Great video. So cool to see these vintage cars come out. Like many others this was my first RC car. Got it for my 10th birthday in 1984. It was so advanced compared to anything we’d seen before and a great time to drive.
Nice! So cool you had one back then... Wish I had know about the Hopper/Hornet back in 1984. It would have blown my mind. But I had fun with my Nikko and Taiyos back then.
This is one of my favourite videos from your channel. My favourite is the Hornet, but if the Super Hornet was ever rereleased, that would be a good one too.
Thanks a lot for the kind feedback and all the attention you've been giving my channel lately, my friend. Yeah, spend a lot of time editing this one, so the feedback is much appreciated. Thanks. Ohh and yes, we're still waiting for that Super Hornet re-release. Hope it happen some day :-)
Fantastic video Nordic RC Visions - I enjoyed every minute! Wonderful overview of the series of iconic Tamiya buggies and a good comparison of each of the cars features too. Many congratulations on 0.5M well deserved views - I look forward to the celebration video for 1M views - I'm sure it won't take too long :-)
Mark Bryan RC Thanks Mark! Yeah I love these bugs so when I ended up having them all I might as well do a video with them all :-) I think it will take a good while before I reach the 1 mill views. But it’s nice to know somebody is watching. Cheers mate.
Very nice collection of hoppers. I’m glad to own all of them, except for the rising fighter. On my list of tamiyas! Interesting buggy the rising fighter, Looks like the super hornet in blue colour. With a weird rear setup. Great video my friend I enjoyed it very much. :))
Thanks, my friend! Yeah you got some beautiful hoppers too. I guess the Rising Fighter isn’t really nessacary for a complete Hopper/Hornet collection, but it’s a fun and perculiar release. The bastard son of a Super Hornet and a Mad Fighter :-) Yeah it’s the same body as the SH. They just filled out the holes for the lights and cut the wing off. Then it got the DT-01 Mad Fighter wing and a DT-01 rear axle/gear box. Funny release. I love it :-) Gonna change it a bit soon. New shocks and rear shock mounts, a transmission brace and some other things :-) Thanks for watching, Harkeness!
Great video! Love your channel! The Hornet was on the top of my Christmas list for several years! You should have included the DT-01 cars in the video. I have both Mad Bull and Fighting Buggy RX and they are the best handling buggys of the Grasshopper type chassis. Looking forward to the next video!👍
Thank you, Checkyoursix77! Yeah, I know. I mention them in the description box. For this video it was only the ones that use the Grasshopper and Grasshopper 2 chassis. The DT-01s can rightly be seen as part of the family. I partly didn’t include them as it would have been a much too long video - and partly because I don’t have any :-) It’s a chapter of the Hopper-Hornet history I am looking very much forward exploring in depth in the future. Already have a Mad Bull body waiting for a DT-01 :-)
Yeah. Love ‘em. Not always the best designs, performance wise, but for me a great pleasure to build and run and very, very pleasing to the eyes :-) Thanks for watching, krbcrwlr!
Just got back into it and built the Grasshopper II with bearings and a 540 Sport Tuned motor. Performs pretty great and looks the best of the series in my opinion. Keep up that fantastic content!
Nice! A Grasshopper II Rolex :-) Think I’m gonna place a Sport Tuned in my Rising Fighter myself. That’s really the limit of how fast I wanna have these Hoppers running myself :-)
Yeah, I’m quite grateful that we are able to buy and build these vintage models for affordable prices. But I’m also quite grateful that we also can buy and build the new ones with better suspension set ups :-)
Thanks Mr. Bombadil! Good to hear from you. I myself am a bit surprised about the views. But it’s a fun part of the hobby to have a channel, make videos, and meet other RC enthusiasts :-)
Shen RC i got the standard hornet i just missed the black chrome but i was inspired to paint mine space black which is black with a metallic sparkle. Its one of the few times i was pleased i didnt go box art it looks great. Its worth going youre own way too many people are too consevative and go box art and im as guilty of that as anyone
Nice Buggy!! Are they all Re-Releases? I trying to find a All I can remember Is Yellow Buggy with Decals of a Wolf on it If you have any Ideas Please let me know
Hi Charles! No, only the Grasshoppers 1 and 2 and the Hornet are re-re. TheSuper Hornet is out of production and has never been re-released and the Rising Fighter is still available. Uhh, yellow with a wolf ... hmm ... no, it doesn’t ring a bell immediately I’m afraid ... was it really Tamiya? I know the Nikko Bison was also made in a yellow Sears/Nikko Lobo. I think it has a Wolf on it. It’s a Grasshopper design (suspension etc.).
Ooh half a million views ! Congratulations mate :-) How many of the half million do you think are men of 'a certain age' ? ;-) A nice review of the Tamiya Hoppers you've done here. I do like your Super Hornet. What a shame it's not been re-released. Anyway keep up the good work my friend :-)
Thanks Pete! Well, according to the analytics many of the viewers are both men and of ‘a certain age’, ha ha. Yeah, I really hope the Super Hornet gets rereleased. I like mine, but would love to trade it out for ‘my own’ build :-)
I absolutely loved the video. I’m working on one very similar. I’m happy to see somebody else as crazy as I am about these cars. What do you think about cars like the Rookie rabbit, mad fighter, and mad bull? Technically they are also part of this line they tend to be forgotten. I certainly don’t have any of them.
Thanks my friend! Looking very much forward to your vid and your comments about each model! Yeah, there’s something so deeply fascinating about this line up. Well, I mention the DT-01s in the description box. It’s just the final chapter of these buggies I haven’t opened yet. But I will. I think the Fighter Buggy RX is the start. The Rookie Rabbit is a spin off of the Fighter Buggy to my best knowledge? I am quite fascinated with the Mad Bull so that will probably be my start. I already have a Mad Bull body waiting for a DT-01 :-)
To be honest, I know nothing of those cars as for some reason, they have not been able to attract me. Really you like the Madbull? Something about it makes me both hate it and love it. Typical for a Tamiya I guess! Right now I have been looking at the 6x6x6 Semi they made. The name escapes me but it and that 3 wheel thing are so stupid and therefore, so brilliant.
AMPRO Engineering He he, Yeah, the Kong Head and the Dancing Rider? Those interest me a lot too. Very Tamiya’ish looking in a ‘new Millennium’ way. I’m just glad they still make stupid stuff that look very Tamiya’ish and not just the TRF stuff or the beautiful entry-level stuff. I like that too though. Well, right now there’s just too much of the old stuff that interest me a bit more. I’m not really into the DT-01 for the DT-01’s sake. It’s more like the obvious choice to explore in my Tamiya 2WD journey. I have explored the Grasshopper chassis, the Grasshopper II chassis and both the DT-02 and DT-03. So I’m ready for the DT-01 chassis that was in between all those. Then the line is complete. From the Grasshopper to the DT-03 :-) Well, that and then the connection to the Hoppers/Hornets: The DT-01 transmission and wing on the Rising Fighter. The modified Grasshopper II body on the Mad Bull. Well, it’s just a natural step, although I’m not sure if any DT-01s I’m gonna get gonna stay with me forever :-)
Yep those are the ones! I could not have put it better, I too am glad they still make stupid stuff. I have actually never even seen any of the DT series (other than the RF trans) but I think I need to. I tell a lot of people to look at the DT03 when looking for an entry level buggy. I mean I love my solid axle cars but it is like buying an Atari 2600 when everyone else has a playstation 4. I mean ill take the Atari but most will be disappointed.
And now the King Yellow 6x6 is coming. A School bus. Even more stupid than the Kong Head :-) Yeah, you should try some of the DTs. The DT-02 has nearly become an institution in itself, with all the upgrades and bodies available. But yes I think you are right telling 10 year olds to get a DT-03 instead of a Grasshopper. Though I think if the next door kid didn’t have a Stampede and the kid had never tried the difference of a double wishbone suspension the kid would have just as much fun with a Hopper/Hornet than with a DT-03. Maybe even more since the Hopper can handle being run into a curbe a lot better.
@@NordicRC Yeah I loved building kits to. I built the RC10B3 and T3 factory team kits, Tamiya Monster Beatle ( got it as new old stock in 1998 for my birthday) Kyosho Outrage ST, Tamiya Midnight Pumpkin (early 2000's re release?) and the Tamiya TA02T chassis with the Toyota Pickup truck body but I forget what Tamiya called it haha.
Currently have an original grasshopper, I need to collect the whole family. Will rising fighter front wheels fit my Grasshopper? It gets a lot of understeer, and the rising fighter wheels and tires look a bit wider, and I was thinking that increasing the contact patch would help it find grip.
Hi again my friend ! Uhh, I have no idea if they will fit. My first guess would be no, but I haven't tried. Not sure it would help much though, with the understeer. Lot's of the DT series use these wheels/tires and have a lot of understeer too. The Astral Dish front wheels (like on the rising fighter) are a lot bigger than the Grasshopper/hornet tires. so it would probably change the appearance a lot too.
Dave Warner Thanks! My phone actually 😁 My camera is old and only shoots in 720 HD so that’s a no go. Hoping to get a new one one of these days, but meanwhile my phone is my camera :-)
How come the resolution is so good? If you want to get a new camera, I suggest a Sony 4K camera. They would be good in this situation, or do what Matteo’s RC Movies does and stick a GoPro to the car and see it through it’s point of view!
My first rc car ever was a grasshopper from there I moved on to the Hornet and that what got me into the next one which was an rc10 if it wasn't for remote control cars I would not be adebt that electrical and mechanical things. I think if kids played more rc as they're young a lot more of them would be able to use their brain and hands instead of just the phone and internet. I'm not hating I just think rc can help. and I mean real RC the kind you put together yourself
Yeah, I agree. I think it is a healthy hobby for both young and old. Learning, solving problems, creating and getting outside in the fresh air. Cool you had the two legends back then! thanks for watching and the interesting comment, Edwin!
j0nnyism Definitely and especially if you run them on tarmac. The Grasshopper’s paddles last a bit longer on tarmac. When I run my buggies on road I usually run them with on road tires, as the spikes wear out quickly.
You know how on the Hornet when you were showing and testing the front shocks? You know how the little thing containing the o-rings went down with the screw when you released? You just need to apply more grease that’s all.
The problem with grease on outside parts is that they attract a lot of dirt after 1 minute of off roading. So I am very hesitant to apply it, and especially in large amounts. So are you referring to the front pogo sticks/springs? I think the best solution I’ve seen comes from Shen RC, cutting some of the springs, to help it move more freely, just like the Grasshoppers front pogo stick.
This was I think the best comparison between all these buggies. I'm hunting for a cheaper option for the younger kids to use and abuse and this helped.
Watching your slow-motion clips I like how the Grasshopper II moves. It's still a little too stiff, but the rear moves. Can you make the dampers softer, is it possible?
Thanks, Tomas. I haven’t been fiddling with it, but trying out softer springs and other shocks seem the only option. The Super Hornet works okay with the soft springs and CVA shocks but still stiff. I have an upgrade series with the Rising Fighter. Way too stiff. Generally the problem is that the throttle movement forward makes the shocks stiff. Some try to position the shocks more upright, using soft springs with no oil.
I see, so it is basically the design that sets the limitations. I keep wondering what Tamiya was thinking when desiging Grasshopper and Hornet. Grasshopper has en even more limited rear, its rear axle cannot swivel, only go up/down. In the Hornet they made the axle swivel a bit, but wrongly fastened. They should have done it with a single joint in the middle instead of the two grooves on the sides.
Yeah, it's the Hopper design from 1984. Never really worked :-) F>rom the Grasshopper to the Hornet, they tried to give the axle more flex. While the intention is good it really made it worse, with the throttle bringing the axle upwards and locking it with a loud bang :-) Several mods have tried to fix the Hornet/GrasshopperII/LunchBox . #rd shock mod is the most widely used (it dampens the movement upwards), AMpro made a brace similar to those on the DT-01 (Fighter Buggy, Mad Fighter, Mad Bull). You can check it out on AMPro's channel or in my Rising Fighter upgrade series. Shen RC (check out his channel) made a "fishing line mod". Check it out :-)
Right, I saw Shen's fishing line mod. Seems OK but I'd rather place some damping material into those grooves to limit the shock in sudden acceleration, perhaps some soft rubber above and below would keep it better in place. Hmm.. I'm really close to buying a Hornet again, I have a very short memory though, I may regret it.
Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm probably just making a fool of myself because you probably know more about this than me, but wasn't the Hornet released in '85 one year after the grasshopper? Because in this video you said they where both '84. Of course I wouldn't be born for many years to come when either of these where released so I may just not know what I'm talking about.
Hi my friend. My information is just obtained second hand too, so yours may be just as valid as mine :-) Several places I think (been a while since I checked) date the Hornet back to 1984, like late 1984, December 1984 (where as the Grasshopper dates back to the middle of 1984). So that is probably when the first Hornet came out, and maybe only in Japan. So it is definitely possible that it was released later, in 1985, in most other places.
Hi bro. Yeah, these are classic RC cars. 1980s buggy RC style. Not 1/1 replicas. For something more scale you should look at the previous buggies before the mid-80s. Like the Fighting Buggy etc. Not totally scale but looks more like a real roll cage, or classic frame buggy.
Hi David. Yeah, almost, they made a Grasshopper II Super G. Different colors (wheels, shocks) and a few upgrades. It's quite rare, especially the wheels.
I was about to say, the super g had a 540, yellow shocks, and neon yellow super hornet wheels and tires. I let a fellow collector get mine, had a funky purple paint job and the obligatory 90's pulse stripe. Ran good with just a 2.4 radio upgrade, msc still. Kinda miss it
Performance wise these are the worst buggies to drive. 1984 set up. But very cool, iconic, beautiful and great fun to run :-) If you want a recent 2WD entry-level buggy in a similar price range (from Tamiya too) the DT-03 is the best option.
Ha ha, yeah, I couldn’t agree more. I think they, sadly, for us old ones, targeted that release for the young ones and their Fighter Cup Series. In protest, AMPro fitted his Rising Fighter with oil filled dampers and called it the Hornet III. Maybe I will rename my unit too to a fitting insect as they should have done in the first place. Maybe The Rising Hornet :-)
I picked up a super hornet at the local rubbish dump, came with almost everything except battery, it's a beauty she is... I'll be running it in our club in the vintage class
My Gosh that finish on teh Hornet's body shell. WOOOOOOW!
Yeah, Tamiya did it. The Black Metallic edition.
Ya those cars started something bigger than anyone would ever know
.Love those days.
Definitly started something amazing :-) Thanks for watching, buddy.
very educational , sometimes difficult keeping up with Tamiya evolution !
Thank you for the feedback, Fred!
I have just finished Wild Willy ( on my channel now .)@@NordicRC
Great video. So cool to see these vintage cars come out. Like many others this was my first RC car. Got it for my 10th birthday in 1984. It was so advanced compared to anything we’d seen before and a great time to drive.
Nice! So cool you had one back then... Wish I had know about the Hopper/Hornet back in 1984. It would have blown my mind. But I had fun with my Nikko and Taiyos back then.
This is one of my favourite videos from your channel. My favourite is the Hornet, but if the Super Hornet was ever rereleased, that would be a good one too.
Thanks a lot for the kind feedback and all the attention you've been giving my channel lately, my friend. Yeah, spend a lot of time editing this one, so the feedback is much appreciated. Thanks. Ohh and yes, we're still waiting for that Super Hornet re-release. Hope it happen some day :-)
Awesome collection you need a Rockbuster to go with it
What's a Rockbuster? :-)
Fantastic video Nordic RC Visions - I enjoyed every minute! Wonderful overview of the series of iconic Tamiya buggies and a good comparison of each of the cars features too. Many congratulations on 0.5M well deserved views - I look forward to the celebration video for 1M views - I'm sure it won't take too long :-)
Mark Bryan RC Thanks Mark! Yeah I love these bugs so when I ended up having them all I might as well do a video with them all :-) I think it will take a good while before I reach the 1 mill views. But it’s nice to know somebody is watching. Cheers mate.
Wow congratulations on the 1/2 million views. 👍😃👍
Thanks! It’s awesome being part of this RC community on youtube.
Nordic RC Visions Yeah you’re welcome, oh and I know it. 👍😃👍
Every machine is very atractive.Very very nice collection!
Yeah really like them all. That’s why I couldn’t choose and got them all. So cool buggies. Thanks for watching!
Nice bunch of hoppers. Great with the group shot at the end.
Thanks Jesper! Yeah, and I am looking forward to the spring/summer when I can take them all out in the sun for some more group shots :-)
Very nice collection of hoppers. I’m glad to own all of them, except for the rising fighter. On my list of tamiyas! Interesting buggy the rising fighter, Looks like the super hornet in blue colour. With a weird rear setup. Great video my friend I enjoyed it very much. :))
Thanks, my friend! Yeah you got some beautiful hoppers too. I guess the Rising Fighter isn’t really nessacary for a complete Hopper/Hornet collection, but it’s a fun and perculiar release. The bastard son of a Super Hornet and a Mad Fighter :-) Yeah it’s the same body as the SH. They just filled out the holes for the lights and cut the wing off. Then it got the DT-01 Mad Fighter wing and a DT-01 rear axle/gear box. Funny release. I love it :-) Gonna change it a bit soon. New shocks and rear shock mounts, a transmission brace and some other things :-) Thanks for watching, Harkeness!
Love this video! I've been 'dreaming' about the Grasshopper for a LONG time, but now I'm actually considering the new Grasshopper Comical version 😅
Thanks, tjohanne! Yeah, the Comical Grasshopper looks like a lot of fun too!
Very nice video..
NIce video! I enjoyed watching this video. Thanks a lot!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting, greenka!
My first and only car was the hornet. Good memories! Looks better than the hopper I reckon.
Nice! Bet there is good memories, yeah.
Great video! Love your channel! The Hornet was on the top of my Christmas list for several years!
You should have included the DT-01 cars in the video. I have both Mad Bull and Fighting Buggy RX and they are the best handling buggys of the Grasshopper type chassis. Looking forward to the next video!👍
Thank you, Checkyoursix77! Yeah, I know. I mention them in the description box. For this video it was only the ones that use the Grasshopper and Grasshopper 2 chassis. The DT-01s can rightly be seen as part of the family. I partly didn’t include them as it would have been a much too long video - and partly because I don’t have any :-) It’s a chapter of the Hopper-Hornet history I am looking very much forward exploring in depth in the future. Already have a Mad Bull body waiting for a DT-01 :-)
More Tamiya. It's the Rolex of RC
Yeah. Love ‘em. Not always the best designs, performance wise, but for me a great pleasure to build and run and very, very pleasing to the eyes :-) Thanks for watching, krbcrwlr!
Just got back into it and built the Grasshopper II with bearings and a 540 Sport Tuned motor. Performs pretty great and looks the best of the series in my opinion. Keep up that fantastic content!
Nice! A Grasshopper II Rolex :-) Think I’m gonna place a Sport Tuned in my Rising Fighter myself. That’s really the limit of how fast I wanna have these Hoppers running myself :-)
Excellent video! Some of my favorite Tamiyas. Cheers brother. ;)
Theibault Thanks, Omar! Yeah I know you love your Hornets :-) Hope to see the black metallic on your channel too some day ;-) Love it.
Mikael, 250,000 of those views were me, because I love your channel so much ; ))
Holly Hill RC Ha ha, thanks for the 250.000 views Derek! ;-) Love your channel too and seen all your vids too :-)
I love building Tamiya!!, Nice vid
Thanks! Me too! Half the fun is building them :-)
Rc car suspension has come a long way. The good old days when rc was simple
Yeah, I’m quite grateful that we are able to buy and build these vintage models for affordable prices. But I’m also quite grateful that we also can buy and build the new ones with better suspension set ups :-)
I'm not surprised you have so many views. Keep up the good work.☺
Thanks Mr. Bombadil! Good to hear from you. I myself am a bit surprised about the views. But it’s a fun part of the hobby to have a channel, make videos, and meet other RC enthusiasts :-)
Those cars are awesome. 👍😃👍
Yeah, I am deeply fascinated with these Hopper- Hornets. So basic, so cool, so iconic and so much fun :-) Thanks for watching, buddy!
Nordic RC Visions 👍😃👍
really good video, thanks for sharing
Thanks and thank you for watching!
Congrats Mikael! Fantastic video of fantastic, hopping cars! 👍 ❤️
Very hopping and fun to run - as you know! Thanks for the nice feedback, my friend!
nice love the black chrome hornet! 👍👍
Shen RC Me too! Though I think mine will look very scratched in a couple of years :-) Thanks for watching, Steve!
Shen RC i got the standard hornet i just missed the black chrome but i was inspired to paint mine space black which is black with a metallic sparkle. Its one of the few times i was pleased i didnt go box art it looks great. Its worth going youre own way too many people are too consevative and go box art and im as guilty of that as anyone
Cool! and yes a lot of times I don't do the box art colors also 👍😊👍
Don’t forget the lunch box !! 😎that’s me going on eBay to buy a hornet 🐝 now 👍great video sir “
Yeah, the LB is kind of a Monster Truck Hopper/Hornet :-) So cool. Hope you will have fun with the Hornet. Thanks a lot for watching.
Have to do a video on the LB 👍true old school truck 😃😃
Nice Buggy!! Are they all Re-Releases? I trying to find a All I can remember Is Yellow Buggy with Decals of a Wolf on it If you have any Ideas Please let me know
Hi Charles! No, only the Grasshoppers 1 and 2 and the Hornet are re-re. TheSuper Hornet is out of production and has never been re-released and the Rising Fighter is still available. Uhh, yellow with a wolf ... hmm ... no, it doesn’t ring a bell immediately I’m afraid ... was it really Tamiya? I know the Nikko Bison was also made in a yellow Sears/Nikko Lobo. I think it has a Wolf on it. It’s a Grasshopper design (suspension etc.).
Ooh half a million views ! Congratulations mate :-) How many of the half million do you think are men of 'a certain age' ? ;-) A nice review of the Tamiya Hoppers you've done here. I do like your Super Hornet. What a shame it's not been re-released. Anyway keep up the good work my friend :-)
Thanks Pete! Well, according to the analytics many of the viewers are both men and of ‘a certain age’, ha ha. Yeah, I really hope the Super Hornet gets rereleased. I like mine, but would love to trade it out for ‘my own’ build :-)
Yeah the Tamiya geeks need to stick together ! :-)
Long live the Global Tamiya Geek Community
-)
I absolutely loved the video. I’m working on one very similar. I’m happy to see somebody else as crazy as I am about these cars. What do you think about cars like the Rookie rabbit, mad fighter, and mad bull? Technically they are also part of this line they tend to be forgotten. I certainly don’t have any of them.
Thanks my friend! Looking very much forward to your vid and your comments about each model! Yeah, there’s something so deeply fascinating about this line up. Well, I mention the DT-01s in the description box. It’s just the final chapter of these buggies I haven’t opened yet. But I will. I think the Fighter Buggy RX is the start. The Rookie Rabbit is a spin off of the Fighter Buggy to my best knowledge? I am quite fascinated with the Mad Bull so that will probably be my start. I already have a Mad Bull body waiting for a DT-01 :-)
To be honest, I know nothing of those cars as for some reason, they have not been able to attract me. Really you like the Madbull? Something about it makes me both hate it and love it. Typical for a Tamiya I guess! Right now I have been looking at the 6x6x6 Semi they made. The name escapes me but it and that 3 wheel thing are so stupid and therefore, so brilliant.
AMPRO Engineering He he, Yeah, the Kong Head and the Dancing Rider? Those interest me a lot too. Very Tamiya’ish looking in a ‘new Millennium’ way. I’m just glad they still make stupid stuff that look very Tamiya’ish and not just the TRF stuff or the beautiful entry-level stuff. I like that too though. Well, right now there’s just too much of the old stuff that interest me a bit more. I’m not really into the DT-01 for the DT-01’s sake. It’s more like the obvious choice to explore in my Tamiya 2WD journey. I have explored the Grasshopper chassis, the Grasshopper II chassis and both the DT-02 and DT-03. So I’m ready for the DT-01 chassis that was in between all those. Then the line is complete. From the Grasshopper to the DT-03 :-) Well, that and then the connection to the Hoppers/Hornets: The DT-01 transmission and wing on the Rising Fighter. The modified Grasshopper II body on the Mad Bull. Well, it’s just a natural step, although I’m not sure if any DT-01s I’m gonna get gonna stay with me forever :-)
Yep those are the ones! I could not have put it better, I too am glad they still make stupid stuff. I have actually never even seen any of the DT series (other than the RF trans) but I think I need to. I tell a lot of people to look at the DT03 when looking for an entry level buggy. I mean I love my solid axle cars but it is like buying an Atari 2600 when everyone else has a playstation 4. I mean ill take the Atari but most will be disappointed.
And now the King Yellow 6x6 is coming. A School bus. Even more stupid than the Kong Head :-) Yeah, you should try some of the DTs. The DT-02 has nearly become an institution in itself, with all the upgrades and bodies available. But yes I think you are right telling 10 year olds to get a DT-03 instead of a Grasshopper. Though I think if the next door kid didn’t have a Stampede and the kid had never tried the difference of a double wishbone suspension the kid would have just as much fun with a Hopper/Hornet than with a DT-03. Maybe even more since the Hopper can handle being run into a curbe a lot better.
I always wanted a Hornet! Might buy one some day lol. For now my Traxxas Bandit XL-5 is allot of fun, just stinks I couldn't build it 😥
Yeah, half the fun for me is building these kits. But I do enjoy a good RTR too. I have had a lot of fun with Traxxas too.
@@NordicRC Yeah I loved building kits to. I built the RC10B3 and T3 factory team kits, Tamiya Monster Beatle ( got it as new old stock in 1998 for my birthday) Kyosho Outrage ST, Tamiya Midnight Pumpkin (early 2000's re release?) and the Tamiya TA02T chassis with the Toyota Pickup truck body but I forget what Tamiya called it haha.
That’s some pretty cool Tamiya kits you’ve build!
Currently have an original grasshopper, I need to collect the whole family. Will rising fighter front wheels fit my Grasshopper? It gets a lot of understeer, and the rising fighter wheels and tires look a bit wider, and I was thinking that increasing the contact patch would help it find grip.
Hi again my friend ! Uhh, I have no idea if they will fit. My first guess would be no, but I haven't tried. Not sure it would help much though, with the understeer. Lot's of the DT series use these wheels/tires and have a lot of understeer too. The Astral Dish front wheels (like on the rising fighter) are a lot bigger than the Grasshopper/hornet tires. so it would probably change the appearance a lot too.
Great upload, makes my phone upload an embarrassment,what camera did you use to film this please? Cheers dave
Dave Warner Thanks! My phone actually 😁 My camera is old and only shoots in 720 HD so that’s a no go. Hoping to get a new one one of these days, but meanwhile my phone is my camera :-)
How come the resolution is so good? If you want to get a new camera, I suggest a Sony 4K camera. They would be good in this situation, or do what Matteo’s RC Movies does and stick a GoPro to the car and see it through it’s point of view!
My first rc car ever was a grasshopper from there I moved on to the Hornet and that what got me into the next one which was an rc10 if it wasn't for remote control cars I would not be adebt that electrical and mechanical things. I think if kids played more rc as they're young a lot more of them would be able to use their brain and hands instead of just the phone and internet. I'm not hating I just think rc can help. and I mean real RC the kind you put together yourself
Yeah, I agree. I think it is a healthy hobby for both young and old. Learning, solving problems, creating and getting outside in the fresh air. Cool you had the two legends back then! thanks for watching and the interesting comment, Edwin!
I’m younger than 20 so... yeeeeaaaaaah... 😀
Was the body already cut out and painted for the special edition hornet?. The rims are def an improvement over the originals
j0nnyism Yeah, only needed the stickers. Very easy. Well, and painting the driver and lights. Usually takes some time and patience for me
If ur getting one of these as a runner i reccomend above the obviius bearings getting some spare tyres. The tyres wear soooo quick
j0nnyism Definitely and especially if you run them on tarmac. The Grasshopper’s paddles last a bit longer on tarmac. When I run my buggies on road I usually run them with on road tires, as the spikes wear out quickly.
Yeah I agree... My dad had a 1980s Hornet when he was young, and his rear tyres’ spikes just disappeared because he ran it on hard ground too much!
You know how on the Hornet when you were showing and testing the front shocks? You know how the little thing containing the o-rings went down with the screw when you released? You just need to apply more grease that’s all.
The problem with grease on outside parts is that they attract a lot of dirt after 1 minute of off roading. So I am very hesitant to apply it, and especially in large amounts. So are you referring to the front pogo sticks/springs? I think the best solution I’ve seen comes from Shen RC, cutting some of the springs, to help it move more freely, just like the Grasshoppers front pogo stick.
Hmm.. yeah maybe...
who is Franck Evans? :) mythic cars..... :) regards from France!
Frank Evans is the name Tamiya invented for the driver of the Grasshopper in 84. A lot of the old releases has a driver with a name. Quite fun 😅
And greetings back from Scandinavia!
This was I think the best comparison between all these buggies. I'm hunting for a cheaper option for the younger kids to use and abuse and this helped.
Thank you Trenton, for the nice feedback. Hope you and the kids will have a lot of fun.
Watching your slow-motion clips I like how the Grasshopper II moves. It's still a little too stiff, but the rear moves. Can you make the dampers softer, is it possible?
Thanks, Tomas. I haven’t been fiddling with it, but trying out softer springs and other shocks seem the only option. The Super Hornet works okay with the soft springs and CVA shocks but still stiff. I have an upgrade series with the Rising Fighter. Way too stiff. Generally the problem is that the throttle movement forward makes the shocks stiff. Some try to position the shocks more upright, using soft springs with no oil.
I see, so it is basically the design that sets the limitations. I keep wondering what Tamiya was thinking when desiging Grasshopper and Hornet. Grasshopper has en even more limited rear, its rear axle cannot swivel, only go up/down. In the Hornet they made the axle swivel a bit, but wrongly fastened. They should have done it with a single joint in the middle instead of the two grooves on the sides.
Yeah, it's the Hopper design from 1984. Never really worked :-) F>rom the Grasshopper to the Hornet, they tried to give the axle more flex. While the intention is good it really made it worse, with the throttle bringing the axle upwards and locking it with a loud bang :-) Several mods have tried to fix the Hornet/GrasshopperII/LunchBox . #rd shock mod is the most widely used (it dampens the movement upwards), AMpro made a brace similar to those on the DT-01 (Fighter Buggy, Mad Fighter, Mad Bull). You can check it out on AMPro's channel or in my Rising Fighter upgrade series. Shen RC (check out his channel) made a "fishing line mod". Check it out :-)
Right, I saw Shen's fishing line mod. Seems OK but I'd rather place some damping material into those grooves to limit the shock in sudden acceleration, perhaps some soft rubber above and below would keep it better in place. Hmm.. I'm really close to buying a Hornet again, I have a very short memory though, I may regret it.
So cool with your new Hornet :-) Just take it for what it is, an icon from 1984 :-)
Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm probably just making a fool of myself because you probably know more about this than me, but wasn't the Hornet released in '85 one year after the grasshopper? Because in this video you said they where both '84. Of course I wouldn't be born for many years to come when either of these where released so I may just not know what I'm talking about.
Hi my friend. My information is just obtained second hand too, so yours may be just as valid as mine :-) Several places I think (been a while since I checked) date the Hornet back to 1984, like late 1984, December 1984 (where as the Grasshopper dates back to the middle of 1984). So that is probably when the first Hornet came out, and maybe only in Japan. So it is definitely possible that it was released later, in 1985, in most other places.
Attention a very good film but let always look the place for the battery because those from The Hornet becomes quick free.
Yeah, and the same with the Grasshopper 😀 Thanks a lot for watching.
Is a roll cage available for the hornet? My issue is scale, these cars don’t look real.
Hi bro. Yeah, these are classic RC cars. 1980s buggy RC style. Not 1/1 replicas. For something more scale you should look at the previous buggies before the mid-80s. Like the Fighting Buggy etc. Not totally scale but looks more like a real roll cage, or classic frame buggy.
I think AMPro Engineering and others makes 3D printed Roll Cages for the Hornet.
@@NordicRC Thank you ☺️
I prefer the grasshopper because it has the hard body screwed down, I would like to see one with a 380 brushless motor system from traxxas
It should definitely provide more structure to the chassis. He, yeah, thought about the same, that could be fun. I might do it some day ☺️
Get to the Grasshoppa!
Love them all :-) :-) :-)
@@NordicRC More Hornets! Do you have a Subaru Brat?
Did Tamiya make a grass hopper super G ??
Hi David. Yeah, almost, they made a Grasshopper II Super G. Different colors (wheels, shocks) and a few upgrades. It's quite rare, especially the wheels.
Ah thought something like that thank you
I was about to say, the super g had a 540, yellow shocks, and neon yellow super hornet wheels and tires. I let a fellow collector get mine, had a funky purple paint job and the obligatory 90's pulse stripe. Ran good with just a 2.4 radio upgrade, msc still. Kinda miss it
I want one!
Hi Tony! Yeah, these old hopper/hornets are so "wantable" :-)
younger years sentiment :-)
かっこいい
🇺🇸thanks from John Robert Bruffett Junior of United States of America
Thanks from Scandinavia!
Is subaru Brut 2wd same as these?
Hi Dennis. No. The Subaru Brat is different. That one is an ORV chassis, same as the Monster Beetle, Blackfoot and Frog.
Nordic RC Visions okay thanks! Is it a nice car to drive? Or do you recommend something else for driving on rough terain or grass
Performance wise these are the worst buggies to drive. 1984 set up. But very cool, iconic, beautiful and great fun to run :-) If you want a recent 2WD entry-level buggy in a similar price range (from Tamiya too) the DT-03 is the best option.
Nice collection of bugs well they did give the last one the wrong name. They could of called the Rising Fighter the Cricket :-)
Ha ha, yeah, I couldn’t agree more. I think they, sadly, for us old ones, targeted that release for the young ones and their Fighter Cup Series. In protest, AMPro fitted his Rising Fighter with oil filled dampers and called it the Hornet III. Maybe I will rename my unit too to a fitting insect as they should have done in the first place. Maybe The Rising Hornet :-)
The Tamiya Dancing Earwig perhaps ?
Let’s leave the completely silly names to Tamiya themselves - they are so good at coming up with them, lol
Fast little bugger
Not very fast compared to modern buggies but cool, beautiful and very iconic :-)
2台ともいい味！(^_^)ﾉ
STILL waiting for a super hornet re-release
Yeah, that would be cool !
I picked up a super hornet at the local rubbish dump, came with almost everything except battery, it's a beauty she is... I'll be running it in our club in the vintage class
i have 1984 version
hornet
Nice!
Such an icon. Cool you got the original one.
@@NordicRC thx
Thank god for Mute button. TRUMP 2020! #Walkaway
Clickbait! Don't waste your time watching this video. Just a lot of boring footage, and no "guide" or information whatsoever.
Evidently reading is not your strong point.