Tamiya Radio Control Guide Book from 1985...
Discussion
I've just won this on Ebay. Excited, much?! Oh yes! 
As many of you of a certain age may remember, if you were into Tamiya R/C cars in the 1980's, these guide books were like the dream bibles for all us teenage kids. I remember looking through my copy incessantly.
Sadly, my original copy was long since lost, so I was delighted to win this, albeit at a ridiculous price. Still - nostalgia costs, right?!
If anyone is interested / wants me to, I can scan and post some of the pages...
As many of you of a certain age may remember, if you were into Tamiya R/C cars in the 1980's, these guide books were like the dream bibles for all us teenage kids. I remember looking through my copy incessantly.
Sadly, my original copy was long since lost, so I was delighted to win this, albeit at a ridiculous price. Still - nostalgia costs, right?!
If anyone is interested / wants me to, I can scan and post some of the pages...
Well played Sir. I had that edition and spent many an hour poring over it aged 10/11. There is something incredibly powerful about the vintage Tamiya models and the feelings of nostalgia they evoke.
The feeling has never quite gone away, and is responsible for the recent purchase and build of a Hornet, restoration of my original Monster Beetle and the fact that I have a wheelie-chassis Unimog on route to me at the moment. The future purchase of my first Tamiya RC in 1986 (Subaru Brat) as a re-release is inevitable.
The feeling has never quite gone away, and is responsible for the recent purchase and build of a Hornet, restoration of my original Monster Beetle and the fact that I have a wheelie-chassis Unimog on route to me at the moment. The future purchase of my first Tamiya RC in 1986 (Subaru Brat) as a re-release is inevitable.
I had that exact book! Weirdly never had a Tamiya though. A Kyosho Progress (insanely fragile and complex 4WD and 4 wheel steering), then an Associated RC10, and finally a Schumacher Cat XL. Now I’m going back in time to build a Lunchbox with my 6 year old to get him hooked early :-)
sutts said:
Well played Sir. I had that edition and spent many an hour poring over it aged 10/11. There is something incredibly powerful about the vintage Tamiya models and the feelings of nostalgia they evoke.
The feeling has never quite gone away, and is responsible for the recent purchase and build of a Hornet, restoration of my original Monster Beetle and the fact that I have a wheelie-chassis Unimog on route to me at the moment. The future purchase of my first Tamiya RC in 1986 (Subaru Brat) as a re-release is inevitable.
Ah thank you so much! And yes, you and I aren't a million miles away in age, I was 13 in 1985. I was fortunate enough that Christmas to receive a Hotshot - which gave me years of happiness. That first R/C car was sold to a friend, but it led to me racing at club level with things like Optima mids and Schumacher pro-cats. Great days! Sadly I have none of those original cars left, I got rid of them all once I became interested in motorbikes...The feeling has never quite gone away, and is responsible for the recent purchase and build of a Hornet, restoration of my original Monster Beetle and the fact that I have a wheelie-chassis Unimog on route to me at the moment. The future purchase of my first Tamiya RC in 1986 (Subaru Brat) as a re-release is inevitable.
In 2011 I bought a re-re Sand Scorcher though, which has also been brilliant - it's no shelf queen. I have to say though, that even buying that re-re model at 40 years old, with a load of vehicle engineering behind me, I could still appreciate - perhaps more so - the engineering and quality that went into all these Tamiya models.
Anyway - pics of yours please!
pete said:
I had that exact book! Weirdly never had a Tamiya though. A Kyosho Progress (insanely fragile and complex 4WD and 4 wheel steering), then an Associated RC10, and finally a Schumacher Cat XL. Now I’m going back in time to build a Lunchbox with my 6 year old to get him hooked early :-)
Nice 
Those RC10's were the absolute nuts back in the day, weren't they?!
Yes, the RC10 was just an insane step up from everything else on the market. I bought it when my competitive instinct started to get out of control, then the Cat was even more extreme but unbeatable in competition. The Cat was hard to build though; it made me appreciate what a brilliant job Tamiya and Kysosho had done with their engineering.
The strange thing is that no part of me really wants to build and run a re-released Cat XLS now, but I do really hanker after all the Tamiyas I couldn’t afford as a 12 year old. Thank goodness I can live vicariously through my children :-)
The strange thing is that no part of me really wants to build and run a re-released Cat XLS now, but I do really hanker after all the Tamiyas I couldn’t afford as a 12 year old. Thank goodness I can live vicariously through my children :-)
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Ah thank you so much! And yes, you and I aren't a million miles away in age, I was 13 in 1985. I was fortunate enough that Christmas to receive a Hotshot - which gave me years of happiness. That first R/C car was sold to a friend, but it led to me racing at club level with things like Optima mids and Schumacher pro-cats. Great days! Sadly I have none of those original cars left, I got rid of them all once I became interested in motorbikes...
In 2011 I bought a re-re Sand Scorcher though, which has also been brilliant - it's no shelf queen. I have to say though, that even buying that re-re model at 40 years old, with a load of vehicle engineering behind me, I could still appreciate - perhaps more so - the engineering and quality that went into all these Tamiya models.
Anyway - pics of yours please!
I would love a Sand Scorcher. Genuinely the stuff of dreams in the mid 80’s! The Monster Beetle I built in around 1989 was probably more practical and a bit tougher but the SS was/is such a great looker.In 2011 I bought a re-re Sand Scorcher though, which has also been brilliant - it's no shelf queen. I have to say though, that even buying that re-re model at 40 years old, with a load of vehicle engineering behind me, I could still appreciate - perhaps more so - the engineering and quality that went into all these Tamiya models.
Anyway - pics of yours please!
Here’s the Hornet I built ‘for my 6 year old’ at Christmas.
I’m waiting on a couple of parts to arrive to complete the MB and haven’t taken any pictures yet. Unfortunately I binned the original body shell early 90’s and bought a lexan (Parma?) shell which is harder wearing but not as nice looking. I expect I will get a re-re shell for the shelf in my garage (see below) and keep the lexan one for running with my son.
RC Guide and the Tamiya catalogue were the bibles! I've hung on to few Tam cars over the years - long and short wheelbase M38, Sand Scorcher, Super Champ and a couple of M chassis, A110 and Abarth 1000TCR ......... but this year I must have been a very good boy as Santa brought me a nostalgia fest from my racing days, a rere Cat XLS!
Now that's a blast from the past, 72twink, amd I will admit to a twinge of envy! You've taken me right back to spending many many months of paper round money on one of the first Cat XLs to arrive in my local model shop.
You can now look forward to all of the mad aspects of the build. I particularly remember when I fitted anti roll bars to my Cat that I had to *solder* the end fittings on to the wire! Also boiling the drive shafts to make the universal joints soft enough to assemble, that was a particularly hateful part of the design.
For anyone used to the more mass produced kits, you'll be entertained or horrified by this scan of the original Cat manual that Google turned up:
http://www.retromodelisme.com/manuel_page/53/cat-x...
Now if I could find one of the RC10 Worlds Car re-releases from a few years ago, I'd buy that like a shot...
You can now look forward to all of the mad aspects of the build. I particularly remember when I fitted anti roll bars to my Cat that I had to *solder* the end fittings on to the wire! Also boiling the drive shafts to make the universal joints soft enough to assemble, that was a particularly hateful part of the design.
For anyone used to the more mass produced kits, you'll be entertained or horrified by this scan of the original Cat manual that Google turned up:
http://www.retromodelisme.com/manuel_page/53/cat-x...
Now if I could find one of the RC10 Worlds Car re-releases from a few years ago, I'd buy that like a shot...
Funnily enough I've been seeing the end of this poking out from a pile of magazines for the last few days. I also remember poring over it, looking at how the stuff went together and all those photos of the big outdoor RC race tracks.
Couldn't see a way to figure out what date it is, there's nothing obvious to say.
Couldn't see a way to figure out what date it is, there's nothing obvious to say.
Droopsnoot - most RC guide books have a date code somewhere on the inside edge (near the spine) on one on the last pages, sometime it's YYMM, sometimes YYYY, sometimes even MMYY ... however the 1979 (red Countach) and 1980 (blue Celica LB) (amongst other years) don't & can only really be dated by extrapolation (https://tamiyabase.com/guidebooks) 
pete said:
Now that's a blast from the past, 72twink, amd I will admit to a twinge of envy! You've taken me right back to spending many many months of paper round money on one of the first Cat XLs to arrive in my local model shop.
You can now look forward to all of the mad aspects of the build. I particularly remember when I fitted anti roll bars to my Cat that I had to *solder* the end fittings on to the wire! Also boiling the drive shafts to make the universal joints soft enough to assemble, that was a particularly hateful part of the design.
For anyone used to the more mass produced kits, you'll be entertained or horrified by this scan of the original Cat manual that Google turned up:
http://www.retromodelisme.com/manuel_page/53/cat-x...
Now if I could find one of the RC10 Worlds Car re-releases from a few years ago, I'd buy that like a shot...
You still have to solder the roll bar ends on, glue the diff thrust plates to the carriers and fettle some of the plastic parts to get a perfect fit - loved every second, just like 30 years ago! You can now look forward to all of the mad aspects of the build. I particularly remember when I fitted anti roll bars to my Cat that I had to *solder* the end fittings on to the wire! Also boiling the drive shafts to make the universal joints soft enough to assemble, that was a particularly hateful part of the design.
For anyone used to the more mass produced kits, you'll be entertained or horrified by this scan of the original Cat manual that Google turned up:
http://www.retromodelisme.com/manuel_page/53/cat-x...
Now if I could find one of the RC10 Worlds Car re-releases from a few years ago, I'd buy that like a shot...
72twink said:
pete said:
Now that's a blast from the past, 72twink, amd I will admit to a twinge of envy! You've taken me right back to spending many many months of paper round money on one of the first Cat XLs to arrive in my local model shop.
You can now look forward to all of the mad aspects of the build. I particularly remember when I fitted anti roll bars to my Cat that I had to *solder* the end fittings on to the wire! Also boiling the drive shafts to make the universal joints soft enough to assemble, that was a particularly hateful part of the design.
For anyone used to the more mass produced kits, you'll be entertained or horrified by this scan of the original Cat manual that Google turned up:
http://www.retromodelisme.com/manuel_page/53/cat-x...
Now if I could find one of the RC10 Worlds Car re-releases from a few years ago, I'd buy that like a shot...
You still have to solder the roll bar ends on, glue the diff thrust plates to the carriers and fettle some of the plastic parts to get a perfect fit - loved every second, just like 30 years ago! You can now look forward to all of the mad aspects of the build. I particularly remember when I fitted anti roll bars to my Cat that I had to *solder* the end fittings on to the wire! Also boiling the drive shafts to make the universal joints soft enough to assemble, that was a particularly hateful part of the design.
For anyone used to the more mass produced kits, you'll be entertained or horrified by this scan of the original Cat manual that Google turned up:
http://www.retromodelisme.com/manuel_page/53/cat-x...
Now if I could find one of the RC10 Worlds Car re-releases from a few years ago, I'd buy that like a shot...
Interesting that that re-Boot seems to based on Masami's car rather than the production kit as the front wheels look narrower and the production kit definitely had silver wheels. Even at 15 I had a beard... also had the Hornet, Fox, Supershot and 959 and the Tamiya catalogue. All my understanding of suspension designs and set up comes from those days. Fun times.
gl20 said:
Still have my Cat XLS circa 88. Will try and get a photo uploaded. Got it for my 15th birthday and it was Dads job to do the universal joints. One snag I remember is we overlooked that the front inboard ones had a left and right and, Sod's law, we built them the wrong way round making it a right pain to tighten the front diff nut and bolt because of those roller clutches meant it just wanted to freewheel.
Interesting that that re-Boot seems to based on Masami's car rather than the production kit as the front wheels look narrower and the production kit definitely had silver wheels. Even at 15 I had a beard... also had the Hornet, Fox, Supershot and 959 and the Tamiya catalogue. All my understanding of suspension designs and set up comes from those days. Fun times.
You should dust it off and get it running - great parts supply now thanks to the re-boot. 2017 marked the 30th anniversary of Masami winning the worlds with a pre-prod XLS hence the spec and stickers. Schumacher have also released uprated diffs, belts and gearboxes to handle lipo and brushless power for Iconic racing classes bringing an old classic up to date. Interesting that that re-Boot seems to based on Masami's car rather than the production kit as the front wheels look narrower and the production kit definitely had silver wheels. Even at 15 I had a beard... also had the Hornet, Fox, Supershot and 959 and the Tamiya catalogue. All my understanding of suspension designs and set up comes from those days. Fun times.
What's this 'brushless' every speaks of? All I remember is for indoor / twisty stuff a single or double wind gave you more punch and you thermal / pulse charged your SCR batteries and hopes no one could smell the waft of the track-tire you'd soaked your tyres in. ??
From time to time I've looked at the new Schumacher stuff and been tempted to buy simply because they look so far advanced now and would be great to do a build.
From time to time I've looked at the new Schumacher stuff and been tempted to buy simply because they look so far advanced now and would be great to do a build.
Edited by gl20 on Saturday 13th January 10:54
The Tamiya guide book is exactly the kind of thing I would covet and read/study for hours as a teenager. I had forgotten about them until this thread so well done on the find OP.
I worked part time in a big model shop when I was young and I always look back with fond memories; it's the only job where I have woken up in the morning with genuine excitement about the day ahead...!
Unpacking Ripmax/Tamiya deliveries was like Christmas.
I remember buying RC magazines (RC Model World) and studying them at the back of class in School - this advert was a particular favourite -
|https://thumbsnap.com/tTu9MQby[/url]
I worked part time in a big model shop when I was young and I always look back with fond memories; it's the only job where I have woken up in the morning with genuine excitement about the day ahead...!
Unpacking Ripmax/Tamiya deliveries was like Christmas.
I remember buying RC magazines (RC Model World) and studying them at the back of class in School - this advert was a particular favourite -
|https://thumbsnap.com/tTu9MQby[/url]Edited by tim0409 on Sunday 14th January 19:17
Christmas 1987 (or '88) I got a Tamiya Falcon and built it with the old man starting on Boxing day. A friend raced his Wild One in the car park of a nearby pub on Sunday mornings before opening time.
We had the only two 2wd cars and picked up points by not crashing rather than speed or handling. We were about 13 and our race budgets were no match to the guys in their 30s and 40s. I bought a car battery and used to trickle charge it over the night before and then carry it down to use to fast charge my nicads between races.
He then upgraded with an Optima Pro and I got a second hand Rocky. We then suffered with reliability issues and crashes the older guys did but didn't have the funds for repairs.
Anyhow, I fancy buying some nostalgia, I was going to get a rerelease Optima but the CAT XLS is much cheaper, one thing that put me off the Optima is the amount of preassembly...how much does the CAT have?
We had the only two 2wd cars and picked up points by not crashing rather than speed or handling. We were about 13 and our race budgets were no match to the guys in their 30s and 40s. I bought a car battery and used to trickle charge it over the night before and then carry it down to use to fast charge my nicads between races.
He then upgraded with an Optima Pro and I got a second hand Rocky. We then suffered with reliability issues and crashes the older guys did but didn't have the funds for repairs.
Anyhow, I fancy buying some nostalgia, I was going to get a rerelease Optima but the CAT XLS is much cheaper, one thing that put me off the Optima is the amount of preassembly...how much does the CAT have?
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