J!mboMember since:22-November-2012

Growing up in the ’80s, I wanted an RC car from a young age. I had a few toy type cars (including a Metro Bullet, which I still have for sentimental reasons) before finally getting my first ‘real’ RC car - a Tamiya Madcap. Early inspiration came from watching off-road buggies race at the St Ives and North Ryde tracks in Sydney, and discovering a Tamiya catalogue in my uncle's bookshelf complete with pictures of classics such as The Frog and the Subaru Brat. I eventually got that Frog…

My Madcap came well-worn from a high-school mate called Rob. I learned a lot from that car and absolutely drove it into the ground. For Christmas that year I got a Manta Ray, which I drove nearly constantly that summer. If I wasn't playing Alex Kidd or Sonic the Hedgehog on my Master System II, I was driving that car, recharging NiCd packs constantly on the old 15-minute 12V charger.

I stuck with the Manta Ray for years, discovering while reading the October 1992 issue of Radio Control Car Action that it shared basic design with the Top Force - man I wanted that car, it was so cool - but I couldn't afford it!

I got my dream job in 1994, at 14, working at Wings ’n’ Things hobbies in Gladesville, NSW. My RC addiction took off and so did my collection. There were too many cars to list what I had over the years that followed, suffice to say Tamiya buggies and on-road cars from the late '80s to mid-'90s are my thing. Most cars of that era, I either owned, wanted to own, or worked on. Working there coincided with the touring car boom, and the FF01 (Jaccs Civic) was one of many, and a significant car for me - loved that car and drove it to death.

I got into nitro on-road, racing a Kyosho nostalgic/pure ten in the Kyosho Cup in 1996. Before this I'd never raced, apart from a failed attempt at an early '90s North Ryde enduro with a Tamiya Astute. That car was so unreliable we ended up reverting to an ill-handling Hornet…

The Kyosho Cup was great fun, and my best results were fourth at the state titles and third at the 1996 Nationals. We - my friend David and I - were leading when the engine failed. The prize was a $3K car and a trip to the worlds in the Philippines. The one that got away...

I worked at Wings ’n’ Things until 1999, by which time I was into full-size cars, and sold all my RC gear. I'd amassed so much cool stuff by then, I really wish I hadn't...

I'd had a few cars since then, but in 2010 I bought a Tamiya F102 Footwork FA13 Mugen Honda on Ebay, then a Top Force and it all took off again.

Now, I've got about 20 cars, the majority vintage Tamiya off-roaders, but also a couple of new kits, and a few non-Tamiyas (a Losi XX, a Schumacher Storm, and a Kyosho KF01 nitro F1). Other faster, more expensive and better handling cars have come and gone, but my favourites are the Top Force and Evo, Terra Conqueror, Hilux Monster Racer, Super Astute, Madcap, and Idemitsu Motion Mugen Civic. The latest addition as I write is a NIB TA01 Axia Skyline.

In June 2012 I got back into racing at the Castle Hill Vintage Festival, and actually took home a few trophies with the Super Astute, Monster Racer and Top Force. The last time I'd taken home a trophy I was 16, which was 16 years earlier!

In October 2012, I made good on that failed enduro attempt some 20 years earlier, by entering the Castle Hill Vintage Enduro with a Madcap. Okay, my team mates and I came last, but we had a blast, and the car proved pretty quick for an old plastic tub Tamiya, and ran faultlessly for the entire six hours!

These days, I love buying, selling, restoring and racing classic RC cars, I just wish I had more time to spend doing it!

Thanks for reading.

Jimbo
November 2012