But moving on now… let’s look at Tamiya model number #58045, The Hornet. It’s no wonder Tamiya’s R/C model sales took off in the early 1980s. But the impression I got growing up in Australia was that this was by far the most popular Tamiya buggy of the era. Also appearing in some Tamiya catalogues, were these action photos of The Hornet…. Tamiya’s various re-releases have all contained differences to the original models. I used to race at the local roller skating rink and build cars for my friends for a small fee… lol. Quick view Compare Add to My Wish List. All content © R/C Toy Memories and it's author, 2012 - 2020, unless otherwise credited. but still good to have the rerelease car to get the parts out to fix the vintage £129.00 RRP. The friends in question were fairly well known people in the town where I lived, so there were quite a lot of people at this party – maybe 50 or so. Having never built a Tamiya before, I am considering picking up the re-released model to get the full “kit” experience (unassembled vintage Hotshots are 3x-4x the money). DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY MY HORNET WILL GO FOWARD AND BACK BUT WILL NOT STEER. Overall length: 400mm; Overall width: 230mm; Overall height: 150mm; Weight: 874g; Solid bathtub frame with side bumpers; High performance Type 540 motor The Tamiya Hornet is perfect for those that used to have one, those that have always wanted one, and for those that want a revolutionary buggy that has earned its place in R/C history. In my view, it also lacks a lot of it’s charm. But the fact is that things are only “overpriced” if they’re priced far higher than any reasonable precedent. HC-0005164 £ 8.05. More. $179.99 ... Its history stretches back to the 1950s, and includes the 40 serie Add to cart. It’s quite subtle, but the result is a sort of subliminal appeal – the familiar look and colouring of an animal, combined with the name, plus the obvious, aggressive baja buggy shape. There was even a sense of violence about it at first – the car seemed tough enough to take the abuse, but the sheer power of it seemed to encourage the other kids to push it to ever higher limits – a sharper ramp, a bigger run-up, and so on. like you the hornet was the first RC car I ever heard about and holds some fond childhood memories. Not too sure about levels of availability on vintage Parma option parts though, someone else will know. To me though, there’s actually another golden era within that first 100, and it consists mainly of a group of early off-road buggies that were actually inspired by animal concepts and symbolism (plus a few buggies either side of this period). Jadlam Racing GB. Categories: Electric Off Road, Tamiya, Tamiya Kits, Tamiya Kits. I’m actually happy if they’ve introduced new people to the magic of those old designs, as I do agree that they’re more fun than a lot of modern R/C stuff. The Hornet is now a cornerstone model for any collector of vintage Tamiya R/C cars. 100% of the re-releases include changes like: fake decal brands (real-world company logos are gone), ESC instead of MSC, and (usually) one or more of the following: minor changes to body, chassis, or gearbox. Condition is "Used". The Hornet's place in Tamiya history is established by the fact that Tamiya sold a zillion of these things. So it’s impact on the toy market has been massive. This perfect scale replica of the famous off-road Mercedes Unimog 4WD truck is one of the nicest looking ready-to-run R/C models produced in the 80s. Porsche 959 The remake Hornet with colour design by Jun Watanabe. $929.00 Add to Cart. Inside the kit, the Hornet is a relatively simple model to build. I think I was about 8 or 9 years old and my family had been invited to some kind of dinner party at a friend’s house. (Almost none of the re-released kits come like this). And while any old print memorabilia related to Toyworld is now extremely hard to find, after some years of searching I did manage to find this great colour Toyworld print advertisement from 1985 – here, showing a Hornet package, complete with the classic Acoms Techniplus radio, plus Tamiya battery and charger…. As Tamiya101 wrote in their article…, “I appreciate that for many it’s just great to at last be able to afford NIB kits of cars they always wanted but it makes me laugh when people are talking about buying the new Bruiser kit at £500 – £700+ when that kind of money would buy you a vintage model that could be restored. This is because it has become cheaper to manufacture toys as time as passed, and Tamiya has also cut costs by no longer manufacturing many … Quantity: Add to Cart. Cookies are required to make this site work. While the parents mostly stayed inside, out in the backyard some of the kids (mostly boys) were busy with some kind of incredibly powerful R/C car. tamiya, inc. jp eng. The company was founded by Yoshio Tamiya [ ja] in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1946. It’s something they carried across several beautiful buggies. Each wheel comes in three-pieces, all joined together by little screws so they are quite elaborate. There was also a sequel, the Super Hornet, which was released in 1994 and was still being manufactured exclusively for the Australian market until 2006, making it one of the longest-running Tamiya kits in history. The Super Hornet is not the pinnacle of Tamiya's pod-and-swingarm chassis development - that title belongs to its successor the DT-01. Thanks for your comment Mark 🙂 I don’t think I’m being harsh on the reissues by saying I personally don’t care for them. R/C Toy Memories is a 100% free, independent and ad-free website. tamiya america, inc. tamiya europe gmbh. Get it as soon as Tue, Dec 22. Under normal use, the Hornet would last a lifetime. I particularly love the wheels and tyres on this car, which are shared between it and several other Tamiya buggies. Original, unbuilt kits are the most highly sought-after of course, and are harder to track down. In Stock. Came in two box styles. Tamiya model database with pictures, data, parts reference and manual It’s a 1/10 scale 2WD utilising a bathtub chassis, to which everything else connects. Often they would copy Tamiya’s ideas, but they were never quite able to copy Tamiya’s eclectic and unusual inspirations – and pull them off. Great deals on Tamiya Grasshopper In Hobby Rc Wheels, Tires, Rims & Hubs. But it was just so entertaining and challenging to fling the buggy around sandy corners, and try to beat little personal-best lap times, that it will always remain one of my very favourite R/C models. At Wonderland Models our Tamiya Hornet and Grasshopper spares and hop-up parts range consists of the Hornet Body and Wing, Sticker Set and much more. (I remember stacking the two servos in the tiny radio box was tedious on the Wild Willy, even for my dad) Ah, but the Hornet was simply awesome back then. And yet despite these aesthetic considerations the car is still 100% functional and uncompromising as an R/C model. It will be a lot easier getting the old Hornet going now that interest and parts have become more available do to the rereleases. I had to, I loved the dang thing so much just looking at it. Shockingly fast back then, certainly much faster than my Wild Willy. Good point there about the mechanical speed controllers. The original body got pretty beat up so I added the Stinger body which looked pretty cool too. That incredible, dynamic box art of the Hornet as it leans out through a turn and kicks up dust, is actually one of my earliest Tamiya memories. If you ever hear anyone complain that their Hornet broke or that this car was inherently weak, remember that there are fools in the world who will drive their R/C vehicles off the rooves of houses, or set them on fire. when you see all the original wires and the 3 step speed controllers that’s what makes the vintage Rc car great the old style not the esc that’s for new models cars on off/road like brushless motor cars also has brake Make sure the transmitter steering is centred (including the steering trim lever). In Stock. Another casualty of rough driving. after running both cars one after the other I still prefer the original car This table explains the issues to look for, when purchasing a vintage Tamiya Hornet in any condition. Look out for many of those cars to appear in future posts 🙂. shipping cost. They have the black (not white) plastic wheel bearings at the wheels, which were only found in earlier Hornet kits. I have a lot of find memories with that car. The only thing I really wanted to replace but can’t seem to find is the Parma Ford Coupe body from the 80s. Fast-forward 30 years with kids of my own and a slight modernization of a classic, and here we are. It all comes together as one perfect package that somehow was incredibly enticing to children and adults around the world. The decals are pretty iconic too. The Hornet stands as one of Tamiya's most popular R/C cars ever released, helping launch a 2WD R/C buggy boom worldwide. Trustpilot. I remember drooling over the Hornet as a kid, but it was really the Hotshot that I wanted. I remember the protective balloon for the speed control was a really neat feature and also remembered it being FAST. Thanks again for the helpful tips. These days I’m seeing a lot of used, classic Tamiyas on eBay, in good condition with original boxes and transmitters, selling for less than the cost of many re-release kits. They are a lot of fun and well worth the investment!! Learn how your comment data is processed. More expensive though they may be, they do exist, and it’s amazing they’ve survived unbuilt over the decades, hidden in attics and the back-rooms of hobby shops around the world…. But when I was about 11, I had the fortune of getting my hands on my first Tamiya catalogue – a glossy, printed gallery of incredible plastic and R/C models that included a page featuring the Hornet. HCO-58336. The videos would typically be a showreel of all the models in Tamiya’s range. Buggies that run absolutely perfectly can often be a bit boring. The metal molds were produced from plans which had the concept of being "easy to understand and build, even for beginners". I’d love to see a post on the Bulldog if you ever do it. Tamiya Hornet Restoration. The Hornet stands as one of Tamiya's most popular R/C cars ever released, helping launch a 2WD R/C buggy boom worldwide. I’m still gonna buy me a Hornet one day…. The nostalgia website for vintage radio controlled cars & other toys, from Tamiya, Nikko, Kyosho, Tyco, Taiyo, Radio Shack, Shinsei, AYK, Marui, Tomy, and many more. Sometimes things are overpriced out there. But Tamiya is here for you and the other driving devotees in your life. And yet despite these aesthetic considerations the car is still 100% functional and uncompromising as an R/C model. I think I’ll try and get that going too. My first was the Wild Willy and I remember my dad mostly putting that together himself, I helped a little bit. Personally I never had that much trouble running cars with them (albeit not in races), and they certainly were repairable and cheap. Mechanical Speed Control. [1982] Two first “Mini 4WD” series released Ford Ranger 4×4 and Chevrolet Pickup released simultaneously. A caricature style Hornet in pre-built form. Broadly, you might re… One day as pretty young kids, we set off on a BMX mission to the local Hobby store at Miranda in NSW for some hot motors (about an hour’s ride). With an incredible collection of detailed RC model cars and vehicles as well as other remote controlled toys and accessories, the Japanese brand has become one of the biggest names in the industry. "B" Parts now says "RCC Lunch Box" on the sprue and fewer parts on it, with wider buttresses on gearbox halves. In Stock. Stock. Product. I think I was about 8 or 9 years old and my family had been invited to some kind of dinner party at a friend’s house. But overall, the re-re Hotshot doesn’t deviate too offensively from the original. Yeah I was rapid for RC cars 25 to 30 years ago. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery . As soon as I got my first job I went straight out and bought a Stadium Blitzer. My parents would never buy me a Tamiya when I was a kid because they heard all the horror stories from other parents about breakages. In terms of the Hotshot, another change is that the iconic round silver resistors under the rear wing are non-functional (because it comes with an ESC), so they just sit there and do nothing. HC-0005127 £ 6.26. Tamiya Paire de Jantes Av Hornet 0555066 - RC TEAM. But I think you’re being a bit harsh on re-re cars? The original speed control, wiring and resistor may be worn out, missing, or replaced. Tamiya Hornet Restoration. Tamiya 1/10 Hornet 2WD Electric Off Road RC Buggy Kit . Great article! Great story, and that’s a pretty big collection you have going there – you always know someone’s quite an enthusiast when they start talking about Mugen Bulldogs and RC10s. Fast & Free shipping on many items! And we Tamiya fans can’t really complain, you know 🙂 Collectors of first-edition books are paying tens of thousands to own the original editions of books like Harry Potter. Many collectors of Tamiya cars consider the first 100 Tamiya models to be a kind of “golden era” as these were the cars released at the height of the R/C craze in the 1980s, and are now the most collectible. However it is a significant improvement over the original. Tamiya 0005276 B Parts Tree, Gearbox Housing for Lunch Box and Pumpkin . Among them, the Hornet was the 45th model to be released. Yes it’s still possible to hunt down original unbuilt kits from the 1980s. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Mind you, I had no idea at first what range of models were available. It's free, and simply lets you comment in the forum or beneath articles. Feel free to look around, participate in the forums, or leave a comment beneath any article if you have a memory to share. I still have it, and it has had an absolute caning; along with my FRP chassis TA-02, I now have kids of my own, and my eldest just got a Mad Bull. My guess is that the servo horn is not aligned correctly on the servo. I remember the old nichrome charge leads; hooking them up to his mum’s old Corolla, and then forgetting about them. I must have poured over that catalogue a million times growing up, and here’s the classic product photo of the Hornet as Tamiya intended it to be…, And let’s not forget the original Tamiya promotional video for the Hornet either, which was often screened on a TV set on the counter of your local hobby shop, along with many other promos…. Tamiya has never released any sales figures. Featuring excellent performance on both dirt and on-road tracks, this awesome buggy can take on any type of terrain. You can still find vintage Hornets on eBay and it is one of the cars that has been rereleased so you can buy a brand new one too. ), and blister boxes with lots of little labeled items. Each of these videos of The Hornet feature different narration, music and footage, as they were released as part of different promotional “showreels”, released at different points in time by Tamiya. And combine that with the fact that it was available for 8 years from 1984-1992, and there’s no doubt it had an incredible sales run. You would have to ask yourself how badly you want something that looks only 50% like a Sand Rover for $150 or so, when an original, used Sand Rover made in 1982 might be found for $300. Tamiya A Parts For Lunch Box. Even the box art was consistent with this throughout the company. (Or if I build an original kit to completion!). For more on this, see: Rear shock absorber mounts may be snapped or have hairline fractures. (Part1: Body Parts), Part 6: Painting Driver Figures - Plaid Shirts & Jeans, Things to know about 58001 Tamiya Porsche 934 RSR. grasshopper 2 But the impression I got growing up in Australia was that this was by far the most popular Tamiya buggy of the era. Add to Cart. Rear wing. During the 1980s, each Tamiya buggy came with a special slogan, and for the Hornet of course it’s “Anytime, Baby!”. Equipped with that polycarbonate body, tough bathtub type chassis, and big flexible front bumper, the car is as tough as they say. But personally, I kinda enjoy the full original build experience – warts and all. Here in Australia, we have a chain of small toy stores called Toyworld. 3.8 out of 5 stars 15. As such, I think they ask the modeler to appreciate them as completely different models. Dad had to get a new one too, and I picked up an M05 Mini Cooper. Featuring excellent performance on both dirt and on-road tracks, this awesome buggy can take on any type of terrain. The revolutionary 1984 2WD off-road buggy is back and more fun than ever before! This table explains how the original Tamiya Hornet R/C kit underwent some changes during it's original vintage production run from 1984 to 1992. Much as if say, Pink Floyd re-recorded “Dark Side of the Moon” this year and it was being played on the radio again – would we consider the new mix as important as the original release? These are attached to the lexan body, and may be lost due to rough driving. $11.50 $ 11. That was in 1993. Tamiya has never released any sales figures. I’ve personally paid as much as $400 for a single Sand Scorcher original NIP black front bumper in the past too (just so you know – I’ve put my money where my mouth is!). Some spare parts, such as the original body set, are also becoming harder to find these days, even on the collector’s market. When I was about 11 or so, I had the fortune of getting my hands on my first Tamiya catalogue – a glossy, printed gallery of incredible plastic and R/C models that included a page featuring the Hornet. Often they would copy Tamiya’s ideas, but they were never quite able to copy Tamiya’s eclectic and unusual inspirations – and pull them off. Mini 4WD Machine, Tamiya Official Competition, Mini 4WD Manga & Game Mini 4WD “Super Speed” History! I find that when you burn out the speed controller you don’t need to buy another one you just clean the copper on the 3 step speed controller then it will work again or replace the resistor Tamiya Hornet Chassis. Motor is now Mabuchi 540 with recessed black endbell, or Johnson 540 with protruding white plastic endbell. It’s really the only video I have of me driving an RC car back then. Euro RC FI. Surely there’s more satisfaction in owning a true original from the 1980s, than a reissue. lol cheap that way some of the parts tress are the same Note the blister packaging – a lot of collectors love the way original Tamiya kits were presented, with big dividers covered in pictures of other cars (you could only dream of owning them all! But nothing will ever surpass an original release for it’s cultural impact or it’s place in history. Come with battery & … I haven’t mentioned the Tamiya Grasshopper yet, but the Hornet is essentially the Grasshopper’s faster brother. HC-0335050 £ 10.96. Very Rare Gold wheels, I havn't seen gold original wheels on a grasshoper before. I still have that old Hornet to this day. Details . yes I like the Tamiya original kits more so then the rerelease ones This just added to the car’s character and even little things – like the positioning of the bonnet number “7” off a bit to one side – are just little touches to add a bit more individuality. But I do understand that a reissue of something offers a cheaper, easier, brand new way to relive the past. Price . The Hornet is of course based on the Hornet insect, most likely the European Hornet with it’s black and yellow body colouring. The decals are pretty iconic too. But they have a lovely, scale dune-buggy look about them. Under normal use, the Hornet would last a lifetime. Other than the Hornet and Monster Beetle, I still have a Porsche 959, Lunchbox and believe it or not, I have a Toyota Bruiser that still runs. But the Hornet basically uses the same chassis platform (the chassis actually has “RCC Grasshopper” stamped onto it since the Grasshopper was the first to use it) together with a range of extra features – in particular a Mabuchi 540 motor instead of the Grasshopper’s 380 motor. Accounting for inflation, paying $150 for something in 1985 is about the same as paying $385 in 2012 (in Australia). hornet I wasn’t sure I even had the old one still but found it and am going to get that working as well. Being a bit younger than these other kids, all I could do was stand back and watch. This is required to restore the car back to original state. frog The place for all things Tamiya. Add to Cart. The tyres all have high side-walls – not that efficient because they aren’t as rigid during cornering as today’s low-profile tyres. It was an interesting and fun car but somewhat “complicated” with the 4 wheel steering, etc. It just would have required more patience and to save up for a bit longer :/ But it was totally possible. There was even a sense of violence about it at first – the car seemed tough enough to take the abuse, but the sheer power of it seemed to encourage the other kids to push it to ever higher limits – a sharper ramp, a bigger run-up, and so on. Tamiya 1/14 Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3348 6x4 Tipper Truck TAM56361. Expand your options of fun home activities with the largest online selection at eBay.com. My son had a BLAST playing with it. The Grasshopper/Hornet chassis platform with a gearbbox at the back and rigid rear-axle suspension was also such an economical, robust basis for a 2WD R/C buggy that it ended up being copied over the years by dozens of other R/C car makers (both hobby and toy-grade – the Tyco Turbo Hopper is just one example), and in fact the same basic philosophy can still be seen in many R/C toys you can purchase today. The re-released Tamiya Hornet (2005) contains many differences to the original 1984 release. Unavailable for purchase. While the parents mostly stayed inside, out in the backyard some of the kids (mostly boys) were busy with some kind of incredibly powerful R/C car. We had our time?, these cars bring new fans to the hobby with new memories of their own, which as you know are pure magic? It’s something they carried across several beautiful buggies. Ajouter au panier. And combine that with the fact that it was available for 8 years from 1984-1992, and there’s no doubt it had an incredible sales run. Please be kind and simply mention www.rctoymemories.com when sharing. Price comparison (0) Price excl. I ended up getting a Willys and that will have to do until I find a 30s Ford Coupe. At the time, my only R/C experiences had been Tandy/Radio Shack type models that would trundle around nice enough, but seeing this thing called a “Hornet” introduced me to a new level of excitement. Many collectors of Tamiya cars consider the first 100 Tamiya models to be a kind of “golden era” as these were the cars released at the height of the R/C craze in the 1980s, and are now the most collectible. The Hornet Junior (Japanese: ホーネットJr., Hōnetto Junia) is a Racing Mini 4WD car released by Tamiya on May 15, 1986. Due to it’s extreme maneuverability and high speed we have named this powerful buggy the “HORNET”. Of course, you could paint and decal your Hornet any way you liked, but as with all my Tamiyas I think I love the original designs too much to deviate. First released on the 9th of October, 1984, I suspect it went on to become Tamiya’s biggest selling R/C car ever – although I have no specific proof. The Hornet stands as one of Tamiyas most popular R/C cars ever released, helping launch a 2WD R/C buggy boom worldwide. Obviously there’s the black body covered in striking yellow-orange-red decals. And remember also that re-releases have caused values of originals to drop quite a bit in many cases, because of the ongoing conflict and debate surrounding which items people prefer to collect and restore. I think that if you’re happy enough with the look of any particular re-release, then you’ll enjoy whatever you choose. Since the re-releases began, a lot of people don’t seem to realize that you could be restoring or rebuilding an original for not that much more money than a reissue – and using original parts. Ages: 12 months and up. Among them, the Hornet was the 45th model to be released. If you grew up with R/C cars sometime between the late 1970s and early 1990s, then you're sure to find something fun to read about here. At first you might think it’s exactly the same, but there are actually many changes – altered electronic parts, altered plastic parts (mostly from new/different molds), altered decals that no longer feature real world sponsor logos, no mechanical speed control, even altered box art. But that’s because this was such a heavily played-with and loved model, by so many people around the world. I have all kinds of upgrades on it and used to run it with full ball bearings and a RX540VZ Technigold motor but for some reason it had a stock 540 in it and the Technigold is in my Monster Beetle which will be the next one we get running 🙂 Anyway, I’d love to get a new body for the Hornet since the original is pretty banged up… that would be a fun project to let me son pick out the color scheme and setup the decals. Of course, you could paint and decal your Hornet any way you liked, but as with all my Tamiyas I think I love the original designs too much to deviate. And this is also quite an easy model to work on, so if you are just getting into vintage Tamiya – it’s a great place to start. This was the genius of Tamiya’s design work during the “character car” era. It would go on to become one of the most popular R/C kits of all time and was re-released in December 2004 with a few alterations. Tamiya Hornet Kit. Store. About this model. I personally don’t have much interest in the re-released Tamiya cars. The Hornet stands as one of Tamiya's most popular R/C cars ever released, helping launch a 2WD R/C buggy boom worldwide. $650.30. Perhaps it was the fact that my parents could never really afford to buy a Tamiya during the 1980s, but for whatever reason I developed something of a reverence for the Hornet – and indeed all Tamiyas. Among them, the Hornet was the 45th model to … I particularly love the wheels and tyres on this car, which are shared between it and several other Tamiya buggies. I have a very roughed-up original and just bought a rerelease yesterday. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Broadly, you might refer to these buggies as “character cars” due to the fact they came in eye-catching shapes, colours, and with quirky decals and unusual names. View in shop. As always, restoration of an original with original spare parts, is the most satisfying project if you really want to relive this classic as it was. Many collectors of Tamiya cars consider the first 100 Tamiya models to be a “golden era” as these were the cars released at the height of the R/C craze in the 1980s, and are now the most collectible. For those wanting to remember a bit of their youth, it's likely that it's the Hornet they remember. Broadly, you might refer to these buggies as “character cars” due to the fact they came in eye-catching shapes, colours, and with quirky decals and unusual names. Or how about the rare Wonder Woman figure that’s worth over $20,000 alone? £109.65. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. But the Hornet basically uses the same chassis platform (the chassis actually has “RCC Grasshopper” stamped onto it since the Grasshopper was the first to use it) together with a range of extra features – in particular a Mabuchi 540 motor instead of the Grasshopper’s 380 motor. Not in mint condition. But they have a lovely, scale dune-buggy look about them. We offer a wide range of spare parts for these R/C cars including the Rear Tyres, Front Tyres and many more. But it became the vehicle that opened up my world to Tamiya R/C cars. The vast majority of Tamiya spares were pretty plentiful on eBay from 1998-2005 before any of the rereleases began. If you see my original content on social media without a courtesy credit mentioning where it came from - that's content theft! Yet the reissued Hornet kit can be found online for about $110. I wanted something super robust. This is a pretty standard desire among every single collecting community in the world. The rear dampers are some really nice, metal, oil-filled units however, that do a reasonable job. During the 1980s, each Tamiya buggy came with a special slogan, and for the Hornet of course it’s “Anytime, Baby!”. Keen eyes have uncovered many small things over the years. The kit shown here is a “late vintage” Hornet, in a nice condition box with all parts complete inside. It all comes together as one perfect package that somehow was incredibly enticing to children and adults around the world. My best mate had a Hornet and another friend had a Hot Shot. That doesn’t even count the cars that I sold over the years. It feels more authentic when I burn my fingers on the resistors and struggle to fit all that extra wiring inside the chassis box 🙂 That’s what the Hotshot was. Well the rear suspension is, as they say “rigid” – there’s no independent suspension at the back. My wife isn’t going to like my eBay purchases 🙂, This website is fantastic.