Vintage Tamiya Wild One
Discussion
I realise it isn't a scale model as such, but looking on this forum I see there are people knowledgeble about radio controlled stuff.
Some where in my parents loft there is a Tamiya Wild One that was mine dating from the mid 1980's. My own kids who are 5 and 7 have had various rubbish RC cars and I am sure they would love playing with my old car.
I must admit that I haven't seen it for over 25 years so assume it won't be in good or working order. If it is structurally sound are suitable parts readily available to resurrect it?
Any advice or tips on what issues to look for or where to get parts would be great (I realise that it would make more sense to get it and see what state it is in, but I have only just thought of it seeing a thread on here, I had completely forgotten about it).
Some where in my parents loft there is a Tamiya Wild One that was mine dating from the mid 1980's. My own kids who are 5 and 7 have had various rubbish RC cars and I am sure they would love playing with my old car.
I must admit that I haven't seen it for over 25 years so assume it won't be in good or working order. If it is structurally sound are suitable parts readily available to resurrect it?
Any advice or tips on what issues to look for or where to get parts would be great (I realise that it would make more sense to get it and see what state it is in, but I have only just thought of it seeing a thread on here, I had completely forgotten about it).
I've got an original wild one but even with 2 'spare' gearboxes and trying the shim technique I read on the internet I sadly still can't get a working gearbox. Shame because otherwise it's in pretty good condition and I still remember opening it on Christmas Day the best part of 30 years ago!
I have a Tamiya Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV) which is essentially the same thing albeit with a different body and a dummy machine gun mounted on the bonnet.
I run mine with a mild motor and have not yet had any gearbox issues. Perhaps the re-issued model had slightly improved mouldings? I didn't shim it out as per the guides or anything, just built as per the instructions.
As said, parts are easily had nowadays what with the recent re-release, however buying individual parts can soon stack up.
Some good sites for you to try-
www.goldstarstockists.net - UK-based
www.stellamodels.com.hk - Hong Kong
www.banzaihobby.com - Japan
All very reliable from my personal experience.
I run mine with a mild motor and have not yet had any gearbox issues. Perhaps the re-issued model had slightly improved mouldings? I didn't shim it out as per the guides or anything, just built as per the instructions.
As said, parts are easily had nowadays what with the recent re-release, however buying individual parts can soon stack up.
Some good sites for you to try-
www.goldstarstockists.net - UK-based
www.stellamodels.com.hk - Hong Kong
www.banzaihobby.com - Japan
All very reliable from my personal experience.
Just a word of caution when resurrecting old RC models, the plastic hardens slightly over time becoming brittle and hence more fragile. Crashes which would have previously been shrugged off suddenly result in bits falling off which does shade the experience somewhat, especially with a 7 year old which if they are anything like mine will crash a lot.
And yes I did learn the hard way, hence my Terrescorcher now lives on the shelf and I have a couple of newer Dual Hunters (effectively 4x4 Blackfoots) which have so far proved to be much stronger.
And yes I did learn the hard way, hence my Terrescorcher now lives on the shelf and I have a couple of newer Dual Hunters (effectively 4x4 Blackfoots) which have so far proved to be much stronger.
Blimey time flies, I finally ventured into my folks loft a couple of weekends ago and found my old Wild One.
It looks like I packed it away carefully in the original box and had partly disassembled it, removed the body, wheels and the batteries from everything.
So I was disappointed after re-building it to find that the servos were dead after putting new batteries for them in the car and the control handset.
Any ideas why it would be dead? The car had an easy life in my younger days and I remembered why, when my parents bought me it they only got me a charger which plugged into a car cigar lighter. As an 11 or 12 year old this wasn't much use as I didn't own a real car to charge it from.
Looking at what modern Tamiyas cost is it worth getting a new control and servos, battery and charger for an old one? If not I may have to buy a couple of modern ones for my boys instead.
It looks like I packed it away carefully in the original box and had partly disassembled it, removed the body, wheels and the batteries from everything.
So I was disappointed after re-building it to find that the servos were dead after putting new batteries for them in the car and the control handset.
Any ideas why it would be dead? The car had an easy life in my younger days and I remembered why, when my parents bought me it they only got me a charger which plugged into a car cigar lighter. As an 11 or 12 year old this wasn't much use as I didn't own a real car to charge it from.
Looking at what modern Tamiyas cost is it worth getting a new control and servos, battery and charger for an old one? If not I may have to buy a couple of modern ones for my boys instead.
Those who know better than I do will be along shortly but I have seen many say that the plastic is likely to be a bit brittle by now and seeing as though you are into new servos and ESC I would get a new one.
My guess is a little moisture followed by a little corrosion over the last x years. You might be able to take them apart and have a go at fixing but when a whole new set of servos, controler and esc are much less than £100 I would go that way.
My guess is a little moisture followed by a little corrosion over the last x years. You might be able to take them apart and have a go at fixing but when a whole new set of servos, controler and esc are much less than £100 I would go that way.
As above really, I've got my old mardave meteor to build up at some point in its "period" spec as it was when I got it for Christmas or birthday one year around age 8, I'm lucky as I have a few of the
If I wanted a runner so I could use them, that said they are a lot more robust than old tamiyas (which I also collect).
My advice would be keep it as a shelf queen with the original dead servos etc. and buy a couple of new models to run, even new wild ones if you want the same model.
If I wanted a runner so I could use them, that said they are a lot more robust than old tamiyas (which I also collect).
My advice would be keep it as a shelf queen with the original dead servos etc. and buy a couple of new models to run, even new wild ones if you want the same model.
It depends how attached to the model you are - indeed vintage parts are still expensive if (like some die-hard collectors) you insisted on using old parts as opposed to the almost identical newer parts.
As my post above, I have the re-released FAV which is effectively a Wild One albeit with a hard ABS body and more detail. I have fitted Wild One aluminium oil shocks and modern radio gear, consisting of a metal-geared servo, 2.4ghz receiver and electronic speed controller with a torquey-but-not-stupid motor. This allows for gentle running at a pace akin to a slow run.
If you wanted to do that to your old vintage Wild One you would be looking to spend around £100 to do it 'properly' - you could spend less on cheaper gear of course. Alternatively, if you are very attached to that model and would be scared of damage a newer buggy might be a better option.
How old are your children out of interest?
As my post above, I have the re-released FAV which is effectively a Wild One albeit with a hard ABS body and more detail. I have fitted Wild One aluminium oil shocks and modern radio gear, consisting of a metal-geared servo, 2.4ghz receiver and electronic speed controller with a torquey-but-not-stupid motor. This allows for gentle running at a pace akin to a slow run.
If you wanted to do that to your old vintage Wild One you would be looking to spend around £100 to do it 'properly' - you could spend less on cheaper gear of course. Alternatively, if you are very attached to that model and would be scared of damage a newer buggy might be a better option.
How old are your children out of interest?
The kids are 6 and 8. I think I will look into getting them a modern one each for Christmas, if I fixed up my old Wild One they would fall out over who got to drive it, and probably end up wrecking it.
The eldest is at the age where he likes technology and gadgets as well as books, lego, his bike and skate board. My youngest likes what ever his older brother has so they end up either sharing stuff or getting the same.
A couple of proper RC cars with off road capabilities (to drive on grass, either the back garden or local playing field) would be great fun for them I am sure. They have had numerous 'toy' rc cars which have all been pretty poor, not worked for long, or have broken under normal use.
Should I stick with Tamiya or are there any other brands that fill the criteria of robust, better than a toy but not of professional race quality, and sub £200.00 including control gear, servos and battery chargers?
The eldest is at the age where he likes technology and gadgets as well as books, lego, his bike and skate board. My youngest likes what ever his older brother has so they end up either sharing stuff or getting the same.
A couple of proper RC cars with off road capabilities (to drive on grass, either the back garden or local playing field) would be great fun for them I am sure. They have had numerous 'toy' rc cars which have all been pretty poor, not worked for long, or have broken under normal use.
Should I stick with Tamiya or are there any other brands that fill the criteria of robust, better than a toy but not of professional race quality, and sub £200.00 including control gear, servos and battery chargers?
Personally I have a big attachment to Tamiya because my first job was working in a hobby shop selling, building and maintaining them.
The other argument being a kit is better than anything RTR - it adds a layer of interest and if you ever need to replace a part you already know how it went together. There's a sense of achievement after building it too.
Now, off road is a wide spectrum of models. The bottom end of the range is filled with 2WD buggies, which are great for their simplicity and outright pace, together with reduced battery usage due to their simple drivetrain. The downside is they lack traction in long grass and can occasionally get stuck.
4WD buggies generally never get stuck and the acceleration benefits are very noticeable. They are naturally more complex and have reduced battery life as a result of their drivetrain. Personally I find them a little dull to drive unless they're top-end or heavily upgraded, where their rather boring handling characteristics can be forgiven by an overwhelmingly powerful motor for 4wd drifts - the speed of which you couldn't let an 8 year old loose with as it would end in tears pretty quickly!
Then you have big-wheeled off roaders - generally monster trucks by design. The majority are 2WD but are often built very tough. Tamiya make a WT-01 which is great for kids, it will climb many obstacles and forgive many impacts / jumps / rollovers.
The other genre of big-wheeled off roaders is the wheelie range, which again offer another layer of interest - who doesn't like a tractor that can do a wheelie?! The Lunchbox, Midnight Pumpkin, Wild Willy et al are classic models from Tamiya whicb fulfil this criteria.
Finally (if you're still with me) there's the new 4WD wheelie chassis. There's a new model coming out before Christmas I would bring your attention to in the form of the Monster Dump (I kid you not). Construction vehicles always gather interest from young minds and this looks like it will be a really nice model. Hard plastic body with manually tip-able bucket and all parts moulded in fetching yellow - so no paint or scratches to worry about.
Here's the shop I worked at growing up, they're online only now but have plenty of "deals" which suit your budget and include everything you need to get going.
http://www.goldstarstockists.net/live/catalog/mode...
The other argument being a kit is better than anything RTR - it adds a layer of interest and if you ever need to replace a part you already know how it went together. There's a sense of achievement after building it too.
Now, off road is a wide spectrum of models. The bottom end of the range is filled with 2WD buggies, which are great for their simplicity and outright pace, together with reduced battery usage due to their simple drivetrain. The downside is they lack traction in long grass and can occasionally get stuck.
4WD buggies generally never get stuck and the acceleration benefits are very noticeable. They are naturally more complex and have reduced battery life as a result of their drivetrain. Personally I find them a little dull to drive unless they're top-end or heavily upgraded, where their rather boring handling characteristics can be forgiven by an overwhelmingly powerful motor for 4wd drifts - the speed of which you couldn't let an 8 year old loose with as it would end in tears pretty quickly!
Then you have big-wheeled off roaders - generally monster trucks by design. The majority are 2WD but are often built very tough. Tamiya make a WT-01 which is great for kids, it will climb many obstacles and forgive many impacts / jumps / rollovers.
The other genre of big-wheeled off roaders is the wheelie range, which again offer another layer of interest - who doesn't like a tractor that can do a wheelie?! The Lunchbox, Midnight Pumpkin, Wild Willy et al are classic models from Tamiya whicb fulfil this criteria.
Finally (if you're still with me) there's the new 4WD wheelie chassis. There's a new model coming out before Christmas I would bring your attention to in the form of the Monster Dump (I kid you not). Construction vehicles always gather interest from young minds and this looks like it will be a really nice model. Hard plastic body with manually tip-able bucket and all parts moulded in fetching yellow - so no paint or scratches to worry about.
Here's the shop I worked at growing up, they're online only now but have plenty of "deals" which suit your budget and include everything you need to get going.
http://www.goldstarstockists.net/live/catalog/mode...
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PH5121 said:
I realise it isn't a scale model as such, but looking on this forum I see there are people knowledgeble about radio controlled stuff.
Some where in my parents loft there is a Tamiya Wild One that was mine dating from the mid 1980's. My own kids who are 5 and 7 have had various rubbish RC cars and I am sure they would love playing with my old car.
I must admit that I haven't seen it for over 25 years so assume it won't be in good or working order. If it is structurally sound are suitable parts readily available to resurrect it?
Any advice or tips on what issues to look for or where to get parts would be great (I realise that it would make more sense to get it and see what state it is in, but I have only just thought of it seeing a thread on here, I had completely forgotten about it).
Easy, sell it to me!Some where in my parents loft there is a Tamiya Wild One that was mine dating from the mid 1980's. My own kids who are 5 and 7 have had various rubbish RC cars and I am sure they would love playing with my old car.
I must admit that I haven't seen it for over 25 years so assume it won't be in good or working order. If it is structurally sound are suitable parts readily available to resurrect it?
Any advice or tips on what issues to look for or where to get parts would be great (I realise that it would make more sense to get it and see what state it is in, but I have only just thought of it seeing a thread on here, I had completely forgotten about it).
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