Was She Worth It?

[Tamiya1/10]

How many members got a hack for nothing or a good price and start fixing her up and the next thing you know lots of money are put in and you start asking yourself was she worth it.

I got an unpainted RR in excellent condition for free with receiver, servos and MSC. Noticed only the bumper was broken and missing 2 front driving lights. (My theory.. owner took it our once,kissed the wall with it and never played with it again.)

The tires were perfect except the rears were cracked along with the switch cover. After cleaning all the parts up I found the steering column that secure the body was damaged, the small plastic piece that guide the metal C ring. To make a long story short, cleaned her up (took about 2 weeks of evenings) replaced the bumper, 4 new wheels and tires, switch cover, new steering column, all ball bearings, new hump pack battery made and repainted her (no decals) final bill over $250.00 not counting various metal cleaner, rags, rubber gloves and elbow grease put in.

She is currently a shelf queen, only tested that every thing works (never actually ran her) and in the end it was worth it mainly because I now have a piece of Tamiya's history and only for around $250.00[] Would I do it again? Yes specially I pay big bucks for a 3 spd that was less than what the seller told me[V]

[J3cubfan]

quote:Originally posted by Tamiya1/10

How many members got a hack for nothing or a good price and start fixing her up and the next thing you know lots of money are put in and you start asking yourself was she worth it.

I got an unpainted RR in excellent condition for free with receiver, servos and MSC. Noticed only the bumper was broken and missing 2 front driving lights. (My theory.. owner took it our once,kissed the wall with it and never played with it again.)

The tires were perfect except the rears were cracked along with the switch cover. After cleaning all the parts up I found the steering column that secure the body was damaged, the small plastic piece that guide the metal C ring. To make a long story short, cleaned her up (took about 2 weeks of evenings) replaced the bumper, 4 new wheels and tires, switch cover, new steering column, all ball bearings, new hump pack battery made and repainted her (no decals) final bill over $250.00 not counting various metal cleaner, rags, rubber gloves and elbow grease put in.

She is currently a shelf queen, only tested that every thing works (never actually ran her) and in the end it was worth it mainly because I now have a piece of Tamiya's history and only for around $250.00[] Would I do it again? Yes specially I pay big bucks for a 3 spd that was less than what the seller told me[V]

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I feel your pain. When I first got into restoring these old cars, I would find a rolling chassis for $50(SS) then grab SS body shell used ($75) then purchase the tires and wheels and what have you. It all adds up. When I first start this endeavour, all I wanted was a Sand Scorcher and a couple of other cars that I had in my youth. Well, I go then, but I think that I would have been cheaper to go ahead and buy them new in box. Oh well, lesson learned.

[BeetleMeister]

Its all well and good....and fun to restor, or complete a project, but finacialy it is almost always better to buy a new built of NIB. You know what your getting and you know its going to be complete and new...no expensive surprises. I guess you loose a bit of the fun, then if you run it and need to do maintainace it soon becomes your baby. And for me...any car on which I did the paint job instantly becomes my baby!

[Fluffy]

Of course they're worth it who can resist the thrill of chasing down the paddle rear tyres the joy of getting your hands on some new universal joints (i haven't managed that one yet)and then the first time you test her out,wiping her curvacious body tweaking her chassis then rolling the cow in the gravel and ruining weeks of hard work.Oh well I guess i'll have to start all over again and again and again and etc etc etc

[Shodog]

The thing is that the really desirable cars cost far more if their New in the box than the sum of their parts. But on the other hand,if your trying to build a vehile from the plastic era 50-100, you probably better off buying a new built or NIB kit. The problem I have found with new built is that my definition of New built and what some one elses are very different.

It happened to me with my willy. The seller swore it was new built. in the pictures I could see that the tires were new and still had their mold flashing on them. But when I got the jeep, I could see that it had been run a couple of times. There were a couple of very minor scratches on the gear case and roll bars.

Jim

[SubaruBrattJunkie]

I just did a TA03 from rolling chassis to complete modified. Dumped all the plastic, full aluminum and carbon, low friction dampers, you get the picture. I have also restored 3 Brats and 3 Hotshots and a pair of Grasshoppers. It is about a wash on the more valuable old cars to build a roller. On the newer stuff, no doubt about it, buy the hopped up kit instead of buying all the parts. I could have saved about 100.00 by buying a TRF kit rather than the way I did. However, in doing it the way I did, I am now very, very intimate with this car. Much more so than had I just built it from a kit. Same with the others. The education factor can not have a price put on it. Next I am going to do a TL01-414 kit. Probably a bit at a time, just like I built my Dawes Galaxy bicycle with all Campagnolo Nuevo Record components. Just my 2p worth.

[bugman]

Firstly, I feel sorry for Shodog that he was disappointed about his Willy being used a couple of times. I’m constantly trying to talk my wife into giving mine a run.

On a more serious note, I recently bought a RR for the bargain price of $220 Aussie. It needed a good clean and quickly ended up in several zip lock bags. So I started buying a few bits for it, roof sprue, bearings, new gears, steering parts, rear guard and paint. I am wincing as I start to realize how much this trip down memory lane is costing me. I still need a new bumper, new tyres and I just found out the radio box was smashed around the front well nut. At the end of the day it will end up close to $700 Aussie, plus the polishing tool I bought (has many uses I tried to justify to myself).

What has been fantastic is discovering Tamiyaclub, trawling eBay morning noon and night. Bidding on some great stuff only to see it snatched away in the last few seconds (Howl !) Also talking to people on the net via email about these great old cars has been tremendous fun. The sense of nostalgia that it evokes it definitely worth it, but I will only buy NIB or new built from now on. Even then you are taking a risk in several ways. Will it turn up, will it be damaged, will it be as described. Got my eye on two SS but if my wife ever sees the credit card statement, I’ll be living in a container down by the river surrounded by zip lock bags!

[Stickman]

On the subject of "was she worth it?"

then have a look here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...egory=1200&rd=1

For the seller (a TC member) then I would think a definate YES!!

For the buyer I hope so!

Dave