Tamiya Buggy Champ - 2009 Reissue Rough Rider

[Dangeruss]

That settles it, going with the cage style up front for the SS. Need to figure out which model.

The paint choices didn't get any easier today, knowing the manual may be pointing to TS-10 French Blue.

TS-10 French Blue, TS-93 Pure Blue, TS-44 Brilliant Blue

Still can't decide.

Hmm, tough one... Think I'd go with the first bumper, smoother looking top tube and some button heads for the attaching screws would help with ground clearance easier than countersinking the top tube of the second bumper.

I'd agree, box art looks like the can on the left, French Blue?... which is how the restored Bel-Ray Bullet looks.

[GreenBar0n]

Front bumper is on the way, got the countersunk top bolts model. Another TS-10 French Blue can is on the way, with some TS-13 Clear too.

@6:19 they're loading up the Bel-Ray Bullet.


The older guys I used to dirt bike with told me to check out the movie, On Any Sunday, long ago, that was the first time I'd heard of Malcolm Smith. This one is a classic.



Got the top in primer, and the driver head and lights glued. Going to use putty and sand paper to remove the seam on the drivers head, and get the lights perfectly smooth and round.


Have the Bel-Ray Bullet decals on the way too, has to say Malcolm Smith if I'm going to do this.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/153504254938

[GreenBar0n]

Got the vintage tires today, front tire on the right is pretty solid, the other on the left is like an old bike tire that sat out in the sun, look at all the cracks.

"Go find another set", is about all that can be said about this - this set took about 3 months to find.

Need to figure out if there are some chemicals, or if something like glycerin would work, to remove the appearance of the rubber cracks, and make these tires live another 40 years.

EDIT: Going to try this stuff from Germany, to restore the rubber:
https://www.amazon.com/nextzett-91480615-Gummi-Pflege-Rubber/dp/B004B8GTQG

[Dangeruss]

Got the vintage tires today, front tire on the right is pretty solid, the other on the left is like an old bike tire that sat out in the sun, look at all the cracks.

"Go find another set", is about all that can be said about this - this set took about 3 months to find.

That's heartbreaking. All excited about their arrival just to be hit with disappointment. I feel for ya.

If the tire turns out to be too far gone, MCI's Matte finished Blaster Jr & 915 decals on Tamiya's repro tires are a possibility, until another vintage tire/tires pop up... just thinking out loud...

https://mciracing.ca/products/1-10th-tam-sand-blaster-jr-915-tire-decals

[GreenBar0n]

The seller refunded some money, so it wasn't a total loss, I have one good tire so far - halfway there


The rubber restoration stuff will be here soon, that should fix the cracking. I'll go ahead and paint it after, and leave this tire facing the wall, until a good replacement arrives. Put up a WTB on TC, and will keep looking.

It took me about a year to find these 911 wheels, it'll happen just have to be patient.


Thanks for the MCI suggestion, too, I have to do it the hard way though.

MCI is also 3D printing the Sand Blaster JR. tires, but I can't tell if they're acceptable, from just the CAD drawing on their site.
https://mciracing.ca/products/tam-sand-blaster-jr-tire-1-75-inch-wheel?_pos=1&_sid=f90bb2537&_ss=r

Looks like the letters are raised, and not able to be written on with paint - probably what those decals are for.

[Dangeruss]

The seller refunded some money, so it wasn't a total loss, I have one good tire so far - halfway there

The rubber restoration stuff will be here soon, that should fix the cracking. I'll go ahead and paint it after, and leave this tire facing the wall, until a good replacement arrives. Put up a WTB on TC, and will keep looking.

It took me about a year to find these 911 wheels, it'll happen just have to be patient.

Thanks for the MCI suggestion, too, I have to do it the hard way though.

MCI is also 3D printing the Sand Blaster JR. tires, but I can't tell if they're acceptable, from just the CAD drawing on their site.

Looks like the letters are raised, and not able to be written on with paint - probably what those decals are for.

Awesome they kicked a few bucks back, takes some of the sting out. Should be interesting to see how the rubber restoration stuff does. And like you said, it can face the wall until a better tire comes along. Though, I wouldn't say you're doing it the hard way... the egg arrived cracked so, no harm in making an omelette while you wait for another egg. I'd wondered about MCI's 3D printed tires but, no pic of the actual product anywhere online doesn't instill confidence.

But, admit it... the Fuchs were worth the wait.

[GreenBar0n]

Painting the tires is the hard way, compared to decals - which do look good on foam tires - but these wheels have to look vintage/original, I've gone this far already.

Finding those HPI 911 Fuch's after all of that time, and with the staggered size front and rear, was incredible!


The paint/clear will be here Sunday, going to be ready to paint if it shows up before dark.

Will spray the entire Rough Rider body in TS-10 French Blue, and then mask it off for the TS-26 Pure White, followed by the TS-13 Clear coats, and wet sanding every coat in between.

Want this one to look perma-wet, won't clear over the decals unless they are of poor quality, and to enhance their shine.

[XLR8]

Since most of the body is blue, I'd probably shoot the white first. Not only will it require less masking, assuming you're applying paint directly over bare plastic or over white primer, the white will remain nice and bright and not tinted from the blue beneath it. Also, French Blue really pops when applied over white.
Just a thought.

[GreenBar0n]

Thanks!


For me, it would be easier to get those curved lines that are blue, painted entirely blue first, and then masked over with curve tape to add the white. That's a really fine line that I want to try to make as sharp as possible, and the white needs to appear to have been painted over the top of the blue.

The Buggy Champ reissue decals can serve as a pattern to make the masks for the white.

I'll keep adding and sanding the coats until the white looks good over the blue. My paint jobs can take up to a year with all the mistakes and re-do's, all part of the learning process

The body is in fine gray primer atm, TS-10 and the clear will be here tomorrow. Might try painting the rear tires today.

[GreenBar0n]

Got the wheel hubs painted.

Will wait for these to dry and then put the tires on them. Will mount and paint the tires today.

The body and top in TS-10.

Ran out of TS-10, another can is on the way. Will wet sand this coat smooth when it completely dries, and give it another TS-10 coat.



At first I was wanting to make the Rough Rider a different blue than the Sand Scorcher, just to have some variety, but might as well embrace it, should pair well in a display, or as bookends on a shelf.


This Mint 400 documentary, looks like the 1978 Tamiya Catalog, the Blazing Blazer is featured prominently:

[Dangeruss]

This Mint 400 documentary, looks like the 1978 Tamiya Catalog, the Blazing Blazer is featured prominently:

Not a fan of 70's music but the theme songs used in era were way better than the heavy metal intros youtubers use now...

...whole thing had a "Magnum P.I." feel to it. Too cool.

[GreenBar0n]

This Mint 400 documentary, looks like the 1978 Tamiya Catalog, the Blazing Blazer is featured prominently:

Not a fan of 70's music but the theme songs used in era were way better than the heavy metal intros youtubers use now...

...whole thing had a "Magnum P.I." feel to it. Too cool.

No Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath for you? Not a guitar fan?

The 70's had lots of brass bands, and orchestra style arrangements, those are entertaining to revisit.


That stuff from Germany with the funny name has been applied to the bad tire.

Will let it dry and see if it works.

[Dangeruss]

No Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath for you? Not a guitar fan?

The 70's had lots of brass bands, and orchestra style arrangements, those are entertaining to revisit.

I dig a good lead guitar, but I'm... selective... with 70's music. I like Paranoid and Zoso (IV) in particular but as a decade overall found it too depressed compared to the 60's and 80's which had much more up-tempo rhythms. TV theme music on the other hand was exceptional. Lots of electronic/guitar/orchestra in shows like Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-0, Dallas, Falcon Crest, etc... all the way to Diff'rent Strokes, Lavern & Shirley, Dukes of Hazard, Fall Guy, WKRP, Greatest American Hero and so many others that were actually stellar songs in their own right.

I'd keep going but I don't want to start sounding like Patrick Batemen in "American Psycho"

[TRX-1-3]

No Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath for you? Not a guitar fan?

The 70's had lots of brass bands, and orchestra style arrangements, those are entertaining to revisit.

TV theme music on the other hand was exceptional. Lots of electronic/guitar/orchestra in shows like Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-0, Dallas, Falcon Crest, etc... all the way to Diff'rent Strokes, Lavern & Shirley, Dukes of Hazard, Fall Guy, WKRP, Greatest American Hero and so many others that were actually stellar songs in their own right.

I'd keep going but I don't want to start sounding like Patrick Batemen in "American Psycho"

No way, dude! I dig the old theme songs! I can hear them just reading your post.

[GreenBar0n]

Started playing guitar at 9 years old, had a very specific/limited scope of music I liked as a result - for many years - still not right .



Liked the Wurlitzer/Rhodes keyboard synth 70's stuff too, this one is stuck from 3 or 4 years old, can hear this one in a quiet room still