Where are you purchasing Rough Rider & Sand Scorcher parts?

[TheSpeedway]

Other than eBay where is everyone finding their Rough Rider and Sand Scorcher parts? Is there a source for all of the re release items including the tires and wheels?

Thank you

[rctenracer]

Tamiya USA .

[TheSpeedway]

Thank you. They are out of quite a few things and they definitely aren't cheap which is too bad. Are you guys seeing the stocking of parts starting to trail off and not to be replenished?

[Champ85]

Honestly, TamiyaUSA is used as a last resort for most things. Their prices are purposefully high so as to not compete with retailers (hobby shops).
Spare parts availability for Tamiya vehicles isn't what it once was in the 80's where practically every hobby shop carried spare parts. I don't know if this was due to MRC stocking policies (ie. "If you want to sell Tamiya vehicles, you must stock spares") or what.
Ultimately, shops got burned badly by carrying too many spare parts ($ locked in inventory that didn't sell) so they do not do that any more, except for very common and fast moving parts.
You can order parts through your local hobby shop (if the distributor your shop uses carries the part you are looking for), or you can buy online.
Problem is, even major distributors like Great Planes don't carry much in the way of Tamiya spare parts, and if they do, it's only for a short time after a model's release.
The reality is that eBay is best for parts because some sellers part out kits or have access to spare parts directly from Japan. Obviously some deals will be better than others on eBay. Know what you need and what you should be paying for it.
Parts availability for the SRB chassis like Sand Scorcher and Buggy Champ is getting harder to find, but not too hard, yet. This is mostly due to how long these models have been in production and how many spare parts are being purchased by everyone. eBay sellers don't want parts that don't sell either. Pretty much everyone that was interested in these vehicles have bought all of spares they need. I personally bought multiple sets of tires, wheels, gears, and other commonly-broken (and some not so common) parts a few years ago.

If there is one thing I've learned over the years, it's this: If you see a part that you think you might need in the future, buy it now. Don't wait. It probably won't be available when you need it, or if it is, it'll be 4x the price.

[RC104ever]

Doesn't Tower have spare parts? I bought a Sand Scorcher from a local member here and then bought another roller from another member. Now I have my spare parts! For anything else, ebay had the things I wanted. Also, I bought the RC Channel (Taiwan) independent rear suspension kit which is awesome! Then I bought the aluminum chassis kit, I think from ebay.

[TheSpeedway]

Keep Talking guys. That RC Channel site is pretty cool.

[RC104ever]

This is a store in the Toronto area that carries a ton of Tamiya stuff. I've been there myself, lots of stock, maybe try them. Prices are not cheap though and I have no direct experience with them.

http://www.advancehobbies.com/sale_tamiya.php

Here is another one that I've been to which carries quite a bit of Tamiya stuff and the owner is a really knowledgable and cool guy. Been to the store several times

http://www.pinnaclehobby.ca/

Hope that helps!

[Champ85]

Doesn't Tower have spare parts? I bought a Sand Scorcher from a local member here and then bought another roller from another member. Now I have my spare parts! For anything else, ebay had the things I wanted. Also, I bought the RC Channel (Taiwan) independent rear suspension kit which is awesome! Then I bought the aluminum chassis kit, I think from ebay.

Unfortunately, Tower's spare parts stock listing and cross-referencing is pitiful. For example, the following link shows what Tower considers "spare parts and hop ups" for the Sand Scorcher:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0005p?&I=TAMC1052&P=Z
Where are the tires?
Oh, they're here: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLDX7&P=7 (Rear) http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLDX8&P=7 (Front)
But you had to know that they the same as the Grasshopper rears and Hornet fronts, or search by part #.

You wanted wheels? Tough luck, not stocked by Tower any longer (they were back when the kits were first released).
You want chassis parts (bumpers, front arms, rear arms, etc. - you know, stuff that actually breaks in the long term)? Nope. Tower does not carry them (and never did).

Best place on eBay for spares is usually jr-rc (Jason's Store). He doesn't gouge you for the item, shipping is fair and decently fast (from Japan). Some people have had issues with him (communication is lacking in some cases), but he has a decent selection of parts.
Some USA sellers on eBay part out kits themselves and used to have great prices, but over the past year or so their prices are high enough to not bother unless it's something you really need. Once in a while they have a 'sale' where they take 20% off which helps.

[Champ85]

As for other online shops that are good for Tamiya hop ups and spares, I recommend the following:
http://banzaihobby.com/ (Ordered a few times from here and really like the prices and speed of shipping, though they can be slow I've heard - based in Japan)
http://jasons-store.highwire.com/ (Jason's online store in case you dislike eBay - better prices can be had here usually compared to jr-rc on eBay - based in Japan)
http://rcjaz.com/ (I've ordered only once from here and am still waiting for an Avante 2001 bodyset for the Egress - tracking says it's stuck in NY now - based in HK)
http://www.pargustore.com/ (Korean maker of CNC aluminum hop-up and reproduction parts for Tamiya and Kyosho - slow shipping quite often, but parts are decent quality - based in South Korea)
http://www.rcmart.com/ (known as dinball on eBay - reliable seller with decent prices and shipping speeds - based in HK)
http://www.stellamodels.com.hk/ (also on eBay - reliable and highly-regarded seller with generally excellent packing compared to other companies (especially for kits). Based in HK.

Basically I use all of the above sites when searching for parts (in addition to eBay and TamiyaUSA and Tower). I pick the one with the cheapest prices and best shipping rates.

[slotcarrod]

Very wise advice from Champ85! Thank you!