The RC Deep Dive

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. Ho...

[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 Y...

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 D...

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....

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 scient...

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 chem...

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...

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...

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...

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 Div...

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 (Associa...

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...

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 R...

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 with...

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 betwe...