My first RC car, back together for a 20 year anniversary.
Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 3:06 pm
Well, technically my first RC car was a Tyco Turbo Hopper. That thing was blast. Then, my buddy Danny got a Tamiya Grasshopper. I was blown away by the Grasshopper, it was the first real RC car I had ever seen or driven. I had to have one. My dad said I could get one if I paid for it myself. At the time I did have a paper route, but for whatever reason the deal was that I had to save 5 cent cans to pay for this new car. 
After doing some research on the Grasshopper, trying to find the best price and that kind of stuff, I discovered all the other Tamiya cars. When I saw the Fox, I thought it was way better than the Grasshopper, it had oil shocks and a 540. With a Fox I could blow Danny's Grasshopper away, so I had to get one. I think it took about 6 months to save up enough money from nickel cans to pay for the Fox. When the time came, I ordered it from Sheldons Hobbies. This was all back in 1987. My Dad and I put it together. On the first test, my Dad turned it on and it drove itself full throttle right out into the busy street that went by our house. Luckily it didn't get hit. It needed a little speed control adjustment, lol. I drove this car like a maniac for a good two years, until a local club opened. They were racing indoor oval. The Fox couldn't really keep up with the lowered RC10's everybody else was racing, so I saved again (no cans this time though) and bought a Jrx2 to race with. I held on to the Fox to bash with off the track when I wasn't racing. Sometime around 1993 I broke it's chassis and didn't get a replacement. When I went away to college, I sold all my racing equipment and the broken Fox was retired to my parent's attic.
Last Christmas I was at home and my parent's wanted me to take some of my stuff out of the attic to bring back with me to NYC. Of course I grabbed the Fox. It was still about 50% put together, minus it's chassis, front tires, rear springs and some random hardware. MrLexan hooked me up with a NOS chassis. I was able to find some used front tires and NOS rear springs on ebay. The front wheels are CRP wheels I had in with the rest of the Fox parts, I died them black today to match the rest of the car. I just got it back together. It's complete, minus electronics. I wouldn't mind finding an original Fox mechanical speed control, with the heat sheilds. Back in the day I know I burned the original out and replaced it with a reversing ESC. This car still has it's original motor in it. So here it is, unrestored, pretty much exactly as it was 20 years ago.
I'd have to say that this has been my most rewarding RC project to date.
After doing some research on the Grasshopper, trying to find the best price and that kind of stuff, I discovered all the other Tamiya cars. When I saw the Fox, I thought it was way better than the Grasshopper, it had oil shocks and a 540. With a Fox I could blow Danny's Grasshopper away, so I had to get one. I think it took about 6 months to save up enough money from nickel cans to pay for the Fox. When the time came, I ordered it from Sheldons Hobbies. This was all back in 1987. My Dad and I put it together. On the first test, my Dad turned it on and it drove itself full throttle right out into the busy street that went by our house. Luckily it didn't get hit. It needed a little speed control adjustment, lol. I drove this car like a maniac for a good two years, until a local club opened. They were racing indoor oval. The Fox couldn't really keep up with the lowered RC10's everybody else was racing, so I saved again (no cans this time though) and bought a Jrx2 to race with. I held on to the Fox to bash with off the track when I wasn't racing. Sometime around 1993 I broke it's chassis and didn't get a replacement. When I went away to college, I sold all my racing equipment and the broken Fox was retired to my parent's attic. Last Christmas I was at home and my parent's wanted me to take some of my stuff out of the attic to bring back with me to NYC. Of course I grabbed the Fox. It was still about 50% put together, minus it's chassis, front tires, rear springs and some random hardware. MrLexan hooked me up with a NOS chassis. I was able to find some used front tires and NOS rear springs on ebay. The front wheels are CRP wheels I had in with the rest of the Fox parts, I died them black today to match the rest of the car. I just got it back together. It's complete, minus electronics. I wouldn't mind finding an original Fox mechanical speed control, with the heat sheilds. Back in the day I know I burned the original out and replaced it with a reversing ESC. This car still has it's original motor in it. So here it is, unrestored, pretty much exactly as it was 20 years ago.
I'd have to say that this has been my most rewarding RC project to date.
