There's no point in me buying any more kits...

[markbt73]

...because mere assembly, I've discovered, doesn't do it for me any more. It's over too quick. And the satisfaction just isn't there.

I look at the list of new/recently released models, from Tamiya and others, and there are about a dozen things I would love to buy: the Lancia and Isuzu Mu re-releases, the Konghead, the Kyosho Javelin re-re, scale trucks from RC4WD and some of the Chinese brands, and there's still the matter of a Tamiya 3 speed, which I have never gotten around to... there are actually more intriguing kits available for purchase now than at any time in my history in this hobby, and that includes the late 1980s, when I literally wore the ink off the pages of RC Car Action and the Tower catalog daydreaming.

But the last kit I bought, a Subaru Brat re-re, is still in its box, un-built, and now sits under a stack of other boxes in the corner. Why? Because I don't want it to be over. I could pull it out and start building it, and it would take me an evening or two, and then I'd spend a few more days painting and detailing the body, and it would be over. It's actually, for the first time ever for me, nice to have a NIB kit just sitting there. I haven't rushed through the chassis assembly yet, or messed up the trim lines on the body, or been disappointed by some aspect of its driving characteristics. And if it stays in the box, I won't. And if I have that one sitting there still unassembled, I'm nowhere near as tempted to buy something else. Which is good, because this is shaping up to be a pretty slim year, in terms of fun money.

I just hope that, when the time comes that I am in a position, financially and mentally, to buy a Javelin and a TA02S Lancia and a 3-speed, that there are still a few around.

[moffman]

Try the Schumacher cat xls re-release that will take ya more than an evening or two and you will definitely know you've built it! Seriously though I know were ya coming from I love the build far more than actually use and I do get a bit deflated when it's fully complete but then I do get a bit of a kick just looking at my creation

[howaboutme]

Although I split my time between rc helicopters and cars (more helis), I tend to like to build everything stock (other than bearings). Then re-do with upgrades, mods, different setups, etc. So you can have multiple projects with one car.

[Juggular]

There are runners and there are builders. Everybody is a mix of both.  But I take it that you are more of a builder? 

I am yet to have a NIB kit.  But... I know exactly what you mean.  After 6 months of indescision (plus, months of doing all kinds of choirs wife wanted), Konghead kit arrived on Thursday. I was going to open it on Saturday.  But I am hesitating now.  I've downloaded the instruction manual as soon as it was available.  I know it almost by heart.  Once I open it, it will be over too soon.  Tamiya 3 speed is very expensive for me, but it is still on my list.  Since the 80's, I've imagined what the gear shift would feel like. I never had differentials with planetary gears either. That's something to look forward to.  

[lentner3]

I feel your pain completely I have a few nib kits and feel the same, I find buying projects and stripping then rebuilding seems to take more time and offers the same satisfaction as a new build if not more. You can then sell on for a small profit or even just break even without the guilt. Or as I keep doing put them on the ever increasing shelf... not quite the same as a nib but keeps the itch in check. When I am really tempted to build one of the kits I look for a project on the cheap. I am however in dire need of some shells to go on the many restored chassis I have now accumulated.

[martinjpayne]

Like yourself, I've found it hard to enjoy building Tamiya kits in the past couple of years. Back in the eighties I'd buy, build and race (in a weekend) new models as they came out but since returning to the hobby I find the excitement of a new kit is tempered by the fear of disappointment; 35 years as an engineer seem to make me expect more precision than hobby grade models can supply (and I won't even consider RTR) and I find that from the box, even after bearings are fitted, modern kits are a bit of a let down, just too plasticky and loose.

My most recent build was completed mid January (a DF-03ra), one year after buying it and seven months after starting it! I was not relishing the first run as I only had a TT-02R to compare it to and that car is poor even after shimming and hop-ups; however I was pleasantly surprised with the handling and found it quite enjoyable, enough so that I'm going to buy a Dark Impact or similar for my first "modern" 4WD buggy... but that's a 12 year old design!!

I also really want to buy some of the early cars I ran back in the past but know logically that they will not live up to my modern expectations either. ☹️

[Grastens]

1 hour ago, markbt73 said:

...because mere assembly, I've discovered, doesn't do it for me any more. It's over too quick. And the satisfaction just isn't there.

...

I just hope that, when the time comes that I am in a position, financially and mentally, to buy a Javelin and a TA02S Lancia and a 3-speed, that there are still a few around.

If you send me the money, I can build up another Lancia for you and hold it until you are ready  I love building, but have no interest in owning two of the same model...

I do hear you on the 3-speed part; I have tried numerous times to save up for one, but every time I have come up short - either the funds disappear, or the prices go up. Looks like we will both be on the lookout for one of those later!

[Jonathon Gillham]

I know this feeling also, the build is fun but over too soon. I find racing is good as there is always something to do to the race cars, and not just stripping for the sake of it. They need maintenance, setup etc. They are also designed to be taken apart often with machine screws and alloy or better plastics.

@martinjpayne have you looked at TB0x cars or TA0x cars? The TA07 is lightyears ahead of the TT cars in quality, fit etc and they are pretty affordable.

TamiyaUSA also have some TRF cars cheap which give a much more satisfying build. Still, doesn't satisfy the 4 hour build then its done I guess

[Collin]

Go Nitro! You build it and again and again and ....

 

[Juggular]

2 hours ago, martinjpayne said:

My most recent build was completed mid January (a DF-03ra), one year after buying it and seven months after starting it! I was not relishing the first run as I only had a TT-02R to compare it to and that car is poor even after shimming and hop-ups; however I was pleasantly surprised with the handling and found it quite enjoyable, enough so that I'm going to buy a Dark Impact or similar for my first "modern" 4WD buggy...

I wonder if Avante would appeal to you, Martin.  Even now, it's an advanced buggy.  Or Vajra. It's a slightly longer, truck version of Avante.  

[78Triumph]

Buy a kit like an XV-01. It's worlds ahead, technology wise, of the old re-releases, there's tons of optional parts to hop it up with, and it handles awesome.  To me the build is pretty much never over.  There's always things I want to improve on, tinker with, experiment with different setups, etc.  I also like setting up tracks in my driveway and running on them, try to improve lap times, work on driving it better and better.  That's what I like about this hobby, there's so many different ways to enjoy it.

[martinjpayne]

@Jonathon Gillham I prefer rally cars or buggies so maybe an early TA0x would be fun. The later chassis' seem to be geared towards club racing which currently I'm unable to make time for.😐 As it stands, real life is getting in the way and I can only get occasional afternoons to run what I got!

@Juggular Avante / Vajra looks nice but seems overly technical, and over priced but may be worth considering eventually.

@78Triumph I've got a box of bits which purports to be an XV-01, but it's belt drive and I can't face rebuilding it.😖 I bought it on eBay a couple / three years ago on eBay and first time I ran it , destroyed the rear gearbox. The builder had left out a bearing! Teach me not to strip down and check before I run.🤬

@Collin Been there, done that.😛 Used to have a Mardave Marauder then an Robbe / SG Leopard 2WD. Stinky, messy, useless lumps of rubbish.😆

Anyway, I've just bought an unbuilt DF-03 MS complete with a carbon chassis from eBay... that should keep my interest for a couple of weeks.😃

Thanks for your input guys, and apologies to @markbt73 for hijacking your thread.😉

[nde63h]

9 hours ago, Juggular said:

There are runners and there are builders. Everybody is a mix of both.  But I take it that you are more of a builder? 

I am yet to have a NIB kit.  But... I know exactly what you mean.  After 6 months of indescision (plus, months of doing all kinds of choirs wife wanted), Konghead kit arrived on Thursday. I was going to open it on Saturday.  But I am hesitating now.  I've downloaded the instruction manual as soon as it was available.  I know it almost by heart.  Once I open it, it will be over too soon.  Tamiya 3 speed is very expensive for me, but it is still on my list.  Since the 80's, I've imagined what the gear shift would feel like. I never had differentials with planetary gears either. That's something to look forward to.  

the tamiya 3 speed won't disappoint you. it is very interesting in building it. it is much more interesting in driving it. the shifting mechanism is elegant. even the sound of gear-changing is amazing. buy it. you won't regret.

 

you can vist my post

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/85231-re-re-bruiser/

[nde63h]

6 hours ago, Collin said:

Go Nitro! You build it and again and again and ....

 

yes i know that feel. you even need to build it again and again in the course of racing..

[markbt73]

Don't get me wrong; I love building kits. And I have put together some great ones over the years. My favorites have always been the ones that don't quite go together right, that need some hand-fitting of parts (think RC10), or at the other end, cars that are so precise, and so technical, that I spend an hour playing with each sub-assembly before moving on (the Xray T1 comes to mind). And that's part of the reason I want to try a 3-speed eventually; I want to build that gearbox. (But I'm holding out for a Blazing Blazer re-re, because the F350 is boring and I can't stand Toyotas.)

And it's just about the last thing I haven't tried. I've had kits from nearly every manufacturer (yes, even Schumacher), and boutique touring cars galore, and Clods, and several nitro cars; I've raced buggies, dirt oval, carpet oval, touring cars, and M-class; I have tried dragsters and speed run cars and crawlers and big scale and tiny scale. And I've loved them all in their time.

But I seem to be done with speed. I've bought and promptly sold two different brushless systems, because they bored me. Instant-on speed is fun maybe twice, and then it just seems silly. In fact, I find myself spending more and more time with my 380- and 55-turn powered cars. I just like driving slow these days. I can't see myself ever going back to racing, or bothering with any race-oriented models any more. I may be wrong, but right now I just can't see it happening.

I've also developed an aversion to Lexan bodies, and a true hatred of glue-on tires. Life is too short to waste it gluing your fingers to a plastic wheel, or watching a tire sidewall turn milky white at the edges. (Yes, I know there are other glues. My hatred still stands.) And every time I see some new Lexan shell, all I see are the stickers for lights and grilles, and the body posts sticking up. I hate trimming them, I hate painting them, and I hate the way they look, all smooth and soft-edged.

For now, what I really want to do, the direction I really want to go, is to make models from scratch, functionally and structurally close to the car they're modeling. I want to try building a unibody, and hang the drivetrain and suspension off of it. I want to try making a McPherson strut front end, and a DeDion tube rear end. I want to have models with opening doors and scale-looking engines and dashboard lights. And I want to do as much of it as I can by hand, because I spend all day at a computer doing graphic design, and the last thing I want to do for a hobby is spend more time at a screen, drawing up stuff to be 3D printed or something. (I could, probably, but I don't want to.)

I don't know. Just having a minor hobby crisis, I guess. It was just strange to see that list of new releases for Nuremberg and realize that I simultaneously wanted all of them, and yet didn't really want any of them. It's making me re-evaluate what I actually do want out of this hobby.

[Nitomor]

Re-evaluation isn’t a bad thing. The Bruiser build for me was epic. The only problem is that no regular build is quite the same after. That said, I do get satisfaction from tinkering and modifying, the WT01 and G6-01 are interesting when you have a multi channel radio as so many options open up, and airbrushing is another whole new dimension to the hobby too.

Sounds like the scaler/crawler scene might suit you, maybe a CC01 scaler/crawler although from your avatar looks like you’ve got that Pajero covered!

if you do go with a 3 speeder, and it certainly sounds like you’re ready for one, I can highly recommend a radio that has a 3 position switch on it, like a Futaba 8 or 10J, to control gearshifting, it’s much more precise and you can set up EPA’s etc for slick shifting and less margin for gear crunching/fluffed changes.

I hear you on lexan bodies, though as runners/bashers they’re perfect for the job!

 

[Grastens]

1 hour ago, markbt73 said:

For now, what I really want to do, the direction I really want to go, is to make models from scratch, functionally and structurally close to the car they're modeling. I want to try building a unibody, and hang the drivetrain and suspension off of it. I want to try making a McPherson strut front end, and a DeDion tube rear end. I want to have models with opening doors and scale-looking engines and dashboard lights. And I want to do as much of it as I can by hand, because I spend all day at a computer doing graphic design, and the last thing I want to do for a hobby is spend more time at a screen, drawing up stuff to be 3D printed or something. (I could, probably, but I don't want to.)

I saw "make models from scratch," "functionally and structurally close," and "MacPherson strut" - surely you must have seen this custom Ford Escort Mk.2 solid-axle project?

[78Triumph]

You need to visit the Scale Builders Guild forums.  There's guys there that scratchbuild  bodies, interiors, etc. 

[Jason1145]

Don’t know what you are talking about, I just cracked open a Tamiya Civic Type R lexan shell with more parts included than you can shake a stick at, like with chromed light buckets and everything... and don’t get me started on the Ferrari F60 bodyset for a F104W that I bought off Prescient... he must be laughing his proverbial off at how darned complicated that body is to finish

Agreed on the speed thing, making something quite detailed only to have it whizz by in a flash means you lose all the fine details anyway.... much better to have a slower scale object sometimes.

[Truck Norris]

5 hours ago, markbt73 said:

And every time I see some new Lexan shell, all I see are the stickers for lights and grilles, and the body posts sticking up. I hate trimming them, I hate painting them, and I hate the way they look, all smooth and soft-edged.

Exactly how I felt, to my eyes this looks terrible:

The fun and satisfaction comes from the transformation though. No stickers for lights or grilles, no body posts and neither smooth or soft edged:

I got bored of building box art very quickly, and soon found my niche doing these. They take forever but the end results seem to go down well, so much that I've got to a stage where other people want these and all I'm building now are for customers. When I finish one I take pics then it's boxed up, sent out, and on to the next.

I just checked and In 2015 I bought 49 kits and sold 2, in 2017 I bought 8 kits and sold 20.

Find your groove, it's there somewhere!

[Nitomor]

That looks great as always @Truck Norris , what body mounts are you using now?

[Truck Norris]

Kit ones, upside down: 

 

[markbt73]

TN, those are gorgeous! I remember seeing the first few, but then I sort of lost track of the thread. Excellent work.

One thing I do want to try with a Lexan body is cutting it apart into panels, and then building an inner unibody/frame, and use the Lexan panels to "skin" it to get the shapes. I have a couple of old bodies I might experiment with. I remember a guy named Mike Villena did something similar a few years back, with a Miata and a Mini.

And yes, I am no stranger to the CC01, Scale Builder's Guild, Scale4x4.org, and the world of "tiny trucks" in general. That Pajero in my avatar has been hacked up, modified, turned into 4 other vehicles, and now sits in pieces, waiting for me to build a Lada Niva body for it, eventually.

Here's my current "quickie" scaler project, just to have something to drive while I work on other stuff. Box-stock (from a kit) ECX Barrage, with a resurrected-from-the-junk-pile Tamiya YJ Wrangler body on it:

 

And, of course, my old Landy, hand-shaped out of 24-gauge aluminum sheet:

(Lousy picture, sorry; I need to get this one outside for a proper photo shoot)

And in the wings are a Chevy Blazer police truck (a tribute to Stranger Things), a Monteverdi Safari based on an RC4WD Gelande frame and TLT axles, a Lotus Esprit Turbo built on an old Associated pan car chassis (the only one of my former race cars I have left), and after those, I want to try the unibody idea to build my dad's old Fiat 128 (probably stealing some ideas from that Escort build, which I have been following), and I want to do a Citroen Mehari with scale-correct suspension. And I might finish up the Morgan 3-wheeler I started a couple of years ago.

So I know what I want to do, and where I want to go; it was just a surprise to discover that I don't want to buy anything new. I mean, we're all supposed to want to buy something new, right? It's so weird...