[terry.sc]

Originally Posted by optiman

I am toying with the idea of getting a vintage buggy just for racing/runner.

It depends on which you want to do, if you want to race it seriously or just for a laugh. For racing if you want to be competitive just find the newest car that fits into the year restrictions, technology moved on so fast that a chassis a year or two older would not keep up. Of course if it is just for the laugh then racing with something like a Frog is a lot more fun as you are just trying to get it round the track without crashing rather than worrying about hitting corner apexes. In the mid 80s I was racing a Frog which was very competitive against the Scorpions and early RC10s, best result was a C final win at the nationals, but there were very few parts on it that weren't worked on or replaced with upgrades.

All I need is something I can enjoy while not having the stress of worrying about where or how much it will cost getting spares.

If worrying about spares availability is important to you then go for any of Tamiyas popular re-releases, or the original ones that have been re-released. Plenty of spares still around for the likes of the Hornet, Frog, Scorcher, Boomerang, etc.

I was concidering the Tamiya The Frog, always wanted one but never had one nor seen one in action. I've had friends with Beetles and Blackfoots(I assembled them all for them zillion of years ago) and remener them having fun without any hassles. Is the front suspension too bad?

Nothing 'wrong' with the Frog front suspension, but if you want to run one for some time there are a few tricks you can do it make it considerably better, same with the rear suspension and the gearbox.

It's a Frog, plenty of them about. Pick up a cheap second hand one and run it, if you don't like it sell it again and get your money back as there's plenty of buyers. If you have fun with it then get a better one or a new one to keep. Either way, at least you will have had the experience.

In the other hand will not want to get a POC of a buggy I dont know of or handles too bad.

Everyone compares vintage with the modern buggies they are used to and surprise, surprise the old cars aren't the same quality with loads of play and dodgy handling. That's why we love the old cars, in the same way people love original Minis even though they have terrible ride, no grip and no power compared to the new BMW ones.


It's all down to personal choice, go with whatever you fancy and everyone will just tell you to get whatever they like. Personally when I'm off bashing I always take a Frog, Super Blackfoot, Sand Scorcher, Ultima and Optima, with a Lazer ZX-R, Optima Mid and RC10T2 getting an occasional run. The Frog and Blackfoot get thrashed, they bounce off impacts that would take the corner off a racing chassis and are just pure fun to drive. The Scorcher just looks great when bouncing around and attracts the most attention. The Optima gets the most use and is pretty indestructible with some updated gears in the gearbox and a belt drive conversion. The ZX-R gets little use these days when bashing as the parts that can break are the same ones that are impossible to find and I've got through my spares.

Spares is something to think about, while some people insist on spending a fortune on new parts every time and having to search for them, it's cheaper and easier to keep an eye open for cheap cars on ebay as a source of spares to keep you going. I have picked up a good supply of spares by watching for battered looking cars on ebay, the parts will keep you running and a few scratches won't stop the parts working.