In 1985 I had a Tamiya Hornet (after having a few 'toy' cars). Moved on to a Scumacher Cat, then left the hobby. Now at 49 years old I have 6 vehicles and Im having a blast rediscovering the fun of the rc hobby. Great video, and such a nice thing to do for your friend.
My first build was the Grasshopper in '84 but soon sold it to build the Hornet. I soon upgraded to the Hot Shot! I am sharing my experiences with my sons now. Their smiles of enjoyment are priceless.
I really enjoyed your video! I grew up with friends that had the grasshopper, madcap and tamiya shogun. I am 41 years old and have a a 13 year old son with adhd. Literally just brought my first ever tamiya kits lol I got my son the grasshopper and brought myself the 2022 astute. We are building them together and its so fun and because of his attention span we are doing like a page a day so its a bit of long term bonding project but with a real finished working product. It is so cool to see him excited and I am too! Cant believe it has taken me 30 years to get involved!! So glad tamiya kept the original line up ❤
😁👍The absolute best thing about these older tamiya RC cars is you can run them in sand and it don't get inside in all the gears something most all modern RC's can't do they always seem to get sand inside to bugger up the gears! My first RC kit was the tamiya Hornet such a beauty to this day!
disagree completely, i own quite a few modern and old rc cars that dont get sand in the gears, i cant believe the amount of facts this video gets wrong, the grasshopper is only loved bi many because it is dirt cheep so it ended up being so many peoples 1st rc car hence the fond memory's , its technically a terrible car compared to everything else, its certainly not years ahead of its time Team associateds RC10 was around in 1984 and is had 4 wheel independent suspension, the grasshopper is defiantly not more capable in the sand than a 4wd, it didnt come with an ESC back in 1984, also no hobby grade rc cars use screws to hold the battery door on, most hobby grade rc cars dont even use a battery door, they load from the inside.
For those of us that are 40+, and have have fortunate enough to be in this hobby have likely seen this RC car before. Most of us had it, while our cool friends had the Kyosho Ultima or the Team Associated RC10.
My first hobby grade RC was a Tamiya Frog when it came out a couple months after a friend got one, but other friends had the Hornet & Grasshopper. I got burned on the hot resistor many times & the aggravation of slow charging NiCad batteries, when quick chargers were more expensive than most kits! I had a number of Tamiya kits over the years including the original ClodBuster, a SuperShot & Porsche 956. I also had an original gold tub RC10 when those came out. It was the heyday of RC and amazing to think about how far it has come.
1988 first hobby grade RC was Tamiya Monster Beetle. I still have it with original parts (put aside, upgraded it with modern electronics). I couldn’t believe how much fun I had building it and playing with it!!!
Kyosho Optima Mid. Right back in 87. I was 19 and not at all prepared for the speed of it. Launched it straight into a curb and broke the front A-Arm. Great Car, still have the chassis. Before that I had built a couple of rc boats in my early teen-age years. The boats was a thing for a long time at the local park/pond every sunday in the summer-time.
My first car was a Rockbuster, which essentially was the same car as the Grasshopper in 1988. I wanted an RC car for a while back then. My parents told me that they'll get it for me if I get all As and Bs. My next report card was all As! So they had no choice. Lol! I LOVED that car. I remember making a lot of modifications and improvements. Got aluminum bumper and nerf bars, ball bearings, 540 motor with an 8 cell battery. To avoid rolling over, I put Lunchbox wheels on it, which made the car look really cool! I can remember the mechanical speed control and burning out resistors. So much nostalgia!
I had a Hornet, and have just given my 8 year old son one for his birthday….reliving my childhood! He loves it and figured it out straight away….it’s still sooo fun
My first rc was a Tamiya Sand Rover, also with a mabuchi rs380. I soon swapped that motor out for a 540 and watched with dismay as running times dropped from around 15 minutes to almost 5. The transmission gears didn't last much longer but i had a lot of fun out of it. I still have (bits of) it.
My parents bought me a Grasshopper for Christmas in 1986 and I still have it. I was just in a hobby shop a few days ago and the owner said they still make these kits and spare parts. I might have to dig this out of my closet and get it running again!
A brilliant little buggy from back in the day!!!.. Brings back all those great memories.. it doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not.. quite simply a load of fun for all ages!!!
Great video,my first rc car was the blackfoot and my brother had the monster beetle,we got them for Christmas in 86 or 87 and we used to race them when we were kids. So much fun and so many memories. I remember saving up to get another rc car and I bought the tamiya stryker,I wish I still had them both. Over the 35 plus years they got lost in many moves. Great times though. Eventually I will add tamiyas back into my rc collection
Wow! I really enjoyed the details of your vid. It’s been 40 years and I can’t wait to see it in person. It’s gonna bring back my childhood memories. Let’s make sure this one doesn’t get run over by a car this time! 😅 Thank you so much for helping me relive my excitement, Francis! 🙏❤️☺️
Grasshopper was my first (and only) RC Car! I delivered so many weekly reminder papers (the one's nobody wants - I wasn't old enough for a "real" paper route at the time) to save up for it.
My first hobby grade was The Fox!!! It was fun to build, drive, and race with my dad. In 86 a bunch of us kids got RC's for Christmas. So much fun!!!!👍👍👍
My first car. I’m 50 years old and have been in the hobby for 37 years. Second car was the Blackfoot and then the king. The Clodbuster. Left the hobby for a several years and when the T Maxx came out I was so impressed. Didn’t buy one until the E Maxx was released. Tamiya got me into this hobby decades ago. Fond memories.
A friend of mine got this from his Dad when we were kids and I always bugged him to build it. His mom never did get him the radio for it so he never built it. I couldn't afford it so I ended up with a few different radio shack cars until I was in my 20's and started carpet racing with a TL01 lol. But the Grasshopper was always the unattainable dream for me... don't know why I haven't picked one up yet!
My first RC when I was 8 was a knock off Grasshopper called a World Engine's Rockbuster. I only had it for a bit before I accidently charged the battery twice (my dad had charged it and I didn't know it) and it melted the battery inside the chassis. Still I was hooked and this resulted in me getting an RC10. Been in the hobby ever since. Anyone in this hobby should build at least one Tamiya in their lifetime.
My 1st car was a Kyosho Raider which I received for Christmas in 1987 or 1988. Still have it and running it! I am also into the new stuff but I still love my childhood car!
The Grasshopper was my first R/C. Followed by an Astute, followed by a *very* long period before getting back into R/C, and currently having so much fun.
I got the Hornet in 84 when I was 17, I have a Grasshopper & a Rising Fighter now, running brushless set ups on 7.4 & 11.1v lipos which make them a lot faster than they was back in time, and the gears hold up no problem but I do have alloy gears on the way to me
I watched my dad build a Falcon in 1988, a lot of guys were racing them locally, Crystal radios and resistor speed controls. I still have it, and I plan to make it run again. Needs a little repair and some updating.
My first car was when I was about 10 years old, was a Tamiya Grass Hopper II, back in 1996. Was a Christmas present and me and my dad built it on the kitchen table after dinner, first run was boxing day to which it broke after a bad jump. Fixed with Meccano and I believe my little brother still had it to this day. Fast forward 25+ years and I'm still playing RC with my dad (he has his own now) but also both my young sons too. 3 generations out mainly crawling but some bashing too.
Tamiya Hornet! Was my first real rc and I think you just pushed me over the edge to get one again. Did have a Miami Vice RC that me and my cousin played with before that.
Great video!! First car was a Tamiya Hornet back in the 80s. Bought brown a local hobby shop which is still open and I still go there now!! I still have the hornet. It sits proudly on my shelf with not too many parts being replaced.
Great review my first build was the tamiya grass hopper I put the 540 sport tuned motor in it and knobby tires on the rear off the frog love this thing!!
My first RC car was a Tamiya Thundershot! I loved it sooo much! I wanted a Nikko but the game store owner suggested we buy that instead, and he was right! Faster, better handling and better overall quality, and with the pistol grip controller it was way easier to drive it! I should buy one again too!
Nice review, much appreciated!! My first car was the Grasshopper in 86/86. And I had fun . I just purchased the green one and building it now. The rear seems more solid, no tiny springs and less transmission slap than before. I built a rising fighter and it has the old tiny springs.
Grand Father owed a hobby shop on Redwood city in 2960's-70's. Earliest R/C cars I was exposed to were Jerobee gas cars, 1/12 with I think COX 0.49power. My first R/C kit was the Marui Big Bear. A second hand, beat down Optima that had a aftermarket chassis setup for oval racing. Of old cars right now, Custom Works Dominator the chain drive one. And a couple of Bolink cars. The Bolink cars are still around under the name R/J Speed. It's interesting to see and hear your take on these vintage cars.
My 1st car was a Rockbuster . I still have it . Then the Kyosho double dare came shortly after and still have it also . All this time and still love the hobby . This brought back memories .
Great video man. My first car was a Kyosho Icarus. My heart wanted either the Grasshopper or the Hornet but the Icarus had 4 wheel independent suspension and oil filled shocks for pretty much the same cost.
First was the Celica GRB, then Lunchbox, Hornet. My first new purchase was Kyosho Pug 205 Turbo 16 and second new one was a Clod. Still have the first 4 of them. Celica and Lunchbox was sold in the 90s but I bought them back many years later. I traded the Clod for some nitro cars in the 90s and I regretted that decision ever since. Spring this year I finally bought a Clod again. My collection is about 50 cars, half of them vintage and about 40 is Tamiya. The rest is custom builds.
My first RC was a World Engines Rockbuster which was a Korean knock off of a grasshopper but mine had a 540 and rear oil shocks. It was the same as the Academy Road Runner but had different decals. I got it for Christmas in 1986
My first car was the Tamiya subaru brat, absolutely loved that car. It was very interesting to be reminded of the old style esc, I spent many hours trying to fine tune it, with limited success. Good review and nostalgia, thanks.
I was only 4 yrs old when this came out. But I remember seeing the teenagers with jobs and money driving around with Rc's and was so jealous. My parents didn't have money for stuff like this, so I didn't get into RC until I was an adult. But my Grasshopper should be here in a day or two.
Thanks for treating this thing for what it is. Shame that I found this video first now, I recently got one for my kid who wished for a radio car, and I was sick and tired of swapping AA batteries in 30 Bucks toy cars, and figured I get him something that'll last, based only on the fact that it's a TAMIYA product (and it's the Grasshoppers 40th anniversary, and still in production so it must do something right). But the majority of reviews use modern technology and modern kits as benchmark, and then it obviously falls short in many points, and made me doubt the purchase for a bit before we put it together and used it a bit. And yes, for doing RC stuff this would probably be a weak choice, but for bashing, making donuts in dirt, and racing on surfaces no toy can manage, this car is gold. Tough as nails, super simple, updatable (I got ball bearings instead of the nylon bushings just to get more out of the battery charge), and with the 380 Motor not too fast for a kid to control. And it's just sooo thought thru, like you mention, no wing, so it won't break, all mechanisms are either enclosed, or made in a way, or out of materials that can take a beating. Fun fact, the price here, in Europe is the opposite, the green version is 15 Bucks more. I got it so we didn't have to paint it, as it will land on it's roof a lot and scratch.
Cool review,blast from the past,I still have my original grasshopper from I think 86 along with the tamaya battery charger that look like an oven timer. And believe it or not I still have my futaba 64 duel stick for it.
Iconic for sure. I discovered RC late late in life, but fell into Tamiya right away. So much joy. I think the GH could use some oil dampers:). I just did that to my Holiday buggy (DT-02) and wow what a difference! Thanks
I wanted a Tamiya RC in the early 80s, but we couldn’t afford them. My first hobby grade was a HPI Savage .25 when they were first released. I have a bunch of old Tamiya cars now. Plus numerous crawlers. I’m much more into the crawlers.
Im only halfway though your video but i'm laughing out loud and loving watching how giddy and excited you are about this RC. Definitely re living your youth right now...lol Very entertaining sir!!! 😉👍 Also... my 1st rc was a red Tyco Turbohopper
My fist car was the holiday buggy then Grasshopper, Hornet, original Clobuster all in the eighties, then an Optima, wind forward 20 years got back into rc with Hpi models but still got a re release holiday buggy, heavily modified just because I could, now have 6 other rc cars from racers to bashers and now a crawler, but it was Tamiya who got me into rc, maybe not the best racers but great to build and mess about with
My first hobby grade RC was a World Engines Rockbuster. Mine was the hopped up version but it was a Korean copy of a Grasshopper. Body was different but it had oil rear shocks and a 540 motor. I believe I got it in 1985 or 1986
Good observations and video. But … Tamiya not doing any new models? More new models every year than most other brands … And the tool-free battery door a good idea? Until your battery falls out and is dragged along the road … common issue with the GH and Hornet 😂 … and the diff actually needs some work
My first was my TAMIYA FROG. I still own it. I will be uploading that to our YT channel soon too. Upgraded with custom all metal telescoping bulletproof drivetrain and more!!
Great review!! My first RC was the TAMIYA Black Foot with the same quality build you referred to in the Grasshopper review 👍 I loved the abs body, my did eventually break which I replaced with an old abs toy '57 BelAir car body!! ❤
These were extremely popular and were $120 (Australian) in 1985 (kit only). They're a good product if used as intended. I don't understand why some people criticize the re releases - they're very old now and certainly won't perform like the modern cars. You wouldn't compare a 1979 Honda Civic with a 2023 VW Golf.
Totally agree! I love the Grashopper, in the years I used so much and never need a replacement part. Naturally... slow! But if every one has the same car the race is on and don't do mistakes, you pay them a lot. Great car and may be I'll buy a new one. Mine are upgraded and a standard one is interesting as it was perfectly balanced. Ciao!!
7:08 yeah because lexan bodies were used instead of hard plastic for racing, lexan is lighter and wouldn't shatter on impact, also a lot of buggies use Velcro with lexan bodies
#11 bad was plastic bushings in all 4 wheels. 8 wheel bearings are $10 & usually out-last the tires. My 1st ever REAL rc car was the hitec kangaroo. Late 70's.
7:42 i dont get what your talking about here either, most hobby grade rc cars dont use screws to hold the battery door on, most hobby grade rc cars dont even use a battery door, they load from the inside
In your opening words you mentioned that for $64 it came with an ESC - is that right? My first few RCs back in the late 80s (Manta Ray, Lunchbox, etc) all came with a mechanical potentiometer type speed controller that needed a second servo to actuate them. Those things were always going wrong but ESCs didn’t seem to be an option until around the late 90s in my LHS.
![KSI - Thick Of It (feat. Trippie Redd) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/At8v_Yc044Y/mqdefault.jpg)
Tamiya Grasshopper original - bit.ly/3WRUxNY
Tamiya Grasshopper green edition $94 - bit.ly/3CbBIf1
Tamiya Hornet - bit.ly/3Ch2YZn
Tamiya Frog - www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=el&merchant_id=4b85b2b7-558e-4304-89fc-54958c8f47f0&website_id=6aadfba8-608a-4c0f-ae8f-fb73def65fa3&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amainhobbies.com%2Ftamiya-frog-1-10-offroad-2wd-buggy-kit-tam58354-60a%2Fp1382006
Tamiya cars - bit.ly/44rjCBR
What battery did you run? Having a hard time fitting a rounded hard case lipo.
In 1985 I had a Tamiya Hornet (after having a few 'toy' cars).
Moved on to a Scumacher Cat, then left the hobby.
Now at 49 years old I have 6 vehicles and Im having a blast rediscovering the fun of the rc hobby.
Great video, and such a nice thing to do for your friend.
Right on @watch-box. You're in the same path as moth us reliving our childhood glory days.
I wanted a Grasshopper when I was a kid, but it was out of reach back then. I built one a few months ago and absolutely love it.
So good to hear!
My first build was the Grasshopper in '84 but soon sold it to build the Hornet. I soon upgraded to the Hot Shot! I am sharing my experiences with my sons now. Their smiles of enjoyment are priceless.
I really enjoyed your video! I grew up with friends that had the grasshopper, madcap and tamiya shogun. I am 41 years old and have a a 13 year old son with adhd. Literally just brought my first ever tamiya kits lol I got my son the grasshopper and brought myself the 2022 astute. We are building them together and its so fun and because of his attention span we are doing like a page a day so its a bit of long term bonding project but with a real finished working product. It is so cool to see him excited and I am too! Cant believe it has taken me 30 years to get involved!! So glad tamiya kept the original line up ❤
FIRST REAL RC I GOT WAS IN 1985.. I SAVED 2mo. OF PAPER ROUTE MONEY TO BUY THE TAMIYA SUBARU BRAT.. CLOSEST THING TO THE FROG. BUT CHEAPER 😁🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙
those paddle tires are amazing... i still have a pair from 1986 and they are in excellent condition for their age! tread is all there and no rot!
😁👍The absolute best thing about these older tamiya RC cars is you can run them in sand and it don't get inside in all the gears something most all modern RC's can't do they always seem to get sand inside to bugger up the gears! My first RC kit was the tamiya Hornet such a beauty to this day!
True huh, designed well and it's stood the test of time.
disagree completely, i own quite a few modern and old rc cars that dont get sand in the gears, i cant believe the amount of facts this video gets wrong, the grasshopper is only loved bi many because it is dirt cheep so it ended up being so many peoples 1st rc car hence the fond memory's , its technically a terrible car compared to everything else, its certainly not years ahead of its time Team associateds RC10 was around in 1984 and is had 4 wheel independent suspension, the grasshopper is defiantly not more capable in the sand than a 4wd, it didnt come with an ESC back in 1984, also no hobby grade rc cars use screws to hold the battery door on, most hobby grade rc cars dont even use a battery door, they load from the inside.
For those of us that are 40+, and have have fortunate enough to be in this hobby have likely seen this RC car before. Most of us had it, while our cool friends had the Kyosho Ultima or the Team Associated RC10.
My first was the Tamiya hornet. It was a great buggy. I had hours n hours of fun with it. Super durable.
Yeah, Hornet is a step up. Bigger motor and some cool upgrade parts.
My first hobby grade RC was a Tamiya Frog when it came out a couple months after a friend got one, but other friends had the Hornet & Grasshopper. I got burned on the hot resistor many times & the aggravation of slow charging NiCad batteries, when quick chargers were more expensive than most kits! I had a number of Tamiya kits over the years including the original ClodBuster, a SuperShot & Porsche 956. I also had an original gold tub RC10 when those came out. It was the heyday of RC and amazing to think about how far it has come.
The batteries back then sucked soooo bad. With the new batteries, these things crush. I hear the ESC can do 3s.
1988 first hobby grade RC was Tamiya Monster Beetle. I still have it with original parts (put aside, upgraded it with modern electronics). I couldn’t believe how much fun I had building it and playing with it!!!
Monster Beetle. Modernized with new electronics, they get a new lease on life.
Great video, my first car was a Tamiya rough rider in 1982, fantastic car that at the time had all the performance I ever wanted.
Yeah, these cars really had all the performance that the batteries of the time could support.
Kyosho Optima Mid. Right back in 87. I was 19 and not at all prepared for the speed of it. Launched it straight into a curb and broke the front A-Arm. Great Car, still have the chassis. Before that I had built a couple of rc boats in my early teen-age years. The boats was a thing for a long time at the local park/pond every sunday in the summer-time.
My first car was a Rockbuster, which essentially was the same car as the Grasshopper in 1988. I wanted an RC car for a while back then. My parents told me that they'll get it for me if I get all As and Bs. My next report card was all As! So they had no choice. Lol! I LOVED that car. I remember making a lot of modifications and improvements. Got aluminum bumper and nerf bars, ball bearings, 540 motor with an 8 cell battery. To avoid rolling over, I put Lunchbox wheels on it, which made the car look really cool! I can remember the mechanical speed control and burning out resistors. So much nostalgia!
I had a Hornet, and have just given my 8 year old son one for his birthday….reliving my childhood! He loves it and figured it out straight away….it’s still sooo fun
So great to hear. I relived my childhood and passed it on to a friend
My first rc was a Tamiya Sand Rover, also with a mabuchi rs380. I soon swapped that motor out for a 540 and watched with dismay as running times dropped from around 15 minutes to almost 5.
The transmission gears didn't last much longer but i had a lot of fun out of it. I still have (bits of) it.
Mabuchi 380. Yeah!!!
My parents bought me a Grasshopper for Christmas in 1986 and I still have it. I was just in a hobby shop a few days ago and the owner said they still make these kits and spare parts. I might have to dig this out of my closet and get it running again!
A brilliant little buggy from back in the day!!!.. Brings back all those great memories.. it doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not.. quite simply a load of fun for all ages!!!
Great video,my first rc car was the blackfoot and my brother had the monster beetle,we got them for Christmas in 86 or 87 and we used to race them when we were kids. So much fun and so many memories. I remember saving up to get another rc car and I bought the tamiya stryker,I wish I still had them both. Over the 35 plus years they got lost in many moves. Great times though. Eventually I will add tamiyas back into my rc collection
Better than your experience is you sharing the rc thing with your brother. So cool.
It was my first car, mechanical speed control, radio with crystals. I had so much fun with it
Wow! I really enjoyed the details of your vid. It’s been 40 years and I can’t wait to see it in person. It’s gonna bring back my childhood memories. Let’s make sure this one doesn’t get run over by a car this time! 😅 Thank you so much for helping me relive my excitement, Francis! 🙏❤️☺️
Cool to hear.
Grasshopper was my first (and only) RC Car! I delivered so many weekly reminder papers (the one's nobody wants - I wasn't old enough for a "real" paper route at the time) to save up for it.
Eventually put in an RS 540 and oil dampers/shocks.
My first hobby grade was The Fox!!! It was fun to build, drive, and race with my dad. In 86 a bunch of us kids got RC's for Christmas. So much fun!!!!👍👍👍
Oh man, what was the Fox? Better than the Grasshopper?
@@RCReviewChannel it was another Tamiya buggy. Yes it was better then the grasshopper. 👍👍
My first car. I’m 50 years old and have been in the hobby for 37 years. Second car was the Blackfoot and then the king. The Clodbuster. Left the hobby for a several years and when the T Maxx came out I was so impressed. Didn’t buy one until the E Maxx was released. Tamiya got me into this hobby decades ago. Fond memories.
That's how it works for us old folks. Tamiya got it started and then various great cars pull us back in.
A friend of mine got this from his Dad when we were kids and I always bugged him to build it. His mom never did get him the radio for it so he never built it. I couldn't afford it so I ended up with a few different radio shack cars until I was in my 20's and started carpet racing with a TL01 lol.
But the Grasshopper was always the unattainable dream for me... don't know why I haven't picked one up yet!
My first RC when I was 8 was a knock off Grasshopper called a World Engine's Rockbuster. I only had it for a bit before I accidently charged the battery twice (my dad had charged it and I didn't know it) and it melted the battery inside the chassis. Still I was hooked and this resulted in me getting an RC10. Been in the hobby ever since. Anyone in this hobby should build at least one Tamiya in their lifetime.
World Engines Rockbuster! Funny how our first toys stick with us for life.
Every so often I'll search Ebay for one but never have pulled the trigger.
My 1st car was a Kyosho Raider which I received for Christmas in 1987 or 1988. Still have it and running it! I am also into the new stuff but I still love my childhood car!
The Grasshopper was my first R/C. Followed by an Astute, followed by a *very* long period before getting back into R/C, and currently having so much fun.
So cool to hear.
I got the Hornet in 84 when I was 17, I have a Grasshopper & a Rising Fighter now, running brushless set ups on 7.4 & 11.1v lipos which make them a lot faster than they was back in time, and the gears hold up no problem but I do have alloy gears on the way to me
this is my first proper rc car i have only assembled the gearbox so far keep up the good content
I watched my dad build a Falcon in 1988, a lot of guys were racing them locally, Crystal radios and resistor speed controls. I still have it, and I plan to make it run again. Needs a little repair and some updating.
I've watched many of your reviews but never have I seen you smile more than reviewing the humble GH. 😊
Grasshopper was my 1st rc in 84 got it to race and got laugh at. So I got my 1st RC-10. But I do miss my Grasshopper happy to see it back. Stay safe
Your neighbors are mean! Grasshopper is iconic and now i remember why.
Just got the Clod Buster to relive child memories and I’ve been having a lot of fun with it !
My first car was when I was about 10 years old, was a Tamiya Grass Hopper II, back in 1996. Was a Christmas present and me and my dad built it on the kitchen table after dinner, first run was boxing day to which it broke after a bad jump. Fixed with Meccano and I believe my little brother still had it to this day.
Fast forward 25+ years and I'm still playing RC with my dad (he has his own now) but also both my young sons too.
3 generations out mainly crawling but some bashing too.
Version 2! Never seen one of those!
Tamiya Hornet! Was my first real rc and I think you just pushed me over the edge to get one again. Did have a Miami Vice RC that me and my cousin played with before that.
Yeah, if you have all the other goodies already like radio and battery, the $100+ investment is worthwhile.
My first RC was a Super Hornet, loved it as a kid. Wish Tamiya would re-release it
Great video!! First car was a Tamiya Hornet back in the 80s. Bought brown a local hobby shop which is still open and I still go there now!! I still have the hornet. It sits proudly on my shelf with not too many parts being replaced.
My first RC was Tamiya Audi Quattro. Year was 1985. Great car, painted as Rally car of Michelle Mouton.❤
All i did for the rear suspension was remove one of the shocks completely, made it softer, more tractible and compliant, worked so well
Great review my first build was the tamiya grass hopper I put the 540 sport tuned motor in it and knobby tires on the rear off the frog love this thing!!
My first RC car was a Tamiya Thundershot! I loved it sooo much! I wanted a Nikko but the game store owner suggested we buy that instead, and he was right! Faster, better handling and better overall quality, and with the pistol grip controller it was way easier to drive it! I should buy one again too!
The Grasshopper was the first RC I got in the “80’s”
Nice review, much appreciated!! My first car was the Grasshopper in 86/86. And I had fun . I just purchased the green one and building it now. The rear seems more solid, no tiny springs and less transmission slap than before. I built a rising fighter and it has the old tiny springs.
the 80s was awesome, i still love the jet hopper
Grand Father owed a hobby shop on Redwood city in 2960's-70's. Earliest R/C cars I was exposed to were Jerobee gas cars, 1/12 with I think COX 0.49power. My first R/C kit was the Marui Big Bear. A second hand, beat down Optima that had a aftermarket chassis setup for oval racing. Of old cars right now, Custom Works Dominator the chain drive one. And a couple of Bolink cars. The Bolink cars are still around under the name R/J Speed.
It's interesting to see and hear your take on these vintage cars.
My 1st car was a Rockbuster . I still have it . Then the Kyosho double dare came shortly after and still have it also . All this time and still love the hobby . This brought back memories .
You remember well.
Great video man. My first car was a Kyosho Icarus. My heart wanted either the Grasshopper or the Hornet but the Icarus had 4 wheel independent suspension and oil filled shocks for pretty much the same cost.
Love this vintage rc buggy! Thanks for the review!
First was the Celica GRB, then Lunchbox, Hornet. My first new purchase was Kyosho Pug 205 Turbo 16 and second new one was a Clod. Still have the first 4 of them. Celica and Lunchbox was sold in the 90s but I bought them back many years later. I traded the Clod for some nitro cars in the 90s and I regretted that decision ever since. Spring this year I finally bought a Clod again. My collection is about 50 cars, half of them vintage and about 40 is Tamiya. The rest is custom builds.
Born in the early 70s and the Tamiya hornet was my first car!
My first RC was a World Engines Rockbuster which was a Korean knock off of a grasshopper but mine had a 540 and rear oil shocks. It was the same as the Academy Road Runner but had different decals. I got it for Christmas in 1986
Very good memories there.
Nice review. Would love to see you build / review some of the other Tamiya kits.
My first car was the Tamiya subaru brat, absolutely loved that car. It was very interesting to be reminded of the old style esc, I spent many hours trying to fine tune it, with limited success. Good review and nostalgia, thanks.
Oh man, I keep seeing that Brat. Iconic car for sure.
I just finished building mine. Can't wait to run it.
It's pretty cool and satisfying, especially in a small space.
I was only 4 yrs old when this came out. But I remember seeing the teenagers with jobs and money driving around with Rc's and was so jealous. My parents didn't have money for stuff like this, so I didn't get into RC until I was an adult. But my Grasshopper should be here in a day or two.
Thanks for treating this thing for what it is. Shame that I found this video first now, I recently got one for my kid who wished for a radio car, and I was sick and tired of swapping AA batteries in 30 Bucks toy cars, and figured I get him something that'll last, based only on the fact that it's a TAMIYA product (and it's the Grasshoppers 40th anniversary, and still in production so it must do something right). But the majority of reviews use modern technology and modern kits as benchmark, and then it obviously falls short in many points, and made me doubt the purchase for a bit before we put it together and used it a bit. And yes, for doing RC stuff this would probably be a weak choice, but for bashing, making donuts in dirt, and racing on surfaces no toy can manage, this car is gold. Tough as nails, super simple, updatable (I got ball bearings instead of the nylon bushings just to get more out of the battery charge), and with the 380 Motor not too fast for a kid to control. And it's just sooo thought thru, like you mention, no wing, so it won't break, all mechanisms are either enclosed, or made in a way, or out of materials that can take a beating. Fun fact, the price here, in Europe is the opposite, the green version is 15 Bucks more. I got it so we didn't have to paint it, as it will land on it's roof a lot and scratch.
Wild willy. Frog. Holiday buggy. Hot shot. Sand scorcher and big wig was my line up
I got my 1st real RC in 1987 after I had joined the US Army. It was a Tamiya Grasshopper also. My 2nd was a Tamiya Bruiser.
Love it, this was my first car, so many memories seeing that box. Thanks for this :)
Cool review,blast from the past,I still have my original grasshopper from I think 86 along with the tamaya battery charger that look like an oven timer. And believe it or not I still have my futaba 64 duel stick for it.
Iconic for sure. I discovered RC late late in life, but fell into Tamiya right away. So much joy. I think the GH could use some oil dampers:). I just did that to my Holiday buggy (DT-02) and wow what a difference! Thanks
Yeah, definitely. I hope my buddy upgrades this Grasshopper a little bit.
just bought mine for $82 here in the Philippines 🇵🇭. my first tamiya buggy. i'm more of a TT-02 road car enthusiast.
I wanted a Tamiya RC in the early 80s, but we couldn’t afford them. My first hobby grade was a HPI Savage .25 when they were first released. I have a bunch of old Tamiya cars now. Plus numerous crawlers. I’m much more into the crawlers.
The crawlers are the next chapter.
Im only halfway though your video but i'm laughing out loud and loving watching how giddy and excited you are about this RC.
Definitely re living your youth right now...lol
Very entertaining sir!!! 😉👍
Also... my 1st rc was a red Tyco Turbohopper
Bolink was my first kit I built.
My fist car was the holiday buggy then Grasshopper, Hornet, original Clobuster all in the eighties, then an Optima, wind forward 20 years got back into rc with Hpi models but still got a re release holiday buggy, heavily modified just because I could, now have 6 other rc cars from racers to bashers and now a crawler, but it was Tamiya who got me into rc, maybe not the best racers but great to build and mess about with
My first hobby grade rc was the tamiya blackfoot. So many screws.I won my first race with it and on a dying battery.
Love your work man. I love the Grasshopper so much I recently brought 2 of them and I got Candy green too.👌👍
My first hobby grade RC was a World Engines Rockbuster. Mine was the hopped up version but it was a Korean copy of a Grasshopper. Body was different but it had oil rear shocks and a 540 motor. I believe I got it in 1985 or 1986
Great and unexpected vid! It's nice to see some rc history on your channel 🎉
Good observations and video. But … Tamiya not doing any new models? More new models every year than most other brands … And the tool-free battery door a good idea? Until your battery falls out and is dragged along the road … common issue with the GH and Hornet 😂 … and the diff actually needs some work
I designed front aluminium shock mount for tamiya in '88 it was red in color. You cut the plastic ones off and it mounts with a couple screws
My first was my TAMIYA FROG. I still own it. I will be uploading that to our YT channel soon too. Upgraded with custom all metal telescoping bulletproof drivetrain and more!!
Still use mine since 35 years. I drive it a lot...could be the one with the most kilometers in the world 😅
I always wanted to get this when I was younger. I still want it. But having no job right now is kinda hard.
No job then, no job now. RC life is no joke. Hope you land something.
Great review!! My first RC was the TAMIYA Black Foot with the same quality build you referred to in the Grasshopper review 👍 I loved the abs body, my did eventually break which I replaced with an old abs toy '57 BelAir car body!! ❤
Thank you. Nice to relive our kid glory days.
My first car was the original Tamiya fox. I still have it today.
These were extremely popular and were $120 (Australian) in 1985 (kit only). They're a good product if used as intended.
I don't understand why some people criticize the re releases - they're very old now and certainly won't perform like the modern cars. You wouldn't compare a 1979 Honda Civic with a 2023 VW Golf.
Great Video! You probably forgot to mention what were the differences with the original 80's model?
Totally agree! I love the Grashopper, in the years I used so much and never need a replacement part. Naturally... slow! But if every one has the same car the race is on and don't do mistakes, you pay them a lot. Great car and may be I'll buy a new one. Mine are upgraded and a standard one is interesting as it was perfectly balanced. Ciao!!
Yeah in stock form, could be a good race among friends.
@@RCReviewChannel Don't laugh but I just published a video on the Frog!
My favorite tamiya! Great video
Same here!
It was in 1984 Tamiya Rough Rider. My best friend got a Grasshopper in 1985. Sadly my Rough Rider is gone and my friend has passed away.
7:08 yeah because lexan bodies were used instead of hard plastic for racing, lexan is lighter and wouldn't shatter on impact, also a lot of buggies use Velcro with lexan bodies
Woe I've gotta build me a grasshopper. That was my 1st rc at age 10
fantastic!
My first was the Kyosho Ultima
That was the finest Kyosho!!!
Turbo panther. I was to poor for a hobby grade RC.But I jut got my grass hoper now.
1st was a Kyosho Assault loved it!
Wow, Kyosho nation~
I remember those sliding style speed controller
#11 bad was plastic bushings in all 4 wheels. 8 wheel bearings are $10 & usually out-last the tires.
My 1st ever REAL rc car was the hitec kangaroo. Late 70's.
Try a zero clearance insert it makes quite a difference for your table saw.
I had a falcon in 1988. I just bought a grasshopper to start off my nostalgic reverie. I want to fill a few shelves.. hornet frog, hotshot..
Journey back to our childhood.
I worked an entire summer on a farm so I could buy a Tamiya Hot Shot. Looking to get another one that has beef re-released.
My first was a Tamiya frog!
Looking at the backs of magazines when I was I a kid I always wanted one but didn't have the money
1:09 im pretty sure when it was sold in 1984 for $60 it didnt come with an electronic speed controller, no rc car did
7:42 i dont get what your talking about here either, most hobby grade rc cars dont use screws to hold the battery door on, most hobby grade rc cars dont even use a battery door, they load from the inside
In your opening words you mentioned that for $64 it came with an ESC - is that right? My first few RCs back in the late 80s (Manta Ray, Lunchbox, etc) all came with a mechanical potentiometer type speed controller that needed a second servo to actuate them. Those things were always going wrong but ESCs didn’t seem to be an option until around the late 90s in my LHS.
Got my first rc car and thats the one back in 86. Funny was $65 then here.
Yup. $60 at Sheldon's Hobbies.