Tamiya Mini 4WD RC Conversion!

In this video, I converted the vintage Tamiya Egress and Avante mini 4wd cars to radio control, and took them for a drive at the playground. Wow, these cars run really fast, I was taken aback by the speed as I had forgotten how quick they were on the tracks back in the day (1990s).
3D printed chassis for easy RC conversion:
• Tamiya Hotshot 1/32 RC...
Check out my improved Avante 2001 of this build:
• RC Tamiya Avante 2001 JR
Check out my RC mini-4wd TopForce Evolution with HyperDash3 motor, racing against RC mini-4wd Avante:
• RC Tamiya TopForce Evo...
Check out my FPV version of this build:
• Tamiya Mini 4WD FPV Ra...
Below are the items used for this project:
MINI 4WD STEERING SYSTEM SET (VS/TZ/TZ-X CHASSIS)
www.amazon.com...
1.5g Ultra Micro Plastic Gear Digital Coreless Liner Servo
www.aliexpress...
2.4G 6CH Remote Controller DC 3V-5V Transmitter+Receiver Module Control www.aliexpress...
DasMikro 1S 5A Micro Car ESC
www.aliexpress...
Tamiya Mini 4WD Avante with VS Chassis
shopee.sg/prod...

[@Psalm-ni3fh]

This would be a great product proposal for Tamiya.

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for the awesome comment!

[@terence79chan]

Also, check out my new TopForce Evo with HyperDash upgrade kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6HMZoqAZrmHd5I

[@kelvinchew3200]

Great stuff bro!

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for the awesome comment bro, you could check out my playlists for FPV, retro gaming and RC projects too. 😊

[@SANDSCORCHER]

Remarkable skill 👍🏻 Very impressive work Sir 😎

[@terence79chan]

Thank you for dropping by. Have a great weekend ahead!

[@hkrcstory]

Your video is very informative. I want to see good video and get useful information I'll come often

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for the awesome comment. You have a great channel too on scale RC models, will be checking out your videos 👍

[@shogunemperor]

OMG!! Classic! But EVEN better!!!!! Cool video bruh! I NEED this in my life!!

[@terence79chan]

Thanks bro! Building these little nostalgic beasts can be addictive, so you have been warned. 😂

[@shogunemperor]

@@terence79chan HAHAHA totally understand bruddah!! Totally understand!!! hehehe

[@rnyzen2.079]

Great work

[@terence79chan]

Thanks a lot for dropping by.

[@bradkalman2353]

Thanks for the sub.

[@terence79chan]

No worries, I will enjoy watching your vids.

[@tamiya_hotshot_club]

It is too great!!! Now I trying to make first type chassis Hotshot RC.

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for the awsome comment! I’m sure you will enjoy your build.

[@rudyramone4035]

Thanks Man. Got lots of old Tamiya 4wd lying around. Would love to do this

[@terence79chan]

Glad you like the video! Hope you get yours converted to RC soon.

[@penelopecharlotte5694]

Can you please make the version from Magnum & Sonic Saber? I really curious

[@terence79chan]

That will be cool, I will do some research first

[@bradkalman2353]

This is a 1/32 scale?

[@terence79chan]

Yep original 1/32 car kits from Tamiya

[@julianlim8692]

Omg I used to play with this

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for watching! I have fond memories of them too.

[@princebryantaboy4857]

Or can i use 2.4g 4 channels wireless rc transmitter remote with receiver board

[@terence79chan]

yes you could. I used 2.4g for my 2nd and 3rd conversions of these mini 4wd cars.

[@mobilecubing]

How to turn left or right that RC Tamiya conversion 😅

[@terence79chan]

LOL! Tight turns are definitely impossible, 90degrees turn are easily achievable with some fine tuning.

[@okimoto3101]

Waow this is will be a fun project, great job! Do you have/ made video on soldering diagram?

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for dropping by! You could see the wiring close up in my 2nd video “Tamiya Mini 4WD RC Conversion MK2”

[@limehuzki]

proto saber flashbacks when he put on the shell

[@obscuremix8198]

Can you recommend an alternative to the tamiya steering system?, I was looking for it but has sold out everywhere.

[@Ryantang01]

hello 先生想問下橙色嗰個配件邊度有得賣 ?thanks😆

[@terence79chan]

有時會出現，嘗試搜索"田宫15258"😂

[@thangngoquang5150]

Nice video, do you know where I can buy one for fm-a chassis?

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for visiting. There isn’t one for FM chassis For the FM chassis, you need to trim the plastic parts of the side attachments, to make flat surface to press against the side of the FM chassis, and you need to drill holes for tiny screws + washers to hold the side attachments firmly to the chassis. You would also need to cut the steering axle in half to readjust it’s width to match the FM chassis, by extending the middle portion with lunchbox plastic strip.

[@welshdave5263]

Hi, found your video from you servo review image on AliExpress.

[@terence79chan]

Thanks a lot for dropping by! I hope you like the content. :)

[@welshdave5263]

@@terence79chan Yes, I've subscribed, I didn't know steering kits existed for these. I would recommend making some kind of cover for that servo for where it is located, they get stuck from dirt etc really easily. I went to watch the next video from the description link but it's not available,

[@terence79chan]

Thanks Dave, that’s a good advice! I will see if there’s room for a 3D printed cover for the servo gear. I had fixed the broken link, glad that you mentioned it. :)

[@princebryantaboy4857]

Can you give some items to make faster

[@terence79chan]

Yes, I am experimenting with using the fastest Tamiya motor and a powerful ESC to achieve insane speed. check out initial test video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iprSmJqgnNZjetU

[@terence79chan]

Besides changing motor and ESC, you could also upgrade the gears to super high speed ones, check out this video where I 3.5:1 gear ratio. kzbin.info/www/bejne/laCXaHiYiJuLlZY

[@0173376262]

Hi Terrence, im using a 2.4g remote which came with two pins slot, one for motor 1 and motor 2. I didnt get a converter for servo jst, i cut the wire and twist connect the wires together. It sometimes moves abit

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for sharing your mod. I have upgraded the controller and receiver to Spektrum dsm2. It is easier to do fine trimming on the servo’s response with a hobby grade controller.

[@cheekuan86]

Can you send the products u used?

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for dropping by! The parts are all in the video description.

[@doylecholesterole1927]

Hi, the car tyres you got at 2:37, may I ask what is the height and width (front n rear) of those tyres? Was wondering if I can use them on other RC cars

[@terence79chan]

Hi, thanks for watching! The red wheels of Sonic Blitzer have 9mm width/24.5mm height (front) and 14.5mm width /24.5mm height (rear). The Egress white wheels have 10mm width /30mm height (front) and 14.5mm width/ 30mm height (rear).

[@doylecholesterole1927]

@@terence79chan okies, thanks for replying. Ill try use these later for another RC car

[@princebryantaboy4857]

Can i use tx4 2.4ghz 4ch radio system transmitter controller?

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for watching! Yes u could check my V2 version that uses 2.4g radio kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6TJaX-pnM2oeNE

[@memphismetuzella4410]

this is genius, realy wish tamiya can made this

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for the compliment, appreciate it

[@terence79chan]

Also, check out my new TopForce Evo with HyperDash upgrade kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6HMZoqAZrmHd5I

[@dessicator]

The high-mount set is actually LED compatible, though you might have some problems finding the original LEDs meant for it.

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for pointing this out, I will try to cannibalize tiny LEDs from LED light strips to fit them into the cavities.

[@dessicator]

@@terence79chan you might not need to. Tamiya still sells led kits for the 1/10 RC cars, they are actually pretty small and you might be able to adapt a kit for your purposes. You might even find a cheaper version that better suits your needs.

[@terence79chan]

That will be great, thanks for the tip.

[@jerrysmith7166]

if i sent you a full lexing 4wd rc kit could you do this for me at a price? please let me knoe

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for offering to commission this build. Unfortunately, there isn’t any Tamiya Steering System left. There’s one listed on eBay selling at 75usd. At that price, I could get a 1/10 Tamiya hornet or Grasshopper so it doesn’t make sense to build this anymore. :(

[@teeepao]

Hi terrace, i ve seen ur vdo for a hundred times! And i ve tried to make my own one, i ve some problems and i need ur help sir. When i power on the car my servo set default on the right. It doesn't set in the middle, how can i fix it?

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for trying my modification. Try to plug your servo into another channel on your receiver. Most likely, it is connected to the throttle channel which by default, is at the zero position. Zero throttle is full left for the servo.

[@bacab25]

Hi, good work and I really want to try it. I’m a beginner so could you pls add a link about the battery?

[@terence79chan]

Thanks, you should try it. It is absolutely fun! for the battery, just search for 400mah 1S on Aliexpress, the first few results would be the battery that I am using.

[@eugenek199]

hey thanks for the detailed build, love it. so far the conversions i've seen are from japanese channels, and they use custom fabricated steering systems which is a little out of my wheelhouse. your solution is more elegant. p/s: are you based in malaysia or singapore by any chance?

[@eugenek199]

ah, singapore i assume based on your shopee links in other vids. subscribed!

[@terence79chan]

Thanks, I'm glad you like my conversion method. I live in Singapore. I usually get these old school Tamiya cars from Shopee (sellers are usually based in Malaysia or Indonesia)

[@terence79chan]

Thank you for your kind support, I hope you will enjoy my other videos on drones, RF antennas and retro gaming handhelds. :)

[@SteveSuriadjaja]

Great work and great video, Bro. Brings back memories from 1991-1992 with those kits and spare parts.... Just a question: Can't we use the usual RC transmitter like FlySky or DumboRC? I'm building mine too. Cheers.

[@terence79chan]

Thank you for your compliments! Yes, you could use a normal transmitter like Flysky, check out my Mark2 video which I used a spektrum transmitter to improve the precision control. :)

[@SteveSuriadjaja]

@@terence79chan I'll try building it with my DumboRC. Gotta find micro servo and receiver.

[@terence79chan]

Great! Hope you enjoy the build. You may refer to the link in the video description for the micro servo.

[@julianlim8692]

Technically we could also hook the motor into a small capacity ESC..... hmmm...

[@vojtechstrejcek5592]

How big is range at second remoter?? Pls I realy need to know.

[@terence79chan]

The second controller (orange) has a short control range of around 110feet (to the Tamiya car on ground). The first controller (2.4ghz) has a better control range to the car, reaching up to 160feet. Keep in mind that range is reduced when the receiver is very close to the ground (in the Tamiya car), the control range to the same receiver in an RC plane or drone at an altitude of 10feet will easily double these distances.

[@vojtechstrejcek5592]

Thank you very much, i will try to do this too.

[@terence79chan]

@@vojtechstrejcek5592 no worries Have fun with your build. 👍

[@wzeng9653]

Hi does this work with super xx chassis?

[@terence79chan]

Unfortunately it will only work with TZ, TZX and VS. I somehow managed to fit it on Super1 chassis using bolts and nuts. This is the video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZiXo5mBlreZntk

[@cheekuan86]

That kit does not inlcude motor

[@terence79chan]

Yep, someone said the same thing too. My bad, I did not realize it at the making of the video.

[@veronsen8234]

Youse a healikoter sistem on your mini 4wd car man

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for watching. Yep, these micro linear servers are commonly used on micro RC Helis. Both controllers are 4ch-types for aircraft. :)

[@chan05chan]

You bought a kit that doesn't include stock motor... You should have read the inclusions...

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for dropping by. Yes, I would check the inclusions next time.

[@denmarkcenido4810]

New subcriber please indecate name of material pleaseee i want to build or upgrade my tamiya From:🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for watching! You may refer to the list of parts used for this project in the video’s description.

[@NBC_NCO]

Very cool. I did not know they had conversion kits for these. I ended up making mine into a 2WD with a custom 3/32" metal chassis for mechanical grip. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWKUiJ2Egq5oq9k I

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for sharing. Had liked your video and shared it with like-minded friends.

[@athgarage7412]

You dont need rollers, remove it 😁

[@terence79chan]

That is true 😂 , thanks for dropping by.

[@GyuHobbyRC]

I enjoyed a great video let's be friends🤩🤩🤩 우리 친구 해요!!!!!!!!

[@terence79chan]

Thanks for watching buddy, I will be watching your videos too.