so, back 20 years ago when i started playing RC cars there were basically 3 brands on the market: team associated (basically RC10 in an aluminum tub was their only offering), tamiya (more model/hobby based) with their Tamtech 1/24 scales and 1/10 scale (grasshopper, big foot, etc.), and of course Kyosho that ROCKED with the optima/optima mid series running chain and belt drives and open diffs. of course futaba was like the only player on the radio side - of course there were imitators like airtronics (sp?) but futaba Attack 2CH was da schiznit before digital proportion controls came in. i mean, my god, i was impressed to go from mechanical throttle control to digital throttle control that had a huge heat sink.

i never got used to the wheelie radios though i was too old school'd by then...

so, anyone else have similar experience to share?

 

I remember my first buggy was a KYOSHO.

I loved every part of that thing. I even had the old school speed controller that was servo operated. You know, it had an arm like a record player and ran it over a little pipe with copper coils.

Those were the good old days

 

In the mid-80s, my first "proper" RC car was the Boomerang, a 1/10 scale buggy by Tamiya. It had AWD, unlike the Grasshopper, Hornet, and Frog, which I also liked. It had that stupid mechanical speed controller with three speeds, a huge heatsink that would get really hot if you weren't WOT at all times...

Then I got a Kyosho Optima, which blew away the Boomerang. I remember that the shocks on it were superb, and it handled really well. I also got an electronic speed controller for it, that was such an improvement over the mechanical one! I like how Tamiya has been re-releasing some of those oldies from the 80s. I would pick one up except that these days, I don't really have the time to build RC cars anymore.

 

My first one was the RC10T. man that truck rocked! I broke tie rods on that thing like it was no ones business though...

 

I must have started a year or so after. My first car was the RC10. Then I got into the dirt oval sceen with the Trinity Reflex 10. Then a new RC10 "Worlds Car". That was before the graphite / plastic infused chassis. There was a bit of 12th scale carpet oval racing in there too. Classic stuff!

 

My first car was a Mugen 4WD 4WS with belt drive. That thing handled incredibly, I'd always kill my buddy's Kyosho Javelin on the dirt track. Only problem was the belt drive, those belts cost $$$ and were prone to stripping easily.

Next up was a Cricket, which was a knockoff of Tamiya's Grasshoper with a live rear axle and 380 motor. Good things about it was it cost 40% the price of a Grasshoper, and all of the Grasshoper aftermarket parts were interchangeable. Threw in small wheel bearings, a Gold motor and that things was FAST!

Finally I got a TQ10 (made by Associated). That was the last (and best) car I owned.

All were powered by a Futaba wheel RC and electic speed control.

 

The first RC I built was the Kyosho Optima Mid SE, then I went Losi crazy with a JRX-Pro, a Jr.T, and the LXT truck. Then I got into the 1/12 banked carpet oval racing. I sold it all and was out of it for 10 years, then 2 years ago I picked up a Losi XXXNT gas truck and had a bit of fun, but it's been parked in my closet for over a year now. Maybe I'll go fire it up.

 

I still have my LXT. I pulled it out about 6 months ago because I had a broken leg. Decided it wasn't worth getting it running again and bought a new XXXT-MF2 and started racing.

I'd blast it off some jumps until it broke (or the power of my mod motor stripped the gears) if my lipos would fit in it.

 

I remember my first rc's with the mechanical speed control's . I had a rockbuster , big foot , and monster beetle . They have come so far now. ill never forget my first electronic speed control the rooster reversible , thats was big money to me back then . Now they have lipo and brushless and all this crazy sh** . The cool thing is tower hobbies sells all the old school cars , there pretty much exact replicas with some improvements.

 

Richard-
Fully concur...hadn't thought about the wheelie radio revolution for many years! Thanks for the memory!

Utah