Most underrated Tamiya chassis/kit? What is the jack of all trades and master of none?

[Mechanic AH 581]

This holiday or early next year I want to get a Tamiya chassis that is basically the jack of all trades (and master of none): good value, good resale, good performance, easy to maintain and work on, not hard to find parts or lots of options, good reliability, durable enough and fun chassis. It doesn't have to be the best in every aspect but has to be well rounded enough. It has to be attainable too. What kit/chassis would that be? Thanks.

 

[ACCEL 2014]

Ah! i can relate i found that specific build once and you know something?  it grew into way too many others, but each one is specific.

ok enough with the antics, if i had to really and i mean really chose one specific vehicle type it has to be a 4WD buggy.

But oh thank goodness i really don't have to decide that, it frankly quite scares me.

[Jonathon Gillham 4605]

I would say a DF01 buggy. The Top Force is a great buggy and from what I hear the Manta Ray performs just as well. For a general all rounder the plastic chassis versions are probably better with their fixed length arms and not having to worry about scratching up a nice FRP or carbon chassis. But you have a few options as it was released in a few different versions, although Top Force and Manta Ray have been rereleased so will probably be the easier to find.

Parts are plentiful and easy to get since they are shared with the TA01/2 and have been rereleased a few times. Gear ratios are good with the high speed gearset. Not that you need anything other than the motor mount, there are plenty of hopups available too, although you probably cant get the hi caps any more...

They have decent ride height like a proper buggy so can handle grass, gravel etc and go pretty well on tarmac too.

The only downside is the lack of a slipper as the chassis can handle a lot of power, but a 13.5T is plenty fast enough and you can get those slipper pinions if you really want a slipper.

Strangely the other option that came to mind is a Monster Beetle with MIP diff. While not the fastest around a track, they handle well enough and are really good fun.

Edit: Just reread the title, neither of those are underrated, so maybe I missed the point!

[Mad Ax 9292]

My first thought was also the Top Force, or any other DF01 variant, depending on how many adjustable bits you want.  As has already been said by @Jonathon Gillham, it's a fantastic all-rounder, plenty of ground clearance unlike later buggies, superb parts support and loads of hopups.  With a few subtle mods they are very robust too - the motor mount is the only true weak point, the front tower mount can crack on the Top Force, and the gear cases can split if you're running big power, although there are gear case mods to help with that.  Put the right motor in it and it's a real blast, and still a very capable car today - I watched some top drivers shooting it out in the Race of Champions at the Revival this year and the Top Forces were still holding their own.

As for underrated - well possibly that mantle can go to the plastic variants.  The Manta Ray is the obvious one but the Terra Conqueror, Dirt Thrasher and Blazing Star all came on the plastic chassis as well, and there are the oddball Neo Top Force and Super Manta Ray options if you can find them.  You don't really need the FRP chassis anyway, the plastic tub is better at keeping dirt out and electrics in, and you can get the adjustable top arms and Top Force Evo shock towers if you want them.

Otherwise I'd be tempted to say WT-01, in its original wide stadium/monster truck form.  OK, so it's nowhere near as capable as a Stampede and it doesn't have the twin-motor 4wd grunt of the WR-01, but it's a solid design that's virtually indestructible, and with a few degrees of kick-up on the front suspension it handles way better too.  There's not a lot of gearing options but with a grunty Super Stock BZ it will tear up a smaller location with no trouble, parts support is still good and there's a handful of worthy hop-ups too.  So while it's no Stampede, there is a certain fun in being the underdog.

[simalarion 2194]

Top-Force + ballBearing and Hi-cap Top-force damper, one huge problem though, sadly those dampers are out of stock at the moment so when you find them now they are tripple the price. For a long period RC Mart sold Top-Force and included the Hi-cap dampers for a very good price,  that was probably the best value for money you could get in and RC Tamiya as i see it (but im newbie in this hobby, just so that is clear). 

[Frog Jumper 3656]

I’m biased...  very biased...

but my vote is the ORV chassis...

Terry

 

[MadInventor 3884]

Clod Buster

 

[Albert Attaboy 141]

5 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

it's a solid design that's virtually indestructible

Not in my book. My Mud Blaster II kept breaking so I moved on...

[Mad Ax 9292]

1 hour ago, Albert Attaboy said:

Not in my book. My Mud Blaster II kept breaking so I moved on...

Interesting, what did you break?  I ran my Blackfoot Extreme for years mostly-stock with a Super Stock BZ without a single breakage (admittedly I lost a few step screws which caused some lost dogbones until I switched to CVDs).

Even when I converted to 14.4v with an alu chassis, the only things I broke were some gearbox mounts (which can be avoided by using 3mm threaded rod right through the gearboxes) and the aluminium steering knuckles - they couldn't take the driving forces and bent at the steering arm, same each side; the plastic ones were fine.  Although in fairness this conversion did replace the standard chassis box with alu plates, so any potential breakage to the chassis itself would have been avoided.

Oddly enough I had an original Mud Blaster when I was younger and I ran it hard for years with the standard diff and hex-type dogbones and never had a transmission problem but now it's considered a terrible weak point in the ORV range.

[Big Jon 684]

My all-time favorite is the XV-01. It's the real-world all purpose chassis, has plenty of personality, and can be built as a touring car to a desert truck. It's perfect on so many surfaces.

[qatmix 794]

There is only one real winner. The TT02 in it's many forms it can be a buggy, a Rally car, a Drift car, a scale truck and a race car and it can even do a speed run and break 100mph.  It has adjustable wheelbase, track width and ride height.  The drive train is near bulletproof and spares are super cheap. No other Tamiya chassis has reached that level of variety. Importantly it can also take a square Lipo etc unlike a lot of the earlier Tamiyas.  It has LOADS of hop-ups and conversions Including some full on RWD conversions. It is reliable, cheap and fun to work on.  

I've always had a soft spot for the DF01 /TA01 thanks to racing them in both Buggy and Touring car forms back in the day, but a hopped up TT02 is better than them in both TC and Buggy and also much cheaper. The XV01 gets an honourable mention, but it does not have the amount of hop-ups or spares that the TT02 has, along with the overall variety. 
 

[Albert Attaboy 141]

31 minutes ago, Mad Ax said:

what did you break?

Besides things like hubs and CVDs (GPM) I broke the chassis where the front and back frames attach to the chassis. Twice.

A major design flaw IMO.

The way the servo is mounted is pathetic.

My current monster basher is a modified SMT 10. I am 100% Tamiya free now and I am not looking back!

[wolfdogstinkus 1893]

Most underrated Tamiya is anything from the quick drive range..

Cheap to buy, easy to upgrade, tough as old boots. 

Parts are available, but you won't break much.

[njmlondon 570]

I would say the TA02 chassis.

Been around forever but still sits under new cars so parts are plentiful.

Everything is simple and modular so easy to work on.

You can change wheelbase easily by using TA01 arms rotated so can fit almost every touring car, rally and Porsche bodyshell ever made.

And you can jack it up and turn it into a truck platform.

[OCD 514]

32 minutes ago, njmlondon said:

I would say the TA02 chassis.

Been around forever but still sits under new cars so parts are plentiful.

Everything is simple and modular so easy to work on.

You can change wheelbase easily by using TA01 arms rotated so can fit almost every touring car, rally and Porsche bodyshell ever made.

And you can jack it up and turn it into a truck platform.

Came here for this.

Can only add that it's also the basis for the mid-sized Hummer/JGDGF truck/Repsol Lancer models, possibly making it one of the most versatile chassis in Tamiya's RC lineup. What other design has seen so many different forms?

[OCD 514]

49 minutes ago, wolfdogstinkus said:

Most underrated Tamiya is anything from the quick drive range..

Cheap to buy, easy to upgrade, tough as old boots. 

Parts are available, but you won't break much.

Bought one of these for my 4-year-old nephew. It's held up remarkably well considering how much bashing and crashing it's endured. Only a small adjustment to the body post holes and it they accept standard touring car bodies as well.

[Problemchild 2149]

TT02b as a buggy 

lunchbox to answer the whole Q

beach, woods, roads, amazing fun, great looking, lots of mods, lots of parts, massively customisable.

hilarious to run

but awful too 

but not bad either 

cheap and massive smiles per £

JJ

[Wez-li 1790]

As above DF01/TA01/2 are the most versatile and best imo.

But everyone knows this so I wouldn't call them underrated.

TT02 is a good shout, in the same vein, overlooked as an entry level chassis but you can do almost anything with one! 

[slimleeroy 241]

16 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

I would say a DF01 buggy. The Top Force is a great buggy and from what I hear the Manta Ray performs just as well. For a general all rounder the plastic chassis versions are probably better with their fixed length arms and not having to worry about scratching up a nice FRP or carbon chassis. But you have a few options as it was released in a few different versions, although Top Force and Manta Ray have been rereleased so will probably be the easier to find.

Parts are plentiful and easy to get since they are shared with the TA01/2 and have been rereleased a few times. Gear ratios are good with the high speed gearset. Not that you need anything other than the motor mount, there are plenty of hopups available too, although you probably cant get the hi caps any more...

They have decent ride height like a proper buggy so can handle grass, gravel etc and go pretty well on tarmac too.

The only downside is the lack of a slipper as the chassis can handle a lot of power, but a 13.5T is plenty fast enough and you can get those slipper pinions if you really want a slipper.

Strangely the other option that came to mind is a Monster Beetle with MIP diff. While not the fastest around a track, they handle well enough and are really good fun.

Edit: Just reread the title, neither of those are underrated, so maybe I missed the point!

Where do you get the slipper pinion gears

[TDanny 146]

CC01 - no matter what you want to build, you can build it from a CC01.

Good on road, good off road.

Easy to maintain. 

Hard as a rock.

Good for drifting.

Good for crawling.

Good for racing.

Good for backyard bashing.

Another one is the MF-01x... also a cool chassis for almost everything.

[Carmine A 2046]

Sir.... You have been posting some of the most thought provoking questions lately!!! This is no exception. 

My Bid - G6-01!! 😁  Silly, Fast, adaptable (NO not as much as the TT-02 or TA-01/02, but a few here have gotten CREATIVE with them! Tackles most Terrain (better than any version of the CC-01), shockingly DURABLE - in spite of its 126 Gear Transmission!!! 😜  AND reasonably inexpensive and surprisingly available.

Plus, they're just FUN to see scooting about!

[Mechanic AH 581]

1 hour ago, Carmine A said:

Sir.... You have been posting some of the most thought provoking questions lately!!! This is no exception. 

Thanks. I have a lot of questions but sometimes I don't want to ask because I end up increasing my list of kits to check out! Then I want to buy them and it's seriously dangerous .

[Mechanic AH 581]

Thanks for all the responses. It looks like I eventually wouldn't be able to avoid the Top Force. I've been looking at that one for a while. Problem is the NIB old stock ones on auction I think is too much money—around the price sometimes of an Avante or more! And it's a hard decision because I remember seeing it some time ago from a retailer and on the Tamiya site for a relativelygood price, around US $170. Maybe I'm wrong. 

Has anyone purchased a Top Force lately for the high price? Not judging but curious to know if it's that in demand and the price is fair.

Now if Tamiya would only do a Top Force Evolution re-re. 

I do have an unbuilt TA-02SW but most liklye won't use it as a general use vehicle. But, I guess I'll get to see/experience the chassis.

Excluding the QD, looks like the chassis with multiple shouts are (in order of number of mentions):

1. DF-01 (i.e., Top Force) 

2. TA-02

3. TA-01

4. TT-02

5. XV-01
 

[DrGoatboy 132]

NIB top force go for about £250ish on UK eBay so marked up but not crazy. There is a UK supplier who seems to have just got a load in stock and selling for £280 I think. Suspect they will all sell!

[Mechanic AH 581]

3 hours ago, DrGoatboy said:

NIB top force go for about £250ish on UK eBay so marked up but not crazy. There is a UK supplier who seems to have just got a load in stock and selling for £280 I think. Suspect they will all sell!

That’s not a bad price! I’m jealous—unfortunately, I’m in the US and in the last few months I’ve never seen them here go that low. Lately, been seeing some here when converted costing between £367 to £450.