Damn you Tamiya!
Discussion
I happen to work just round the corner from Model Zone in the West End. I happened to pop in there yesterday and a couple of familiar boxes caught my eye...
Vanessa's lunchbox... Midnight Pumpkin... Subaru Brat... Hotshot etc.
It was like being starry eyes and 10 years old again!
Whilst I was tempted just to point at the lot and say - 'I'm feeling saucy, wrap them up my good man, I'll take the lot' - sense prevailed.
However, should I have seen a Sand Scorcher - there's no doubt I would have walked away with it.
So - should I give in to the urge to splurge, or keep them as they should be - as fond memories....?
Are they 'true' to the opiginals (my only gripe with them was the paltry battery life) or 'improved' modern iterations? I'm well out of the R/C car game - so advice welcomed.
Ps. Roop - I've still got my BigWig though
Vanessa's lunchbox... Midnight Pumpkin... Subaru Brat... Hotshot etc.
It was like being starry eyes and 10 years old again!
Whilst I was tempted just to point at the lot and say - 'I'm feeling saucy, wrap them up my good man, I'll take the lot' - sense prevailed.
However, should I have seen a Sand Scorcher - there's no doubt I would have walked away with it.
So - should I give in to the urge to splurge, or keep them as they should be - as fond memories....?
Are they 'true' to the opiginals (my only gripe with them was the paltry battery life) or 'improved' modern iterations? I'm well out of the R/C car game - so advice welcomed.
Ps. Roop - I've still got my BigWig though
Hi there,
Bought myself a Vanessa's Lunchbox about six months ago, never managed to own one first time round.
Had a Midnight Pumpkin then but always wanted a Lunchbox.
Bought mine via E-Bay from a seller in Hong Kong, it came in about a week and cost me £58.00 delivered to the door. Already had all the electronic bits so was up and running in a few days.
They even do 'pimped' versions of both the Lunchbox and Pumpkin: -
Regards
Tim
Bought myself a Vanessa's Lunchbox about six months ago, never managed to own one first time round.
Had a Midnight Pumpkin then but always wanted a Lunchbox.
Bought mine via E-Bay from a seller in Hong Kong, it came in about a week and cost me £58.00 delivered to the door. Already had all the electronic bits so was up and running in a few days.
They even do 'pimped' versions of both the Lunchbox and Pumpkin: -
Regards
Tim
I am really pleased that the Re-release Tamiyas are finding favour. They are very much true to the originals being virtually identical. Variations from the originals vary from model to model, but typically, the only significant changes are to the decals where licencing issues have stopped Tamiya from issuing the same decal sheets.
Some models have other technical changes such as the Hornet / Grasshopper chassis has a different speed controller mount intended to use a modern electronic speed controller versus the old 3-step mechanical units. The re-release Frog uses different differential outdrives and driveshafts to alleviate the rounding-off problems that plagued the 'hex drive' originals.
Regards battery life and such, it has improved dramatically. For example, when these models were originally released, a typical low-cost battery was a 1200mAh NiCd. Nowadays, similar money buys you, 3000 - 3600mAh NiMH packs and up to a three time improvement in run time is the direct result. Additional gains are found in the use of electronic speed controllers which are more efficient than the old mechanical units, plus it's so cheap to fully ballrace a car these days, you'd be crazy not to - huge efficiency gains are also found there. The top and bottom is that the 5 minutes runtime you used to get from a Hornet or Lunchbox is now something like 20 minutes or more.
I have bought a lot of the re-releases - 1x Hornet, 2x Grasshopper, 2x Lunchbox, 2x Frog, 2x Hotshot and others. I sold the Grasshoppers and Lunchboxes as I had mates desperate to get their hands on them - They are great fun for retro blasts about.
Great to hear you still have the Bigwig, Stig...!
Some models have other technical changes such as the Hornet / Grasshopper chassis has a different speed controller mount intended to use a modern electronic speed controller versus the old 3-step mechanical units. The re-release Frog uses different differential outdrives and driveshafts to alleviate the rounding-off problems that plagued the 'hex drive' originals.
Regards battery life and such, it has improved dramatically. For example, when these models were originally released, a typical low-cost battery was a 1200mAh NiCd. Nowadays, similar money buys you, 3000 - 3600mAh NiMH packs and up to a three time improvement in run time is the direct result. Additional gains are found in the use of electronic speed controllers which are more efficient than the old mechanical units, plus it's so cheap to fully ballrace a car these days, you'd be crazy not to - huge efficiency gains are also found there. The top and bottom is that the 5 minutes runtime you used to get from a Hornet or Lunchbox is now something like 20 minutes or more.
I have bought a lot of the re-releases - 1x Hornet, 2x Grasshopper, 2x Lunchbox, 2x Frog, 2x Hotshot and others. I sold the Grasshoppers and Lunchboxes as I had mates desperate to get their hands on them - They are great fun for retro blasts about.
Great to hear you still have the Bigwig, Stig...!
Stig said:
I happen to work just round the corner from Model Zone in the West End. I happened to pop in there yesterday and a couple of familiar boxes caught my eye...
Vanessa's lunchbox... Midnight Pumpkin... Subaru Brat... Hotshot etc.
It was like being starry eyes and 10 years old again!
Vanessa's lunchbox... Midnight Pumpkin... Subaru Brat... Hotshot etc.
It was like being starry eyes and 10 years old again!
I hear you brother.
I was always into R/C cars as a kid, but never had the cash to fund one
20 years later and now a grown-up(in theory at least) things have changed
Stig said:
Whilst I was tempted just to point at the lot and say - 'I'm feeling saucy, wrap them up my good man, I'll take the lot' - sense prevailed.
Stig said:
However, should I have seen a Sand Scorcher - there's no doubt I would have walked away with it.
I always fancied one of these
Avante
Stig said:
So - should I give in to the urge to splurge, or keep them as they should be - as fond memories....?
Are they 'true' to the opiginals (my only gripe with them was the paltry battery life) or 'improved' modern iterations? I'm well out of the R/C car game - so advice welcomed.
Bloody good questions.Are they 'true' to the opiginals (my only gripe with them was the paltry battery life) or 'improved' modern iterations? I'm well out of the R/C car game - so advice welcomed.
What is the opinion of the collective wisdom on this forum?
Edited by monthefish on Tuesday 12th August 13:06
The Tamiya relaunched models are really good, in particular the Lunchbox and Midnight Pumpkin pictured above. All come with a good quality electronic speed control and standard 540 motor, all they need is a battery and radio gear. A development is that you no longer need a receiver battery, receivers now draw their power from the main battery. www.modelsport.co.uk sell the Pumpkin and Lunchbox kits for around £60-70. Ebay is the best place to buy RC stuff, theres loads on there and a good complete car with radio can be had for as little as £50. Faster motors can be had for as little as £10. Its a no-brainer isnt it?! Original Tamiyas - Rough Riders, Sand Scorchers etc are highly sought after and command a fortune.
Whereas years ago there was only a handful of makers, now there are hundreds and nitro engines are all the rage with bigger and faster monster trucks appearing on virtually every page of the magazines. Brushless motor technology is also new and electric cars are achieving 60+mph !
After a 20 year lay-off I couldnt resist any longer and bought a 1980's Tamiya Blitzer Beetle off Ebay. Brilliant cars, check out the YouTube clips!Also check out www.tamiyaclub.com which has a huge following and will almost certainly get you spending money. You can search for individual cars, member groups etc
I'm hooked again and on the lookout for a decent Wild Willy now!
Whereas years ago there was only a handful of makers, now there are hundreds and nitro engines are all the rage with bigger and faster monster trucks appearing on virtually every page of the magazines. Brushless motor technology is also new and electric cars are achieving 60+mph !
After a 20 year lay-off I couldnt resist any longer and bought a 1980's Tamiya Blitzer Beetle off Ebay. Brilliant cars, check out the YouTube clips!Also check out www.tamiyaclub.com which has a huge following and will almost certainly get you spending money. You can search for individual cars, member groups etc
I'm hooked again and on the lookout for a decent Wild Willy now!
OK, finally a topic where I know what I am talking about...! Been running Tamiyas since 1986 and currently have a collection of 40+ vintage and modern Tamiyas including re-releases. Feel free to PM any queries...
ETA: Here's my TC Showroom : http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom.asp?id=380
ETA: Here's my TC Showroom : http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom.asp?id=380
Edited by Roop on Tuesday 12th August 14:55
Roop said:
OK, finally a topic where I know what I am talking about...! Been running Tamiyas since 1986 and currently have a collection of 40+ vintage and modern Tamiyas including re-releases. Feel free to PM any queries...
ETA: Here's my TC Showroom : http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom.asp?id=380
ETA: Here's my TC Showroom : http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom.asp?id=380
You own/owned all of these?
etc etc What a collection!!
A lot of 'blasts from the past' there. (Thundershot, Manta Ray etc etc)
Think it was the Manta Ray that my friend had - I was very envious!!
monthefish said:
Roop said:
OK, finally a topic where I know what I am talking about...! Been running Tamiyas since 1986 and currently have a collection of 40+ vintage and modern Tamiyas including re-releases. Feel free to PM any queries...
ETA: Here's my TC Showroom : http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom.asp?id=380
ETA: Here's my TC Showroom : http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom.asp?id=380
You own/owned all of these?
etc etc What a collection!!
A lot of 'blasts from the past' there. (Thundershot, Manta Ray etc etc)
Think it was the Manta Ray that my friend had - I was very envious!!
I've added a few more since then as well
Edited by Roop on Tuesday 12th August 15:24
If you're a fan of old Tamiyas, which I am, check out these beauties, also from the Tamiya Club website:
http://tiny.cc/nNXEn
I'm a member of the Blitzer Beetle Group:
http://tiny.cc/Hw6Q3
Go for it Stig, you know you want to !
http://tiny.cc/nNXEn
I'm a member of the Blitzer Beetle Group:
http://tiny.cc/Hw6Q3
Go for it Stig, you know you want to !
Well I recently realised a childhood dream via here and got a Tamiya celica GR.b, i can't describe how happy it has made me, it goes very nicely with my hybrid garden blaster, and my mint mardave meteor, I think I have room for another car though and a repro vintage tamiya will probably fill that space, as to which one it is damn hard, as frankly they are all so tempting!
I still have a 1970s Toyota Celica Competition Special.
Precious memories of me and Dad........... Oh to be ten again, building this with my old man...... The day I got it was one of the happiest of my life.
God bless, Dad. RIP.
Precious memories of me and Dad........... Oh to be ten again, building this with my old man...... The day I got it was one of the happiest of my life.
God bless, Dad. RIP.
Isn't it funny how silly things make you think............ Apologies for unexpected and silly self indulgent post..........
Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Tuesday 12th August 20:17
Vesuvius 996 said:
I still have a 1970s Toyota Celica Competition Special.
Precious memories of me and Dad........... Oh to be ten again, building this with my old man...... The day I got it was one of the happiest of my life.
God bless, Dad. RIP.
What a cool model to have kept, I never knew they even made one of those Precious memories of me and Dad........... Oh to be ten again, building this with my old man...... The day I got it was one of the happiest of my life.
God bless, Dad. RIP.
Isn't it funny how silly things make you think............ Apologies for unexpected self indulgent post..........
Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Tuesday 12th August 20:15
A few years back I got the re-release of the Clodbuster, mainly as I remembered a friend's older brother had one when I was tiny and it seemed so huge. Wasn't actually very good at all performance wise but twin motor 4 wheel steer was still cool
Quite liked the Group C pan car re-releases but by then I was packing in the rc stuff. Maybe in another few years!Gassing Station | Scale Models | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff