Konghead What’s it like to own and use?

[Grumpy pants 5549]

Long story short, I have recently bought a Konghead.

It looks almost new and to be well built,  I suspect it has bearings all round, it came with oil shocks, servo, brushless set up and a few spares.

Just needed 4 body posts and  a front bumper, if it stays with me then I’ll replace the bumper for a long one , a damaged wheel and I’ll buy the sprue with the exhaust stacks.

I love the look of it, but I am going to use the lockdown to complete some models and move some along- this Konghead doesn’t owe me much so that’s not an issue it’s purely down to lack of time and the desire to try and keep the fleet down in size- currently 13 as of today.

So what’s the deal, easy to maintain? Great to use? Or a bit of an inbetweener that has limited real world use?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Busdriver 6623]

Keep it and put a stretched Willy body. That’s what I have planned if I can find a chassis at the right price? It’s a good fun chassis and surprisingly capable.

[CoolHands 1013]

Looks great and whoever made it obviously took a lot of care. If they are tamiya aluminium shocks they’re expensive. I can’t imagine they would fit them but not ball bearings. I haven’t finished mine yet but all the YouTube vids I’ve watched make it look really fun as long as you have upgraded the motor, which yours is.

[Doc Hollywood 164]

I really enjoy using my king yellow it is still very fast as standard also it handles well on the patch of grass I use it on they are not to bad to work on as they are technically a 6x6 wild willy 2 cassis but they do have a lot more gears. yours looks very nice and clean I like the uprated shocks they are a nice touch.  The steering is also very responsive.

[Grumpy pants 5549]

1 hour ago, Busdriver said:

Keep it and put a stretched Willy body. That’s what I have planned if I can find a chassis at the right price? It’s a good fun chassis and surprisingly capable.

Great idea BD, but I have 2 Willies already!

I’ll leave the cut and shut stuff to skilled modellers like you for me to enjoy vicariously 😊

[Grumpy pants 5549]

1 hour ago, CoolHands said:

Looks great and whoever made it obviously took a lot of care. If they are tamiya aluminium shocks they’re expensive. I can’t imagine they would fit them but not ball bearings. I haven’t finished mine yet but all the YouTube vids I’ve watched make it look really fun as long as you have upgraded the motor, which yours is.

You got me thinking about the shocks-I’ll have a better look at then and see if they are decent quality or cheap tat from China 😉

[Grumpy pants 5549]

30 minutes ago, Doc Hollywood said:

I really enjoy using my king yellow it is still very fast as standard also it handles well on the patch of grass I use it on they are not to bad to work on as they are technically a 6x6 wild willy 2 cassis but they do have a lot more gears. yours looks very nice and clean I like the uprated shocks they are a nice touch.  The steering is also very responsive.

Thanks for the feed back Doc!  
 
The school bus does look the dogs do das 💥

[taffer 955]

Had the konghead and king yellow, then the dynahead came out, the build was even better! So I sold the Kong and bus for extra dynaheads.

One is stock but full of hopups, the other I sold the portals and made a speed version then upgraded the arms to comical buggy arms, it has been one of the best tamiya's I've ever built and driven....Curious to see other releases, I would if bought the new Volvo straightaway if it had come with portal gears....so still on the fence.

 

[Grumpy pants 5549]

1 hour ago, taffer said:

Had the konghead and king yellow, then the dynahead came out, the build was even better! So I sold the Kong and bus for extra dynaheads.

One is stock but full of hopups, the other I sold the portals and made a speed version then upgraded the arms to comical buggy arms, it has been one of the best tamiya's I've ever built and driven....Curious to see other releases, I would if bought the new Volvo straightaway if it had come with portal gears....so still on the fence.

 

I do like the Dynahead a lot as well, it me a little while to get used to it’s look and now I think it looks great. 

[Big Jon 732]

The Konghead is really fun to drive with a zesty motor. They're incredibly durable and a real laugh. I probably wouldn't go for big air or skatepark bashing, though, but we're Tamiya guys, so that probably isn't on the table. With 4WS, it looks like a bug when driving on bumpy ground. Mine gets a lot of miles.

[Grumpy pants 5549]

So this morning I decided to buy 2 wheels and the exhaust stack sprue and a generous TC member has donated a long front bumper- which completes this model as far as I’m concern. 

I’m going to then just leave it one display in what is currently my home office and just see....

1st things first though pick up the WW2 were I left it and move that one forward which I’m looking forward to 👍

 

[Busdriver 6623]

On 4/25/2020 at 11:54 AM, Grumpy pants said:

currently 13 as of today.

I must have  the same disease as you. Just counted my cars and geuss what 13 Mind you I have 2 more to build and I think I'm just about to purchase something (very out of character) else so maybe I have the antedote!!!

[Busdriver 6623]

Just seen the shipping charge for an impulse buy so didnt. Maybe the disease is under control!!

[Grumpy pants 5549]

12 hours ago, Busdriver said:

Just seen the shipping charge for an impulse buy so didnt. Maybe the disease is under control!!

I’m sitting on the fence pondering about either selling a shelf Queen or a project, it makes a lot more sense to sell a project.

 

[Busdriver 6623]

If you decide to sell let me know, I might be interested 🤓

[Grumpy pants 5549]

A pair of new wheels arrived today and were duly fitted,  replacing 1 that was scuffed and one that was chipped.

Looks much nicer  and I found out in the process the KH has nice quality foam inserts in all of the 6 wheels 

Smoke stacks and wide front bumper to fit next when they arrive.

[Grumpy pants 5549]

On 4/27/2020 at 9:36 AM, Busdriver said:

If you decide to sell let me know, I might be interested 🤓

I decided to play Tamiya Roulette today and progressively put a few models up for sale 1 by 1, whatever doesn't sell I'll happily keep.

This will free up lots of  space in my brain as I don't have to think about the various permutations of what stays, goes etc, etc and I can then focus on making a living and family life.

[wolfdogstinkus 2039]

The konghead,

Is it possible to increase the space between the rear wheels?. Are the parts separate?. Add a spacer in there so the tyres don't touch when they balloon.

[dannymulder 1117]

29 minutes ago, wolfdogstinkus said:

The konghead,

Is it possible to increase the space between the rear wheels?. Are the parts separate?. Add a spacer in there so the tyres don't touch when they balloon.

It is not necessary, I run mine with high speed gears 23 tooth pinion with a castle 3800kv sct motor on 3s, my tires do not touch, the trick is to vent the tires so they not balloon that much, I punch holes with a leather punch in the tires 

without the the venting holes the tires balloon way more.

[J@mes 2352]

5 hours ago, dannymulder said:

It is not necessary, I run mine with high speed gears 23 tooth pinion with a castle 3800kv sct motor on 3s, my tires do not touch, the trick is to vent the tires so they not balloon that much, I punch holes with a leather punch in the tires 

without the the venting holes the tires balloon way more.

Hole in the side wall? Not heard of that before. Any extra maintenance required? 

[taffer 955]

If you tape the inside of the tyres, doesn't that stop ballooning as well?

[dannymulder 1117]

11 hours ago, J@mes said:

Hole in the side wall? Not heard of that before. Any extra maintenance required? 

Not in the side wall, in the outside of the tire, if you look good you see a tiny hole in the middle tire on my konghead.

It do not hurt the tires, I have done that to a lot  of tires because I run most of the time on the beach and sand was getting stuck inside the wheels with this holes I can get it out easy.

I noticed the differance in balloning because I have run these tires on a madbull and gf-01 without the hole in them and the balloon like grazy, then when I had the hole in them they barely balloon.

 

[Grumpy pants 5549]

I fitted the wide bumper today,  more for protection than looks but I actually quite like it anyway 👍

[smirk-racing 254]

On 4/25/2020 at 6:21 AM, taffer said:

I upgraded the arms to comical buggy arms, it has been one of the best tamiya's I've ever built and driven...

 

How much width did that add?

 

[taffer 955]

Approx 1cm each side