Tamiya Formula 1 Cars

[ChrisRx718]

I can't help but feel this genre is the lesser-known (certainly the lesser-discussed) of all Tamiya RC.

However, sat here watching F1 Rewind on BBC iplayer I have a real yearning for a pretty F1 car for my collection.

I have a couple of F103GT based cars already and appearances of the F104 look very similar and I've noticed some cross-compatibility of parts too.

I appreciate that the main problem with these types of RC is the ability to run them anywhere that isn't perfectly smooth. It's not really a car which can be taken out for a spin on a whim - it would require planning! For this reason my F103GT has only seen a handful of outings.

That doesn't affect my desire to have one on my shelf for the occasional outing though.

I'd love to see what gems we have on our forum in terms of F1 cars and what people's thoughts on why they aren't so popular.

I would of course love an F201 but these are a rare beast nowadays and command high prices.

A Senna McLaren, Schumacher Ferrari or Hill Rothmans Williams would be awesome.

[XV Pilot]

I think you've hit the nail on the head there. I think their relative lack of popularity is due to their very low tolerance for uneven surfaces.

Some people collect RCs purely to look at, but most want to be able to run them, even if it is only gently/occasionally. A car that is so picky as to where it can be run is therefore probably not going to be as popular as one that can be run on conveniently-accessible areas such as parking lots, driveways, parkland, etc.

[speedy_w_beans]

Here's my F104W gem:

As others mention, ground clearance and exposed gearing limit general bashing. I also think they are tricky to drive compared to 4WD touring cars; these cars (like pan cars) need attention to tire selection, setup, and driving technique to get the most enjoyment out of them. I have a smooth, clean street surface to use this car, and I enjoy the challenge of driving it, so it works for me. I also have RM01, Group C, and F103GT.

[Grastens]

More Le Mans-type racers may increase the appeal, too

When I ran one, it was the same deal with exposed gears and poor performance on uneven terrain. But at the time I hardly cared; after all, I had always dreamed of owning and driving a GT-One...

More seriously, those prototype racers have a unique presence and are closer to F1 cars than touring-based categories (I hope), so adding more of them to the Tamiya lineup on F1 chassis would not be a bad thing to add some variety. In any case, I would not complain!

[Nobbi1977]

Ring up your local school. Anywhere with a tile sports hall will let you run by the hour quite cheaply. Would be fun to watch some of these fly about

[Snappy1]

Awesome, you guys will be able to answer a dumb question as I know next to nothing about rc F1.

I bought this a couple of years ago when I first got back into the hobby, supposedley a vintage Honda MP4/5 shell and a new built chassis, but is the chassis correct for the body or is it newer?

[berman]

That looks like a correct 101 snappy1.

I love my f104w. I have a Jordan 191 and used to have a f103L Texaco Lola indy car (thanks wilton84).

This is my MP4/6, although it now runs on Sweep rubber tyres and wheels. I drive it outside my house but the asphalt is plucking out (stones) and with the concrete slab in between you have to carefully chose your lines.

I have drive it on brand new asphalt (still hot!) and it was glorious!

[Snappy1]

Excellent, thanks Berman, mine needs a Senna helmet to finish it off

[volvotech]

I love the elegant simplicity of the f103 platform. I've had a few over the years.

[i_am_scarecrow]

I got this last week, an f103. I thought it was missing a few parts (yes I know it should really have four wheels!) but now having seen yours I may be wrong. Some seem to have an extra top deck near the front of the car yet ours doesn't have this, were there many options for this chassis?

[Grastens]

Lots of option parts - the short upper deck was stock; a long upper deck was made available as a hop-up. From here, yours looks to be missing only a wheel and a bumper/front wing depending on whether you want to run it as a Formula 1 car or a prototype.

[volvotech]

Classic upper deck hop up:

Newer version:

Both reinforced the servo and braced the front half of the chassis to sharpen steering response. There may have been a chassis variant that included an upper deck, but I'm not sure. Either way, you can find either on eBay at reasonable prices.

[Grastens]

The only such variant I can think of right now is the F103 15th Anniversary kit. Even the F103LM TRF had a short upper deck because that chassis was intended to have the steering servo mounted horizontally, which would have given a long upper deck nothing on which to extend.

Edit: it appears the F103L had a long upper deck as stock. It would be unique to that chassis, though, as the L type has a longer wheelbase than the standard F103.

After the F103, the long upper deck became standard, it seems, but either racers preferred a little less chassis stiffness or the PBLR system allowed for less stiffness than the long upper deck/T-bar suspension system required. If I recall correctly, one of the two made long upper decks less popular...

[AndyjcClod]

I agree with the OP, these are rarley discussed but I do think they are great models.

My issue is with every car I have had with such a low chassis where can you use them.

Last time I saw one running was a friend who took his F1 model to a flat concreate carpark\loading bay it was flying along at superb speeds and then it hit something like a tiny pebble and the car went airborne and then was literrally "flying" until it landed upside down and scraped along top a stop. The body work was pretty damaged from this.

I too though would love one of the newer Tamiya F1 cars but they are also really pricey from what I have seen so to date I havent got one.

I really like Grastens Le-Mans cars as well.