What did you do with your Jun Watanabe Hornet?

[Mad Ax]

So a good mate visited me on Christmas Eve, and brought with him a big bag full of goodies.  My wife and I helped him with some things early this year, so he decided to thank us by digging into his extensive collection and parting with an NIB Jun Watanabe Hornet.

Usually I don't have any problem deciding between shelf and run, but I'm really not sure on the Hornet.  Part of me wants to keep it as a light runner for when I get my little girl a Hornet or Grasshopper (it'll be a few years yet!), so we can drive together, but another part of me thinks it needs to be kept as a shelfer, just because it's so different, and so hard to replace if it gets scratched or broken.  Another part of me thinks that a "rare" car like that really should stay in the box, although I don't really keep NIB cars for the sake of it (I just stockpile them for future builds )

So, who bought a Jun Watanabe Hornet, and what did you do with it?

[mastino]

I've bought just a few of spares... but now I have:

 

a "special purple" Vanessa's Lunchbox

 

and a brand new upright for my Astute

 

 

[nowinaminute]

I never got that far, bought one from a guy in Cardiff on Gumtree last year and like an idiot paid up front before collecting (never done that before in my life) then the guy went quiet on me, wouldn't answer phone, wouldn't respond to messages. Called the police and got a crime reference number etc but still nothing.

Worst part is I saw the same kit on ebay some months later (same certificate number) 

You live and learn I guess.

[Nitomor]

That's gutting.

I love my Jun Hornet,I have two, the first one I built, loved it, built as a light runner but then I bought a stock Hornet to use so this one is safe in the cabinet.

Then last year picked up a NIB one which has been put away. It was part of job lot from a collector of NIB kits. If I had one, which I did at the time, I would take your time and enjoy the build then display it. I've seen some roughly built with bad bodywork, it's such a crime on a limited piece like that not to do it justice on the build. It was the Jun Hornet that really sucked me back into the hobby, it was also my first RC bitd so was a pretty special build all around as it really brought back fond memories. 

[ernieks]

I would be really pleased to buy a NIB Watanabe Hornet!

ernieks

[Meakz1973]

Built it for my then 7 year old daughter. Fun runner, tires are now completely slick! 

[markbt73]

Left it at the shop so someone else could buy it.

[TurnipJF]

I'd build it and run it, but very gently. A rare model deserves to be seen and appreciated, while also being looked after and preserved. 

[Mad Ax]

awesome, I'll build it myself and keep it tidy, sounds like an excuse to buy a standard Hornet or Grasshopper or even a Kuma of some sort when she's a bit older  

[AndyjcClod]

Just found mine in the loft, still sealed with cert

[Mad Ax]

I keep stumbling across mine in my NIB pile.  I probably need to wrap the box in something before winter sets in, would be a shame to get damp / dust damaged.  The spider droppings alone are spoiling most of my stuff.

[Juls1]

I reckon that car is gonna be one of those chassis that appears NIB on ebay for a silly price, and no one buys it. and All the people with one to sell are watching that one to see when it sells so they can put theirs on ebay, so the cycle goes, everyone keeps there wantanabes. 

 

[Mirrorman]

The guy from Japan (Jason?) must have broken up a ton of these kits back then - the parts for this buggy were everywhere on Ebay.