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Restoring a vintage R/C Tamiya truck... like a shelf model

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It would be impossible to begin this note without explaining that Modeler Site is not and will not be devoted to R/C, dispelling in this way, all your thoughts about our mental health and future. However, some old RC subjects may be considered as true display models to be shown on a shelf, this is the case of the first RC(s) from Tamiya, offered in the late ‘70s and the early ‘80s. This article aims at sharing, with those who have never tackled a project like this, my experience restoring these collection pieces, giving you a short introduction about them. If you find this note interesting, I advise you to surf the web, (some links will be encountered at the bottom of the current article) where you’ll find much and good information on these models.

About the first Tamiya RC

Actually, we can’t say Tamiya was who brought to life the RC off- road vehicles, but we can assure that nothing was the same after the Rough Rider was released.

I don’t want to go into great detail about the history of the first off- road models from Tamiya, nevertheless, what attracted everybody’s attention was that the manufacturer intended to get accurate replicas of real things, in this way the Rough Rider and Sand Sorcher introduced in 1979, were like those buggies running the dunes at the Baja California in United States, with the necessary changes to be converted into scale and radio-controlled models.

By that time, road, sport, F1 and F2 RC model cars were abundant, but the first pickup which saw light in 1981, was the Ford F150 ranger, a chassis that had nearly nothing to do with the subject that represented the body; it was a 1/10 Sand Sorcher chassis with a 1/12 pickup’s body.

That year Tamiya released a radio-controlled pickup, in which they had been working for the previous three years, the 1/10 Toyota Hilux, with metal chassis and suspensions, which design (with the logical modifications), was taken from the real vehicle. This model introduced a three speed gear box, activated by one of the servos of the radio, and many others singular features, as four wheel drive, were incorporated. Also free wheels were incorporated into the front hubs in the form of one way roller bearings, as in the real Hilux.

As if it wasn’t enough, Tamiya offered the first electronic speed controller but needed another servo from the RC gear to be commanded.

The Hilux was also novel because of the radio it required, since while all radio-controlled vehicles needed only two channel equipment , the Hilux needed three: one for the steering, and two others for the speed controller and gear box. This turned the Hilux in quite an expensive “toy”, since the three or four channels equipments were only used for airplanes and gliders.

The battery Tamiya developed was a special 6 volt 4000 mA/hour (6 volt and 1200 mA batteries were commonly used) which allowed the model run during 30 minutes without needing to be charged.

In spite of the success the Hilux had from the point of view of this magnificent piece, it was a failure speaking about its use as a radio controlled toy, showing mistakes on its design that turned it in somewhat boring. In general, it was not used more than a few hours and, if anybody decided to use it as an off-road vehicle, it would finish with any vital part broken.

However, the idea had captured modelers and Tamiya’s imagination, and, in 1985 the Bruiser was introduced, this model was not accurate (to scale) but the basic mistakes his brother showed, had been corrected, featuring a soft suspension, the radio box containing the radio equipment was better designed, the chassis was stronger and the venerable Mabuchi 540 motor, was replaced with a 750 with more torque. The new wheels that could be seen in only a few real customized vehicles of course, were huge instead of being a replica of the real ones.

As most of the manufacturers, back in the mid of the ‘90s, Tamiya also offered the last version of their three speed pickups, a Bruiser slightly modified called Mountaineer… and nowadays fans are still waiting for the next model.

Why are most of these models collection pieces?

Any plastic kit might be reissued even when the manufacturer that originally had offered it, would have closed. However, and although this has not been said, everybody knows that Tamiya will never release old radio controlled models, they would not be able to compete with the current technology, they would not have a significant value any more, and probably the manufacturing cost would be higher than the sale cost. So, they turn in collection pieces, and for instance, a 1981 Hilux which originally cost US$400, can be sold today through eBay around 2000-2500, while a mounted model with nearly no use in 1200-1500, and a very worn one around US$600.

It’s not usual to see somebody buying these models to be built, in general they are bought for collection purposes, but even if built, they are just to be added to the shelf with other collection pieces.

Actually, buying a kit like this, is almost unaffordable for most of us ( and they seldom can be found on sale), so we usually tend to buy one to be restored as if it had been built straight from the box, trying to use as many original parts as possible.

At the bottom of this article, You’ll find some links where to get the necessary parts in case of need, and a model in itself just in case you want to start a restoration.

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