Tamiya Frog - The History of RC Buggies - Build and Run!

[@user-uh6lm5wv6n]

How addictive were these boxes to look at?? man i used to spend an hour in the hobby shop when i was a kid looking at them, and because they were always stacked right up at the top they always held that prestige and unattainability about them. I always lusted after The Frog, who didnt!!?? and then The Punky Brewster show had that episode with the RC cars i was dying.

[@ToxicSocietyTroll]

The Frog was my 1st RC car that I bought for myself by putting in lay away as a kid. I still have it.

[@ravanomaroney8649]

Wow, lovely. I am the original owner of a Frog, Sand Scorcher & Kyosho Scorpion that I received in my early teens. I think I was about 14 or 15 yrs old when I got my Frog. My big brother had just gotten married & I clearly remember building this kit on their kitchen table. I started on a Friday evening & stayed in my pajamas building it the whole weekend. I'll never forget when I ran it for the first time & how fast it was back then. Alot of emphasis was placed on weight then as there were more electronics & motor & battery technology hadn't advanced to the level it is at now. It needs some tlc so I'm planning to hopefully sort it out soon. Thanks for posting the vid.... 🙏🏽

[@Abyssdiver]

This was my 1st real RC car as a kid, best Christmas present ever!

[@ThePerpetualStudent]

Same!!! Loved it. Got it for Christmas as well.

[@brandonbentley8532]

Great classic the Frog, loads of fun to build and run. I still love looking at old Tamiya catalogues.

[@concernedcitizen9373]

I remember standing in the hobby shop when I was 13 years old for an hour watching these videos. I started working when I was 14 so I could buy one. I have been hooked every sense. I think minimum wage wage 2.35. I worked my azz off to be able to afford car, remote, battery, charger.

[@stevew4632]

Haha. I would travel on a bus 1.5 hrs to go to the closest model shop just to watch the tamiya VHS video on loop. I would be there for hours. I'm 46 now and still have that warm glow when I see the video. Fantastic time to be alive 😊

[@concernedcitizen9373]

@@stevew4632 I'm 51 my first car was the Subaru brat. That was a lot of pieces to build by yourself at 14. I think it took me 1 1/2 to build it by myself 😂

[@stevew4632]

@@concernedcitizen9373 awsome haha. I had a brat too. Mine had no diff and a 380 motor in it. Fantastic looking car. I'll never get bored of the look on the early tamiya cars. I had a marui shogun shortly after which was a real good piece of kit.

[@concernedcitizen9373]

@@stevew4632 I got the 540 after a couple months and it was like a new car, I went big after that's and got the Kyosho optima. I bought the re-release optima in 2016 too ran a one time and it's a shelf Queen 🤗

[@stevew4632]

@@concernedcitizen9373 ah awsome. I went down the topcat route. Always wanted the optima. I'm sure it was on record breakers in the UK doing the longest jump by an rc car. Always fancied the original ultima too but never got one. 😁

[@HomeBuiltByJeff]

I was always jealous of the kids with Tamiya cars as a kid. I only every got the super crappy budget versions. Nice to see they are still around.

[@danielgiles2579]

Home Built By Jeff same here I’m now 38 and only just brought a rerelease of the frog

[@yusmanjamil4794]

I used to envy those rich kids who can have those Tamiya cars. But now I am living my dream. I have in my collection almost 100 RC cars of all sizes and versions.

[@Number27]

that's often the way with us when we grow up!!

[@robertnussberger2028]

The future is awesome.

[@GregDixson]

Had this as a kid, so much fun! Still remember that big box and the smell of those rubber tyres. Whizzing it around everywhere, good times!

[@Number27]

Very well described on the smell!! Memories!!

[@RickOAA]

After my brother got an RC10 his Frog went into the parts bin. I resurrected it with a custom Trinity sprint motor I pieced together and a Novac ESC. What a riot that car was.

[@Number27]

Really great fun! Thanks for watching!

[@DanielRichardson-mi2fo]

This was the RC car that my dad purchased for me and my brother all three of us for Christmas one year this back so many great memories I miss you Dad

[@johnpodo]

My childhood memories and is doing it for my son. Reviving the memories with my son of what I had been brought up

[@firearmshistorian]

In 1988 I had a Tamiya Frog. I threw every performance part I could at that car, and it gave me countless hours of pleasure in return.

[@michaelkim3432]

Hey Jack!!! Been following you since the early Influenzo days and I knew about your RC hobby, but I had no idea that you had long ago posted up a vid on the Tamiya Frog!! Wow, such great memories...the Frog was my first and only RC buggy kit!! I was still in college, but when I got the kit I think I built it in one all-day session. I still remember how shocked I was at how FAST the Frog was out of the box!!! Alas, as the years wore on, it just sat gathering dust so I sold it off. But now I'm eyeing the new Tamiya BBX!!

[@Lydok]

This is the RC car that my dad got me when I was a kid. He and I put it together. I'll never forget it.

[@eddiemunster5171]

Wow! I had The Frog and The Clodbuster back in the 80's. Awesome, you could still find them today.

[@lukeingram7655]

Most of the classic Tamiya cars are available again as re-issues

[@hondaxl250k0]

I’ve got one of these!! It was my grandfathers. I use to play with it as a child. About to restore it and run it again.

[@berniecoles2337]

I longed for one of these when I was a kid, but never got one. Can’t complain as I had a MX bike. Now I’m old I fulfilled my desire to own an off road RC car and own a 6s Arrma Senton. I might be a lot older, but growing up is optional and it doesn’t disappoint. It goes like a cat on a hot tin roof.😁

[@gregchristofi1318]

Great.... still got my original 80s Frog sitting in a box in the garage.... might just put some time towards getting it up and running again!

[@isaaclyonsf1]

Greg Christofi, good idea!

[@tingokuman]

My 1st RC was the frog in 1987. Mine was unfortunately stolen right out of my backyard. I recently got back into RC. I have numerous models of today's RC's but your video really made me all warm and fuzzy. I'm going to buy another frog.

[@Number27]

So satisfying to read a comment like this!! Enjoy your Frog sir, nothing like bringing back those childhood memories!!

[@mamalamapoontay3339]

I finally got one after 30yrs! Easy and fun build.

[@chatbass2468]

Yep, I think that will have to be me. I dreamed of these things when I was a kid, but it was just a pipe dream then

[@amphilbey]

Love this, family friend had a Frog way back in about 1984. My first RC car was a 2nd hand Hornet (grasshoper based but with a diff if remember right?) then went 4WD with the hotshot after one turned up racing and beat everyone in the mud.

[@jacquesleconte8152]

Great memories, thanks for posting. I started with the Lancia Rally which I got my older brother to build because I was 7 then a frog with Black Motor which gave about 5 minutes run time. After that a Marui Samurai which was chain 4wd like the kyosho.Then when bit older a Midnight Pumkin. Wish I still had them

[@Signofevil_Smile4theCam]

Aaaaaah, cool, same here, always wanted the Frog, couldn't afford it, went to help with some jobs for my dad to be able to buy the Hornet. Later on i upgraded the Hornet with a Mabuchi RS-540SD Black Motor, which was THE motor back then. nice memories. My best friend actually owned the Frog and we drove with it inside a river in shallow water. :)

[@Number27]

Thanks for sharing the memories!! Hope you've bough one now as well

[@tomspanyol5532]

Subscribed when you got the influenzo, built a Tamiya Dark Impact recently now my son wants a Frog to race against me - put the Frog into KZbin and this is the first video up! I had seen reference in some of your more recent videos to RC cars, but didn't know you had videos on them. Enjoyable, we will be purchasing a Frog kit!

[@davidbradley8229]

Brilliant video. Think I'm gonna have to buy one to relive the good old days.

[@Number27]

Yes do!!!

[@davidbradley8229]

@@Number27 I've done it. Not finished building it yet as it came with nylon bearings which I'm definitely not using. Currently sat waiting for the postman to come with the ballrace set.

[@chrisburger4518]

If I recall, I got a full kit from Price Club (now Costco) in Richmond, Va for about $100. It was around 1982. It came with a basic remote (non-pistol grip) and rechargeable nicad battery. I assembled it on my bed as a teen one weekend. It ran great, but the rear drive linkages were a definite wear item. It was a great buggy, and my first foray into real/quality R/C toys. As an adult, I still had the running kit and someone purchased it from me on-line for their girlfriend. The Frogger set me up for a life in R/C including gas and electric helis, planes, cars, truck and a few DJI drones. I wish I still had it. :)

[@zonegamma8197]

cool to see these RC cars. I never had one as a kid continue the series on RC cars please

[@BenjaminGrimley]

I built the Tamiya Rough Rider in 1983. They came out in 1979. I had to save for months, i think it was around 150 pounds which was a lot of money for a 16 year old kid in those days. Amazing bit of kit but it eventually got run over by a car (yeah, I shouldn't have been driving it on the road) I cannibalised the RC bits to build a Mardave Mini, which I still have in its original box.

[@NordicRC]

Good video. You don’t waste any time. Great collection you got now. Good run and footage with the Mighty Frog.

[@Number27]

Thanks man, appreciate your nice feedback! It was nice to run the car again.. although i was mighty embarrassed in a public park.. at my age

[@aussiecoastie72]

So awesome 👏 such an RC classic !

[@LukesVintageRC]

So glad to see these! Finally finished restoring mine. Great fun, Thanks for sharing.👌

[@andrewmagro7703]

i just ordered one and it came a few days ago ive wanted one of these since i was 8yrs old when they first came out in'83 my cousin a few years older got the marui Hunter for christmas and i got the jet hopper and that was a big deal for me and i loved it and boy did i drain some batteries on that sucker but i always wanted either the Big Bear Datsun or the Tamiya Frog , so know i am anxious to start building and i am doing the paint scheme as the box art , keeping as original as i can although using an electronic esc is a must lol

[@mooseyman74]

I saved up and bought the Grasshopper as a kid, drove it until the tyres were bald 👍🏻

[@jeffmays7192]

Nice! The Frog! My first RC Buggy.

[@makingtechsense126]

My brother bought a Tamiya Frog when we were young. I bought a Kyosho Blizzard and put a van body on it to make a monster tank.

[@glrcmotorsports]

Had one of these 25 years ago. Love it. Had the hornet, and grasshopper.

[@mhnoname11]

Had one... Was fun. Good quality for the 80s

[@TomColontonio]

My first RC car! Man the memories!

[@MrIdasam]

Me too, man. I got mine Christmas of 1985, I believe.

[@wereallydontknowwhatweredo5038]

An icon for sure! Great build! Great drive !👍

[@carlharvey7098]

Big fan of your videos my friend and as always this is just stunning - takes me back to my younger days when i wanted all these things

[@sqwidink1]

Grasshopper. Was the entry level car.

[@ryanmccormick2150]

The frog! I totally forgot it even existed ! Thanks for the remainder and I'm looking forward to your next vid 🥇🖒

[@GTiR23]

I had a Blackfoot which was based on the same chassis as this, great fun and great memories!

[@stevew4632]

Did you strip the diff gears? Everyone else did on those chassis haha.

[@GTiR23]

@@stevew4632 About once a week! haha

[@dre9484]

This car was so much fun to build and really easy! the HARDEST part of this was getting the inner rims inside the tires.....that was the only difficult part of this build which is weird but oh well...

[@twisterwiper]

I hope they will reissue this again. Most inventories seem to be depleted. I really want it 😊

[@PaulDoldenDetails]

Great video Jack love the camera mounted shots really cool 😎 and I remember my friend having one of these the memories of yesterday's RC cars have come flooding back ✌🏻

[@stephenlozano2816]

I had the Frog back in 1983 I believe. It was my first real R/C car that wasn’t a toy.

[@ewanturner4381]

Love the slowmo shots :)

[@marksmejkal4267]

Love it still got my boomerang from 87

[@monsta3038]

Cool video I had a frog in the 80s. Great rc car wish I still had it!

[@Number27]

Thanks for watching buddy.. buy one.. feel like a kid again!!

[@duncanmatthews1977]

I wanted the Frog but couldn’t afford. Have two young boys now - just bought off eBay a pair of old Grasshoppers as I had one of those secondhand. Happy days

[@CreaturesandDrag0ns]

Came here to see if they fixed the rear end. The kit used to have a problem with the axles but now they have dogbones. Much better.

[@Number27]

Yes indeed!! Still not the best driving buggy compared to modern stuff.

[@pean0928]

Yes, remembering replacing those hexagon axles after almost every drive, that was a poor design... but when it worked it was fun as hell!

[@DEXXXO]

Back than a Owned the Tamya Hotshot and Now Manta Ray XB Build 😘

[@rc3151]

This was really enjoyable! I would like to see the scorcher it is cool and important. The one I would love to see would be an Rc10

[@richardprice7763]

It was only the rich kids who had these when I was a kid. One kid's parents bought him one from Harrods and actually paid for them to build it! I was so jealous...

[@catxls1835]

Cool video. Thumbs up!!

[@powersmodelgarage]

Love the 🐸 Frog

[@AdventureTimeRC]

I just a bought a vintage frog off ebay great video cant wait to run mine👍👍💣

[@Number27]

Enjoy it and thanks for watching!!

[@Asphalt_iggi]

I too liked the Frog back in the 80's but instead I bought the Fox. Going to live the past again and buy the re-release.

[@Number27]

Fox is great too, my friend had one.. much better car than then frog really. thanks for watching!!

[@georgeyaknowthegeorgeyeathatme]

Frog is better, jsut get softer springs in the back and cut part of the front springs in the front and the suspension is pretty good, it also is very nimble, the fox cannot turn for its life.

[@magnusjohansson295]

That's old school for ya.

[@Prakgreat]

Memories..... Had a Hornet 85 Then got a Hotshot II 87. Bought the black gold motor for it. Changed suspension ft and rr to the Supershot type. Then got 8v battery NiCd battery pack. Then the steering type controller... Was so quick but uncontrolable 😂

[@KS-wt9gj]

The Futaba radio, servo, charger, and battery I bought doubled the cost of the Frog. Actually drove the tires off that car. The year the addiction began.

[@MadMax-vy9hk]

I to always wanted the frog was showing our age LOL all I could afford or my parents anyway would buy me was a thing called the jet hopper. It was slow as unknowingly as good as tamiya. When I first started work back in the early 90s I bought myself a hornet. I still have it somewhere it’s probably in the loft.

[@tissinierguillaume1318]

My first was a terra scorcher, i was 13 years old, now i'm 45 and my Last buy is a boomerang to restore 😙😙😙

[@John-gu4rw]

I bought a frog as a youngster. It seemed way overpowered to me at the time. There was really no controlling it. Even on paved surfaces it would just spin the tires. It had such a short wheelbase that with the power it had, steering was virtually impossible

[@Hyperion65]

Not sure I would say there wasn't a huge amount of difference between the Frog and The hornet. Back in 1985ish me and a few coworkers would race these cars (Frog, Hornet, Grasshopper included) around after work. I was the only Frog on the track, err baseball field. I could easily lap the lower Tamiya cars easily. All of us were first timers at the time.

[@Funco1979]

The Frog was no doubts superior to The Hornet.

[@ducktapepilot]

Oh man I wanted one of these as a kid! I remember I asked for it for Christmas but I think it was $80 at the time so there was no way

[@Number27]

Same here.. I got the cheaper Hornet instead!!

[@jackdr1759]

OMG We both love alfa gtv and tamiya buggies. My dad has a phase 2 2.0 gtv. Also, i have a tamiya brat, and a few others.

[@unmoderatedahole]

I'm surprised the re release is as affordable as it is. It's got so many metal parts and stuff.

[@Number27]

Certainly they are cheaper than they were when they first came out!! thanks for watching

[@derhampaul6888]

Yea i want 1 il get 1 for Christmas the frog good

[@Myglowplug]

Damn this takes me back 34 years, use to race my frog against my buds in the sand lot and their hornets and RC10, Ultimas, good times for sure, thanks for the flash back. 👍

[@Number27]

Glad you enjoyed it.. taking people like me back to the old memories was my purpose exactly! Thanks for watching buddy!

[@dre9484]

Finally bought the kit from Amazon! I’d like to know the details of the other items you got as I will need them.

[@Number27]

You’ll need a transmitter www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222656210772

[@Number27]

A steering servo, a 7.2v battery pack And charger. Maybe call a hobby shop as it will be easier to get it all in one go

[@dre9484]

Number 27 thanks for the info! That’s a good idea... the drive set I was looking for is way too expensive. Just want to get what I need at a reasonable price

[@Number27]

Buy second hand on eBay for better value

[@RCACTIONAUSTRALIA]

Nice video 😎👍🏻🇦🇺

[@karenmurray3098]

hi great video I have a frog and I want to know if you have problems with the dog bones jumping out ?

[@mishimposble]

The rear diff gears are a fatal flaw for this gearbox. Luckily I've found a few videos on KZbin with diff mods and upgrades to fix the problem.

[@FreePalestineFreePalestina]

Awesome!!

[@krs7709]

Hows the frog going these days do you run it much? Hoping to pick one up soon👍

[@Number27]

Don’t run it at all to be totally honest!! Was embarrassing enough when I took it to do the filming and was spotted by several other adults. Need to go with the kids!

[@krs7709]

@@Number27 😂😂 yeah know what you mean fella! Thats why im giving my little girl my grasshopper n im going to get a frog! Can get away away with it then!👍😂

[@magnah5581]

I had a Hornet and after many months of Saturday car cleaning and newspaper delivery bought am Avanti the 4x4 car of my dreams

[@Number27]

Mag nah wow... fantastically engineered car the Avanti but too fragile to be successful at the racing it was designed for!! Love them

[@magnah5581]

So true mine broke a front suspension link which was Carbon Fibre and cost me 3 weeks car washing for the replacement from beatties , The good old days.

[@bartononsea1990]

Interesting - I was going to buy a Hornet for my 5yr old son, but still have flashbacks to constantly super gluing the front suspension 'struts' - frog could be the way to go, still RWD but with decent shocks on the front - nice one! Just as quick?

[@DaveyGa]

Frog front suspension sucks! No shocks and very limited travel. This is from a big Frog fan btw!

[@karabinas]

I bought the Frogger at Sharper Image in the 80’s, I didn’t know it’s power and ran into a cement curb…it exploded 😢

[@MrIdasam]

I got one of these Christmas of 1985 if memory serves me correctly. My father assembled it for me, so I don't remember how long it took. How long does it take to assemble?

[@timothygray6031]

Great video the frog is a classic tamiya buggy just bought RR of it what did you use to highlight writing on tire sidewalls thanx

[@Number27]

A white paint pen.. can find them on eBay

[@Georgelooney87]

Does the frog have a flimsy body like the hornet or is it more solid like the grasshopper?

[@Number27]

Flimsy like the Hornet

[@Georgelooney87]

@@Number27 shame prefer the sturdier grasshopper body. Cheers

[@NUCLEARARMAMENT]

I would love your opinion on Losi and Traxxas and how they stand up against Tayima these days.

[@Number27]

I raced against Lost when I was young but never ran one.. good cars though. Not sure how they compare nowadays but proper racing cars. These Tamiyas were just for fun really

[@NUCLEARARMAMENT]

Number27 Thanks for telling your experience; I agree with your statement on Tamiyas.

[@Number27]

Pleasure !!

[@maverick744]

Tamiya will always be the best for me.. the best thing about them is they teach you mechanics and you can upgrade them which is part of the fun to rival modern RCs. Traxxas no doubt is the leader in the industry but how much fun is it to lay down a ton of cash and have it the best right out of the box? It’s like going straight to the best where Tamiya and Kyosho pits your imagination to limitless possibility’s.. I’ll take ANYONE on with my fully hopped up Tamiya classics.. always bought the cheaper model and sup it up to smash the money baggers!

[@thomaswilliams7930]

I'm 48 years old and that was my 1st RC car my dad bought me as a kid the frog

[@nomusicrc]

Could’ve done without the music do they still use the hex drives which strip out or have they gone to dog bones

[@Ubcs_flyboi]

Dog bones

[@1Stunna2323]

Quick question for you mate. Does the kit come with window masks for the body?

[@Number27]

Nope. the hornet does but not the frog..

[@danielgiles2579]

I never understood why the frog didn’t

[@MrJUANIGNACIORR38]

Noo Music!! Original Song Please!!

[@michaelsmyth5658]

Wy dont you run the other cars

[@bestamerica]

' i have one tamiya frog car with 4 traxxas tires / wheels and 2 traxxas shocks on the front... little up height and wow very beautifully perfect design... 4 tamiya wheels on the tamiya frog car is a not really look good

[@eighty3219]

Ha

[@simonyoung6120]

?? Completly different to a Hornet..

[@Number27]

Not sure what your point is? But thanks for watching!

[@hammerhome7879]

OH my god , they still use that crappy popping stripping diff....

[@Number27]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Ubcs_flyboi]

Yes but there's a couple ways to fix it a cheap shim way and an expensive ball differential

[@JG-lx5bo]

I love the Tamiya frog and I've just started an RC channel if you want to check it out

[@deckard5pegasus673]

some advise, don't do the slo-mo crap, it just ruined the video!!!

[@DanielRichardson-mi2fo]

And I just looked and you can purchase this still today I did not know that I am buying two for my son and I brings back so many memories

[@DanielRichardson-mi2fo]

But I'm not going with that paint Scheme sorry the body still come clear correct

[@DerhamPaul-vo8fr]

1983 I think