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Mechanic AH

What is an iconic or quintessential Tamiya kit to have and build?

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Thanks! I compiled the recommendations on what people thought could be on the list. I didn't include newer kits or chassis specific names that were mentioned.

I think I've narrowed it down to Avante, Hotshot, Hornet (since I already have a Grasshopper), and the outlier is Egress if I can actually get one (been saving up)—all these for the first tier. I do like the Sand Scorcher and maybe one day. To be honest, I never had an RC kit growing up but my brother's first one was the Hotshot when it came out (paired with an Acoms Techniplus III tx!) so in my mind I think about getting the Super Shot instead. 

 

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I'm actually genuinely shocked by this. I guess it must be a generational thing (I'm 52) but for me the SRB's should easily be in the top three if not number one as they were 'the' Tamiya buggies to desire/have at the height of the RC car scene in the very early 80's and were without doubt the buggies that kicked off the entire RC buggy racing scene that has evolved to this day. I guess I'm just very old.

Also I am very surprised to see the Avante so high, really? it is pants! (over priced, over complicated, over engineered, generally poor performing on all but the smoothest of tracks and incredibly fragile and expensive to fix) I have owned a few and have one in bits on my workbench right now. The Vanquish/Avante2001/Egress are far superior buggies because they are essentially Avante's with most of the bugs/poor design fixed.

I'd be curious to know how many people who voted for the Avante have actually owned and used one on a dirt track and how many have also run an Egress as that is so superior in just about every aspect even though 80% of the parts are the same. If I was to choose an iconic Tamiya other than an SRB, I'd go with an Egress (or maybe Top Force Evo) BUT I'd go with the re-re version with the stronger alloy front hub carriers.

Wow, I feel really old now...... :o

 

 

 

 

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I'd be curious to know how many people who voted for the Avante have actually owned and used one on a dirt track and how many have also run an Egress as that is so superior in just about every aspect even though 80% of the parts are the same. If I was to choose an iconic Tamiya other than an SRB, I'd go with an Egress (or maybe Top Force Evo) BUT I'd go with the re-re version with the stronger alloy front hub carriers.

Guilty, never owned one but I mentioned it because this was an object of desire when growing up. There's no right/wrong answer, I guess being 10 years your junior (but still old enough to know better!) The SRB buggies were almost considered 'old'. A friend of mine had an original Sand Scorcher back when I had a GRasshopper. I then got an Optima Mid (my absolute favourite buggy and he got an Egress). Always drooled over the Avante because it looked amazing but the Optima was no doubt an infinitely better performer

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8 hours ago, mud4fun said:

Also I am very surprised to see the Avante so high, really? it is pants! (over priced, over complicated, over engineered, generally poor performing on all but the smoothest of tracks and incredibly fragile and expensive to fix)

I see your point but the question was which is the quintessential kit to have and build. The very fact that it is way over engineered, over complicated and over thought out makes it very Tamiya to me. Much like the Hotshot was before it but on a different level of quality. An Egress is a good shout, all the issues mostly ironed out the same quality but as iconic? I'm not sure, the Avante was a thing of wonder as a kid (I'm 45), as i only ever saw one built on display in a Model shop. It looked like it was from the future and had nothing in common with what came before it. I've a few re releases a Hornet, Lunchbox, Monster Beetle, Super Hotshot, Cat XLS but none of them catch my non rc friends eyes like the Avante. Think I'll have to get an SRB to compare...just to be sure obviously 😁

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2 hours ago, Grotty Otty said:

I see your point but the question was which is the quintessential kit to have and build. The very fact that it is way over engineered, over complicated and over thought out makes it very Tamiya to me. Much like the Hotshot was before it but on a different level of quality. An Egress is a good shout, all the issues mostly ironed out the same quality but as iconic? I'm not sure, the Avante was a thing of wonder as a kid (I'm 45), as i only ever saw one built on display in a Model shop. It looked like it was from the future and had nothing in common with what came before it. I've a few re releases a Hornet, Lunchbox, Monster Beetle, Super Hotshot, Cat XLS but none of them catch my non rc friends eyes like the Avante. Think I'll have to get an SRB to compare...just to be sure obviously 😁

Yes, I understand, I guess it is not just a generational thing either, I think another factor is where you get your enjoyment from in the hobby. Some people get their enjoyment from building and then displaying their cars and I can see in that scenario that the Avante would indeed qualify as iconic. That is similar to my enjoyment of warhammer 40K, I love building, painting and displaying the figures but don't hold a great desire to use them. I do enjoy the warhammer games with the kids every now and then but the painting/displaying is the bit I like the most.

Oddly though, the opposite is true for my RC car hobby, while I enjoy building the cars I am not interested in displaying them, they are either stored in the shed/attic when not in use or being used and abused. Once you actually use an Avante class chassis and find it breaks front uprights and hubs every hour of use and costs you a small house to repair (as mine cost me over the years) another word comes to mind to describe them and it is not iconic :lol:

 

 

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On 9/29/2020 at 11:55 PM, markbt73 said:

For me, the ones that scream "Tamiya" are the "trio" of Grasshopper, Hornet, and Frog. They were so ubiquitous during the 80s, and they're inexpensive enough that you could build all 3 if you want... those three models on a shelf would be instantly recognizable to almost anyone as a tribute to Tamiya.

Agree with you 100%

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On 9/30/2020 at 2:49 AM, Mechanic AH said:

Wow! Lots of really good suggestions. Thanks everyone!

From the recommendations, I can think of a number to choose from in no order:

1. Avante?
I'm torn between the 2011 re-release (58489 blue) or the Black Special edition (47390). What would you all choose between the two? I know the black has a couple upgraded parts but the blue is quite nostalgic.

 

2. Egress
I prefer this over the Avante but only if it was as attainable. I remember the excitement when this came out but I only knew two people who actually bought it because it was quite expensive. Have to look at the auctions.

#1 and 2 seems quite a choice especially because of the materials and build quality. 

 

3. Hotshot
Good suggestion. I wish I bought one earlier this year when merchants were still selling them. I do see stocks of Supershot though. I figured people would recommend this one. Maybe only if I can get it for a normal price.

4. Hornet
I do have a Grasshopper but never had a Hornet. I think this could be an interesting build in terms of what I can do to the exterior and options. I remember these were quite fast back in the day even with a 540 stock motor. I probably would do some exterior customization.

5.  Frog
A bit of an eccentric kit but I probably would customize the look. Almost bought one earlier this year but ended up getting the Kyosho Scorpion.

6. Sand Scorcher
Might put this on the back of my list for now since the Blitzer Beetle has a beetle shell. I know they're entirely different but they kinda will look a like.

7. Bruiser
Quite interesting. I definitely dream of having one but will put this on hold just because it's $$$!

Contemporary ones I think only the DN-01 seems interesting right now...

8. DN-01
I guess this is the Zahhak? I kinda like this and from what I gather it's very underrated. I remember seeing this sell for $160 last year! I really regret not buying one.

 

I keep thinking about the Fox/Novafox. I thought it would be on the 2WD list but maybe I'm entirely mistaken and it's not a good choice? So Is the Fox (or Novafox) not well liked?

I love the fox,great looking buggy and handles well.It was my first tamiya and still have it,i also have a never run one as well.

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Having recently got back into Tamiya RC I wanted a collection of 4 cars. Off and on on road covering all drivetrains

Rwd buggy Dn01

4wd belt driven buggy db01 

4wd shaft driven touring car TB04r

Fwd touring car FF04

These are my ultimate builds

 

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Iconic? Avante!!   Its so iconic and recognizable that even toys/hobby shop that didnt sell any RC whatsoever, have one for their window display.

 

 

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8 hours ago, Super ally said:

The hornet,its the most iconic of all.

I never owned one back in the day. But. Have an inexpensive “survivor” eBay purchase coming my way in the next couple of days. It may be already assembled, but I plan a full year down, so I will be getting the build experience ( minus the awesome Tamiya manual ) 

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On 9/30/2020 at 7:39 PM, mud4fun said:

I'm actually genuinely shocked by this. I guess it must be a generational thing (I'm 52) but for me the SRB's should easily be in the top three if not number one as they were 'the' Tamiya buggies to desire/have at the height of the RC car scene in the very early 80's and were without doubt the buggies that kicked off the entire RC buggy racing scene that has evolved to this day. I guess I'm just very old.

Also I am very surprised to see the Avante so high, really? it is pants! (over priced, over complicated, over engineered, generally poor performing on all but the smoothest of tracks and incredibly fragile and expensive to fix) I have owned a few and have one in bits on my workbench right now. The Vanquish/Avante2001/Egress are far superior buggies because they are essentially Avante's with most of the bugs/poor design fixed.

I'd be curious to know how many people who voted for the Avante have actually owned and used one on a dirt track and how many have also run an Egress as that is so superior in just about every aspect even though 80% of the parts are the same. If I was to choose an iconic Tamiya other than an SRB, I'd go with an Egress (or maybe Top Force Evo) BUT I'd go with the re-re version with the stronger alloy front hub carriers.

Wow, I feel really old now...... :o

I realized that too about the SRBs (Rough Rider, Sand Scorcher, Ford Ranger?). The original release came out like in 1979? I probably would be interested if there was a re release of the Ford. But personally, the Porsche 934/935 just because it was the first Tamiya RC, although the 934 was a 1/12. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the 30th anniversary 934 Valiant because I just recently got into the hobby. I did see some being sold NIB but it's pretty pricey. I ended up acquiring a 934 RSR Black Edition TA02SW some time ago for a reasonably good price and feel lucky because I just saw on the Tamiya site it's now discontinued.

After giving it some thought, I'm most likely going to go for an Egress over the Avante, if I can get one. I was actually surprised that aside from you, only one other person mentioned it (slightly). When the Avante came out everyone I knew in the hobby was excited. Quite super hyped. People bought them and raved about the build experience. Although it did good on the track, the performance didn't truly live up to their expectations. But when the Egress came out, I felt that was just on a different level including the improvements. Where I was, the Egress was a unicorn—probably because everyone still had the Avante and the Egress was more $ and quite intimidating. I knew some of Avante owners weren't as excited about the Egress, probably because of some resentment. So I think in terms of the build experience I can get, quality, performance, and the history, the Egress is up on my list. Avante is second because of course it's the Avante. If all works out, then I think a Hornet. After that, I'll take break from Tamiya kits, and get a Cat XLS or a re release RC10 before going back to Tamiya again.

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This thread isn't helping knowing that the Avante comes out again near Christmas :lol:

I'm surprised the 3-speeds haven't been mentioned, along with the Wild Willy and Lunchbox / Pumpkin. These are the 'iconic' ones which are instantly recognisable. Ashamed to say I don't currently own any of them. 

The model I'm most fond of in my collection is actually my FAV - I think because it's more of a functioning model than it is an RC car, the build itself requires a lot of stop/start as you paint the pieces prior to assembly. Much more unusual to build.

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I contest these proceedings. This thread is corrupt with bias ... 😂

joking aside interesting polls results.

My vote well for decades everyone said it would not happen, no way it would ever be released for A to Z reasons. Then it happened, we had the Sand Scorcher again. No kit is more symbolic of Tamiya than the Sand Scorcher. It’s a work of art. 

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16 hours ago, Mechanic AH said:

I'm most likely going to go for an Egress

Do it, you won't be disappointed. 

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I remember, way back the early 80s, before any of this 4wd nonsense... the Sand Scorcher, the Lunchbox, the Grasshopper, the Hornet... all looked amazing to a young boy. I loved my first - a Holiday Buggy - but the Frog I had afterwards was just it for me. Same chassis as the Brat. Oooh. The Brat. Surprised nobody has mentioned this one! And the Quattro and Ascona, which look very silly these days. 

But I always - ALWAYS - lusted after a Super Champ. If I had to go all the way back, it would be one of these. 

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For me it has to be the Sand Scorcher. My first RC car in 79/80 I think. (it was a long time ago:huh:) Having said that I dont want another one.

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On 10/1/2020 at 12:39 PM, mud4fun said:

I'm actually genuinely shocked by this. I guess it must be a generational thing (I'm 52) but for me the SRB's should easily be in the top three if not number one as they were 'the' Tamiya buggies to desire/have at the height of the RC car scene in the very early 80's and were without doubt the buggies that kicked off the entire RC buggy racing scene that has evolved to this day. I guess I'm just very old.

Also I am very surprised to see the Avante so high, really? it is pants! (over priced, over complicated, over engineered, generally poor performing on all but the smoothest of tracks and incredibly fragile and expensive to fix) I have owned a few and have one in bits on my workbench right now. The Vanquish/Avante2001/Egress are far superior buggies because they are essentially Avante's with most of the bugs/poor design fixed.

I'd be curious to know how many people who voted for the Avante have actually owned and used one on a dirt track and how many have also run an Egress as that is so superior in just about every aspect even though 80% of the parts are the same. If I was to choose an iconic Tamiya other than an SRB, I'd go with an Egress (or maybe Top Force Evo) BUT I'd go with the re-re version with the stronger alloy front hub carriers.

Wow, I feel really old now...... :o

 

 

 

 

The Golden Age of RC was about '83-89, that's when it was in its prime, approx Frog/Grasshopper/Hornet to about Super Astute/Monster Racer/King Cab, that's why most of the rereleases are in that period.

The Sand Scorcher is an Avante to a lesser extent, lots of metal parts, higher price tag, only really good on smooth surfaces, (same with bruiser).

You should have been here 10 years ago, everything on here was Sand Scorcher/Rough Rider... 10 years of a reissue has dulled the desire, and since the sand scorcher is currently available and the Avante is out of stock, probably helps swindles those numbers.

Anyway, I think the Clod Buster, Lunchbox, and Hornet should be atop the list.

I'd bet the Lunchbox has been one of the most popular rereleases Tamiya have brought back, and the Clod has been in constant production apart from a 6 month hiatus. 🤷‍♂️

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3 minutes ago, berman said:

You should have been here 10 years ago

I've been on here for 17 years, was a member almost since the start :D

Have been a frequent visitor for last 10 years but not as a member as I was busy with 1:1 car rebuilds

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Very interesting thread.  As is often the case, I showed the comments to my wife as evidence as to why I should next purchase an Avante.  She had quite the reply:

"Don't you Avante all of your cars already?"  Which couldn't be more true..  I build each kit to the highest level of detail I can achieve and then gingerly drive them on occasion.. spending more time dusting them off on their display shelves than actual road time.

Ah, I digress..  (and I'm gunna get an Avante now :P).  At the stage of my involvement in this hobby (30+ years now) I'm lucky enough to enjoy the iconic RC's and appreciate them for what they are/were.  An Avante is on the list, and so is a Bruiser of sorts..  I'm probably going to go the HG-P407 route, as it will be more of a looker than a serious driver.  As for the Avante..  I'm thinking that holding off for a Black Special kit would be more worth it for me personally.  But I might not be able to resist the 2011 Avante re-re that stares at me in my LHS for too much longer.  Maybe one or two paydays at most :rolleyes:

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2 hours ago, Killajb said:

Very interesting thread.  As is often the case, I showed the comments to my wife as evidence as to why I should next purchase an Avante.  She had quite the reply:

"Don't you Avante all of your cars already?"  Which couldn't be more true..  I build each kit to the highest level of detail I can achieve and then gingerly drive them on occasion.. spending more time dusting them off on their display shelves than actual road time.

Ah, I digress..  (and I'm gunna get an Avante now :P).  At the stage of my involvement in this hobby (30+ years now) I'm lucky enough to enjoy the iconic RC's and appreciate them for what they are/were.  An Avante is on the list, and so is a Bruiser of sorts..  I'm probably going to go the HG-P407 route, as it will be more of a looker than a serious driver.  As for the Avante..  I'm thinking that holding off for a Black Special kit would be more worth it for me personally.  But I might not be able to resist the 2011 Avante re-re that stares at me in my LHS for too much longer.  Maybe one or two paydays at most :rolleyes:

I thought about the Black Special kit, sort of prefer it but everyone I think seems to like the 2011. Anyway, I ended up getting something else and will save up for the Avante later. 

Sounds like you have very high standards/do a lot of detail work and that's cool :). My strategy is to save up/set aside a budget to try and get the more premium kits first—then later it's an easier excuse to get the cheaper ones :D.

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The correct answer is the "Super Champ"(!)   Actually any of the SRB buggies will qualify.   They are iconic because of the way Tamiya replicated many scale features of the VW based chassis.   They are also the most durable for long term collectors because they have the high proportion of alloy parts.  Although not necessarily the best for actually running the buggies.

Hotshot and Boomerang are also iconic because they were sold at the absolute peak of Tamiya's popularity in the 80's.

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On 10/3/2020 at 12:09 PM, mud4fun said:

I've been on here for 17 years, was a member almost since the start :D

Have been a frequent visitor for last 10 years but not as a member as I was busy with 1:1 car rebuilds

I’m with you... There is only one SRB .. and it’s forever 

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