but dont live near!

[ryanbored]

Hi and welcome! I'm 27 and reliving the good ole days too!

I find the internet the best place. Especially asia if you dont mind waiting a couple of weeks for stuff to arrive. Click on Tamiya club banner above and check out the sponsers at the bottom of the page

Ryan

[Boothy]

Cheers for the welcome guys Blakeatron, the shop you are thinking of is Bolton Model Mart, they used to be a big tamiya stockist but seem to of stopped in favor of other brands

So what do you guys make of the Hotshot? it seems to be quite an involving build and really harks back to the good old days in the way it looks. I had a look at the lunchbox and pumpkin today but I think it has to be a MB if I am getting a monster truck at some point. I like the look of the Durga and dark impact too but think I really fancy a retro car first. I never really liked the grasshopper and my brother had a hornet and I dont really have fond memorys of it.

I think the Fire Dragon is due out soon and I might have a look it that once its out. Whats everyones suggestions? I am really after something quite rewarding to build, it will be used for playing around carparks and dirt locally (no racing) and I will no doubt want to make it go faster than a 540 pretty soon.

A few years ago I got a Nitro on road car (cant remember the make) It would do 50mph which seemed like a good idea until I realised you could not drive it anywhere other than the biggest carparks, it chewed through tyres and unless you fitted expensive ones it did not grip and tbh Nitro was a PITA as I was forever flooding it and struggling to get it to go. Plus its really dirty and fter I got it I soon fell out with it.

cheers

Boothy

[blakeatron]

the fire dragon is HORRIBLE do not get it!!!!

the hotshot is cool for its retro feel - although the opinion seems that it handles like a retro too (haven't got one!)

for handling and strength i went for a dark impact which i am very impressed with, however the new durga is meant to be better.

Tamiya have not re-re'd the MB yet just the lunch and pumpkin so you may have a wait to find a decent 2nd hand one or big bucks NIB one

The hardest builds are the highlift, 1/14 trucks and 1/16 tanks - expensive and good runners, and an involved build.

For on-road m-chassis cars are amazing (mini, swift etc etc) - off road DF-03, durga, txt (huge monster truck - big build) touareg (great chassis poor body) or highlift.

As Ryan set Asia is good for cheaper models - i buy mine from Stella (main page) and they normally deliver within the week (not at christmas)

[terry.sc]

Locally try the Hobby and Model Centre in Bolton or Modelzone on Deansgate, Manchester.

Electric buggies used to be big years ago, so all the shops stocked Tamiya. Now nitro trucks is where it is at in r/c, so most shops tend to stock HPI as that is the big seller these days.

For a runner Monster Beetle your best bet is to check out ebay, they appear on there regularly. As for a 4wd rerelease, if you plan on running it go for the Thundershot or the even better performing Fire Dragon, technically they are more advanced and a lot more durable than the Hotshot.

If you aren't too worried about the lack of handling and durability go for a Hotshot. At the time a lot of people wanted them as it was Tamiyas first 4wd buggy, but anyone who raced them seriously who wanted a reliable racer threw away most of the car and replaced it with upgrades. Tamiya have redesigned a lot of the parts to improve reliability but it will still be outperformed by the Thundershot/Fire Dragon, especially if you are thinking of fitting a hot motor in it.

[mymonsterbeetleisbroken]

welcome to the site!

the monster beetle is a car tamiya could re release, and should re release, but at the moment its only wishful thinking.. and no one is actually sure if they are planning to re release anything else

Second hand monster beetles, in running order are worth around 70. I've paid that for a running example in need of a strip down, rebuild and re paint. I bought a "shelf queen" one for 150 a few years ago.

Make sure the chassis is in good shape, as abused ones literally fall apart

Gearbox spares are pretty easy to find as they come with the re release frog and subaru brat. Tyres are also still in production but the gold wheels are vintage and difficult to find in good condition.

Anyway, its a great car and its well worth going after one in the trade area's of this site or on ebay.

Now i'm off to finish rapping pressies

[secretasianman]

welcome to the site!

the monster beetle is a car tamiya could re release, and should re release, but at the moment its only wishful thinking.. and no one is actually sure if they are planning to re release anything else

Didn't I read somewhere that Tamiya was rumored to have broken the mold for the Scorcher/Beetle shell?

[Boothy]

I need a little more advice guys please I am having thoughts about going with a more modern car first, I am a little worried that if I get a hotshot and smash it up then I will struggle to get spares for it.. will this be the case?

I was thinking about starting off with either a DF 03 or a Durga, I must admit I really like the look of the Durga but it looks like a really tough build for a newbie and I am not sure if its overkill for me tbh, ie would I really be able to notice a difference between a DF 03 and a Durga when driving?

I like the Dark Impact but the other DF 03's dont really do it for me and I think its because they dont have the same style as the older kits like Hotshot with all the detail's

What do the experts think? The DF03 seems good VFM and you get a ESC thrown in by the looks of it which makes the Durga look more expensive as I am starting out with nothing in the way of gear or should I just go with my heart and get a Hotshot and worry about bashing it up when it happens?

Boothy

[Wrc action]

i would advise for your first buggy to go for a Dark Impact or the Durga as with my dark impact the build isnt espically difficult and the result is a strong buggy that in my running hasnt needed any spare parts yet.

Get that use it, abuse it and learn frm it before buying a hotshot that you will be able to better look after and drive with. As its often how u drive, not the car itself that can detirmine how long it lasts.

Cheers Ryck

[Boothy]

Just been having a look at the Brat which is a total change of direction but looks like a bit of fun (which is what I am after at first) it also uses the same chassis as my old monster beetle so might bring back a few memorys..

In the photos I cant see any front suspension tho? is it unsprung? That would put me off I think? Also am I barking up the wrong tree, is the Brat a bad idea for a newbie after something to bash about?

Boothy

[igbandy]

I have a re-re Brat, and its a great basher IMHO. The front suspension has springing (which is hidden) but no Shock Absorbers, you can make some brackets and fit some coil over shockers tho, which I will be doing at some point!.

Even with the kit motor its pretty quick, the handling is fun too as it has a vast amount of steering.