# Tamiya RC models



## JhnBssll (10 Oct 2019)

I love a project, me. Last year I bought an old Tamiya Vanessa's Lunchbox on eBay. I stripped and rebuilt it and gave it to my niece. I then bought a used clodbuster to rebuild but that project stalled and it ended up in the garage roof. Since then I've had a little nephew and found a used Midnight Pumpkin on eBay which I will rebuild and eventually pass on to him  I've also dragged the Clodbuster down and will rebuild that too so I can join in the fun 

Here's the Lunchbox I built:








Here's the Pumpkin I'll be rebuilding for my nephew:







And here's my Clodbuster which I'll be rebuilding and upgrading for myself


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## Cycleops (10 Oct 2019)

They're a perennial favourite. I used to run a model shop and every year, early November I used to prepare a large Tamiya order for Christmas. It seems people would buy them for presents or for themselves at this time.
Are you still using 27mhz RC or have things moved into 2.4Ghz?


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## JhnBssll (10 Oct 2019)

The clod has no radio gear so I'll buy new 2.4Ghz stuff. I replaced the old 27mhz stuff and mechanical speed controller in the lunchbox, I'll likely do the same with the pumpkin 

I am toying with the idea of adding features to the clod so am looking at 3 or 4 channel transmitter receivers at the moment but haven't made my mind up yet - I like the old two stick approach but the trigger and wheel jobbies do look easy to use... Decisions decisions


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## flake99please (10 Oct 2019)

Not quite a Tamiya.... (it’s an HPI)


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## dan_bo (10 Oct 2019)

flake99please said:


> Not quite a Tamiya.... (it’s an HPI)
> View attachment 488569


Looks a lot like an early Kyosho Ultima that


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## Smokin Joe (10 Oct 2019)

I've got a Fighter Buggy and a Toyota Celica, plus a Kyosho RGV500 Suzuki. I used to have more but I sold them a few years ago.


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## fossyant (10 Oct 2019)

ooooh - we've got Midnight Pumpkin somewhere !


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## JhnBssll (10 Oct 2019)

Awesome, I'm glad to see I'm not the only adult with this particular guilty pleasure 

Would be cool to see more of the CC'ers RC's


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## Cycleops (10 Oct 2019)

I had a Tamiya Toyota Hi Lux 4wd that I bought years ago in Hong Kong. I used it for a bit then put in in the loft. It had a metal chassis and gearbox that you could change from a 4 channel TX. I was surprised later to find that they are worth a ton of money and sold it for nearly £500 I think.


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## Reynard (10 Oct 2019)

I have one of these:






Bandai jaguar XJR-9 1:20, picked up on a boot sale in mint condition for a fiver. I've barely used it because I'm useless at driving anything remotely.


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## dan_bo (10 Oct 2019)

Used to race 10th scale buggies and 12th carpet when I was a kid. Taught me a lot about tech and engineering. It's a good thing for kids to do.


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## flake99please (11 Oct 2019)

dan_bo said:


> Looks a lot like an early Kyosho Ultima that



Well spotted. It’s the same designer for both models.


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## Cycleops (11 Oct 2019)

I thought I just ought to mention the daddy of all buggies the FG range from Germany. These are large scale petrol engine cars which come in various forms. I used to sell them and the basic Murder shown here was 2wd although they offer 4wd. They are just so much fun. Not cheap though, a Marder with a reasonable spec including large metal gear servos will set you back around a grand.


View: https://youtu.be/8JcDerEEI5M

If anyone is interested this is their website;
http://www.t2m-rc.fr/en/


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## dan_bo (11 Oct 2019)

Cycleops said:


> I thought I just ought to mention the daddy of all buggies the FG range from Germany. These are large scale petrol engine cars which come in various forms. I used to sell them and the basic Murder shown here was 2wd although they offer 4wd. They are just so much fun. Not cheap though, a Marder with a reasonable spec including large metal gear servos will set you back around a grand.
> 
> 
> View: https://youtu.be/8JcDerEEI5M
> ...



That looks like a tough old piece of kit!


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## Cycleops (11 Oct 2019)

We used to have a field opposite the shop which was often ploughed and it could handle that no problem.


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## Broadside (11 Oct 2019)

I used to enjoy RC models as a kid. What is the youngest age before kids can assemble them by themselves these days? Could a 9 year old do it?


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## JhnBssll (11 Oct 2019)

Broadside said:


> I used to enjoy RC models as a kid. What is the youngest age before kids can assemble them by themselves these days? Could a 9 year old do it?



I think a competent 9yr old would be able to build one quite successfully but theres really only one way to find out 

I've been doing some research for my clodbuster build. I'm going to try and build in an arduino to control the show. Figure if I put the receiver inputs in to the arduino I can do clever stuff with the rear steering etc. Worth a play anyway! I had a Honda Prelude with electronic 4 wheel steering and am keen to try and reproduce it on a smaller scale


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## Cycleops (11 Oct 2019)

I'm sure a nine year old could manage one of the basic Tamiya kit by him/her self with a little help from a knowledgeable adult with the RC stuff.


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## flake99please (11 Oct 2019)

Cycleops said:


> I thought I just ought to mention the daddy of all buggies the FG range from Germany



They were the ‘daddy’ until about 2007. My HPI Baja was 1/5th scale compared with the Marder at 1/6th scale

Not a buggy, but the Losi 5T made both of these look small. It was an absolute beast of a short course truck.


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## RoadRider400 (13 Oct 2019)

Did a similar project myself on a Monster Beetle circa 1986. The restoration was more fun than the driving. Cost me a darn site more than just buying a fully restored one to begin with. In a break with tradition I went for a blackout paint job rather than the conventional red. Photos not of the finished job but the only ones I have on my computer right now.


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## RoadRider400 (13 Oct 2019)

Broadside said:


> I used to enjoy RC models as a kid. What is the youngest age before kids can assemble them by themselves these days? Could a 9 year old do it?



I think 9 is too young. There is invariably several steps in any build where the manual neglets to mention you need three hands and fingers like pipe cleaners.


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## classic33 (14 Oct 2019)

RoadRider400 said:


> I think 9 is too young. There is invariably several steps in any build where the manual neglets to mention you need three hands and fingers like pipe cleaners.


The fingers of a nine year old should be smaller than yours though.


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## keithmac (14 Oct 2019)

I bought my lad a 1/10th Nitro 4wd truck a while back, I spent longer driving it than he did!.

Always fancied a Grasshopper or a Hornet RC car but would probably never use it..


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (14 Oct 2019)

Used to race 1/10 electric RC classes, expensive game these days


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## Illaveago (14 Oct 2019)

I bought a Tamiya Lancia Delta Integrale 4wd rally car back in the 90's for my 10year old son to build. I supervised the build which he did well. I painted the body though.


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## cosmicbike (14 Oct 2019)

Mine are all boxed up and in the loft. Twin Dagger and another truck thing for the kids, Vauxhall BTCC and a buggy for fun. I used to run the 1/8 scale ic buggies (Kyosho Inferno etc etc), not sure if they still race them at Upton Court Park in Slough. Only trouble with the bigger buggies was space, they are noisy and stupidly fast, the local park is not the place for them.


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## Broadside (14 Oct 2019)

RoadRider400 said:


> I think 9 is too young. There is invariably several steps in any build where the manual neglets to mention you need three hands and fingers like pipe cleaners.



I think you’re probably right, interpreting the instructions might be a struggle. I would plan to do the build with him but want him to get the satisfaction of the build and understanding the inner workings rather than me taking over!


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## Smokin Joe (14 Oct 2019)

Building R/C cars was the thing that made me understand how a differential worked.


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## Smokin Joe (14 Oct 2019)

I so want one of these, a snip at £129 from Tamiya -


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## JhnBssll (26 Oct 2019)

Some smart looking models in this thread already 

I've been tinkering with my Clodbuster 😄 It's now got a nice shiny new chassis and some new suspension components  I've reinstated the rear wheel steering and am waiting on the servo's to arrive before I finish the chassis off and move on to the electronics 

This is the chassis as I bought her...






This is the new chassis with the first few bits transferred over...






The previous owner had mounted the lower shocks to the swing arms with P-clips which I deemed a non-engineered solution  I found some aftermarket carbon plate suspension mounts on eBay and snapped them up, this is a much better solution 






The cherry on the chassis cake arrived today in the form of replacement shocks, here it is with the new shocks on the front and old still on the rear...






And here she is as she looks now, new chassis and suspension all finished. Once Servo's and battery are here I can run her for the first time since I bought her 15 months ago 






Next stage after that will be to try and program an arduino to control the rear wheel steering - I used to own a Honda Prelude with electronic 4WS and I want to replicate the way that system worked on the Clodbuster, just to see if I can


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## classic33 (26 Oct 2019)

Didn't the Clodbuster have dual shocks either side?


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## JhnBssll (26 Oct 2019)

classic33 said:


> Didn't the Clodbuster have dual shocks either side?



Certainly did. The new chassis has got space for a second but it's very common for modded Clods to go to a single shock. Aftermarket oil damped shocks tend to be stiffer than the originals and it would be over-sprung and over damped with 2 at each corner.


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## classic33 (26 Oct 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> Certainly did. The new chassis has got space for a second but it's very common for modded Clods to go to a single shock. Aftermarket oil damped shocks tend to be stiffer than the originals and it would be over-sprung and over damped with 2 at each corner.


The "after" pictures had me thinking of their TXT.


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## classic33 (26 Oct 2019)

Two of mine


















I've the Mini, painted with Sid and The Gaffer on it. Painted with the Michelin man in mind. Tetley supplied the colour mixing proportions for this.

Started with the Boomerang, bought a Celica(unwanted present). Went back to the Off-Road theme with the Bearhawk & Blackfoot. I've the TA-01 and TA-02 chassis's, with a couple of different bodyshells on them. The belt drive TA-03 with a Mercedes AMG bodyshell.


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## JhnBssll (26 Nov 2020)

This project has stalled rather  The only real progress since the last photos were taken was attaching the servo's, and whilst the radio gear did arrive I never wired it up and ran it 






Since the evenings are drawing in, and I've got a brief respite from my extension building, I figured I'd get this project going again 😊 With that in mind I'm currently looking in to brushless motors and speed controllers to give the old girl a bit more oomph  Whatever I go with I'll need two of them as theres a motor per axle, and with brushless you need a controller per motor. Seems like it should keep me entertained for a few evenings anyway


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## JhnBssll (16 Dec 2020)

I found and ordered some suitable motors and controllers, one of which has arrived  I paid for two but a mix up by the seller means the second has only just been posted from China so will be another wait until that arrives 

Anyway, one shiny new brushless sensorless motor fitted along with one sensorless 60A electronic speed controller. Two of those should give it more than enough oomph 











I managed to find a red motor to match the springs and steering servos  Its not just my bicycles that have to be colour coordinated


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## classic33 (16 Dec 2020)

How much for the motors and controllers?


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## JhnBssll (17 Dec 2020)

I paid £52 inc. delivery for 2 motors and 2 controllers in the AliExpress black friday sale. They're branded "Surpass Hobby" who are apparently one of the more reputable chinese manufacturers but at that price I figured it was worth a go regardless


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## Cycleops (17 Dec 2020)

This time of year always reminds me of when I was running the Hobbystores shop. We always made a huge Tamiya order in time for Christmas and the new year. Wonder if people still buy them as presents?






Always thought this was a Tamiya but now not so sure. Anyone recognise it?


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## icowden (17 Dec 2020)

OK hive mind...

I have just got a nice new much longer lasting battery pack for the car. But...
For some reason it won't *quite* go through the chassis slot (it goes 3/4 of the way through the first part of the slot, then the "foot plate" on the battery catches on something and it won't go any further

My options are:-

Use the dremmel with a sanding attachment to try and sand down any ridges in the slot.
Break the plastic wrap on the battery and try to sand down the plastic foot plate
Can't think of any other options. I am veering towards (1) as I'm worried about breaking the battery.
Anyone got any other ideas?


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## classic33 (17 Dec 2020)

icowden said:


> OK hive mind...
> 
> I have just got a nice new much longer lasting battery pack for the car. But...
> For some reason it won't *quite* go through the chassis slot (it goes 3/4 of the way through the first part of the slot, then the "foot plate" on the battery catches on something and it won't go any further
> ...


Don't break the heatshrink on the new battery.

Have you tried feeding the battery in from the other side?

Receiver shelf* caused some problems on the TL-01/TB-01.

*Right-hand side, behind the battery.


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## classic33 (17 Dec 2020)

Cycleops said:


> This time of year always reminds me of when I was running the Hobbystores shop. We always made a huge Tamiya order in time for Christmas and the new year. Wonder if people still buy them as presents?
> 
> View attachment 563727
> 
> ...


Older Kyosho kit*?
Based on front suspension arms.


*Yamaha Jordan 192!!


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## icowden (17 Dec 2020)

classic33 said:


> Have you tried feeding the battery in from the other side?
> 
> Receiver shelf* caused some problems on the TL-01/TB-01.
> 
> *Right-hand side, behind the battery.



Yep, tried both sides :-( What's odd is that on visual inspection there isn't any obvious impedence to the batteries progress.


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## classic33 (17 Dec 2020)

icowden said:


> Yep, tried both sides :-( What's odd is that on visual inspection there isn't any obvious impedence to the batteries progress.


From memory, the two halves of the box chassis has overlapping, interlocking tabs along the bottom of the chassis. Are all these in the correct place, not creating a bump on the inside?

Should be visible from the outside, and inside with the three speed control gone.


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## icowden (18 Dec 2020)

There are no bumps, and the factory supplied battery slides in without problem. The slightly larger foot on the new battery just seems to catch on something.
I'll post some photos tomorrow!


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## JhnBssll (27 Dec 2020)

I've got a couple of new 3D printers arriving over the next few weeks so will be able to print bigger bits. I decided a new chassis tub for the Clod Buster would be a good plan so I'm in the process of designing one  I've got the basic layout sorted, along with cooling channels, just need to consider how to hold the battery in and where to run the wires now 

The yellow block represents a 3 cell LiPo battery pack and the blue blocks underneath are the brushless speed controllers


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## classic33 (27 Dec 2020)

JhnBssll said:


> I've got a couple of new 3D printers arriving over the next few weeks so will be able to print bigger bits. I decided a new chassis tub for the Clod Buster would be a good plan so I'm in the process of designing one  I've got the basic layout sorted, along with cooling channels, just need to consider how to hold the battery in and where to run the wires now
> 
> The yellow block represents a 3 cell LiPo battery pack and the blue blocks underneath are the brushless speed controllers
> 
> View attachment 565733


What will that cost to print do you know.


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## JhnBssll (27 Dec 2020)

classic33 said:


> What will that cost to print do you know.



If I use the FDM it'll be no more than a couple of quid in filament I would imagine. The LCD resin printer is a little more expensive to run, but even then I'd be surprised if it used £5 of resin 🤷‍♂️ The main problem is build time - on the FDM it'll probably take 12hrs to print and about half that on the LCD resin.


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## classic33 (27 Dec 2020)

£25 and up on ebay, and that's second hand.

Thought it'd cost more to print one.


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## JhnBssll (27 Dec 2020)

The materials are generally pretty cheap. Obviously theres the outlay for the printers too, but the main cost of printed parts is labour. If you want to use exotic materials with enhanced properties (super tough resins for example) they cost a lot more but I doubt they'll be required for this part 😊 Once the printers show up and I've had a chance to get them set up and running properly I'll find out I guess


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## JhnBssll (25 Mar 2021)

I finally got round to printing the chassis tub 😊 It took 23 hours on the FDM printer, I've printed it in black ABS so it should be fairly robust. I'll try and assemble it tomorrow, hopefully I've measured right but there's always something that needs tweaking  If needed I'll print it again over the weekend but we shall see 😊

Here it is being printed...






And this is the finished part with the support structure removed from around the edges - it's only needed to allow the overhangs to be printed and then breaks away when it's finished 






The two motor controllers will sit in the bottom at either end with the radio gear in between, and the battery sits along the top. I'm planning on fastening it down with large black rubber bands but will see what happens


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## classic33 (25 Mar 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> I finally got round to printing the chassis tub 😊 It took 23 hours on the FDM printer, I've printed it in black ABS so it should be fairly robust. I'll try and assemble it tomorrow, hopefully I've measured right but there's always something that needs tweaking  If needed I'll print it again over the weekend but we shall see 😊
> 
> Here it is being printed...
> 
> ...


For finish, how does it compare to an injection moulded one?
Flashing, thin spots, that sort of thing.


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## JhnBssll (25 Mar 2021)

classic33 said:


> For finish, how does it compare to an injection moulded one?
> Flashing, thin spots, that sort of thing.



An FDM print fresh off the printer will never be as nice as an injection moulded part. The top and sides have actually come out pretty nicely on this print, I'm really pleased with it. The bottom is generally the worst, especially where it has had to be supported during printing. This is a close up of one of the corners:






This was printed with a 0.2mm layer height - I can go down to 0.12mm which would make the steps finer and less noticeable but it would nearly double the build time so isn't really worth it in this case 

With ABS prints you can dramatically improve the finish with post-processing - putting them in a sealed container with a small amount of acetone and a fan to circulate the fumes basically melts the surface of the plastic and gives it a glassy finish. I have some acetone on the way to give this a try at some point, but again isn't really worth it for this print. The acetone also slightly weakens the plastic, so there is a tradeoff for the improved aesthetics.


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## JhnBssll (26 Mar 2021)

I test fitted the chassis tub today, it fits a treat 






Unfortunately the motor controllers don't fit at all  I don't know what I was thinking when I did the CAD, the gap is about 4mm too narrow  Oh well... At least the radio gear fits in its little pocket 






I've now fixed the dodgy dimension and have taken the opportunity to make a few other improvements. One of these is to add pockets at the top to hold the switches in place 😊






It's now 2 hours in to printing so I should have the mk2 part to test tomorrow


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## JhnBssll (27 Mar 2021)

The new tub finished printing this afternoon 






I'm happy to say the motor speed controllers now fit in their designated spots along with the radio gear - I'll be fixing them in with adhesive velcro strips shortly.






The switches also sit neatly in their little retaining features, so a pretty good result all round  Here it is with the battery connected up and held in with rubber bands 😊






I had my first brief play with it earlier, crikey it has some power  I'm excited to get it out on some open ground and have a play, it certainly pulls away pretty quickly  So much so in fact that one of the old original tyres has torn  I might look to print some new wheels and replace the old tyres with new


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## JhnBssll (7 Apr 2021)

I bought new wheels and tyres, fitted them this evening  I don't know what kind of anarchist designed these new wheels but 1 nut and 12 tiny screws per wheel seems excessive, my fingers still hurt from tightening them all 











Since the rolling chassis is now in pretty good shape I've started to think about replacing the rather beaten up shell so will look in to options. I'll probably repair the old one too so I can use it to mess around without fear of smashing it further


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## HMS_Dave (7 Apr 2021)

Just today i was digging through my shed and i found my old RC cars. A thunder tiger MTA4 monster truck is one of them. Last time i used it was probably 2007 ish. Still has the old crystal radio gear. It has a seized gearbox by the feels of it, engine is free... Will have to investigate. I doubt parts are easy to come by. I may have the itch again...


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## classic33 (7 Apr 2021)

HMS_Dave said:


> Just today i was digging through my shed and i found my old RC cars. A thunder tiger MTA4 monster truck is one of them. Last time i used it was probably 2007 ish. Still has the old crystal radio gear. It has a seized gearbox by the feels of it, engine is free... Will have to investigate. I doubt parts are easy to come by. I may have the itch again...


Wonderlandmodels!
https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/radio-control/rc-spares/thunder-tiger/


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## HMS_Dave (7 Apr 2021)

classic33 said:


> Wonderlandmodels!
> https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/radio-control/rc-spares/thunder-tiger/


Ive been doing some research on it. It seems Thunder Tiger did a few continuation models after it. S28 and S50 which seems exactly the same apart from body paint and engine displacement. Mine is the old .21 engine. So it seems spares are possible. I may get it going again.


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## HMS_Dave (7 Apr 2021)

I've been looking about at random RC related stuff on Ebay and i have to say, times have changed since i had any involvement in the hobby

Look at the size of this!? 50cm's!? Or is the fellow rather small?






A 1:1 scale must be a sight to behold...


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## keithmac (7 Apr 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> I bought new wheels and tyres, fitted them this evening  I don't know what kind of anarchist designed these new wheels but 1 nut and 12 tiny screws per wheel seems excessive, my fingers still hurt from tightening them all
> 
> View attachment 582716
> 
> ...



Looks a very neat and tidy build!. I don't like reading this thread as it'll end up costing me £££'s!.


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## JhnBssll (7 Apr 2021)

HMS_Dave said:


> I've been looking about at random RC related stuff on Ebay and i have to say, times have changed since i had any involvement in the hobby
> 
> Look at the size of this!? 50cm's!? Or is the fellow rather small?
> 
> ...



haha thats insane. Where would you even have space to drive something that big  There was me thinking the Clodbuster was excessive in size  Would be ace to see some pictures of the old Nitro truck - I was always tempted by them but i've not owned one to date 



keithmac said:


> Looks a very neat and tidy build!. I don't like reading this thread as it'll end up costing me £££'s!.



Thanks, I'm really pleased with it  The thing was a bit of a state when I bought it off eBay, considering I've replaced most of it now I definitely paid over the odds for it but hey, it's been fun 😊 I've just put a pre-order in for a new standard shell, windscreen and bumpers. They're all on backorder everywhere at the moment unless you want to pay silly eBay prices but looks like they'll be arriving mid to end of May 😊 Before then I'll fix the current shell up and reinforce it a bit so I can have some fun with it 

I've also ordered some super cheap LED bits and pieces of aliexpress to see if I can get some working lights hooked up. Should be straightforward, I managed it ok on my Vanessa's Lunchbox  I might design and print some more custom parts for it in the mean time to keep myself entertained 😊


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## HMS_Dave (7 Apr 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> haha thats insane. Where would you even have space to drive something that big  There was me thinking the Clodbuster was excessive in size  Would be ace to see some pictures of the old Nitro truck - I was always tempted by them but i've not owned one to date
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yes I will upload some pictures of it. It needs a bit of cleaning as it's been stuffed in the shed for 14 or so years. I'm going to get it running. I think I may replace the electrics to a more modern 2.4ghz system.


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