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1/16 KING TIGER Kit #RT1604

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I have recently unpacked a 1/16 King Tiger model.  I took ownership of this tank in the early 90's from the builder who started the build on July 10, 1982 (determined by hand-written notes in the directions).  When I received the tank it worked fine.  I put the tank in a box when I was leaving for college, and this is where it remained until a few months ago.  I decided to get the tank out, get it running again, and enjoy using it with my son.  I immediately ran into issues with my plan.  Fist off, I could not find the battery charger.  After I made several trips to my local hobby shop, with no luck, I decided to by a new battery and charger.  The next issue was the 27MHz controller and receiver system.  This issue was resolved with the purchase of a new controller and receiver.  I took the time to remove the old receiver and install the new one.  This all worked out and the tank drives.  The rotating turret does not operate correctly (like it used to) due to issues with the motor and the turret rubbing on the body.  The servo may be bad too.  The final, and most major, issue I have now is with the tracks.  Since they are old, plastic tracks, they are too brittle to use.  I have extra links, but they are also brittle.  Needless to say, even though the tank goes, the tracks just break within seconds.

Now I am to the point of not knowing if I want to continue investing in this tank or try to sell what I have in order to purchase a new model.  I have read about people updating the speed controller and tracks.  By the time I do all of this work, based on prices I see from the internet, it seems that would be as costly as purchasing a new model (not necessarily the same one).  Does anyone have any suggestions for me?  Or is there any interest out there of someone who may be interested in my model for parts?  Any advice would be appreciated.  i would like to keep the controller and receiver, but would be willing to part with everything else.  I can attach pictures if anyone would like.

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Original King Tigers are pretty cool tanks.  I wanted to share a similar story that might help you make the decision - My father has an original King Tiger and it was built around 83/84.  He didnt use it for years and then last summer got back into RC and of course wanted to get his Tiger going again.  He went down the same road you are, first a new battery, then a new radio system, and then started having other issues with motors/gearboxes/turret/tracks, etc.   He spent over 50 hours detailing & painting the tank when he built it so he was not about to give up.  In the end, he installed modern gearboxes/motors, replaced the radio equipment, did a lot of work to the turret, installed metal tracks, and most importantly installed a Clark control board.  The tank is now fully functional and just awesome, however, it was very expensive to get it back to its former glory and be a reliable machine.  Besides the expense, he had to modify a lot on the internals for the modern running gear, turret gear, electronics, etc.    

Its really up to you as far as how much money & time you want to spend.  I will say when they are running right they are impressive machines, especially with metal tracks.  If you decide to sell let me know, he may be interested in yours for parts or to rebuild.  Since getting back into RC last year he refurbished the Tiger and has bought about 5-6 more Tamiya tanks.  Most of them he buys as restoration projects as he likes to work on them.  Whatever you decide, good luck!

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87ics, thank you for the information.  Sounds like your Dad pretty much rebuild the entire tank.  They are definitely awesome machines... when they run.

GTodd, here are some pictures.

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Tank looks good, thanks for posting.  Looks o be well taken care of, just needs some updating.  As I said before it really just depends on being willing to spend the money to make it right as they can get expensive.  Looks like a great starting point though, at least everything is there.  I have seen some of these original Tigers in much worse shape and missing many parts, that's when it gets really expensive.  Good luck with whatever you decide.  When they are running well they are amazing beasts.  I'll see if I can post some photos of my dads.  His is a similar camouflage, but he applied zimmerit and weathered it a bit.

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That thing is awesome!!!!! If I were you I'd totally keep it and fix it on the run.

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Hi, tank looks great, I have just acquired an unbuilt one the only issue are the instructions which are all Japanese. Is there anyway you could copy a set of yours for me. Thanks

27B7681B-0A16-4A40-A832-137F736A89BE.jpeg

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12 minutes ago, McTiger said:

Hi, tank looks great, I have just acquired an unbuilt one the only issue are the instructions which are all Japanese. Is there anyway you could copy a set of yours for me. Thanks

RT-1604 = 56004 in current number system. Manual can be downloaded here:

https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/cars/rc-german-king-tiger-tank-kit/

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Working on a KT as well, got it second hand but i didnt do much milage, as the clutch was setup totaly wrong.

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Going a different way though, no tru restoration.

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Hope there will be enough room for the water pump and a reservoir.

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Needs a winch, more lights, maybe some white stripes and text and a nozzle

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I have some leftovers that may be off interest, for one an original flash blitz unit which still worked.

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You are not alone... I have an unbuilt King Tiger that I found in a hobby shop somewhere in the westernmost suburbs of Sydney, Australia, going on 30 years ago. Somehow, I never got around to building it. 

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Man these things are so Fun awesome! The want is super strong!

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Tracks are the weak point - and the stock idler system.

Nest to upgrade the tracks to metal from Taigen and the idler system from Schumo.

You will need gearbox brace and driveshaft supports if doing metal track though.

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