New guy from Texas

[Brads442]

Hello Everyone,

I have been reading some of these posts for a while now and thought I should go ahead and register and introduce myself. I know several of you guys are based in Europe, Japan, South America, Australia and lots of other places around the world, I live just outside of Dallas, Texas. Like most of you, I discovered Tamiya R/C cars in 1982 at the age of 10. My dad and I used to visit a hobby shop not too far from where we lived. One evening we stopped in (my dad was a gear head and loved R/C cars, planes, etc.) and we witnessed the first Blazing Blazer we had ever seen. It was on display in a glass case, and the guy at the counter took it out for us to see it. I thought my dad was going to purchase the massive truck, but when he saw the cost, he changed his mind. From then on my buddies and I would ride our BMX bikes down to the shop and gaze at all of the cars. When the Frog came out in '83, it was top of my list to have, however I received the Monogram Lightning (Silver version) the next year for Christmas instead. That was a fun car, but I was determined to save my money and buy a Frog, or the new HotShot which had just been released. After months of saving, I had enough saved and I ended up adding a brand new Fox to my collection in the summer of 1985, I was 13 years old. I also added a Sprint motor to the Fox and boy was that car fast! Between all of my friends, we had my Fox, my Lightning, 2 Frogs, 2 HotShots, a and Falcon. There is no telling how many hours we spent thrashing those cars in the dirt field behind our houses, but it was loads of fun. It seemed liked many of these cars finally gave in a broke, cracked or quite running for some reason, then we all began to drive real cars and the R/C versions found their way to a box or stored away for good. I ended up buying both of the Frogs from two of my friends years later, I then cleaned them up and slightly restored them and ended up selling them on eBay years later. I should have kept them. This was around 1998.

Fast forward to 2005 when Tamiya rereleased the Frog which caught my attention, I began collecting them all over again. As of today, my collection consists of: 3 Foxes (1 new built, 1 beautiful driver, 1 NIB), 3 Frogs (1 NIB, 1 New Built, 1 rere), 2 Wild Ones (1 NIB, 1 rere) 2 Hotshots (1 New built, 1 rere), a Buggy Champ, a Super HotShot and a Blazing Blazer. The Blazer was recently posted into my showroom. As many of you feel, it is the "Holy Grail" of vintage Tamiya R/Cs. I found it advertised locally as a "Vintage Chevy R/C Truck." Could not believe my eyes when I went to look at it. I have had it for several years, the original owner had started the build, but never finished it, they had only started the frame...

Here is a link to my showroom: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom.asp?id=32379

I am also looking for the following vintage buggies to add to my collection in case someone has one or more for sale:

Vintage Super Shot - Would like to have one in really good shape to display alongside my rere (could restore of build from a kit)

Bigwig - One of my favorites and one of the last models built by Tamiya before I got out of the R/C craze

Super Champ - Another one of my all time favorites, but was way too expensive for me back in the mid-80's

I am also saving up to buy the rereleases of the Fast Attack, the Bruiser, the Hornet and the Sand Scorcher. I just recently purchased an all original Grasshopper as well off eBay. I am going to get the rereleases on these models so we can drive them and have some fun.

I am looking forward to discussing vintage Tamiya R/Cs and seeing other peoples collections! Hope to hear from many of you!

Brad

[lentner3]

Welcome aboard Brad certainly a very respectable collection you have and great story to go with it, you'll have pleanty in common with this bunch. Looking forward to your contributions.

[NWarty]

Brad,

Welcome aboard and great back story! There are a good bit of us from the States and funny how so many of us are dang near the same age

Awesome showroom by the way

- Blake

[Theibault]

Welcome to the club!

[nascar24jd]

Wow. Great collection..!!

[Brads442]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I did want to ask how the TC members feel about building vintage cars that are still NIB. I have 4 NIB kits: Fox, Super Shot, Frog & Wild One. Looking at what the vintage Wild One kist are selling for on ebay, it seems the value is not very high for that kit. I am considering building that one, what do you guys think? Build it or leave it alone?

[NWarty]

Honestly, it's up to you bud. So many differing opinions on the matter and you'd get a ton.

If it were me, since the Wild One was my first car, I'd tear into that box like you-know-what. All of my cars do run and I've never had a NIB lying around, but it would pain me knowing that a ton of fun just sits there encased in cardboard and plastic blisters. If you're concerned about it and losing that NIB, but do want to build one, just weigh the value vs. the fun vs. what you would REALLY like to build instead of putting together a consolation prize.

Just my .02 cents

[mongoose1983]

Yeah, great backstory. And welcome to the Club, Brad! You have a great collection! That Blazer, just WOW!

Right now it's been fifteen years since I last been to the good 'ol TX. My favorite time there was definitely at the Mesquite Rodeo! haha.

[OldSchoolRunner]

Awesome story! Very cool! Love the Blazing Blazer part of the story! Welcome!

OSR

[Brads442]

Honestly, it's up to you bud. So many differing opinions on the matter and you'd get a ton. If it were me, since the Wild One was my first car, I'd tear into that box like you-know-what. All of my cars do run and I've never had a NIB lying around, but it would pain me knowing that a ton of fun just sits there encased in cardboard and plastic blisters. If you're concerned about it and losing that NIB, but do want to build one, just weigh the value vs. the fun vs. what you would REALLY like to build instead of putting together a consolation prize. Just my .02 cents

Yeah, I guess you can't really put a price on building one of these cars and how much fun it can be, especially once it is complete and you then have some fun with it!

[Brads442]

Yeah, great backstory. And welcome to the Club, Brad! You have a great collection! That Blazer, just WOW!

Right now it's been fifteen years since I last been to the good 'ol TX. My favorite time there was definitely at the Mesquite Rodeo! haha.

Would you believe I grew up 10 minutes from the Mesquite rodeo? No joke, but I have only been twice my whole life!

[wood5tock]

Fabulous collection and love the story. As for building a NIB if you are asking the question don't build it, I am glad I don't have any NIB kits it would drive me crazy with dilemmas like that

[NWarty]

Well, I can say that I've been to the Mesquite Rodeo once and I'm sure my Mom still has her Gilley's jersey somewhere

Lived in Houston when I was little, my Dad was born in Port Arthur, my Mom in Galveston and my brother in Houston. But I grew up in Atlanta and still have family in Conroe.

[Crash Cramer]

Hey there Bradd, feel ashamed I haven't posted on this forum post, but welcome. I think if you weigh what any NIB is still worth and it is relatively inexpensive to "lose" that money it is worth, tear into it. I can't say I have too many NIB kits, but I do have a fair number of NEW BUILT cars on my shelves and man, do they cost some money when you buy them one part at a time like I had to do for a few of them, so if you have a complete car in a kit, you already paid for it, build it if you will find the cost worth the fun. I would venture to say the Blazer will NEVER be re released(someone had to say it so Tamiya goes ahead and makes it again), so even though your Blazer isn't NIB perfectly, it is still worth a solid chunk of money in its unfinished state with all its parts accounted for.

And NWarty, I live about 20 minutes from Conroe, come over anytime you find yourself visiting.

[NWarty]

Chris, it's too damned hot in Conroe

[Crash Cramer]

Um thanks NW, I KNOW THAT, but I like how your TC name starts with your geographical notation. NorthWest

[Brads442]

Thanks Crash. For now, I have decided to save the NIB models. I have been enjoying the rereleases for now. It's been a blast, I feel like a kid again!

When I re-discovered Tamiya in 2005 (after the rerelease of the Frog), I have been going like crazy collecting vintage models and rereleases. Why is the Tamiya hobby such an obsession and why can a collector not stop at just one? Who knows?

That said, I am still in the market for the following buggies, please let me know if you have one for sale. I am trying to collect vintage buggies from 1979 - 1987.

Super Champ - Looking for a nice, complete buggy, would prefer one with the original box, or a NIB kit

Big Wig - Looking for a nice, complete buggy, would prefer one with the original box, or a NIB kit

Super Shot - Looking for a nice, complete buggy, would prefer one with the original box, or a NIB kit

HotShot - Looking for a NIB vintage kit

Fast Attack - Looking for a NIB vintage kit

[NWarty]

Um thanks NW, I KNOW THAT, but I like how your TC name starts with your geographical notation. NorthWest

Thanks cause I get called Warty all the time

Sorry to hijack Brad moar Chevelle please

[d4dawg]

Hi Brad. You have a nice collection! I'm in McKinney TX.

[Swarm]

Welcome to TC nice collection you have and a great story to read thanks for sharing .

As far as NIB's are concerned for me anyway I leave them in the box and marvel at the engineering of the parts and presentation of the box ...but that is me everybody is different its very much a personal choice on whether to keep them in the box or build them .

Look forward to your input on the forums .

Stuart.