My tiny bargain of the year; an unused initial production ORV-bumper.

[Mokei Kagaku 2131]

I have a little obsession with initial production versions of Tamiya RC kits, and for some reason, especially the Subaru Brat and Grasshopper and to a slightly lesser degree the Frog.

As many of you know, the initial production versions of the Subaru Brat and the Grasshopper had some design weaknesses that were quickly remedied after early customers experienced problems.  One of the common weaknesses was the bumper. The initial production bumper was so fragile that very few have survived. Finding a used one that isn't broken and especially an unused one without cracks and scratches is rather difficult.

I've been looking for one the last decade or so and was prepared to pay a premium if I should be lucky enough to find one. A few days ago, an unbelievable bargain came along; an unused initital production ORV bumper offered on German eBay for a BIN-price so cheap I almost felt guilty and embarrassed for buying it. I 'm pretty sure the seller can't possibly be a Tamiya collector and hopefully considered himself lucky to find a buyer for "an old piece of cheap plastic"! 

I paid EUR27.70 including postage and today it arrived in very good if not quite pristine condition. It's indeed "my tiny bargain of the year" and I would have considered myself extremely lucky if I had to pay ten times more for it. Not everyone's cup of tea, for sure, but I still feel like sharing, if for no other reason than to point out that there are still crazy bargains to be made with rare and vintage Tamiya models and parts! Happy hunting! 

The two first photos show the bumper as bought. The rest of the photos are a comparison with the normal ORV-bumper as it has been since modified after initial production.

 

 

[matman 1477]

Nice , somthing else i have learnt new . Thanks for shearing , Love this sort of stuff .

It's amazing what had changed and had not knowing it had in the early days .

Now put it in a glass case and lock it yup   , as you will be lucky to find another one ..

[Frog Jumper 1124]

There was a Brat with the shorty bumper on eBay last week. Too much money for just a bumper...

good find tho!

Terry

 

 

[ruebiracer 670]

What is the usual trade price for these bumpers? Did they have special Tamiya no.?

I remember seeing this back in the days, and I always thought they came from the Audi or Ascona Rallye. Didn´t know, that it were also early Brat bumpers...

[Mokei Kagaku 2131]

2 hours ago, ruebiracer said:

What is the usual trade price for these bumpers? Did they have special Tamiya no.?

I remember seeing this back in the days, and I always thought they came from the Audi or Ascona Rallye. Didn´t know, that it were also early Brat bumpers...

I don't know what these bumpers typically sell for, and I would guess it can vary a lot if offered in regular auctions, depending on how many enthusiasts who find it. It's probably of interest to relatively few, but of course it takes just two buyers to cause a bid war. Personally, I would have been willing to pay around EUR200 for a new or unused one without cracks and scratches. 

I will check the initial production Brat manual for item number of the bumper. Also, when I built a Brat for a friend when it was first released, I added the skid plate from a 5208/50208 ORV Bumper and Guard Set at the same time, which of course was before the Grasshopper was released. The initial production Grasshopper also had the early bumper, so it's very likely that 5208/50208 also first had it.

I wrote an "article" about the initial production Brat some years ago after buying a built but never run one, so you'll find more information about all the changes that Tamiya made shortly after release in the link below, including new manual with a lot of changes.

Initial production Subaru Brat photos and comparison with later production version.

Initial production Subaru Brat promotional poster

Initial production Subaru Brat promotional leaflet

[Cooltoys 126]

Congratulations on the find. I found one of those awhile back luckily it wasn't expensive. Around $10.00 unused part like the one you have. I never thought of finding one of those by chance there was one for sale just sold a bumper as I remember.. Happy to find it..🙂

[El Gecko 409]

Congrats, and thanks for the side by side pics. I've always been curious about the differences.