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Saito2

Different Strokes for different folks again

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...or is it different Volks for different folks, if you remember the old VW ad. Anyway, I probably touched on this concept before, but the recent threads on regretting/not regretting purchases highlights the concept. Its interesting to see some of the vehicles on both list. What one loved another did not. It conjures up ideas about nailing down x factors that contribute to this phenomena.

I did give thought to the difficulty in designing a "fun" or basher vehicle vs a competition vehicle. At a quick glance, a comp car would be tough to come up with until you realize the goal is pretty much the same...win races. Its the basher market that is far more nebulous. A G601 is great fun for some and not for others. Thus the company has to come up with something fun to a lot of people to sell well. In Tamiya's case (at least in the past) they seemed to cover bases by giving lots of options.

If we break down off road for instance, we wind up with 2wd buggy, 4wd buggy and truck. Truck can go many ways from stadium, to monster, 2wd/4wd, scaler to crawler, etc. Using truck as an example my three favorites are ORV monsters, Kyosho Car Crushers and Clods. That works for me but not others. In my case, its about amount of control and the ability to traverse rough terrain. To explain:

A Blitzer is too planted for me and too low for really rough ground or high grass, so no go.

A Stampede is almost too good. There's little threat of breakage and it has high ground clearance and is pretty planted. It makes up for it by being fast to add excitement...unless that's not your thing.  Its a great truck but be careful what you wish for because it might not be what you really want.

A WR02 is too out of control. The constant wheelies become tiresome for me. Its a fun vehicle, but not all the time.

The ORV monster is the perfect 2wd monster for me. Its wild compared to the Stampede but not so wild that it can't be reigned in. It got the right amount of "edge of your seat" factor to keep me on my toes and engaged even on silvercan power.

The above is what works for me and may not be what others are after.

Buggy has been easier for me. I like vintage but with even vintage buggies one expects more control vs a monster truck. For all around 4wd, it Hot Shot series for me. Others may find them too antiquated and understeer-y. For more control, I go for the Optima. I learned awhile back, race caliber buggies of today bore me.

Same for 2wd. Fox for general fun and an Ultima for more control. Others may find anything but a TRF201 to be a sloppy mess. All about taste.

 

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For me, it's also about choosing the right car for the right situation. In my own front yard, a WR02 is a ton of fun, because I know every bit of terrain and I know what it can handle and what it can't, and it's fun to try to push those boundaries in a controlled environment. Same for the Lunchbox and the Blackfoot. But the Stampede is, like you said, almost too good in those situations. It can handle almost anything.

But the Stampede is the one I take with me when we go camping. Why? Because it is so good. I know it will be reliable, and I know it can handle a wide range of terrain, so it offers a higher chance of "worry-free" fun when I'm 100 miles away from my workbench. And I don't worry about it around the general public like I would a carefully built and detailed Tamiya model.

My go-to buggy is still the same built-from-whatever-spares-I-have RC10 that it has been for years. The actual pieces change all the time, because I'm constantly tinkering and experimenting with it, but the idea is still the same. For 4WD, the re-release Turbo Optima is fantastic. And it looks so good in motion, especially with the Javelin cage it now wears. But again, those stay close to home, where I can control things, and don't have to share them or explain them to anyone.

My CC01 was top dog for crawling for a lot of years, but it's just too far gone to do much with anymore. Stripped screw holes, worn-out suspension, hacked-up tub... it's time to retire it with full honors. My Carisma scaler, which I hated when I first built it, is starting to come into its own as my new favorite slow car, though I'm still working some gremlins out of it. Awful to build, but quite good to drive. (Sort of the "anti-Tamiya" in that regard...)

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I guess a lot of it depends on what you enjoy about the hobby. I’m not interested in scale realism, and could never consign a car to shelf duties. I own them to drive them, so for me it’s all about how it performs. Tamiya stuff has never been massively competitive in 1:10 off road, which is my main interest, so I’ve only actually owned a couple of them over the years. I’ve built plenty for friends and family though.

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Some people hate the Super Astute; it is my "Goldilocks" car. It's nowhere near a modern competition buggy, in fact, a RC10CE or Ultima could probably smoke it on a track. Modern 17.5 power is just right, it's limits are low enough to be challenging at lower speeds, and it's smashingly good looking.

Cars like the M-series, including the MF01X, are just plain fun to me, while the TT cars leave me cold. TA and TB cars are super fun.

It must be hard to come up with ideas for fun cars, especially in such a mature hobby. Modern race cars are fun on a track, but not in the yard for some reason.

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4 hours ago, markbt73 said:

But again, those stay close to home, where I can control things, and don't have to share them or explain them to anyone.

Its funny, I do the same thing. Some models stay close to home and only a few venture on long trips. If long distance is in the picture I'll also bring my Stampede or a beater Lunch Box. Both are pretty rugged and care free. I dreamed of taking an SRB on a beach trip, but those aren't cheap (I'd always have to keep an eye on "our stuff" while playing in the water with the little one) and stripping one down to get all the sand, etc. cleaned out doesn't sound like fun. If I'm hiking/biking and need something to fit in a backpack, I take my extra Hot Shot.

1 hour ago, Big Jon said:

Modern race cars are fun on a track, but not in the yard for some reason.

And that's probably why they bore me. On a track, in their element, they seem like fun. Its likely better to have a tool suited to the purpose than be frustrated trying to get something out of its element around the track.

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It is all very much a case of personal preference it would seem, and extremely hard to quantify. For example, I find my TT-01 and TA-02 rally cars to be extremely similar in terms of performance and overall feel, with the TT-01 being my preferred car due to its more easily available and cheaper spares. And now that I have it dialled in, I find my TT-02 Type S to be on a par with my thoroughly carbonated TB-03, and again it is my go-to car due to its easily available and cheap parts. Pretty much the opposite of @Big Jon's views.

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34 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

If I'm hiking/biking and need something to fit in a backpack, I take my extra Hot Shot.

And that's probably why they bore me. On a track, in their element, they seem like fun. Its likely better to have a tool suited to the purpose than be frustrated trying to get something out of its element around the track.

You sound like me! A tool for each job. If I'm hiking, I take the Element. 

I will say, though, running an XV-01 or a Twin Hammers on red clay is a hoot.

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I'm 99% off road, I've bought on road cars and a drift car, to at least try and see the attraction, but no, the closest I've got that interests me, is the Schumacher Fusion, which is a .21 nitro motor, with a 3 speed, so just sounds cool clicking up the box.

Crawlers also I have no interest in, yes the ones I've actually held in my hands, are marvellous pieces of engineering,  but still don't stir anything.

I certainly don't get shelfers, I know a few people who kit them out in hop ups and seemingly rare period motors, then break out in a sweat ,when I suggest running them!!

Collecting NIB, I don't really get either, apart from being able to say, I've got a blah blah NIB, seems to be more about waiting for the prices to rise and cashing in? 

Racing, I love racing,  it's brilliant , you get to spend time ,with like minded RC nuts ,having a laugh, sharing tips ,lending parts etc, and obviously using /racing RC cars, and really can't understand why every single one of us, doesn't belong to a club!

But, the cars have become a bit.....soulless. They are designed for a purpose, which they do very very well, they are marvels of engineering , an absolute joy and rewarding to drive, but I was quite happy to fling the old car in a box, when a new , better performing one arrived on the scene. 

The tamiya cars have a bit of soul, a bit of character, yes they're not going to win you a hand in ,RC car Top Trumps, but if I'm grabbing cars, for me and the kids to have a afternoon of fun with, it's the Bullhead ,Boomerang , Novafox or lunchbox's that get short listed!! (Although my eldest ,has taken a shine to the Optima mid...)

I do think racing has kind of spoilt the old 540 silver can though, as after racing with a 6.5t using boost and turbo, driving a silver canned Boomerang on 2s seems rather pedestrian, so that's now brushless,  but hey, if/when it breaks , I need to buy parts, which helps keep businesses in business!! 

The hobby (sport if your racing?) has so many different avenues, that I doubt anyone will enjoy every single aspect, but that is part of the draw, surely? 

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I think it boils down to relativity/expectations, and the undeniable evolution of technology over the years. If you're a kid coming from a 1/18 car that runs on 6 AA batteries, then a 7.2V stick and a 540 silvercan will seem insane. But if you're the kid of an old pro, and you're comfortable driving the latest and greatest brushless lipo rocketships and maybe nitro, then a 540 on 7.2V feels like a toy, especially if it's in a quirky vintage (or vintage-style) chassis.

As for technology--back in the day, brushless lipo rockets didn't exist, so our expectations for speed and handling were much lower (an RC10 on 1700 NiCds was the top dog). I was the kid with the slow 1/18 starter car, and I never got into racing because of the expense, but I think that actually helped me appreciate the Tamiyas I have even more. They were (are!) still plenty fast for me, and I knew from magazines and spectating at races that they would never be competitive, so I resolved to just have fun and try not to break them any more than they already were (my cousin was REALLY hard on stuff!)

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5 hours ago, El Gecko said:

I think it boils down to relativity/expectations, and the undeniable evolution of technology over the years. If you're a kid coming from a 1/18 car that runs on 6 AA batteries, then a 7.2V stick and a 540 silvercan will seem insane. But if you're the kid of an old pro, and you're comfortable driving the latest and greatest brushless lipo rocketships and maybe nitro, then a 540 on 7.2V feels like a toy, especially if it's in a quirky vintage (or vintage-style) chassis.

Good point. I started with Nikko AA battery RTRs and when I bought my Lunch Box, it seemed advanced, big and fast. Decades later, with 80-some cars in the collection, I know that was never the case amongst its peers but that first impression is still there. For a newcomer today or rather a kid from BITD that may have started with an RC10 or Optima, the Lunch Box would seem rather toy-like.

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10 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Good point. I started with Nikko AA battery RTRs and when I bought my Lunch Box, it seemed advanced, big and fast. Decades later, with 80-some cars in the collection, I know that was never the case amongst its peers but that first impression is still there. For a newcomer today or rather a kid from BITD that may have started with an RC10 or Optima, the Lunch Box would seem rather toy-like.

Not always true, but I 100% see your point.  My first RC was an RC10, and if anything it made me love "toy-like" Tamiyas even more.  The more challenging the drive the more I seem to like it.  I guess that's why I like monster truck so much.  No matter how dialed in I get any of my trucks (even all out race trucks), land on one front tire rather than two and you're going to have to do some driving.  Doesn't take much to upset a big solid axle truck with giant tires and that's why I love them.  

I also completely understand your point about the Stampede.  Not even sure where I came across mine, but it's the one vehicle that I'll take with just about anywhere and just not worry about it.  Such a good truck, but not as "fun" as others.  The one Tamiya that I've never had and always wanted was a Blackfoot.  Decided to finally get one a few months back and haven't seen one in stock since..Hopefully I can get one soon.  

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