Schumacher Top Cat - Does my 30 year old RC car still work?

[@OdykKayne]

Fun! :D I still have all my dinky cars from when I was a kid (like...300 of them!) My brother and I had a huge dinky car 'city' strewn across the floor of an unfinished room in the basement...2 train sets as part of the city as well...I think there were at least 25 playsets for the city (construction sites, a restaurant, a hospital, a fire station, a police station/impound yard, various garages and car dealerships, truck stops, farm machinery repair center/dealerships, 2 farms, a race track, a port, a parking garage....)...it was awesome! All from Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Majorette, Corgi, Road Champs, Yatming....we also made our own stuff for it too by recycling things around the house (milk cartons, bristol board, cardcoard, etc)...there was a 'housing development' and a 'National Park' as well as two airports, a freeway, a junkyard, two military bases....even had our own 'currency' we drew on little slips of paper that we used when visiting each other's halves of the city...the couch and TV in one corner were mountains It's a shame we lose our imaginations as we grow up... Thanks for rekindling my memories! Looking forward to your next video on cars of a larger size! :)

[@titchness8487]

Since I was 2 there was always a helicopter in my room, I thought it was a model. Turns out it's an RC helicopter that my dad got when he was my age. Hasnt turned a blade since the early 80s since my mam crashed it. So with lockdown I got it back to my dad, he has the helipad/control charger and it'll be in the air in the next week or so!!! Unbelievable that its still in working order after all these years

[@duncanmartin2626]

Love the Top Cat. Loads of people converted them to Cougar spec because they didn't like the "snap back bands", but I like that you kept yours as designed. I got my Tamiya Manta Ray going last week - it's huge fun, and amazing that the early 90s electronics still work. :)

[@jefferysmith3930]

Way cool Matt. As a teen ...about 1985...I fell in love with an Audi Quattro RC car I found at Radio Shack. About $70 at the time. Didn’t get but never forgotten. About 8 years ago I was looking on eBay and found a few for sale. Couldn’t justify over $100 at the time to make it mine. After watching this, Time to start looking again!

[@mb8804]

Well I must admit to being surprised with your choice for the first EV on the channel. This took me back to my school days in 1989, rc card were all the rage.

[@furiousdriving]

haha Ive done a few EVs now, this has the worst range though

[@mb8804]

@@furiousdriving fun per mile, I'm sure this comes out on top.

[@histriamagna1014]

I remember my Mercedes C111 model from 1982. I was 10 yrs old and so proud of that car. Never let anybody to play with. Sadly my wife threw it away few years ago thinking it was a bag of garbage...

[@furiousdriving]

Noooooooooooo!!

[@histriamagna1014]

@@furiousdriving yes....😭

[@GPSOMG-]

@@histriamagna1014 shouldn't that be ex-wife lol

[@histriamagna1014]

GPSOMG 😀😀😀

[@richwrag3308]

You forgot the foam in the tyres. Awesome to see an original topcat brought back to life. Of all rc cars the topcat is the last one left on my list to get. I have a procat on way, have the cougar, the tamiya df03 and db01. I'll find a topcat at some point this year, gotta make it happen 100%

[@adamfuz637]

I am always leaving the tumb up when I see your video. I see that you are just having fun during the recording IT. We need more youtubers that are making videos because of their passion

[@scarboroughrider]

I’ve one of these I used to race as a kid. Aged 45 I must get it back out as loved it

[@scarboroughrider]

I’ve got one also . Built brand new still brand new as not fitted servos etc . Started age 9 with a mardave meteor then straight to cat 4wd but wanted a go at 2wd again then sadly stopped as found girls age 14 🤣. Great years I must get mine going. Rob 49.

[@charlietoms4634]

Great watch funny enough the youngest son had been knacking me the last few days to try my 90's Nikko Peugeout 205 RC car, my Dad picked up at a car boot sale a few years ago, surprisingly all works apart from it missing the Controller Ariel! It has a cool feature off starting the car up, with a switch on the back and makes cool car noises, my boy loved it😃

[@Stevieweevietv]

The tension to see whether it still worked! Impressive to get it going after so long. Good work 😁👍

[@rahmann936]

That takes me back a RC car. My nephew got one as a Christmas present along time ago. A WRC silver Peugeot 206 model car. I assembled it for him. And he had a lot of fun playing with it. I did a internet search recently. And used ones are still selling for big money.

[@72twink]

Diff sounds loose, when you launch you hear it spin up before it gets going. Then slacken off the pinion to spur mesh - much too tight, mesh them on a piece of foil then take the foil out.

[@rydermike33]

There's nowt like a good old rummage in the loft. Mine is full of treasures. (Junk). That's a great model, nice to see it 're-born'. Many thanks Matt.

[@dazad1972]

great idea, i have a 80's tamiya grasshopper somewhere in my loft might just dig it out lol,

[@AJB1]

Do it! They've re-released it, so you'll be able to get spares easily.

[@stephen_graham]

Change to Lipo batteries, they are lighter, better run time and more omph. Also the motor sounds a bit noisy a drop of oil on the bearing might help.

[@maxidyne]

So cool you still can get spare parts, and that it still works after all these decades! Really nice to see you reliving your childhood memories. I use to have the Tyco Outlaw, it had a extra ''engine'' with a couple of batteries that made it go faster. Got it on my birthday as well. Sold it 10 years ago.

[@furiousdriving]

They reissued them and now you can again, Id been looking on and off for years

[@darrenparry2891]

I remember seeing these at an after school radio control club in the late 80’s 👍

[@barryjackson8512]

Thanks for the memory trip

[@davewright7512]

I started with a TLO1 chassis Tamiya in around 1998, had loads over the years and even raced! Now I’m on a large scale FG marder!

[@CarBoreBoy]

Would definitely be up for offering the right price to take this off your hands! I've an original Tamiya Escort that i built in the early 90s, but always wanted a real buggy too - and this is the one i missed out on. Great to see it taking a thrashing all these years later and getting some love too, just what i'd do. Also, i'm typing this from one mile away from Schumacher's factory here in Northampton where the in-laws live - never realised until this week. Tempted to head around and see if they've any of the re-releases left lying around... :D

[@RichieRouge206]

This model is so cool! I remember having a Fiero model in 1988 which had a cable so you had to walk behind it 😂 it had pop up headlights though! Love the restoration though - something I would do too! Great video

[@CaptainHoratioPugwash]

I really need to get my HPI Racing MT2 nitro machine up and running again. I think I was a bit young for it when I got it so I didn't persevere with getting the setup just right; the steering never sat quite straight and the brake never worked as well as I think it should. It's been sat for over ten years now so I wonder if it will even run...

[@Aro800]

Really enjoyed the video, watching you run after the buggy all the time.

[@neilwalsh4058]

Brilliant video. You've inspired me now to drag out my sons RC car. Got it for his 10th birthday, we bought loads of spares and swapped suspension to more robust metal components etc. He used it for a year or two then it got forgotten about. Was a decent one too, Kyosho I think?? I used to buy spares from a place near Leeds and he's called Matt, so that's too much coincidence not to drag it out and see if I can't get it running again😁

[@furiousdriving]

I used RC Car Shop - MB Models - as he had all the Schumacher parts in stock, really quick delivery too, hes got everything!

[@richwrag3308]

You can use animal castration bands instead of the kit supplied bands. They hold the front arms more securely and are much cheaper. I have the re release cougar which is the same other than the crash back system and laydiwn front shocks. The topcat was the 2wd car to beat when I was at school in the 80s. You shouldn't have an issue sourcing parts

[@steven-vn9ui]

Matt, if the new battery is NIMH chemistry which is likely you will need a charger to charge NIMH. I believe your old original battery was a NI-CAD which use a different charging method. There's probably an RC club near you. I race weekly, indoor, carpet 1/12 mini and it's a riot !

[@ash7990]

I had one very very much like this in the 90's. I reckon around 1998 or so. I don't know what make it was but it was bought from Sussex model centre and was pretty expensive I remember. It was great fun to begin with but very very unreliable. You couldn't just use the buggy time and again. It seemed to have a different problem every time it was used. Nearly caught fire twice - once the battery melted, and the other time the little throttle circuit board thing attached by a rod to the servo started smoking and nearly caught fire, motor gears stripped, steering a mind of its own and also would just move off itself randomly like yours - just could never get those adjustments right. The plastc cover rubbed on the wheels too. It was good but higher maintenance than a real car haha.

[@paulwlynch]

That reminds me of the RC buggy my mum bought me.. It wasn't as good as your one but I loved it and I used it so much... Might be time to start dropping birthday and Christmas hints to the wife. ...

[@trmn311]

Your never too old to have a great childhood! Brilliant!👍

[@stevenjones19-m8i]

Hi Matt what a awesome video,I own one of these cars in 1/10,the Topcat was a great car to use but they made one called the Cougar,the shocks are upright instead of lying down,maybe the receiver has a break on it,the steering needs setting up,too bowed in.but I won some trophies with mine.

[@CaptainHoratioPugwash]

Following on from my comment two days ago I'm going to blame you for the £80 I've just spent on parts! I think I got my truck for Christmas 2005 so it probably hasn't run since late summer 2006. I'll be sure to make a video of it's first cold start in over a decade. Going through the whole thing with the exploded diagrams has really got me in the mood for buying a kit to build.

[@lennartkrischik4757]

Schumacher is actually still a very succesfull race Company, if not the best currently, at least on carpet and astroturf. I am racing one, and its amazing. Its so Addicting its like a drug man

[@ian6985]

Looks like the front shock absorbers at least have lost much of their oil - that is causing the steering geometry to be out (especially right front as you look at the front of the car) and hence veer off to one side under acceleration

[@Timson254]

Diff was slipping and you made your gear mesh worse after adjusting the motor. Looks like you could do with some oil in those shocks too! Careful - picking up old hobbies... I did exactly the same as you and quickly became obsessed and have since spent a small fortune... things have moved on in 30 yrs!!!

[@samsdadalways888]

Damn it! I want one now! 😁 Awesome video 😃

[@ajhl9898]

I had a Tamiya Hornet in the mid/late 80's ....so much fun.

[@jamiemorris5177]

You have now got me digging out my old one need to order a new suspension brace arm and it’s good to go My 1st car was a hornet then a bigwig Always wanted the porsche 959 back in the 80s never got it was around £280

[@furiousdriving]

check out MB Models, they seem to have most parts in

[@jamiemorris5177]

furiousdriving Yep I’ve had it out this morning Then found found out the front suspension brace is broken to luckily they both come in the same kit ordered some new clips to I’ve already got a new battery and charger from the other year so won’t be long till it’s up and running again

[@cruxinterfaces]

Great video, we will be at SEMA Thank you for the content

[@andyfaulkner355]

ThunderShot and Hornet for me. Still have them in the attic although I have a feeling they might be making a reappearance!

[@schon74]

Good video,confused me as I have a lot of rc related subs but this was furious driving 😂

[@dandandan389]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@BobM925]

That’s it, I’m going to get my old Tamiya Falcon out of the attic and put it back on the road. It hasn’t run in 25+ years so I expect it’ll need tyres and batteries too

[@alchapman1052]

Certainly different and a lot of fun by the looks .

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

That thing has more wayward handling than Hillman Imp!

[@furiousdriving]

Its also faster than an Imp!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@furiousdriving, certainly a bit faster than the standard Imp!

[@dannywalker6279]

Nice I always wanted a Schumacher back in the day I was just a kid. We ran losi. Si how do u think this would of compared against a losi jrx2 and rc10

[@LOTPOR0402]

Bet that Schumacher RC car is quite collectable now .I was reading somewhere that the guy that started the company used to work for Cosworth

[@furiousdriving]

I can believe that, its a proper piece of engineering

[@LOTPOR0402]

@@furiousdriving They were much better than a Tamiya ,and old Tamiyas go for stupid money especially unstarted original release kits www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264273485141

[@rimmersbryggeri]

I had a tamiya Honda NSX, quick as hell but didn't take kindly to Ice racing..

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Time to dig out my RC R53 and S60 and go for a blast

[@roberttaylor7462]

Spent many happy days modding Schumacher R/C cars to run properly fighting poor battery life and waiting for crappy chargers to finish.

[@JimmyThomasjtpro14]

YES RC content I love it!

[@furiousdriving]

Shame lock down is easing, Id have had an excuse to get some retro Tamiyas!

[@cbforme]

Had one of these back in the day

[@aedwards123]

Did you try the old charger with the new battery? It probably still works, there's not a lot to go wrong in them.

[@janetrichardson3527]

That’s the car that shot down the drive and under the gate into the road when you first had it, fortunately not much traffic at the time.

[@NickT6630]

Great video. Ive just bought a top cat too :)

[@richwrag3308]

Put a foam tyre on your transmitter. Should fit

[@LeadsTheFallen]

Shouldn't it have a wing on the back?

[@furiousdriving]

It never had one while I had it, guess it broke before I got it

[@Scrubworks]

Get yourself a NimH airsoft battery. They have really impressive capacities and won't go bad after a year or so like the old NiCad batteries do.

[@smoothmicra]

It lives! 😁 Never been a huge fan of RC cars, unless you can crash them into each other at high speed. Right kids?😉 Great vid, good to know that someone has thought to make a business out of selling spare parts for retro toys.

[@connorbryant8060]

Why are you using a multi tool when you have a garage full of tools and what happened to the audio at the beginning

[@furiousdriving]

Thats a multi allen key tool, some bits were on the phone

[@coopers4491]

Great content matt !!!! 🚘🚘🚘🚘STAY SAFE....🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧😄👍👍👍👍👍

[@furiousdriving]

Thanks! You too

[@alanparis7256]

Hi. LOL your scraping the barrel for videos now !!! Take care stay safe .

[@furiousdriving]

Barn find to running in 20 minutes? I need to do all my resto videos on R/C cars from now on..

[@alanbellwood3902]

You now need to do a vintage Tamiya build...well a modern vintage Tamiya build. The excuse......your fans demand it :-)

[@furiousdriving]

Well, if you insist!

[@AJB1]

@@furiousdriving I may have accidentally bought and built a Wild One and a Hotshot since digging my vintage Fox out of the loft and fixing it up a year and a half ago. I thoroughly recommend it - good fun and brought back lots of great memories!

[@louisjames1062]

Kc daylighters smileys will do nicely

[@jonphelps3638]

haha! nice ref to the Fat Back Band Matt -

[@seancooke4127]

It's aliive! Awesome. Glad to hear that the rooster 🐓 is still in full tune. At least you guys shouldn't have to brave the supermarket for eggs 🥚. Completely uncontrollable even attacked the Gopro. Hilarious. Now hand it over to your son Matt. Come on let go. Let it go.

[@paulgriffiths6344]

Whatever the size, you just have to love cars.

[@jasoncornell1579]

But does it have a tea shelf?😁

[@furiousdriving]

You can try..

[@jasoncornell1579]

Plastic cup maybe

[@StevesMachines]

I might have to pop out and get a good car like that for my kids :)

[@furiousdriving]

For the kids...of course

[@barryroach1980]

11:46 - comprehensive school instruction video on applying and fitting your first condom!!

[@jasoncornell1579]

Porsche 959 real not radio controlled?

[@furiousdriving]

Porsche 959?

[@jasoncornell1579]

One of the all time great Porsches😁

[@darrenwilson8042]

Childish - you big kid....................................that WAS fun lol !!!

[@marksmith3469]

I gave mine to my son I dont know if he uses it

[@angierodriguez8848]

i have radio shack ones

[@realnutteruk1]

Been watching Laurie?

[@furiousdriving]

Yes, but to copy him Id have to get some steam models!

[@grayfool]

Good fun. You really need an excuse to play with toys? Getting older is compulsory, growing up is entirely optional. I opted out.

[@furiousdriving]

Dont need an excuse to play but do need one to spend!

[@grayfool]

@@furiousdriving Good point!

[@realnutteruk1]

Sorry, but did you just say "square hex pattern"???? Did you mean octagon?

[@furiousdriving]

Not exactly..its a bit like an iron cross that slots into another Iron Cross

[@realnutteruk1]

@@furiousdriving so no hexes then?

[@peterbollans9982]

Wanna race against a rc wrx subaru impreza wrx ? xD

[@furiousdriving]

Woud definitely loose at the moment!

[@dainsmart6237]

You need to get a drone camera bolted to it and put a rodent costume on it and scare the neighbours o ye red eyes that light up LOLOL

[@angierodriguez8848]

i have like 4 very expensive

[@realnutteruk1]

More importantly, should I but a 2002 Mini One with 140k miles on the clock, that's never failed an MOT in it's life, for £1300.....

[@furiousdriving]

Yes! My 2001 has 130k and is brilliant (apart from the airbag light but they all do that)

[@realnutteruk1]

@@furiousdriving The motors cope with big miles ok? I'm going to look at it tomorrow... the pics look fab, and the MOT history is awesome..... but I've never owned a BMW.. lol

[@delukxy]

£900 max.

[@realnutteruk1]

@@delukxy Hmmmm... it is a dealer, so I'm expecting to pay a little over book..... I've called them and emailed them today and got no response..... even with Covid I'd expect to make contact.... I think they just lost a sale....

[@alexstewart2534]

Aye

[@peterfi.]

self driving electric car before Tesla!

[@huwdavies6650]

Likelihood of kids liberating this from dad????🤔

[@furiousdriving]

Slim unless you can control it with an iPad..

[@huwdavies6650]

🤣

[@HopaHopEspanol]

love it, who wants be my friends ;)