The RC Deep Dive

For someone new to the radio control model vehicle hobby, it might be hard to pick the right R/C that matched their interest. To help resolve this, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we look at the best first Tamiya radio-controlled model vehicle kit for the beginner looking to build, race, bash, display, crawl, speed run, or drift with their completed model. You might be surprised at the...

The rere (re-release) Tamiya Frog has a reinforcing plate the strengthens the connection between the stock front bumper and the bumper mount. The reinforcement plate is strong, tight, and unbendable, but what is it made of? How does it work? Does this finally fix the major flaws that the vintage Frog front bumper and bumper mount were famous for? We reinforce your knowledge of these three parts in...

The Tamiya Grasshopper 1/10th scale R/C buggy officially comes in three different body shell colors, original white, candy lime green, and brilliant black (often called the Cricket). But what other colors are the most popular for radio controlled model vehicle hobby enthusiasts to paint this iconic legend? You may be shocked to learn that they are not the same choices as the Hornet. We get out our...

Did you know that the first radio controlled vehicle was the Telautomaton boat back in 1898? Did you know that R/C airplanes were made in the 1910s well before radio control cars in the 1920s? The share the stories behind these three radio-controlled vehicles as well as the first R/C helicopter and motorcycle which came decades later. We open the history books and give you all the details about th...

First, to be crystal clear, when we are taking about radio-controlled model vehicle gyros (JAI-rohs) as in gyroscopes, not the delicious Greek pita sandwich wrap—that you get at your local Orthodox Church's annual mouth-watering Mediterranean or Middle Eastern Food Festival—pronounced YEE-rohs. So what are these amazing modern inventions and how do they work? Can you put them in vintage R/C cars,...

What is remote control and what is radio control? Is it true that all radio controlled model vehicles are remote controlled, but not all remote controlled devices are radio controlled? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we will explain the differences and similarities between light controlled remotes with IR (infrared), sound controlled remote control with ultrasonic, and radio controlled...

From youthful prodigies to seasoned veterans the age range of big-time racers, including the winners in the radio controlled hobbyist community is amazingly wide. We open up the record books and give you the details on the youngest and the oldest winners in national, continental, and international R/C car, truck, buggy, van, jeep, tank, plane, helicopter, motorcycle, and drive competitive races in...

Tamiya has a fascinating multi-layered hybrid distribution network that ensures that your radio controlled model vehicles get from the manufacturing to a regional distributor to the national agents and then to your local or online hobby shop. But what exactly are these layers of distribution, and what are each responsible for in reach region and country? We put on our safety vest, hop in our deliv...

There's nothing quite like seeing a radio-controlled monster truck destroy a puddle, a rally car drift through mud spraying it everywhere, or a buggy launching off a huge ramp into a mud puddle. But what does it do to the R/C model vehicle and what preparations need to be made in advance? We splash this knowledge over everyone in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Tamiya has created a lot of products since it's inception, but exactly how many? Of those, how many are radio controlled model vehicles, and how many are R/C hop-ups and other accessories? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we pull out our calculators and give you all the details on the entire Tamiya Ecosystem and show you that in this Empire, radio control is king!

What to radio-controlled model vehicles have to do with compression socks? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we cover exactly how your body is harmed be excessive standing whether at the track, on the cement, off-road, and at your radio controlled model vehicle hobby workbench and how the right compression socks, especially when paired with excellent insoles inside a good R/C shoe like t...

While the box art official paint color of the Tamiya Hornet radio controlled buggy model kit is black, as the instruction manual confirms, however there are a lot of Hornets of other base colors out there. So, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we list all the other top colors that are very popular in the R/C enthusiast community for Tamiya's Hornet 1/10th scale radio controlled buggy.

This episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast explains how to apply the Kanban method to a R/C model vehicle workbench, using a four-column workflow of Queued, WIP (Work in Process), Waiting, and Completed to visualize and manage all tasks. The system utilizes "nikku no michi" color-coding: red for urgent, yellow for standard, and green for non-essential tasks to effectively prioritize work, limit work...

In the last episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we mentioned that you needed to 5S your R/C workbench and workspace. In this episode, we are going to teach you exactly how to 5S (Seiri/Sort, Seirin/Set in order, Seiso/Shine, Seiketsu/Standardize, and Shitsuke/Sustain) or 6S a.k.a. 5S+Safety and make your radio-controlled model vehicle hobby workbench and work space more efficient, less frustrating...

What is the perfect way to setup your radio controlled model vehicle hobby space as an economically-aligned, properly-lit, well -organized workbench? From your floors, to your chair or stool, to your desktop, to your walls, and ceiling, we cover how to make the perfect work bench for you, the R/C car, truck, buggy, jeep, van, bus, and tank hobbyist and enthusiast in this episode of the RC Deep Div...

When you upgrade your vintage or rere (rerelease) Grasshopper or Hornet to Tamiya's CVA (Constant Volume Adjustable) Oil-Filled Shocks, the DT-02 Soft Red Coil Over Shock Springs not only look, but also work so well. Why? You might think it's just a matter of opinion, but there's actually a scientific reason that the dampers set up this easy just pops in your mind. We dig into the synthesis of phy...

Carson Motor-Sport debuted in the 1990s, creating super-strong hardened steel pinion gears for Tamiya radio controlled model vehicles and quickly became the favorite among fans and enthusiasts of Tamiya and Kyosho's R/C cars, trucks, buggies, vans, jeeps, busses, and tanks. We break down the details of these amazing perfect-fitting gears in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Tamiya started pumping out reres (re-releases) of is iconic first 150 R/C model vehicles in earnest in 2005. After 20 years of steady re-releases, which R/C cars, trucks, buggies, tanks, jeeps, vans, and buggies are most likely to be released in 2026? Using the pattern and history of Tamiya rere activity, we calculate the most likely re-releases during the next 365 days in this episode of the RC D...

2026 is approaching quickly, and with it is the 50th anniversary of Tamiya's first radio controlled car, the Porsche Turbo RSR. We step into the driver's seat and explain what made it unique, drive into it's many reres (re-releases) and the best hop-ups available for this first iconic vintage R/C model vehicle of the Golden Age.

After standing on hard packed surfaces and running after crashed R/C vehicles on uneven surfaces, your get really take a pounding! That pain can extend from your feet to your ankles to your knees to your hips and even into your spine. To prevent it, you need some good insoles, even if you have those support popular, comfortable Osiris D3 2001s in a cookie to match your radio controlled car, buggy,...

While we at the RC Deep Dive podcast do not run LiPo (Lithium-Polymer) batteries in our vintage and rere (re-release) 1/10th scale R/C model vehicles and only run NIMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) or LiFe (Lithium Iron Phosphate) in them instead, we had a listener ask us to do a podcasting episode on the advantages of running LiPos in radio controlled cars, trucks, buggies, jeeps, vans, busses , and tan...

Running radio-controlled model vehicles in the snow and cold presents many challenges, especially for vintage and rere cars, trucks, buggies, vans, jeeps, tanks, and busses. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we meticulously cover the necessary preparations, variations when running your R/C, and things that you must do immediately after your run. 

When the vintage Tamiya Frog 1/10th scale radio-controlled buggy came out in 1983, it's livery displayed on the box art and instructions were white and light floral pink. However when the rere (re-release) first debuted in 2005, you started to see white and fluorescent pink Frogs take over, even though the box art and instructions never changed colors. Why did the majority of pink and white Frog o...

Tamiya's anodized purple aluminum paint for Lexan polycarbonate radio-controlled body shells is a beautiful metallic lavender color and is a better match for lavender than their own lavender paint. But why did they make this color? What inspired it? We uncover the popular car and auto parts colors in the 1990s and 2000s Japan and get the answers behind this color choice for R/C cars, trucks, buggi...

eBay has recently been flooded with the ultra-rare Parma Positive Drive Hubs for both the Frog and the HotShot. What was the Parma Positive Drive System and what did it do? We go back in time and breakdown the genius of this hop-up option that would truly turn your Tamiya Frog into a Mighty Frog in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast.