The Tamiya RC car thread
Discussion
Hi
I thought I would start a thread for people to discuss Tamiya RC cars, both old and new. I still vividly remember the pure excitement and joy on Christmas morning (1986) unwrapping my Tamiya Falcon, even though I told my parents in the run up to the big day that the kit was complete (they couldn't afford the full package, and probably wouldn't have bought it if they had known I couldn't use it until I had a radio set/battery...). I somehow managed to acquire a second hand radio not that long afterwards and had so much fun running it until I broke the chassis at the front end (a weak spot) and much araldite followed!
A few years later I worked in a model shop and whilst I was more into rc planes, I built countless Tamiya buggies for customers in the run up to festive season; the going rate was £25-30, which sounded like a great deal back then but the novelty soon wore off after your third Monster Beetle!
Fast forward to 2017 when I was visiting Tokyo, and I decided to buy a re-release of the Sand Scorcher. I spent quite a bit of time on the build/shell and decided to keep it for display; it seemed a waste especially as I had purchased radio gear etc so decided to sell it via eBay last month and look for something I could use. As much as I would love a re-release of the Falcon, I doubt that will happen and in these dark times I need something to look forward to so I have been following Tamiya chat on YT etc, and there is an announcement tomorrow morning on their latest releases. A dead cert is apparently a (re) re-release of the Egress; it doesn't hold much in the way of sentimental value as it was way out of my price range when I was younger, but I really want to build one and run it. My local model shop (big Tamiya dealer) already has a pre-order page up so I've ordered one pending the announcement tomorrow. Will keep the thread updated with pictures of the build (when/if it comes!)
What Tamiya car did you have when you were young, and what do you have now?
Here is an old price list I found online...
I thought I would start a thread for people to discuss Tamiya RC cars, both old and new. I still vividly remember the pure excitement and joy on Christmas morning (1986) unwrapping my Tamiya Falcon, even though I told my parents in the run up to the big day that the kit was complete (they couldn't afford the full package, and probably wouldn't have bought it if they had known I couldn't use it until I had a radio set/battery...). I somehow managed to acquire a second hand radio not that long afterwards and had so much fun running it until I broke the chassis at the front end (a weak spot) and much araldite followed!
A few years later I worked in a model shop and whilst I was more into rc planes, I built countless Tamiya buggies for customers in the run up to festive season; the going rate was £25-30, which sounded like a great deal back then but the novelty soon wore off after your third Monster Beetle!
Fast forward to 2017 when I was visiting Tokyo, and I decided to buy a re-release of the Sand Scorcher. I spent quite a bit of time on the build/shell and decided to keep it for display; it seemed a waste especially as I had purchased radio gear etc so decided to sell it via eBay last month and look for something I could use. As much as I would love a re-release of the Falcon, I doubt that will happen and in these dark times I need something to look forward to so I have been following Tamiya chat on YT etc, and there is an announcement tomorrow morning on their latest releases. A dead cert is apparently a (re) re-release of the Egress; it doesn't hold much in the way of sentimental value as it was way out of my price range when I was younger, but I really want to build one and run it. My local model shop (big Tamiya dealer) already has a pre-order page up so I've ordered one pending the announcement tomorrow. Will keep the thread updated with pictures of the build (when/if it comes!)
What Tamiya car did you have when you were young, and what do you have now?
Here is an old price list I found online...
Owned personally;
Holiday Buggy
Boomerang
Avante
But because I worked in various model shops from 1984 - 1995, built pretty much of all the low to mid-range cars. Never built a Egress or an Astute but one of the last ones I did was the Peterbilt truck with the 3 speed gearbox, that was a build.
Built a couple of Super Champs (the one with damper bottle in the car.). That was my favourite car.
Ah... happy days.
Holiday Buggy
Boomerang
Avante
But because I worked in various model shops from 1984 - 1995, built pretty much of all the low to mid-range cars. Never built a Egress or an Astute but one of the last ones I did was the Peterbilt truck with the 3 speed gearbox, that was a build.
Built a couple of Super Champs (the one with damper bottle in the car.). That was my favourite car.
Ah... happy days.
The Hypno-Toad said:
Built a couple of Super Champs (the one with damper bottle in the car.). That was my favourite car.
Apparently tomorrow may well see the re-release of the 2014 re-release (if that makes sense) of the Super Champ, or Fighting Buggy as it's been renamed. I agree, it's a cool car.tim0409 said:
Apparently tomorrow may well see the re-release of the 2014 re-release (if that makes sense) of the Super Champ, or Fighting Buggy as it's been renamed. I agree, it's a cool car.
Must. Resist. Need to save money for work on real car.
Can’t give in. Will not go to website.
I had a Grasshopper 2 and a subaru mud blaster! Visiting Beatties in Blackpool in the late 80s as a kid was a mind blowing experience, all those RC cars and models, so many of them seemed so far out of reach...which is probably why I ended up with the Grasshopper 2 as they were quite expensive back then!
I don't own any now but do casually look at them on ebay ...with a view to buying one of the ones I dreamed of owning as a kid. Like an Avante or a Clod Buster.
I don't own any now but do casually look at them on ebay ...with a view to buying one of the ones I dreamed of owning as a kid. Like an Avante or a Clod Buster.
Edited by RanchoGrande on Sunday 24th January 17:29
tim0409 said:
What Tamiya car did you have when you were young, and what do you have now?
None when I was young. Started off on a Tandy buggy, then went to Traxxas, Losi & Schumacher.I kinda like Tamiya, but even in the 1980s their kits were out dated and under performing.
Today I have:
-Lunchbox
-Grasshopper
-Konghead
-Madbull
-Asterion
I had a thunder dragon, we used to have an RC car day at school, which was carnage in the main hall, especially if you had the same crystal as someone else.
Fitted a technigold in my mates hornet, clearly too much for the chassis, but it was rapid!
I've been looking at them a fair bit, I might get another one one day when I get some spare time.
Tamiya were a bit crap, but the box art work and desirability to a spotty teenager in the 80's was like catnip.
Fitted a technigold in my mates hornet, clearly too much for the chassis, but it was rapid!
I've been looking at them a fair bit, I might get another one one day when I get some spare time.
Tamiya were a bit crap, but the box art work and desirability to a spotty teenager in the 80's was like catnip.
105.4 said:
A HotShot ! (or is it a HotShot II ?) I had one of those 
and a Hornet.
I keep on wistfully looking at the kits. A Bigwig would be nice, but I know I’d hardly ever use it, just build it and put it in a cupboard somewhere.
It’s the Hotshot rerelease from I think 2007 or so. I fairly extensively rebuilt it last summer. and a Hornet.I keep on wistfully looking at the kits. A Bigwig would be nice, but I know I’d hardly ever use it, just build it and put it in a cupboard somewhere.
My first RC when I was a kid was a Tamiya Bush Devil, back when all you had was a 1800mAh battery that you'd be lucky if it got you past 10 mins. I then had a Traxxas nitro then nothing else for years. About 14/15 years ago me and a mate bought a coupe of TT01s just as something to do of an evening, then as we bought houses and women got involved it all got left behind. Fast forward to just before this Xmas I bought a DT03 buggy to build over Xmas and my 4 yr old boy loved it, so I got an old TL01 chassis I had up the loft (that I only bought for the body about 10 years ago) and we've been having a laugh with them. Problem is I keep buying bits for both of them, and keep looking out for another kit to build. I'm hoping my dad can find (what's left) of my old Bush Devil up his house so I can restore it, if not I'll keep an eye out for one, to hang on the wall in the garage just for a bit of nostalgia.
Like others who've posted I worked in a model shop and raced for years, mostly Schumacher and Kyosho as Tamiya stuff just wasn't very good.
But so much nostalgia.. My first car was a Sand Rover (same chassis as the Holiday Buggy) and before I got into racing I'd spend hours reading the Tamiya RC Guidebook and lusting after pretty much everything tamiya made. I can still here the voiceover in that video Beatties used to play on a loop. Happy days.
But so much nostalgia.. My first car was a Sand Rover (same chassis as the Holiday Buggy) and before I got into racing I'd spend hours reading the Tamiya RC Guidebook and lusting after pretty much everything tamiya made. I can still here the voiceover in that video Beatties used to play on a loop. Happy days.
spanky3 said:
I can still here the voiceover in that video Beatties used to play on a loop. Happy days.
This one?https://youtu.be/9MkiGef61eg
I currently have a Porsche 956 RM-01 on eBay that I never built and a re-release (did they ever stop making them?) Hornet from ~2013 in the garage awaiting some TLC, once I'm done refurbing my racier buggies, on the assumption tracks will reopen this year.
As a lad, I had;
- Pajero
- Bigwig
- Clodbuster
- Grasshopper 2
- Avante
Wish I had kept them now, albeit you can still get the Bigwig and Avante pretty easily I think. Guessing the Clod and GH also reasonably available but I haven't seen a Pajero (not that. I've looked).
As coincidence would have it, my sister found this on my dad's desk, yesterday, and WhatsApped it to me... must be ~35yrs old (maybe a touch less):
As a lad, I had;
- Pajero
- Bigwig
- Clodbuster
- Grasshopper 2
- Avante
Wish I had kept them now, albeit you can still get the Bigwig and Avante pretty easily I think. Guessing the Clod and GH also reasonably available but I haven't seen a Pajero (not that. I've looked).
As coincidence would have it, my sister found this on my dad's desk, yesterday, and WhatsApped it to me... must be ~35yrs old (maybe a touch less):
We used to spend hours in Beatties and the Model Shop on Deansgate in Manchester looking longingly at the Tamiya stuff, and reading the catalogues and guides.
I got a Tamiya Frog in 1986, which I still have in the loft. It has an aftermarket body as well as the original Frog body, and I also replaced the rear wheels with some Fox type ones, as I got fed up replacing the original spiked balloon tyres. They were so soft and wore out really quickly especially on non dirt surfaces. It’s in need of an overhaul as the front suspension and steering are somewhat floppy.
My best mate had a Fox, which I always wanted, and would love a re-release of. Did they ever re-release it?
I’ve also got a re-release Hot Shot which I’ve had for ten years and not built. I always wanted one as a kid as it was the first Tamiya 4wd buggy.
And I have a Tamiya Honda S2000 brand new unbuilt RC car that I bought when I had the real thing, intending to build a replica of my car. But as tends to happen, I never got round to it, and sold the real car seven years ago. The kit is still boxed and gathering dust.
I got a Tamiya Frog in 1986, which I still have in the loft. It has an aftermarket body as well as the original Frog body, and I also replaced the rear wheels with some Fox type ones, as I got fed up replacing the original spiked balloon tyres. They were so soft and wore out really quickly especially on non dirt surfaces. It’s in need of an overhaul as the front suspension and steering are somewhat floppy.
My best mate had a Fox, which I always wanted, and would love a re-release of. Did they ever re-release it?
I’ve also got a re-release Hot Shot which I’ve had for ten years and not built. I always wanted one as a kid as it was the first Tamiya 4wd buggy.
And I have a Tamiya Honda S2000 brand new unbuilt RC car that I bought when I had the real thing, intending to build a replica of my car. But as tends to happen, I never got round to it, and sold the real car seven years ago. The kit is still boxed and gathering dust.
I raced RC cars way back in the 80s, starting almost by accident with Kyosho, then moving on to Associated and Schumacher (spending a fortune in Formby Models and Hobbies). However all my friends started with Tamiya, and I’d always loved their designs, so i couldn’t resist buying a Tamiya for my son recently as his first RC. That DT03 led to this: my Blitzer Beetle homage to the Sand Scorcher and Rough Rider
And yes, the shell was an absolute PITA to mask and paint!
And yes, the shell was an absolute PITA to mask and paint!
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