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kneesliding

Top Force or a Super Hotshot

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hi.

Well... my collection won't stop growing..

But I'm kind of having difficulty deciding on what next.

I can get the Top Force NIB and the Super Hotshot.

Both similarly priced... €230.

Back in the day I had a Boomerang which kind of started me all off.... but i kind hated it.. was slower than all my mates cars... OK... grass hoppers and so...

But no comparison with todays standards.. and of course cash... 

Brushless.. lipo..

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

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This will be rather unhelpful but here goes.  I own a Top Force but my next car is absolutely a super hotshot. The Top Force is an amazing car. Looks great, great runner. Can take some power.  It's just a very solid car. But the super hotshot is just a sexy beast.  It may be heavy, it may be slower, it may be a bit outdated but it and the Wild One are what I think of when I think of classic Tamiya buggies that aren't the Hornet/Grasshopper.  If you want a runner, get the Top Force.  If you want more classic looks, get the super hotshot. 

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Thanks....

I have a couple of DF-03's and a Terra Scorcher. 

They dont really see much action to be honest.. i kind of like that they brighten up my office space more than anything. 

And the Super Hotshot is sexy that is true....

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The top force is a great looking car and will drive great. The SHS is a great looking car but old school in driving.

If going on a shelf you would have to get both, plus a Avante! 3 of the best looking models around

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The Top Force is a great car to drive and IMO the first of the Tamiya buggies to have that reassuring solidity in the way it drives.  It's a piece of history and of course has that lovely double-deck chassis that really screams 'vintage competition buggy'.  With a few gearbox mods it will take some abuse, although it doesn't have a slipper so avoid those high-KV brushless installations (or dial down the punch).  Looks are a bit marmite - you either love it for basically being a moving wing, or hate it for basically being a moving wing.

The Super Hotshot is obviously an older design and will feel older in the way it drives.  There's nothing inherently wrong about it, it just has more of a tendency to bounce off on its own where the Top Force will hold straight and true.  It's also a bit more of a pain to work on - that little radio hatch on the top is as small as it looks, and if you have to replace one small part it's often a complete tear-down.  But if you want something to go on the shelf to look at, it's a real stunner - that metal roof, that tubular roll cage, that realistic wing and those front shocks on metal outriggers.  The Super Hotshot has a driver where the Top Force doesn't - and that's just as well - the driver could never see through that shock tower.

I've never built a Super Hotshot, but my Hotshot re-re was perhaps the finest build I have ever done.  Loads of parts and a really enjoyable journey.  The Top Force is a good build but in comparison, is not as good as the Hotshot, IMO.

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I feel obligated to uphold TamiyaClub tradition and say...get both. :D

 

I was deciding on the same 2 buggies a few months back...I went Top Force with no regrets. And I fully expect to get a SHS in the near future, when the wife looks away. :D

  • Haha 3

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I guess I'm in the minority but I think the Top Force looks fugly, especially in stock form. Not in love with the color scheme and cheap looking wheels. No doubt the Top Force is a better runner than the SHS,  but I have also heard that they are not that robust either. 

IMO, the Supershot is one of the sexiest buggies Tamiya ever produced.  I almost bought the SHS but decided not to as I have two Supershots to restore.

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I think Super HotShot gives you more vintage feel in both the design and performance - isn’t that what is about?
“Golden Oldies, the second time round”

the fact that you had the Boomerang, whether good or bad experience previously, HotShot series has a unique flavor - the gearbox harsh noise, the high stance, the details at the cockpit, the golden chromed wheels, the lack of adjustability- all shouts the 1980s period ie last century, which reminds you of your youth, your simple frustrations, your innocence, your siblings and close relatives who had since passed on. Very  different from worries of adulthood - finances, jobs, shortened sleeping hours, family commitments, etc.

Yawn 😴😴

 

 

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1 hour ago, 426Purplefish said:

Metallic red?  Looks awesome!

what shocks are those?

Thanks! And its PS 37 Translucent Red backed with PS 63 Bright Gun Metal. The first black looking body is same red but backed in black. You can't really tell but it's like a black cherry in person. Dark dark red. The shocks are GMADE Xd Diaphragm shocks. 

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7 hours ago, Room335 said:

I feel obligated to uphold TamiyaClub tradition and say...get both. :D

 

I was deciding on the same 2 buggies a few months back...I went Top Force with no regrets. And I fully expect to get a SHS in the near future, when the wife looks away. :D

Working from home has been a blessing. I can see the mail carrier pull up from my office and can jump and intercept.

 

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21 hours ago, kneesliding said:

hi.

Well... my collection won't stop growing..

But I'm kind of having difficulty deciding on what next.

I can get the Top Force NIB and the Super Hotshot.

Both similarly priced... €230.

Back in the day I had a Boomerang which kind of started me all off.... but i kind hated it.. was slower than all my mates cars... OK... grass hoppers and so...

But no comparison with todays standards.. and of course cash... 

Brushless.. lipo..

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

The super hotshot is quite possibly the greatest looking buggy ever made. Both great cars. Pick whichever you like best

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You really need both! I have them, will not get rid of either. Totally different designs, both good runners. I will just say the TF is more race worthy, and has more hop-ups, but in stock trim a real fun kit to drive. Throw in a Avante, and you have all the best 4wd vintage cars Tamiya has ever offered.

 

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8 hours ago, kneesliding said:

And cant find any where that still has one in stock.....

https://www.asiatees.com/display?Tamiya-DF01-Parts-Hop-Ups-Upgrades&brand=Tamiya&model=DF01&id=166515&pid=1

With shipping it's $208 USD for fedex 1-2 day.  That's as good as TamiyaUSA sale.  I've ordered from Asiatees before and they are awesome.  And you get free gummies!  If you're not in the US the shipping will probably be less.  I'd grab it NOW, as they are disappearing.

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I have the Top Force and I just ordered a Super Hotshot.  Hobby store I found online had one left for a price that wasn't extortion level.  I'm more excited to have the Super hotshot to be honest.  

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