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In 1994 Tamiya took their TA02 platform to the dunes with the 1/10 4wd off-road Desert Truck. Compatible with all the TA line of Hop Ups the Desert Trucks took the ABS construction and molded tub chassis of the TA02 and combined it with the shorter arms, camber links, and uprights of the TA01 platform, then flipped the rear arms backwards to obtain a longer wheelbase. The dual bellcrank steering with spherical ended adjustable tie rods and direct mounted servo saver came from the TA01, and the plastic bodied oil-filled coilover CVA shocks with clip in spring spacers that hung from red plastic shock towers carried over to the trucks unchanged as well. Also used were the red gearcases that housed a ball diff transmission in the rear and a bevel gear diff up front connected by the TA02’s shorter double eyelet propshaft, though power was output to TA01 plastic dogbones front and rear. Silver finished single-piece five spoke wheels with 12mm hex mounts shod in BFG Radial Mud Terrain T/A tires took their place under the clear lexan Trophy Truck style body in one of three different models, a Ford F1-50, Chevrolet S-10, and Toyota Prerunner. Each unassembled kit included a Mabuchi RS-540 motor, small bumpers front and rear, and a full set of bushings:

Oh, I had the Ford. Fun little rigs. I had a Dynamite 27T, a Futaba Magnum Sport with standard Rx and servo, with a Novak Rooster. The last time it ran I, knowing better, handed the controller to my older brother. He deer-in-headlights'd it straight into a small landscape pond at our parents' house. Glug-glug. I pulled it out and just shelfed it. Didn't want to deal with it. Flash forward to 2020, while moving and downsizing, it took me a few days of hemming and hawing. Then one morning at about 3am while I was clearing out the garage, I said a little prayer and laid it in the dumpster. I've felt terrible about it ever since.

Ah, yes... I think we've all been there...