That vintage attention to detail

[Saito2 6673]

An old forum member and lover of all things vintage/original @Hibernaculum used to extoll the virtues of the vintage Tamiya kits vs the re-release versions. While I personally preferred the vintage versions, I was also just happy to have a shot at getting something very similar in the re-re flavor. However, the older I get, the more I appreciate the attention to detail and small minutia in the originals. Of course, there is the obvious things like like internal box layout and blister packs but there are other details I miss too. I miss the old screw bags for instance. The originals had header cards stapled to them that featured a small box art image of that particular kit on them. Small and superficial at first glance, but somehow adding to the feeling there was more care put into the older kits. I've been piecing together a Frog from old Blackfoot spares and had both the re-re Frog and Blackfoot manuals open. Both feature an illustration of a 47 tooth diff gear in the back of the manual which is not correct. The Frog has a 47 tooth gear and the Blackfoot a 48 tooth one. A minor detail that means nothing unless you nit-pick things on occasion, like myself. Still, the vintage Blackfoot manual illustrates the correct 48 tooth diff gear in the back. While on the subject of Frogs, the re-re manual lacks explanation of the Frog's adjustable castor angle, something the original manual make note of. I'm not a fan of Tamiya replacing the brass drive gear on the Frog's counter gear with an aluminum one either (as we all know the effects of aluminum gears). Minor quibbles to some, but somehow they add up to a slightly less satisfying experience when stacked up against the originals.

[Willy iine 18804]

I kept this from one of the kits I built..  As you, I appreciate vintage.  

 

[Alwb68 125]

When I’m restoring my cars, where possible I try to get original screw bags.

I like to keep as many original parts as possible, so if a screw is a total mess, it needs replacing.

The original screws were a gold colour, they are now silver or black. So I’ll try to get originals. I think my point being, I agree on those little details.

 

[SuperChamp82 743]

+1 to all of this 

Longer / better manuals, accurate sponsor stickers, more metal parts, fickle oil dampers + MSCs included - to say nothing of bundling nicer tools, threadlock + switch lubricant 👍

Even small things like using washers - either to remove friction or dampen the bite of a screw head - which cost reduction has long since driven out ?

Can you imagine Tamiya designing any kit with 15 individual pieces of plastic glass like the original 934 ?

Or adding a tiny plastic visor for a driver’s helmet - like they did for the original Wild Willy ?

The counter to all this is obviously modern kits being relatively cheaper, simpler and quicker to assemble - with fewer things to break + tougher in use 

Hence the new trend toward pre trimmed / painted shells ?

Lots of us still enjoy the build as much as the drive though - with (for me) current kits proving boring / or at least less satisfying vs vintage 👍

SC 

PS Just to blow my whole argument apart, I recently built a Tamiya 1st Try RC / TT02 with my youngest (which was everything I complain about) and loved it !

Although that was more the joy of seeing  kids have fun doing what you used to do - only better 😂

[WideOpen 22]

I am pretty new to RC'n but I like vintage in a lot of venues. I like to keep stuff original or replace, when necessary, with factory original pieces. When I get this TA02T done, I will likely drive it, nicely, until the new battery has met its life span, then retire it. But, will have it to where all I need to do is add battery and go. If I ever see an RC Show (like a car show) to attend, I'd take it ready and rolling - I just never see them anywhere, maybe no one does anything like that.