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mk4savage

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Hi Guys,

I’ve been hanging around the forum for quite a while now and what a marvellous forum it is! Checking out the superb examples of your Tamiya models and gathering information and tips, I thought it was about time I joined up and shared my small obsession with Tamiya RC’s with you all.

My first memory of a tamiya car was, I’m guessing around the early 80’s, I was probably about 8 or 9 when my friends brother had a Subaru Brat for Christmas, Probably when the Brat was first released, I just remember seeing it tearing up the lawn and was amazed at how fast it was, That was it I wanted one but guess what, I couldn’t have one because they were too expensive and I would probably break it! So that was the end of that.

Another chap I used to hang about with at school, He had a small collection of Tamiya RC’s, I think he had a Grasshopper and a Frog and he did have a couple of others (one being a pickup truck of some sort) but I can’t remember which ones now but we used to play about with his cars in his garden, This was around 86 or 87 and the first time I had ever used an R/C and I loved it but I seem to remember that they weren’t as quick as that Subaru that I had first seen.

I didn’t get my first Tamiya R/C until 1991; I suppose wanting one was just forgotten about because I was still at school and couldn’t afford one, anyway my old school friend again mentioned that he knew of a brand new Madcap that his dads friend had just built and was for sale, By this time I had left school and had my first job, I had my own cash so I had to have it.

It had been built but never run, Just needed radio gear, It was ball raced and had alloy wheels fitted to it and I remember it had what appeared to be road tyres on it with a proper tread pattern not the spiked ones, I kept this car for a few years and I remember buying a new chassis for it amongst other parts but eventually sold it to another friend but looking back I wish I had kept it now, there doesn’t seem to be many about now.

In 1993 I bought a Midnight pumpkin that needed re assembling and I still own this today, although it does need a complete new chassis and suspension, which I have been gathering parts for and will be building shortly, The body shell is still in good condition for it’s age. (It has seen a lot of action over the years!)

I have owned a 4WD opel calibra, I kept this for 11 years but I sold it in 2008, I enjoy the off road Stuff more and I don’t think I would ever have used the opel again although It was well used when I sold it.

Currently the cars I have got are my original pumpkin, A re release pumpkin which I bought in 2005, I run this one on grass and a little bit of gravel but mainly grass, another pumpkin which I got from ebay and came from Hong Kong which is still in kit form (not sure if I will build this yet), an original Lunchbox which I am very fond of (more details on this shortly), A rebuilt Lunchbox which I class as a shelf queen but probably nowhere near as good as some I have seen on here, (you could say I have a soft spot for Pumpkins and Lunchboxes!) Everything is new on it and it has never been run. Then last year I acquired two monster beetles, The one needs a rebuild and the other one has been rebuilt at some point in it’s life by a previous owner to a high standard, although I found out after running it that the gearbox requires attention and there are other things on it I’m not 100% happy with but I will get to that shortly.

So that’s my Tamiya story so far, Sorry to go on for so long, I just got carried away I suppose reminiscing about the past, I will post up more details of my cars and pictures of course for those who are interested.

Regards,

Matt.

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Here is the first one of my beetles, I won this off ebay last January and it is now stripped and cleaned waiting for me to rebuild it.

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And then shortly after getting this herbie one I went mad again on ebay and bought this one, I couldn't help it !

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I haven't got any decent photos of my other cars yet but hopefully I should get some sorted this weekend.

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Welcome to TC.

Interesting story have good fun bashing!!

Thanks mate, I'm just waiting for a bit of dry weather to get the cars out again, that is of course if we ever get some good weather!

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I've been waiting ages for a good day use my HB 2010 and WW M38. C'mon Mr. Sun shine already!!! Your beetles look great. I especially like your 'Herbie'. They look like great fun.

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I've been waiting ages for a good day use my HB 2010 and WW M38. C'mon Mr. Sun shine already!!! Your beetles look great. I especially like your 'Herbie'. They look like great fun.

Herbie is a bit rough really, it needs a repaint and new decals. I am keeping it as Herbie and I will do a rebuild thread on it when I finally start!

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I love your monster beetle. I alway's thought they looked great. Welcome to TC :lol:

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Welcome, Monster Beetle looking good. Had one of these when i was young, looking to get another in the near future.

Want to collect all the cars i use to have.

Hope you enjoy, we all have our own experences of tamiya cars which are memorable.

Darren

Check out my showroom :-)

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Welcome aboard! Always good to hear the "How I got into" stories, and I'm pretty sure most of us can relate to a lot of the stuff in yours.

Great beetles by the way. Enjoy your stay here (I'm sure you will :) )

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Welcome aboard! Always good to hear the "How I got into" stories, and I'm pretty sure most of us can relate to a lot of the stuff in yours.

Great beetles by the way. Enjoy your stay here (I'm sure you will :) )

Many Thanks SteelRat, This is a great forum.

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I Managed to get some photo's at the weekend of my other models, This Lunchbox I got back in 1997. I bought this from a model shop in Weston Super Mare while on holiday down there. The guy who owned the shop used to sell used RC cars and I remember seeing this in the Window of his shop and I just remember thinking... I've got to have it! It cost me £80 and is fitted with period Acoms radio gear and came with a charger and battery. It has seen some use by the previous owner and a bit by me :) but it was looked after and I think it had been stored away for a while somewhere as the tyres were perished.

The wheels and tyres seen here are new but the rest is original from the 80's

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It came fitted with the yellow CVA's and has some sort of uprated motor (I think) which is not much better than standard, its ball raced too. Someone spent a bit of money on this back in the day!

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These next three, you can see it's suffered a bit of gravel rash and the windscreen is cracked.

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The shocks are a bit stiff now and could do with stripping and cleaning and the shell could do with a repaint and new decals. I might get round to it one day but I sort of like the way it looks :D

I've got some more of my others to post up but I've run out of time for now!

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