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The worse Tamiya kit/chassis that every true Tamiya fan needs to build?

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3 hours ago, Willy iine said:
4 hours ago, Gazzalene said:

Grasshopper and Hornet,sorry had to be said

I think you just lost like 1000 friends.  ;)

First off,never had 1000 friends;)

Secondly, how many over 25 yr olds will be seen using Grass hopper or Hornet? you might want to have one because you are a Tamiya fan but will you use it in public? :P

How about a poll on what car can over 25`s get away with using in public without looking stupid. The lunch box is a good start.

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4 hours ago, Frog Jumper said:

 

The body is the only thing worth keeping...

Terry

 

The Lunch Box is a CW01, correct?  I thought that was one of the most fun cars to bash in.  It does jumps incredibly well comically and besides the rear tensioner springs breaking in a matter of days driving like that on my Unimog, the car has been robust.  I modified mine to run a 3rd coil spring to keep the gearbox planted in its slot and removed the tensioner springs completely.   I agree that the WR02 and especially the GF01 are leagues better, but I still enjoy my CW01.. quite a lot.  :D

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5 minutes ago, Gazzalene said:

First off,never had 1000 friends;)

Secondly, how many over 25 yr olds will be seen using Grass hopper or Hornet? you might want to have one because you are a Tamiya fan but will you use it in public? :P

How about a poll on what car can over 25`s get away with using in public without looking stupid. The lunch box is a good start.

I have the comical trio (GH, Hornet, Frog) and I suppose those look even sillier for a grown man to drive, but I'm an original Wild Willy fan so my entire existence is all about silly I suppose!   :lol:

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3 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

I have the comical trio (GH, Hornet, Frog) and I suppose those look even sillier for a grown man to drive, but I'm an original Wild Willy fan so my entire existence is all about silly I suppose!   :lol:

I think you can get away with the comicals because people realise you are out for a laugh:P

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On 8/18/2021 at 12:59 PM, DeadMeat666 said:

Upon careful examination of the question, I must conclude that the 'worst' Tamiya to build, but every true Tamiya fan must build at some point, would have to be the Lunch Box.

As popular as it is, it's really a toy-grade monster truck that takes absolutely no skill (nor any time) to put together, it drives really badly, pretty much on every surface, and it makes toy-grade clicking and clunking sounds the whole time you drive it. It's also probably Tamiya's best-selling kit lol.

This is the real "toy grade" Lunchbox... 

 

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40 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

I have the comical trio (GH, Hornet, Frog) and I suppose those look even sillier for a grown man to drive, but I'm an original Wild Willy fan so my entire existence is all about silly I suppose!   :lol:

I have the regular trio and I drive them outdoors all the time, never gave it a second thought but apparently I'm not a grown man yet :rolleyes:

Sometimes I even drive them naked! (not ME naked you dirty thinkers, the Frog doesn't have a body)

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6 hours ago, Frog Jumper said:

 

The body is the only thing worth keeping...

Terry

 

i havent taken the lunchie for many runs but mine will stay forever in my collection. it will likely be the only Spaceballs lunchbox on the planet...

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8 hours ago, DeadMeat666 said:

I dunno buddy, I think it ends up pretty nice after you've thrown everything AND the kitchen sink in hopups at it :lol:

IMG_20201205_025324.jpg

M06 is much easier to service than the M05… shred gears on an 05 and you need to remove 10 screws.  
 

M06, gear cover comes off and gears slide out. Diff, 5 screw tops.

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8 hours ago, Juhunio said:

Most 'meh'.....I agree with the comments on the M06, out of the box it's pretty dreary 

I just put mine for sale this morning after looking at it a hundred times and failing a hundred times to convince myself I "needed" it. And then there was the price of the necessary hop-hups.

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1 hour ago, Gazzalene said:

First off,never had 1000 friends;)

Secondly, how many over 25 yr olds will be seen using Grass hopper or Hornet? you might want to have one because you are a Tamiya fan but will you use it in public? :P

How about a poll on what car can over 25`s get away with using in public without looking stupid. The lunch box is a good 

Dont think you would get away with any if you are over 25.😒

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9 hours ago, DeadMeat666 said:

I dunno buddy, I think it ends up pretty nice after you've thrown everything AND the kitchen sink in hopups at it :lol:

IMG_20201205_025324.jpg

I think it is one of the nicer M-chassis cars tbh, unique in that it is RR, and longitudinal battery 👍

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Wow! Thanks for the responses. Seems like there are a few popular recommendations. Green ones are what I can get to sooner than later I think and purple are what's intriguing. 

1. TRF501X — didn't see that coming. Thanks @djmcnz ! I actually have an unbuilt one that I'll build but not sure if I'll run it much so maybe I'll be ok with the screws not fusing.
2. Hot Shot — tough one not that I can't build it, probably just sad memories as my brother had one and he never let me drive it. Maybe I'll go for the Super Shot.
3. Novafox — this is a good one, always almost pulled the trigger on this but I don't why I end up not doing it. It takes a back seat a lot but thanks @Jonathon Gillham about the note on quick in stock form and unique chassis—that definitely increase the preference for this.
4. Lunchbox or similar chassis — man, I've seen this come up many times but I somewhat agree on how terrible this one is. Or maybe unsatisfying? I was just over at a friend's place testing it out. Very simple design but not as fun as a Grasshopper in my opinion. My friend didn't seem to like it as well. I do have a GF01 to build so might be too close.
5. Truck — this is a must at some point. I remember someone telling me that I wouldn't be a true Tamiya enthusiast if I don't build one. Just not sure if I have the room to store it as I live in a tiny house.
6. High-Lift/3 speed — I'll look into this. I'm curious but my  interest isn't enough yet for the price. I know this is different but my next build is a 2 speed non-Tamiya crawler so it'll be interesting later to compare.
7. CR01 — almost got one but hesitated because of some negative review vs the CR02. But maybe it qualifies for the criteria.
8. SRB — this is good. Had a thread last week I think and some mentioned an SRB. I did order one and I think this might be a requirement for any Tamiya enthusiast.
9. Grasshopper/Hornet — done it so I can skip this one.
10. Bigwig — hmm gotta think about this one. I don't know why I've never been a fan of it, maybe it's because I when I was a kid I knew someone who literally wore a wig and had a Bigwig and I thought it was so uncool. It was a windy day and as the Bigwig made a pass his wig flew off of his head and landed in front of me.
11. M-06 — didn't see that one too and didn't know it could be a bland build experience. Someone recommended the R but maybe I should just do an M-08?
12. ORV — I did like the Monster Beetle when I was kid. But aside from the Lunchbox CW01, I think this is another where I've see a split on likes/dislikes.
10. Tamtech Gear GB03 exploded view — haha! I think that would be interesting but not sure if they sell these anymore?
11.1/700 scale Yamato — interesting but not to keen yet on static stuff. I do have a few in store but mostly figures.

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11 hours ago, Sir Crashalot said:

I see you've built the Mk2, Egress, Super Astute and Blitzer Beetle. Anything else?

I think the only others I've built are TC01, Grasshopper, and Storm Dragon. I do have other Tamiya kits but haven't built them yet or currently restoring them: TRF501X, DN01/TRF201, F103, F103GT, RM01, GF01, DB01RRR, TA02SW, M02, TF03, TL01, TA03R TRF, TT01E, TB03. 

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For me it has to be the cr-01 but it probably say more about me than the actual kit! It was the only kit that I couldn't get my head around because of building one part then you mirrored the second half and it had to be the same but opposite (if that makes any sense) the amount of mistakes I made all the way through the build to the very end! The only thing that came together right was putting the tyres on the rims! But I still recommend this kit if you are looking for an exercise for the brain.

IMG_20160320_151725.jpg

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Of the Tamiya kits I've built, the only one I have anything that can be a complaint for is the MF-01x for the servo placement, what it takes to get at it and the servo saver as well as the servo saver it self.  I don't mind having to dig deep on that or on my M-03 for the gear boxes, but having to tear it that far back apart to get at most of the steering on it is annoying and the only vehicles I've owned that had the steering harder to get at were the 1/1 scale front drivers I've owned!

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11 hours ago, Juhunio said:

There are some very different interpretations of 'worst' here...

Most complex...now, I love the building, so to me this interpretation is actually 'best' :D. So presumably something like a truck or a tank would fit this bill, not that I've ever built either (hmmmmm!!)

Most difficult to maintain...as pointed out above, the Hotshot and Novafox are both a bit of a PITA if you need to work on them after running. 

Most 'quirky'...that Hotshot suspension, the Bigwig steering. I love my Bigwig :D

Most 'meh'.....I agree with the comments on the M06, out of the box it's pretty dreary 

Most 'iconic'...entirely subjective, but the SRBs seem to get a lot of votes

My personal experience of the 'worst' Tamiya I have built and run is the Monster Beetle. The chassis is big, clunky, ugly and agricultural, the gearbox seems to operate on blind faith rather than precision, personalisation (eg wheel choices) is really limited, and it feels like a heavy sponge. If I look through my fleet, it's the only one I would sell. Iconic or not. 

I accept that all of the above is 100% subjective :)

You’ve clearly not put a 3s LiPo brushless combo in it then - it’s amazing 

jQnGQ8M.jpg
 

and a @Xeostar gearbox brace 

what a beast 


 

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4 hours ago, Gazzalene said:

I think you can get away with the comicals because people realise you are out for a laugh:P

Or tweak them….

lQXOGI3.jpg
 

wider, lower, watanabe style 

JJ

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TT02 is the dullest - maybe because it’s just so common and a bit boring 

but it does have a million hop ups 

 

JJ

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4 hours ago, Samiya said:

Wait, what?

 

3 hours ago, Willy iine said:

He’s from the future.. (?) :lol:

Haha! I wasn't paying much attention and I meant CC01 vs CC02. Was just seeing CC01 instead of CR01 as the recommendation.

 

3 hours ago, moffman said:

For me it has to be the cr-01 but it probably say more about me than the actual kit! It was the only kit that I couldn't get my head around because of building one part then you mirrored the second half and it had to be the same but opposite (if that makes any sense) the amount of mistakes I made all the way through the build to the very end! The only thing that came together right was putting the tyres on the rims! But I still recommend this kit if you are looking for an exercise for the brain.

Nice one! Makes want to build one. I remember seeing those two similar halves from the Tamiya catalog. Have to revisit it.

 

2 hours ago, Problemchild said:

TT02 is the dullest - maybe because it’s just so common and a bit boring 

Had the same thought about the TT02. It's almost better to be the worst if not the best at something instead of just being mediocre. Perhaps it's the reason why I haven't pulled the trigger on a TT02.

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16 hours ago, DeadMeat666 said:

I dunno buddy, I think it ends up pretty nice after you've thrown everything AND the kitchen sink in hopups at it :lol:

IMG_20201205_025324.jpg

Yep, I like my M06.  It wags its tail quite happily. But I hear M08 is even happier in that department.  With some tweaking it's a good runner.  All it needs is a set of oil shocks like many other Tamiya kits.  

I laughed when @Juhunio described ORV as 'agricultural.'  Somehow that makes sense.  Reminded me of seeing this toy.  

x7irGTa.jpg

yg1uJZp.jpg

Still, ORV is one of my favorites. (I was fortunate. I never experienced the diff problem with my vintage Blackfoot with a Sport Tuned.)   

This thread reminds me that no Tamiya is perfect. Everything has a flaw.  Some unforgivable (like Juggernaut 1's axle gear made out of butter--Juggernaut 2 is fine, and Tamiya gave Juggernaut 2 gears to Jugg 1 owners).

G0z2HFz.jpg

Tq9shhJ.jpg

 

Some were annoying (like Mad Bison with the counter gear hanging down low).

U2LlHy1.jpg

Whose brilliant idea was it to have the Grasshopper-like gear hung down on a fast nitro truck!?  It required some ghetto fix.  (Sorry @acprc, I know you love your herd of Bisons!)  On sand, it's fine. But that thing gets caught on every tree root.  But it was my first nitro truck, so I still love it, dammit!  

thMKrLC.jpg

Some are just silly (Terra Crusher's tires weighing as much as the chassis). Put about 2.3kg of rubber on wheels? Of course lead boots are going to make it very sluggish. The entire Hornet weighs 0.9kg in comparison.  But the chassis design was brilliant; 2 speed and reverse on a nitro truck!  

xg4xPNT.jpg

Lighter shoes could make it fly. And this wasn't a kit. 

csak61a.jpg

Those 3, I don't really recommend, even for true Tamiya fans. They were somehow not quite like Tamiya. They were more like Tamiya's failed experiments.  Later versions did improve, so going with TXT or TNX would be safer.   

All in all, I think you can make not-so-good kits quite usable.  I think that's the strange attractiveness of Tamiya.  Hornet's front spring is too stiff? Cut 6-7mm off.  M06 skidding too much? Remove oil from the front if you have oil shocks, and use AW grease in the diff. ORV gear makes noise? Use thicker grease on the diff and shim it, etc. 

Tamiya isn't the best tool around, but they can be made decent.  I think that's why we love Tamiya. 

 

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21 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Not that its the worst or toughest to build, but the CR01 (which has a ton of holes and optional mounting locations all over the place) requires you to pay very close attention to the manual to make your installing parts in the proper places.

 

18 hours ago, Willy iine said:

I’m with Saito2 regarding the CR01 as far as complexity.   It required many little dishes to keep screws separated while building.   It wasn’t difficult, just took some patience.  But not sure if it's a must have.. it's special in its own way, but probably not interesting for everyone especially if you're not a crawler kind of guy which I am not either. 

It kind of reminded me of when I built the big remote control excavator Technics Lego..

I agree about CR, after several year of experience with this car I would be in doubt to buy it again.

Its complexity isn't supported by a great capability on the rocks especially by its limited steering radius (That's why you can build it with 4WS) . Mine has an heavly modified chassis but without cvd in front a serious improvement is impossible.

I would spend a word about FF03: not so much fun while building it, not my cup of tea.

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18 hours ago, Willy iine said:

I’m with Saito2 regarding the CR01 as far as complexity.   It required many little dishes to keep screws separated while building.   It wasn’t difficult, just took some patience.  But not sure if it's a must have.. it's special in its own way, but probably not interesting for everyone especially if you're not a crawler kind of guy which I am not either. 

It kind of reminded me of when I built the big remote control excavator Technics Lego..

That's my kind of build. I've a Cruiser and Rock Socker to get round to one day. 

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