Tamiya and other R/C vehicles (not just for Christmas)

If you can fix a skateboard, you can fix a bike,
If you can fix a bike...

Been on the phone with steve at wheelspin models in cannock today talking over various options as it happens.
The consensus is that its definitely worth paying the extra for the traxxas stuff as its better built and easier to upgrade/change/repair
There goes my idea of a brushless ftx vantage 🙄 now trying to choose between a traxxas rustler and a slash 😐

Yeah cheers steve

How hard are these things to build?

I made one last Christmas (a Neo Fighter). Fun little project, nothing complicated about it. Took a few evenings IIRC.

What mogrim said.

Built up a Blackfoot over a coupe of evenings last winter. This winter I will be dismantling an rebuilding it because it's a bit broken.

As above Traxxas stuff is better built. If I'd gone for one of theirs I don't think it would be as broken as the Blackfoot is now.

Ooh, just found this. Might give the Blackfoot to the boy and get one of these instead.

[img] [/img]

I bought a Neo Fighter about 2 years ago.

It's a decent car, but I find the rear springs are too soft, so it kinda drags it's bum on the floor & understeers a lot.

I've borrowed some stiffer springs off a colleague at work & keep meaning to buy the turnbuckle kit to give the front geometry a tweak & try to get it to turn in more aggressively. Tamiya sparea & hop-up parts are quite pricey though!

Build-wise - they are very straightforward & the instructions are brilliant. The hardest bit is getting the shocks filled with oil because they only just give you enough for all 4; just don't spill any!

I kinda regret not spending a bit more & getting the Dark Impact DF03 chassis, which looks quite a bit more capable (and is 4wd) but it was only meant to be something for a bit of fun & spec creep was erm, creeping in.

I would post a pic, but they're on Photobucket.....

northernmatt - Member
Ooh, just found this.

🙂
A six wheel version of that Toyota I quite fancy.
No wheelies, but can be built with four wheel steering.
also available with this body.....

[img] [/img]
Row, row, row your boat......

stumpy01 - Member
I kinda regret not spending a bit more & getting the Dark Impact DF03 chassis.

The Dark Impact or BigWig reissue were the ones I was initially drawn towards, but the shop reckons the TT02B chassis is a better bet.

Also fancy the CC-01 Unimog or the rally Beetle, which is a different chassis again...

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

...but I'd cry when all the lovely little detail bits broke off the first time I crashed them.
Maybe next time.

I still have my Midnight Pumpkin from, er, 1989....

I revived it a couple of years ago and play with it with my daughter (often at the beach). Have broken a suspension part now, so am considering retiring it and buying myself something else to build up instead.

In my mind, it's a choice between something fast and 4wd or a rock crawler. Opposite ends of the spectrum but each fun in their own way.

You should be able to get any parts for your Midnight Pumpkin as the re-release is exactly the same as the original chassis wise.

The Traxxas TRX-4 Land Rover is very nice as a rock crawler. Bit spendy though.

Yep, have wanted a Tamiya lunchbox since I was a kid - I'm 44 now.
This year might be the year!!

The Traxxas TRX-4 Land Rover is very nice as a rock crawler. Bit spendy though.

And the thing I like most about it is the battery life – I can go out with the family/dog for a couple of hours and we can all have a play on it and it just keeps going – a world away from the 10 minutes you used to get out of the old nicad Tamiya things. Obviously it goes nowhere near as quickly as those things though, but that's what I wanted so my kids could use it too.

I've wanted a Schumacher Cat since they first came out about 1987.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schumacher-Cat-Xls-original-complete-with-radio-gear-/132386678916

The consensus is that its definitely worth paying the extra for the traxxas stuff as its better built and easier to upgrade/change/repair

Youre really not helping matters johndoh 🙂

Want!

[img] [/img]

I got a neo fighter a couple of years back as well. Again had to be Tamiya to scratch a childhood itch. Enjoyed building it and painting the shell as much as anything else.

Ripped the engine out of the casing using it slightly outside it's design parameters. Left it for the last year and then bought some spares and rebuilt it with a faster motor. And some anodised blue bits, ahem. 5 minutes into first spin and the front wheel fell off, plastic C hub failed. Now waiting for more ano bits to arrive from Hong Kong....

Always found Tamiya a bit plasticky. Back in the day I spent a lot of time rebuilding the suspension with new bits.

I got into racing radio controlled cars and Losi were the make I stuck with - awesome bits of kit. No idea if they still make them / what they cost.

The most fun radio controlled car I've had for larking about with was an Hpi nitro stadium truck. Think it was called a 'Rush'. It was blindingly fast and rear wheel drive so you could drift it, and it jumped fantastically well.

I bought a schumacher mi1 (rolling chassis) off ebay a couple of years ago.
It must be around 20yrs old, belt drive 4wd, carbon top and bottom deck, oil filled alu shocks, two bodies, 4 sets of wheels and tyres,
£25 posted.
I already had a radio for it, and bought a brushless motor and drift tyres.
Top laugh, at a disposable price.
I also experimented with the gearing and an 8.4v battery, it’s hilariously fast.
Id say based on my experience, the schumacher i have is better quality than any of the several tamiyas ive built.

I went through an RC car phase several years ago and built up a couple of Ansmann cars (a buggy and a short course) a Tamiya Lowrider Pumpkin and something else I forget, a Venom Creeper crawler, an Axial crawler, a 4WD Team Durango buggy that was faster than my vision and hand-eye coordination could manage... a few got sold on and a few got sold on. Oh, and an HPI Savage kit.

I always enjoyed the build more than actually playing with them, in all honesty..! Never got buying an RTR. Recently noticed that Carisma have come out with a new scaler that's available as a kit and it seems like just the ticket for a long, dark and cold winter...

http://www.carismascaleadventure.com/sca-1e-kit/

Not Christmas Tamiya but my Rough Rider which I bought during a "mid life crisis" a couple of years back:

Not much plastic evident in this brute.

*Edit - could someone fix that video link for me please. No idea why it isn't working for me. Ta

Can't get it to work either.

Aaaaaargh, it's AGES 'till Christmas.........

Might start picking up bits and bobs now, paint etc.
Quite fancy a pink/purple combo.....

In fact, I could pick up a spare body shell and get cracking...

I did mine white & bright pink like the original Tamiya Frog.....

Should really stick a pic up on Flickr....

I'm quite proud of the paint job on mine, hadn't done one before. Must sort a photo

Fixed your link. For future reference, you have to use http:// rather than https:// for Vimeo vids. (No, me neither.)

Well, that took longer than expected to fight past the pop-up ads on Photobucket, download a pic and chuck it on flickr....

[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4523/38253328912_ca715bef8a_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4523/38253328912_ca715bef8a_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/21hjiXE ]DSCN8525_zpsu2hb6jtr[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/me96kka/ ]STW stumpy01[/url], on Flickr

I wanna get some black wheels for it, or spray the original wheels black.....

That's just lovely.
Clean and simple.

Decided on the TT-02B chassis, just trying to pick a body style now.

Will stick up the options shortly, be interesting to see what you lot think.
🙂

I just looked out my old Schumacher Cat from the loft a couple of weeks back, my 7 year old is very interested!

Think it needs a new battery though as the ones I have are 25 year old Nicads which means a new charger as well ....

Schumacher Cat looks pretty sweet, especially with the 4WD upgrade version. I scratched an itch with an Associated RC10 re-issue a while back, really liked that one but the kids aren't interested in playing along so I flogged it for a small loss.

I keep really hankering after a re-issue SuperShot though. I had the original HotShot back in the day and converted it to the 4 shock suspension, loved that thing. I have restored it and run it recently but it's a fragile old beast. Need a replacement!

Can we just let this thread die please. I really really [s]dont[/s] want one!

Always hankered after one as a kid but it never was to be. Might have to sort that out.

Are Losi still going? I had a xx-cr buggy when I was younger, remember putting a big 540 motor in it and an LRP Runner speed control. It was rapid!

One of these -

[img] [/img]

After the Losi I got this -

[img] [/img]

It wasn't that fun really, it was big and fast, but the 4wd made it just go where you pointed it without much drama.

Losi about to go bust apparently, no UK agent, have dropped all the micro range and selling off old stock.

Tbh, that's why I'm going Tamiya, have the feeling they'll always be around.

Have now roped the son in law in as well.
Someone to race against, ace.
🙂

Some more Rough Rider / Buggy Champ action in the dust:

Don't be fooled by the title!

Losi about to go bust apparently, no UK agent, have dropped all the micro range and selling off old stock.

Do you know where they're selling off stock, Rusty Spanner?

No idea mate.
Local shop don't stock them anymore and can't get them.

Modelsport have some left but not sure if discounted, haven't really looked.

Was told the parent company seem to be letting them just die off, seems a shame.

I had the original HotShot back in the day and converted it to the 4 shock suspension, loved that thing

My Hot Shot with 4 shock suspension conversion and a HS 2 body. Must be about 30 years old now. Dug out of my parents loft recently 🙂

[img] [/img]

I WANT that Schumacher CAT 😕

mrblobby I see you also have the cracked bumper, a very common problem. the hole in the hexagonal insert in the front gearbox is threaded on mine so the under bumper plate won't stay on any more, should get a new bit.

When I refurb'd mine I sorted all the bearings and got a hot new motor, the thing went way faster than I was ever able to run it as a kid!

I have something looking like a Néo Scortcher but from 1989 (?).
Need some work, new controls. And probably new engine as it hasn't run since then. The engin e is an upgraded Trinity.

cchris2lou - Member
I have something looking like a Néo Scortcher but from 1989 (?).

Probably the Terra Scorcher, which I think the styling for the Neo Scorcher came from....

[img] [/img]

Opted for a second hand Traxxas Summit 1/16 nearly 2yrs ago. Excellent condition and included a few upgrades. £200.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0E3bAwuowQ

Flat out it does IRO 40mph. Plenty fast enough with good ground clearance, rugged chassis and sharp handling.

In training mode it does less than half that and can be handled by monkey jnr.

Upgraded the servo a while back and plan on turning it into more of a rock crawler (change gear ratios and motor etc).

A lot of fun. Charger has since died so looking for one of those and some new batteries.

vintagewino, tempted to put the time in to refurb it, though some of the newer stuff looks great too. No idea where the transmitter's gone either.

I bought all new electronics for mine, all that had stopped working. I find the new electronic speed controllers a bit dull compared to the old mechanical ones which didn't mid you slamming from full forward to full reverse in the turns.

Got my new bits, it's all a bit battered but back together now. Really should sort out the overspray but might get a new shell and do a variation on the same theme. Wing on the current one is pretty torn now. It is OK to have a runner shell and a display shell isn't it....?

[url= http://i.imgur.com/1eEwXO8.jp g" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/1eEwXO8.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= http://i.imgur.com/KJy8T3t.jp g" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/KJy8T3t.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Yep it is a Terra Scorcher.

Keep meaning to stick it on ebay.

I'd be tempted with one of these for messing about with. Bound to be fairly over powered and rear wheel drive.

http://www.hpiracing.co.uk/piw.php?partNo=105866

davosaurusrex - are those blue springs the stiffer Tamiya options?

Did they make much difference?

They are yeah and they do help. Got all the preload spacers on there too. Think I paid about £7 posted from Japan rather than double that over here, I'm never in a rush for parts for it

Mr Spanner is a bad man, I went into Rossmod today on the back ofvthis yhread, to price up a Hornet (my brother had one back in the 80s and I didn't, I've still not forgiven my parents). Now tempted by a bigwig, very nice chap in the shop was very helpful, could probably source more cheaply from the web but I'm more confident I'll come away with exactly what I need.

On an unrelated note the Lego Saturn V is available to order again, Christmas is looking good (Millenium Falcon doesn't look like it'll be on the shelves again until well into 2018).

Did he mention they're willing to price match?
🙂

I'm popping down Friday to get some paints and possibly a spare body shell for the car I don't have yet.

Thanks for all the responses folks.

44 days to go.
😀

God [i]damn[/i] these threads. Now my ebay watch list is full of barely-used RC cars bought by fellow middle aged losers trying to recreate their childhoods.

Out of curiousity, I see a lot of well featured looking cars on gearbest and the like, but the question's always about reliability and parts- I can replace motors and I have a lipo charger and suchlike but are they really servicable? People say they take universal parts, but I don't know if that's really a thing

Aannndddd I caved , spanky new frog hoping my way. Excitement & embarrassment in equal measures 😛 😳

I told the guy in Rossmods about here, I described it as a mumsnet for middle aged blokes who occasionally ride mountain bikes. He said there were similar football forums!

Northwind - only really know about the Tamiya Dt-03 but all the electronics and suspension components as well as the motor and battery can be replaced with aftermarket alternatives. Not saying they are any cheaper but often better quality

Now my ebay watch list is full of barely-used RC cars bought by fellow middle aged losers trying to recreate their childhoods.

And now you want to join us, yes..? 😉

Just been up in the loft, and I know how much you like stuff like this, so I took a photo of my old car:
[img][url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4582/26580108649_c37160b675_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4582/26580108649_c37160b675_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GuN1gk ]IMG_0073[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/140926232@N06/ ]Richard Marsden[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Bought summer 1983, not used for a few years, and needs a bit of attention.

Wow thats old! That looks like the Racing Buggy that predated the Grasshopper

Even has the ceramic resistor still 😀

7.2V with a hump 'cos it was designed for a 6V battery 😀

Crystals in the Acoms for channel (remember split crystals so you could race more than 6?)

(and no lights on the roof 'cos they snapped off the first time you drove it and rolled it)

(and no lights on the roof 'cos they snapped off the first time you drove it and rolled it)

Yes, I'd forgotten that!
And the roof is stuck to the drivers helmet as the front supports also snapped off.

richmars.....you're a legend! Amazing car! 😯
😉

Right, it's make your mind up time.
🙂

Definitely going for the TT-02b, but have a choice of bodyshells;

Neo Scorcher...
[img] [/img]

Dual Ridge...
[img] [/img]

Plasma Edge II...
[img] [/img]

Hmmm.
Neo Scorcher (clean, simple) and Plasma Edge (bit more old school, love the yellow wheels) are winning at the mo.

What do you lot reckon?
Plasma Edge with a spare Neo Scorcher body?

Will be getting a ball bearing kit for the build and looking at a colour scheme similar to stumpy's beautiful Frog from the previous page.

Not long to go now......

Plasma Edge. Dual Ridge is minging and Neo Scorcher looks like it has had the nose cut off.

Plasma needs a far less fussy paintjob than that one though

I had a Frog, wanted a BigWig, ultimately wanted a tank!

Bigwig
[img] [/img]

@ richmars- I had the exact same set up as that! The re-released version that I bought a couple of years back to relive my childhood (obvs) is quite a bit better.

Battery lasts for a good half an hour for starters.

Plasma Edge.
Neo Scorcher.
Erm....not the Dual Ridge
In that order.

Definitely get the bearing kit....

@beamers,
I've not googled 'Rough Rider spares' to save money, but I will have to soon. I updated the speed controller a few years ago which made a huge improvement.

I have a traxxas rustler. I have done various mods and hopups. Its tough as nails. I clocked it at 43mph the other day!! Great fum, and relatively cheap for parts.

Oooh I have an old Yokomo MR4-TC kicking around somewhere. I might have to dig it out

They've re-released the bigwig. That's the one I wanted also but could never afford it.

I had to make do with the Thunder Shot. Pretty good car iirc. Had loads of fun with it.

[img] [/img]

I was a Kyosho fan (although had a Tamiya Fox for a bit). Optima, upgraded with belt drive, then a Turbo Optima Mid and a Lazer ZX. The Lazer was undoubtedly the fastest but actually a bit dull. The Mid was ace - geared for 4 minute races (crash and you lose, battery life was 4:20...) on an indoor track it was blindingly fast 🙂

Deals from Jadlam.

Inexplicably euro car parts have rising fighters and grasshoppers for £70 (kit only, no ESC, battery etc)

And I may have a mad bull in my shopping cart at timetunnel, but I'm wobbling... I can deal with £78 for the car, and I have a lipo charger and some batteries that'll fit but the cost of controllers and ESCs seems brutal, is there a good bargain/entry level option?

My eBay watch list is currently full of used plastic cars and my kitchen has a non runner on the side. I hold all of you responsible for this.

Northwind, my nephew has a Maverick stadium truck and the receiver failed.

I bought a transmitter/receiver from Amazon for about £26.

It feels pretty cheap, but has decent specs and seems to be reliable.

Decent ESC Can be had for £15:

http://www.fusionhobbies.com/product/45057-tamiya-tble-02s-brushed-brushless-esc

Controller for <£30:

http://www.fusionhobbies.com/product/cr277-core-rc-code-3-channel-2-4ghz-fhss-steerwheel-radio

I've got a hankering for a crawler or a short course truck. The Unimog kit looks cool, but non Tamiya RTR kits seem more capable and better value.

My bother and I used to have a Hornet and a Lunchbox that we bought from a guy down the road who used to race them, but they were the original 80's ones. I've still got the broken bits in a wardrobe but think it would probably be cheaper to buy a new kit than rebuild these.

I've got a Mondeo kit based on the FF01 chassis and a Nissan GTR Nismo based on the TL01 chassis. They're both battered but mostly working and I have nowhere to use them so really should move them on.

The videos of Lunchbox with brushless motors, LiPos and decent shocks are amusing too. This could end up being expensive!

I just want some witnesses that I'm making an actual grown up decision and not buying that madbull. Go me! Thanks for the advice Stumpy!

I sold all my RCS a while ago, last ones I had were a HPI Baja (1/5 2 stroke 27cc) which was great fun but just too big and noisy to have anywhere to use it. Then I bought a traxxas rustler and spent a ton of money on bits and had it doing 55mph+ but was stupid and undriveable (would spin the wheels in the tyres at full throttle...)

Just bought my boys a Ripmax husky and jackal for Christmas as their first RC cars so on the look out for something for myself which obviously has to be faster than theirs.

Ordered the Plasma Edge 2 (yellow wheels!) from Rossmod today, a Christmas prezzie from my wonderful wife.

She fancies one too, so that's her birthday in March sorted.
🙂

Just paid for the kit ATM, will be picking up a couple of batteries and the radio gear next week.
And probably a Neo Scorcher body.
And some bearings.
And paint.

There's a club in Bury that has an all weather track and has a racing class for this type of buggy, only £10 a year membership , sounds like a goer.

Have reorganised the garden into a bit of a circuit and have a big park a couple of minutes away, can't wait.

Not been this excited about a Christmas prezzie since the Atari 2600 when I was 10.
😀

Anything else I need?
Wheel type controller or sticks?

And can anyone recommend a decent forum?
MSUK seems friendly enough so might join that one.
I notice one of the contributors to this thread is a member.
🙂

Cheers for all the advice and responses so far, have a feeling this is going to be fun.

And more pictures please, might help me decide on a paint scheme.

I was always a sticks fan in the 80s, but wheels were gaining ground and seem to be ubiquitous now.

Sounds good. There are no tracks or clubs near me, which is a bit rubbish.

Colour scheme was a tricky thing for me! I went round and round in circles! With the fluo wheels, I would be tempted to go for black and white.

Stick or wheel controller....6 of one, half a dozen of the other. I went for stick but only because it was part of the fast charge deal I bought. I think I do prefer sticks to a wheel, but only because i'm more used to them...

MSUK is a decent forum some very knowledgeable chaps but as with anything RC related it has a significantly higher proportion of stupid 12 year olds than STW.

I recently managed to do a bit of a deal with someone I know who was getting out of RC for some of his cars for a bike I had and sold a few lights etc im not using as wanted to get something to use with the kids and just keep me busy. Worked out great for me as (many of you already know) I dont really have cash to spend but still have too many bikes (off to classifieds I go to sell another)