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Seajay

Future Re-release?

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Do you think Tamiya will do some more re-issues? I guess it is hard these days, because other than "we" fans, it seems many people think the hard bodies are more toy like than anything else.

It would be so nice to see some other re-issues of the popular past models.

Anyone have any scoop on possibilities?

cheers....

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[:D][:D]Yeah! They might re-release the TL01 with a new body!!![:D][:D]

Seriously now...

Although I wish they would release their beautiful vintage buggies, it is highly impossible!

Although no R&D would be needed (and they quite possibly still have the machines to do make them), no such chance...[:(]

We're all with you mate, except for Tamiya![V]

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I know [:(]

They are on the right track with the Lancia 037... but I guess it is a hopeless situation.

I always wonder how many old kits they have still hanging around somewhere.... [:0]

Yep... the TL01 is a great value....but just kinda boring, ya know.

take care everybody

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my own personal opinion is no more re-releases, I like the old stuff because it's old....

BUT, I would love to see a return to some of the old ideas and stylings in some new releases.

How about a hard bodied 2 speed electric New Hummer?? yes 2 speed I'm thinking of some new ideas! or the obvious one right now would be some competition for the HPI micro done in good old fashioned Tamiya style!!

we shall see.........

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quote:Originally posted by Seajay

I always wonder how many old kits they have still hanging around somewhere.... [:0]


id="quote">id="quote">

None [B)], except what they've scraped together for their museum.

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What Tamiya needs to do is start re-releasing the old 1.5" wheels and tires. The tooling likely still exists and would be a high return on investment. These things routinely go for $50 for a set of two now!!

As to the metal chassis kits such as 15,16,28,29,34,48,111 ever being re-released - I ask the Tamiya reps directly about this face to face every year at the Chicago Show (http://www.ihobbyexpo.com) and they always laugh and reply "No way - too expensive".

It sure would be nice if they re-released whatever old parts they could though. In the automotive world, by US law - any part on your vehicle must be stocked by the dealer for a minimum of 10 years. This means you can easily get any part for any car ever sold in the US after 15 years. Too bad the hobby world doesn't work the same way :)

I believe the Holiday Buggy and Sand Rover could be re-released on a modern chassis quite easily.

Tamiya is an awesome company with quality heads and tails above the other manufacturers - I just wish it was easier to get product. Why is a Juggernaut 2 body kit not available? They would sell a ton of them - it's a mystery.

Bottom line is Tamiya is turning over too much of its profits to the secondary market which is simply not good business.

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quote:Originally posted by TamiyaMan

What Tamiya needs to do is start re-releasing the old 1.5" wheels and tires. The tooling likely still exists and would be a high return on investment. These things routinely go for $50 for a set of two now!!


id="quote">id="quote">

1.5"? You mean the old Porsche/Countach rubbers, or the Frog/SS tyres?

They did bring some Countach gold wheels out, don't forget.

quote:As to the metal chassis kits such as 15,16,28,29,34,48,111 ever being re-released - I ask the Tamiya reps directly about this face to face every year at the Chicago Show (http://www.ihobbyexpo.com) and they always laugh and reply "No way - too expensive".
id="quote">id="quote">

These don't sound like the guys who get invited to Japan... try those guys instead. Just ask them to pass the word on to Shizouka!

quote:...any part on your vehicle must be stocked by the dealer for a minimum of 10 years. This means you can easily get any part for any car ever sold in the US after 15 years. Too bad the hobby world doesn't work the same way :)
id="quote">id="quote">

Umm 10 yrs well and good, but the "classic" ones we seek are already 25 yrs and beyond!! We can still find stuff for the 1993 cars, no problem... TA02s, F102s etc.

Even in the 1:1 world, supplies for classic and vintage vehicles are mainly coming from specialists, not original manufacturers.

quote:Bottom line is Tamiya is turning over too much of its profits to the secondary market which is simply not good business.
id="quote">id="quote">

Not quite true... I honestly think out of the landed kit price, the middlemen actually make more $$$ per unit than the factory - the markups are eyeboggling! Its just that the factory has the volume to tide them over.

Worst thing is... Tamiya can remanufacture whatever old stuff they like, but chances are your local distributor won't stock it, thus you won't find it on your LHS shelf. If only Tamiya would undertake to supply vintage parts directly to the hobbyist... [:)]

but that'll kill the healthy resale market! [xx(]

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Willy Chang - I meant the offroad tires of course.

I am well aware the kits date to 1977. 10 years was a timeframe correlation I was drawing to the real world US laws on real vehicles and how there are many Tamiya parts that cannot be found almost immediately after being discontinued which is not right.

I am afraid you are mistaken about the 1:1 market - every OEM part must be stocked by US law for 10 full years. Any consumer failing to obtain an original OEM part for his car from the original dealer in the United States within 10 years can force the OEM to RETOOL the part to original specifications REGARDLESS of the cost to the OEM. Call your congressmen if you don't believe me.

Ok so the middlemen distributors are turning over to much of its profits to the secondary market - it is still not good business.

We will worry about the distributors - Tamiya just has to make it! Do the right thing Tamiya - MORE STYRENE, less lexan.

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TamiyaMan,

well, I agree with you about the full size automotive market, being from that industry I know that in North America you have to keep supplies of spares for 10 years from the last date of manufacture, which would be very handy for the hobby we are in, but as the numbers are considerably less, and there is no governing body to keep an eye on such things not likely really........

the problem is possibly more similar to the world of computers, where the technology is still advancing quickly enough that 5 year old servos (for example) would just not cut it against a current servo.

So, I think it is a good thing that technology is pushing ahead, as much as I love the oldies, I mostly love them because they are old... that's half the fun and charm of them, not just being able to go to the local model shop and buying parts.

and as for the original question about hard bodies, well yes Tamiya are great at them, but don't forget they are also great at polycarbonate bodies ( Lexan is only a trade name..) remember the Audi Quattro, Opel Ascona, Porsche 959, and Lancia Delta Integrale just for starters??

So, let's see some great new ideas coming from Tamiya, if they don't get more kids involved in our hobby today, then in 10 years there will be little or no market left....

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quote:
Originally posted by stulec52

So, let's see some great new ideas coming from Tamiya, if they don't get more kids involved in our hobby today, then in 10 years there will be little or no market left....

id="quote">id="quote">

Personally I don't think there's any chance of that. Facts are I think RC cars are selling in greater numbers than ever before - maybe not from just Tamiya but there's 100s of other manufacturers out there today. A lot has to do with better relative affordability and improved reliability of electronics, metallurgy, plastics etc.

Then there's also the recent spate of tiny toy RCs, eg BCGs and tincans. Some of these would surely attract a few newcomers to bigger RC... I'm active online elsewhere too and there's growing evidence of this diffusion. A lot of BCG owners on that chatsite have since bought MiniZs, and before long it might be 1/10.

So RC is in little risk of dying out completely, but Tamiya's marketshare is possibly declining.

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Yeah gotta side with Willy here....

All the new forms of R/C are making the market spread and grow. I've seen people get drawn back into R/C through picking up cheap little Bit Char-G and end up going all out into 1/10ths again.

I think the real problems is that some of the Tamiya diehards are somewhat elitist.

The TL-01 is a great chassis and is very quick outa the box, it has a small range of tuning options and it keeps the cost of being in R/C at 1/10th scale down... That's great from hack around point of view and not so great to a collector/elitist. Personally I'd rather see a line of solid performing cars/chassis and durable bodies than an array of overpriced and somewhat fragile re-releases. History is great, and now that we mostly have the money to indulge in buying it we forget just how inaccessable the three-speeds, 959s etc were in their day!

No think of it just like 1:1 scale cars, the Leyland P76 was a half decent design, with a series of innovations, yet no-one in their right mind would ever want to buy one brand new these days!

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quote:
Originally posted by aaronmihe

...now that we mostly have the money to indulge in buying it we forget just how inaccessable the three-speeds, 959s etc were in their day!

id="quote">id="quote">

No, still no money... [B)]

But yeah, all those kiddy hours spent salivating at the hobby store, flicking through the Tamiya catalogues (which themselves weren't cheap) and then going to public places where the rich spoilt kids had all the latest Tamiya cars... might have spark off one's collecting saga.

Dunno... then again I'm guessing that kiddies still don't get $500/wk pocket money - max is about A$50 a week. So most of them would still be "limited" at what they can buy at the LHS... so perhaps a basic TL01 kit might still be sought after by the next lot of nostalgic grownups - ones who won't know nor care what a Sand Scorcher is.

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I have heard from multiple sources that the first RC kit 58001 porsche 934 has the identical body to the static model kit. I believe the static model kit has been rereleased. Anybody know the tamiya part # for this static model?

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quote:
Originally posted by TamiyaMan

I have heard from multiple sources that the first RC kit 58001 porsche 934 has the identical body to the static model kit. I believe the static model kit has been rereleased. Anybody know the tamiya part # for this static model?

id="quote">id="quote">

Have not seen any "re-release" of this large scale 1/12 models yet, but Tamiya is certainly churning out quite a few of the older 1/24 static kits.

Kit numbers (and box graphics, contents, instructions etc) on these 1/24s are exactly same as the 'old' ones. Only difference is now the 'new' ones say "Made in Philippenes", no longer Japan.

And of course the boxes are bright shiny new and not dusty unsold new-old-stock! [:0]

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The 1/12 static model kit that has the same body as the 58001 kit. What is the tamiya part # for the 1/12 static model kit? Anybody have this info?

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Yes - #12020 is it. And this is a Re-Release from 1999. Decals are the same - the only difference is the underneath is molded with the Re-Release static kit #. Decals are the same as #58001.

Likewise kit #12023 will work with #58002. Same Decals, same body.

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quote:Yes - #12020 is it. And this is a Re-Release from 1999. Decals are the same - the only difference is the underneath is molded with the Re-Release static kit #. Decals are the same as #58001.

id="quote">id="quote">

They are the same to the optional Jaegermeister scheme, not to the original Valiant. Also body mounts and drive figure is missing, the same for 58002.

quote:Likewise kit #12023 will work with #58002. Same Decals, same body.

id="quote">id="quote">

Have heared that the winodws have a slighty different tint, but couldnt see any major differences from my RC and a static pic.

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