The RC Deep Dive

In most of the world, vintage Tamiya R/C model cars, tanks, buggies, trucks, vans, and busses all included or recommended Futaba servo savers, radio control receivers, and transmitters. Why was this? What was their connection or relationship? Why was it often different in the UK (United Kingdom)? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we look at the contacts and deals and unlock the secrets behind the symbiotic Tamiya- Futaba alliance and why it eventually ended after the end of the R/C golden age.

Tamiya made so many junior versions of their iconic vintage off-road R/C buggies in their mini 4WD (Four Wheel Drive) on track racer line, but why didn't they ever make a 1/32nd version of the Mighty Frog Jr.? Is the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis to blame? We look at all of the miniature details in the 1/10th scale radio controlled 2WD (Two Wheel Drive) buggy to 1/32nd mini 4WD racers and get to the bottom of this many-decade long mystery in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya instructs you to attach the drive shaft joint rubber boots at the gearbox and secure it with a black zip-tie nylon fastener to the out-drives in ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis radio controlled model vehicles. But is there a better way? What about the wheel side of the hex-drives, dog-bones, universal joints, or constant velocity driveshafts? Should they get a zip tie too? We strap on our thinking caps tight and drive you to the answers to these questions and more in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

What is the ultimate tag team if not the pairing of iconic WWE superstars with their legendary Tamiya RC model counterparts, based on shared personas, historical context, and cultural impact? We wrestled with this question, and are ready to tag-in, and roll-up these legends into a pinfall of perfected information that does just this in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. Whatcha gonna do when the RC Deep Dive podcast mania runs wild on you, brother?

Why were Tamiya's original radio controlled model vehicle decal sheets uncut? And why did they start pre-cutting some (but not all) of the decals in 2005? What are the radio-control hobbyist's options to get precut decals or stickers if you don't like uncut ones, and vice versa? We take a deep slice into the sticky situation of Tamiya's iconic R/C model car, buggy, truck, van, jeep, bus, and tank decal history in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

How did we get here? 2.4 ghz was a huge increase in technology from AM (Amplitude Modulation) and FM (Frequency Modulation) crystals. But that was a huge technological leap from the previous radio controlled vehicle technology. But what about the future? Will mobile phones control our R/C cars, trucks, buggies, vans, busses, and tanks in the future? We take it to the cellular level and uncover the future of radio control in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

What are the fastest high performance 540 brushed motors for 1/10th scale R/C cars, buggies, trucks, vans, busses, and tanks? What are the differences in the top tier of these radio control motors? What do these rules mean: Red for raw speed, Blue for tight track turn performance, Gun Metal Grey for off-road grip? What electronics and gearing do you need for these super non-stock motors in your radio controlled motor vehicles? We brush off the sources and unspin the knowledge you need to know for maximum speed in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we step into fashion, explaining why the iconic Osiris D3 2001 skate shoe has been unexpectedly adopted by many in the R/C hobbyist community, driven by a unique convergence of its DIY (Do-It-Yourself) construction story, its practical durability, a shared technical design language with these R/C vehicles, powerful Y2K (Year 2000 Era) nostalgia, and the radio-controlled model vehicle hobby's deep-seated culture of personalization through color matching with the shoes' ever-changing colorways.

In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we peel the backing off of the vintage Tamiya R/C restoration market by examining how MCI Racing navigates a legal grey area to produce high-quality reproduction decals, and window paint masks which are intentionally designed to fit only aftermarket bodies from their partner, TBG (Team Blue Groove), rather than original Tamiya Lexan polycarbonate body shells.

As the R/C hobby has changed over the decades, how has the average age in the radio control hobbyist community changed? We travel through time, from the beginning of radio controlled model vehicles in the late 1950s and 1960s, to the Golden Age of RC from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, to the RTR revolution of the 1990s to 2000s, back to the modern age of the 2010s to the 2020s to calculate the median, mode, and mean age of radio controlled model enthusiasts in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Holiday Buggy is an iconic radio-controlled model vehicle that really captures that 1980s spirit. But what holidays are the buggy's name speaking of, if any, and is it really Crocodile Dundee driving that R/C car as many believe? We break into the true nomenclature and who Tamiya actually designed the driver figure to look like in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The first Tamiya Mini 4WD Racers were 1/32nd versions of popular 1/10th and 1/12th R/C buggies, cars, trucks, jeeps, and vans. Which radio controlled motor vehicles were chosen to have Junior versions and why? We go small scale and uncover these shrunken 'kids' of iconic vintage Tamiya model vehicles in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The boxes of Tamiya models, radio control model vehicles, and junior racing mini 4WD (Four Wheel Drive) cars and buggies are more than a marketing image, they are literally works of art displayed in museums. Who are the artists behind the iconic images that have captured the attention, hearts, and minds of generations? We brush away and find the history and philosophies behind Tamiya's classic white boxes in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

What is the fastest motor that you should put in a Tamiya Frog 1/10th scale radio-controlled buggy and what is a line too far? What ESC would such a motor demand? We read the meters and come up with the sane limits and the motors you should never use in your ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) Chassis in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

This episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast details the definitive method for not only repairing but restoring and strengthening cracked hard plastic ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) bodies (such as the Sand Scorcher, Lancia 037 Rally, Subaru BRAT, Blackfoot, Grasshopper, Pajero, Grasshopper II, Rising Fighter, etc.) on vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) Tamiya R/C vehicles to withstand high-impact bashing.

In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we analyze the parallel DIY (Do It Yourself) old school resurgences observed in TTRPG (tabletop role-playing games), skateboarding, and R/C model vehicle kits which are not just a simple, nostalgic retreat to the past golden age. This is not a generation (X) attempting to live in the 1980s, but rather a generation actively curating the best of the 80s to live better in the present. This phenomenon is best understood as a profound cultural rebalancing. Participants in these revivals are selectively extracting the most valuable elements from the hobbies of their youth—authenticity, tangible skill, creative freedom, and genuine community—and consciously integrating them into their modern, digitally-saturated lives. This is the OSR (Old-School Renaissance / Revival / Resistance / Rebellion / Resurgence)!

While the death of print is being eulogized and lamented around the world, there are still a couple of english language radio controlled model vehicle magazines being published monthly and available to purchase and subscribe to in print. We fire up the printing press and thumb through the periodicals rack and tell you about these great resources in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

If you are racing or bashing your Tamiya Subaru BRAT, Lancia 037 Rally, The Frog, or any other ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis radio controlled model vehicle in extreme conditions like a skatepark with huge jump ramps like quarterpipes, even with XTRA Speed G45 Steel CVD (Constant Velocity Drive) Shafts you might have the driveshafts pop-out during a particularly hard landing on cement or metal. How do you fix this? SPOILER-ALERT: You have to downgrade to Tamiya UJs (Universal Joints) and add a gearbox support brace or tensioner. We drive at a continuous velocity to the shaft of this issue to find the constant universal truths that cause this issue in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. [NOTE: If you aren't regularly bashing your radio-controlled car, truck, or buggy on very tall extreme cement and metal skateboard ramps, we still recommend the XTRA Speed G45 Steel CVD Drive Shafts over the Tamiya Universal Joint Assembly for ORV R/C model vehicles.]

[NOTE: There are so many great Tamiya R/C focused YouTube channels that we couldn't name them all, even if we went for an hour, so apologies if we didn't mention your channel or your favorite content creator!] There are a lot of great channels on YouTube focusing on vintage, classic, modern and rere (released) Tamiya radio controlled cars, buggies, trucks, vans, jeeps, busses, etc.. However each YouTuber is building a unique, different part of the online R/C model vehicle hobbyist community. From Poor Boys RC to Tamiya Legends to Tamiya Talks/OAG to Nordic RC Visions to Tamiya Talk R/C to Fast Freddy RC, each has it's own focus. We roll the reel on these legends of R/C video content in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

CRP (Custom Racing Products) was one of the biggest 3rd party aftermarket hop-up manufacturers of the Golden age of R/C. They made products for Tamiya, Kyosho, AE (Associated Electronics), Schumacher, Futaba, and others. We specifically unpack their wide selection of offerings for Tamiya radio controlled model vehicles in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

There's lots of ways that people store their radio controlled cars, buggies, trucks, vans, jeeps, and busses; some ways being better than others. But what are the best ways to do it, to help your R/C model vehicle to last longer? We put away the fluff and get right to your storage needs in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Sometimes when building a radio controlled model vehicle you will inadvertently get liquid blue or AG (Anaerobic Gel) red thread lock(er) on your skin and it will kill your skin cells via a nasty chemical burn. What are the first aid steps and how can you prevent from getting burned again? We dig through the chemical safety sheets and get you the diagnosis that you need in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

If you've ever attempted to try removing a shock eye from a ball connector on a damper's ball joint, you know just how frustrating that it can be as it is hard to do it without damaging or deforming the shock's eye, especially in vintage radio controlled model vehicles. Checking the R/C forums for advice can be even more frustrating since the advice all seems to be contradictory or flat out wrong. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we pop-off the facts and physics and make this once difficult disassembly process easy for you.

The HobbyWing QuicRun 1060 has become the default basher ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) and the 1080 has become the default crawler ESC for many in the R/C hobbyist community. Why? How did it happen? We upgrade from the manual and give an electronic upgrade on your HobbyWing knowledge in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

If you find an unopened NOS (New Old Stock) package of CRP (Custom Racing Products) Black Moly (Molybdenum) grease, is it safe to use on your radio controlled car, buggy, truck, jeep, van, or bus? Or are you better off using Tamiya Molybdenum Grease or Associated Electronics Factory Team (Team Associated) Black Grease instead? We grade the history, giving chemical analyses, and give you the scientific solution in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The CRP (Custom Racing Products) and Pro-Line Kydex Nerf Wings are great hop-ups for vintage and rere (re-release) Tamiya R/C model vehicles on the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis like the BRAT, Lancia 037 Rally, and the Frog. But since you have to use screws to mount it to your battery door, what's the danger to your batteries? To remove this danger we aren't going to wing it, but unscrew the chemical mysteries in the plastics involved and give you several solutions to make it work safely, even for LiPo (Lithium Polymer) batteries in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Newer isn't always better, although sometimes it is. In the R/C hobbyist community, 3 lubricants are often considered as the holy Trinity of greases. These are the Associated Electronics Factory Team Green Slime, Black Grease, and Stealth Diff Lube. However there are new products trying to take their hallowed place. Are these new formulas worse, the same, or better than the holy trinity? We grease up and uncover the truth about these new radio controlled model vehicle lubricants in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Why did Tamiya name their radio controlled model cars, buggies, trucks, vans, jeeps, busses, and tanks the way they did? How did they come up with the themes that they had in R/C model vehicle names and the corresponding looks? We uncover the nomenclature strategy of the Tamiya reason control product line in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Neo Fighter Buggy DT-03 (DT stands for Dirt Two-Wheel-Drive) a.k.a. the Neo Frog famously comes without a driver figure, as with the stock setup it cannot fit in the chassis. However there are several ways to make one work and we give you these details in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

From the vintage Fighter Buggy (a.k.a. Super Champ) to the modern Fighter NX Gen, Tamiya has loved its elite fighting buggies. We go over each of these fighting buggies including the spiritual predecessors of many of them. We put on our boxing gloves, step in the ring, and get ready for a buggy champ fight in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

While it seems like a Tamiya hobbyist craft tools needlenose pliers are the right job to hold an axle (that's fallen out of the knuckle in the upright), but it absolutely won't work, no matter how strong you are. Why? We give you the applied physics and point you to the correct tool (that you likely already have) to fix your emergency situation. We also give you several alternate solutions to your problems, as usual, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

While you may find errant suggestions on some Tamiya R/C club forums that the GH1 (original Grasshopper) gears are a perfect replacement to GH2 (Grasshopper II) gears, this is a fatal error. In fact it will cause gear stripping and end your bashing session quickly. Why is this? We remove the bad advice from the gearbox and advise you properly, giving you the actual truth and the whys behind it in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Many people install a MIP Super Ball Diff in their R/C model vehicle to prevent the gearbox from flexing, to help fix the problem of dog-bones popping out, or to enable the use of more powerful electronics, especially motors. However, one of the biggest improvements that this must-have hop-up give is improved steering. Why? How? We gear up to answer that question in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

MIP makes a must-have hop-up for ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) Chassis R/C model vehicles like the Frog, Brat, Blackfoot, Super Beetle, etc. in the Super Ball Diff as well as ball differentials for other radio controlled model vehicles. However, are the included Silicon Diff Grease and Thrust Grease the best lubricant for this significant upgrade? We get into the grime and compare them to the AE (Associated Electronics) FT (Factory Team) Stealth Diff Lube and Black Grease in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

One thing many R/C model hobbyists notice when building an ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis radio controlled model vehicle is the disparity in the axle lengths. Why did Tamiya do this? Did they do this on other radio control model vehicles too? We measure our these decisions and give you the reasons in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Once you complete building your radio controlled model vehicle, you have wires all over the place. How to you get them in an organized fashion? What's the easiest way for beginners? What's the best way for pros? We unwind this cord of answers in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

NOTE: This episode was recorded before the repose of Tamiya Chairman of the Board Shunsaku Tamiya at the age of 90 years old on 18 July 2025 . Our condolences go out to the entire Tamiya family during this time of their loss. What is the history of the Tamiya corporation? How have they managed to stay family owned and stayed true to their vision while being flexible and pivoting when necessary? We untangle the roots of the family tree and point out all the Tamiyas running the Tamiya Corporation in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

You are out bashing your Tamiya Frog 1/10th scale radio controlled buggy and your axle just falls off, with the bearings, wheels, and nylock nut all together in one piece on the ground. What causes this, how can you fix it, and how can you prevent it from happening in the future? We look at various options to repair this rere (re-release) failure point in the Frog and BRAT in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The hunt for the perfect or a unique place to bash or race your R/C model vehicles requires a 1/10th scale eye. However, you need to know what terrain is best for bashing or racing each model of your radio controlled buggy, car, truck, van, or bus. We open up the map and show you how to unearth your local hidden R/C playgrounds in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya's vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) 1/10th and 1/12th R/C model vehicles' box art is iconic and has caught the eye of multiple generations and is now literally displayed in art and history museums around the world. But who are the artists and artistic directors behind this kinetic fantasy art recording chaotic joy? This collaboration between designers, engineers, and illustrators within Tamiya is a fascinating story. We open up the historic corporate employee directories and help you draw conclusions about this iconic radio controlled car, buggy, truck, van, jeep, tank, and bus box art in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Is the increasing focus on UX (user experience) over the DIY (do it yourself) builder's ethos going to head to an implosion of skills in the radio controlled model vehicle hobbyist community? What is the importance of this DIY philosophy, and how can the user's experience without the builder's ethos actually hurt the end user's long term R/C experience? We open the box and unpack this debate between builders vs users in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Which is the authentic R/C model vehicle philosophy? DIY (Do-It-Yourself) customizers or Box Art Purists? What do these opposing philosophies say about the members of these two camps, and is there a third or middle way, perhaps in the RestoMod Movement or the Box Art Plus philosophy? We put on our referee shirt and lay it all out in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Which way do you mount your motor? What does it say about you? Many Tamiya RC model vehicle hobbyists have strong opinions on why you should always display the motor with the motor decal showing. Why is this important? We stick to motor preferences and give you all the details in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Speed, power, and runtime, three things we all want to increase when running our radio controlled buggies, cars, trucks, vans, and busses. Simply hopping-up one little piece in your R/C model vehicle can instantly improve all of these immediately! We plug-in, power-up, and remove all of the resistance to this key knowledge in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Lilith, whether represented as the first created woman, fully woman and fully demoness, mother of demons, Queen of Hell, or a goddess, she is represented in many ways, but how would she be represented in the ratio controlled model vehicle hobbyist world? It would be a tangible self-portrait with each R/C car a piece of her story and identity. Would she have a Tamiya Sand Scorcher, the Wild Willy, a Hornet, a Blackfoot, the Clodbuster, the Bullhead, and/or the Avante or something else? We take a deep dive into mythology and religion to bring you this hypothetical representation of her story of creation, rebellion, power, sovereignty, subversion, and more in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

It is important to know safety rules for wiring your power and electronics. Such as red hot female which tells you that R/C batteries are always female and ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers) are always male and Ohm's Law which tells us that the lower r (resistance) goes the higher i (current) gets. However, here at the RC Deep Dive podcast, we also think it's important to know the why behind these rules. PRO-TIP: Once you know why, you are less likely to forget them or challenge them, because these safety rules and electrical laws are smart and make sense for radio controlled vehicles and professional electricians everywhere.

You can combine CA (cyanoacrylate) glue, a.k.a. superglue or crazy glue, and baking soda to fix stripped screen thread holes. But how do you do it, exactly? Tamiya has a M3x0.5mm thread forming tap tool to form machine screw threads in your radio controlled model vehicle's chassis and/or gearbox. But how do you use it? We answer these questions and provide step by step instructions in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Do you know when Tamiya celebrates it's birthday and the anniversary of it's two first radio controlled model vehicle kits? Do you know how they celebrate these important birthdays and anniversaries? We cut into the cake and give you a goodie bag of details in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya famously requires steel pinions when upgrading to a 540 GT Tuned Hop-Up Motor. However, in kits where it is included as the stock motor, such as the Super HotShot 4WD 1/10th scale R/C buggy, a steel pinion is not included, but an aluminum one. Why is this? We gear-up and mesh all the facts in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Many people think that the radio controlled model vehicle hobby community is a boy's club. However, women have been a important parts of R/C works since the beginning of the Tamiya Golden Age/Era. We pop open the bottles and raise a toast to all of the women of radio control in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.