Lack of Tamiya parts

[Tony Sutton 8]

Am I the only one who is frustrated with the lack of Tamiya parts? Been waiting for ages for delivery of Tamiya parts to many of the UK model stores - dates has been pushed back a few times.

Shipping issue? Customs issue?

[Finnsllc 610]

manufacturers are and have been shut down due to covid.  

[xzenonuk 79]

yeh what finn says, i was after some parts as spares but end of august and even 10th of october showing up on shops now

just glad none of mine are broken so far and it isnt just tamiya

 

[Tony Sutton 8]

Thanks. I thought the manufacturers has opened up a few months ago unless they've shut down again and then only recently restarted?

Guess I'll wait by the window for the postman to turn up... 

[speedy_w_beans 3925]

Japan is starting into its second wave of COVID-19:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-31/japan-acted-like-the-virus-had-gone-now-it-s-spread-everywhere

It would not surprise me if Tamiya model production in Japan and the Philippines is reduced for the foreseeable future.  You can look at the graphs for these countries on worldometers.info and see the numbers are going in the wrong direction.

[A-Baum 173]

Yeah and considering the manufacturing of models and toys is far from 'essential', they will be one of the first to shut down.  I am wondering if I should order some kits now to have, even if they aren't necessarily the ones I really really want, because I will really want to build something this fall/winter

 

[Tony Sutton 8]

10 minutes ago, A-Baum said:

I am wondering if I should order some kits now to have, even if they aren't necessarily the ones I really really want, because I will really want to build something this fall/winter

Yeah, I am wondering the same too as I only have one Tamiya car which is the Mad Bull. The question is, what? 😂 

[Tony Sutton 8]

23 minutes ago, speedy_w_beans said:

Japan is starting into its second wave of COVID-19:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-31/japan-acted-like-the-virus-had-gone-now-it-s-spread-everywhere

It would not surprise me if Tamiya model production in Japan and the Philippines is reduced for the foreseeable future.  You can look at the graphs for these countries on worldometers.info and see the numbers are going in the wrong direction.

Thanks, thought they were getting the numbers low. Guess I was wrong then. 

Explains it, I assumed it was shipping issue.

Cheers. 👍 

[A-Baum 173]

1 minute ago, Tony Sutton said:

Yeah, I am wondering the same too as I only have one Tamiya car which is the Mad Bull. The question is, what? 😂 

Well you don't have a ton of choices as far as readily available kits, at least for me here in the states. Tower Hobbies only has a handful of kits.  A couple of the real low end ones like the candy green grasshopper and rising fighter and then the Avante as well as just a couple inbetween, like the bigwig.  Not a ton of choices.  I would probably grab a Grasshopper for my son to build.  Maybe a bigwig.  I would take a flyer on something from Asiatees as I've had good experience with their shipping, but I'm not desperate enough to pay Tamico/RCmart shipping costs.  Asiatees only has a handful of available kits too.  

[A-Baum 173]

UGH Asiatees jacked up their shipping rates.  6-7 weeks ago I got a kit for $39 shipping.  Now it's $70.  What the heck??

[Tamiyabigstuff 630]

On 8/2/2020 at 10:44 PM, Tony Sutton said:

Am I the only one who is frustrated with the lack of Tamiya parts? Been waiting for ages for delivery of Tamiya parts to many of the UK model stores - dates has been pushed back a few times.

Shipping issue? Customs issue?

You could post a list of the parts you want and see if anyone has what you need ?

[Tony Sutton 8]

18 minutes ago, Tamiyabigstuff said:

You could post a list of the parts you want and see if anyone has what you need ?

My priority is Tamiya 9805337 - wheel hub - so I can get the car moving again. Been looking around for a while. 🤷‍♂️ 

[Tamiyabigstuff 630]

16 hours ago, Tony Sutton said:

My priority is Tamiya 9805337 - wheel hub - so I can get the car moving again. Been looking around for a while. 🤷‍♂️ 

What kit is it for ?

 

[Tony Sutton 8]

Just now, Tamiyabigstuff said:

What kit is it for ?

 

Mad Bull

[Tamiyabigstuff 630]

16 minutes ago, Tony Sutton said:

Mad Bull

Got a feeling Tamiya P/N 53056 might be the same - pack of 4.

[Champ85 490]

I've said this before and I'll say it again:  If you think you want something and it's available now for a reasonable price, buy it now or you risk not being able to get it at a reasonable price ever again.

[Tony Sutton 8]

39 minutes ago, Tamiyabigstuff said:

Got a feeling Tamiya P/N 53056 might be the same - pack of 4.

Nope, the axle rod doesn't have the hole to insert the pin. But thanks.  

[Tony Sutton 8]

39 minutes ago, Champ85 said:

I've said this before and I'll say it again:  If you think you want something and it's available now for a reasonable price, buy it now or you risk not being able to get it at a reasonable price ever again.

Yep, that's the plan. Just waiting for the stock to be available again and I'll buy a few of them to stock up.

[Tamiyabigstuff 630]

38 minutes ago, Tony Sutton said:

Nope, the axle rod doesn't have the hole to insert the pin. But thanks.  

Gotcha I know the bit you mean now.

Any good ?

https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/tamiya-wheel-hub-2pcs-mad-bull/

[moffman 2382]

I'm a bit miffed at modelsport actually!, I ordered a set of brushed aluminium wheels for my turbo optima and it showed in stock (immediate dispatch) after waiting for a week for them I looked on my account and the two words which mean you ain't never gona get them and you've just give us £24 for nothing was on my order them lovely two words "back order" i contacted them (obviously the covid 19 excuse is all over their web page so a phone call was out the question) the email I got was sorry we only have one single set and kyosho are showing no stock we will get back to you once we contact kyosho! That was over 3 weeks ago! Annoyingly I could have got them off Ebay but help your local business and all that???? I know modelsport........update your website to show actual stock and kyosho how about selling wheels in packs of four because I don't know if you have realised but 99% of rc buggies (including your creations) have four wheels?......just a thought?

[A-Baum 173]

1 hour ago, Champ85 said:

I've said this before and I'll say it again:  If you think you want something and it's available now for a reasonable price, buy it now or you risk not being able to get it at a reasonable price ever again.

I am doing this with kits.  It’s a bit more expensive...

[Saito2 2828]

4 minutes ago, moffman said:

I'm a bit miffed at modelsport actually!, I ordered a set of brushed aluminium wheels for my turbo optima and it showed in stock (immediate dispatch) after waiting for a week for them I looked on my account and the two words which mean you ain't never gona get them and you've just give us £24 for nothing was on my order them lovely two words "back order" i contacted them (obviously the covid 19 excuse is all over their web page so a phone call was out the question) the email I got was sorry we only have one single set and kyosho are showing no stock we will get back to you once we contact kyosho! That was over 3 weeks ago! Annoyingly I could have got them off Ebay but help your local business and all that???? I know modelsport........update your website to show actual stock and kyosho how about selling wheels in packs of four because I don't know if you have realised but 99% of rc buggies (including your creations) have four wheels?......just a thought?

I feel for you. RCMart has pulled this on me several times. They won't get my business.

[Tony Sutton 8]

28 minutes ago, Tamiyabigstuff said:

Gotcha I know the bit you mean now.

Any good ?

https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/tamiya-wheel-hub-2pcs-mad-bull/

 

That's the one, thanks. But interesting to see it's now back in stock. Was out of stock last time I checked. I'm still on 'back order' with Modelsport for this part for the past 3 weeks. They only have dispatched the Mad Bull Body today, which has the same lead time as this wheel hub but they dispatched the body only.  

£4.50 delivery from Wonderlandmodels for £3.50 very small part tho. Could have easily used 1st class Large stamp and padded envelope for this which is about £1.70 to £2. I'll have a look for the rest of their website to see what else I can order to justify their high P&P costs.

[Tony Sutton 8]

Good explanation of the lack of Tamiya parts...

https://www.timetunnelmodels.com/spares.htm

[Jontea 325]

8 minutes ago, Tony Sutton said:

Good explanation of the lack of Tamiya parts...

https://www.timetunnelmodels.com/spares.htm

Sounds a reasonable way to proceed, not that they have much choice, but at least their customers know where they stand.

This second wave of covid has made me rethink my build schedule, just ordered another kit, UK based, so delivery should be rather painless (famous last words).