Noob Question - Beetle Bodies

[Percymon]

Perhaps a daft question, but i'm sure plenty here know the answer ....

've got a Blitter Beetle on its way which i know needs a new body for sure

Is this the same body as the Sand Scorcher ? What about Monster Beetle, is that the same ?

Prices seem a bit daft too - some ebay sellers wany £70 for a body, front parts, decals and window !!

Also has anyone tried the Kamtec Baja shell ? - i realise its not the same as the Tamiya one, but for the difference in price it might get the vote if the quality and compatibility is good.

Thanks in advance

[Gruntfuggly]

The original scorcher bodyshell has more curved wings, with a lip around the edge of them (amongst other minor changes, eg. door handles). The blitzer shell and the monster beetle are the same I believe, apart from the nose cone and the colour of the plastic. The Kamtec shell is OK, but with no real detail - I've seen the new scorcher shells going for £20 on eBay which seems like the best option to me...

[SteelRat]

The Kamtec shells are OK if you're brutal with your cars. They're cheap, do the job and look alright, so if you break one it's no big drama. The Tamiya shells are generally thicker ABS, and have much more in the way of detail options, but there is obviously a price differential that reflects that. If I'm building a beetle (and most of my cars ARE beetle-ized), I'll always go for a Tamiya Blitzer shell (£30 for the basic shell, then the additional bits) and I always think the end result is worth the extra money.

You get what you pay for at the end of the day!

[Jonny Retro]

...

Also has anyone tried the Kamtec Baja shell ? - i realise its not the same as the Tamiya one, but for the difference in price it might get the vote if the quality and compatibility is good.

...

I have one of the ABS baja shells - first on a TL01 chassis, then an RC10, now on a Mardave Cobra - even with the windows cut out it's very, very tough. It's a bit scarred from all the abuse I've given it, but there's little likelihood of it actually breaking

For a thick vacformed shell, detail is good too.

[TA-Mark]

The Tamiya bodies are injection moulded PS (polystyrene) not ABS. This can be seen on the inside of the shell with a big >PS< marking for recycling purposes. The Kamtec bodies are ABS.

[bjr250]

There is an article describing the differences of the Tamiya bodies at Tamiya101 here.

[Percymon]

There is an article describing the differences of the Tamiya bodies at Tamiya101 here.

Brilliant article.

Thanks to all who replied