Bigwig...Please Tell Me What The Fuss Is All About?

[Grumpy pants]

These come up on eBay and they fetch pretty good money from what I can see and they also seem well thought of on T.C.

What makes them so appealing?

From my very novice perspective they look a bit of an odd shape and toy like with their bright colours.

By no means am I knocking them, I'm intrigued and I need educating please!

[TamTom]

The Bigwig was an anniversary model to celebrate the 10 years of Tamiya beeing into radio controlled cars and the body was designed by a famous japanese real car designer. The Bigwig was also special because it was the first car that was concept to run with a 8.4 volt battery out of the box plus it has a tooth driven steering and the chassis is unique to the Bigwig only. So the Bigwig is really special by all means, and it is still on my wishlist.

[Wez-li]

I love it, for many reasons. I'm currently restoring one.

Firstly, when it was released in 1986, I was 8, and it was about as out of reach as Heather Lockleer!

Furthermore, it's the 10th anniversary model, it looks stunning with it's unique body, wheels and chassis, plus it was the first Tamiya model to come with a Technigold & use 8.4v battery.

Don't forget the fact that it's kinda rubbish

[mongoose1983]

Along with being the 10th anniversary model, and having many unique parts and overall configuration, the BIGWIG came with the-now legendary- Technigold motor, which was the best motor in the market back in 1986.

You will find many people hating the car, even calling it "Big Pig" because of its weight, but official information shows it is only 40grams heavier than any of the other Hot Shot-based vehicles. And that is only because of the extra cell these beasts can take. In the end, if you have a scale you can compare it to any Super Shot or a Boomerang and you'll get the truth, this is no Big Pig, my friend.

As a model, the BIGWIG is based on real cars from the Pikes Peak hillclimb race in Colorado. Here's a couple of pictures.

Go get yourself a BIGWIG Grumpy pants. Not only a landmark in Tamiya's history but also a looker and super sweet racer.

Finally, have a look at one of the most beautiful examples in our BIGWIG Owners & Enthusiasts Special Interest Group. The fantastic custom-painted buggy built by our Australian friend, Jak Rizzo: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=101124&id=13023

You all have a good Thursday!

[markbt73]

You will find many people hating the car, even calling it "Big Pig" because of its weight, but official information shows it is only 40grams heavier than any of the other Hot Shot-based vehicles. And that is only because of the extra cell these beasts can take. In the end, if you have a scale you can compare it to any Super Shot or a Boomerang and you'll get the truth, this is no Big Pig, my friend.

That's a very old nickname. I think it came about from its weight compared to Kyosho and Yokomo buggies of its day. Compared to an Optima Mid or a YZ10, it's pretty piggy. And it looks heavier as well. Tamiya's thick slabs of plastic always look a bit chunky next to cars with more metal or fiberglass.

I even remember RC Car Action magazine making some comment about the Bigwig performing well "despite its weight." But out of the box, it should have been pretty potent, with the Technigold motor. Didn't it come with full ball bearings as well?

I always did like the overall style of them, though. But back then, I thought the bright yellow and blue plastic looked cheesy. It has grown on me since, and now I think it's one of the more handsome cars of its day. Given the choice, however, I think I'd rather have a Boomerang. (I know they don't work all that well, but I love the look of mono-shocks.)

[mongoose1983]

[...] and the body was designed by a famous japanese real car designer. [...]

Yes, that's the legendary Takuya Yura!

[Mokei Kagaku]

That's a very old nickname. I think it came about from its weight compared to Kyosho and Yokomo buggies of its day. Compared to an Optima Mid or a YZ10, it's pretty piggy. And it looks heavier as well. Tamiya's thick slabs of plastic always look a bit chunky next to cars with more metal or fiberglass.

Fully agree, but I think that the overall poor suspension arrangement (causing poorer handling than that of all other HS series models except the HS) and the rack and pinion steering with its too low ratio (even in combination with the quickest servos back then) also contributed to the impression of the Bigwig being sluggish and heavy.

Didn't it come with full ball bearings as well?

No, it didn't and after the "full ball bearings" Supershot, it was disappointing at that time that an almost as expensive and anniversary model would come with just half of the needed ball bearings, especially as ball bearings were so expensive at the time too. It came with 14 ball bearings (including the two thrust bearings), 1 850 metal bushing, 9 1150 plastic bushings and 4 850 plastic bushings. The 4 850 plastic bushings being the additional 4 bushings/bearings on the gearbox output shafts that none of the other HS-series models had, but that racers started fitting to Hotshots, Supershots and Boomerangs well before Tamiya released the Bigwig. So whereas "full ball bearings" from a Tamiya perspective was 24 pieces for the Hotshot, Supershot and Boomerang, it was 28 pieces for the Bigwig.

I always did like the overall style of them, though. But back then, I thought the bright yellow and blue plastic looked cheesy. It has grown on me since, and now I think it's one of the more handsome cars of its day.

Again I fully agree. I'd add the poor attempt at a V8 dummy too. Today we have gotten used to simplified "semi-scale" details on RC-models, but back in 1986, the lack of detail simply looked uninspired, lazy and cheap and most of us thought it would have been better if Tamiya hadn't included the moulded in dummy engine in the tub.

I indeed hope that Tamiya will re-release the Bigwig, but as an anniversary model almost at the top of the line, I think it was a big disappointment. And I dare say that was a pretty common opinion at the time it was released too.

[MAD RACER]

To fully understand the Hype you need to put one through it's paces.

I didn't understand the hype either but with a different paint scheme and black out the baby blue parts these cars look great I think. They do drive better then any of the Shot's based cars too. Super stable too. My runner has a few up grades with a 13t brushless combo and goes really hard.

The biggest problem was the cost of the BigWig. Yes it came with the awesome Technigold motor but not fully ball raced as mentioned.

I would love a re re but don't think that's going to happen for some reason

[beefmuffin]

For me, like the Monster Beetle, the unique style / design of the Bigwig hooked me completely when I was a kid. It was never about performance or technical specs - they both make me drool a little, LITERALLY, when I look at them... like looking at something delicious. There are a few others that have this effect on me. Strangely, even though the Blackfoot and Hornet are both even more personally relevant to my own experience with Tamiya R/C growing up they don't evoke the same level of physiological reaction.

I'm sure some of you will relate, and others will think this is the craziest thing you've heard all day...

[Theibault]

It's a very average car that everyone remembers with rose colored glasses on. It has a unique looking body and was built to run the 8.4v packs that were the hotness in that day. The timing of the car was perfect. It was a period were race bred designs were taking hold and steering RC towards competition models. This was Tamiya's entry into a race specific chassis. The timing was perfect, but the chassis, as cool as it is for a retro model, not so much. I do think it looks great and hope for a re re.

[Grumpy pants]

Great response chaps and feedback, some real insight as to why the large following for this model.

I particularly liked the link Eric added of the showroom entry with a Bigwig hitting the beach.

[Wez-li]

I lost a lot of time watching this back in the day.

Watch "Tamiya Bigwig" on YouTube

https://youtu.be/FSSD0LlDhKY

[markbt73]

For me, like the Monster Beetle, the unique style / design of the Bigwig hooked me completely when I was a kid. It was never about performance or technical specs - they both make me drool a little, LITERALLY, when I look at them... like looking at something delicious. There are a few others that have this effect on me. Strangely, even though the Blackfoot and Hornet are both even more personally relevant to my own experience with Tamiya R/C growing up they don't evoke the same level of physiological reaction.

I'm sure some of you will relate, and others will think this is the craziest thing you've heard all day...

Yep - original Optima for me, though I'm not sure it ever induced actual drool. Had to have one, and it was my "grail" car when I got back into the oldies. It's currently sitting in a box with a clear body, because it absolutely must be box-art (very unusual for me), but I'm not brave enough to paint it yet...

[Gruntfuggly]

Doesn't do it for me. I've tried to like it, honestly, but I can't stop looking at those nasty plastic front suspension mounts... it's almost like they were an afterthought?

[beefmuffin]

Yep - original Optima for me, though I'm not sure it ever induced actual drool. Had to have one, and it was my "grail" car when I got back into the oldies. It's currently sitting in a box with a clear body, because it absolutely must be box-art (very unusual for me), but I'm not brave enough to paint it yet...

LOL Mark - did u see my other post this morning?

[markbt73]

I did, and it's a great idea - if you do box-art. I rarely do.

[qatmix]

As others have mentioned, the bigwig was a backwards step. The boomer / sabre would run rings around it.

When we used to race back then we had 12-1400 mah batteries. Weight would be the enemy, my demon motor would give me just enough speed to make 5 minutes at a consistent pace before dumping.

Also we used to race on grass / dirt tracks with very small jumps back then. The Monoshock on these cars was actually fine.

But still, I also starred at the bigwig box on the shelf of my local model shop and wanted one. Still do

[Sandster]

Is it just me or in the last couple of weeks have bigwigs been popping up everywhere? There has been numerous for sale on ebay lately, a few topics created on here about them and the facebook groups have also featured bigwigs lately. Is everyone gone bigwig mad or it is just the same few people on all the same forums?

I must admit having never given them a second thought before, I now find myself drawn to them.

[njmlondon]

The BigWig was the last Tamiya I drooled over before getting distracted by 1:1 cars, girls and beer. I clearly remember reading and re-reading my RC Guide Book thousands of times and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Oddly though, upon returning to the hobby in the early 2000's I discovered that the BW left me cold. It looked cumbersome and the plastic looked cheap to me. I have warmed to it over the past 10 years but not really fallen back in love with it.

[Hibernaculum]

It's still strange, after all these years, to hear people criticize any vintage model... But hey, we each had a different experience I guess.

For me, growing up in the 80s, the Bigwig was just another of the great models in the range of high quality R/C vehicles available from Tamiya. I didn't particularly see any Tamiya model as bad, ugly, inferior, or anything else. I saw them all as interesting, colourful, unique, rugged, technical and fast, compared with the majority of the R/C models you could buy.

Staring at the old catalogues, and not being able to afford any of those cars initially, I thought they were all pretty special. I'd have been very happy to get any of them. At that time, the tiny fraction of society who professionally raced R/C cars were a world away from my life. I read magazines. But the racing world had zero impact on my appreciation of the cars I saw. And I'm very grateful for that. Because ultimately, performance and racing success were not the last word on what made a car fun, interesting or even historically significant.

The Bigwig was shown on one of the three R/C buggy pages in my 1987 Tamiya catalogue. It was pictured next to the Falcon. And I loved looking at those two together, and thinking about how rugged and fast they looked - one mostly orange, one mostly blue. Yet how different they were as well - 2WD vs 4WD. They shared CVA shocks, but otherwise were entirely different cars. And it was this variety between models that generally made Tamiya cars (and catalogues) so fascinating to me. Instead of 15 models on one page that clearly had the same chassis just with a different body (witness the catalogues from the mid-1990s onward), you were lucky to find two in most 1980s catalogues. I wanted to collect them all. I used to dream of owning cars like the Bigwig, and of course I would wonder which car in the catalogue would be the fastest in a race. But ultimately, none of that really mattered - because having any of those models was still just a dream for me.

What's the fuss about the Bigwig? It's a gorgeous buggy with a distinct retro colour-blocked and gradient-stripe design, all those famous logos (D i c k Cepek), and those white moon-disc wheels which were something very different. It was a premium model with ball bearings and a special motor included. And it represents another point of difference, among the highly eclectic range Tamiya had, during their most creative years. It's also a car from deep within the First 100, and there's nothing else quite like it. As a bonus, there was the fun of being able to tell your friends "This one was actually designed by a real F1 car designer".

What more does a vintage R/C fan need?

H.

[NWarty]

all those famous logos (D i c k Cepek),"

What you did there, I see it

[Nitomor]

This!

For me the 1987 catalogue, it was the pinnacle of Tamiya RC for me when I was in the height of my infatuation with RC cars (first time around!). The amount of hours I spent poring over that catalogue, and the Bigwig was the Hero Halo cover model. The sloping front bonnet line was so handsome, well proportioned, aerodynamic like nothing before it with clean lines, stance, presence and all those special differences that as a kid made it that much more awesome than other models. The BigWig and Bruiser just captured my imagination totally and the action shots of both of them sealed the love affair. Seeing the clay model being lovingly and delicately sculpted by the designer within the book was just so cool.

[Shodog]

There were way better 4wd cars than the big wig out there during its hey day just not any in my area. One guy I knew had one that turned out to be quite problematic. I worked on it several times trying to sort the steering that was too slow and ended up sloppy and gritty over time. I think he eventually moved on to a yz834.

A cars appeal is intrinsic and can't really be measured. For me I had to see what all the fuss about the avante was. I never had one but knew a LHS had a ton of avante parts and hop ups so I bought it all their stock and a car off of eBay. Restored the car nicely and gave it a run. It was so disappointing by the third run I knew I was going to sell it. I think unless you had one or lusted for one back in the day I would leave the big wig alone.

[mongoose1983]

The boomer / sabre would run rings around it.

Well, for a long time I've been reading comments like this one here in the forums. I'm going to share my observations on this particular model based on recent experience. I've come across a BIG WIG back in 2010. I actually got it in a trade. Did not care much about the model back in the day, but it grew on me mostly because of its historical significance.

In 2011 my cousin and I we did all the possible running tests of the BIG WIG against his Dynatech (black motor) powered Boomerang. We tried asphalt, dirt, hillclimb and such. We basically wanted to have fun and I turned him into checking what was the fuss about this 10th anniversary RC car. So we got into it not as experts, just as a pair of guys who like to work and run old/classic RC cars.

My BIG WIG is stock, and his Boomerang had no special hopup parts other than the black Dynatech motor. It was hard to notice what car was the fastest when running 7.2 battery packs on both vehicles. The 8.4 gave more kick to both, the Boomerang and the BIG WIG, no other differences than we could notice. My cousin tried my car, while I would run his, of course there was a different driving feeling, the Dynatech motor was no small hopup, I loved it. I would say I liked the BIG WIG better, and looks were big part of that.

Now, our biggest curiosity was the weight myth. Long ago I posted in the forums pictures of the official 1987 Tamiya RC guide stating the BIG WIG fully equipped weights 1750 gr. (Tamiya, 1987: 34) and the Boomerang fully eqipped 1650 gr. (Tamiya, 1987: 36). How's that for the extra cell? Some TCers back then replied "THEY ARE WRONG!". Well, I remember we weighted the cars without the batteries, and the weight difference is actually far from being 200 grams or anything I've read in the past in threads like this one. The difference was not over 60 grams if my memory doesn't fail. I now would like to have a picture of that to show you guys I'm not lying. Now, of course someone in here might come up with proof that the Dynatech motor is heavier than the stock white-ended silver can of the Boomerang. Is it really so much heavier than the stock motor? I don't know. But from weighting both cars back in 2011 we got to realize that if the BIG WIG was some sort of a "big pig" the Boomerang was not at all light as a feather beside it!

Now, my cousin doesn't live here anymore, but I have a friend here who has a re-re Boomerang. I might weight the car compared to that re-re and get some pictures of what the scale shows for each buggy so you can see it. To me it really doesn't matter which car is heavier or faster, but from our tests I could say the Boomerang would not run rings around the BIG WIG in stock fashion or even when fitted a new Dynatech motor, as my BIG WIG could not do it either when running against my cousin's car. And then my BIG WIG is not enough heavier than my cousin's Boomerang (not over 60 grams) to rightfully deserve the "big pig" nickname. That although we did not compare the weight difference of the black Dynatech and the stock motor. If there was a significant difference then it would be interesting if someone could confirm that.

Finally, I'm just sharing what me and my cousin could come up with. If anybody has better or if possible scientific information about the subject, then share it in here. I am always open and happy to learn a bit more.

Here's me and my cousin with our cars back in 2011.

Oh, and totally off-topic. I never liked the yellow exhausts of the BIG WIG. Here's what I did to my buggy when I rebuild it:

You all have a good Thursday!

[mynameisdannyowens]

Well said that man!

Here here