![]() I intend on driving the Hornet on pavement, so I mounted street tires that come from a Tamiya Blitzer Beetle. The white wheels match the color of the original Hornet wheels, but these truck wheels are much wider and have a ton of lip for a great look. To give the Hornet a wide stance, I went with a set of wheels from a two-wheel-drive Tamiya stadium truck called Stadium Blitzer. “It’s worth nothing that most of the T4works aluminum parts are available in at least ten different colors.” ![]() To preserve this spirit, I fitted the Tamiya TEU-105BK ESC and the stock silver-can Mabuchi 540 motor that came with the buggy. Although the Hornet is not a high-performance machine, it is an enjoyable and affordable basher. The minimalist-style bumper is sturdy and adds a realistic vintage buggy look to the Hornet. I also replaced the stock plastic bumper with a Blockhead Motors aluminum bumper that is anodized in black. The aluminum motor mount increases the rigidity of the motor unit, while the oil cap adds a touch of flair. To further enhance the build, I added a stylish T4works billet motor mount and billet oil cap. I installed T4works billet hangers in anodized purple, which are much stronger than the stock plastic parts and made a bit longer, at 8mm in length. The long shafts will be necessary when I mount wider-than-normal front wheels. I also opted for the Lunch Box version of the uprights, which come with longer shafts. The factory plastic steering uprights were replaced for T4works’ anodized pink reinforced aluminum uprights. It’s worth noting that most of T4works aluminum parts are available in at least ten different colors. Looking to inject more quality parts into the build, I jettisoned the flimsy plastic factory side bumpers in favor of T4works sturdy aluminum side bumpers. “The lowered stance was attained by placing spacers above the front shock towers and inside the rear shocks.” Although I aimed for the lowest possible ride height, I did leave a small amount of play in the suspension. As a result, there is minimal or no damping from the springs and shocks, leading to a harsher ride similar to that of a real car when lowered. The lowered stance was attained by placing spacers above the front shock towers and inside the rear shocks, resulting in a pre-compressed suspension and a decreased ride height. The AMPro parts arrived quicker than I anticipated, which was nice. I also ordered parts from AMPro Engineering, which are 3D-printed on demand. The T4works parts had to be ordered from overseas, so waiting for them to arrive was a trial of my patience. For those who may not be familiar with the brand, T4works is a Japan-based company that specializes in slick aluminum upgrade parts for vintage Tamiya buggies and trucks, including the Hornet. I dove head-first into T4works Tokyo’s catalog of hop-up parts. Prior to starting the build, I made sure to gather all the aftermarket parts I intended on installing together beforehand. I love the Hornet’s original vintage box art look, too.Ī minimalist Blockhead Motors aluminum bumper replaces the plastic bumper the Hornet came with. The Hornet even came with a factory painted and decaled body, which looks immaculate. Being that it was a pre-assembled vehicle, all I needed to do was concentrate on upgrades. This brings us up to date on the genesis of this latest special project.Īs mentioned earlier, the X-SA Hornet only requires a 2-channel radio system and steering servo to be installed. Since building my first lowriding Hornet, I’ve been itching to build another. I embarked on my slammed Hornet project after being inspired by a group of RC customizers in Japan who were creating a unique style that I refer to as “slambug” or “slammed buggy.” These modified buggies were not built for performance but rather for their eye-catching appearance.Īfter seeing them during a trip to Japan, I knew I had to build my own version of a lowered and widened RC buggy. I have since updated the low-riding buggy style and adapted it to this X-SA Hornet. Regular readers of RCCA may remember a “slammed” Hornet that I outfitted in similar fashion a couple of years ago. ![]() The lowered suspension gives this Hornet an aggressive stance. ![]()
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