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OgreSupreme

New Build Suggestions Needed

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 After being away from the hobby for 30+ years, I'm looking to build a new car from scratch. Specifically Tamiya brand. Looking at rally cars. Need suggestions for type of chassis, best Hop up kits, best place online to purchase, etc. Any and all  suggestions welcome. 

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IMHO your best bet is the Subaru Impreza Monte Carlo '99 Kit Item # 58631.  The TT-02 is a solid and durable chassis, that's an accessible build.  There are tons of available hop-ups but I strongly suggest building it mostly stock first.  Drive it for a bit to get a feel then slowly decide what you would like to improve or enhance.  The only 2 hop-ups I'd suggest out of the box would be:

Rubber shielded ball bearing kit.  I tend to use Fast Eddy's but I don't know where NEPA is so I can't say if that's the best option for you.

Tamiya oil dampened shocks.  TT02 CVA Super-Mini Shock - 4pcs Item # 54753

If you can’t find this you could get 2 sets of CVA Super Mini Shocks Item # 50746 but this route will cost you more and lack the hop-up springs of # 54753

I can't suggest where to buy this from because again, I don't know where NEPA is.  :(

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Thanks for your suggestions Effigy3! Pretty stoked that you mentioned the Subaru because, after much deliberation, I had already ordered that kit online and expect a visit from UPS soon!  I purchased 2 kits in the last 2 weeks (Midnight Pumpkin, Subaru Impreza). I've yet to start the build process. Its been a LONG time since I last did a build (original Tamiya Fox 1985?) but can't wait to get started.  BTW, NEPA is abbreviation for "Northeast Pennsylvania." :) Thanks again!

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Then get a Nova Fox to link with your past, then a DB01 Durga, then a Hot Shot, then a Frog or Subaru Brat, then..... oh you get the idea

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I'd recommend the new Bigwig re re. Beautiful kit and really doesn't need any hop ups. Just a wonderful blast from the past. Watch out, these kits multiply faster than rabbits lol. 

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Good suggestions all around. Hey, and welcome aboard! 

Re-re Bigwig is a good one. I have one on order with Tower and it will be my first "NIB build from the box" in 13 years (Pumpkin was in 2004, and 99% of my fleet are restorations). 

 

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13 hours ago, OgreSupreme said:

Thanks for your suggestions Effigy3! Pretty stoked that you mentioned the Subaru because, after much deliberation, I had already ordered that kit online and expect a visit from UPS soon!  I purchased 2 kits in the last 2 weeks (Midnight Pumpkin, Subaru Impreza). I've yet to start the build process. Its been a LONG time since I last did a build (original Tamiya Fox 1985?) but can't wait to get started.  BTW, NEPA is abbreviation for "Northeast Pennsylvania." :) Thanks again!

Excellent taste my friend!  Remember that the cross head screws in a Tamiya kit are not Philips, they are JIS. While a #2 Philips head can do the trick, you'll really want a pair of Tamiya JIS screwdrivers.  You really can tell the difference.  I hope you do a build thread on the Subby!

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Welcome as well, and to throw in with Effigy, you WANT, no NEED Tamiya standard screwdrivers or if your town is so fortunate, get to an electronics store that is NOT really just a Radio Shack and get some German made screwdrivers if you find a set cheaper there. I had built and repaired my few Tamiya cars for nearly 15 years with simple Craftsman tools and they were responsible for tearing out more cross style screw heads than my shear brute force. THEN, I learned about the difference and bought some German made screwdrivers at an electronics store that sold bits and pieces for fixing your appliances and building your own computer, so definately not a Radio Shack type place. AFTER that, I finally caved in about 8 years ago and bought some Tamiya tools and they are great to work with, have ergonomics for working with small parts in your hands and they just "feel right". Now I don't want to hear anyone out there yelling at me about caressing and caring for my Tamiya Tools too much, but for as much as they cost, well, you all get the idea.


Enjoy the build and my vote is for a Willy's Wheeler with some rally tires. :P

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I bought the "Tamiya Craft tools builder's 8" and never looked back. Item number 74023. It's JIS of course.

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I've been looking at the Tamiya RC Tool Set.  Surely the screwdrivers are the correct JIS in this set yeah..... can anyone confirm for me as it's not clear in any ebay listings ?

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Thanks to all for your suggestions especially on the JIS tools. And for Effigy3 suggestion on a build thread, I will give it some thought. I had already begun the documentation process and began posting photos to my Instagram acct. (@OgreSupreme).  Thanks again everyone and here is a recent pic I took of my old school Tamiya Fox. Enjoy! ;) 

 

File Feb 15, 9 57 36 PM.jpeg

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SWEET OG FOX, just looked over my spares box and found more bits that need to go into it, but if you are in need of something for your Fox, let me know, i will see what I can dig up.

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19 hours ago, Buggyjam said:

I bought the "Tamiya Craft tools builder's 8" and never looked back. Item number 74023. It's JIS of course.

AGREED, I too have the 74023 set, it works well, but the handles are small and the switching out of the grip can make for some unnecessary work at times with greasy/sticky hands

18 hours ago, Thommo said:

I've been looking at the Tamiya RC Tool Set.  Surely the screwdrivers are the correct JIS in this set yeah..... can anyone confirm for me as it's not clear in any ebay listings ?

Thommo, if that set you refer to is 74016 I would NOT recommend it, doesn't have much in the way of good drivers to get any real work done, would be great for a mini 4wd, but not much after that. Let's have that part number and we could help you more.

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Thanks Chris.  The set I'm looking at is 74085 which does look similar.  I hope this discussion is helpful to the OP.  

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Thommo, you would do alright with that 74085 set, I looked at it for a while cause I like blue over red, but in the end, found that having flat blade screwdrivers, even in a pinch far outweighs the 3 different sized allen wrenches which if I am honest, you can't get any high torque out of in the form of THIS particular screwdriver handle. Maybe I want more torque than needed or the stuff I am trying to loosen up is too torqued, but your 74085 set has the three common allen wrenches and only the large flat blade, where MY set, the 74023 has 2 phillips, 2 flats and a single allen wrench, the one that goes on the pinion gears and most set screws in the stabilizer arms and the like, MOST common allen wrench needed for the vintage kits in my opinion. The 2 nut drivers are also the most common, but those are in both sets.


Good luck on your choice, don't want to be a negative Nancy, but for the size of my big clunky and clumsy hands, these tool sets are a little small, GREAT for the pit box and minor work at best, but full assembly, well it takes a bit more fiddling about and time and patience to work with them over the bespoke single handle tools that we all tend to have as well.

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OH, forgot, if that 74085 set isn't JIS, I wouldn't know what in the world it would be, so I wouldn't worry about that fact missing from the eBay listing.

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