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Grotty Otty

Help me pick a new kit..

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Right then, having got properly back into this hobby over the last couple of years and built up a little collection I'm stumped as to what to go for next. I currently have the following and only bash them about as the build and tinkering for me is what I enjoy most. So in order of purchase and the reason for them - 

DT-03 Neo Fighter - was cheap from Tamico and an eye opener as to just how good a basic buggy is now. 

TT-02R - wanted a modern touring chassis but it gets used off road rally style. 

Hornet - had one as a kid, still brilliantly bouncy.. 

Super Hotshot - Always wanted one, surprisingly quick with a period speedo and 8.4v Nimh 

Lunchbox - as above, not 8.4v though! 

Low Ride Pumpkin - M-06 chassis caught my eye, its ace. 

Avante - soooo pretty... Was totally out of reach as a kid. 

CAT XLS - Wanted to see what the fuss was about, hardest build I've done and loved every minute of it. Great car to drive.. 

CAT K2 - was intrigued just how far race buggies had progressed over thirty years... Light years it turns out! 

Dual Ridge - Fancied a modern 4wd Tamiya, surprisingly good. 

Dancing Rider. - It's a trike, it leans, Willy is at the helm, it's genius. 

So as well as fully hopped up vintage FF01 and Corally C4 what next. I'd prefer off road electric as it'd get used more so what say the hive? 

Wild one? The Fox?... Wait for the Egress in October?... 

 

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The two glaring omissions seem. To be a good monster truck and a rock crawler/scaler/rock racer. Tons of good options out there for both, I very much like the MST CMX/CFX platform as it uses tamiya CC01 sized bodies, not a kit but their MXT-1 monster truck is great. Also look at Axial, vaterra, traxxas, Rc4wd and Gide for a bunch of different crawler options.

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@Aleblanc A Crawler could be good, how does the CR-01 stack up? Rock Socker has previously caught my eye. Not keen on the CC-01 if I'm honest. Will look at those other makes to. 

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I've never owned a CR-01 but I understand from other posts they're not as capable as other market offerings if you want to go crawling.  They're a typical Tamiya engineering exercise that looks better than it performs ;) If you wanted something to enjoy building then they look like a fairly involving build.  If you don't actually run that much then lack of crawling performance may not be an issue.  That said, if you like to tinker, crawling and/or scaling is a great thing to get into - most people do lots of custom modifying to their rigs to get that extra bit of control on the trails, or to add all those nice little scale details.  It seems you can never stop working on a scaler.

Don't overlook the CC01 if you like tinkering either.  The base kit is a reasonably simple build but there's a mass of hopups you can buy, and they response well to homebrew mods too.  I really enjoy trailing with my CC01 - it won't climb obstacles like a true scale rig but it looks great bouncing along the paths.  Again, I'm always looking for that little extra cut I can make to the chassis to get a bit more articulation or wheel angle.  But if it's not your thing then that's cool too - loads more options out there in Tamiya Town!

The TXT-2 is the ultimate monster truck build experience from Tamiya, or you could go Monster Beetle (or its derivatives) for a more vintage experience.  The WT01 sits in the middle ground as a great basher but it's a fairly simple build.  It's a shame there isn't anything really capable that sits in there.

The Wild One or the Fox will give you that vintage 2wd driving experience, better than the Hornet but not quite as capable as your DT-03.  The Wild One probably has more tinkering potential but it's all down to your creativity :)

I'm sure the Egress will be a great addition to anyone's fleet, especially for the build experience, but then again it may feel like going over old ground if you've already built an Avante.

But, in all honesty, if it's the build you enjoy more than the running, get a big rig.  I was recently off work for a while and I built a Globe Liner.  It took me best part of a month, working on it for a couple of hours almost every week day.  OK, so that included the MFU and a trailer as well - I built a pole trailer in one long, solid day.  They're a big ticket item but if you can raise the budget for the Egress then maybe you can run to a rig if you save a little longer?  A big rig is like a scaler - it's never finished.  There's always more to add.  Plus they hold their value well and the scene is having a bit of a revival, so if you build it and don't like the drive, it will sell.

If you don't fancy a rig then there's always the 3-speed pickups, which are a similar build experience but you can always drive them around your garden when you're done :)

 

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If you like building and tinkering, and want to drive off-road, then scale trucks are definitely the way to go. And not the CC01. It's great, I love mine to pieces (literally - it's awaiting its third or fourth rebuild), but it used to be one of only a few options, and now there are dozens, and they're all better. Axial kits are great, as are RC4WD, and I've heard good things about the MST offerings (very Tamiya-like, from what I have heard, but original designs). But be warned - they're a gateway drug to scratchbuilding.

I also notice one other glaring omission in your lineup - Kyosho. The re-re Scorpion chassis is brilliant, and the Optima/Javelin is a mechanical marvel. Both are mostly metal, have high parts counts, and look great.

Or, you could always look for a vintage project to restore. Bringing a basket-case back from the dead is a different sort of build, frustrating at times, but rewarding.

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@Mad Ax thanks for a well thought out reply. Wish I had the skill to do a big rig justice, think they're one step beyond my ability at the moment but I like the idea of a TXT2 - will have a closer look at that and the Monster Beetle too, not done an ORV car yet.

@marktbt73 - had an Optima Mid when I was younger, so a Scorpion could be a good shout too. Would love them to re re the Mid. 

Think I'm leaning towards a big monster truck.... But not the CC01 😋

 

 

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Take a look at the Traxxas TRX4 kit.  It comes with a transmitter, esc, and all servos.  The only thing you need to add is a body, battery and charger if you don't already have them.  It is quick enough in high and a 3s to spin around your yard and can switch to low and do trail and crawl.  They perform very well out of the box, but could use a little weight added low.

Here is my truck with the Proline toyota body and tires.

trx4trx42

 

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1 hour ago, Grotty Otty said:

@ncpantherfan71 ta muchly, added to the list as the TXT2 would appear to be discontinued anyhow. 

The txt 2 is not discontinued, i just built one in April. Great monster truck build, built like a tank for the most part just very pricey like the avante and egress. 

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Since the TT02R is on rally duty why not another Touring Car for onroad? The TA07 Pro or TB05 Pro (just released, looks cool) are a much more involved build than the TT02 and the quality of the kit is something else, much closer to TRF than TT02.

Or an F1, the TRF103 is out now so you can probably find a TRF101 or TRF102 reasonably cheap and they have a gret build being TRF which is also completeyly different if you've never built one. You can then go nuts replicating a real one. Can't really run it anywhere other than a track though.

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@Jonathon Gillham looked at the TB-05 Pro but I run mostly on grass and the TT-02 fills with enough of it as it is! Cool chassis though. Same as an F1, nowhere to really run it sadly. Would like both though! 

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Seeing that you really enjoyed building the Shumi cars, and are thinking about a monster truck, I think this could be something.

Proline Pro-MT Performance 2wd monster truck kit. I helped a buddy put one together for his son a while ago, and I was very impressed and very entertained by the build. A nice and modern kit for sure, and well worth the money.

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Thanks one and all for all your suggestions. I've decided to order a Monster Beetle. Looked seriously at a TXT-2 from Tamico - @Rb4276 you were right they're still out there and they do get very spendy quickly!

@DK308 I've shown a friend that proline suggestion, looks indestructible and perfect for his kid.

@MICHAELs TopForce17 - it's almost a Blackfoot... 😋

Pics when done obviously 👍

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Not a bad list to start with, although I'd go for the Schuamcher L1 and 2s Lipo not 8.4v (although similar performance wise).

I prefer off road, mainly as I can run one anywhere.

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@Wooders28 would have jumped at an L1 but the K2 was/is on offer at Modelsport (£229) which pushed me over the edge to buy one! It has a Shorty, Speed Passion  8.5t brushless motor and a Hobbywing 120a speedo - absolutely flies, way to much car to bash with!

Only the Supershot is a 8.4v to keep it period with its electrics, the others are a mix of brushless, lipo, LiFe and nimh.... I'd imagine you could back flip a Hornet on a Brushless Lipo 😁

I actually find the older kits work better with a nimh sometimes because of the extra weight but I suppose you could use wheel weights and a lighter battery. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Grotty Otty said:

way to much car to bash with!

I figure with every part being easily available and not having to hunt for, I'd bash it, but not in a , 1000ft jump for a YouTube vid, I got this, kind of way though.

Saying that, managed to strip the steering horn on the KF2 last night bashing in the garden with mates (snap the front tower on the mid too, in fact not one car made it out alive!?!)

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40 minutes ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

Great choice, love the Monster Beetle. Just need that MIP diff to go with it

Is the diff a must have with just the silver can and a nimh? What is the issue that it solves? If there is an inherent weakness or a wear and tear thing? I'll build it with one straight away if need be but if its something that can wait that would be handy. 

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10 hours ago, Grotty Otty said:

Is the diff a must have with just the silver can and a nimh? What is the issue that it solves? If there is an inherent weakness or a wear and tear thing? I'll build it with one straight away if need be but if its something that can wait that would be handy. 

My sons one lasted about 3 months on silvercan and nimh with epa turned right down before the diff was so bad it was undrivable.  Its fixing a weakness which was in the original and unfortunately not fixed with the rere. I would build it with it from new, or try one of the other fixes out there

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I bought a original monster beetle from ebay recently, it hasn't been a shelf queen and there are obvious signs of use, the diff is fine - I had the gearbox apart to fit bearings. Given the cost of the MIP unit I'd build it as-is, it only takes a few minutes to have the gearbox out if you wanted to fit it later.

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Monster Beetle is a good choice.  

My vintage Blackfoot did fine for years.  It flung the hexa-dogbone once on a broken concrete surface, but I put it back in and it's been fine.  

I put ultra sticky "Bad Horsie diff grease" on my re-re Blackfoot also.  This makes it work like a limited-slip differential, and it probably won't skip.  But if it does, I'll get MIP.  

z8eyPW9.jpg

 Below is Pintopower's video on MIP, if you want to take a look at it in detail. 

 

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On 6/30/2018 at 11:16 AM, Jonathon Gillham said:

Great choice, love the Monster Beetle. Just need that MIP diff to go with it

What are the part numbers for the MIP diff? I'm considering a Monster bug or Blackfoot.

 

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2 hours ago, DK308 said:

What are the part numbers for the MIP diff? I'm considering a Monster bug or Blackfoot.

 

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Its just a complete pack with everything you need except grease from MIP. I got mine from Modelsport as in the link above who were gret, got down here injust over a week, but MIP sell them too and ship worldwide.

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