Hello all. new member.

[Fuijo]

WARNING! Long ramble ahead! Scroll down to the photos for the non-waffle version.

I thought I'd sign up to this wonderful site after having lurked, gratuitously helping myself
to all sorts of helpful advice, hints and tips, for quite some time now.

My infatuation with Tamiya started in the summer of 1980. My Father and I were walking down to the beach
on a glorious sunny day, when we came across a group of young lads thrashing around a Sand Scorcher and
Rough Rider on a road that was about 1/4" deep in soft fine sand.

It was all spectacular power slides, with impressive rooster tails of sand being flung up by the wheels.
We were both utterly mesmerised, and stood and watched them race around until they had run out of
charged batteries. We probably looked like a couple of gormless idiots, mouths open, catching flies.

I wasn't to get my hands on one of these models for several years. They were so far out of what
my parents were prepared to spend on any present, that I didn't even feel I could ask. However
a couple of years later, I managed to trade a Star Wars Millenium Falcon I no longer played with much
for a somewhat beaten up Holiday Buggy with a friend .

It was in a bit of a state really, with a break in the FRP plate that served as rear suspension and
one slightly suspect front suspension arm that meant the car wouldn't track in a straight line.
This bothered me not one jot. I bodged it up as best I could, and drove the badword out of it.

I don't really remember how long that car lasted, but I don't think it was very long before
I managed to kill it with kerbs and such. That said, it probably had a hundred or so battery
packs, even in that short time.

Again fast forward a couple of years, probably to '85 or '86. Walking down to the local Newsagent, again
with my Father, I noticed something rather out of place in the window and my attention was drawn instantly.
An absolutely mint-condition Ford Ranger XLT, with perfect paint, ball bearings, and coloured tyre lettering.
It had a sign saying it was for sale for a hundred pounds with the box, radio and all the other bits and
pieces that made it ready to run.

I just had to have it. No two ways about it. So I went in and proposed that I'd pay for it weekly with
my paper-round money, for however long it took, until I could finally call it mine. So for the next
few months I obsessively took every single paper round I could get. The wait was excruciating. I just couldn't think
about anything else. I don't think I've ever wanted any object quite as badly in my life.

Then, one day, it really was mine and I was the happiest boy in the world! I ran it. Then I ran it some more. Then
I ran it a lot more. It would come with me everywhere. Holidays, days out with the family, visits to friends houses,
you name it. I probably drove everyone around me nuts with it. But boy oh boy it was so much fun.

Sadly I don't actually remember what happened to it. I remember searching around in the garage and the loft some
years later trying to work out where it had gone. But I never found it. It's possible my Mother threw it away
thinking I didn't use it anymore, but she doesn't remember either.

So giving up on that, and having a little more spending money by this time, I went out and bought a Hornet from
Beatties Model Shop. This was the first time I'd actually had the kit to build myself, and I enjoyed every minute of
it. In fact the build is the part I've come to enjoy the most over the years.
    I had no difficulty with the mechanical side of the build at all. That part went very well, thanks mainly to
Tamiya's wonderfully clear, and often humerous instruction manuals. Decorating it afterwards was somewhat less successful.
I think I could only stretch to a single pot of black PC brush paint. Armed with this and a healthy dose of impatience, I
proceeded to daub the paint on as best I could. But it didn't look nice, that's for sure.

Of course I wasn't really that bothered about it at the time, or if I was, it was something I didn't dwell on for long. I
just wanted to start thrashing it about the place. Which I did. Mercilessly. However, I didn't enjoy driving it as much
as the Ranger for some reason.

That was pretty much it for me and the original Tamiya cars. Around 2001 I remembered those happy times and went off
to the local model shop for a Tamiya fix. Vainly hoping they still sold The Frog, and when finding they didn't, came
away with a re-released Hornet and a TB-01 Enzo. Neither really hit the spot to be honest, but I have kept them
both just in case, like with my earlier cars, I regret not having them anymore.

Then in 2010 Tamiya again popped into my head, and so another fix was in order. Imagine my joy when I saw what was for
sale. Some open-wallet-surgery later and I have a whole bunch of re-releases, and I still feel like I'm in some sort of dream.

Why did I not just get on ebay and buy a vintage car? Well for me I have to build it. I get more pleasure from that now
than any other part of RC car ownership. Which would mean getting a NIB vintage kit, which for the models that interested me
the most, was more than I was willing to pay. Combine that with the stress of a complicated paint job on a shell that is
worth hundreds, would suck most of the fun out of it for me.

But I'm now firmly back in the wonderland that is Tamiya. Here are some photos of a couple of models I've built. There are
more, but I'd like to get a showroom sorted out when I figure out how to do it, so I can put the photos in there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a few mostly cosmetic modifications. RC4WD 3-piece aluminium wheels on both. RC4WD front and rear bumpers on the Sand Scorcher.

Tamiya ball-diffs and TRF blue o-rings on both. Some vintage style decals on the Fighting Buggy, which also has a darker metallic blue Tamiya

paint than the manual specifies.

 

[kirk13]

Great story! Welcome to the forum from a fellow newbie🖖

[jupitertwo]

From daubing black pot paint onto a Hornet, you've come a long way! Those two buggies look awesome

Welcome to the forum, I look forward to seeing more of your handiwork in the future

 

[Mad Ax]

Welcome aboard, I love a good back-story

Your SRBs look great, amazing job on the paint and decals

[moffman]

OMG ! I've just been reading your short story (by the way welcome to the club!) Are you me?, cut a very long story short my first one was the ranger I saved up with a paper round (Sundays aswell!) Don't know what happened to it think it got binned then bought a hornet because it was cheap! All bought from beatties then early 90's it all stopped life got in the way job move etc!.Up to date got the buggies you have in your photo's (re-re's) in them colours with alloy rims!. Two nicely turned out beauties mate well done!  like I've said many times before I never get sick of looking at SRB'S!

[Fuijo]

Thanks very much for the warm welcome guys. It's a pleasure to be here.

With regard the paint jobs on my 2 buggies, it's all thanks to a Tamiya product I've not seen talked about yet on this site. But

I have no idea if it's a new product or that everyone except me knew about it.

It's masking tape that goes around corners. Part numbers, 87177 (2mm), 87178 (3mm), and 87179 (5mm). It's really nice stuff, The roof masking on the Scorcher was

just done freehand until it looked right, if that makes sense.

 

Hello Moffman, I'm not sure if you're me or not. I'll just check.....I don't think so, but I don't have a doctors note to prove it one way or the other. You really did your Fighting Buggy

in that same colour? I'm fairly sure it's TS-53 deep metallic blue.

[RobS1976]

Hi, just joined myself, seems a great place. Your painting skills look fantastic! I haven't had the guts to put any pictures up of my poor efforts yet

[Percymon]

Welcome - some lovely examples you have there. 

The bad news is that the open wallet surgery has only just begun

 

 

[Fuijo]

20 minutes ago, Percymon said:

Welcome - some lovely examples you have there. 

The bad news is that the open wallet surgery has only just begun

 

 

Thanks, and yes, I fear so.

I just came home one day and found a re-re Scorcher, FB, Frog, Novafox, Egress, Hotshot, R91CP and XR311 right there in my little workshop. Honestly, I haven't the

faintest idea how it happened....

 

BTW, I don't really know why the Egress is there. I don't remember the car as such, just my father bursting out laughing while reading the paper.

I asked him what was funny, he asked if I remembered that Tamiya car I had. I said that I did, very well. Apparently something to do with the Egress

had made it into the national papers. I can't remember what it was, only there was a close up photo of the words Hairy Ogre Egress.

I couldn't immediately see why it was funny. We have quite a few medics in the family, and whenever my Father heard the word Egress, it was

usually from his brother who was a surgeon, and in that context, basically meant vomit, or some other bodily ejection. So yes, in that context

I had to own the car that said hairy ogre vom on the side of it. And a very enjoyable build it was too. But I guess this is where it all starts getting out of hand.

 

[Fuijo]

Some more pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The XR311 has only the few easily-aquired ball bearings, but is otherwise standard. A bit miffed with myself for not being a bit more adventurous

with the paint job. But you can see by the driver, who looks quite ill, that that may have ended badly.

The Novafox is a lighter metallic blue than standard. Has black shock bodies and Wild One wheels. It also has a steel 17t pinion, the extra bearings and

a TB-01 heat sink I fitted to help with the taller gearing.

[moffman]

My one was humbrol (don't know the number) dark blue metallic I did a spare body black aswell! Your right about tamiya masking tape its good stuff goes around corners without bleeding tad more expensive than the rest but wort it IMO !

[Nitomor]

Awesome story. 

Cars look great. Congrats, makes me want an SRB!

 

 

 

 

[Fuijo]

50 minutes ago, moffman said:

My one was humbrol (don't know the number) dark blue metallic I did a spare body black aswell! Your right about tamiya masking tape its good stuff goes around corners without bleeding tad more expensive than the rest but wort it IMO !

Ah! Clearly a man of great taste and discernment. Heh, heh!

 

48 minutes ago, Nitomor said:

Awesome story. 

Cars look great. Congrats, makes me want an SRB!

 

 

 

 

Thanks. yes I feel like Gollum, I covet them. I still can't stop looking at them. Thank you so much Mr Tamiya.

 

Some more car pics.

 

 

 

 

 

I left the windows clear on this one in the hope I can make a driver figure fit somehow. paint is metallic grey. It has a TEU302BK, a Super Stock BZ, a steel pinion and a high torque servo saver.

I had to dremel out the back edge of the battery catch to get a sensible sized battery to fit.

[Effigy3]

Welcome to the forum Fujio.  Wonderful story and fantastic builds you have posted here.  They are so clean and shiny!  Are they runners or shelfies?

[TeaMonster]

Welcome to the forum, some excellent cars you have there.

 

[Theibault]

Welcome to the club! Great cars you have. 

[RobS1976]

Smashing looking cars, especially the Egress. Really nice.

[Fuijo]

Thanks all. To answer your question Effigy, I do intend to run most of them. I have another body for the Scorcher that I'm working on at the moment. It's not box art, so requires a bit

of fiddling about to get it to look right. I'm still undecided on wheels to go with the colour scheme. It will not be run with the body, wheels and bumpers in the photos above.

Likewise the Fighting Buggy. I have a new shell for running, but haven't started painting it yet.

The Novafox I intend to run as is. I have a lot of spares for this car. In fact most things except main chassis and tyres. I intend to run it hard.

The Egress I'm not sure about yet. Stocking up on spares for this one isn't exactly cheap. So maybe just on the beach for this one so that there's nothing solid to hit.

My original intent was to keep them all shiny until I'd got a camera sorted out. You know, photograph them when they look at their best. Hopefully this site will

be a good place to keep the pictures. However I just couldn't wait, and I've run my Frog quite a few times. So it isn't pristine anymore, but it should still

clean up well.

 

I'll post up pics of my remaining cars soon. The TB-01, Frog and Hornet could do with a bit of a buff first. The Hotshot and R91CP I haven't even started yet.

That R91CP paintjob looks.....gulp.......unforgiving. Wish me luck!

[Fuijo]

Here's my TB01

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The red body is XB. There are numerous hop-ups. The kit came with a mechanical speed controller.

 

TEU302BK ESC

Super Stock type S motor

TA03 Super Low Friction Damper set

TRF blue o-rings

Carson 35t M0,4 pinion

M0,4 72t Spur Gear

TG10 aluminium Gearbox Mount x2

TB-01 Reinforced Front One-Way Unit

TG10 Aluminium Front Hub Carriers

TG10 Stabilizer Set

Aluminium Wheel Hub 6mm

Aluminium Wheel Hub 9mm

Turnbuckle Tie-Rod Set

Aluminium Suspension Mount x2

TG10 Aluminium Racing Steering Set

Aluminium King Pins

Turnbuckle Upper Arm Set

Adjustable Ball Connectors (For Damper Attachment)

TB-01 Aluminium Motor Mount

Hi-Torque Servo Saver

TG10 Ball Differential

 

 

 

 

[AndyjcClod]

Superb story and some great looking models. I think I will be building a workbench like yours when I get my new house