The RC Deep Dive

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...

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 th...

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 s...

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 podc...

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...

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...

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...

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 e...

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 "...

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 Di...

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 D...

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 shoul...