The Tamiya cars were never the top of the line, but they have this charm that's welded to childhood and the sheer enjoyment of building and driving. As such I don't think of them as competition cars, but they'll put a smile on your face every time. I remember the Frog being very planted, maybe _too_ planted (my friend's Hornet always seemed more lively and quicker on the nose) but the Frog had that certain something. It never looked like anything but a purposeful RC car, wasn't trying to be based on anything in particular, and of all the Tamiya kits I think it had the most matching form and function.
never forget my dad taking me to a hobby expo in TOLEDO OHIO back in the early 80s,this EXPO was the RC enthusiasts dream.Dad bought me a FROG and man oh man the memories!This is exactly what kids need today and get away from them cell phones!
You said it man! Get away from their fucking cell phones and have some real fun while learning how to build cars and how they work. I'm glad I was a little kid back in the 80's and not now. My RC was a Saint Dragon bought in 1990. Restored it recently and converted to brushless. Goes quick now!
WOW memories! I'm a *little* older than you.... we used to race those for real back in the day. With a ball diff, and actual front shocks, it's a half decent runner! Thing is, by the late 80's, Associated introduced the aluminum pan RC10. Then it was almost immediately "Tamiya WHO!" We left them to collect dust. Sad really, because that period was the most fun I've ever had with R/C Buggies. Going into the early 90's, was either horrible or great, depending on who you were.... Competition got so hot, and advancements so fast - that it started feeling like if I brought my car to the track in the morning, it would be OBSOLETE by the A-Main!! 😕 It was really discouraging, and I soon got out of the Hobby I used to love. I believe these remakes are awesome! I don't care if they're technologically horrible. They're FUN! Some of my friends even understood real cars better, after building one or two! I'm getting excited about R/C again. Not for the competition, but for the fun and nostalgia!
Carmine Allocca had the ball diff and the front shocks. still loved my super champ better. I also raced back then. the the RC10 Came out and forget about it! lol
CA,I totally agree.My first car was the Wild One.A buddy and I had a track in the yard,and every weekend we would race,drink beer,and cook on the grill.Best time I ever had in RC.Started racing with a Graphite Team Car and could never keep up with all the changes.For me it was the batteries.Back then you had to have the latest battery to even compete,and the "new and better" seemed to come out weekly.I have several of the repops from Tamiya and Kyosho.If these are raced on a track like they were designed for,they are just as fun today.These were not meant for the Supercross type tracks of today.Back then they were loose dirt,rolling jumps,and technical sections.I would love to find a place that races these.
I used to run a Futaba FX-10 that had the rear end fully modified since that particular car could run a single lap without loosing a dog bone 🦴. I used a 13 turn Trinity Monster and 8.4 nickel with a Tekin ESC, upgraded aluminum shocks and I was putting sponsored Losi and Team Associated members to shame during their test and tune laps. My buddy had a Rockbuster that ran right there with me if the track was flat enough too. This was all circa 1990-1994. Lastly, with the same car, I’d switch the tires to foam, drop a 7 turn Trinity Gold Signature (Joel Magic Johnson), clamp down the shocks with tie-wraps and run down my buddies Bolink Invader on the street. Good ole days. 😜
I know this is old, but I had the same experience. Had the Frog for about a year and it did well. Then RC-10 came out, and it was game over. The entire field was RC-10 and literally nothing else.
I just built one of these a couple days ago. I had one when I was a kid back in the 80s and I love this car. I had to buy another one. Tamiya is my favorite RC company. I use to have The Hornet and The Grasshopper as well. Just Ordered myself 3 more cars to build. It is so much fun building these things
Tamiya IS the best in RC especially in the innovation sector (as in leading to the existence of companies that followed in the late 80s and early 90s). I am collecting NOS Tamiya kits (well I just started collecting)(I get a high looking for kits and winning online bids). I will buy a Frog and a Grasshopper right after I buy a few truck kits first.
Soo cool I built one of those in 84-85 I was 11 or 12. It was a blast the transmission was the only issue on those the Hornet and Grasshopper had a different gear box that you could jam into reverse from full throttle forward. The Frog couldn't that also had a low med and high gear but to change them the whole gear box and to come apart. It also had a mechanical speed control with a resistor that git really hot. Tamiya even supplied a black balloon to wrap the speed control in to keep.it dry. Those antennas doubled as roll bars so you were using them correctly. What fun times I could go on and on about it. Thanks for sharing
My local club tried to get 1-10 tamiya class going. Sadly not enough people wanted to because they are not the best, fastest, jumpiest cars out there. What they are is cheaper and just as much fun, making it easier to get into the hobby.
+booger man We brought up the idea but most guys thought they were not competitive enough, and honestly when you go from driving (at the time) B4.2's and 22's, its kinda hard to get interested in racing a Frog or a Wild One etc. Still though I plan to race this one once in a while in our novice class, just so the new racers can appreciate where we've been. Plus I like running them around the track anyway.. Lots of nostalgic fun to be had.
I love the Frog, I built my first one in the late 80s. Missed it and found the newer Frog kit with a ESC instead of the old mechanical one that came in the old kit. Real fun.
DrivenRC10 to be honest, when I raced at my local club back in the day, I won a fair few races using a Tamiya Fast Attack Vehicle - so many “racers” buy the fastest factory buggy they can and then nail the throttle, resulting in more crashes, more time being put back upright by marshalls, etc. The big thing with these cars is that they are fun and built like tanks so they are cheap to own - I have gone through battery after battery just playing around having a laugh and that’s way more use to most people than a buggy that might shave 0.01 seconds off a lap of a nice purpose-built track in the hands of a pro driver. Way more smiles for your money with these, or the old RC10, or one of the old Kyosho reissues. It’s just that the Tamiya kits are so cheap it’s almost funny.
Great clip, I own a Tamiya Hornet its not real fast and my friends ask me why own that and I tell them, The Hornet was my 1st RC when I was a kid it made me smile then and this one makes me smile now. Hey that's what the hobby is about just having fun.
Thanks for the video. It's fun to see the old school cars trying to handle that large dirt track and jumps. Makes me remember the frog I built for a friend back in 1983. He could never keep it from breaking and it did handle like a dump truck, but he had so much fun with it when it was working. Thanks again!!
As a kid, we were dirt poor, but my dad got me a Radio Shack Golden Arrow rc car and it was the greatest thing I had. I remember the rich kids making fun of me for it cause they had rc10 and losi jrc's. I am older now and have a vintage sand scorcer and a clod!
+Henry Lewis III I know a few guys that had the Golden Arrow.. I thought it was a sweet machine, its a lot like the Tamiya Hornet if I remember right. Nice ones go for a pretty penny on ebay these days... Btw, I have my eye on the ClodBuster. I always wanted one, but couldn't afford it. 4x4's were not cheap to be had back then.
DrivenRC10 I believe the golden arrow was sold through radio shack. Very similar to the hornet. I saved up all year for a frog or grasshopper, ended up being sold on a golden arrow, and ended up buying a lesser quality ( but faster) model. I think it was called a red arrow. Same tires and wheels as the tamiya cars. But gearboxes, motors, and receivers were not able to be easily swapped out.
I had one as a kid in the 80s. But never got to run it on dirt. Building it taught me about wheel alignment of all things. When my mechanic first mentioned the word toe in I knew exactly what he was talking about. Eventually the car suffered the dreaded diff grind and had no idea how to fix it and lost interest. If I had to build one again I would be getting aftermarket upgrades like ball diff and oil suspension front and rear.
had one of these back in the mid 80's using a Kyosho Lemans 360PT, equal to todays brushless. It would out run the RC10 back in the days when I raced modified class, full schumacher tires with 2 row 4wd tires up front. Sure blew thru a ton of gear boxes though with that motor lol Those were the days
Had a Tamyia Brat in the late 80's. Essentially the same thing with different body. So much fun. I remember customizing the front suspension and adding oil filled shocks, upgraded motor etc. etc. What memories.
I did the same thing with The Grasshopper. I went to my local hobby shop gave them my credit card and $300 later (including the transmitter, servo and battery) I had myself a Grasshopper to build over the weekend. I thought it was stupid at first until I finished building it and finally ran it around the house a little bit. Best first kit ever!
The first hobby grade RC car I ever saw was my neighbor’s Tamiya Grasshopper. I wanted one really bad so my dad took me to the hobby shop and I realized that there was a lot of different cars available. I ended up getting a Lunchbox instead and later on I got into racing, so I got a JRX2. Since I never had a Grasshopper as a kid, I decided to pick one up as an adult. Nowadays it’s literally my most used car! I’ve got plenty of RC’s (including the Frog) but the Grasshopper is, by far, my favorite. I guess it’s because I never had one and always wanted one, or maybe it’s just a really fun car. Either way, I drive it every time my son wants to play RC’s and it never gets old.
I currently have a Re Re Subaru Brat, a Wild Willy 2, an original Wild One and an original Porsche 959 Dakar. I love all my cars equally as the all mean something different to me but the one thing they all have in common is that they are all incredible fun to build, maintain and Drive and although the Porsche is now just a restored shelf queen I have never forgotten just how fun and quick that car was even if it had terrible handling. I have more fun with them than I ever have had with my HPI Savage XL.
I remember jumping my frog and thinking it jumps like a real frog, it hits the ground with a loud thud, and the suspension barely compresses. I loved it. That sound was always reassuring because I knew it wasn't gonna break. Gonna get another one.
My neighbor and I had these as kids. Probably '84 or so. Ran them all over. We thought they were awesome. My dad helped solder the connections. Beat the crap out of them in SoCal, La Crescenta...so much fun. Half the fun was fixing stuff after a wreck. Need to get one for my son to build.
I remember, It was a good beginner class racing buggy. I raced aganst many of them, in past (maybe 20 years ago...i dont remember the year) It is a good thing that you find this retro buggy, and you are using it, and having fun with it.
I built one of these when I was 12 back in the early 80s and enjoyed endless hours with it. And I still have it in a box. What are the odds of me getting it running again? Do you know anyone that would get it running for me for a little $$? So fun!
+aaron collier And how much did you spend on the xbe8 kit to complete it? I'm guessing a lot more than this Frog, or a Slash. $640.00 for a kit, then all of the parts to complete it.
the younger kids commenting don't seem to have the experience of running one of these. the best description is to say it handles like a dog on linoleum. mine stripped out the differential gear shortly after my only video of it, so it's been in a box ever since as parts were impossible to find.
Back in the 80s when I was only really exposed to Sears catalogue and RadioShack RC cars Tamiya was so next level I always wanted this one when I understood a little bit more about RCs
This was my first real rc car. This brings back a lot of memories! This thing was awesome compared to what I had before, which was basic forward and reverse cars or cars with the cord attached. Lol!
Never had the frog, but watching on that track is a joy. That buggy is doing a great job. Wasn't the original released in the early 80's? Again, impressive. Good job with the video.
IN the mid 80's at the only dirt track in Reno, NV they had a class just for the kids with their Frogs. They were a blast to watch. The real competition classes then were the RC10 vs the Super Hornet(basically a Grasshopper II with much needed upgrades).
My first real R/C car kit when I was 15 years old. Cost about $90 at Price Club in Richmond, VA back in '86. Came with simple radio and receiver and battery. I sold it back around 2000 for around $50. Now I may get another just for fun... The down side was the rear drive links - would wear down quickly. A fun basic kit.
About 30 years ago I got a Tamiya Wild One. An old local guy that had a Frog built a banked clay oval in his back yard. We ended up with so many people racing we formed a club and got the park department to let us use some land. Had dirt that we alternated between off road and an oval every couple years. Then we built a banked concrete oval and finally an asphalt pad for on road cars. Lived for racing on saturdays lol But it got so high tech and expensive people dropped out and no new people joined. The track has been closed for years. We don't even have a hobby shop any more.
It was all relative back then. If you had five of these cars together with your friends and you had to marshal your own car when you wrecked it was a lot of fun. There was no such thing as dirty driving since the cars were so erratic. The winner was usually the kid that actually let off of the throttle going into a turn or jump. The smart kid.
ahh thoes were the days, we had a race every labor day in the bank parking lot as a part of the town festival that had many cars in it but everyone pitched in the rules were simple go fast stay on the track and if you wernt in the heat then you helped corner marshall.
The Frog was the queen of the pond back in the day, I have several in the collection including my original and of course a new one. This was the top of the line in the 1980s they fell to the team accociated cars but I am still Tamiya loyal had atleast one of everything back to the bruser.
I started with the Frog and Fast Attack in the 80's.I still mess with them today.Seems like you got hooked like lots of us.Why get hooked on this,who knows???Thanks....
Didn't realize how small it is. As a 10yr kid mine seemed much bigger! I remember the resistors would fall out of mine after a jump sometimes leaving me with only top speed suddenly!
Picked up a Hornet from Tamiyas XB range from Costco and it's the most fun rc i have. I own a HSP drift car and SCT and multiple rc tanks which are fun, but not stupid fun like the Hornet. Best $200 AUD I've spent on an RTR rc.
I love the videos you guys have made. When are you going to make some more? Beautiful countryside where you live by the way! Best wishes from Hampshire, UK!
Makes an ole Guy feel young again.. I ran one back in the Day, I owned a Grasshopper, and Hornet and a Relative had the Frog, But I ran it more than he Did I'm glad to Hear Tamiya Brought it back.. Just as a reminder with Different After market Parts Motors, Electronic Controllers like a Tekken or something similar, shocks, Dog Bones that you can install on it should help the performance try other knobby Tires they can help as well.. they may cost a little more but anything in performance parts can help the Buggy.. You check and see if there's a way to lighten up the front end of the buggy like using Carbon Fiber Parts that way when you Jump she not so Nose heavy.. Good Video.. By the Way..
That would be cool to have a all vintage race category. And see that out there with buggies like the tamyia fox . Hornet. Some old kyosho and team associated. Like old 80s buggies and re- release stuff .
an that starting g grid is brutal. lol God a traded a fairly modified super champ for one of those when it came out. just about cried the first time I ran it. thankfully after a few lawn mower jobs I got my super champ back. lol.
@DrivenRC10: I just watched your Top 10 video, where you had this, The Hornet, and The Grasshopper tied for 10th place. Aside from the fact that they are 3 vehicles and not one, I'm not sure how you could put the Hornet and Grasshopper together with The Frog. The Grasshopper is toy grade, except that it is a kit. The rear suspension is useless, and the front is nearly so. The Hornet at least has a live axle that can swivel, but still garbage. Moving up to The Frog is a quantum leap. Independent rear suspension with oil shocks, and double-wishbone front suspension that actually keeps the wheels vertical over bumps. Also, it's firm enough, and somehow, the damping actually WORKS a bit, even without oil shocks. If any of them should be in a 3-way tie, I'd say Frog, Fox, and Boomerang.
Even as late as the early 1990s against RC10s and Losis, with the same motors, it was as fast or faster. It was garbage in turns and jumps compared to the others, but in a straight line it was blazing fast. They are really fun to run.
I don't think Tamiya have a very big market share in the USA, but here in New Zealand they were THE brand of RC car to buy, especially back in the late 70's and 80's when these kits were in their first release. These cars are to Tamiya like various video game characters are to Nintendo. For RC kids of the time who poured over magazines and catalogues, they're probably instantly recognisable. I think Tamiya are smart to re-release these models, older folk now have money, the prices are better than ever, and they don't have to compete so much with the latest Chinese stuff, purely because nostalgia sells I guess. Brushed motors, nickel batteries (thankfully an often-included ESC these days instead of a mechanical jobbie), but over all they haven't really changed the formula, and they probably don't really have to. Of course, they do offer new stuff as well, and I've heard mostly good things about that too. Great for kids birthday presents, as they always were.
Hahha I like that 'the RC bug is biting me'. I'm 47 and the RC bug has recently bitten me again. Restored my vintage Tamiya Saint Dragon (Madcap chassis) , converted to brushless, installed an aluminium motor plate, front wheel bearings, upgraded shocks.. It never went so fast in its 28 years of life :-) I'm lovin' it yeehhaaaa !!
Ummm, yeah it is a lot of fun. Upgrade the shocks, put a better battery/esc/motor combo in it (nothing too hot, gearbox doesn't like it) and strengthen the steering and you'd be surprised how well it can go. Not sure what you can do about front susp/damping though.....
Jeremy D you saying im a liar? the axle was solid meaning no access so the only way to take it apart was to break it and spend more money to get new axle
No, I'm saying you're mistaken. Remember, these were kits. They were put together manually, with no special tricks. It might take major disassembly to get it out, but it can be done.
My second ever RC...first was a Toyota Hilux pickup...wish I could remember the brand...I should dig my them out...both were done ala MadMax style. Good stuff.my first rela upscale 4wd was the Kyosho Optima Mid SE...That car was the shit.
FOR THE FRONT SUSPENSION!!!!!! JUST PUT SOME RUBBER O RINGS TO (BD SCREWS) AND EVERYTHING WILL BE MUCH SMOOTHER!!!!!!!YOU CAN ALSO CUT A LITTLE BIT FROM THE FRONT SPRINGS TO SOFTEN UP THE BUMPY RIDE!!!!
jebus i'm old.. it was like 1987 and i had a ic diamond i think it was called motor? the rpm was the highest at the time... I lit could not control the car lol... Now we got traxxis and shit... crazy.
Nice frog but hard To drive,it Looks so.I have the neo frog fighter tipically in white and pink easy to drive.like the metal parts,a lot at the old frog
I drive a dump truck for a living, an 83 peterbilt 359 that rides like a Cadillac and handles like a Ferrari. I pass cars downhill loaded with a pup. so if it handles like my truck I'm going to pick one up
Qix ᅚᅚ I was curious when you mentioned steering upgrade and nerf bars, but you lost ALL credibility when you mentioned "brushless engine." 1st, this is hard enough to control on the Mabuchi 540 silvercan. 2nd electric = motor, fuel = engine.
Horrible suspension and steering.... Thats why it's so fun to drive because it's a little bit more of a challenge. Wow this thing looks tiny, It seemed huge when I was little (-;
Awesome video! Very nostalgic. I had one of these back in the day and had lots of fun with it, but the diff or outdrives always made a loud clicking sound. But I think they made some improvements on this re-release so hopefully that issue is fixed. Do you think the transmission could handle a mild brushless motor? Where can you get parts (like new tires) for this?
The Tamiya cars were never the top of the line, but they have this charm that's welded to childhood and the sheer enjoyment of building and driving. As such I don't think of them as competition cars, but they'll put a smile on your face every time.
I remember the Frog being very planted, maybe _too_ planted (my friend's Hornet always seemed more lively and quicker on the nose) but the Frog had that certain something. It never looked like anything but a purposeful RC car, wasn't trying to be based on anything in particular, and of all the Tamiya kits I think it had the most matching form and function.
never forget my dad taking me to a hobby expo in TOLEDO OHIO back in the early 80s,this EXPO was the RC enthusiasts dream.Dad bought me a FROG and man oh man the memories!This is exactly what kids need today and get away from them cell phones!
You said it man! Get away from their fucking cell phones and have some real fun while learning how to build cars and how they work. I'm glad I was a little kid back in the 80's and not now. My RC was a Saint Dragon bought in 1990. Restored it recently and converted to brushless. Goes quick now!
I just built mine a week ago. So much fun! I never got one as a kid, now I feel like I'm 10 years old bashing this thing in my front yard.
WOW memories! I'm a *little* older than you.... we used to race those for real back in the day. With a ball diff, and actual front shocks, it's a half decent runner!
Thing is, by the late 80's, Associated introduced the aluminum pan RC10. Then it was almost immediately "Tamiya WHO!" We left them to collect dust. Sad really, because that period was the most fun I've ever had with R/C Buggies.
Going into the early 90's, was either horrible or great, depending on who you were....
Competition got so hot, and advancements so fast - that it started feeling like if I brought my car to the track in the morning, it would be OBSOLETE by the A-Main!! 😕
It was really discouraging, and I soon got out of the Hobby I used to love.
I believe these remakes are awesome! I don't care if they're technologically horrible. They're FUN! Some of my friends even understood real cars better, after building one or two! I'm getting excited about R/C again. Not for the competition, but for the fun and nostalgia!
Carmine Allocca had the ball diff and the front shocks. still loved my super champ better. I also raced back then. the the RC10 Came out and forget about it! lol
CA,I totally agree.My first car was the Wild One.A buddy and I had a track in the yard,and every weekend we would race,drink beer,and cook on the grill.Best time I ever had in RC.Started racing with a Graphite Team Car and could never keep up with all the changes.For me it was the batteries.Back then you had to have the latest battery to even compete,and the "new and better" seemed to come out weekly.I have several of the repops from Tamiya and Kyosho.If these are raced on a track like they were designed for,they are just as fun today.These were not meant for the Supercross type tracks of today.Back then they were loose dirt,rolling jumps,and technical sections.I would love to find a place that races these.
I used to run a Futaba FX-10 that had the rear end fully modified since that particular car could run a single lap without loosing a dog bone 🦴. I used a 13 turn Trinity Monster and 8.4 nickel with a Tekin ESC, upgraded aluminum shocks and I was putting sponsored Losi and Team Associated members to shame during their test and tune laps. My buddy had a Rockbuster that ran right there with me if the track was flat enough too. This was all circa 1990-1994. Lastly, with the same car, I’d switch the tires to foam, drop a 7 turn Trinity Gold Signature (Joel Magic Johnson), clamp down the shocks with tie-wraps and run down my buddies Bolink Invader on the street. Good ole days. 😜
I know this is old, but I had the same experience. Had the Frog for about a year and it did well. Then RC-10 came out, and it was game over. The entire field was RC-10 and literally nothing else.
Still have my original from the sixth grade. Love it!
I had Frog about 32 years ago. Frog was my best friend.
I'm thinking about getting one now and bashing it about
I just built one of these a couple days ago. I had one when I was a kid back in the 80s and I love this car. I had to buy another one. Tamiya is my favorite RC company. I use to have The Hornet and The Grasshopper as well. Just Ordered myself 3 more cars to build. It is so much fun building these things
the worst suspension in all of R/C :( get an RC/10 or Losi or something... at least then itll drive without hopping all over the place.
@@lookingjust987654321 You missed the point completely.
Tamiya IS the best in RC especially in the innovation sector (as in leading to the existence of companies that followed in the late 80s and early 90s). I am collecting NOS Tamiya kits (well I just started collecting)(I get a high looking for kits and winning online bids). I will buy a Frog and a Grasshopper right after I buy a few truck kits first.
BACK IN THE MID 80s I BEAT A HOPPED UP RC10 WITH MY FROG AND A TRINITY DRAG MOTOR , THOSE WE'RE THE DAYS!!!!!
Soo cool I built one of those in 84-85 I was 11 or 12. It was a blast the transmission was the only issue on those the Hornet and Grasshopper had a different gear box that you could jam into reverse from full throttle forward. The Frog couldn't that also had a low med and high gear but to change them the whole gear box and to come apart. It also had a mechanical speed control with a resistor that git really hot. Tamiya even supplied a black balloon to wrap the speed control in to keep.it dry. Those antennas doubled as roll bars so you were using them correctly. What fun times I could go on and on about it. Thanks for sharing
My local club tried to get 1-10 tamiya class going. Sadly not enough people wanted to because they are not the best, fastest, jumpiest cars out there. What they are is cheaper and just as much fun, making it easier to get into the hobby.
+booger man We brought up the idea but most guys thought they were not competitive enough, and honestly when you go from driving (at the time) B4.2's and 22's, its kinda hard to get interested in racing a Frog or a Wild One etc. Still though I plan to race this one once in a while in our novice class, just so the new racers can appreciate where we've been. Plus I like running them around the track anyway.. Lots of nostalgic fun to be had.
DrivenRC10 of
I love the Frog, I built my first one in the late 80s. Missed it and found the newer Frog kit with a ESC instead of the old mechanical one that came in the old kit. Real fun.
I replaced the stock motor with the black 540s racing motor, but it's pretty fast.
DrivenRC10 to be honest, when I raced at my local club back in the day, I won a fair few races using a Tamiya Fast Attack Vehicle - so many “racers” buy the fastest factory buggy they can and then nail the throttle, resulting in more crashes, more time being put back upright by marshalls, etc.
The big thing with these cars is that they are fun and built like tanks so they are cheap to own - I have gone through battery after battery just playing around having a laugh and that’s way more use to most people than a buggy that might shave 0.01 seconds off a lap of a nice purpose-built track in the hands of a pro driver. Way more smiles for your money with these, or the old RC10, or one of the old Kyosho reissues. It’s just that the Tamiya kits are so cheap it’s almost funny.
Great clip, I own a Tamiya Hornet its not real fast and my friends ask me why own that and I tell them, The Hornet was my 1st RC when I was a kid it made me smile then and this one makes me smile now. Hey that's what the hobby is about just having fun.
I built one on my bed as a teen - almost 40 years ago. Lots of fun. The coolest was taking it out in light snow on the street... perfect power slides.
So rad, long live 80’s RC💪
Thanks for the video. It's fun to see the old school cars trying to handle that large dirt track and jumps. Makes me remember the frog I built for a friend back in 1983. He could never keep it from breaking and it did handle like a dump truck, but he had so much fun with it when it was working. Thanks again!!
That was the baddest car to I love that car!
my first hobby grade R/C had Futaba Magnum Jr. good stuff man!
As a kid, we were dirt poor, but my dad got me a Radio Shack Golden Arrow rc car and it was the greatest thing I had. I remember the rich kids making fun of me for it cause they had rc10 and losi jrc's. I am older now and have a vintage sand scorcer and a clod!
+Henry Lewis III I know a few guys that had the Golden Arrow.. I thought it was a sweet machine, its a lot like the Tamiya Hornet if I remember right. Nice ones go for a pretty penny on ebay these days... Btw, I have my eye on the ClodBuster. I always wanted one, but couldn't afford it. 4x4's were not cheap to be had back then.
DrivenRC10 I believe the golden arrow was sold through radio shack. Very similar to the hornet. I saved up all year for a frog or grasshopper, ended up being sold on a golden arrow, and ended up buying a lesser quality ( but faster) model. I think it was called a red arrow. Same tires and wheels as the tamiya cars. But gearboxes, motors, and receivers were not able to be easily swapped out.
Awesome for you and your dad.Boo to those kids that made fun of you.
In the 80's I bought the Fox and told my mom I was sick, for 3 days and the weekend to build the kit.
I had one as a kid in the 80s. But never got to run it on dirt. Building it taught me about wheel alignment of all things. When my mechanic first mentioned the word toe in I knew exactly what he was talking about. Eventually the car suffered the dreaded diff grind and had no idea how to fix it and lost interest. If I had to build one again I would be getting aftermarket upgrades like ball diff and oil suspension front and rear.
had one of these back in the mid 80's using a Kyosho Lemans 360PT, equal to todays brushless. It would out run the RC10 back in the days when I raced modified class, full schumacher tires with 2 row 4wd tires up front. Sure blew thru a ton of gear boxes though with that motor lol Those were the days
This is a great video. This guy really loves this thing. That’s a great endorsement. Cool.
Had a Tamyia Brat in the late 80's. Essentially the same thing with different body. So much fun. I remember customizing the front suspension and adding oil filled shocks, upgraded motor etc. etc. What memories.
Still sounds the same. My dad bought me one in 86. My step brother got the hornet. Those were the days. Thanks for the video.
I did the same thing with The Grasshopper. I went to my local hobby shop gave them my credit card and $300 later (including the transmitter, servo and battery) I had myself a Grasshopper to build over the weekend. I thought it was stupid at first until I finished building it and finally ran it around the house a little bit. Best first kit ever!
1Stunna2323 haha the grasshopper was my first kit too. It is such a fun car but I swapped the standard 380 for a torque tuned 540
The first hobby grade RC car I ever saw was my neighbor’s Tamiya Grasshopper. I wanted one really bad so my dad took me to the hobby shop and I realized that there was a lot of different cars available. I ended up getting a Lunchbox instead and later on I got into racing, so I got a JRX2. Since I never had a Grasshopper as a kid, I decided to pick one up as an adult. Nowadays it’s literally my most used car! I’ve got plenty of RC’s (including the Frog) but the Grasshopper is, by far, my favorite. I guess it’s because I never had one and always wanted one, or maybe it’s just a really fun car. Either way, I drive it every time my son wants to play RC’s and it never gets old.
Frog is and was a nice car to beginn rc hobby. His weakpoint is the heavy nose which made it so hard to jump :)
Word. Much respect sir! I appreciate the honest, 'emotional' review.
I currently have a Re Re Subaru Brat, a Wild Willy 2, an original Wild One and an original Porsche 959 Dakar. I love all my cars equally as the all mean something different to me but the one thing they all have in common is that they are all incredible fun to build, maintain and Drive and although the Porsche is now just a restored shelf queen I have never forgotten just how fun and quick that car was even if it had terrible handling. I have more fun with them than I ever have had with my HPI Savage XL.
I remember jumping my frog and thinking it jumps like a real frog, it hits the ground with a loud thud, and the suspension barely compresses. I loved it. That sound was always reassuring because I knew it wasn't gonna break. Gonna get another one.
The frog is so fun to drive! its like wrestling an octopus!
My neighbor and I had these as kids. Probably '84 or so. Ran them all over. We thought they were awesome. My dad helped solder the connections. Beat the crap out of them in SoCal, La Crescenta...so much fun. Half the fun was fixing stuff after a wreck. Need to get one for my son to build.
my uncle had one of these years ago... fkn legend
I remember,
It was a good beginner class racing buggy.
I raced aganst many of them, in past (maybe 20 years ago...i dont remember the year)
It is a good thing that you find this retro buggy, and you are using it, and having fun with it.
BladeRicsi Don't look now, but it was probably more like 30 years ago... ;)
Oh my...30?.now im old!...:)
I was trying to work out if it was your infant kid driving it, or filming it? Then realised you must have two kids. Love the Frog👍🏼
I built one of these when I was 12 back in the early 80s and enjoyed endless hours with it. And I still have it in a box. What are the odds of me getting it running again? Do you know anyone that would get it running for me for a little $$? So fun!
+Brent Hodges Just go get yourself a Slash...
+aaron collier And how much did you spend on the xbe8 kit to complete it? I'm guessing a lot more than this Frog, or a Slash. $640.00 for a kit, then all of the parts to complete it.
I can see why you enjoy it, hard to flip over, cool!
Nice video I picked up at the beginning of the year just not built it, nice to hear your view, I'm looking forward to building it.
I have a TAYIMA HEAVY DUMPER XB RTR MONSTER TRUCK. ITS MY FAVORITE RC TRUCK. LOVE TAMIYA
the younger kids commenting don't seem to have the experience of running one of these. the best description is to say it handles like a dog on linoleum. mine stripped out the differential gear shortly after my only video of it, so it's been in a box ever since as parts were impossible to find.
Good news! :)
www.miponline.com/store/mip16210.html
ANYONE with a Frog (or its monster variants, NEEDS that diff! good front shocks go a long way too....
Back in the 80s when I was only really exposed to Sears catalogue and RadioShack RC cars Tamiya was so next level I always wanted this one when I understood a little bit more about RCs
I had one of these back in 1986... it was awesome! ( i was 19 years old)
This was my first real rc car. This brings back a lot of memories! This thing was awesome compared to what I had before, which was basic forward and reverse cars or cars with the cord attached. Lol!
Old school Tamiya is where it all started - but the ORV Monster Beetle in 1987. Love the Frog too, any retro buggy with twin antennas = cool :-)
Never had the frog, but watching on that track is a joy. That buggy is doing a great job. Wasn't the original released in the early 80's? Again, impressive. Good job with the video.
IN the mid 80's at the only dirt track in Reno, NV they had a class just for the kids with their Frogs. They were a blast to watch. The real competition classes then were the RC10 vs the Super Hornet(basically a Grasshopper II with much needed upgrades).
My first real R/C car kit when I was 15 years old. Cost about $90 at Price Club in Richmond, VA back in '86. Came with simple radio and receiver and battery. I sold it back around 2000 for around $50. Now I may get another just for fun... The down side was the rear drive links - would wear down quickly. A fun basic kit.
About 30 years ago I got a Tamiya Wild One. An old local guy that had a Frog built a banked clay oval in his back yard. We ended up with so many people racing we formed a club and got the park department to let us use some land. Had dirt that we alternated between off road and an oval every couple years. Then we built a banked concrete oval and finally an asphalt pad for on road cars. Lived for racing on saturdays lol But it got so high tech and expensive people dropped out and no new people joined. The track has been closed for years. We don't even have a hobby shop any more.
Good video! I have one myself, restored it for nostalgic reasons. That rear gear box takes a pounding with every landing. ;)
It was all relative back then. If you had five of these cars together with your friends and you had to marshal your own car when you wrecked it was a lot of fun. There was no such thing as dirty driving since the cars were so erratic. The winner was usually the kid that actually let off of the throttle going into a turn or jump. The smart kid.
ahh thoes were the days, we had a race every labor day in the bank parking lot as a part of the town festival that had many cars in it but everyone pitched in the rules were simple go fast stay on the track and if you wernt in the heat then you helped corner marshall.
Now I remember why I was soooo impressed with the RC10 the first time I seen it soak up bumps and jumps....
The Frog was the queen of the pond back in the day, I have several in the collection including my original and of course a new one. This was the top of the line in the 1980s they fell to the team accociated cars but I am still Tamiya loyal had atleast one of everything back to the bruser.
I started with the Frog and Fast Attack in the 80's.I still mess with them today.Seems like you got hooked like lots of us.Why get hooked on this,who knows???Thanks....
Nothing like Tamiya RC kits. Ready to run is boring. I had a Hornet as a kid.
Looks like a sweet kit.
Didn't realize how small it is. As a 10yr kid mine seemed much bigger! I remember the resistors would fall out of mine after a jump sometimes leaving me with only top speed suddenly!
i had a frog about 30 years ago. Frog was my best friend back then 2
I love the frog what fun memories
Picked up a Hornet from Tamiyas XB range from Costco and it's the most fun rc i have. I own a HSP drift car and SCT and multiple rc tanks which are fun, but not stupid fun like the Hornet. Best $200 AUD I've spent on an RTR rc.
I love the videos you guys have made. When are you going to make some more? Beautiful countryside where you live by the way! Best wishes from Hampshire, UK!
The rear tires are my all time favorite Tamiya off road tires. I have two sets that I use on my 1/16 buggy on the beach.
Makes an ole Guy feel young again.. I ran one back in the Day, I owned a Grasshopper, and Hornet and a Relative had the Frog, But I ran it more than he Did I'm glad to Hear Tamiya Brought it back..
Just as a reminder with Different After market Parts Motors, Electronic Controllers like a Tekken or something similar, shocks, Dog Bones that you can install on it should help the performance try other knobby Tires they can help as well.. they may cost a little more but anything in performance parts can help the Buggy..
You check and see if there's a way to lighten up the front end of the buggy like using Carbon Fiber Parts that way when you Jump she not so Nose heavy..
Good Video.. By the Way..
Not stupid bro. I did the same thing in 1985. looks great
That would be cool to have a all vintage race category. And see that out there with buggies like the tamyia fox . Hornet. Some old kyosho and team associated. Like old 80s buggies and re- release stuff .
That's pretty sweet Cody
an that starting g grid is brutal. lol God a traded a fairly modified super champ for one of those when it came out. just about cried the first time I ran it. thankfully after a few lawn mower jobs I got my super champ back. lol.
@DrivenRC10: I just watched your Top 10 video, where you had this, The Hornet, and The Grasshopper tied for 10th place. Aside from the fact that they are 3 vehicles and not one, I'm not sure how you could put the Hornet and Grasshopper together with The Frog. The Grasshopper is toy grade, except that it is a kit. The rear suspension is useless, and the front is nearly so. The Hornet at least has a live axle that can swivel, but still garbage. Moving up to The Frog is a quantum leap. Independent rear suspension with oil shocks, and double-wishbone front suspension that actually keeps the wheels vertical over bumps. Also, it's firm enough, and somehow, the damping actually WORKS a bit, even without oil shocks.
If any of them should be in a 3-way tie, I'd say Frog, Fox, and Boomerang.
got one down in the basement i bought from hobby lobby back in nashville in 1983. has not run in nearly 30 years
Even as late as the early 1990s against RC10s and Losis, with the same motors, it was as fast or faster. It was garbage in turns and jumps compared to the others, but in a straight line it was blazing fast. They are really fun to run.
I think it is a good idea to install a brushless motor and esc. It will become fast and jump higher.
A. Buddy had one back in the day and I thought it was the coolest thing ever,I remember it having ceramic heat sinks lol.
Funny, just talked to a buddy of mine today about the heat sinks and burning the hell out of my fingers.
Kool
i has one back in the day chassis indestructible ,
I don't think Tamiya have a very big market share in the USA, but here in New Zealand they were THE brand of RC car to buy, especially back in the late 70's and 80's when these kits were in their first release. These cars are to Tamiya like various video game characters are to Nintendo. For RC kids of the time who poured over magazines and catalogues, they're probably instantly recognisable.
I think Tamiya are smart to re-release these models, older folk now have money, the prices are better than ever, and they don't have to compete so much with the latest Chinese stuff, purely because nostalgia sells I guess. Brushed motors, nickel batteries (thankfully an often-included ESC these days instead of a mechanical jobbie), but over all they haven't really changed the formula, and they probably don't really have to.
Of course, they do offer new stuff as well, and I've heard mostly good things about that too. Great for kids birthday presents, as they always were.
Alex Paulsen tamiya sell more kits /parts etc worldwide than all other manufacturers put togethers and always have.
"That feeling". Yes.
We had these cars.im geting a frog soon the rc bug is biting me
Hahha I like that 'the RC bug is biting me'. I'm 47 and the RC bug has recently bitten me again. Restored my vintage Tamiya Saint Dragon (Madcap chassis) , converted to brushless, installed an aluminium motor plate, front wheel bearings, upgraded shocks.. It never went so fast in its 28 years of life :-) I'm lovin' it yeehhaaaa !!
Ummm, yeah it is a lot of fun. Upgrade the shocks, put a better battery/esc/motor combo in it (nothing too hot, gearbox doesn't like it) and strengthen the steering and you'd be surprised how well it can go.
Not sure what you can do about front susp/damping though.....
Possibly some where do did something wrong I had one and it handled amazing
I had a grasshopper and that thing was fun,until the rear broke and the axle was solid and you couldn't take it apart back then to try to fix it lol!
speedjunkie66 False. It may not be easy, but I assure you, they could be taken apart back then.
Jeremy D you saying im a liar? the axle was solid meaning no access so the only way to take it apart was to break it and spend more money to get new axle
No, I'm saying you're mistaken. Remember, these were kits. They were put together manually, with no special tricks. It might take major disassembly to get it out, but it can be done.
My second ever RC...first was a Toyota Hilux pickup...wish I could remember the brand...I should dig my them out...both were done ala MadMax style. Good stuff.my first rela upscale 4wd was the Kyosho Optima Mid SE...That car was the shit.
+Cerebral Nomad find them they are worth money you may be able to sell for parts
FOR THE FRONT SUSPENSION!!!!!! JUST PUT SOME RUBBER O RINGS TO (BD SCREWS) AND EVERYTHING WILL BE MUCH SMOOTHER!!!!!!!YOU CAN ALSO CUT A LITTLE BIT FROM THE FRONT SPRINGS TO SOFTEN UP THE BUMPY RIDE!!!!
'
i used to cut half tamiya frog ORV and put on the traxxas chassic...
wow very good...
already in my channel video
jebus i'm old.. it was like 1987 and i had a ic diamond i think it was called motor? the rpm was the highest at the time... I lit could not control the car lol... Now we got traxxis and shit... crazy.
Nice frog but hard To drive,it Looks so.I have the neo frog fighter tipically in white and pink easy to drive.like the metal parts,a lot at the old frog
I drive a dump truck for a living, an 83 peterbilt 359 that rides like a Cadillac and handles like a Ferrari. I pass cars downhill loaded with a pup. so if it handles like my truck I'm going to pick one up
I don’t know what’s worse, the driving or the camera work 😂🙁
I love this frog :
Had one for 21 years until someone stole it out of my storage space. I was a great first RC.
Oh yea you should also get the steering upgrade and the lw nerf bars and rear bumper brushless engine also.
Qix ᅚᅚ I was curious when you mentioned steering upgrade and nerf bars, but you lost ALL credibility when you mentioned "brushless engine." 1st, this is hard enough to control on the Mabuchi 540 silvercan. 2nd electric = motor, fuel = engine.
ahh so dang fun!!!
At 7:45 the music stops you're welcome what is the creaking sound while you're at the track
I think that thing my clear a jump or two if it could only find some traction on those old school tires. It's spinning a lot.
Not to mention that my first frog I had was ran over by a car and drugged a few feet that it still just took off and ran with minor damage
SALUDOS A MIS AMIGOS DE MARICHES QUE LINDO RECUERDOS !!
Horrible suspension and steering.... Thats why it's so fun to drive because it's a little bit more of a challenge. Wow this thing looks tiny, It seemed huge when I was little (-;
Awesome video! Very nostalgic. I had one of these back in the day and had lots of fun with it, but the diff or outdrives always made a loud clicking sound. But I think they made some improvements on this re-release so hopefully that issue is fixed. Do you think the transmission could handle a mild brushless motor? Where can you get parts (like new tires) for this?
You can get tires for the frog on eBay or Amazon
rcaficionado Yeah, they upgraded the rear outdrives/shafts on the re-release.
How did you get past the front wheels from coming off with the pressure fit shaft? Mine falls off CONSTANTLY just driving on road with no jumps!
Blue "med" Locktite worked for me.
Theres also a way to use the antennae as a roll bar.
Great vid!👍Hows the frog going these days?! Thinking of picking one up?
What was that creaking noise the first time you were driving I didn’t hear it the second time you were driving with no music
Omg I had one of those
I have one but the thing in the back but it is okay