99999: Misc. from Twmaster showroom, Wild Panther Grasshopper Rip-off by Echo

Model: (Click to see more) 99999: Misc.
Status: Project
Date: 18-Oct-2003
Comments: 2

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Well I was searching the 'Bay and saw this which was claimed to be a Nichimo Spirit FF. (which it obviously isn't) Since it looked like a Grasshopper Clone and I am kinda interested in the other 'knock offs' of Tamiya models I had to have it. It was cheap enough to be worthwhile as it also included the box, manual and a fews new bits from the Nichimo it was claimed to be. One notable item is the RC unit (as in Remote not Radio Control) as it is wired to the buggy. The controller is obvious junk and the sticks are sloppy and feel nasty. The controller is also missing the battery cover.

So it gets here today and I hurry home from work to give it a good going over. It is the same dimensions as a Grasshopper and it seems some of the parts will indeed be identical between the two models. Most notably the bumper, nerf bars and front control arms. It is obvious that the Chinese company that made this, known as Echo, did not do all that much to conceal their cloning efforts of the original GH. The lines on the shell are nearly exact. I photographed the clone next to a real GH, see photo #2. The shell is also missing the running lights which appear to have been working lights since there are wires going to the mounting points. I also really like the detail and paint work on the driver figure and interior of the buggy.

After getting it out and looking it over I see a few things I like and a few things that frankly I find scarey as in really poor. First, the plastic of the body shell seems to be pretty good. It feels like a Tamiya shell. The chassis seems ok but perhaps a bit brittle. The steering servo is crap and broken. The drive motor is tiny, even smaller than a 280 motor! The rear axle does not have a differential (Like I was really expecting one! ;) ) The tires while a bit hard feeling are kinda nice and show very little wear. The rear paddles are curiously enough installed in the wrong rotational direction. Like the rest of the buggy the tires are knock offs of the originals with the exception of the text 'Off-Roader' and 'Echo' moulded into the sidewalls.

I am still trying to figure out how to get the wheels off of it without destroying anything although I am thinking this will be impossible.

I am also trying to decide what exactly to do with it. Clean it up, replace the rusty hardware and park it on the shelf as a display model since it while a toy is quite rare, or rebuild it with propper RC gear which while not an ideal candidate it is doable. I am also concerned about the possibly brittle chassis plastics.

Overall I think this thing is pretty cool. I may try to salvage the decals which like most cheap toys are paper not vinyl. I will definitely give it a clean up.