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Grumpy pants

If I was buy just 1 buggy what should it be?

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I’ve never been bothered about owning a buggy, I’ve had lots of SRB’s, Wild Ones and FAV’s and most other types of Tamiya including lorries, but just the one solitary Gravel Hound which got sold straight way and I only bought because I wanted the Lunchbox it was paired with.

Anyway I really like the look of the Super Astute, Top Force and Terra Scorcher but I would struggle to justify the cost of buying one and if it’s really nice it will just become another dust collecting shelf ornament.

But if I bought just one buggy to run to scratch that itch what should it be? 

Durability, ease of maintenance, half decent ground clearance, good looks and buckets of Tamiya fun would be the list of requirements. 

Any recommendations?

PS prompted by another Madcap just appearing on eBay 😂

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The DN01 is a modern MadCap that you can gets spare parts for and the diff doesn't (always) eat itself. Cheap enough to run. 

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"Durability, ease of maintenance, half decent ground clearance, good looks and buckets of Tamiya fun would be the list of requirements. "

DT02 sand viper, or 4wd Manta Ray or just a bucket of fun the GF01 dumptruck

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my 2 cents. Top Force, 4wd and able to handle power. Parts avail. DN01 2wd, power capable up grade to 201. 

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Out of the three that you have mentioned, I would probably choose the Top Force, mostly because spare parts are readily available from Tamiya and other companies that offer a range of hop up items.  That'd be the one I'd be least concerned about giving some wellie.

The Terra Scorcher looks great in action, and apart from known weak spots, is pretty tough.  Spare parts are not as common as those for the Top Force though, and there are fewer upgrades available. Most of the upgrades for that chassis are already included in the kit, so there isn't much to improve on.  Don't tell @ThunderDragonCy I said that.

The Super Astute is still a bit rare, as are it's spare parts, but it's a simple design and fun to drive, but I'd be a bit more Miss Daisy with it, just because spares are not common.  It's also quite expensive for what it is.  For that sort of money you could probably get a modern design mid level/top end 2WD buggy.

At a fraction of the cost, there is always the DT03 chassis.  Plenty of spares and upgrades available.  It has very limited gearing with only a choice of two chunky pinions, but I've seen plenty of people on the web chuck a brushless motor in them without problems.

My DT03 is the 2WD I chuck around the most, when compared to my Madcap, which only gets treated with care and respect - much like how I would treat a Super Astute.

 

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I have 5 Buggies in my fleet and the last one I'd want to part with would be my FAV, I just love it. But that said, I can't drive it like I do my DT02 (ie flat-out everywhere)

If I'm popping out with the kids, going to the park etc then the car I pick up is the DT02. It's just so robust, feels like it would take an atomic bomb to break it. 

That said, it's an incredibly simple thing and I wonder if you would get more joy out of something that can be fettled more? Although as we all know; greater complexity brings with it additional cost and that thought will always cross your mind before you decide to hit that ramp at full-throttle or not...

There's a lot to be said for the simpler chassis', especially for one which will see only occasional use for 'bashing'. Personally I can't imagine being able to exploit the extra ability of the higher-end kits in the environments I use them...

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How does an SRB/FAV/Wild One not count as a 'buggy'?  Personally, I have a Top Force, Manta Ray(for my daughter), my son's racing fighter and a plasma edge and my next purchase will be a Wild One when someone gets one in stock again.  I have a Zahhak showing up today so I think I am mostly covered, but I really want a Wild One in the collection.  

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First I'd find out what's in stock ! I've had lots of buggies as well, Mad Bull is fun on the beach but the handling is basic, thundershot chassis based cars are easy to run and maintain, I've got a terra scorcher waiting in the wings I'm just waiting on paint so I can build it, I always prefer 4wd to 2wd, but if was going to be 2wd I go for a Wild One, if money was no object I'd have one of the re-re Kyosho Ultima, as they're just such a well thought out package.

 

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2 hours ago, Finnsllc said:

my 2 cents. Top Force, 4wd and able to handle power. Parts avail. DN01 2wd, power capable up grade to 201. 

 

2 hours ago, waterbok said:

DT02 sand viper, or 4wd Manta Ray or just a bucket of fun the GF01 dumptruck

Thank you both for this validation. After much research here I went with a Top Force for myself, a Zahhak (DN01) as a future project, and Manta Rays for my 2 sons. The parts compatibility between the TF and Mantas is an added bonus.

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To narrow it down, one might have to set some parameters. Do you want a simple one just to bash? A DT02/03 will do that. They're tough with plenty of spares. Do you like more complexity in your builds? A Hotshot is more a complex and engaging build than a TT02B.  Do you want a nostalgic experience or prefer the old designs (rereleases)? Do you want high performance like a DB01 or one with more "character" (handling quirks/flaws)?  2wd or 4wd? I can tell which ones I'd prefer, but without parameters, they might not be what you'd prefer.

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Cheap TRF201s pop up fairly regularly on reliable Japanese sites - and will tolerate heavy / fast running, whilst edging any vanilla DB01 / DN01 out of the box

They also look cool + still offer fairly plentiful hop ups despite their age 

If I had your itch (!) I’d find a reliable Japanese broker sir - Zenmarket are pretty good - and start hunting 😇

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Of the buggies put forward by the OP, I would also vote for the Top Force. I have its budget sibling the Manta Ray, as well as the Terra Scorcher's budget sibling the Thundershot (both hopped up obviously) and they are both more versatile than any of my 2WD buggies. Of the two, the Manta Ray is the more stable, easier to handle, easier to work on and easier to find parts for.

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@superchamp82 first, define cheap. Second where?  201s used are over 300 usd. And those are beat up pretty bad.  A top force is 160 usd. Yes overseas shipping is a nightmare but, readily available. I’ve been on the hunt for any variant of a 201 for a year.  I have found some nib but 700-900 usd is not cheap. 

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23 hours ago, Howards said:

The DN01 is a modern MadCap that you can gets spare parts for and the diff doesn't (always) eat itself. Cheap enough to run. 

This looks like a good choice, not keen on the pink or over struck on the body but a decent shout.

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16 hours ago, waterbok said:

"Durability, ease of maintenance, half decent ground clearance, good looks and buckets of Tamiya fun would be the list of requirements. "

DT02 sand viper, or 4wd Manta Ray or just a bucket of fun the GF01 dumptruck

Loved my DT02 Holiday buggy for cheap fun to run- thew some hop ups in and it was great all round.

I Manta is discontinued and is not quite there on looks for me.

Love the Dump Truck, but I need something other than a big wheeled wheelie for a change :lol: 

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15 hours ago, Finnsllc said:

my 2 cents. Top Force, 4wd and able to handle power. Parts avail. DN01 2wd, power capable up grade to 201. 

The Top Force is gorgeous and that's another point to the DN-01

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15 hours ago, taffer said:

DB-01 or G6-01

Good shout I like the look of the DB-01 and I already have the GF-06 which is one of the best Tamiya I have owned so far.

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15 hours ago, Fruitfly01 said:

Out of the three that you have mentioned, I would probably choose the Top Force, mostly because spare parts are readily available from Tamiya and other companies that offer a range of hop up items.  That'd be the one I'd be least concerned about giving some wellie.

The Terra Scorcher looks great in action, and apart from known weak spots, is pretty tough.  Spare parts are not as common as those for the Top Force though, and there are fewer upgrades available. Most of the upgrades for that chassis are already included in the kit, so there isn't much to improve on.  Don't tell @ThunderDragonCy I said that.

The Super Astute is still a bit rare, as are it's spare parts, but it's a simple design and fun to drive, but I'd be a bit more Miss Daisy with it, just because spares are not common.  It's also quite expensive for what it is.  For that sort of money you could probably get a modern design mid level/top end 2WD buggy.

At a fraction of the cost, there is always the DT03 chassis.  Plenty of spares and upgrades available.  It has very limited gearing with only a choice of two chunky pinions, but I've seen plenty of people on the web chuck a brushless motor in them without problems.

My DT03 is the 2WD I chuck around the most, when compared to my Madcap, which only gets treated with care and respect - much like how I would treat a Super Astute.

 

All great tips and good information to work with,  the DT03 always reads well and is such good value but it does not really excite me.

But I do like the the truck/truggy conversions that that @ThunderDragonCy and @TurnipJF have carried out, but I have a niggle about the front of the chassis breaking on me.

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15 hours ago, ChrisRx718 said:

I have 5 Buggies in my fleet and the last one I'd want to part with would be my FAV, I just love it. But that said, I can't drive it like I do my DT02 (ie flat-out everywhere)

If I'm popping out with the kids, going to the park etc then the car I pick up is the DT02. It's just so robust, feels like it would take an atomic bomb to break it. 

That said, it's an incredibly simple thing and I wonder if you would get more joy out of something that can be fettled more? Although as we all know; greater complexity brings with it additional cost and that thought will always cross your mind before you decide to hit that ramp at full-throttle or not...

There's a lot to be said for the simpler chassis', especially for one which will see only occasional use for 'bashing'. Personally I can't imagine being able to exploit the extra ability of the higher-end kits in the environments I use them...

All fair comments Chris re durability or fettling, a bit of both really- I am slowing right down on the buying so I want  to be selective, it is time consuming selling them on and I usually end up losing money, which is down to me.

I like your DT02 a lot and I really enjoyed a DT02, it is a tempting idea I am also coming to the point where I want to be very selective and I want to try and aim for something I haven't owned before.

I've owned 4 Wild Ones and 2 FAV's and I still have Wild One I don't want to run and spoil, which is me all over :rolleyes:

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TT02b

the cheapest and most upgradeable 

pick a shell - my fave is the neo scorcher

top Force is lovely but not cheap

manta ray cheaper but not as good or uogradeable as the TT02b

lots of hearts and minds going on ;)

JJ

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16 hours ago, A-Baum said:

How does an SRB/FAV/Wild One not count as a 'buggy'?  Personally, I have a Top Force, Manta Ray(for my daughter), my son's racing fighter and a plasma edge and my next purchase will be a Wild One when someone gets one in stock again.  I have a Zahhak showing up today so I think I am mostly covered, but I really want a Wild One in the collection.  

You are absolutely right of course- it's even in the name SRB, but I have had over 20 SRB's and 6 WO/FAV's and in my modest opinion they are great but anything over a sports tuned is asking for trouble and I am looking for something I haven't had or don't already own.

By buggy I am thinking bigger wheels, better shocks, bit more power, less prone to breaking, single piece lexan body, sloping front, rear wing - like a Zahhak or a Top Force ;)

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16 hours ago, MadInventor said:

First I'd find out what's in stock ! I've had lots of buggies as well, Mad Bull is fun on the beach but the handling is basic, thundershot chassis based cars are easy to run and maintain, I've got a terra scorcher waiting in the wings I'm just waiting on paint so I can build it, I always prefer 4wd to 2wd, but if was going to be 2wd I go for a Wild One, if money was no object I'd have one of the re-re Kyosho Ultima, as they're just such a well thought out package.

 

Stock levels and current prices is a very valid point.  I've got plenty to keep me going until the prices come back down to earth.

The Thundershots are a good shout, but I'd prefer the Terra Scorcher on looks.

I'v just bought my 9th Lunchbox for beach duty as I am a little obsessed with them  and @Saito2 tip :)

Love Kyosho, particularly the 2014 re-release Beetle but that's a whole new rabbit hole! 

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