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markbt73

Got the itch for a 3 speed

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Ok, if I'm honest, I've had the itch for a 3 speed for a long time. But it feels like now is the time, for various reasons. Funds will need to be secured first; expect a big "for sale" thread in a week or two after I've had a chance to get everything organized.

But which one? I want to build it from new, so vintage/used is out, because I'll never be able to manage a NIB vintage one. So new/re-re it is. I've loved the Bruiser/Mountaineer from afar for a long time, so that's a natural choice, and if I'm honest, my first choice. But it's never been cheap, and it's getting harder to find. And the wider-in-the-back stance has always bothered me a little bit. But then, the build threads I've seen of it make it look like there is no equal, and the cars I like most tend to have a lot of metal in them, so that's a mark in the Bruiser's favor. It looks like the greatest build of all time.

But what about the Hilux High-Lift? It's all proven Tamiya goodness, and it's a fair bit cheaper. The F-350 or Tundra bodies never really appealed to me, so those are out, but the Hilux looks pretty good. Those cheap cheesy wheels and tires have to go, but I actually have suitable replacements for them already, so that's not an issue. And I'd have to add ball bearings, which would need to be factored into the price. But would it satisfy? It's a genuine Tamiya 3-speed model, and it's probably a better runner, but it doesn't have "it" like the Bruiser does. Or is it "close enough"?

I've tried to cut corners on scratching this itch before. I bought an RC4WD Trailfinder 2 and ended up with a lot of disappointment and buyer's remorse, and ended up selling it. It was OK, but not worth $400, in my eyes. Which tells me if I'm going to do it, I should do it, and hold out for the Bruiser/Mountain Rider. Right?

Just thinking out loud at this point; any knowledgeable (or at least entertaining) opinions welcome.

And please, no one even mention that knock-off abomination... not gonna happen.

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The Bruiser line is far more "interesting". 

The High Lift series is 3-speed in a literal sense; is has low, medium and high gears.  There are optional pegs to insert into the diffs to lock them, but ultimately it is full time 4wd that goes progressively faster with each step in the gearbox.  Beyond that it's just a top heavy, low clearance 4x4 truck with stiff suspension.

The Bruiser trans is unique the way that it has 2wd high, 2wd low, and 4wd low for the selectable speeds to make very realistic.  The ladder frame is similar to a real pickup, and of course all of the chassis is all metal.  The rear axle can be swapped with RC4WD's Yota axle to narrow it to same width as the front at the detriment of losing the open diff in the RE-RE Bruiser.  It really is a completely different experience than the High Lift.

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I have both an F350 and a re-re Tamiya Bruiser. Both are fantastic. The F-350 has much more plastic than the Bruiser and it's geared really low. It's really awesome for tearing through the garden. The Bruiser has much more metal and is more scale and is literally a work of art. Seriously, you'll probably wind up with both at some point. :D 

Also, I did buy the knock-off Bruiser. Yeah, I went there. But in my defense, I did it because I could not imagine ruining the masterpiece that the Bruiser is by modifying it. Though, I did buy 3D printed wheel spacers to widen the front track so that it matches the rear. 

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I have a hilux high lift (there's a thread about it it a few pages down in this forum). Out of the box I found it a bit disappointing in appearance and performance, the ground clearance is too low and wheels too small. It's taken a lot of work and money to get to the point where I'm happy with it.  I've really enjoyed doing all the work but I'd probably have bought the bruiser if they were available at the time.

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Thanks guys. I think I had already answered own question, but this sealed it - Bruiser it is. Or Mountain Rider, whichever I can find a better deal on.

I don't intend to modify it beyond little upgrades and fixes; I've already done the crawler thing, the scaler thing, the scratch-built thing, various Clods, a small army of Blackfoots (Blackfeet?), and various other monster trucks, but I've wanted a Bruiser ever since the inaugural issue of RC Car Action magazine, when it was doing a wheelie on the cover. So really, nothing else will satisfy me.

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You wont regret the Bruiser/ Mountain Rider. My mate has the lower spec High Lift. Nah.... not for me. 

Absolutely love mine, and modding it!! 

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A while back Tamiya America was selling the rere bruiser for $500.  It was too good a deal to pass up and I bought one. I have not built it and I’m not sure if I will but in looking at it, it is much improved over the original. 
 

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I have an original mountaineer that I run occasionally.  The transmission is clunky and don’t dare shift it under power.  It’s a beautiful truck but limited by the materials they used to produce it. Metal on metal causes parts to wear. 

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My Hilift gets beat on quite a bit.  It’s a great trail runner. The plastic transmission shifts smoothly and under power. Axles and gears are built beefy and can take a fair bit of abuse. but as others have said is limited by ground clearance and it’s leaf spring suspension.  
 

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if I Wanted a runner and could only buy one I would get the high lift. 

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So I've had another thought about the Bruiser, and it's this: I don't actually like Toyota trucks much. Never have, really. Even when I owned one, I wasn't crazy about it.

So why would I want to spend several hundred dollars on a model of one?

You know what I do like? Chevy Blazers. But I get the feeling Tamiya is never going to re-release the Blazing Blazer, in any form, on any chassis. But what if I could build my own? What if I got the RC4WD Blazer body (which I've admired since they came out with it), built a chassis to fit it using the RC4WD axles I already have, and got a High-Lift or semi-truck 3 speed to power it? If I went the semi-truck route, I could even work up a selectable 2WD/4WD transfer case for it. (I've got the design idea in my head; I'd just need to draw it up and have someone cut the metal pieces for me, which I could probably have the guys at work do.)

Then, I could either cut up the body and turn it into a Parnelli Jones-style Baja racer like the Blazing Blazer, or keep it closer to stock, or do an homage to Jaws or Stranger Things.

Yeah, I think I might like this idea better than trying to put together $600-800 for a model of a vehicle I don't actually like. And this would cost far less, because I already have half of what I need.

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