The RC Deep Dive

If you want a spectacular metallic sky blue color on your Lexan polycarbonate body of your radio controlled model car, truck, vehicle, jeep, or van, it is going to to take a few steps, but in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we show you 3 very different ways to get it done with slightly different effects. We also go into exactly what colors to use for backing your primary paint layer to get the exact look that you are going for.

Sometimes you will see a meticulously painted radio controlled buggy racing on the track, but it has a clear unpainted tail wing that looks completely out of place. Why do some R/C racers do this and what is the advantage of this very different look? We get our Scotch Brite scrubbing pads out and scrub down to the source of this recent trend answering the whos, whats, and whys about it in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

When you paint your radio controlled model kit's Lexan polycarbonate body shell with a fluorescent color like PS-28 Fluorescent Green, how can you make it glow like a fluorescent light without adding additional electronics and lights? It all comes down to how you back that color. We go into the physics and chemistry of these Tamiya polycarbonate spray paints and your many options to make your R/C car, truck, buggy, or van glow in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Goblins, Orcs, Half-Dragons, and Succubi are all standards in the fantasy fiction novel and movie genre as well as popular TTRPGs (Table-Top Role-Playing Games) like D&D (Dungeons and Dragons). However, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we ask and answer the question of what vintage radio controlled model vehicle kits match each of these fantastical archetypes?

Have you ever seen a radio-controlled model car, car, truck, or buggy go by and it seems to change colors as your viewing angle changes? These are due to the technology behind Tamiya's Iridescent paints like PS-47 Pink/Gold and PS-46 Purple/Green. But how exactly do they work? We break down the chemistry and physics behind these Tamiya spray paints for polycarbonates in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Have you ever seen a radio controlled car, truck, or buggy with super long body posts sticking far outside the the body shell? Have you ever wondered why they do that, when it looks so ugly? In today's episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we measure the advantages and disadvantages of extremely long body mounts and how to trim them or replace them with other mounting technologies if you think yours are too long.

If you want to replicate that TS-52 Candy Lime Green paint for plastics color from the Tamiya Grasshopper Candy Green Edition on a clear Lexan polycarbonate GH1 body from Parma PSE, you don't have a direct color match in Tamiya's PS line of paints for polycarbonates. However it's still possible to get an exact match and we go over exactly how to do that, along with a couple other unique options in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

How do you fix a shock mount ball joint that keeps throwing your oil-filled damper off? It seems like there should be a simple fix, but for the bulletproof solution, there's actually 3 necessary hop-up options necessary to ensure it never happens again. We give you the step-by-step instructions to make this much-needed upgrade in your vintage or rere Tamiya Super Hornet, Grasshopper II, and other radio controlled buggies, cars, and trucks that have this issue in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya makes some AA batteries branded as Powerchamp RX that have some very powerful and interesting features. This might make you wonder if they are are a good option for use on your radio controlled transmitter. We check out the chemistry of this battery type, discover its best usages, compare and contrast it to other battery types, and deduce what the best option is for radio control transmitters is in this day and age in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Previously on the RC Deep Dive podcast we discussed how you can used TRF (Tamiya Racing Factory) Buggy Aeration Oil-Filled Dampers to replace the shocks on the Frog and some other ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis R/C model vehicles. But what about other vintage and rere radio controlled cars, trucks, and buggies like the Grasshopper, Hornet, and HotShot families? The answers and the whys behind each answer may surprise you in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

These days, AI (artificial intelligence) is taking over many pre-existing and new positions in the competitive world of radio controlled vehicle racing, many of which you may not be aware of. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive we combine AI along with our real human intelligence to expose these fascinating AI takeovers in R/C car, truck, and buggy racing in most of the biggest radio control races around the world.

The radio-controlled vehicle racing hobby has a unique part of it called turn marshals it just marshals. Except on the highest levels, these are R/C car, truck, and buggy drivers taking this position to help their competitors. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we take our turn at explaining this unique phenomenon that reinforces fairness and empathy amongst the competition.

Why are low profile servos so highly recommended for the Tamiya HotShot Family (HotShot, SuperShot/Super HotShot, HotShot II/Hotshot 2 Blockhead Motors Edition, Boomerang, Bigwig, Super Sabre) of R/C buggies? We dig into the monocoque chassis of these iconic radio controlled buggies and explain why this suggestion is so important, especially in the vintage versions in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

We've covered how to restore, upgrade, and reserve nylon hop-up parts for your R/C model vehicle previously on an episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, but how do you do this to ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) radio-controlled car, truck, buggy, jeep, van, jeep, or tank's plastic chassis? We go over the dos and donts and 3 different options for restoring, upgrading, and preserving your vintage, classic, and modern ABS plastic chassis on your Tamiya radio control model vehicle.

This episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast details the history of the Tamiya RC Car Grand Prix, a weekly Japanese television show that ran for fifteen years from 1984 to 1999. The program was a pioneering piece of branded content that successfully blended real-world race coverage with charismatic hosts and expert technical advice, fueling a nationwide boom in the radio-controlled car hobby and establishing a loyal community that endures today.

With a name like RC10TALK, you'd expect the forums at this site to be solely enthusiasts talking about AE (Associated Electronics) radio controlled model vehicles, but it's not. In fact, it actually has a lot of discussion about vintage, rere (re-release), and modern Tamiya R/C cars, trucks, buggies, jeeps, vans, busses, and tanks. Some Tamiya radio control fans even consider the site to be more welcoming, but this might be because each site has a different focus for it's hobbyist community. We log in and register exactly why this is in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

For someone new to the radio control model vehicle hobby, it might be hard to pick the right R/C that matched their interest. To help resolve this, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we look at the best first Tamiya radio-controlled model vehicle kit for the beginner looking to build, race, bash, display, crawl, speed run, or drift with their completed model. You might be surprised at the kits we picked, as some are rarely mentioned in any of our previous daily episodes of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The rere (re-release) Tamiya Frog has a reinforcing plate the strengthens the connection between the stock front bumper and the bumper mount. The reinforcement plate is strong, tight, and unbendable, but what is it made of? How does it work? Does this finally fix the major flaws that the vintage Frog front bumper and bumper mount were famous for? We reinforce your knowledge of these three parts in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Tamiya Grasshopper 1/10th scale R/C buggy officially comes in three different body shell colors, original white, candy lime green, and brilliant black (often called the Cricket). But what other colors are the most popular for radio controlled model vehicle hobby enthusiasts to paint this iconic legend? You may be shocked to learn that they are not the same choices as the Hornet. We get out our color wheel and give you the favorites in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Did you know that the first radio controlled vehicle was the Telautomaton boat back in 1898? Did you know that R/C airplanes were made in the 1910s well before radio control cars in the 1920s? The share the stories behind these three radio-controlled vehicles as well as the first R/C helicopter and motorcycle which came decades later. We open the history books and give you all the details about these radio control vehicles and the inventors behind them in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

First, to be crystal clear, when we are taking about radio-controlled model vehicle gyros (JAI-rohs) as in gyroscopes, not the delicious Greek pita sandwich wrap—that you get at your local Orthodox Church's annual mouth-watering Mediterranean or Middle Eastern Food Festival—pronounced YEE-rohs. So what are these amazing modern inventions and how do they work? Can you put them in vintage R/C cars, buggies, trucks, vans, and jeeps? We align our scope with these questions and answer them all in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

What is remote control and what is radio control? Is it true that all radio controlled model vehicles are remote controlled, but not all remote controlled devices are radio controlled? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we will explain the differences and similarities between light controlled remotes with IR (infrared), sound controlled remote control with ultrasonic, and radio controlled with RF (radio frequency) waves.

From youthful prodigies to seasoned veterans the age range of big-time racers, including the winners in the radio controlled hobbyist community is amazingly wide. We open up the record books and give you the details on the youngest and the oldest winners in national, continental, and international R/C car, truck, buggy, van, jeep, tank, plane, helicopter, motorcycle, and drive competitive races in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya has a fascinating multi-layered hybrid distribution network that ensures that your radio controlled model vehicles get from the manufacturing to a regional distributor to the national agents and then to your local or online hobby shop. But what exactly are these layers of distribution, and what are each responsible for in reach region and country? We put on our safety vest, hop in our delivery van, and drive into the world of Tamiya's hybrid supply chain and logistics networks.

There's nothing quite like seeing a radio-controlled monster truck destroy a puddle, a rally car drift through mud spraying it everywhere, or a buggy launching off a huge ramp into a mud puddle. But what does it do to the R/C model vehicle and what preparations need to be made in advance? We splash this knowledge over everyone in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya has created a lot of products since it's inception, but exactly how many? Of those, how many are radio controlled model vehicles, and how many are R/C hop-ups and other accessories? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we pull out our calculators and give you all the details on the entire Tamiya Ecosystem and show you that in this Empire, radio control is king!

What to radio-controlled model vehicles have to do with compression socks? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we cover exactly how your body is harmed be excessive standing whether at the track, on the cement, off-road, and at your radio controlled model vehicle hobby workbench and how the right compression socks, especially when paired with excellent insoles inside a good R/C shoe like the Osiris D3 2001 skate shoe can help your total health and help you wrench, bash, race, crawl, and drift longer.

While the box art official paint color of the Tamiya Hornet radio controlled buggy model kit is black, as the instruction manual confirms, however there are a lot of Hornets of other base colors out there. So, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we list all the other top colors that are very popular in the R/C enthusiast community for Tamiya's Hornet 1/10th scale radio controlled buggy.

This episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast explains how to apply the Kanban method to a R/C model vehicle workbench, using a four-column workflow of Queued, WIP (Work in Process), Waiting, and Completed to visualize and manage all tasks. The system utilizes "nikku no michi" color-coding: red for urgent, yellow for standard, and green for non-essential tasks to effectively prioritize work, limit work-in-progress, and improve the overall radio controlled restoration, hop-up, and build processes.

In the last episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we mentioned that you needed to 5S your R/C workbench and workspace. In this episode, we are going to teach you exactly how to 5S (Seiri/Sort, Seirin/Set in order, Seiso/Shine, Seiketsu/Standardize, and Shitsuke/Sustain) or 6S a.k.a. 5S+Safety and make your radio-controlled model vehicle hobby workbench and work space more efficient, less frustrating, safer, and easier to use.

What is the perfect way to setup your radio controlled model vehicle hobby space as an economically-aligned, properly-lit, well -organized workbench? From your floors, to your chair or stool, to your desktop, to your walls, and ceiling, we cover how to make the perfect work bench for you, the R/C car, truck, buggy, jeep, van, bus, and tank hobbyist and enthusiast in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

When you upgrade your vintage or rere (rerelease) Grasshopper or Hornet to Tamiya's CVA (Constant Volume Adjustable) Oil-Filled Shocks, the DT-02 Soft Red Coil Over Shock Springs not only look, but also work so well. Why? You might think it's just a matter of opinion, but there's actually a scientific reason that the dampers set up this easy just pops in your mind. We dig into the synthesis of physics, contrast, extension, psychology, culture, color theory, cookie science, and color study that goes into this hop-up just working on every level in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Carson Motor-Sport debuted in the 1990s, creating super-strong hardened steel pinion gears for Tamiya radio controlled model vehicles and quickly became the favorite among fans and enthusiasts of Tamiya and Kyosho's R/C cars, trucks, buggies, vans, jeeps, busses, and tanks. We break down the details of these amazing perfect-fitting gears in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya started pumping out reres (re-releases) of is iconic first 150 R/C model vehicles in earnest in 2005. After 20 years of steady re-releases, which R/C cars, trucks, buggies, tanks, jeeps, vans, and buggies are most likely to be released in 2026? Using the pattern and history of Tamiya rere activity, we calculate the most likely re-releases during the next 365 days in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

2026 is approaching quickly, and with it is the 50th anniversary of Tamiya's first radio controlled car, the Porsche Turbo RSR. We step into the driver's seat and explain what made it unique, drive into it's many reres (re-releases) and the best hop-ups available for this first iconic vintage R/C model vehicle of the Golden Age.

After standing on hard packed surfaces and running after crashed R/C vehicles on uneven surfaces, your get really take a pounding! That pain can extend from your feet to your ankles to your knees to your hips and even into your spine. To prevent it, you need some good insoles, even if you have those support popular, comfortable Osiris D3 2001s in a cookie to match your radio controlled car, buggy, truck, van, jeep, bus, or tank. We pull out the stick insults and dig into the physics to find the insult inserts for every radio controlled hobbyist in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

While we at the RC Deep Dive podcast do not run LiPo (Lithium-Polymer) batteries in our vintage and rere (re-release) 1/10th scale R/C model vehicles and only run NIMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) or LiFe (Lithium Iron Phosphate) in them instead, we had a listener ask us to do a podcasting episode on the advantages of running LiPos in radio controlled cars, trucks, buggies, jeeps, vans, busses , and tanks. So here is that lister-requested episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Running radio-controlled model vehicles in the snow and cold presents many challenges, especially for vintage and rere cars, trucks, buggies, vans, jeeps, tanks, and busses. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we meticulously cover the necessary preparations, variations when running your R/C, and things that you must do immediately after your run.

When the vintage Tamiya Frog 1/10th scale radio-controlled buggy came out in 1983, it's livery displayed on the box art and instructions were white and light floral pink. However when the rere (re-release) first debuted in 2005, you started to see white and fluorescent pink Frogs take over, even though the box art and instructions never changed colors. Why did the majority of pink and white Frog owners in the R/C hobbyist community decide to make the pink on their Frogs this darker and more intense pink? We unravel this mystery of time and fashion in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya's anodized purple aluminum paint for Lexan polycarbonate radio-controlled body shells is a beautiful metallic lavender color and is a better match for lavender than their own lavender paint. But why did they make this color? What inspired it? We uncover the popular car and auto parts colors in the 1990s and 2000s Japan and get the answers behind this color choice for R/C cars, trucks, buggies, jeeps, vans, and busses in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

eBay has recently been flooded with the ultra-rare Parma Positive Drive Hubs for both the Frog and the HotShot. What was the Parma Positive Drive System and what did it do? We go back in time and breakdown the genius of this hop-up option that would truly turn your Tamiya Frog into a Mighty Frog in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

When you upgrade your ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis R/C car, buggy, or truck gearbox with the MIP (Moore's Ideal Products) Super Ball Diff, you are limited to only using a 16t pinion gear. However, with an adjustable motor mount made specifically for the vintage or rere (re-release) ORV chassis, you can increase your options. But which options are safe and which one is best for your radio controlled model vehicle? We explain the physics and geometry to help you get the best gearing options in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Does Tamiya have a history being involved in education? How does R/C fit into all the parts of the new education focuses? Was it intentional or unintentional? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we uncover how Tamiya's radio-controlled model vehicle and tool kits became an integral part of the modern educational focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

The Tamiya FAV (Fast Attack Vehicle) was a popular 1/10th scale military desert buggy that attracted two very distinct differences to the kit. While it obviously attracted those in the radio control car, truck, and buggy enthusiast community, it also brought in members of the military static modeling hobbyist community too. How did this one R/C buggy to bring two communities together to unite in Tamiya fandom? We uncover the varied reasons in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

One of the myths in the online R/C hobbyist and reseller communities is that the CRP (Custom Racing Products) #1602 rear adjustable coil-overs for the Tamiya Frog, Wild One, and BRAT do not fit the rere (re-release) models. However, this is not true and we prove it with not only physics and geometry but our personal experience. We get out our calipers and get you the measurements of every part on the shock coil-over springs and the dampers that they fit on from both the originals and the rere radio-controlled model vehicles in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Excelsior! We have previously identified the radio-controlled model vehicles of the DC Comics Universe's JLA (Justice League of America) and so now we are doing this for the Marvel superheroes. We match not only the looks and the colors of these R/C cars, trucks, vans, buggies, and jeeps, but their shared souls in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast because with great radio control power comes great radio-controlled responsibility and it's clobbering time!

While Tamiya Club is an indispensable well of knowledge and advice on all things Tamiya R/C, some people, especially those from Gen X and the Alpha Generation, find these respected forums to not be as welcoming as the r/Tamiya subreddit on Reddit. Why is this so when Reddit is known for it's snarky trolls and most members at Tamiya Club are heavily invested veterans in the radio-controlled model vehicle hobby? We look into the technology, the procedures, the rules, and the cultures of the 2 very different communities in this episode of the RC Deep Dive and get you those answers.

What hop-ups are available for the vintage Tamiya Fox and rere (re-release) Nova Fox 2WD (Two Wheel Drive) 1/10th scale racing radio controlled buggies? We go through all the various hop-ups options and rank them in order of importance for making your Fox or Nova Fox freaky fast and fastidious in this foxy episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

For many Europeans and North Americans, going to Japan for R/C car racing, going to the Tamiya Festival, or touring Tamiya HQ (Headquarters) is a lifelong dream come true. But there are many customs and expectations for how you should act that is different than the ROTW (rest of the world). We teach you the Japanese radio-controlled hobby etiquette and culture that you need to know before heading to Japan in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

When Tamiya made a rere (re-release) of their vintage 1/10th scale 2WD R/C racing buggy, The Fox, they oddly renamed it the Nova Fox. But this isn't the only thing that they changed about this re-released radio controlled racer. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we disassemble both radio control buggies and tell you all the differences made in the rere Nova Fox compared to the classic, vintage original Fox.