Due to the weight, it was pretty slow out of the box, and needed upgrades, steel bearings for wheels and transmission, motor etc. Nowadays you can replace the servo controller with ESC and save weight there too. From memory the plastic shocks had a bad habit of slow leaking oil. Best tyre change and run it on the road, as the dynamics / weight distrubtion off-road tended to want to flip it. It was pretty sturdy otherwise, due to that massive tub.
Great Video. I recent purchased 4 Falcons and I ended up making one mint Shelf car, and one solid runner. Sold the other two that needed some love on eBay Auction for big$$! I was lucky as one car also came with a lot of 3D printed parts that look far superior than the stock parts.
My first RC Car. Still have it. Dogbones where constantly falling out. That was the biggest problem with my Falcon. Besides from a high speed crash in the wall which broke the front. I glued that together, all is good :-)
@@supocarta74 good for you... I had the same problem. stupid replacements back then were $25. Hell I even carved out some from a piece of oak and used brass pins. Basically seemed like a huge waste of money for the car. I ended up selling the whole damn thing for like $100. never got a car again. Now at 52 I am looking to get a Super HotShot. lol
Funny, I bought this one when it was in the shop, did build it but not painted it, id run it a few times but has been standing in my room for a long time, and now see it is a valuable one. Crazy, will get it running again in my new house with a big garden :-D or maybe sell it :-D
i enjoyed your video about the Falcon, i actually just pulled my Falcon out of storage...i havent looked at it in 30 yrs. i bought it new in 1986, dusty but all is there. i ordered a new battery for it and a new controller hoping it will cruise again. not sure if the newer controllers and receivers will work on the old girl but ill give it a shot.
If you still have the old electronics and MSC, leave them in as it will keep the car vintage. Go easy as the car will be super fragile now due to age and replacement parts for the Falcon are not easy to find, especially the front.
8:40 yes that's exactly where mine broke a week into having it, brand new xmas present :o :( to be fair i was pretty crap at driving it (12 year old) but at least i know i probably wasn't alone with the issue. that was in 89, no idea where it is now, can't even remember if i sold it. loved that car though, and loved drooling over the other tamiya artwork in the local model shop
My first car! So many good memories! Nostalgia when you hold us... Its biggest weak point was in my opinion its front bumper. Thank you for this return to my 11 years;) +1
After playing around with my cousins grasshopper back in the 80's I got some crappy used units and finally my dad bought me a new kit and I chose the Falcon so it was kind of special to me. However I don't really remember my experience running it etc. I was contemplating buying an original unbuilt kit just to build it like I did in my early age but the only one I see so far is like $1200 ... I might pay half that but I can justify it that much
What about 3d printing parts .I've got My original falcon from 1987 and the box my dad bought it for my 8th birthday I'm 40 nw and still have her I was a tamia manic
I would buy a re-re if Tamiya get their act together. They do look like a nice car but I am not a vintage (I am vintage but my cars aren't, hehe) collector myself, just an rc enthusiast.
Nick B I have no clue why Tamiya is dragging its heels on releasing a rere Falcon. The chassis has been rereleased a few times now so the only thing I can think it could be is Tamiya is struggling so releases are being held back due to cost implications. Japanese business is not what you call reactive and dynamic at the best of times so this won’t be helping.
I ABSOLUTELY WANT ONE!!! I had one back in the 80's... But sold it soon after, to get the new Losi JRX-2. 😣 Much less sentimental value.... and I miss that finicky Falcon! I'd take a CRACKED basket case! I want the challenge of bringing it back to when I was a young 20-something. I can't even afford a basket case, but the thought of it is nice. I'm NO N00b, and know exactly what I would be getting into.... Carmine ✈🚂🚙
That's exactly what mine did...Went to local club with my new car and it wouldn't even complete half a lap without the shaft coming out...Sold my Hornet to buy it, regretted it ever since..
@@beaudidlyno1 such a shame because the hornet was a great car probably the fastest out of the lot even with the 540 motor. It was such a disappointment and bad design. There was nothing you could do to fix it either. All my friends had hornets and was having great fun and my falcon was slow and would breakdown every 2 minutes. Like I said ruined my childhood 😂😂
You definitely like your Falcons! It was a tamiya rc I didn't take much notice of because I had the fox and I really didn't get on with that and the falcon had a whiff of fox about it so I just didn't bother with it and looking what all the Achilles heels on it are.......I think I'll pass🤔 good vid again though👍
My very first car back in 86 was a Falcon which I still have. If I remember rightly I never had issues with the front bulkhead 🤔 dog bones never fell out because I did a very simple mod, even running a technigold motor. Now the chassis was a major issue 🤮 i must of bought many ! £7.50 back then 🤮 the falcon is an awesome piece of shit 👌 I love it 😀 going to build a new old stock model soon just waiting for the time 😢
because of this video, i got my old vintage ffalcon out of storage, had it since i was a child :-) Only problem now are the wheels, original yellow ones are impossible to find, what wheels woud be a worthy alternative?
lol, bad choices for starting vintage collector, Tamiya Hotshot, & Super Champ, Associated RC12i [pre RC12L], or a Marui Big Bear... lol, the 4 biggest money pits I am working on.
said it before second time watching this vid..sorry I'm a Falcon Junkie..it is a Great Car..!!! like you I wanna see a re-re...the only thing Tamiya could do to make this car better is make it a 4 wheel drive... and still offer it both ways..and of course use better materials for the tub and suspension parts...also add an after market roll bar to protect rear and forward uprights...
The Falcon chassis is in loads of Tamiya cars and is super easy to get. A good tip for you, if you are struggling to find a part for your tamiya, go and check tamiyabase.com. You can then look up other kits that have the same chassis. Once you know the names of the other cars go and eBay these and you might find the part you want. This is the list of kits that use the Falcon chassis tamiyabase.com/chassis/34-falcon
I don't think this old Vintage project for me but ,I now know a few more things to look for when I don't, can you suggest a place to look for the cars that one may want it dig in to. Last question is there a market for vintage Tyco's,if so wair would one sell a vintage model. Great Episode do you get alot of obscene comments .⬇️
Hey man, finished my Falcon and couldn't be happier. I'm currently restoring my Fox and I noticed the gear box sounds a little clanky while driving. Gears look great and drives good. Is that typical with a Fox? I'm hearing mixed things. Thanks for any advice. Bob
Hi. Awesome video! I picked up a Falcon recently from a yard sale. Some of the screws are a bit rusted so I'll soak them in vinegar for a bit. Would you grease the gears by opening the trans or should I just leave it alone? Thanks for any info.
@@RCKickschannel thanks for your response. Greatly appreciated!!! One more question if you don't mind, my other 2wd buggies drive wheels all spin in the opposite direction when by hand. My Falcons wheels spin the same direction when by hand. Is that normal? Sorry for my questions but this car is perplexing. Lol
I restored a vintage boomerang and it was just as bad tbf had cracks in all the arm mount pints and both gearbox cases. All vintage tamiya plastic will be brittle through age by now. If you dont want the hassle buy a new re release.
Yep the vintage plastics age badly but I don’t thing Tamiya really expected / designed these cars to last 30+ years. Luckily like you say we are now getting rere versions so we can still experience them like we did back in the day.
When you buy a rc with no parts available cuz thay don't make them any more its like ur buying a goast car nobody has parts for it once it's dead it's dead no living plastics are 1980 biodegrade braking my opinion no reason to run it once it's gone it's gone its extinct I personally would never buy a extinct car photos are important Ampro ur amazing ur name saved the day that my friend is the reason why I never sell them because I will never get the money that I put into it I need a boot sale In my life name tag song end classic RCKicks $£ money team😎🖼
Falcon was my first car. It was a terrible beginners car. The chassis would crack where it attaches at the front-bulkhead. The design was awful- one pop into a wall hitting the front bumper, it would crack. Oh, and doggie bones would just pop out all the time.
The old tamiyas was realy weak for driving ! Breaking meny parts. I started 1994-1995 whit a Tamiya Manta Ray Box Kit. I never break eny part of that Offroad driving & jumping. Even whit a Graupner Buggy Race Motor 33.000 RPM 😈 in it.
@@RCKickschannel I actually remember trying to pack the sockets out with little circles cut out of a inner tube. But nothing worked. I might of had one of the first ones but I remember the design was just bad. Even brand new dogbones would fall straight out It was such a shame because my friend had a hornet which was so much fun and my falcon just never worked properly. I was only 12 or something so didn’t know how to complain but should of taken it back to the shop. It ruined my childhood completely 😂
Depends on what you are after. Some vintage cars take lots of dedication and effort while others are so much easier to live with. It All depends on your challenge level, how deep your pockets are and how much you love some of the old classics.
My old man bought one when i was 1 year old in 1986! Super fun car for us as young kids years on!
Due to the weight, it was pretty slow out of the box, and needed upgrades, steel bearings for wheels and transmission, motor etc. Nowadays you can replace the servo controller with ESC and save weight there too. From memory the plastic shocks had a bad habit of slow leaking oil. Best tyre change and run it on the road, as the dynamics / weight distrubtion off-road tended to want to flip it. It was pretty sturdy otherwise, due to that massive tub.
Great Video. I recent purchased 4 Falcons and I ended up making one mint Shelf car, and one solid runner. Sold the other two that needed some love on eBay Auction for big$$! I was lucky as one car also came with a lot of 3D printed parts that look far superior than the stock parts.
Thank you for making the video, it was very informative!
My first RC Car. Still have it. Dogbones where constantly falling out. That was the biggest problem with my Falcon. Besides from a high speed crash in the wall which broke the front. I glued that together, all is good :-)
Just put a spacer inside the damper which lowers a couple of mil......which stops bones popping out I worked that out when I was 12.
@@supocarta74 good for you... I had the same problem. stupid replacements back then were $25. Hell I even carved out some from a piece of oak and used brass pins. Basically seemed like a huge waste of money for the car. I ended up selling the whole damn thing for like $100. never got a car again. Now at 52 I am looking to get a Super HotShot. lol
Great video Gavin lots of truth spoken there!!!!. I know I keep repeating myself....... But a re-re on this one would be a great thing!!!.
I would love a ReRe myself.
I had a Falcon in the 80s, remember buying The Fox gold wheels for it. Looked great....
Great video. Very informative
Funny, I bought this one when it was in the shop, did build it but not painted it, id run it a few times but has been standing in my room for a long time, and now see it is a valuable one. Crazy, will get it running again in my new house with a big garden :-D or maybe sell it :-D
i enjoyed your video about the Falcon, i actually just pulled my Falcon out of storage...i havent looked at it in 30 yrs. i bought it new in 1986, dusty but all is there. i ordered a new battery for it and a new controller hoping it will cruise again.
not sure if the newer controllers and receivers will work on the old girl but ill give it a shot.
If you still have the old electronics and MSC, leave them in as it will keep the car vintage. Go easy as the car will be super fragile now due to age and replacement parts for the Falcon are not easy to find, especially the front.
8:40 yes that's exactly where mine broke a week into having it, brand new xmas present :o :( to be fair i was pretty crap at driving it (12 year old) but at least i know i probably wasn't alone with the issue. that was in 89, no idea where it is now, can't even remember if i sold it. loved that car though, and loved drooling over the other tamiya artwork in the local model shop
Gavin you know you can dye the wheels right the whit wheels are dyeable
So glad I found a new in box one on eBay. It was my first hobby grade rc car.
It’s a great car and enjoy your mint NIB! Will you build it?
@@RCKickschannel oh yeah already did..shelf queen though pics are on @cinematic_rc
This was the only model I could ever round corners full speed without ever traction rolling. My all time fav 2WD model.
My first car! So many good memories!
Nostalgia when you hold us...
Its biggest weak point was in my opinion its front bumper.
Thank you for this return to my 11 years;) +1
Thanks for the vid.Totally agree with Tamiya needing to make a rere, that would be awsome! My 1st Tamiya, Second rc. Gauranga :)
After playing around with my cousins grasshopper back in the 80's I got some crappy used units and finally my dad bought me a new kit and I chose the Falcon so it was kind of special to me. However I don't really remember my experience running it etc. I was contemplating buying an original unbuilt kit just to build it like I did in my early age but the only one I see so far is like $1200 ... I might pay half that but I can justify it that much
Hold on, it will be released at some point for sure, we just don’t know when
What about 3d printing parts .I've got My original falcon from 1987 and the box my dad bought it for my 8th birthday I'm 40 nw and still have her I was a tamia manic
I would buy a re-re if Tamiya get their act together. They do look like a nice car but I am not a vintage (I am vintage but my cars aren't, hehe) collector myself, just an rc enthusiast.
Nick B I have no clue why Tamiya is dragging its heels on releasing a rere Falcon. The chassis has been rereleased a few times now so the only thing I can think it could be is Tamiya is struggling so releases are being held back due to cost implications. Japanese business is not what you call reactive and dynamic at the best of times so this won’t be helping.
I ABSOLUTELY WANT ONE!!! I had one back in the 80's... But sold it soon after, to get the new Losi JRX-2. 😣 Much less sentimental value.... and I miss that finicky Falcon!
I'd take a CRACKED basket case! I want the challenge of bringing it back to when I was a young 20-something.
I can't even afford a basket case, but the thought of it is nice.
I'm NO N00b, and know exactly what I would be getting into....
Carmine ✈🚂🚙
Thanks for a lovely comment. I hope you get one at some point soon. 👍🏻🙏🏻👏🏻
Thank you Gavin! Chances are slim... but there's always hope.
Had one. It was rubbish. the driveshafts kept dropping out. Compleatly ruined my childhood , at 44 I still feel tamiya owe me a rc car
haha..true
I dumped money to Tamiya too. I`m 41.
That's exactly what mine did...Went to local club with my new car and it wouldn't even complete half a lap without the shaft coming out...Sold my Hornet to buy it, regretted it ever since..
@@beaudidlyno1 such a shame because the hornet was a great car probably the fastest out of the lot even with the 540 motor.
It was such a disappointment and bad design. There was nothing you could do to fix it either. All my friends had hornets and was having great fun and my falcon was slow and would breakdown every 2 minutes. Like I said ruined my childhood 😂😂
Just throw it some Ampro part's at the Falcon and make it better. 🇺🇸
Dogbones seem to be one of the easier/cheapest things to replace, as well as the body, and the CVAs aren't too bad.
You definitely like your Falcons! It was a tamiya rc I didn't take much notice of because I had the fox and I really didn't get on with that and the falcon had a whiff of fox about it so I just didn't bother with it and looking what all the Achilles heels on it are.......I think I'll pass🤔 good vid again though👍
Boomerang is my recommendation. Stick some brushless power in a ReRe and watch it go. It’s just amazing to behold lol.
I loved mine as a kid
Will we see it in 2024? New releases end Jan 30th
My first rc car 1986 classic
yeah it was my 3rd car back when it released... mine was pink and yellow, very similar to your red and yellow one :D
My mate had one of these as a kid seems like it’s a nightmare he said it was back then maybe why they not rere it ha looks cool though
My very first car back in 86 was a Falcon which I still have. If I remember rightly I never had issues with the front bulkhead 🤔 dog bones never fell out because I did a very simple mod, even running a technigold motor.
Now the chassis was a major issue 🤮 i must of bought many ! £7.50 back then 🤮 the falcon is an awesome piece of shit 👌 I love it 😀 going to build a new old stock model soon just waiting for the time 😢
because of this video, i got my old vintage ffalcon out of storage, had it since i was a child :-) Only problem now are the wheels, original yellow ones are impossible to find, what wheels woud be a worthy alternative?
lol, bad choices for starting vintage collector, Tamiya Hotshot, & Super Champ, Associated RC12i [pre RC12L], or a Marui Big Bear...
lol, the 4 biggest money pits I am working on.
said it before second time watching this vid..sorry I'm a Falcon Junkie..it is a Great Car..!!! like you I wanna see a re-re...the only thing Tamiya could do to make this car better is make it a 4 wheel drive... and still offer it both ways..and of course use better materials for the tub and suspension parts...also add an after market roll bar to protect rear and forward uprights...
There's a nice one on eBay at the moment, another favourite Tamiya of mine.
Got one for Xmas in 86.
Hey there, I know it's been a while since you made the video, but could you post a link or company that makes the chassis? Thank you.
The Falcon chassis is in loads of Tamiya cars and is super easy to get. A good tip for you, if you are struggling to find a part for your tamiya, go and check tamiyabase.com. You can then look up other kits that have the same chassis. Once you know the names of the other cars go and eBay these and you might find the part you want. This is the list of kits that use the Falcon chassis tamiyabase.com/chassis/34-falcon
I don't think this old Vintage project for me but ,I now know a few more things to look for when I don't, can you suggest a place to look for the cars that one may want it dig in to. Last question is there a market for vintage Tyco's,if so wair would one sell a vintage model.
Great Episode do you get alot of obscene comments .⬇️
Thanks for sharing
Ampro makes awesome vids too
Hey man, finished my Falcon and couldn't be happier. I'm currently restoring my Fox and I noticed the gear box sounds a little clanky while driving. Gears look great and drives good. Is that typical with a Fox? I'm hearing mixed things. Thanks for any advice. Bob
Hi. Awesome video! I picked up a Falcon recently from a yard sale. Some of the screws are a bit rusted so I'll soak them in vinegar for a bit. Would you grease the gears by opening the trans or should I just leave it alone? Thanks for any info.
Take the motor out and see how it looks. If it’s turning smoothly and it’s quiet it will be fine.
@@RCKickschannel thanks for your response. Greatly appreciated!!! One more question if you don't mind, my other 2wd buggies drive wheels all spin in the opposite direction when by hand. My Falcons wheels spin the same direction when by hand. Is that normal? Sorry for my questions but this car is perplexing. Lol
Robert Frazer The Falcon should be the same. Sounds like it has a locked diff mod.
@@RCKickschannel Thank you yes. A little grease freed it up.
I restored a vintage boomerang and it was just as bad tbf had cracks in all the arm mount pints and both gearbox cases. All vintage tamiya plastic will be brittle through age by now. If you dont want the hassle buy a new re release.
Yep the vintage plastics age badly but I don’t thing Tamiya really expected / designed these cars to last 30+ years. Luckily like you say we are now getting rere versions so we can still experience them like we did back in the day.
Not a giant fan of the falcon , but yes re-re the damn thing , maybe they should adopt that idea of presales to make sure they make money.
I second that David!
Rot dye works the best
When you buy a rc with no parts available cuz thay don't make them any more its like ur buying a goast car nobody has parts for it once it's dead it's dead no living plastics are 1980 biodegrade braking my opinion no reason to run it once it's gone it's gone its extinct I personally would never buy a extinct car photos are important
Ampro ur amazing ur name saved the day that my friend is the reason why I never sell them because I will never get the money that I put into it I need a boot sale In my life name tag song end classic RCKicks $£ money team😎🖼
I got one of these for free from my local hobby shop whenever they give me something for free it always cost me money lol
Falcon was my first car. It was a terrible beginners car. The chassis would crack where it attaches at the front-bulkhead. The design was awful- one pop into a wall hitting the front bumper, it would crack. Oh, and doggie bones would just pop out all the time.
The old tamiyas was realy weak for driving ! Breaking meny parts. I started 1994-1995 whit a Tamiya Manta Ray Box Kit. I never break eny part of that Offroad driving & jumping. Even whit a Graupner Buggy Race Motor 33.000 RPM 😈 in it.
Dogbones fall out every 30 seconds. It’s not the car to buy
Easy fix, just put a 2mm rubber tube inside the rear shocks to short the rear arm travel. It’s over extending and letting the dog bone pop out.
@@RCKickschannel I actually remember trying to pack the sockets out with little circles cut out of a inner tube. But nothing worked. I might of had one of the first ones but I remember the design was just bad. Even brand new dogbones would fall straight out It was such a shame because my friend had a hornet which was so much fun and my falcon just never worked properly. I was only 12 or something so didn’t know how to complain but should of taken it back to the shop. It ruined my childhood completely 😂
In other words: Its straight ASS! Get a tt-02b or a Grasshopper
Depends on what you are after. Some vintage cars take lots of dedication and effort while others are so much easier to live with. It All depends on your challenge level, how deep your pockets are and how much you love some of the old classics.
how much does it cost tho? I really wanted that car..
Depends on quality $150-$250 ish