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Sand Viper is to Rising Storm as Hornet is to ...?

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Hi!

Something to ponder. If you were to want to add a classic 4WD buggy to your collection (as I do), and you already have a Hornet (as I do), what would be a good companion for it?

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I also initially thought Hotshot, but then isn't that more of a Fox companion?

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Considering your thoughts, I think there's no true 4WD counterpart to the Hornet in the vintage Tamiya lineup, is there?

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you basically have 2.5 groups of choices - hotshot-based (and boomerang based, 1/2 of a choice) and thundershot based, which are all pretty similar. the hotshot, hotshot2, supershot, and bigwig are all built around the hotshot drivetrain. the boomerang and super sabre are also, but represent the next generation and move from sealed chassis to bathtub style chassis. the thundershot is the next step which uses a distinct drivetrain but retains the bathtub style chassis.

so...

hotshot

supershot

hotshot2

bigwig

boomerang

super sabre

thundershot

thunder dragon

terra scorcher

fire dragon

those are the choices... as i see it, unless i'm missing something. for me personally the hotshot is the most contemporary with the hornet. but the boomerang shares the hornet's bathtub chassis style. then the thundershots are just tweaked - i'm still getting familiar with them. but the downside to the thundershot series is the tires are rare and hard to come by - they are the same as the falcon and grasshopper 2 rears. whereas the hotshot and boomerang series all use standard oval block or pin spike 4WD tires and wheels.

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+1 Hotshot

Nobody has mentioned the DF-01 family like the Manta Ray, Blazing Star, Dirt Thrasher family. I think these are fantastic buggies and I actually greatly prefer them to just about any other Tamiya 4wd buggy because they are just rock solid. Not to mention a full option Top Force....

They are quite a bit newer than the Hornet though, so the Hotshot family is probably more period correct for a Hornet companion.

Let us know what you decide upon.

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Without a doubt a Hotshot. There is huge good and bad to this car. The good, the car is a marvel of engineering and the most delightful "thing" I have ever built. It took forever and I loved every step building it. The bad, it drives like a heavy piece of poop with suspension that the front and rear have no clue what the other end is doing. Vintage cars have their inherent driving kwirks and you expect them to handle poorly and bounce a lot. This car is just really slow and I haven't found a terrain it is a joy to drive on. If I go to a beach, hands down I drive my Frog, it is a hoot on sand. For tracks, obviously a modern car, for bashing I still choose a modern car with basher tires. I haven't driven my Hotshot but probably 2 hours, the other cars are just that much more fun to drive and I really have dragged my Hotshot everywhere I have brought other cars.

If you are looking for the right car for what you originally inquired about, this is definitely THE car of that timeframe though and again, what an incredible build. Just don't expect it to feel fast or handle well and you will be thrilled! :)

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Nobody has mentioned the DF-01 family like the Manta Ray, Blazing Star, Dirt Thrasher family. I think these are fantastic buggies and I actually greatly prefer them to just about any other Tamiya 4wd buggy because they are just rock solid. Not to mention a full option Top Force....

They are quite a bit newer than the Hornet though, so the Hotshot family is probably more period correct for a Hornet companion.

yeah the Manta Ray etc basically have no connection to the Hornet... they're almost closer to the Rising Storm... at least in my estimation.

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Dark Impact is a great buggy.

Mine was an excellent buggy until it snapped in half!

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i thought of this when in bathroom earlier, from an aesthetic standpoint, both visual and temporal, you can't beat the Hotshot II as the best period 4WD match for the Hornet... observe:

58045_2l.jpg

58062_1l.jpg

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I never had a hornet was it a solid body or a pollycarb?

The Hotshot above looks ace! Now I want one of those!

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I think Hornet has no 4WD brothers.

Hot Shot series is brother of the Fox imho.

Max

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AHH! the Hotshot 2 really does LOOK related ,box art wise,and i guess it is an evolved version of the original Hotshot,just as the Hornet is an evolved version of the original Grasshopper?.

The re-re Hotshot painted in Hotshot2 box art perhaps?

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I never had a hornet was it a solid body or a pollycarb?

The Hornet and re-re Hornet have polycarbonate bodies, while the Super Hornet has a polystyrene bodyshell.

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No 4WD counterpart for the Hornet. Hotshot = Fox. The similarities are too obvious to ignore. If the Hornet were kin to anything, it could only be the Lunchbox.

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No 4WD counterpart for the Hornet. Hotshot = Fox. The similarities are too obvious to ignore. If the Hornet were kin to anything, it could only be the Lunchbox.

Fully agree with the above statement. No 4WD counter-part to the Hornet/Grasshopper, only a truck derivative (Lunchbox/Pumpkin).

And I would have said DT02 Sand Viper is to DF03 Dark Impact. Same battery layout. Similar body lines. There's very little in common in any aspect between the DF02 and DT02. The motor is the opposite way in the chassis, the battery is offset vs centred. Metal driveline vs plastic (we'll ignore the newer plastic fantastic DT02s as the original statement was about the Sand Viper). Two models to compare side by side, DF03MS (a hopped up Dark Impact) and DT02MS (a hopped up Sand Viper), I have both.

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If a Sand Viper is to a Rising Storm,then i think it has to be a Hornet is to a Hotshot2.

DT02's have very little in actual part share with a DF02 but the time line and 2wd/4wd equiv is there.

By that thinking,I think a Hotshot 2 (rere Hotshot in "2"box art with dual rear dampers possibly) is the most convincing 4wd counterpart to a Hornet from Tamiya's line up.

Beefmuffins photo shows the visual aspect,the timeline is ok and the "2nd model in chassis" element is there too.

As for actual chassis type or parts shared?

consider the Hotshot 2 as the Hornets brother from another mother? lol!

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if you want to build from a kit you can do a re-re hotshot, or if you want to save money you can get a used hotshot, but either way then you can convert it to a HS2 with only a couple of parts trees and loose parts. the battery cover is different and is on a tree specific to the HS2 but easy to find. the roof is probably the hardest part to find, but if you decide to go with a HS2 i've got a roof for you, my contribution to this worthy effort*. then there are relatively inexpensive HS2 bodies available on ebay that look quite nice. original decals would be the rarest and most expensive part... but there are also inexpensive alternatives to be found, if not quite as nice.

does anyone know if the rear shock mount on the HS2 is the same one as the Supershot? i could look it up, but i am opting for the hive-mind search engine instead. (ie, your collective brains).

* I am a sucker for Tamiya families. Either bloodlines so to speak, analogies/homologues between otherwise unrelated models (like this case), and different scale versions of the same model.

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That's great, thanks! I shall add one to my shopping list.

At the moment the plan is to get a re-re Hotshot, plus the bits to convert to a Hotshot II, and possibly replicate the colour scheme currently worn by my re-re Hornet. Or possibly (if I am feeling in the mood for much vinyl cutting) replicate the colour scheme on my Jun Watanabe Hornet.

I am also thinking to replace the stock shocks with a set of plain aluminium ones to tie in with the rear shocks on the Hornet, although I am not sure how best to handle the front shock. I could follow the Hornet approach and just put a spring up front with no damper, but I think that might be a step too far. A plain aluminium shock to match the rear would probably be best.

Either way, it is a long term project. I usually get an opportunity to add a new car to the collection around my birthday, aand that is a few months away still, but I shall be sure to post a build thread when it happens. Until then, plans and discussions aplenty!

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