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Hi Guys,

I am looking at getting a buggy to build once I have completed the CC01 that is currently on its way to me.

I need help with making the right choice. So I am asking for advice from all the awesome guys on these forums.

I'm looking at the three chassis below,

1. Grasshopper

2. Holiday buggy or any of the other DT02 Chassis

3. Racing Fighter or any of the other DT03 Chassis

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If you guys have other options for buggies, I would like to know that too.

Thanks guys.

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Hi Guys,

I am looking at getting a buggy to build once I have completed the CC01 that is currently on its way to me.

I need help with making the right choice. So I am asking for advice from all the awesome guys on these forums.

I'm looking at the three chassis below,

1. Grasshopper

2. Holiday buggy or any of the other DT02 Chassis

3. Racing Fighter or any of the other DT03 Chassis

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If you guys have other options for buggies, I would like to know that too.

Thanks guys.

I just bought accidentally on purpose a DF 03 Dark Impact White edition I would let go for cheap!!!! Its Used I haven't received it yet but looks really clean. I bought it on a whim.

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I guess it comes down to what you want to use the car for. Backyard bashing? Race it once in a while?

I only have hands-on experience with the DT-02 and I have to say that I find it a very capable buggy for its price. At a vintage meet last month I raced both my (heavily modded) NovaFox and a DT-02 Sand Rover and the DT-02 is hands down the much better car of the two provided you equip it with oil shocks. Much more forgiving, in my opinion. I had about the same lap times with the DT-02 on a 540 Johnson motor (27 turns) as with my Fox sporting a Kyosho G20 motor (20 turns).

So based on my experiences I'd go for the DT-02 if you ever think about racing (even just for fun). If bashing or nostalgia is your game, then a Grasshopper might fit the bill perfectly.

Just my 2 cents.

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Unless you want the nostalgia of the hopper the Best Buy amongst your choices is by far the DT-03. Development of the DT-02, robust, comes with oil filled shocks and in general cheaper than equivalent spec DT-02

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The Grasshopper is probably the best-looking of the lot, the most iconic and the one with the best runtimes thanks to its simple drivetrain and little 380 motor, although it can be fitted with a 540 if you wish. It is a simple and rugged buggy that is great for casual bashing, but it is no racer.

The DT-02 also has some nice-looking shell options, including the quite realistic Sand Rover and Holiday Buggy hardshells, and the race-oriented Lexan Sand Viper and Desert Gator. The latter can be painted up as quite a convincing Astute lookalike. Some kits come with a 380 motor, others with a 540, and of course they are interchangeable. The chassis makes a solid basher in stock form, and can be hopped up into a nice little racer.

The DT-03 is effectively a DT-02 with a stretched wheelbase and mildly revised front end, and thus has similar bashability and hop-up potential. Neither of the two available buggy bodyshells really do it for me aesthetically, but then beauty is in the eye if the beholder as they say. However it does provide the best spec for the money.

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Surely everyone's got to have at least one grasshopper/hornet in their collection?

If you're like me,and can't decide,you'll just end up buying one of each anyway! 😀

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Is 4wd out?

I was thinking the DF02 such as the Aero Avante (you have a few TT01's already with which this shares the gearbox internals) which is a good looker, or the TT02B such as the Dual edge which is also a looker, both very reliable and perfect for bashing. There's also the DF01 Mad Bull of course which is a lot of fun.

Cheers

Nito

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You can't go wrong with any of those choices, they each have their high points. I've got all of them and enjoy running all of them.

The Grasshopper and the DT-02 are a dead match for the most driven buggies that own, and I've got a lot of buggies!

The DT-02 handles better, is faster, tips over less and accepts a wider variety of modern batteries, including Lipos. I probably have thrashed the Sand Viper more than any variety just due to the higher spec kit and the Lexan body, but greatly prefer the look of hard bodies like the Super Fighter, Sand Rover and particularly the Holiday Buggy. Limited pinion (therefore motor) choices, but rock solid bashers with very little needed as hop-ups.

The Grasshopper has the classic hard body looks and is a great bit of nostalgia, tough as nails and fun to drive (if you aren't looking for a speed demon) but battery choices are limited. Even large capacity Nimh batteries can be a challenge because of the tight battery compartment, and the battery door has a tendency to fall out unless you make a simple modification to prevent it. Still one of my all time favorites. Everyone should own at least one!!!

DT-03? Have one, like it, but don't love it - yet. Can't beat the spec for the price point and it makes a good entry level choice for bashers. Cheap and cheerful, behaves well, seems to be a nice modern 2wd buggy. Good selection of battery choices, and generally a good performer for the price point. My only complaint so far is the wing has a low life expectancy, but that is true with nearly every Tamiya buggy I've ever driven, so it can't really be held against this particular one. Hard to beat some of the deals you see, and I bought mine for roughly the same price as the Rising Fighter even though the DT-03 is ten times the buggy. This chassis just hasn't won me over - yet - although there really isn't any reason. Fact is, I grab the Hopper/Hornet or one of the several DT-02 variants way more often when I've got half an hour to go bashing, so that says something (just not sure what, LOL.)

I guess it boils down to whether you want a vintage feel or something modern - or maybe something in between like the Holiday Buggy or Sand Rover with a modern chassis and a nod to old school with the re-release hard body. What type of batteries you have might inform your choice somewhat, although it really isn't much heartburn to buy a cheap Nimh pack just for the Hopper. I recently bought some for under $9 and it really doesn't matter if they don't last through the summer - if there is a problem, for that price they will be summarily binned and I'll buy some more next spring.

Happy shopping.

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Just on batteries, I run a Core RC 2S lipo on the Hornet and it fits perfectly. Also because of the much lighter battery, I've not had the battery compartment drop open yet on it either.

The DT02 Super fighter looks a great bit of kit. I've been quite close to buying one on a number of occasions. I have a DT01 mad Bull, DT01 Fighter buggy RX, a few Hornets, Grasshopper, DF02 Aero Avante. They're all great fun, the Hornet and Aero Avante are probably my favourites. The DT03 does nothing for me personally but I've never owned one.

Cheers

Nito

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What about the blitzer beetle/stadium blitzer/stadium thunder? It's still an old school buggy but very durable and does not need to many hop ups. I have mine still to build but there are some excellent examples on the forum and all with happy owners, hence my reason for getting one😀

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What about the blitzer beetle/stadium blitzer/stadium thunder? It's still an old school buggy but very durable and does not need to many hop ups. I have mine still to build but there are some excellent examples on the forum and all with happy owners, hence my reason for getting one

Rebuilding my old Blitzer and getting it running with modern technology has certainly reignited my passion for all things RC. I would definitely consider one if I was you.

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If the Blitzer option does interest you, don't forget about the Bear Hawk - same chassis as the other three but with a fantastic looking hard body and buggy sized wheels. Actually one of my personal favorites based on looks alone - great looking buggy! Tough as old boots, other than the usual caution necessary for running hard body models. Not fragile by any stretch, but you won't want to fling it off huge jumps like you might with a Sand Viper or such. (Just for reference, about the only parts I've ever broken on my Sand Viper are the rear wing and the front shock tower, and to be fair I was flogging the Molly out of it so it wasn't the buggy'st fault, it was my driving. For comparison, I've broken the rear cage on a Bear Hawk twice from medium intensity crashes, both my fault from jumping it too high, and one upright from tagging the garage with a front wheel. Not bad for years of serious bashing in either case! So, the DT-02 is less fragile IMO, but really only as much as the difference between a Lexan body vs. a hard body goes. Parts are a bit more available for the DT-02, but I wouldn't shy away from a Bear Hawk or any of the Blitzers. In fact, I've got two Bear Hawks, a Stadium Blitzer and Stadium Thunder and a Blitzer Beetle, and run them all regularly.)

The stock wheels and tires are becoming quite hard to find - particularly the front tires - but standard 2.0 wheels from most other Tamiya 2wd buggies actually look and work fine as replacements. It shares the bump steer with all its Blitzer cousins, but is a fun vintage runner.

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DT-03 is the best value for money kit Tamiya do. It's like owning a Honda, good but not inspiring.

Grasshopper is just a worse Hornet so get a Hornet if you want nostalgia with poor handling.

DT-02 seems expensive for what you get in the box compared with others.

Given the choice I would hop-up a DT-03 and make it your own.

I am just about to try and build a bone stock DT-03, I doubt I will finish it with out some "extras"

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I don't know Nobbi, the Sand Viper DT02 for £99 has BB's all round and CVA's, whereas the DT03 for £89 has neither. Also the TT02B Plasma Edge II for £99 also has CVA's & 4wd.

Ps, the DT03-T Aqroshot is nice though, at £95 comes with cva's!!

All prices from Modelsport.

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I don't know Nobbi, the Sand Viper DT02 for £99 has BB's all round and CVA's, whereas the DT03 for £89 has neither. Also the TT02B Plasma Edge II for £99 also has CVA's & 4wd.

Ps, the DT03-T Aqroshot is nice though, at £95 comes with cva's!!

All prices from Modelsport.

All DT-03 I have seen come with a torque tuned motor and CVAs. I got my last on delivered from Tamico for about £65.

TT02B is on my list at some point and looks like a good buy.

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Cheers Nobbi,

Looking again, while the photos all show spring holders, the neo doesn't mention those two items in the text but the racing fighter buggy says in the print that it comes with bonus items torque tuned and cva's! Both are the same price and I saw Teamonsters has CVA's above though I assumed they were hop ups so does the neo also include those bonus items?

Which one do you have Nobbi? TT02B is very nice, as is the DF02 although thin on the ground now.

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I have a DT-02 (Sand Viper), DT-03 (Racing Fighter) and a Grasshopper...

All 3 are very good vale for money kits, and the spares are fairly cheap and easy to come by..

Loads of hop up options for DT-02 and 03, but a Grasshopper with a 540 in it is still a lot of fun!

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I can't believe how cheap the DT-03 is available for now. To the extent that my shell is looking Tatty and its probably more cost effective for me to buy a second one for parts than to just buy a shell alone for half that price.

I'm running DT-03, my boys run DT-02. There doesn't seem to be a lot between them, but I seem to spend more of my life re-tightning the screws in the DT-02s for some reason!

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Which one do you have Nobbi?

I have a neo fighter built with all the hop-ups and stadium wheels and a fighter buggy waiting to be built with no hop-ups ( apart from the servo mount and different wheels)

Looking forward to summer, time to drive....

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Two Nobby's on the same thread, what is the world coming too?

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Two Nobby's on the same thread, what is the world coming too?

You appear to be two years older than me, I don't mind being Nobby Jnr.

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Wow guys :o, that is a lot of info to consider, I was hoping it would be easier not harder.

I may have to put off getting the buggy until I can make a proper choice.

This is seriously difficult, I am thinking of getting all three now, but the missus will cut my giggle berries off if I do that.

Gonna have to split up the purchases over the next 6 to 9 months.

Crap, I forgot about the CC01. That means I can only buy the buggy in 3 months.

This sucks. :(

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I am thinking of getting all three now, but the missus will cut my giggle berries off if I do that.

Welcome to the world of grovelling,bribery and getting stuff sent to a mates house! 😀

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