Shows / The RC Deep Dive
The RC Deep Dive
Welcome to The RC Deep Dive podcast, your daily masterclass in the world of Tamiya radio-controlled model vehicles in under 30 minutes.
This is the ultimate anti-fluff resource for Tamiya RC builders, bashers, crawlers, collectors, drifters, racers, and speed runners. We publish a new, concise episode every day, focusing on the vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) models that have defined the radio control hobby.
We go beyond the RC hobby workbench. One day we're detailing HOW-TO guides for…
Episodes
The RC Deep DivesXe: The Straightedge Connection to the R/C Hobbyist Community
The unlikely cultural overlap between the straight edge hardcore punk scene (often shortened to sXe, XXX, or just X) and vintage Tamiya RC car enthusiasts is…
The RC Deep DiveWhat Aftermarket 540 Motors are Good for Your Tamiya R/C Model Vehicles?
Beyond Tamiya's own 540 motors like the Tuned and Super Stock hop-up options, there is a wide array of 3rd party aftermarket 540 motors you can use to hop-up…
The RC Deep DiveWhy Did Tamiya Prefer the Volkswagen Modified Type 1 Baja Buggy Over the Standard Bug?
Tamiya, during the golden age of R/C completely ignored the standard type 1 Volkswagen Bug, instead focusing solely on the modified Type One Beetle, the Baja…
The RC Deep DiveTamiya's Halloween Themed Radio Controlled Monster Trucks and Cars
This episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast brings out the spooky and analyzes the best Halloween-themed Tamiya R/C monster trucks and cars, comparing the…
The RC Deep DiveExplaining the Gen Z and Alpha Generation Love of Vintage and ReRe R/C Model Kits
What is causing Gen Z and the Alpha Generation to get into vintage and rere (re-release) Tamiya R/C buggies, vans, jeeps , trucks, cars, and busses? It's not…
The RC Deep DiveIs Tamiya's E-Ring Tool Really That Good And Worth the Cost?
We all know the pain of installing or removing the e-ring or e-clip, often called the Jesus clip or Jesus ring. Normally, R/C hobbyist pliers and a flathead…
The RC Deep DiveThe DC Comics' Superheroes of the Justice League and Their R/C Cars
If the greatest superheroes of the DC comic book universe in the Justice League like Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Firestorm, Aquaman, Martian…
The RC Deep DiveUpgrading ORV Chassis Cars, Trucks, and Buggies to TRF Aeration Damper Shocks
If you really want to get control of your bouncing rear end on your Tamiya ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis 1/10th scale R/C vehicle like the vintage Lancia 037…
The RC Deep DiveReplacing the Shock Springs in Your CVA Dampers
You are out bashing your off-road buggy and on the process of doing massive jumps off a huge ramp at the lovely skatepark, and you see something horrible. Your…
The RC Deep DiveThe Tamiya and Futaba Connection in the R/C Golden Age
In most of the world, vintage Tamiya R/C model cars, tanks, buggies, trucks, vans, and busses all included or recommended Futaba servo savers, radio control…
The RC Deep DiveWhy Did Tamiya Never Make a Mighty Frog Jr. 1/32nd Scale Mini 4WD Racer?
Tamiya made so many junior versions of their iconic vintage off-road R/C buggies in their mini 4WD (Four Wheel Drive) on track racer line, but why didn't they…
The RC Deep DiveAre Zip-Ties the Best Choice for Securing Driveshaft Joint Rubber Boots?
Tamiya instructs you to attach the drive shaft joint rubber boots at the gearbox and secure it with a black zip-tie nylon fastener to the out-drives in ORV…
The RC Deep DiveLegendary WWF and WWE Superstars and their Iconic R/C Vehicles
What is the ultimate tag team if not the pairing of iconic WWE superstars with their legendary Tamiya RC model counterparts, based on shared personas…
The RC Deep DiveConvenience vs. Craft: The Change From Uncut to Pre-Cut Decals
Why were Tamiya's original radio controlled model vehicle decal sheets uncut? And why did they start pre-cutting some (but not all) of the decals in 2005? What…
The RC Deep DiveFrom Radio Control to Mobile Control: The R/C Hobby Cell Phone Revolution
How did we get here? 2.4 ghz was a huge increase in technology from AM (Amplitude Modulation) and FM (Frequency Modulation) crystals. But that was a huge…
The RC Deep DiveThe Need for Speed: Tamiya's Fastest Brushed 540 R/C Motors
What are the fastest high performance 540 brushed motors for 1/10th scale R/C cars, buggies, trucks, vans, busses, and tanks? What are the differences in the…
The RC Deep DiveThe Popularity of the Osiris D3 2001 Skate Shoe in the R/C Hobbyist Community
In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we step into fashion, explaining why the iconic Osiris D3 2001 skate shoe has been unexpectedly adopted by many in…
The RC Deep DiveMCI Racing and TBG: Aftermarket Vintage Reproduction Decals and Lexan Body Shells
In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we peel the backing off of the vintage Tamiya R/C restoration market by examining how MCI Racing navigates a legal…
The RC Deep DiveWhat was the Average Age of the R/C Hobbyist Community in Each Decade?
As the R/C hobby has changed over the decades, how has the average age in the radio control hobbyist community changed? We travel through time, from the…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is the Holiday Buggy and Who is the Driver Figure?
The Holiday Buggy is an iconic radio-controlled model vehicle that really captures that 1980s spirit. But what holidays are the buggy's name speaking of, if…
The RC Deep DiveThe Tamiya Juniors: 1/32nd Scale Mini 4WD Racers
The first Tamiya Mini 4WD Racers were 1/32nd versions of popular 1/10th and 1/12th R/C buggies, cars, trucks, jeeps, and vans. Which radio controlled motor…
The RC Deep DivePackaging Dreams: The Box Art and Artists of Vintage and ReRe Tamiya R/C Vehicles
The boxes of Tamiya models, radio control model vehicles, and junior racing mini 4WD (Four Wheel Drive) cars and buggies are more than a marketing image, they…
The RC Deep DiveOperation Super Frog: What's the Fastest Motor You Should Use in the ORV?
What is the fastest motor that you should put in a Tamiya Frog 1/10th scale radio-controlled buggy and what is a line too far? What ESC would such a motor…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Fix and Restore Broken ABS Hard Plastic Body Shells
This episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast details the definitive method for not only repairing but restoring and strengthening cracked hard plastic ABS…
The RC Deep DiveThe R/C, TTRPG, and Skateboard Hobbyists' Analog DIY Rebellions Against Passive Consumerism
In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we analyze the parallel DIY (Do It Yourself) old school resurgences observed in TTRPG (tabletop role-playing…
The RC Deep DiveWhat R/C Magazines are Still in Print Today?
While the death of print is being eulogized and lamented around the world, there are still a couple of english language radio controlled model vehicle…
The RC Deep DiveWhat to Do When Even CVDs Pop-Out of Your OVR Chassis R/C Vehicle
If you are racing or bashing your Tamiya Subaru BRAT, Lancia 037 Rally, The Frog, or any other ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis radio controlled model vehicle in…
The RC Deep DiveThe YouTube Vintage Tamiya R/C Community
[NOTE: There are so many great Tamiya R/C focused YouTube channels that we couldn't name them all, even if we went for an hour, so apologies if we didn't…
The RC Deep DiveLet's Get into to Team CRP (Custom Racing Products)!
CRP (Custom Racing Products) was one of the biggest 3rd party aftermarket hop-up manufacturers of the Golden age of R/C. They made products for Tamiya, Kyosho…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Properly Store Radio Controlled Model Vehicles
There's lots of ways that people store their radio controlled cars, buggies, trucks, vans, jeeps, and busses; some ways being better than others. But what are…
The RC Deep DiveTreating and Preventing Thread Lock Chemical Burns
Sometimes when building a radio controlled model vehicle you will inadvertently get liquid blue or AG (Anaerobic Gel) red thread lock(er) on your skin and it…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Remove Shock Damper Eyes From Their Ball Connectors
If you've ever attempted to try removing a shock eye from a ball connector on a damper's ball joint, you know just how frustrating that it can be as it is hard…
The RC Deep DiveLet's Get Into HobbyWing!
The HobbyWing QuicRun 1060 has become the default basher ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) and the 1080 has become the default crawler ESC for many in the R/C…
The RC Deep DiveShould You Use Vintage CRP Moly Grease on Your R/C Model Vehicles?
If you find an unopened NOS (New Old Stock) package of CRP (Custom Racing Products) Black Moly (Molybdenum) grease, is it safe to use on your radio controlled…
The RC Deep DiveThe Kydex Nerf Wing Mounting Screw Problem for R/C Batteries
The CRP (Custom Racing Products) and Pro-Line Kydex Nerf Wings are great hop-ups for vintage and rere (re-release) Tamiya R/C model vehicles on the ORV…
The RC Deep DiveHow Good are the Pretenders to the Throne of the R/C Holy Trinity of Greases?
Newer isn't always better, although sometimes it is. In the R/C hobbyist community, 3 lubricants are often considered as the holy Trinity of greases. These are…
The RC Deep DiveTamiya's Secret Naming Strategies for Its R/C Model Vehicles
Why did Tamiya name their radio controlled model cars, buggies, trucks, vans, jeeps, busses, and tanks the way they did? How did they come up with the themes…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Add a Driver Figure to the Neo Fighter Buggy DT-03
The Neo Fighter Buggy DT-03 (DT stands for Dirt Two-Wheel-Drive) a.k.a. the Neo Frog famously comes without a driver figure, as with the stock setup it cannot…
The RC Deep DiveThe Lineage of the Fighter Series of R/C Buggies
From the vintage Fighter Buggy (a.k.a. Super Champ) to the modern Fighter NX Gen, Tamiya has loved its elite fighting buggies. We go over each of these…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is the Proper Tool for Removing the Nylock Nut Off a Broken Axle?
While it seems like a Tamiya hobbyist craft tools needlenose pliers are the right job to hold an axle (that's fallen out of the knuckle in the upright), but it…
The RC Deep DiveNo, Grasshopper Gears Do Not Work Properly in the Grasshopper II Gearbox
While you may find errant suggestions on some Tamiya R/C club forums that the GH1 (original Grasshopper) gears are a perfect replacement to GH2 (Grasshopper…
The RC Deep DiveWhy and How Does the MIP Super Ball Diff Improves Steering so Much?
Many people install a MIP Super Ball Diff in their R/C model vehicle to prevent the gearbox from flexing, to help fix the problem of dog-bones popping out, or…
The RC Deep DiveMIP Greases vs AE/FT Stealth Diff Lube and Black Grease
MIP makes a must-have hop-up for ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) Chassis R/C model vehicles like the Frog, Brat, Blackfoot, Super Beetle, etc. in the Super Ball Diff as…
The RC Deep DiveWhy are ORV Chassis Front Axles Wider Than the Rear Axle?
One thing many R/C model hobbyists notice when building an ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis radio controlled model vehicle is the disparity in the axle lengths…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is the Best Way to Manage Your R/C Electronics Wiring?
Once you complete building your radio controlled model vehicle, you have wires all over the place. How to you get them in an organized fashion? What's the…
The RC Deep DiveThe Tamiya Family Legacy at Tamiya Corporation
NOTE: This episode was recorded before the repose of Tamiya Chairman of the Board Shunsaku Tamiya at the age of 90 years old on 18 July 2025 . Our condolences…
The RC Deep DiveReRe Fail Point: The Frog, the BRAT, and the Front Axle
You are out bashing your Tamiya Frog 1/10th scale radio controlled buggy and your axle just falls off, with the bearings, wheels, and nylock nut all together…
The RC Deep DivePerfect R/C Bashing Spot Finding With a 1/10th Scale Eye
The hunt for the perfect or a unique place to bash or race your R/C model vehicles requires a 1/10th scale eye. However, you need to know what terrain is best…
The RC Deep DiveThe Tamiya R/C Model Box Art: More Than Just Cardboard
Tamiya's vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) 1/10th and 1/12th R/C model vehicles' box art is iconic and has caught the eye of multiple generations and is…
The RC Deep DiveThe DIY Builder's Ethos vs. The User's Experience
Is the increasing focus on UX (user experience) over the DIY (do it yourself) builder's ethos going to head to an implosion of skills in the radio controlled…
The RC Deep DiveBox Art Purists vs. DIY Customizers
Which is the authentic R/C model vehicle philosophy? DIY (Do-It-Yourself) customizers or Box Art Purists? What do these opposing philosophies say about the…
The RC Deep DiveThe Tamiya Doctrine: Why Motor Mounting Orientation Matters
Which way do you mount your motor? What does it say about you? Many Tamiya RC model vehicle hobbyists have strong opinions on why you should always display the…
The RC Deep DiveIncrease Your R/C Vehicle's Speed, Power, and Runtime with One Easy Trick!
Speed, power, and runtime, three things we all want to increase when running our radio controlled buggies, cars, trucks, vans, and busses. Simply hopping-up…
The RC Deep DiveLilith's Garage: A Mechanical R/C Grimoire and Self-Portrait
Lilith, whether represented as the first created woman, fully woman and fully demoness, mother of demons, Queen of Hell, or a goddess, she is represented in…
The RC Deep DiveProper R/C Wiring Rules for Safety: Red Hot Female amd More Laws
It is important to know safety rules for wiring your power and electronics. Such as red hot female which tells you that R/C batteries are always female and…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Fix Stripped Screw Threads and Pre-Tap New Ones
You can combine CA (cyanoacrylate) glue, a.k.a. superglue or crazy glue, and baking soda to fix stripped screen thread holes. But how do you do it, exactly?…
The RC Deep DiveThe Birthdays of Tamiya and Their 1st RC Model Vehicles
Do you know when Tamiya celebrates it's birthday and the anniversary of it's two first radio controlled model vehicle kits? Do you know how they celebrate…
The RC Deep DiveRequired, Not Included: GT Tuned Motors Need Steel Pinion Gears
Tamiya famously requires steel pinions when upgrading to a 540 GT Tuned Hop-Up Motor. However, in kits where it is included as the stock motor, such as the…
The RC Deep DiveCelebrating the Women of the R/C Hobbyist Community
Many people think that the radio controlled model vehicle hobby community is a boy's club. However, women have been a important parts of R/C works since the…
The RC Deep DiveFamous R/C Builders, Collectors, Racers, Bashers, and Crawlers
F1 (Formula One) and NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) drivers, actors, musicians, basketball players, journalists, rappers, directors…