Blackfoot or Amarok High lift

[Busdriver 6209]

I was planning to buy a Blackfoot for my Birthday in March, but came across the Amarok High lift, which I really like. Question is which one???

[Saito2 6686]

Blackfoot without a doubt.

[Blissard 359]

I agree with Saito.

[Busdriver 6209]

@Blissard, @Saito Any particular reason?

@Saito2 Sorry

Edited January 5, 2020 by Busdriver
wrong name

[Mad Ax 9329]

Blackfoot is old an old fashioned chassis that gives a vintage driving license experience but can be fragile if pushed hard. Aftermarket diff is available to strengthen the transmission. That said it looks just like a vintage rc monster should and is great fun to drive.

The amarok otoh sits on a not-old abut not-new chassis which is fairly robust but not exactly advanced. The amarok has narrow suspension arms that make it more prone to rolling. Other trucks on the same chassis have wider arms for a more monster-like driving experience. The wheelbase is very long for a Tamiya, too long for most bodies. The amarok actually looks OK-ish on that chassis but not perfect.  Can be converted to dual-motor 4wd with the addition of a second transmission and some drive train parts.

Both chassis have a lot of love on here and either will bring a lot of fun, but the blackfoot is probably the more authentic experience and the amarok less likely to break. 

[Saito2 6686]

1 hour ago, Busdriver said:

 

@Saito2 Sorry

No worries. Saito's my original name anyway.

Honestly, @Mad Ax summed it up beautifully. The diff is the main weakness on the Blackfoot and there are many threads chronicling both the experiences and numerous fixes available for it, from the home made and inexpensive to the store-bought yet pricier. Aside from that, there aren't any other glaring durability weakness in stock condition. Blackfoots have a long and rich history. I'm particularly fond of it beautiful hard body. From a driving standpoint, even with a stock 540, the truck is a blast to romp around with.

The Amarok does indeed sit on a pretty durable chassis from the outset. In stock form, I've never been enthused by the platform. It seems slower and just trundles about going where you point it without much drama. If you have dreams of high speed brushless fun, the Amarok will likely cope better than the Blackfoot once the longer suspension arms are fitted. The wide arms make the truck very stable (which, without speed behind it, makes it more boring to me, just my opinion)

Not that the Blackfoot can't be made quick. They were the go-to race vehicle for most in the monster truck class here in the States before conversion trucks took over.

 

[Blissard 359]

2 hours ago, Busdriver said:

@Blissard, @Saito Any particular reason?

I say Blackfoot for the style mostly. Great old school truck with bouncy chassis that is fun to drive and easy to sell and find parts for. Amarok chassis is more like a rally car or go fast monster truck. I personally dislike Amarok body very much.

[dannymulder 766]

For me the Amarok I like the body a lot , The wt-01 chassis is one of my favorite tamiya's,  you can do a lot to it and it drives nice, and it has a tough gearbox and chassis, its  the most reliable tamiya car I have, It almost never breaks.

the blackfoot has a weak gearbox and I do not like the orv chassis, I think it has more weak links on the chassis, I never owned one and I never wil, I don't like it if a car has to many weak points.

[TurnipJF 9192]

14 minutes ago, dannymulder said:

For me the Amarok I like the body a lot , The wt-01 chassis is one of my favorite tamiya's,  you can do a lot to it and it drives nice, and it has a tough gearbox and chassis, its  the most reliable tamiya car I have, It almost never breaks.

the blackfoot has a weak gearbox and I do not like the orv chassis, I think it has more weak links on the chassis, I never owned one and I never wil, I don't like it if a car has to many weak points.

Same here. I have considered acquiring an ORV chassis on a few occasions, and have been put off by the amount of work & money required to make it a bombproof runner. The WR/WT platform on the other hand needs very little, yet you can do a lot with it if you want to. It is a family favourite - I have one, my wife has one, my brother-in-law has one and so do both of my nephews. All are in different states of modification, and all run great.

[TurnipJF 9192]

P.S. I would recommend adding the TL-01B wide suspension, or the WR-02CB wide-ish suspension. The TL-01 narrow suspension doesn't do the WT-01's looks or stability any good IMO.

[Big Jon 684]

The Amarok lacks personality for me. Bland body and uninspiring chassis. The Blackfoot has a lot of personality, and is plain fun, if a little fragile in stock trim. I'd buy a Blackfoot for myself, but recommend an Amarok to someone who wants a fun reliable runner. I've got two ORVs and two WR02s in the fleet, and the ORVs are more fiddly and entertaining, while the WR02s never seem to need much attention but are still fun with hotter motors.

[Grumpy pants 4485]

I’d go WT01 as well, absolutely bomb proof. 

The BF has the look and character but I prefer low maintenance, limited hop up costs and cheap repairs more. 

[Busdriver 6209]

Looks like there is only one answer. Both I think I'll start with the Amarok. They seem harder to find than Blackfoot.