It's mad how something so trivia in the eyes of some, means everything to us. In a time when our children have everything and the world has an attitude of entitlement, its stories like yours that humbles us and makes us realise how a hobby can be the catalyst that helps us through such hard times! Your story is heart warming mate, and someone who is about to give my son his first Tamiya on Saturday for his 9th Birthday (Hornet) and I hope it means as much to him as tye frog does to you, but under different circumstances. Thanks for sharing mate, and happy RC'ing ❤
Doug I can't thank you enough for this amazing gesture and generous share. In My opinion if you were not one already you are now an RC legend. One of the best things about rc is sharing it with someone and that, all of it, is the ultimate share.
Very touching story. My frog was litteraly my best and only friend. I was a scrawny, awkward kid so other children would pick on me constantly. My uncle bought me a frog at a swap meet. It wasn't much, it was orange with a home made spoiler from an old rc airplane. I swear when I wasn't driving it I was cleaning it. It was my prized possession. My whole life was in this little car that smelled like rubber and burnt plastic. 😅😅 Ironically when I took it to the park I wasn't the awkward goof I was in real life. Kids would cheer me on instead of make fun of me. That was a real confidence booster. I never knew they were pink and white until I was an adult. I'm 46 now and I have over 150 RC's. They still bring me joy. 😊
I fully relate to Doug's story, my father had an almost life ending heart attack when I was 10, he couldn't work afterwards and we were poor financially. I know my parents dug deep to make my childhood and my brothers and sisters the best they could manage. My first car was a Wild One which my dad and I proudly built on Christmas Day 1985, probably the happiest day of my life and one I will never forget. I lost my dad on the 10th March 22, a few months later I bought a ReRe Wild One to build in his memory but so far I can't bring myself to do it without him. I have promised him I will do it this Christmas Day which no doubt will be pretty emotional. These kinds of stories make you realise that things you love are often linked directly to people that you loved, I remember how proud we were when we got the car out and running and the fun we had with it 😊
Doug = RC hero. Thanks Doug. Your story hits us all right in the servo. I built my Frog with my Dad. Everyone should be so lucky. I say I built it with him but that really means i sat there and watched and every 5 minutes or so I'd ask if we could finish it tonight. My dad got up at 5 in the morning and took a two hour train ride to work and didn't get home until 7 at night. He must have been exhausted staying up until 11 working on it for me. Thanks Dad! And thank you Doug for the reminder we all needed.
That is the hornet for me, I bought my first hornet used with a parts car mugen bulldog back in 1984 with my birthday money! I haggle the seller down to $120.00 Cd back in 84, with my grandfather along for the ride. I remember him him being so proud of me!
I can relate to this video. I got my first Frog at Christmas 1985. My grandmother had a stroke and passed away just before Christmas. It was a rough time for my family, especially for my mom because it was her mother. Opening that car on Christmas and spending the time to assemble it helped me deal with the loss of my grandmother. It gave me something to focus on and take my mind off the problems of the family. The Frog will always be my favorite Tamiya buggy even though I had The Grasshopper which I later upgraded to a Hornet. Thanks for sharing.
I had owned a bunch of various tamiya cars back in the day. My 2 favorite ones was My frog and my terra scorcher. I miss them. Because of tamiya rc cars I became an auto mechanic and still am 40 years later.
Wow I didn't expect my own reaction to this. Thank you Glenn & Doug for reminding me of the emotional connection we all have to this hobby. That special car for me was the Lancia Rally which I built with my dad in 1985 aged 9. My son and I built his first car together last year for his 9th birthday......a Grasshopper. Building and running these cars together is such a great way to create life-long memories. I'm not often one for commenting but this one got me - thank you.
That one is now a prized and loved Frog! I never went trough such hardships in my youth. Bought my first RC (Fighter Buggy RX) with my first pay at 14. Trew is out 5 years ago when I followed my pregnant girl to her home country. Now that my son turns 6, and has his own interest in RC, I asked him what model? A Buggy like Papa, but faster. And out comes the new Fighter Buggy RX, so, that will be it. It's meant to be. Time for a restart in the RC hobby.
The Ford Ranger was the first Tamiya I ever saw and it belonged to my older brother, I adored my older brother growing up so for me that is the number one kit I want Tamiya to release, Mud blaster is the second 🙂 I get that story 100% and anyone that had grown up in that Golden age of RC will totally understand, I feel very lucky to have been a kid growing up in the 80's, what an amazing time!
I can relate to the parent doing everything they could to make a child's dream come true. As a kid i grew up with only my mother. She worked at a local hotel to provide for me. She walked to work and never missed a day. It would be a blizzard and her zipper didn't work on her coat. I saw her walking home from work covered in snow. Like Doug, she bought me a grasshopper. I know it took everything she had to get that. Now that she has passed, i think about those days quite often. I realize how hard she worked for such little money. God bless our parents
Great story! Gets me too...as The Frog was my machine when I was 10...while my two buddies had a Grasshopper and a Hornet. Hours and hours we spent together in our youths on these!
Very moving story. For me the Boomerang is the one. My mum helped me build it all those years ago and I loved that buggy. I'll always remember those times.
First cars I ever saw and experienced was the hornet and grasshopper at the same time. That started it for me. Had no money or very little from my paper run just watched my friends go round and round the dirt. First build was a Bush devil after saving for a year. Only one battery and no hop ups at all. A friend had a frog and I always remember it because he didn’t race with us, had something broken and for me it became a car from a by gone era as my experience started in 1988. So for me, Frog does have meaning. It was history. And the DNA was in my bush devil.
I can totally relate to dougs story , I'm one of 7 kids parents divorced and mum scrapped and saved for it don't know how long to get us 5 boys a hornet for Christmas we made a track a timed laps until the tyres were balled and fell off . Best time for everyone involved.
My first Tamiya was a second hand Ford 150. I think I pretty much wore that down to the ground, as like Doug, we had next to nothing in the 80's, so to have such a thing was really special. Loved that car. Many years later it was stolen, along with a load of my other 80's handheld stuff, during a break in, so it kind of feels extra special to think back about it. Of course I went on to build other RC cars, but I guess you never really forget your first proper RC...
It's heart felt stories like this that that gives us a little reminder of one of the many reasons we love the hobby. It's likely much deeper than just RC'ing. ⭐Thank you Doug, Glenn and Tamiya!⭐
Still have my original Tamiya Frog 🐸 which my Dad built for me. I got it for Christmas in the 80’s when I was 11. It still runs great! This was my first Tamiya and the first of many. Great memories!
Super Champ for me.... Always had at least one RC since then, but when I found the Super Champ re-re that brought it all back for me and kick started my now collection.
I will always love the Frog. It was my first RC in the mid-80s. I ran it until the wheels fell off quite literally. I built a ReRe last fall and all that happiness came rushing back.
Great Video! I have history behind this great car with Tamiya/RC, I raced pro at Anaheim Score show in 84' and many other So. Cal tracks with this car! Traveled many different towns/cities, My carrier started 82', I invented lubrication/tricks for the differential at the time. It was awesome time wish i could go back! If only I kept some of the prototypes of this car. through all these years and all the cars, I've Owned this car is by far me true love. I can remember my first batch of these cars meeting my Tamiya sponsor at Pomona track here in Cali, He had a ford LTD packed full of Frogs, chargers, Batts, Radios and extra parts. I and a fellow teammate dove in with 6 of everything each...After of course he had said take whatever you guys need. Suggested to us both that 2 cars be ready for Score show a Primary and Secondary this was 3 months prior to the big race. In the race now our last heat race before the Main event, my fellow teammate forgot to change out his crystals, from red to yellow, I was assigned Red, so you guess what happened next, haha...controlling each other's cars. once figured out (first lap) teammate pitted and changed crystals. i was a last down which placed me not on pole for the main, over all I place 2nd at Anaheim and I was only 14 at the time.
I just finished watching this and all I can say is thank you for sharing. My first kit was a Grasshopper 2 super G. I grew up in eastern Kentucky and if it hadn't been for an episode of Punky Brewster I never would have discovered my love for rc cars. I loved watching this. It brought back all of the memories of my mom and dad sitting at the kitchen table helping put together my first kit. This video truly caused a spark and as soon as I finish typing this I'm going to order a kit to build with my son. I'm so glad I discovered your channel. With a very sincere thank you please keep the videos coming
The power of the golden era is so very powerful to many of us for many different reasons! The Frog to me along with the Subaru Brat(my first in 83) Grasshopper and Hornet are the tip of the golden era iceberg! Great vid Glenn! The emotional power of this hobby is absolutely unmatched!
44year old man sobbing here! Absolutely love the tamiya community. I remember getting a sonic fighter for christmas and byulding it with my dad and being too impatient to paint it grey so it stayed white. Would love to see this frog with the wheels dyed to match your frog tribute
That is a very heartfelt story. The grasshopper is the 1st Tamiya I got when I was 12 and that time I had to wait awhile to build it because I broke my collar bone on a skateboard. And when I got to finally build it I had a blast. The falcon was my second rc. And a few years later a close family friend gave me his frog and that meant a lot to me. He passed away almost 20 years ago from diabetes. I had to get a rere because it brought back so many memories with the frog. And found an original one several years ago. The frog will always be my favorite Tamiya ever and the falcon is my second
Wow! I had a similar experience with a Wild One which was my first RC car in 1985-6 when I was 10 years old for Christmas. My dad nor I knew that the kit needed anything else in order to run, so it was quite disappointing on Christmas morning realising that I would not be able to run the car, as I had been fantasising for months about playing with this car...I would stare at it on the shelf at my local hobby shop in Palm Bay Florida for hours. My dad just didn't understand my enthusiasm and wasn't in a hurry at all to help me finish the car. I had to wait until the next Christmas to get a radio, which was used and barely useable. Even then, I didn't have a battery and a charger. I finally raised enough money cutting grass to buy a single battery and charger. All in all, it took almost 2 years to run the car for the first time. In that time, I rolled the car around on the floor everyday. We weren't poor at all - lower/mid middle class, but my dad just didn't understand the importance at all. He is still alive and I love him, but he just isn't like other people who have hobbies and love for....things, toys and stuff. He grew up in foster homes and just didn't develop that type of emotion. I never really had toys and never spent any daddy/son time. At some point the Wild One got thrown away which also devastated me - he just didn't understand and I couldn't hold it against him. I will never be this way to my now daughter and son who are too young yet to enjoy the hobby. Anyway, this video touched me.
I’m 55 and the frog was my first race car to hit the tracks. My first was the wild willys. I had the rare battery with the camel joroba on his top. I raced without bearings. I used a motorbike battery and two resistances to charge my frog. I used a bright green color instead the pink colour. The faster 4x4 cars hotshots super shots , the ultimate and faster Kyoshos blame us when they try to pass. I suppose that No Guts No Glory was our way of live. Very nice video I have gone to my past again.
From Australia....I recall my mum buying me a frog I painted it black and gold. I would give me left one to find it. I have done the re releases and enjoyed them and mate I love your channel. I review Aussie beers. Goody's beer reviews. Love the videos and i will never forget my mates first hornet, painted olive green. I bought the re release and painted it dark olive green..I will never forget the hornet ripping up grass, rear end sitting down and flying.......The first take off. Man......
@@TAMIYALegends My mate still has his original super champ in perfect condition. Seriously man. Love the channel. So many stories from the 80's 90's. Tamiya vs Kysho, I used to race YZ10 super dog fighter. Still go the trophies.......
I will get a frog one of these days, and it’ll be yellow. The first 3 Tamiya’s I got to drive were the falcon, the frog and the Blackfoot. They were my cousins. He ended up giving me the Blackfoot
G'day Glenn I really appreciate that video the Frog story Doug's story I felt it. It's really amazing that a rc car can hold so much power and love and memory's I get It. I look at all my cars they all have a story but the grasshopper is where it all started for me ❤
Great Story I always love hearing the old RC stories about memories of RC people have. I have a few favorite because they were the only cars I had as a kid and because I never really got anything and I had to put other kids RC kits together for some $ and had to save and buy the RC's myself. those cars were my first the hornet, second the lunch box and supershot then later on a RC10. Good stuff have fun with those builds!!
Great video and story. Its very true about how the first car made you feel. Mine was the falcon, got it for my 13th birthday from Hamleys. I had the slow charger and the 1200 battery. To get that was amazing...i had spent literally years looking at the tamiya photos in my mums catalogue...but we could never afford one. I am now rebuilding a falcon... nearly finished, just need a wing and stickers. Building it vintage, will try to get that old 1200 racing pack...techniplus controller...but not running it .. fragile 😅. Brought back loads of lovely memories
I've just got the vision of it freewheeling around , obviously it pre-dates BEC so he'd have been able to steer it around on 4 AAs. I remember getting my ORV lancia , I don't know if my parents realized the car didn't include the radio, battery etc. but I had to wait from Christmas until my birthday in march. All I can remember is crashing it into the kerb straight away and that lovely lancia body breaking, a bit of Araldite soom sorted it out though. Not long after that my brother got a Frog, I was so jealous, mine turned into a 'Frog a like' pretty quickly. As much as I enjoyed the TRF videos I'm really glad you're getting back to some normal orignal 100 videos and some good old fashioned memories 👍
Top video glenn. I was hit a bit in the feels as well by Doug’s history with his frog. I think I was the most engaged in this video of all the videos you’ve posted. Just clicked something. Don’t ever be apologetic over stuff like this that catches in the throat. We get you. Onya lads 🐸🐸🐸
The frog was my first hobby grade rc. I have an original in my collection now and just love it. I even put the stick futaba radio in it. Great story Glen and thank you for sharing his story. We were so lucky to have grown up in the golden age of RC!
This was my first RC car when I was a kid as well. I came up with enough money to get a battery and charger, but could not afford the radio until the next Christmas. I would charge it up and manually switch the mechanical speed controller to high and send it across the parking lot! Blackfoot was my second RC car. It gives me chills to see these things again! Thank you for this!!!
I have one and I got it in 1998s and still working, in its 1st year it was runover by a truck but survive and got few bends on the chassis in which I have straightened. Now I only running it once in while. The other Tamiya I got is Clodbuster.
I’m just building The Frog in the garden on this wonderful day. Happy as a kid on Christmas morning 😂. I’m 45 years old and got into RC this year and haven’t looked back. Great community and nice to hear I’m not the only one now pursuing this venture because I couldn’t afford it in my paper round back in the day…. Great video btw I enjoy watching your channel 🤠
Awesome and touching story! The frog is important to me as well. My brother and I got our very first rc cars for Christmas way back then and his was the Frog and mine was the Marui Hunter. Fast forward many years later and in my small collection of 18 cars and trucks I got an original Frog and Hunter sitting side by side in the shelf! What great memories 👍🏻
Hi Glenn such a touching story and I can relate to that in two parts. I remember my friend at school buying a tamiya sand rover. He couldn’t afford the radio gear for ages after so we used to run it up and down the road and run after it. Wasn’t too much of an issue with a 380 motor in it keeping up but we had our work it out and had lots of fun. Second part is that my dad used to race brisca stockcars at belle Vue in Manchester among other tracks and I promised him the day before he died that I would recreate his car so intend to make a scratch build rc model of my dads stockcar in his memory. I still have his racing helmet which will go next to it on the shelve. Best wishes Glenn you’ve brought such happy memories back for me, take care
Nothing like bawling your eyes out at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. What a story from Doug. Glad he allowed you to read it. I too also just bought the Subaru Brat. Something about that kit just brings back memories. Thanks Glen and Doug!
Just woke up and Glenn has me tearing in my coffee😢 The Frog is the one that’s engraved on my heart as well. I get it, I totally get it. I never had one as a kid, but I dreamed about it every night. I’m 51 now and finally have two Frogs. A restored original and a rere that I run. When I see it bouncing thru the dirt I’m a kid all over again. I think we all understand the feeling. MCI decals are a must Glenn. A Frog isn’t a Frog without the NGK and KC daylighter decals. ❤ Great story!
Just following on from my last comment…. Wow what a touching story 😢 There truly is some magic to be hold with these cars and I’m glad to be part of it…🤠
That got me emotional also, heartfelt story , the Frog was the first RC car I ever saw age 12 in 1984 , couldn't afford one so I got a hornet after a year of savings and painted in pink and white in honour of the frog as I loved the car more than the hornet 😊, have two frogs now and still feel the same about it aged 51 .
Lovely!! My friend Donald got a Frog for Christmas. It was the first Tamiya car I ever got to play with. For me, the Frog is still one of the coolest looking buggies around. I don’t own one yet. I really don’t have space atm for any more cars… but I’m not gonna live where I am forever… 😉
Great background story and proof that some RC cars have a soul. My RC top memory is my Tamiya Celica Grb I bought with my first pay packet in 1988. I got £200 a month I went to Beatties and spent it all on a Kit and electrics package. My (single) Mum went ape shit as I never had any money left to pay or board and lodgings and I was skint for a month. great time. @Trigger Happy RC
Very touching story, I definitely felt it. I was always a big fan of Tamiya and the frog. For me I could never get one as a kid. Took me 30 odd years to finally obtain one. and to me it’s just, such a iconic car. Even to today’s generation. 👍thanks for sharing!
I get where he's coming from. I think us oldies going back and building the re res also like to get in the way back machine to some happier times. My first car was a Lunchbox. My dad who's not with us anymore helped me build it. I was 14 and I still have the car. Some people see these as toys. Others see them as ways to relive a time and place in their youth. Thanks for the video.
Glenn you shared that story so I think everyone who has a frog now can connect that shared story now For me my first encounter with Tamiya RC was a Lamborghini cheetah someone had at the bottom of my street It blew my mind this radio control car that went so fast and did slides and turns from a hand held radio control I had to have one But the price back then and only 50p a week pocket money was dream stuff Finally after many years of looking at Tamiya catalogues with dog ear pages I got my first job as a trainee mechanic I was able to go to Beaties in Newcastle and buy the Audi Quattro rally car the first release back in the 80s it was my favourite real car also (I wanted a real one also ) but that was fantasy Finally after 40 years I’ve got a original body set for the cheetah and chassis tyres are hard to find with out remortgage the house so cracked ones with rubber paint will have to do Even thou now in my 50s I finally have a good Lamborghini cheetah 😊
thank you so much for sharing this story, I have so many fond memories with Tamiya cars as a child and still am making and reminiscing memories with as many Tamiyas as I can get my hands on I really think this is what the hobby is all about, keep up the great work
Growing up in the 80's was tough. I definitely didn't have it that bad, but things were tight. I remember the models I could not afford and missed out on. All of that seems so minuscule after hearing that letter. I think we are reliving our past through this hobby???? It was a magical time as a young one. Great video, made me laugh, I would have done the same.
I love cars that have a story behind them, it makes them much more valuable to me than any collector value or rarity value can. I have a few in my collection I will not part with and will keep till I die or until I can find the right person and reason to give it to them. That was a great gift and I am glad he allowed you to share the story. I have had quite a few kits donated to my little channel and I cherish each and every one of them and it adds to their value that they came from the kindness of another person. Your has an extra couple layers of special on it from Doug and that one it a a true keeper for sure. Just a little extra you could go is to put a little footprint on the back of it, something subtle but something to embed the story into it even more. Just a thought! Have fun with it and the others! You have a lot of building stacked up!!
that's a good piece of history. i love history, even if it's from an obscure person you don't know. my new goal is to get the cars my friends had when we all got into the game together. i still need a super champ, suburu brat and a kyosho icarus! we all upgraded our kits to be speed demon's except for my friend mel who had the brat. he kept it stock because he didn't get into the building part. his dad built it. we chased him around and he would run over to his car and stand next to it so we couldn't run into him. just before our cars got close, he would scream and pick it up. we jokingly said he need the cord attached to the radio and vehicle. he passed about two years ago and we can't find his brat, or the icarus my other friend gave to him. lost to obscurity, so i am looking for those two cars...
Nice story Glenn!! I really wanted a Frog in 1988 when I first became interested in RC. I remember I was about to go to the shops with a friend to put one on ‘layby’ and my mum said not to, as she had gotten me the Hornet for Christmas that year. I love my original Hornet but always wanted the Frog as well. I finally bought/built a rere Frog a couple of years ago and recently bought a vintage Frog to restore, so it can sit in the cabinet next to my vintage Hornet. For me all 80’s Tamiya kits takes me back to my teenage years. Great memories!!
Wow, what a touching story. My first proper RC kit was the Boomerang, I got it with my first month's wages from my first job, and I loved it. I really want the re-re but being unemployed I cannot afford it. WHen I'm working again I will definitely try to get one, shelf queen of course. Awesome video as always mate!!
My first kit was a GrassHopper, later I got the Blackfoot but I always wanted either the Frog or Subaru Brat. I don't have the old Grasshopper or Blackfoot any longer but for me its just the build. Thanks for the reminder of why I will stick with these kits instead of going with one of the more high performance cars. The only car I have now is a Vaterra Kemora which is pretty awesome, but I need to get back to these older kits.
I wish I had an original NIB Frog to send Doug. Someone out there has to have one available. I think it would mean more to Doug than someone rounding off their collection.
What an amazing story and you’re so right. When you see all these images or videos of Tamiya cars who say “I had this one as a kid”….that is often the tip of the iceberg as to how much those models mean to them. It’s just not often you get to hear the whole story.
I loved this Glenn, it’s my story and I teared up as well. Thank you!
Thank you so much for allowing me to share your story my friend 😇👊🏻
It's mad how something so trivia in the eyes of some, means everything to us. In a time when our children have everything and the world has an attitude of entitlement, its stories like yours that humbles us and makes us realise how a hobby can be the catalyst that helps us through such hard times!
Your story is heart warming mate, and someone who is about to give my son his first Tamiya on Saturday for his 9th Birthday (Hornet) and I hope it means as much to him as tye frog does to you, but under different circumstances.
Thanks for sharing mate, and happy RC'ing ❤
Thanks for the story guys. It’s so, so much more than a hobby… ❤
Doug I can't thank you enough for this amazing gesture and generous share. In My opinion if you were not one already you are now an RC legend. One of the best things about rc is sharing it with someone and that, all of it, is the ultimate share.
@@GCC13 Thank you!
Very touching story. My frog was litteraly my best and only friend. I was a scrawny, awkward kid so other children would pick on me constantly. My uncle bought me a frog at a swap meet. It wasn't much, it was orange with a home made spoiler from an old rc airplane. I swear when I wasn't driving it I was cleaning it. It was my prized possession. My whole life was in this little car that smelled like rubber and burnt plastic. 😅😅 Ironically when I took it to the park I wasn't the awkward goof I was in real life. Kids would cheer me on instead of make fun of me. That was a real confidence booster. I never knew they were pink and white until I was an adult. I'm 46 now and I have over 150 RC's. They still bring me joy. 😊
Beautiful my friend, thanks so much for sharing this with us 😇👊🏻
I fully relate to Doug's story, my father had an almost life ending heart attack when I was 10, he couldn't work afterwards and we were poor financially. I know my parents dug deep to make my childhood and my brothers and sisters the best they could manage. My first car was a Wild One which my dad and I proudly built on Christmas Day 1985, probably the happiest day of my life and one I will never forget. I lost my dad on the 10th March 22, a few months later I bought a ReRe Wild One to build in his memory but so far I can't bring myself to do it without him. I have promised him I will do it this Christmas Day which no doubt will be pretty emotional. These kinds of stories make you realise that things you love are often linked directly to people that you loved, I remember how proud we were when we got the car out and running and the fun we had with it 😊
Doug = RC hero.
Thanks Doug. Your story hits us all right in the servo. I built my Frog with my Dad. Everyone should be so lucky. I say I built it with him but that really means i sat there and watched and every 5 minutes or so I'd ask if we could finish it tonight. My dad got up at 5 in the morning and took a two hour train ride to work and didn't get home until 7 at night. He must have been exhausted staying up until 11 working on it for me. Thanks Dad! And thank you Doug for the reminder we all needed.
Built one of those back in 1985. Glad it is still around.
That is very much a tear jerker. Makes a man tell everyone around him that he's not crying. You're a good man Glenn and deserve the gift.
This is why we love tamiya rc, and keep buying them.
That is the hornet for me, I bought my first hornet used with a parts car mugen bulldog back in 1984 with my birthday money! I haggle the seller down to $120.00 Cd back in 84, with my grandfather along for the ride. I remember him him being so proud of me!
I can relate to this video. I got my first Frog at Christmas 1985. My grandmother had a stroke and passed away just before Christmas. It was a rough time for my family, especially for my mom because it was her mother. Opening that car on Christmas and spending the time to assemble it helped me deal with the loss of my grandmother. It gave me something to focus on and take my mind off the problems of the family. The Frog will always be my favorite Tamiya buggy even though I had The Grasshopper which I later upgraded to a Hornet. Thanks for sharing.
I had owned a bunch of various tamiya cars back in the day. My 2 favorite ones was My frog and my terra scorcher. I miss them. Because of tamiya rc cars I became an auto mechanic and still am 40 years later.
They may be toys, but they mean something to us old folk. Lovely story from a generous man.
Wow I didn't expect my own reaction to this. Thank you Glenn & Doug for reminding me of the emotional connection we all have to this hobby. That special car for me was the Lancia Rally which I built with my dad in 1985 aged 9. My son and I built his first car together last year for his 9th birthday......a Grasshopper. Building and running these cars together is such a great way to create life-long memories. I'm not often one for commenting but this one got me - thank you.
That one is now a prized and loved Frog! I never went trough such hardships in my youth. Bought my first RC (Fighter Buggy RX) with my first pay at 14. Trew is out 5 years ago when I followed my pregnant girl to her home country. Now that my son turns 6, and has his own interest in RC, I asked him what model? A Buggy like Papa, but faster. And out comes the new Fighter Buggy RX, so, that will be it. It's meant to be. Time for a restart in the RC hobby.
The Ford Ranger was the first Tamiya I ever saw and it belonged to my older brother, I adored my older brother growing up so for me that is the number one kit I want Tamiya to release, Mud blaster is the second 🙂
I get that story 100% and anyone that had grown up in that Golden age of RC will totally understand, I feel very lucky to have been a kid growing up in the 80's, what an amazing time!
I can relate to the parent doing everything they could to make a child's dream come true. As a kid i grew up with only my mother. She worked at a local hotel to provide for me. She walked to work and never missed a day. It would be a blizzard and her zipper didn't work on her coat. I saw her walking home from work covered in snow. Like Doug, she bought me a grasshopper. I know it took everything she had to get that. Now that she has passed, i think about those days quite often. I realize how hard she worked for such little money. God bless our parents
Great story! Gets me too...as The Frog was my machine when I was 10...while my two buddies had a Grasshopper and a Hornet. Hours and hours we spent together in our youths on these!
That’s a tear jerker, thatnk Doug for letting Glenn share your story….🏎️🏎️🏎️
Very moving story. For me the Boomerang is the one. My mum helped me build it all those years ago and I loved that buggy. I'll always remember those times.
First cars I ever saw and experienced was the hornet and grasshopper at the same time. That started it for me. Had no money or very little from my paper run just watched my friends go round and round the dirt. First build was a Bush devil after saving for a year. Only one battery and no hop ups at all.
A friend had a frog and I always remember it because he didn’t race with us, had something broken and for me it became a car from a by gone era as my experience started in 1988.
So for me, Frog does have meaning. It was history. And the DNA was in my bush devil.
I can totally relate to dougs story , I'm one of 7 kids parents divorced and mum scrapped and saved for it don't know how long to get us 5 boys a hornet for Christmas we made a track a timed laps until the tyres were balled and fell off . Best time for everyone involved.
My first Tamiya was a second hand Ford 150. I think I pretty much wore that down to the ground, as like Doug, we had next to nothing in the 80's, so to have such a thing was really special. Loved that car. Many years later it was stolen, along with a load of my other 80's handheld stuff, during a break in, so it kind of feels extra special to think back about it. Of course I went on to build other RC cars, but I guess you never really forget your first proper RC...
It's heart felt stories like this that that gives us a little reminder of one of the many reasons we love the hobby. It's likely much deeper than just RC'ing. ⭐Thank you Doug, Glenn and Tamiya!⭐
Still have my original Tamiya Frog 🐸 which my Dad built for me. I got it for Christmas in the 80’s when I was 11. It still runs great! This was my first Tamiya and the first of many. Great memories!
I had a Tamiya Frog ...loved it.
What a legend Doug is!
Hi Glenn from Yorkshire England wow all my prayers to Dug ❤❤
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be!😂😂👍🇬🇧
Super Champ for me.... Always had at least one RC since then, but when I found the Super Champ re-re that brought it all back for me and kick started my now collection.
I will always love the Frog. It was my first RC in the mid-80s. I ran it until the wheels fell off quite literally. I built a ReRe last fall and all that happiness came rushing back.
Great Video! I have history behind this great car with Tamiya/RC, I raced pro at Anaheim Score show in 84' and many other So. Cal tracks with this car! Traveled many different towns/cities, My carrier started 82', I invented lubrication/tricks for the differential at the time. It was awesome time wish i could go back! If only I kept some of the prototypes of this car. through all these years and all the cars, I've Owned this car is by far me true love. I can remember my first batch of these cars meeting my Tamiya sponsor at Pomona track here in Cali, He had a ford LTD packed full of Frogs, chargers, Batts, Radios and extra parts. I and a fellow teammate dove in with 6 of everything each...After of course he had said take whatever you guys need. Suggested to us both that 2 cars be ready for Score show a Primary and Secondary this was 3 months prior to the big race. In the race now our last heat race before the Main event, my fellow teammate forgot to change out his crystals, from red to yellow, I was assigned Red, so you guess what happened next, haha...controlling each other's cars. once figured out (first lap) teammate pitted and changed crystals. i was a last down which placed me not on pole for the main, over all I place 2nd at Anaheim and I was only 14 at the time.
Took me back to when I got my 1st car very moving ❤
I just finished watching this and all I can say is thank you for sharing. My first kit was a Grasshopper 2 super G. I grew up in eastern Kentucky and if it hadn't been for an episode of Punky Brewster I never would have discovered my love for rc cars.
I loved watching this. It brought back all of the memories of my mom and dad sitting at the kitchen table helping put together my first kit. This video truly caused a spark and as soon as I finish typing this I'm going to order a kit to build with my son. I'm so glad I discovered your channel.
With a very sincere thank you please keep the videos coming
What a touching story 😢…. ❤❤.
The power of the golden era is so very powerful to many of us for many different reasons! The Frog to me along with the Subaru Brat(my first in 83) Grasshopper and Hornet are the tip of the golden era iceberg!
Great vid Glenn! The emotional power of this hobby is absolutely unmatched!
Thanks Glenn and Doug for this story. It brings teares to my eyes and warmt to my heart🙏
44year old man sobbing here!
Absolutely love the tamiya community.
I remember getting a sonic fighter for christmas and byulding it with my dad and being too impatient to paint it grey so it stayed white.
Would love to see this frog with the wheels dyed to match your frog tribute
Haha yeah I can totally relate to this my friend 😅👊🏻
Touching story, I agree the first RC is always special and as an adult it’s fantastic to relive the memories ❤
yes this deffo hits the heart. my memories come from the grasshopper 2 super g. saved for months off my paper round.
Thanks for watching my friend 😇👊🏻
That is a very heartfelt story. The grasshopper is the 1st Tamiya I got when I was 12 and that time I had to wait awhile to build it because I broke my collar bone on a skateboard. And when I got to finally build it I had a blast. The falcon was my second rc. And a few years later a close family friend gave me his frog and that meant a lot to me. He passed away almost 20 years ago from diabetes. I had to get a rere because it brought back so many memories with the frog. And found an original one several years ago. The frog will always be my favorite Tamiya ever and the falcon is my second
Oh you big softy...you got me all choked up. Wonderful story mate. 👍🙏
What a gent, that was a true heart wrencher. But im glad its found a great home. Cheers for shareing dougs story ❤️
Love your channel my oldest and I are slowly building the collection
That’s awesome 😎
Wow! I had a similar experience with a Wild One which was my first RC car in 1985-6 when I was 10 years old for Christmas. My dad nor I knew that the kit needed anything else in order to run, so it was quite disappointing on Christmas morning realising that I would not be able to run the car, as I had been fantasising for months about playing with this car...I would stare at it on the shelf at my local hobby shop in Palm Bay Florida for hours. My dad just didn't understand my enthusiasm and wasn't in a hurry at all to help me finish the car. I had to wait until the next Christmas to get a radio, which was used and barely useable. Even then, I didn't have a battery and a charger. I finally raised enough money cutting grass to buy a single battery and charger. All in all, it took almost 2 years to run the car for the first time. In that time, I rolled the car around on the floor everyday. We weren't poor at all - lower/mid middle class, but my dad just didn't understand the importance at all. He is still alive and I love him, but he just isn't like other people who have hobbies and love for....things, toys and stuff. He grew up in foster homes and just didn't develop that type of emotion. I never really had toys and never spent any daddy/son time. At some point the Wild One got thrown away which also devastated me - he just didn't understand and I couldn't hold it against him. I will never be this way to my now daughter and son who are too young yet to enjoy the hobby. Anyway, this video touched me.
One of the most heartwarming stories I've ever heard👍🏻
I’m 55 and the frog was my first race car to hit the tracks. My first was the wild willys. I had the rare battery with the camel joroba on his top. I raced without bearings. I used a motorbike battery and two resistances to charge my frog. I used a bright green color instead the pink colour. The faster 4x4 cars hotshots super shots , the ultimate and faster Kyoshos blame us when they try to pass. I suppose that No Guts No Glory was our way of live. Very nice video I have gone to my past again.
Thank you Glenn and Doug.
Great video and Story 😃. Good news Tamiya is re-releasing Super Sabre 😊👍.
From Australia....I recall my mum buying me a frog I painted it black and gold. I would give me left one to find it. I have done the re releases and enjoyed them and mate I love your channel.
I review Aussie beers. Goody's beer reviews. Love the videos and i will never forget my mates first hornet, painted olive green. I bought the re release and painted it dark olive green..I will never forget the hornet ripping up grass, rear end sitting down and flying.......The first take off. Man......
Love this, thanks for sharing it with us 😇👊🏻
@@TAMIYALegends My mate still has his original super champ in perfect condition. Seriously man. Love the channel. So many stories from the 80's 90's. Tamiya vs Kysho, I used to race YZ10 super dog fighter. Still go the trophies.......
Pass the tissue please... wonderful story
I will get a frog one of these days, and it’ll be yellow. The first 3 Tamiya’s I got to drive were the falcon, the frog and the Blackfoot. They were my cousins. He ended up giving me the Blackfoot
G'day Glenn I really appreciate that video the Frog story Doug's story I felt it. It's really amazing that a rc car can hold so much power and love and memory's I get It. I look at all my cars they all have a story but the grasshopper is where it all started for me ❤
Great Story I always love hearing the old RC stories about memories of RC people have. I have a few favorite because they were the only cars I had as a kid and because I never really got anything and I had to put other kids RC kits together for some $ and had to save and buy the RC's myself. those cars were my first the hornet, second the lunch box and supershot then later on a RC10. Good stuff have fun with those builds!!
Great video and story. Its very true about how the first car made you feel. Mine was the falcon, got it for my 13th birthday from Hamleys. I had the slow charger and the 1200 battery. To get that was amazing...i had spent literally years looking at the tamiya photos in my mums catalogue...but we could never afford one. I am now rebuilding a falcon... nearly finished, just need a wing and stickers. Building it vintage, will try to get that old 1200 racing pack...techniplus controller...but not running it .. fragile 😅. Brought back loads of lovely memories
I've just got the vision of it freewheeling around , obviously it pre-dates BEC so he'd have been able to steer it around on 4 AAs. I remember getting my ORV lancia , I don't know if my parents realized the car didn't include the radio, battery etc. but I had to wait from Christmas until my birthday in march. All I can remember is crashing it into the kerb straight away and that lovely lancia body breaking, a bit of Araldite soom sorted it out though. Not long after that my brother got a Frog, I was so jealous, mine turned into a 'Frog a like' pretty quickly. As much as I enjoyed the TRF videos I'm really glad you're getting back to some normal orignal 100 videos and some good old fashioned memories 👍
that was a very touching story, i can see why it had an impact on you as it had an impact on me by you just reading it.
Top video glenn. I was hit a bit in the feels as well by Doug’s history with his frog. I think I was the most engaged in this video of all the videos you’ve posted. Just clicked something. Don’t ever be apologetic over stuff like this that catches in the throat. We get you. Onya lads 🐸🐸🐸
The frog was my first hobby grade rc. I have an original in my collection now and just love it. I even put the stick futaba radio in it. Great story Glen and thank you for sharing his story. We were so lucky to have grown up in the golden age of RC!
This was my first RC car when I was a kid as well. I came up with enough money to get a battery and charger, but could not afford the radio until the next Christmas. I would charge it up and manually switch the mechanical speed controller to high and send it across the parking lot! Blackfoot was my second RC car. It gives me chills to see these things again! Thank you for this!!!
A very touching letter 😢 Tamiya is in us all! Great video ❤ Build video for this too please 🙏 😊
Getting smokey in here Glenn.
A very touching story. You did a great job reading it out Glen. Awesome 👏🏻
I have one and I got it in 1998s and still working, in its 1st year it was runover by a truck but survive and got few bends on the chassis in which I have straightened. Now I only running it once in while. The other Tamiya I got is Clodbuster.
I’m just building The Frog in the garden on this wonderful day. Happy as a kid on Christmas morning 😂. I’m 45 years old and got into RC this year and haven’t looked back. Great community and nice to hear I’m not the only one now pursuing this venture because I couldn’t afford it in my paper round back in the day….
Great video btw I enjoy watching your channel 🤠
Awesome and touching story! The frog is important to me as well. My brother and I got our very first rc cars for Christmas way back then and his was the Frog and mine was the Marui Hunter. Fast forward many years later and in my small collection of 18 cars and trucks I got an original Frog and Hunter sitting side by side in the shelf! What great memories 👍🏻
Hi Glenn such a touching story and I can relate to that in two parts. I remember my friend at school buying a tamiya sand rover. He couldn’t afford the radio gear for ages after so we used to run it up and down the road and run after it. Wasn’t too much of an issue with a 380 motor in it keeping up but we had our work it out and had lots of fun. Second part is that my dad used to race brisca stockcars at belle Vue in Manchester among other tracks and I promised him the day before he died that I would recreate his car so intend to make a scratch build rc model of my dads stockcar in his memory. I still have his racing helmet which will go next to it on the shelve. Best wishes Glenn you’ve brought such happy memories back for me, take care
Nothing like bawling your eyes out at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. What a story from Doug. Glad he allowed you to read it. I too also just bought the Subaru Brat. Something about that kit just brings back memories. Thanks Glen and Doug!
Just woke up and Glenn has me tearing in my coffee😢
The Frog is the one that’s engraved on my heart as well.
I get it, I totally get it. I never had one as a kid, but I dreamed about it every night.
I’m 51 now and finally have two Frogs. A restored original and a rere that I run. When I see it bouncing thru the dirt I’m a kid all over again.
I think we all understand the feeling.
MCI decals are a must Glenn. A Frog isn’t a Frog without the NGK and KC daylighter decals. ❤
Great story!
Just following on from my last comment…. Wow what a touching story 😢 There truly is some magic to be hold with these cars and I’m glad to be part of it…🤠
Wow absolutely brilliant 👍👌 i was crying myself 😢 love the frog I've got the re re New in box had it a while now!!! Now it's getting built 😁
That got me emotional also, heartfelt story , the Frog was the first RC car I ever saw age 12 in 1984 , couldn't afford one so I got a hornet after a year of savings and painted in pink and white in honour of the frog as I loved the car more than the hornet 😊, have two frogs now and still feel the same about it aged 51 .
Lovely comment my friend 😇👊🏻
Thanks for sharing and great video!
Lovely!!
My friend Donald got a Frog for Christmas. It was the first Tamiya car I ever got to play with.
For me, the Frog is still one of the coolest looking buggies around.
I don’t own one yet. I really don’t have space atm for any more cars… but I’m not gonna live where I am forever… 😉
Dude, you have the best RC channel on RUclips!
Great background story and proof that some RC cars have a soul. My RC top memory is my Tamiya Celica Grb I bought with my first pay packet in 1988. I got £200 a month I went to Beatties and spent it all on a Kit and electrics package. My (single) Mum went ape shit as I never had any money left to pay or board and lodgings and I was skint for a month. great time. @Trigger Happy RC
Very touching story, I definitely felt it. I was always a big fan of Tamiya and the frog. For me I could never get one as a kid. Took me 30 odd years to finally obtain one. and to me it’s just, such a iconic car. Even to today’s generation. 👍thanks for sharing!
I get where he's coming from. I think us oldies going back and building the re res also like to get in the way back machine to some happier times. My first car was a Lunchbox. My dad who's not with us anymore helped me build it. I was 14 and I still have the car. Some people see these as toys. Others see them as ways to relive a time and place in their youth. Thanks for the video.
Glenn you shared that story so I think everyone who has a frog now can connect that shared story now
For me my first encounter with Tamiya RC was a Lamborghini cheetah someone had at the bottom of my street
It blew my mind this radio control car that went so fast and did slides and turns from a hand held radio control I had to have one
But the price back then and only 50p a week pocket money was dream stuff
Finally after many years of looking at Tamiya catalogues with dog ear pages I got my first job as a trainee mechanic I was able to go to Beaties in Newcastle and buy the Audi Quattro rally car the first release back in the 80s it was my favourite real car also (I wanted a real one also ) but that was fantasy
Finally after 40 years I’ve got a original body set for the cheetah and chassis tyres are hard to find with out remortgage the house so cracked ones with rubber paint will have to do
Even thou now in my 50s I finally have a good Lamborghini cheetah 😊
I had a Grasshopper upgraded to Hornet specs when I was a kid 40 somethin' years ago.. one of the original bashers
thank you so much for sharing this story, I have so many fond memories with Tamiya cars as a child and still am making and reminiscing memories with as many Tamiyas as I can get my hands on I really think this is what the hobby is all about, keep up the great work
Very touching 😢
Growing up in the 80's was tough. I definitely didn't have it that bad, but things were tight. I remember the models I could not afford and missed out on. All of that seems so minuscule after hearing that letter. I think we are reliving our past through this hobby???? It was a magical time as a young one. Great video, made me laugh, I would have done the same.
Great video, Glenn. A lot of us have a good memory of the golden age of RC.
I'm waiting for the rere of the Striker!
A MudBlaster would be an easy re-re for Tamiya.
Come on Tamiya, we're waiting!!!
It’s what so great about this hobby is the connection back to a different time in our lives and the joy these kits brought us. Great video.
I love cars that have a story behind them, it makes them much more valuable to me than any collector value or rarity value can. I have a few in my collection I will not part with and will keep till I die or until I can find the right person and reason to give it to them. That was a great gift and I am glad he allowed you to share the story. I have had quite a few kits donated to my little channel and I cherish each and every one of them and it adds to their value that they came from the kindness of another person. Your has an extra couple layers of special on it from Doug and that one it a a true keeper for sure. Just a little extra you could go is to put a little footprint on the back of it, something subtle but something to embed the story into it even more. Just a thought! Have fun with it and the others! You have a lot of building stacked up!!
that's a good piece of history. i love history, even if it's from an obscure person you don't know. my new goal is to get the cars my friends had when we all got into the game together. i still need a super champ, suburu brat and a kyosho icarus! we all upgraded our kits to be speed demon's except for my friend mel who had the brat. he kept it stock because he didn't get into the building part. his dad built it. we chased him around and he would run over to his car and stand next to it so we couldn't run into him. just before our cars got close, he would scream and pick it up. we jokingly said he need the cord attached to the radio and vehicle. he passed about two years ago and we can't find his brat, or the icarus my other friend gave to him. lost to obscurity, so i am looking for those two cars...
Lovely video mate keep up the great work
Nice story Glenn!! I really wanted a Frog in 1988 when I first became interested in RC. I remember I was about to go to the shops with a friend to put one on ‘layby’ and my mum said not to, as she had gotten me the Hornet for Christmas that year. I love my original Hornet but always wanted the Frog as well. I finally bought/built a rere Frog a couple of years ago and recently bought a vintage Frog to restore, so it can sit in the cabinet next to my vintage Hornet. For me all 80’s Tamiya kits takes me back to my teenage years. Great memories!!
Wow, what a touching story. My first proper RC kit was the Boomerang, I got it with my first month's wages from my first job, and I loved it. I really want the re-re but being unemployed I cannot afford it. WHen I'm working again I will definitely try to get one, shelf queen of course. Awesome video as always mate!!
My first kit was a GrassHopper, later I got the Blackfoot but I always wanted either the Frog or Subaru Brat. I don't have the old Grasshopper or Blackfoot any longer but for me its just the build. Thanks for the reminder of why I will stick with these kits instead of going with one of the more high performance cars. The only car I have now is a Vaterra Kemora which is pretty awesome, but I need to get back to these older kits.
First re lease I bought was the frog. Sorry to spam. The emotional factor of it that's a fucking beautiful letter/email. Man I couldn't hold it.
I wish I had an original NIB Frog to send Doug. Someone out there has to have one available. I think it would mean more to Doug than someone rounding off their collection.
Great video Glenn. Shout out to Doug for sharing a personal moment in his life. Thank you
What a great story btw. Thanks for sharing Glenn and Doug
This is what makes your channel so great. I could feel the emotion,the cars takes us back. Thank you Doug
Definitely Agree on the mud blaster 👍 one of my favourite kits back in the day 👌
Another great video Glenn, thank you 👌
Love this!!! My eyes were all wet this really got me.....
You´ve done great Glenn!
What an amazing story and you’re so right. When you see all these images or videos of Tamiya cars who say “I had this one as a kid”….that is often the tip of the iceberg as to how much those models mean to them. It’s just not often you get to hear the whole story.
Great story(I wasn't crying,I was cutting onions).I'm taking my Frog for a rip today!
That’s awesome thanks so much for watching my friend 😇👊🏻