The RC Deep Dive

The original Grasshopper, which shares it's chassis with the Hornet, had 3 different chassis sib-models during it's original vintage run of manufacturing. The Grasshopper II/Super Hornet saw similar running changes, and surprisingly so did the reres (re-releases) of all 4 buggies! We take a deep drive into the ever changing and improving chassis of Tamiya's iconic buggies' quasi-monocoque bathtub chassis in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Since the Tamiya Grasshopper II 1/10th scale R/C buggy has 1.9" wheels, the best way to build a square set-up is to use Tamiya's own Hornet Large Diameter Wheels and Rock Block tires to make an off-road monster buggy that can proudly be called Project: Rock Hopper. We take a deep drive into every part you will need to make this radio controlled buggy live up to it's name in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Your gently drive a screw in your radio controlled vehicle's chassis or gearbox and those white lines appear. You now have those horrible stress marks and you know it's not good. How did it happen and how do you fix it? We take a deep dive into these internal breakages in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

You are carefully cutting out your polycarbonate body so that you can paint it with your choice of PS paints. But then your hobby knife slips and you cut a line or make a hole in the shell, tearing a place where there shouldn't be one. What do you do? How do you fix it? We take a deep dive into the multiple ways to fix your Lexan R/C vehicle body in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) radio controlled buggies like the Grasshopper, Hornet, Grasshopper II, Super Hornet, Rising Fighter, etc. have a pivot point at the back of the bottom of the chassis that seems to be a friction magnet that could be improved with grease. But if this theory is correct, which R/C Grease should be used? AW (Anti-Wear), Cera Grease HG (High Grade), or something else? We take a deep dive into this pivot point and greases usage in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In 1983 Tamiya made the 2 most iconic class B rally cars into 1/10th scale R/C models. However, when they re-released these radio controlled vehicles in the modern era they used different chassis and modified other parts, including the body shells, changing them from off-road vehicles to on-road RC race cars. Why did Tamiya do this and are the vintage or more modern recreations better? We take a "rally" deep look into these RCRC (radio control rally car) legends in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The R/C hobby isn't just collecting, building, and racing. There's also bashing, crawling, drifting, and speed running, each activity having a number of sub-genres within that radio controlled vehicles usage. We take a deep dive into our virtual hunting dictionary to help new RC model hobbyists understand the radio control hobby jargon and specific sub-communities in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In the 1980s, Parma created one of the more unusual hop-ups that allows you to put double wheels on both the front and rear axles of your Tamiya Frog, Grasshopper, Hornet, and Blackfoot radio-controlled model vehicles. We take a deep dive into exactly how this hop-up option works and both the advantages and disadvantages of the mod in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

There's a lot of confusion about how radio control model vehicle shock springs and damper oil work together and exactly what each one does. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive we dive deep into what damper oil changes are necessary when your CVA (Constant Volume Adjustable) oil-filled shock gets softer shock springs on the Tamiya Frog R/C buggy's ORV chassis or any other radio controlled vehicle.

Why is it so important to support your local R/C model hobby shop and RC car race track, if you are lucky enough to have one (or more). We take a really deep dive why supporting your local experts is not only helping them, but actually helps you and everyone in your local radio controlled vehicle hobbyist community in more ways than you know in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The resto-mod (restored and modified with modern hop-ups) movement is highly popular in the vintage RC hobbyist community in recent times. Jun Watanabe's Blockhead Motors seems to be heading that charge currently. We take a deep dive into The man, the company, the movement, and the history of their connection with Tamiya radio controlled buggies, vans, cars, and trucks, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Two popular hop-ups for vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) Tamiya radio controlled buggies is the square set-up. There's two equally popular options, one vintage and one resto-mod. We take a deep dive into comparing and contrasting the BRAT Attack 1.75" look with the more modern 1.9" HLD (Hornet Large Diameter) wheel design.

Tamiya makes several different types of paints for your R/C model. But each one has a different dry time and cure time. Knowing what these times are is critical to not destroying your radio controlled vehicle's paint job. So, we take a deep dive into exactly how long each type takes to paint and how you can know when it's fully dry in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya Gear Diff Putty for differential gears has a specific prescribed use, but the community has found a way to use it in vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) radio controlled models. So how do you use it? We take a deep dive into R/C car differentials and how to lubricate and pack them in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya paints have a variety of white and yellow colors that can be used when painting R/C model headlights. We take a deep dive into the best hues to use, based on your radio controlled vehicle model, and which type of paint to use for each faux headlamp bases, cups, and covers in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In today's episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we dive into painting plastic R/C model pieces like the driver figure and faux headlights, including how to do preparation and touchups. We also cover both sides of the intense debate whether polycarbonate, ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), or other plastics radio control model pieces should be painted on the manufacturing sprue or if they should be cut off before painting.

Tamiya has a number of R/C model vehicle cleaners, but not all of them are exactly what they seem. We take a deep dive into Tamiya's RC Cleaner Spray and Polycarbonate Body Cleaner, going over the ways to use them and where not to use them on your radio controlled models, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive.

The Frog, whether the vintage radio controlled model or the rere (re-release), is a classic Tamiya R/C Buggy, but one not without inherent flaws. We take a deep dive into the 10 best hop-ups that will get your Frog hopping better, ranking them from essential to nice to have, including multiple upgrade paths to improve the problematic gearbox issues in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The HobbyWing 1060 Quicrun ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) has become the default speed controller for many R/C hobbyists, and is even included in many Tamiya radio controlled model kits. However, the on/off switch on these ESCs doesn't fit in the spot made for the power switch in a Tamiya chassis. We take a deep dive into multiple ways to fix this in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In this episode of the RC Deep Dive we dig deep into the world of R/C fasteners and drivers. Which is more important in an radio control vehicle: Strength or Weight? We compare and contrast aluminum, titanium, and a wide variety of steel screws, testing to see which is the best type of screw to use in the assembly of your radio controlled cars, trucks, buggies, and vans.

Can simple M4 washers act as shims to fix axial and radial play where your axle ball bearings are installed in your radio controlled vehicles? We take a deep dive into the use of washer shims on the axles alongside the sealed ball bearings, discussing both advantages and disadvantages in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Different differentials require differing diff oils. Which diff oil is right for you? What do the differing colors mean? What's the right viscosity for your differential gears in your remote controlled model car, buggy, truck, or van? We take a deep drive into Tamiya and other diff oils on this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

It used to be that you just put your tires on your R/C wheels with no further thought. However today's modern tires often require meticulous preparation, glueing, venting, and balancing of the tires. We take a deep dive into how to do these necessary steps in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Aluminum bumpers are all the rage these days, but they have many drawbacks and may even end up costing you in the long run. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we compare and contrast aluminum, nylon, and stock plastic bumpers, plus when and where each should be used.

While Tamiya became more popular worldwide, Kyosho was actually the first Japanese company to make R/C vehicles for the retail market. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we dig deep into the history of this radio controlled car powerhouse.

There's a lot of confusion about the function of the radius arms on the Tamiya ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis R/C (radio controlled) model buggies, trucks, and cars , especially with the Frog, BRAT, Lancia Rally, etc.. We take a deep dive into the ORV chassis front radius arm features and it's critical functions, plus we dig into why 3rd party aftermarket hop-up bumpers make them perform so much better than the stock Tamiya bumper mount in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Tamiya offers a color of paint that they call "Lavender", TS-37. However it is not anywhere near what people generally consider a lavender shade of violet or purple. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we take a deep dive into this red-violet hued spray paint for Tamiya's R/C and their other models and why Tamiya named it lavender.

The Tamiya FGH (Frog, Grasshopper, & Hornet) radio controlled buggies were super popular in the early 1980s, but somehow, they have stood the test of time and remained iconic, revered, much-loved R/C cars for over 40 years. Why? We take a deep dive into the alphabet, stopping at F, G, & H to explain this timeless phenomenon in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

How do you remove decals from your radio controlled car, truck, buggy, or van? It's different depending on your body type, but there are still small steps to take along the way, no matter your body shell type. We dig in deep on decal removal on this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast!

Did you know that you can hack your radio controlled car, truck, buggy, van, boat, airplane, and helicopter? Specifically your Flysky branded transmitter, upgrading to a fan-created upgraded firmware that makes your RC transmitter way more powerful with a multitude of new features and the ability to control even more RC vehicles. We dig into this DIY hack in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

How did the design thinking of Tamiya change for their radio controlled buggies throughout the early vintage RC car period of their first 100 R/C model vehicles? We take a deep dive into Tamiya's design philosophy spanning from the late 1970s to the early 1990s in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

There are radio controlled car racing tracks all over the world, but which ones are the best for fans of racing vintage, classic , and rere (re-release) RC buggies, trucks, vans, and cars? Why are these places such havens for the vintage RC vehicle builder, collector, basher, and racer? We take a deep drive into this on this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Frog's rear body mount screws are longer than the holes in the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis. This means that the threads of these 2 screws are exposed. So what are the solutions to cover these screen threads? We take a deep dive into the many options available in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

What is camber wear and positive or negative camber? What is caster and toe? How does it affect tires and handling? How do you diagnose and fix camber issues? Find it this and more in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Hornet Large Diameter wheels are a popular choice for the Grasshopper II, Super Hornet, and Rising Fighter, among other Tamiya radio controlled model buggies. There are 2 types of tires recommended by Tamiya for this 1.9" wheel, but they both require tire foams which aren't included or available from Tamiya. So which ones should you buy? We take a deep dive into these details in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Grasshopper II and Super Hornet radio controlled buggies famously have 1.9" Wheels rather than the standard 1.5" Wheels of earlier vintage Tamiya R/C models like the original GH2 or Hornet. So how do you give these iconic buggies a square set-up and keep an appropriate ground clearance? We take a deep drive into the details of how to get this iconic baja buggy look on this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The Pro-Line and CRP iconic dyeable white nylon bumper hop-ups for the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) R/C models not only improved the look of the Tamiya Frog (and sometimes the Subaru BRAT or Blackfoot) but also made for a better running radio controlled vehicle. How is this possible? We take a deep dive into the function and fashion of this popular mod in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In the Golden Age of RC, Tamiya famously won the German national R/C buggy championship in a race where most of the cars that qualified for the finals were one model, the Frog. However since then, Tamiya radio controlled model vehicles have won many national and international races. We take a deep drive into all of them in this episode of the RC Deep Dive.

The Frog's distinctive double wishbone-type suspension assembly's durable steel radius arms joint serves as a crucial pivot and a primary locus for alignment that influences the front suspension's caster angle which must be assembled perfectly at 90° and kept square to prevent disaster. But why? We take a deep drive into the front arms of the Tamiya Frog in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

In the Tamiya Grasshopper, Hornet, Grasshopper II, and Super Hornet, it is not unusual for rear axle slop to develop over time. We look into how to diagnose the performance draining conditions and most importantly how to fix it in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

The four-way box wrench or cross wrench has become synonymous with ready controlled vehicles and most especially Tamiya. However this t-tool didn't even come with Tamiya's original RC cars. We take a deep drive into the origin and history of the legendary Tamiya cross box wrench tool in this episode of the RC Deep Dive.

The HotShot family of radio controlled buggies comes with dog-bones, but are CVDs (constant velocity driveshafts) or UJs (Universal Joints) an appropriate hop-up on the HotShot, HotShot II, Super HotShot, Boomerang, etc. or are you better off staying stock? We dig into these questions in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

What causes hex drives, dog-bones, UJs (universal joints), and CVDs (constant velocity driveshafts) to bind in radio controlled vehicles? We take a deep dive into this problem and the solution in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

When the Tamiya HotShot radio controlled buggy debuted, it came with an all new type of wheel connector that stuck around for the entire line of the HotShot family (HotShot, HotShot II, Super HotShot, Boomerang, Bigwig, Super Sabre, HotShot 2 Blockhead Motors Edition, and SuperShot [Super HotShot rere]) of RC vehicles. We go over the evolution of wheel connectors from Tamiya from the beginning of the R/C Golden Age through the introduction of 4wd RC cars, trucks, and buggies.

Why did Tamiya come out with three piece wheels with their vintage radio control vehicles? Are there any inherent advantages with these more complicated wheel designs compared to the standard one piece wheel? You might be surprised what we uncovered on this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

Kyosho and Tamiya radio controlled vehicles like cars, trucks, buggies, vans, helicopters, boats, airplanes, etc. have had a unique influence on Japanese culture. Meanwhile, Japanese culture has, in turn, had a unique influence on R/C vehicle culture as well. We take a deep dive into these mutual influences in this episode of the RC Deep Dive.

The rere (re-release) of the Frog and other Tamiya ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis RC cars, buggies, trucks, and vans come with metal sealed bearings for the gearbox. But are these the best choice, or are you better off with Fast Eddy's rubber sealed ball bearings or even plastic bushings? We take a deep dive into this on this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

With default dog-bones, like the ones included in rere (re-release) ORV chassis R/C vehicles like the Frog, Brat, Super Beetle, Blackfoot, etc., you need to use the included o-rings for them to fit right. But when you hop-up these drives with the MIP Super Ball Diff and Tamiya UJs (Universal Joints) or the superior Xtra Speed CVDs (Constant Velocity Driveshafts) do you need to use these little black donuts? Why or why not? We take a deep dive into this on this episode of the RC Deep Dive.

Whenever Tamiya makes Subaru Brat 1/10th scale RC car/truck wheels and tires available, they tend to sell out within a week. Why is this? What is creating such a high demand for Tamiya Brat wheels and tires? We take a deep drive into the many reasons this keeps happening in this issue of the RC Deep Dive podcast.

We take a deep drive into which country, province or state, and city that radio controlled vehicles are most popular in each continent of Earth. Why are they most popular here, and what's the difference between these locales?