Advice For a Newbie

[Ruskins]

Im just getting back into all this RC car malarky and im currently pouring over ebay looking for a nice SS for a restoration project.

Anyone got any tips they would like to share ?

[usapirap(2)]

Tip #1: Be prepared to spend more money than you planned.

Tip #2: Be prepared to spend more time on eBay than you planned.

Tip #3: Be prepared to tell your girlfriend or wife a much lower price than what you really paid for that SS.

[simensays]

Hi and welcome Ruskin!

Well you've picked the right car by my book, the Sand Scorcher (SS), but unfortunatly so has most other Tamiya RC collector out there as well. But hey - the prices on eBay are now (spring/summer) a bit lower, so this might be a good time to pick up a good piece to restore.

There are a few things to bare in mind before you go ahead and get a cheap SS (is there such a thing?) off the bay. Often hard (well, expensive) to find parts, might be missing - so it might be cheaper in the long run to maybe get a car that is a little bit more ($), but with more parts intact.

Some of those parts are:

Original Bodyid="red"> (says 1/10 RC VW BUGGY on th inside, just behind the sun roof) check this link to learn how to positively ID an original Sand Scorcher body from a Monster Bettle one or a Blizer Beetle : http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/topic.asp?...tle,differences

Chrome partsid="red"> for the body (mirrors, door handles, turn signals and so on)

Exhaust pipeid="red">

Radio boxid="red">

Bumberid="red">

The SS is in the SRB family (Special Racing Byggy) and share the same chassis to the Rough Rider and Ford F-150 XLT - so if you stumble upon one of these cars, which are often sold a wee bit cheaper, the modifications needed to be done to rebuild it to a SS is not that massive - BUT, there is a but, you need a beetle body of course, and those are not cheap, well the original ones anyway. You can get a Blitzer Beetle/Moster Beetle one and fit that to the chassis with a few mods also - and those are available for less than $25 some places!

My best advise (I have five SS, with a couple on the way) is to be creative in the way to obtain the cars. Try finding them locally, you'll most likely save a lot of dough and it's exiting. besides, it get's more collectables out of the closets and back where they belong, in the hands of people who cares about them![] I've not bought one SS off the bay (eBay) - but I think it's a good place for parts!

Actually my best advice, is to read all the post and articles on TamiyaClub - it's the Bible on vintage Tamiyas!

Good luck!

[Bluecat]

These cars are very expensive, not just to buy but to restore as well.

I have recently bought two, one I bid on and then I saw another which looked like a nice one so I bought that as well with a buy it now option.

I think you just have to be prepared to spend some money because you would be so lucky to find one cheap at something like a Car Boot Sale.

I missed out on a very nice condition SS the other week on ebay UK - it went for £350, the body was unpainted so thinking about it this may have been a reasonable price.

Remember - it's only money...you get paid soon.

[Ruskins]

Thanks for the advice guys, there are a few cheap ones on ebay atm but as you say they are mostly missing the body parts and i didnt know how rare those parts are.

[BalmyBaldwin]

Ruskins,

It would be a very good idea to make friends with your local hobby store (lhs) owner. - I managed to get a nearly complete SS for £50 from mine.

But in general, sourcing items locally eg flee markets, carboot sales etc. is the best way to get good deals - even if you don't want that particular car, its always got value for trading against something you do want.

Hope you enjoy this hobby...

[Ruskins]

not sure if i have any local hobby stores left, all the ones i used to know have shut down, did used to have a nice big beaties, but thats also shut now. Do they really have access to parts this old ?

[TWINSET]

Hey Ruskins

I'm in Thame, once you get a resto, drop me a mail, I got a fair few spares knocking about

[simensays]

some LHS may have some spare parts for these cars, but don't count on it - besides by now most of them has been cleaned out by collectors I guess.

I wouldn't say that Sand Scorchers have to be that expensive! I've never payed more that about $75 for any of mine - and they were all more or less complete and in fairly good shape as well! I've gotten them all locally though, not thru eBay! Besides, restoring the cars are half the fun, so why buy a mint one on eBay if you're looking to restore one?

I just picked up my first 3spd truck a couple of hours ago, I payed $70 - in great shape, almost never run and with the original box (with inserts) also in great shape! A BB box alone,without the inserts was sold for $89 on the bay a few days ago!

[Ruskins]

all the ones on ebay atm are either cheap ones with bodies half missing or complete ones with a few bits of trim missing. i dont know where else to look as i fairly certain there are zero localy, well maybe one.

[SGNAS]

I'm not really collecting, just getting my old stuff up to scratch.

A lot of the bits on ebay go for ridiculous amounts.

Someone used "Buy it now" to bag a "runner" Sand Rover for £195. It was even disclosed that the chassis was repaired. I can't fully remember but I don't think it came with a box either.

The two SS on ebay at the moment don't quite look right to me. Part restored ring alarm bells to me, done the easy bits now want to cash in.

There is a trading room on here. You are likely to get a better deal of a collecter/member here than someone making money on ebay.

Thats my 2p's worth.

[SGNAS]

There's at least one in the trading room now.

However, no one seems to put a price on their for sale items[!]

[ShenUK]

if your looking at restoring one here's a few names from the club to get hold of for Repo parts

Netsmith - chris for repo Decals

Dazmeister - darren for repo lexan Baja Bug shell, Radio Boxes

RCGrabbag - for repo body parts

i can't think of anyone else if i do will list them unless some else beats me to it[]

buying off ebay can be cheaper than buying from the club at times sorry but it's true as for members not putting a price in the trades yes it is annoying [!] but i do see there point they sell to the highest offer but it would be nice to know a rough price to go off

[Ruskins]

theres a coupe going for 50 notes atm, though one of them has a while to go yet, im high bidder on both. also bidding £34 for 1 sprew that has all the door handles, mirrors, wipers. [xx(]

of the two in the trades area, one is virtualy mint but the guy wants more than i can afford and the other looks like its been driven into a wall, backwards.