IT"S FINISHED! Tamiya Ford F350 Build Project. First Run & It's Broken In 4 Minutes! Kit 58372

[@reddsshaker3477]

Loved mine. Wish I hadn’t sold it when I got into RC4WD Trail Finders. My F-350 was actually quite capable. I locked the rear steering right away. I also installed a ‘gearbox up/motor down’ kit off of eBay. That effectively dropped the center of gravity a bit, and allowed a LOT more ground learning under the transmission. I wire a custom LED light kit for it, and installed a set of RC4WD 1.55 IROK tires on black ‘steelie’ beadlock rims. It was a great trail truck. And yes, I replaced that plastic servo saver with an aluminum one.

[@leehurst6922]

We have the clone of the bruiser painted and decalled like a proper bruiser. These are tough as old boots and only ~£150 all in. Fantastic value

[@mikeymike3240]

Same, did you know that the makers of the clone actually produced Tamiyas re re bruiser, plus the HP is an rtr and I love it.

[@StefanDembowski]

Nice, I used a zip tie to hold the servo saver together.

[@mikefly562]

I build the Tamiya F-350 about 7 years ago and it was a fun and challenging build, and so far it's still running good, but I only run it once in a while in my living room. For rock crawling, I'll use my axial SXC10.3 and scx6 vehicles.

[@stewartlewis3503]

Thanks again EuroRC!

[@RCKickschannel]

Yep, I couldn’t do a kit like this on the show without the sponsorship. I’m doing the truck myself and OMG it’s so expensive and the cost will never be covered by video advert revenue.

[@BlackSeaRC]

It's about time that Tamiya gave us a new 3-speed truck! If they updated the chassis a bit and offered an interesting scale realistic hard body then I'm sure it would be a future classic.

[@videobrains]

The same thing happened to my Hilux Highlift. Luckily I had a couple of extra metal servo arms on hand. The transmission was a pain. I disassembled it five times before it worked efficiently. The first four times, I just tried to follow the instructions to the letter. But at the fifth time, I analyzed how it works rather than what the instructions indicated. I discovered that the instructions lack one c-clip in between the gears, which is why transmission always jams during gear changes. Also, the shifter rod was a mere 1mm with tiny end caps. It would pop off whenever I tried to shift. So I replaced it a 2mm rod and larger ends. Anyone who wants to build this should be ready to improvise and modify when things don’t go right.

[@dmanalang9037]

I love your recording studio. Found myself looking at the RC models on shelves more than what you were showing.

[@evolution4ward923]

Love the A-Team inspired paint job👌👍👍

[@Happy3dprinting]

I pre ordered this model when Tamiya first announced it, this wasn’t my first build with a 3-speed transmission as I have built truck previously, but the build for most part is identical. The main thing I noticed that you had far more plastic parts than I had, all gearbox gears were metal, the servo savers were a combination of plastic and metal parts, and the leaf springs were not as harsh as the ones on your kit. The real thing your missing is the light and sound kit that was a £250 optional extra (at that time) which does transform the kit to its true market which is scale model, not rock crawlers or bashers that are dedicated machines. If you do decide to build an RC Tamiya tank (I have several) take more care in construction as things can go wrong and are not easy to fix but I truly recommend you do as they are great fun and funnily not very safe for kids due to fingers in tracks - ouch. The tanks are not single day builds unless you want to go blind or insane :) Great videos, love watching, keep em coming :)

[@user-bd5md5cm2j]

You really made this truck look nice. I love those wheels and your paint and trim is great. I bought the Toyota for me and the f-350 for my son. This was probably 10 years ago. I had fun building them with him. I was really disappointed after getting to run them outside. Probably the biggest let down in my rc history.ha ha ha...after owning the original bruiser and then a rere... these two new trucks are just almost non Mobil off road. So i really just stuck it in a corner and forgot about it. Recently, ive been watching lots of vids on better set ups. So ive changed the leafs and im gunna up size the wheels and tires. See if i can get some clearance. Its cool to look at, but a total joke in performance. Yours is beautiful. Great info.👍

[@AddamsPlayground]

If I were to get one it would be a show piece build not a real drive it around and break it kind of thing. Yours came out nice and I had the same failure in my Grand hauler, those servo savers are not cut out for heavy trucks at all. Replaced it with an aluminum servo horn and made sure my end points one set before running it!

[@RCKickschannel]

Yep I upgraded it and the truck is fixed again now.

[@jeffbrundt7740]

I have to agree with your assessment on where these old Tamiya trucks stand. They are excellent for what they are; scale running models with neat features, but if you really want to go crawling you need a dedicated vehicle for that purpose. There's just no comparison. Plus if you wanted to bring these old Tamiyas up to today's crawler standards you'd spend a ton of money...way more than what you could get new OOB. I just finished the repro Hilux/Bruiser and it was a very fun build but it is nowhere in the same league as a dedicated SCX (or similar) crawler. But I do love it. It's great for tooling around and just driving and it looks spectacular and scale. Plus those hard bodies are very detailed and you can paint them anyway you want. I will most likely get the repro F350 and paint it up and run it as is (maybe swap tires...but that's about it) and enjoy it for the nostalgia it brings. FWIW i posted some pics of my repro Hilux/Bruiser on the FB group....

[@andreasbrandstetter9221]

Yeaag, mine has headlights, rear lights, rollbar lights, soundmodule and a selfemade 4 link suspension with coil springs.... and of course broken mirrors 🤣

[@RCKickschannel]

I’ll fit some lights to it as I have a module kicking around.

[@andreasbrandstetter9221]

@@RCKickschannel i build that myself most the time, its just some led's and some resistors...

[@siarcenglish]

Sweet ride. Building one myself 👍😆

[@stephenmanley4097]

I haven't got one of those, got a Mountain rider with 3 speed gearbox, really enjoyed building that. The grand hauler was a fantastic build and still got lots to do on that. You will enjoy building truck. Warning they are addictive, you find yourself wanting to another one or two. 😃

[@mikeharris7885]

Finish one and start looking for the next kit!!

[@tonygregg6957]

Totally agree, I have the Tundra High Lift and it was a really enjoyable build that got me back into the hobby. I've built an Axial SCX10 ii now to use and it's much more capable. I managed to find the Junfac 4-link kit but I think it's better to just accept the truck as it is.

[@c.hazell6279]

I opt'd for the Tamiya Tundra push bar. It looks way better on this truck than the OEM pushbar.....especially when you add the LEDs, however, it does require a circular arch be put in the bumper to allow the body to properly fit over the pushbar. Also installed the MFC-02 and locked out the rear steering. BTW, rubber replacement side mirrors are available on ebay in both black and white should you ever break them.

[@RCKickschannel]

That’s for the tip on the mirrors 👍🏻

[@NOTORIOUS_J_RC]

I'm just in the process of finsihing one now and I love the build. I never intended for it to be more than a good looking scale truck, so I'm not too worried about it's lack of ability. Love the 3 speed transmission. Opted out of the 4ws (for now). I'll definitely be looking into a better servo saver after seeing yours explode. Thanks for all the vids. Helps this new scaler out quite a bit.

[@RCKickschannel]

I enjoyed the engineering aspect while building it. It’s a good stepping stone before a truck

[@daanrutten1176]

Cool build! Nice to see the cars in the background turned

[@trilbyrollers]

Thanks for the painting tips!

[@ronaldgandia6048]

I added a JunFac 4-link suspension kit to my Tundra and while it loses the scale look, it is much more capable as a crawler.

[@warwickeioncampbell4737]

The rc4wd kit is similar but with better chassis with leaf springs. you may be able to use the rc4Wd springs on it.

[@trevorcourt1403]

Glad you changed the dampers to old man emu looks cool now, you did a great job btw👍🏻

[@RADIOACTIVE2000]

Tamiya tough baby!

[@sanderdevolder4805]

It came out great Gavin! Yeah, these kits aren't made for the rough stuff, but they look (and in my case sound) awesome running along a forest path! Personally I went and removed the rear axle steering after my first testdrive, my 20kg servo had a difficult time moving all four wheels due to the weight of the truck and the added weight of the MFC unit. Now with only frontwheel steer it works like a charm. I believe the manual actually tells you to upgrade te servosaver to the high torque set if you plan to run this kit in earnest, and to also remove the mirrors. It would be cool to see some bigger tires and wheels on this truck, could make it look really mean ans perhaps improve on the terraincapability. Keep the good stuff coming!

[@RCKickschannel]

Hi SDV, yep I upgraded it when I fixed it. The kit needs a really strong servo to get the steering back to centre. I do like driving it on flat gravel or dirt, but like you say it's a bit on the chunky monkey side like me lol.

[@BlackSeaRC]

I have a Toyota Hilux High Lift (the HG-P417 clone version) and with 4WS the truck really wanders around quite a lot. As soon as the rear wheels hit an obstacle the standard steering servo just isn't strong enough to hold the wheels straight. But if you are going to upgrade the servo, you might as well upgrade the gearshift servo as well as that isn't always powerful enough to stop the gearbox dropping out of low range. So that is 3 new servos and suddenly the expense starts adding up. Anyway, I have been driving my High Lift on some fairly rough trails and it is great fun. See it in action at BlackSeaRC.

[@traxxasfans]

Looks amazing but like you. Say needs to be a bit tougher I had the blazing blazer back in the day. .

[@RCKickschannel]

I wish you still had it coming the current prices! Wow Fingers crossed for a rere.

[@glory7153]

You broke that part of the servo (G16) because you did not trim both servos. Always begin at 10% trim, then slowly work your way up to max (where that part you broke begins to very slightly open up). Moreover, the advice you gave with the leaf spring is wrong. The manual (those were carefuly studied and tested by Tamiya Engineers) is correct. BC25 should always be on top of BC24. It is there to maintain the form of the truck. BC24 and anything below it are the ones that provide shocks. I looked at your other video, and already I can see your truck listing to the left because you reverse the order of BC25 and BC24. I built mine a long time ago, and the only mod I placed there is to add lead weights to mimic the scale weight. The result is really x 1000 good. It looks realistic when crawling.

[@MauzyrockRC]

absolutely wicked looking! Thanks for the pro tips!

[@RC4X4]

The truck looks great. I need to change my steering servo but the MFC is a nightmare to move. I'll do it soon though.

[@skagerstrom]

I turned out really nice! It's quite impressive though how Tamiya can make a 5-6 kilo truck (my Tundra weights that much I think) that runs like crap suspensionwise. :P

[@nickbowker5134]

Hi , you can get plastic primer .if you get clear plastic primer you can use it on clear shells too

[@CobaltOntarioadventures]

Like a true Ford

[@michaelqendro9825]

Yeah, number two!

[@johnwindsor9069]

I had the Toyota version years ago. These kits are more shelf queen than anything else. Beautifully detailed, just not good for even the slightest bash.

[@BlackSeaRC]

I don't know, my High Lift has been used on some pretty rough trails and has always performed fairly well, considering the suspension set-up. You can see mine in action by checking the videos at BlackSeaRC.

[@BlackSeaRC]

I don't know, my High Lift has been used on some pretty rough trails and has always performed fairly well, considering the suspension set-up. You can see mine in action by checking the videos at BlackSeaRC.

[@andrewmagro7703]

Awesome finish there Gavin, Way nicer in black and being Tamiya its a 100% super cool , thanks for all the great info in regards to this and hope to see some more awesome lookers coming on the channel real soon , Cheers :-)

[@RCKickschannel]

Thanks Andrew. Truck soon and hopefully a tank at some point. Soon I will be getting the Super Avante, Wild One, Wild One Jun Watanabe (twin build with Rebecca) Porsche 934 anniversary edition and I'm sure a few others I've forgotten about lol.

[@wadeskelton7585]

I’d just like to build one someday - they drive kinda meh - you did an awesome job on the truck though!

[@diamond66ist]

Tamiya cars look good but break so easily , best kept on a shelf i think.

[@barrycheesemore2928]

That is a bloody good looking pickup truck, reminds me of Marty McFly's one from Back To The Future ;) Anyway, Tamiya kit servos savers, boy are they shite!! I don't generally use them, always go for either the Tamiya High Torque one or a Kimbrough one, waaaay better. I love the look of these cars, very scale and realistic, just not very practical. And way out of my price range ;)

[@SengLeeKoh]

Quite sure the Tamiya Cr-01 could have made over those logs.

[@RCKickschannel]

I put a cc-01 over the same logs. You can see it one of the CC-01 Land Rover Discovery build videos on the channel

[@THEMASKEDMASTER]

✌🏻😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Looks nice dude 👍🏻. Can’t believe it broke that quick though & how it broke blew my mind into 3 pieces 😂.

[@RCKickschannel]

I know right lol. Not like I was bashing on it.

[@MrTamiya89]

The Steering Part's Need To Be Metal, Not plastic. 😃👍.

[@robcraighill6315]

Looks awesome but agree about the wheels Gavin. Can you get a set of bead locks?

[@RCKickschannel]

I will look around and see if I can find something

[@JoevsRc]

What yellow shocks are those?

[@Shauntipson]

I would like a build of the tamiya rock socker

[@RCKickschannel]

So would I! I really like that truck.

[@jameshedden1570]

Very educational videos. How do I go about getting a RC Kicks sticker?

[@RCKickschannel]

Sorry, all sold out currently

[@Tamiyastef]

You did an awesome job on the build and especially the paint job! There's always something about these high lifts that seems to be out of proportion, you might be right it's the wheels and tires because the Mountaineer looks so much better in this respect. In the short (he-he) running video I got the impression the rear has a bigger wheel angle than the front?

[@johnmiceli6228]

What happen to the sound sys and lights. Tamiya has a sys for the P/U trucks

[@RCKickschannel]

Budget limitations. It will happen at some point, the truck is staying.

[@alfredyost7972]

These Tamiya trucks are not crawlers. I have other trucks for that. These trucks look cool and are fun to build but I think they would only be good for basic trail running. I think a very cool video would be to compare this truck to the fake Chinese one. The fake one is much cheaper but how do they compare? Are the fake ones better? are they worse? I have not seen any videos comparing the two trucks. Thoughts?

[@RCKickschannel]

I'm trying to get the fake one for the show but I have zero budget left due to funding the truck build unfortunately. It is my plan to do that so as soon as I can I will do it Alfred.

[@alfredyost7972]

@@RCKickschannel I understand, it is expensive to do this. Especially ,if you only have your KZbin channel as your only source of income. Maybe you can sell one or two cars that you featured on your channel to finance other projects you would like to do? I did see your video on refurbishing an R/C to make money. I have done this a few times and made money on doing it. The Tamiya car I had the most luck at buying , refurbishing, and selling extra parts was the Porsche 959. Thoughts?

[@BlackSeaRC]

I have a Tamiya Toyota Tundra High Lift and a HengGuan HG-P417 Toyota Hilux High Lift in my collection. Apart from the electronics that are fitted in the RTR HG truck, the rest of the truck is remarkably similar. Of course, plastic and metal parts can look similar but be made to different standards but unless you drive both trucks side-by-side in identical conditions, it is very hard to judge the reliability of each. I have had parts failures on the HG but I've also had problems with the Tamiya product. I have tested the HG is some quite rocky terrain and it drives just as well as the Tamiya but at a substantially lower price. You can see the sort of terrain I have tested it in by checking the videos on my channel, BlackSeaRC.

[@alfredyost7972]

@@BlackSeaRC I have the Tamiya Bruiser and I also have the Tamiya Ford F-350 truck. I also have the 2 fake trucks of these made in China. The fake trucks do appear to be made well, but I can not be sure. I have not had a chance to run any of my trucks because of work. I will check out your videos! Thanks

[@BlackSeaRC]

@@alfredyost7972 The Tamiya Bruiser is an iconic product but for me, nothing beats the original Hilux and Blazing Blazer! They are the trucks that started it all off and only recently, 4 decades later, have trucks started to embrace scale realism again.

[@SEAN-fx5dm]

Hi Gavin, I have a completely unrelated question ref this video. Would you be interested in doing a video dealing with upgrading an Arrma Typhon mega to brushless? I am more than happy to send you my car, just send it back as sent 😁

[@RCKickschannel]

Thanks but I’ll pass Sean. I have a brushed to brushless upgrade buggy ready to come on the channel when a slot becomes available. Thanks anyway 👍🏻

[@SEAN-fx5dm]

No snags, keep up the good work 👍😁

[@DaveyGa]

It looks like a New Bright rc toy rather than a scaler. Friction shocks on a big $ RC? No wonder it never interested me. Good video though, Gav.

[@RCKickschannel]

Yep the replacements are so much better. More scale looking for start.

[@TeriWilde]

"Wing Mirrors"?? Surely you mean Door Mirrors since they're on the doors and haven't been on Wings since 1978.... and Tamiya Servo Savers are all junk, even the ones on the 1/14 scale trucks, so get a Kimborough one.

[@RCKickschannel]

In the UK we call them wing mirrors regardless. No clue why lol

[@TheTruthHz]

Ouch. £400? and it's broken. Thanks for getting this and showing the flaws. Definitely not worth getting and completely agree with your assessment. Much better things out there with better capabilities and probably cheaper too. 🤔

[@RCKickschannel]

I fixed it now with a replacement servo horn.

[@BlackSeaRC]

You can always get the HG clone in RTR form for 200 GBP instead...

[@RFVCXR200R]

Of course it broke that fast, it's a Tamiya.

[@robertward5047]

Why didn't you get the reproduction one? Er.. Because I got it for free.

[@RCKickschannel]

This was a paid sponsorship so I was sent the truck yes. I just couldn’t afford to purchase this one for the show TBH. At £25-£30 revenue a video I would have to make 12+ videos on it just to get close to covering its basic cost.

[@robertward5047]

@@RCKickschannel I wasn't trying to troll or anything. You don't owe me or anyone else an explanation. I think it's great you get stuff for free to show us. It shows that your channel is gaining respect. Just though it was a more accurate answer. Apologies if that was out of order.