The RC Deep Dive

F1 (Formula One) and NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) drivers, actors, musicians, basketball players, journalists, rappers, directors. They may be famous, but they also love their radio controlled model cars, buggies, trucks, vans, and buses. Who are they and what is their part in the R/C model hobbyist community? We search the stars and share their famous insights with you in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

A listener asked us about choosing the correct specific steel pinion gears to fit in the Tamiya Brat, Lancia 037 Rally, Frog, Grasshopper, Hornet, Blackfoot, Super Beetle, HotShot , Thunder Shot, Grasshopper II, Super Hornet, and more radio controller model vehicles. We crack open the R/C gearbox and make sure we find the best steel pinion gear for you and our other listeners in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Sometimes, the weather isn't conducive to running either your on-road or off-road R/C model vehicles outside, but you still want to bash, crawl, drift, or race. So what can you do other than going to an indoor race track? Play a radio controlled car, truck, or buggy video game instead! We plug in and go pixel deep to tell you about all of your best tattoo control videogame options in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In many hobbies, including the radio control model vehicle hobbyist community, there are veteran grognards who are the curators of safety, standards, skills, knowledge, and advice. But sometimes some elder statesmen can turn into hobby gatekeepers that don't want their knowledge shared rather than being mentors or ambassadors that happily share the community knowledge with others who they don't personally know. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we hop the gate to investigate the perceived pros and cons of gatekeeping and the movements against the most toxic gatekeepers in the R/C hobbyist community.

Our "experts" here at the RC Deep Dive podcast have gotten together and made a list of our top 10 favorite vintage radio controlled model vehicles from the golden age of R/C in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. We measure them not in just one specific category. We looked at realism, technology, looks, originality, and fun. Do you agree with our list or not? What are your top 10 favorite vintage radio control buggies, cars, trucks, keeps and vans? Let us know!

Olecranon bursitis, or swellbow, can happen from overuse of your elbow when wrenching your R/C model vehicles. So, if you get it, how do you fix this potentially serious condition, what warning signs should you look for, how can you manage it, and most importantly, how do you prevent it? You'll get the complete swelbow medical advice, prevention, first aid, and cure prescription in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya has a number of fictional racing teams like the 2-member Frog Racing Team, to the 4 member Team Hoppers a.k.a. the Grasshopper Racing Team, to the 3 member Hornet Racing Team. Others exist like the Wild Willy, Pulling Four, and Blockhead Motors Racing Teams. What is their purpose? This episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast is teeming with knowledge of the history of the official and unofficial Tamiya Racing Teams, including the TRF (Tamiya Factory Team).

Tamiya Club isn't an official part of Tamiya, Incorporated, but it may as well be. It's just that important to the R/C model vehicle hobbyist community, especially Tamiya radio controlled cars, buggies, trucks, vans, and busses. We log in, search, and get you all the important parts of this invaluable online resource in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Off-road racing and bashing has really changed and diverged since the golden age of R/C of 1976-1991. So-called "true" off-road is driving in natural sand, dirt, rocks, grass, and roots whereas "off-road" race tracks in some cases may be inside and made of perfectly manicured clay, AstroTurf, or carpet. There's also the third or "middle way" in the homemade backyard racetrack. Which do you prefer and which radio controlled model vehicles are best for each? We get deep in to the weeds about off-road racing, wilderness crawling, and back yard bashing in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Recently, AE (Associated Electronics) changed the containers that its TA (Team Associated) lubricants came in. The so-called holy trinity of radio control model lubricants, FT (Factory Team) Green Slime, Black Grease, and Stealth Diff Lube changed from squeezable tubes to screw-top pots. Why did they do this? We lubricate our minds and dig deep in to the AE/FT container theory of R/C greases in the episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

When the R/C model vehicle kit hobbyist community quickly decided that they wanted to hop-up their hobby-grade radio controlled vehicles, a grassroots engineering revolution turned into garage companies engineering hop-ups for the test of the radio control hobby community. We take a deep dive into this history of a cottage industry that became big business in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

MIP (Moore's Ideal Products) recently rolled out a new version, Gen 2.0, of it's hex and nut drivers. Is this new version the best choice for radio controlled vehicle hobbyists? Likewise, Vessel drivers come in a variety of handles (Megadora, Ball Grip, Crystalline, etc.) and head types (Impacta, Parallel, etc.). Which combination is the right one for the R/C model hobbyists? We dive into the toolbox of pro radio control tools in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

What's the difference between 2 similar but very different wheels introduced 40 years apart? Both have square treads, both are popular on the Frog, Grasshopper, and Hornet, plus both have legions of enthusiastic fans. We spin our heads right round to give you the differences between the Tamiya BRAT's Sand Blaster squared tread hard tires and the Sweep Racing pink Square Armour soft tires (made harder by hard foam inserts) and which one is made for the backyard or park and which one is made for perfectly manicured race tracks in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Tamiya SuperShot a.k.a. the Super HotShot famously came without faux headlights. So in the quest to remedy this lack of eyes on this radio controlled buggy, we shine a light in the darkness to find out the best ways and places to add faux and working headlamps to one of the most famous members of the Hot Shot 4WD R/C buggy family in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Tamiya HotShot family of RC buggies were iconic and groundbreaking, but had a number of flaws, especially in their steering. Getting the right servos and servo savers can help. We precisely turn you to the direction of the best servos and service savers to install in your HotShot, SuperShot, HotShot II, Boomerang, Bigwig, Super Sabre, Super HotShot, and HotShot 2 Blockhead Edition in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

If you've decided that you are serious about being part of the R/C model vehicle hobbyist community and you want to get some pro level tools. Your local hobby shop will likely recommend MIP (Moore's Ideal Products) for hex and nut drivers. Likewise, for Japanese radio controlled model vehicles, like Tamiya and Kyosho, you'll need JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) cross and flathead screw drivers which Vessel is your likely brand recommendation. But what sizes do you need? We pull out our calipers and give you all the details in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Many things in life are built , repaired, it disassembled exclusively with power tools, but there's one thing that you should never use power tools on, and that's your hobby grade radio controlled car, truck, buggy, jeep, bus, or van. Why? We drive to the core of why no power tools are allowed anywhere in R/C model vehicles in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Can you leave your fully-charged batteries plugged into your radio controlled car, buggy, truck, or van? What if the R/C battery is fully drained? Are the rules different for NiCd (Nickel-Cadmium) vs. NiMh (Nickel-Metal Hydride) vs. LiFe (Lithium Iron Phosphate) vs. LiPo (Lithium Polymer)? We get charged up and drain all of our aggregated knowledge about battery storage in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Some of the greatest dyeable white nylon and hop-up parts made by CRP, Parma, Pro-Line, Tamiya, and others in the 1980s are starting to yellow and weaken, becoming brittle. However, there are easy ways to restore their strength, flexibility, and vintage white color. We dig deep and show you exactly how to bring your vintage radio controlled model vehicle hop-ups back to life and looking just like new in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Tamiya GH2 (Grasshopper II) comes with really wide pin drive to 4 point wheel adapter mounts on the rear axle, but if you upgrade your wheels to the Hornet Large Diameter Wheels you need to use the very narrow 5 point adapter wheel mounts, which leaves a lot of threaded axle and a smidgen of unthreaded axle, meaning your nylock nut will get stuck if you tighten it up enough to prevent wheel wobble. We look into 3 ways how to fix this problem in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In the instruction manual, Tamiya shows to install a C-Ring clip on to the spur gear. However, this piece often gets lost when trying to install it. So we answer the question, is this C-Clip absolutely necessary in a stock Frog? How about if you have a MIP (Moore's Ideal Products) Super Ball Diff hop-up installed? We dig deep into the inner workings of Tamiya Frog's ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis gearbox in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

CRP (Custom Racing Products) made a nerf wing for the vintage Tamiya HotShot to protect it's monocoque chassis and battery. But many R/C model vehicle hobbyists have wondered if it will fit the other members of the 1/10th scale HotShot 4WD R/C family, including the reres (re-releases) like the Super HotShot and HotShot 2 Blockhead Motors Edition. We take a deep dive into this CRP nerf wing, how to install it, and what other radio controlled model buggies it will fit on in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Many RC model vehicle hobbyists have a hard time getting the Frog Lexan body shell on and off it's ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis. One of the reasons is that the measurement from the mounting holes in the polycarbonate body is shorter that the distance between the two rear mounting posts. We dig deep into why this is and the proper way to install and uninstall the Frog's body with no headaches in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Grasshopper, Hornet, Lunchbox, GH2 (Grasshopper II), Super Hornet, Rising Fighter, and many other Tamiya R/C model vehicles have an extra long to front shock mounting M3 screw that extends well beyond the nylock (nylon-insert lock nut). How do you fix this offending problem? We dig into the various fixes and rate them in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Balancing your radio controlled vehicles' tires and wheels gives you advantages with speed, control, and less time between repairs, not to mention a better, more steady driving experience. We take a balanced deep dive into the best and cheapest compounds to balance your tires and wheels of your R/C cars, trucks, buggies, and vans in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

When using the Tamiya Hornet R/C buggy top rear shock extender mounts on the Grasshopper, the brass tube bushings that protect the shock eye are just wide enough to make the Grasshopper's ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) body shell no longer fit. We dig deep into why you have to use these brass tubes along with four distinct fixes for this roadblock when upgrading your friction dampers on your Grasshopper to CVA (Constant Volume Adjustable) oil-filled shocks or Hornet shocks in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Miniature Manufacturing makes a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Machined Alloy Heatsink for the Tamiya 1/10th scale Lancia 037 Rally, Subaru BRAT, Frog, Pajero, Grasshopper, Hornet, Lunchbox, Blackfoot, Monster Beetle, Midnight Pumpkin, Montero, Unimog, Stadium Blitzer, Blitzer Beetle, Super Storm, Grasshopper II, and Super Hornet, but it can also be used in other radio controlled model vehicles. How do these heatsinks work and what is the hidden benefit that will make your R/C car, truck, buggy, or van run better because of this hop-up? We take a deep dive into this essential hop-up in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Many radio control hobbyists, when building their vintage, classic, rere, and modern radio controlled model cars, buggies, trucks, and vans use an RC vehicle stand and an A3 self-healing hobby mat. Why use these two tools and what secrets can they unlock to make your building easier and more enjoyable? We dig deep into this question in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

CRP (Custom Racing Products) made Nerf Wings for the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) Chassis R/C cars, trucks, and buggies like the Lancia 037 Rally, the Subaru BRAT, and the (Mighty) Frog, as well as the HotShot family of 4WD radio controlled buggies. Were they a necessary hop-up when the vintage models of these radio control model vehicles came out? What about now, with reres and modern electronics? The powerful truth that we uncover may surprise you in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

As you finish building your R/C buggy, it's time to paint the body shell. But do you paint the rear window? And if it has a windscreen/windshield in the front and a space above it that you cut out, do you paint the windscreen, it do you leave it clear? Prevailing wisdom has changed over the decades, so we dig deep into the hows and whys of radio controlled model car window painting in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Tamiya Electric Handy Drill model kit is great for hop-ups that require you to make a hole in your R/C model vehicle chassis, such as many AmPro Engineering hop-ups. However, first you have to build the model kit. Once you do that and use it, you will realize that this tool, which is extremely useful for being a low RPM drill, needs hop-ups of it's own to reach peak performance. We dig into all the details about the Tamiya Electric Handy Drill and it's recommended hop-up options in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The vintage Tamiya Frog instructed builders to attach the power switch to the rear window of the R/C buggy, causing massive issues for bashers and racers. However the hobbyists, hobby shops, and radio control magazines had an alternate way to attach the on/off switch following the Subaru BRAT instructions to place ot in the side of the chassis. Even now, with the rere (re-release) version, there are new instructions, but RCers are ignoring them and found yet another new innovative way to mount this switch. We dig into why the R/C hobbyist community fought against the instructions on powering on and off their Frog (and still do today) in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Many of Tamiya's rere (re-release) R/C model vehicles have been reissued with entirely different chassis than the ones their vintage release originally came with. We dig deep into this mystery of why these changes were made for the Mitsubishi Pajero, Lancia 037 Rally, the Audi Quattro Rally, and many other Tamiya rereleased radio controlled vehicles in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

How do you get perfect chrome on your R/C model vehicles? Airbrushing, markers, powders, inks, paints, glosses, polishes, foils, clear coats, etc. all claim to be the best solution, but they cannot all be right. We dig deep into chroming options for your radio controlled car, truck, buggy, or van models in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. You can find the markers we were discussing at https://amzn.to/3Tp4u4q

It is often said to fix the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis gearbox flex you either need to install either the MIP Super Ball Diff (Differential) or the RcAiDong Carbon Fiber Gearbox Plates or the Skibby's Performance Mods Support Tensioners. But if you want to make your gearbox figuratively bulletproof, can you use two of the above or all three? If so, are there any hidden benefits or disadvantages? We dig into these questions in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In 1987, the last member of the 1/10th scale HotShot 4WD R/C buggy family came out... ....but not in a vacuum. Along with it, radio control model hobby shops also received the first of a new generation of Tamiya 4WD radio controlled buggy, the Thunder Shot, often at a lower price than the last vestiges of the previous generation. This sabotaged the sales and popularity of the Super Sabre. Why did this happen and why did the same happen in reverse with the reres (re-releases)? We take a thunderous shot with our sabre into this mystery in this super episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Say, "No Guts, No Glory!" to an R/C buggy enthusiast and they think of the Frog. Say, "Being Nuts is Neat!" And the same be radio control model hobbyist will think of the Avante. Where did Tamiya come up with these crazy mottos for their iconic vintage radio controlled buggies and why did some models not have any motto? We dig deep into the history and reasons for these tail wing motors in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Box art dictates that the Tamiya (Mighty) Frog is painted pink, white, and black. (Although box art shows a red helmet for the driver, the vintage directions say a blue helmet for the driver, and the rere [re-release] directions show a white helmet) However both all pink and all green are popular alternate liveries. We wondered what the most popular colors for the Frog were, so we dig deep and research Frog owners' favorite colors in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The CRP (Custom Racing Products) #3043 ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) Chassis Stiffener for the BRAT, Frog, Blackfoot, and Super Beetle, is more than a replacement skid plate, but also an integral hop-up that strengthens the chassis and helps fix front steering issues. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we dig into why this one item, especially when combined with the CRP #3044 ORV Front Bumper, is a must-have hop-up system for improved R/C driving.

Often when you buy an ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) for your radio controlled vehicle, you get a Dean's connector T-plug, but your battery may have a Tamiya plug connector or a different type of connector. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we dig into your options how to fix this issue, including step-by-step directions how to solder new connectors, even if you've never soldered before.

[NOTE: This was recorded before the completion of Poor Boys RC Summer 2025 Speed Run Challenge announced in June] The Tamiya Grasshopper 2WD R/C buggy is an icon and a legend that originally topped out, in it's stock configuration, at approximately 12 mph / 19 kph. We dig deeply into the speedrunning records year by year since 1984, going to 62 mph / 100 kph in 2023, and the speedrunners' quest in 2025 to get a Tamiya Grasshopper beyond 100 mph / 161 kph in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Pro-Line and CRP (Custom Racing Products) dyeable white nylon bumper have both been called a "must-have" Hop-Up for the Frog and other ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis R/C model vehicles. However, when deciding between the two, many vintage Tamiya radio control hobbyists realized that the two hop-ups were exactly the same. Why is this? We dig into this mystery and solve it in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The ORV chassis is an icon in the R/C hobbyist community. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive we dig into this legendary radio controlled model chassis and its history supporting many of Tamiya's radio control cars, buggies, trucks, and vans in a range of colors which each had a hidden meaning which we uncover.

The HotShot family (HotShot, SuperShot, HotShot II, Bigwig, Boomerang, Super Sabre, HotShot 2 Blockhead Motors Edition, and Super HotShot) of 4WD radio controlled buggies were a revolution for Tamiya, however they had issues including front end slop. We take a deep dive into the numerous way to fix this in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

OC Racing, Option No. 1, and other 3rd party aftermarket R/C hop-up manufacturers make bars that go between the top and bottom rear shock mounts on the Tamiya Grasshopper, Hornet, Grasshopper II, and Super Hornet 1/10th scale radio controlled model buggies. But do these hop-up bars really help? We take a deep dive into the truths and myths of these hop-ups and show you what they can do and what they absolutely cannot do in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

R/C hobby grade CA (cyanoacrylate) glue or super glue has been the standard adhesive for tires to seal to modern one-piece wheels. However, recently, in the vintage radio controlled model vehicle hobbyist community, another tire to wheel sealant as begun to gain popularity, clear silicon sealant. We compare and contrast these two tire sealing adhesives in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Aluminum steering knuckles are often considered a must-have first hop-up for the vintage and rere (re-release) HotShot Family of R/C buggies (HotShot, HotShot II, SuperShot, Boomerang, Bigwig, Super Sabre, HotShot 2 Blockhead Motors Edition, Super HotShot). We take a deep dive into the pros and cons of this hop-up in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

AE (Associated Electronics), creators of the RC10, RC12, and RC100, are R/C model competitors of Tamiya, but many loyal Tamiya fans find themselves using Team Associated FT (Factory Team) Green Slime, Black Grease, and Stealth Diff (Differential) Lube. We take a deep dive into these three lubricants and see why the R/C model hobbyist community loves these lubes for their radio controlled vehicle shock o-rings and MIP Super Ball Diffs in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya's PS spray paints are for Lexan (polycarbonate) radio control vehicle body shells. However, with Pearl paints being a more transparent paint, should it always be the first layer applied, it can it be a clear coat over the decals on the outside of the R/C model body? We open up the oyster of knowledge and see how to make your RC car shine like a pearl in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The (Mighty) Frog was first made by Tamiya in 1983. In 1984 Tamiya came out with the Grasshopper, then the Hornet. A decade later they manufactured the Grasshopper II and the Super Hornet. However, even with all the hop-ups available for these for iconic radio controlled buggies, none of them, whether vintage or rere (re-release) R/C models can compare to the mighty Frog. We take a deep dive into why this frog eats bugs for breakfast, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.