Old School Tamiya Vs New!

[Malakite]

As with lots of you on here, I LOVE collecting Vintage - memories of my youth etc etc. I was however wondering if there really is that much difference nowadays with the newer Tamiya RC electric cars to that of their Vintage? I.E Has the car designs changed that much? Engineering wise/motor size/capacity etc etc? I don't think they could have done but then I only own Vintage so I wouldn't really know!

[53HRA]

I like both but i prefer the vintage cars for the example the SRB's and vintage 3 speeds...I just feel there made better

[Malakite]

I like both but i prefer the vintage cars for the example the SRB's and vintage 3 speeds...I just feel there made better

I too prefer the Vintage, they defiately have more character

[Origineelreclamebord]

Well it depends what you name vintage and what you name modern/new. There were a few important developments over the years, most important of it probably being the double wishbone suspension. I also think the earlier models were not created by computer models. Once this happened it should have made a huge difference.

But to asnwer your question, I was already astonished by the difference in build quality and play in the parts of my TB01 and DF03 - and these cars only have slightly more than 5 years of development between each other I think? If I compare my DF03 with say my Sand Scorcher the cars are pretty uncomparable, the difference is that big.

[Malakite]

Well it depends what you name vintage and what you name modern/new. There were a few important developments over the years, most important of it probably being the double wishbone suspension. I also think the earlier models were not created by computer models. Once this happened it should have made a huge difference.

But to asnwer your question, I was already astonished by the difference in build quality and play in the parts of my TB01 and DF03 - and these cars only have slightly more than 5 years of development between each other I think? If I compare my DF03 with say my Sand Scorcher the cars are pretty uncomparable, the difference is that big.

In what way?

[94eg!]

Take a Hotshot for a spin around your local dirt track, and then follow that up with a DB-01 (Durga or Baldre). The difference is night & day. For bashing, any old home-made car may scratch your driving itch. But for racing, there is no denying. The modern cars drive where you want them to more easily and more consistently. Plus their adjustablility allows you tune them to your drving style and track conditions much easier as well...

All r/c cars are awesome. And each one has it's place...

Plus the platics are much nicer now with glass & carbon reinforced resin parts being made lighter, stronger and stiffer than ever.

[Origineelreclamebord]

In what way?

Well... For example the DF03 has stiffer materials in almost all places... except where the parts need the flexibility. So the car is mostly made out of stiff plastic, except for the shock towers and the front lower plate which you bolt onto the chassis. These parts are made to flex so they don't break as easily. With the TB01 everything was made to be tough, but it was very heavy (unlike the DF03 which is very light), and the shock towers were made flexible and made as a built-in weak point... Problem was that they made it too fragile and they keep on breaking (I even got a new built TB01 with cracks in the shock towers ).

As for the Scorcher and the DF03... Everything is different. The Scorcher uses very soft aluminum which bends very easily, it's heavy, fragile and doesn't have a differential. It also has a much higher centre of gravity and has no double wishbone suspension (especially the SRB's rear suspension is primitive )

I guess even if you were able to run an SRB with a brushless setup or a 15T motor or something without breaking, a DF03 with the stock silver can would be faster around a track Doesn't necesarily mean though that you'll have more fun driving a DF03 than with an SRB.

[cubsfan2009]

I have a vintage Hotshot with a Superstock BZ and a Dark Impact with a brushless 4600 on lipo. The differences are night and day, but I love to drive them both. The Hotshot handles awful compared to the DI and the turning radius is worse, but with proper throttle input I can have it doing four wheel drifts all day. The DI won't do this as well since it actually goes were the front tires tell it to go. The DI is way faster, but actually easier to drive. The vintage cars definitely have more character.

For build quality I would have to say they are close to the same. Both will take a beating, but the modern cars are alot lighter so there components are pound for pound stronger.

Efficiency is also a big difference. I get 15 minute runtimes out of my Hotshot with the BZ and 3000mah NIMH. I get 45 minute runtimes out of my DI with the brushless and 4100 lipo. The geartrain is just that much more efficient.

[53HRA]

I guess some people make look at it as vintage = shelf queens and modern = runners? yes/no? thats what i think anyway?

[Malakite]

I think I'll stick with Vintage as Im worried buying new just won't make me feel special when I drive them like the old cars do For me its about living old memories, but each to thier own of course

[TA-Mark]

I guess even if you were able to run an SRB with a brushless setup or a 15T motor or something without breaking, a DF03 with the stock silver can would be faster around a track Doesn't necesarily mean though that you'll have more fun driving a DF03 than with an SRB.

I will vouch for that statement! 4600Kv in a SRB is slower around a track than a DF-03 with a silvercan and Ni-Cd with a child driving the DF-03. And that's with a diff in the SRB and a slipper clutch. What is different is how they look when they run. The DF-03 just looks like any other 'toy' running. The SRB looks like you shrunk a 1:1 buggy with the way it moves and reacts to the road surface.

I'm not saying the 4600Kv SRB is slow, because it's not. But compared to an unmodified DF-03 it is around a track. It really struggles for traction being 2WD, weighs 3 times as much and accelerates accordingly. Still I would rather drive the SRB than the DF-03, more realism and more of a challenge.

Once you get to DF-01, DF-02, DF-03, TL-01b they all do ~30km/h out of the kit box and very even to race if you don't modify anything. Kids and I race these every weekend and you cannot make an overtaking maneuver on a straight. Only way to pass is to take better lines on the corners.

Modern cars do make better runners for most due to parts availablity and price. Running a vintage is expensive if it breaks or wears. For me there is no price I can put on the realism of driving vintage type chassis, my first choice when heading out for a drive. SRB, Fox or Grasshopper usually.

[94eg!]

I guess some people make look at it as vintage = shelf queens and modern = runners? yes/no? thats what i think anyway?

Well I wouldn't exactly say that. I have plenty of vintage runners, as well as a few shelf queens. The vintage cars can be just as fun to run, but for completely different reasons. My point is that each car has it's own place in the r/c world...

All I can say is thank goodness for re-releases making spare parts available again!!!

[Origineelreclamebord]

I will vouch for that statement! 4600Kv in a SRB is slower around a track than a DF-03 with a silvercan and Ni-Cd with a child driving the DF-03. And that's with a diff in the SRB and a slipper clutch. What is different is how they look when they run. The DF-03 just looks like any other 'toy' running. The SRB looks like you shrunk a 1:1 buggy with the way it moves and reacts to the road surface.

I'm not saying the 4600Kv SRB is slow, because it's not. But compared to an unmodified DF-03 it is around a track. It really struggles for traction being 2WD, weighs 3 times as much and accelerates accordingly. Still I would rather drive the SRB than the DF-03, more realism and more of a challenge.

Could you make a video of that? :lol: It sounds like a funny scene to watch.

Anyway, the DF03 isn't really scale indeed, but the SRB's chassis technology leaves a lot to be desired....Therefore so does the handling. But that's what makes it an SRB and I'm glad to have one of those. The driving experience is so different that I enjoyed the test runs (until it mysteriously went out of range 5 metres from me and touched the wall at it's 'top' speed Bending a front arm and rod).

[Malakite]

Sorry to be a real nub nuts here, but I have no idea what an 'SRB' of a 'DF' are I'm afraid. Could someone let me know

[Gruntfuggly]

Off the top of my head:

SRB = Special Racing Buggy - Sand Scorcher, Rough Rider, Ford Ranger and Super Champ (more or less)

DF01 = Manta Ray, Blazing Star, Dirt Thrasher, (Top Force/Evo)

DF02 = Gravel Hound, Rising Storm, etc.

DF03 = Dark Impact/Keen Hawk/Avante Mk. II

Shorthand for chassis types...

[hedge]

...and Super Champ (more or less)

LOL I am sure there was a whole thread dedicated to this one

Paul

[terry.sc]

To find out what all the chassis types are, look here

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/cars_chassis.asp

Click on the name to see a list of what uses each chassis.

[weeman18]

The newer cars are probably superior to the older ones, but christ some of them are pug ugly. Take my Durga for instance, the more I look at it the more I wonder what the badword I was thinking. There's a hundred and thirty quid I'll never see again. Doh!

[Malakite]

Off the top of my head:

SRB = Special Racing Buggy - Sand Scorcher, Rough Rider, Ford Ranger and Super Champ (more or less)

DF01 = Manta Ray, Blazing Star, Dirt Thrasher, (Top Force/Evo)

DF02 = Gravel Hound, Rising Storm, etc.

DF03 = Dark Impact/Keen Hawk/Avante Mk. II

Shorthand for chassis types...

Ahhh right I see, good job you said that I was totally lost

[Tamiya1/10]

Old Tamiya models - better workmanship and detailing, New Tamiya models - better engineering and use of material more suited for 1/10 scale or at least it seems that way.

Just look at the old 3 spd and than look at the current 3 spd.

Older model car uses real sheet metals, bumpers won't get distroy or damage at 5mph crash s current model lots of Aluminum, carbon and bumpers flies apart a the lowest impact.

[Malakite]

Old Tamiya models - better workmanship and detailing, New Tamiya models - better engineering and use of material more suited for 1/10 scale or at least it seems that way.

Just look at the old 3 spd and than look at the current 3 spd.

Older model car uses real sheet metals, bumpers won't get distroy or damage at 5mph crash s current model lots of Aluminum, carbon and bumpers flies apart a the lowest impact.

They don't make them like they used to hey

[difflockxc]

having just traded a wild one for a desert gator i would have to say for bashing and running the new stuff has my vote . however the old school stuff to my mind always looked better in terms of scale apperance and for their time the preformance was bang on . also as an owner of 2 rere pajeros i must say that the rere scheme was a total stroke of genius on mr tamiyas part alowing us young,ns a chance to have the cars we couldnt aford or didnt even know existed and a new source of spares for the ageing vintages .