TOPIC:

While I appreciate pretty much all vintage RC cars of all brands, like most of you I only collect certain ones.

But there are some that I sometimes feel I *should* like (or at least, like more than I do), but there's something about them that just puts me off.

Examples.
I like the Sand Rover. But I still don't own one. Reason? That stupid figure with the cowboy hat just seems so out of place! I wish the car had always had just a little racing driver, like most of the others. It's amazing what a turn off it has always been for me, as I adore traditional dune buggies. I'll get one eventually and just leave the figure out of it. Even my wife says the exact same thing and thinks its stupid

Another one...the Audi Quattro. Tamiya goes to all that trouble and its not even 4WD? On a Quattro?? They should have waited and done it properly.

Years later they re-make the Lancia 037 for a more realistic release, but they make THAT 4WD. Idiotic. I have no words for how stupid this was, as much as the model is stunning.

Needless to say the Porsche 959 is a god among RCs for me, as they absolutely nailed that one. And when it comes to Lancia's, I have more time for Nichimo's incredible and rare late 1970s Lancia Stratos kit, than the Tamiyas.

Have you guys got any similar thoughts?

H.



www.rctoymemories.com

Don't go there, we'll be all day....
I spose my worst dilemma is probably the original Hilux - being a feat of engineering & very popular, I SHOULD adore it, but there's so many dumb flaws in it once you start looking properly at it, that it just makes me angry. Don't like the Bruiser for the same reasons, but that doesn't seem to matter as much (Cos I didn't pay a lunatic amount of money to own one?)

SRB chassis, in particular the Ranger narks me - why go to the bother of reproducing an almost exact copy of a Beetle front end, then just bodge something up for the rear?.... & then stick a body on from a car that has a chassis that is nothing like a VW? Why not put the Ranger shell on the Hilux chassis, it would be a BIT closer....

Quattro - nothing like, overcomplicated & poorly engineered
Willys jeep - as above,
Lancia Rally - up there with the Ranger, couldn't be further from realistic
Brat - wrong
Monster Beetle, Mud Blaster, Blackfoot, - wrong, weak, bad idea. Can't understand why people want them so bad!

I've said it before, but probably the closest to "right" have been the early CC-01 variants, particularly the Mu & Pajero - Near faultless mechanics, detailed bodies, right chassis/suspension setup for the type of vehicle.
& then Tamiya stick a Unimog body on it... what's wrong with them?!

I say that if you're gonna just do whatever, then you need to stick to buggy bodies, ie stuff that only exists in people's imagination etc.
If you're gonna make a car based on one in real life, then do exactly that, make it a fairly accurate reproduction.
If you're gonna throw money at an engineering project (eg Hilux), do it properly

About the chassis that grasshopper and derivatives have:

Grasshopper nice, but no dampers, also small motor.

Hornet: normal motor, dampers behind but not forward.

Mad Bull: Almost right, Almost.... Big wheels? Really?

Want a hobby grade 2wd buggy with rigid back axle!

I thought the Grasshopper was perfect for a starter car - they're virtually indestructable, easy to build & although the motor is small the car is plenty quick enough for a learner & gives a sensibly long run time from a standard battery. It's also highly upgradeable for when you get the hang of driving it.
Downside, all I can think of is lack of adjustability for pinion sizes, but I can't say that has ever caused a real problem for me.

Madbulls are great fun - quicker than a lunchbox & more off-road capable. Again, highly upgradeable if you wanted to.
Downsides are the front shock tower will keep detaching itself from the rest of the chassis, the stupid spline-drive rear hexes tear out (Cos of the big wheels) & the wheel hubs suffer from the same problems as Monster Beetle. The steering/suspension geometry cause the front wheels to "fold in" when reversing, which can be a pain on loose ground (Masses of wheelspin & you're not going anywhere...).
No Pinion adjustment, but again, I haven't really needed it

I have to agree with you Hibernaculum...

My first RC was the 58044 Pajero, when, as a 14 year old.. I really loved the 1:1 short wheel bases. This is why I saved up and bought my Pajero, and loved it to point of almost total destruction!

Then came the 959, which, for the same reasons, saved up again and bought one for almost half price when visiting Japan.

I flat-out refuse to consider the 'monster varieties' like Clodbuster, Bullhead and even the Stadium Blitzer... etc.

But, it does comes down to personal taste... and as I will never be able to afford a 'real' 1:1 959... I'm having great fun restoring them as 1/12 versions and other realistic scale models.

So long as we've got enjoyable hobbies... I guess, who really cares!

Hornet: That battery door popping out at bumps was giving me a headache until I fixed it with a single screw.

DT-02: So many suspension screw pins and other screws were trying to back themself out until they were semi-permanently fixed with glue.

DT-01 Mad Bull: The lack of a proper gearing option for the big wheels needs a motor with lots of torque. I had the same issue with stripping splines on the rear hex adaptors. I think I'll need to use regular flanged wheels nuts along with a tough threadlock instead of nyloc wheel nuts.