My Tamiya TT02 Experiences

[Panko75]

To preface this, I did not buy any of these as kits, I often buy my Tamiyas used at a decent discount (and because I don't like applying 100+ stickers).

I've owned a ridiculously hopped up TT02B, a Type S, R, Ds, and vanilla models, all used, and all were just a bit...eh?

The S just comes with some spare "higher end" suspension arms that Tamiya had sitting around. It's an absolute kludge of spacers and bits, not that the arms matter when the stock steering is as notoriously poor as it is. If the steering wasn't a joke, it would have been a decent handler.

The basic TT02...I don't like. I like that it goes together easily, but the upper suspension arms are a bad design, and the stock steering is truly as bad as people say it is. I have cat toys that track straighter than a stock TT02.

The most ridiculous part of hopping up a TT02 (costs aside) is that the kit screws are self-tapping, but most of the hop-ups use machine screws. A key example are the oil filled shocks which come with ball connectors (btw I love popping shocks on and off and wearing out the eyelets), if you installed the friction shocks, you now have deep threaded holes where your ball connectors are meant to go.

My experience trying to "rally" a TT02 never, ever, worked out well. One instance had a rock getting into the servo saver area which messed up the steering, another made it pop out a suspension ball, and a fairly small jump ripped out the steering screws. These "rally" TT02s were ran on NiMH and their stock motors.

As an on-road car, again they handle badly (twitchy, bad steering, bad suspension arm design), dog bones pop out if you hit a wall or a solid object just right.

The kicker is that a stock TT-01E has none of those problems, despite being an older design. The TT01E has its own issues, but it just "works" out of the box.

Id like to point out that maybe 80% of the people who have build threads or suggest a TT02 have oodles of money in to them, but for me the best TT02 "upgrade" is to buy a different RC entirely, and put the TT02 where it performs its best, on the shelf.

Friends don't let friends drive with plastic bushings.

 

[CJSRCLIFE]

Same here my dad bought a TT-02 Subaru WRX race car kit along with a ball bearing kit and other parts. Here it was he wanted to make it a rally car but it didn't turn out how he wanted it to so he reverted back into an on road car. After a few runs the car started to fall apart after that he gave up on it and it now sits on our secondary shelf collecting dust i had considered getting it back up and running but instead i'll just leave it and buy a 4-Tec 2.0 or 3.0 instead. And in no way am i posting this to bash or put down Tamiya vehicles it's just that specific model is poorly designed and make stock if you're willing to spend more $$$ you can get a better touring car that will last for a life time like a 4-tec 2.0\3.0 or a AK-917\787. As a side note Tamiya does sell higher end TT-02 Kits like the R and SRX but i can't speak whether or not they're better built or setup out of the box. This is primarily why i stick to higher brand RC companies like Traxxas, Horizon Hobby like Arrma and Losi\TLR and Team Associated i will always take something that's better built and has solid parts support even if it's more expensive versus something cheap and has low parts supply like a Tamiya or Redcat or any of those off brand Chinese vehicles from Amazon or Aliexpress. Rant aside sorry for your bad experience with the TT-02.

 

[Panko75]

i will always take something that's better built and has solid parts support even if it's more expensive versus something cheap and has low parts supply like a Tamiya or Redcat

Honestly, I prefer something that's well equipped out of the box, and I've found that most on-road "bashers" from all brands are poorly equipped for the price that you pay,

Dogbones, plastic driveshafts, next to no adjustability, most are brushed and have weird wheelbases to lock you into their bodyshells.

 

[CJSRCLIFE]

Honestly, I prefer something that's well equipped out of the box, and I've found that most on-road "bashers" from all brands are poorly equipped for the price that you pay,

Dogbones, plastic driveshafts, next to no adjustability, most are brushed and have weird wheelbases to lock you into their bodyshells.

I get you most 10 - 7th scale onroads kind of suck otb unless you buy an Arrma Infraction, Limitless or Felony or a high end race kit which they come pretty well setup out of the box. but you have to remember that they most of them are mostly geared towards folks on the entry level side of the hobby. I was thinking about getting a 4-tec 2.0 or 3.0 (If they come back out with a BL-2S model like the 2.0 BL-2S Chassis w\o body.

 

[Panko75]

I get you most 10 - 7th scale onroads kind of suck otb unless you buy an Arrma Infraction, Limitless or Felony or a high end race kit which they come pretty well setup out of the box.

I don't think they're bad, just underequipped. You're right that newcomers aren't going to care about adjustable bits.

 

[CJSRCLIFE]

I don't think they're bad, just underequipped. You're right that newcomers aren't going to care about adjustable bits.

Yeah i don't think they're that bad either. I'm glad you agree with my statement about the lower end on road cars like the 4-tec and TT-01\E\02 Although i would take a Traxxas 4-tec 2.0 or 3.0 any day over the Tamiya by build quality standards and capability alone (I shouldn't have traded my 2.0 away). There's also the Rlaarlo cars the AK917 and AK787 they're insanely capable i saw many 917's go over 150+Mph but parts support isn't the greatest.

 

[Chubaka]

I get you most 10 - 7th scale onroads kind of suck otb unless you buy an Arrma Infraction, Limitless or Felony or a high end race kit which they come pretty well setup out of the box. but you have to remember that they most of them are mostly geared towards folks on the entry level side of the hobby. I was thinking about getting a 4-tec 2.0 or 3.0 (If they come back out with a BL-2S model like the 2.0 BL-2S Chassis w\o body.

When do you pick it up?

https://m.traxxas.com/products/models/electric/4-tec-2-chassis

 

[CJSRCLIFE]

When do you pick it up?

https://m.traxxas.com/products/models/electric/4-tec-2-chassis

I'm hoping to get a new or new to me 4-tec in the next couple of months i'm mostly looking at a new 2.0 VXL or a used 3.0 C8 Corvette. But right now the C8 Corvette
4-tec is hard to find on eBay i know they are now discontinued but i hope i can still find one or i'll hold out for a BL-2S rerelease of it by Traxxas.

 

[Panko75]

I'm hoping to get a new or new to me 4-tec in the next couple of months i'm mostly looking at a new 2.0 VXL or a used 3.0 C8 Corvette. But right now the C8 Corvette
4-tec is hard to find on eBay

In my experience with buying Traxxas, you'd be better off buying brand new. Anything on eBay ends up only a few tenners short of NIB price, but with a bit of wear and tear.

The Corvette shell looks nice in person, but I'd go with the 2.0 since it uses a standard wheelbase. More room for custom bodyshells to keep things fresh.

 

[luke66]

I'm hoping to get a new or new to me 4-tec in the next couple of months i'm mostly looking at a new 2.0 VXL or a used 3.0 C8 Corvette. But right now the C8 Corvette
4-tec is hard to find on eBay i know they are now discontinued but i hope i can still find one or i'll hold out for a BL-2S rerelease of it by Traxxas.

BL-2s 4tec is out BTW

 

[CJSRCLIFE]

In my experience with buying Traxxas, you'd be better off buying brand new. Anything on eBay ends up only a few tenners short of NIB price, but with a bit of wear and tear.

The Corvette shell looks nice in person, but I'd go with the 2.0 since it uses a standard wheelbase. More room for custom bodyshells to keep things fresh.

I was kind of thinking i might be better off with the 2.0 VXL or BL-2S and i agree the C8 body on the 3.0 looks nice but i might be able to get a C8 body that will fit the 2.0 or go with the Traxxas 2017 Ford GT a clear one so i can paint it whatever i want.

 

[totoandamigo]

Same here my dad bought a TT-02 Subaru WRX race car kit along with a ball bearing kit and other parts. Here it was he wanted to make it a rally car but it didn't turn out how he wanted it to so he reverted back into an on road car. After a few runs the car started to fall apart after that he gave up on it and it now sits on our secondary shelf collecting dust i had considered getting it back up and running but instead i'll just leave it and buy a 4-Tec 2.0 or 3.0 instead. And in no way am i posting this to bash or put down Tamiya vehicles it's just that specific model is poorly designed and make stock if you're willing to spend more $$$ you can get a better touring car that will last for a life time like a 4-tec 2.0\3.0 or a AK-917\787. As a side note Tamiya does sell higher end TT-02 Kits like the R and SRX but i can't speak whether or not they're better built or setup out of the box. This is primarily why i stick to higher brand RC companies like Traxxas, Horizon Hobby like Arrma and Losi\TLR and Team Associated i will always take something that's better built and has solid parts support even if it's more expensive versus something cheap and has low parts supply like a Tamiya or Redcat or any of those off brand Chinese vehicles from Amazon or Aliexpress. Rant aside sorry for your bad experience with the TT-02. View attachment 185158

I had the exact same experience with my TT-02. Spent wayy too much money in upgrades and never ended up with a car I liked to drive.

Tried to make a it a rally car, and figured out I should just save up for an HPI Wr8 or maybe even an XV01

Tried to make it a street basher, and figured out I should just pick up an Arrma Infraction

Now it's rightfully earned its place as a shelf queen (like a significant portion of Tamiyas)

 

[Panko75]

Now it's rightfully earned its place as a shelf queen (like a significant portion of Tamiyas)

Tried to make a it a rally car, and figured out I should just save up for an HPI Wr8 or maybe even an XV01

The TT02 is a nice shelf filler. I guess thats where I'm at odds with Tamiya, I like to drive my RCs, but a lot of Tamiya guys like to build expensive shelf-queens (and haven't picked up modeling for some reason).

I would go for an WR8, the XV01 isn't worth $300 (it used to sell for $170 before MAP crap). The XV-01 is more of a weird, over-complex "scale" on-roader.