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 DiveVintage BRAT Attack vs. RestoMod Hornet Large Diameter Hop-Ups
Two popular hop-ups for vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) Tamiya radio controlled buggies is the square set-up. There's two equally popular options, one…
The RC Deep DiveWhat are the Dry and Cure Times for Tamiya AS, PS, TS, X, and XF Paints?
Tamiya makes several different types of paints for your R/C model. But each one has a different dry time and cure time. Knowing what these times are is…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is Tamiya Gear Diff Putty, and How Do you Use It?
Tamiya Gear Diff Putty for differential gears has a specific prescribed use, but the community has found a way to use it in vintage, classic, and rere…
The RC Deep DiveWhat Exact Color of White or Yellow Paints Should be Used for Headlights?
Tamiya paints have a variety of white and yellow colors that can be used when painting R/C model headlights. We take a deep dive into the best hues to use…
The RC Deep DiveTo Paint On-Sprue or Off-Sprue?
In today's episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we dive into painting plastic R/C model pieces like the driver figure and faux headlights, including how to do…
The RC Deep DiveTamiya RC Cleaner Products Reviewed
Tamiya has a number of R/C model vehicle cleaners, but not all of them are exactly what they seem. We take a deep dive into Tamiya's RC Cleaner Spray and…
The RC Deep DiveThe 10 Must Have Hop-Ups for the Tamiya Frog
The Frog, whether the vintage radio controlled model or the rere (re-release), is a classic Tamiya R/C Buggy, but one not without inherent flaws. We take a…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Get a HobbyWing 1060 Power Switch to Fit in a Tamiya R/C Model Chassis
The HobbyWing 1060 Quicrun ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) has become the default speed controller for many R/C hobbyists, and is even included in many…
The RC Deep DiveWhich Screws are the Best to Use in Your R/C Vehicles?
In this episode of the RC Deep Dive we dig deep into the world of R/C fasteners and drivers. Which is more important in an radio control vehicle: Strength or…
The RC Deep DiveCan Washers Fix Axial and Radial Play on Axles Near R/C Bearings?
Can simple M4 washers act as shims to fix axial and radial play where your axle ball bearings are installed in your radio controlled vehicles? We take a deep…
The RC Deep DiveDecoding Different Diff Oils for your R/C Vehicles' Diffs
Different differentials require differing diff oils. Which diff oil is right for you? What do the differing colors mean? What's the right viscosity for your…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Prepare, Glue, Vent, and Balance Your RC Tires
It used to be that you just put your tires on your R/C wheels with no further thought. However today's modern tires often require meticulous preparation…
The RC Deep DiveThe Bumper Paradox: How Stronger Parts Wreck Your R/C Cars!
Aluminum bumpers are all the rage these days, but they have many drawbacks and may even end up costing you in the long run. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive…
The RC Deep DiveLet's Get into Kyosho R/C!
While Tamiya became more popular worldwide, Kyosho was actually the first Japanese company to make R/C vehicles for the retail market. In this episode of the…
The RC Deep DiveWhat Exactly do the ORV Radius Arms Do?
There's a lot of confusion about the function of the radius arms on the Tamiya ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis R/C (radio controlled) model buggies, trucks, and…
The RC Deep DiveWhy is Tamiya's Lavender Paint not the Correct Hue??
Tamiya offers a color of paint that they call "Lavender", TS-37. However it is not anywhere near what people generally consider a lavender shade of violet or…
The RC Deep DiveWhy do the FGH RC Buggies Remain Iconic After Over 40 Years?
The Tamiya FGH (Frog, Grasshopper, & Hornet) radio controlled buggies were super popular in the early 1980s, but somehow, they have stood the test of time and…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Remove Decals from RC Vehicles
How do you remove decals from your radio controlled car, truck, buggy, or van? It's different depending on your body type, but there are still small steps to…
The RC Deep DiveHacking Flysky RC Vehicle Transmitters
Did you know that you can hack your radio controlled car, truck, buggy, van, boat, airplane, and helicopter? Specifically your Flysky branded transmitter…
The RC Deep DiveDesign Thinking of Tamiya's RC Buggies
How did the design thinking of Tamiya change for their radio controlled buggies throughout the early vintage RC car period of their first 100 R/C model…
The RC Deep DiveWhere in the World are the Best Vintage RC Car Race Tracks?
There are radio controlled car racing tracks all over the world, but which ones are the best for fans of racing vintage, classic , and rere (re-release) RC…
The RC Deep DiveWhat to do About the Extra-Long Frog Body Mounts
The Frog's rear body mount screws are longer than the holes in the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis. This means that the threads of these 2 screws are exposed…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is Camber and How Do you Adjust it?
What is camber wear and positive or negative camber? What is caster and toe? How does it affect tires and handling? How do you diagnose and fix camber issues?…
The RC Deep DiveBest Foam Inserts for Hornet Large Diameter Wheels
Hornet Large Diameter wheels are a popular choice for the Grasshopper II, Super Hornet, and Rising Fighter, among other Tamiya radio controlled model buggies…
The RC Deep DiveBest Wheels & Tires for the GH2 or Super Hornet
The Grasshopper II and Super Hornet radio controlled buggies famously have 1.9" Wheels rather than the standard 1.5" Wheels of earlier vintage Tamiya R/C…
The RC Deep DivePro-Line & CRP Bumpers: Improved Function & Fashion!
The Pro-Line and CRP iconic dyeable white nylon bumper hop-ups for the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) R/C models not only improved the look of the Tamiya Frog (and…
The RC Deep DiveBeyond the Frog: Tamiya's Racing Championships
In the Golden Age of RC, Tamiya famously won the German national R/C buggy championship in a race where most of the cars that qualified for the finals were one…
The RC Deep DiveThe Importance of Getting the Frog's Front Arms Right
The Frog's distinctive double wishbone-type suspension assembly's durable steel radius arms joint serves as a crucial pivot and a primary locus for alignment…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Identify Causes and Fix Rear Axle Slop
In the Tamiya Grasshopper, Hornet, Grasshopper II, and Super Hornet, it is not unusual for rear axle slop to develop over time. We look into how to diagnose…
The RC Deep DiveThe T-Tool: The Iconic 4-Way or Cross Box Wrench History
The four-way box wrench or cross wrench has become synonymous with ready controlled vehicles and most especially Tamiya. However this t-tool didn't even come…
The RC Deep DiveAre CVDs Necessary in the HotShot Family of RC Cars?
The HotShot family of radio controlled buggies comes with dog-bones, but are CVDs (constant velocity driveshafts) or UJs (Universal Joints) an appropriate…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is Binding and How to Fix it?
What causes hex drives, dog-bones, UJs (universal joints), and CVDs (constant velocity driveshafts) to bind in radio controlled vehicles? We take a deep dive…
The RC Deep DiveThe Evolution of R/C Car Wheel Connectors
When the Tamiya HotShot radio controlled buggy debuted, it came with an all new type of wheel connector that stuck around for the entire line of the HotShot…
The RC Deep DiveIs the Vintage 3-Piece Wheel Actually Superior?
Why did Tamiya come out with three piece wheels with their vintage radio control vehicles? Are there any inherent advantages with these more complicated wheel…
The RC Deep DiveR/C Cars and their Place in Japanese Culture
Kyosho and Tamiya radio controlled vehicles like cars, trucks, buggies, vans, helicopters, boats, airplanes, etc. have had a unique influence on Japanese…
The RC Deep DiveORV Gearbox Bearings: Tamiya Metal or Fast Eddy Rubber Seals?
The rere (re-release) of the Frog and other Tamiya ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis RC cars, buggies, trucks, and vans come with metal sealed bearings for the…
The RC Deep DiveAre O-Rings Needed in CVDs and UJs?
With default dog-bones, like the ones included in rere (re-release) ORV chassis R/C vehicles like the Frog, Brat, Super Beetle, Blackfoot, etc., you need to…
The RC Deep DiveWhy Tamiya Subaru Brat Wheels and Tires Instantly Sellout!
Whenever Tamiya makes Subaru Brat 1/10th scale RC car/truck wheels and tires available, they tend to sell out within a week. Why is this? What is creating such…
The RC Deep DiveWhere are R/C Vehicles Most Popular?
We take a deep drive into which country, province or state, and city that radio controlled vehicles are most popular in each continent of Earth. Why are they…
The RC Deep DiveWhat R/C Cars Have Different Names in Japan vs the RotW?
Many radio controlled cars, trucks, buggies, and van have a different in the Japanese market vs the rest of the world. However, sometimes when Tamiya has…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Clean and Maintain Your RC Vehicles
You hit a big mud puddle at a super fast speed, and it looks epic, but how are you going to get all of the dirt out of the nooks and crannies of your radio…
The RC Deep DiveShock Spring Sizes & Colors: What Does it All Mean?
Shock springs come in different colors, lengths, hardnesses, and more, but what does it all mean? We take a deep dive into the world of remote control vehicle…
The RC Deep DiveOur Potential New Theme Song
We want your feedback. Please vote yes or no. Do you like this for our new theme song, to go along with the new longer episodes of the RC Deep Dive? We had to…
The RC Deep DiveWhat was the R/C Model Vehicle Golden Age?
What was the Radio Controlled Car Golden Age and why did we call it that? What years did it range and why? Did it lead to a similarly impressive Silver Age for…
The RC Deep DiveRed vs. Blue vs. Green vs. Orange Thread Lock in R/C Cars
Radio control hobby models often require thread lock, even though many Tamiya reres (re-releases) say they aren't required, while the original vintage and…
The RC Deep DiveWhy are Ball Bearings an Essential Hop-Up and Which Bearings are Best in RC Cars?
Ball bearings are usually the first hop-up option that people install in their radio controlled vehicles. But what are the best bearings? Are steel balls or…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Upgrade to Oil Filled Shocks on the FAV & SRB Chassis RC Buggies
The Tamiya FAV (Fast Attack Vehicle) and many SRB (Special Racing Buggy) based Chassis RC cars need CVA (Constant Volume Adjustable) oil shock dampers to reach…
The RC Deep DiveHOW-TO: Upgrade your Grasshopper with Hornet Parts
What Tamiya Hornet parts can you use to upgrade your 1/10 scale Grasshopper RC Buggy without turning it into a Hornet? Likewise what Rising Fighter and Super…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is a Square Set Up?
What is a square setup for RC buggies? Is it better for 4wd buggies like the Super HotShot or 2wd biggies like the Frog? We take a deep dive into this popular…
The RC Deep DiveSteel vs. Aluminum Pinion Gears: Does it Really Matter?
Pinion gears are available in both steel and aluminum. Usually aluminum comes in the kit, and both metal types are available as hop-up options. Steel is…
The RC Deep DiveTamiya R/C Model Vehicle Promo Videos 1976-2025
The classic Tamiya promo videos for their 1/10th and 1/12th scale radio controlled cars, buggies, trucks, and vans have a special place in the heart of many in…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is Understeer & Oversteer, and How Do You Fix It?
Some R/C (radio-controlled) cars oversteer and some understeer. But what do those terms mean? And even now importantly, how can you fix it? We answer all those…
The RC Deep DiveWhat is the Best Wheel and Tire Choice for your 4WD RC Cars?
Your Supershot/Super HotShot came with some beautiful gold wheels and great spiked tires, but are they really the best option off-road or on-road? In this…
The RC Deep DiveWhat was the CPR Unit in RC Vehicles?
What was the CPR Unit in radio controlled vehicles? Why did they become so popular and why did they seemingly disappear? How was the receiver and the ESC…
The RC Deep DiveMinimum & Maximum Temperatures for RC Components
Did you know that each part of your radio control vehicle has different heat and cold tolerances? Even different battery types need different temperatures…
The RC Deep DiveWhat are RTR, XB, & XSA RC Vehicles?
While Tamiya is known for it's Ready to Build, assembly required RC Model Kits, it does have some pre-built radio controlled vehicles for this age of demanding…
The RC Deep DiveWhat are LiFe Batteries and are they Worth the Tamiya Tax?
LiFe is a battery type popularized by Tamiya in the radio control vehicle world, especially in Japan, and seems to be a middle ground between MiNH and LiPo RC…
The RC Deep DiveThe History of R/C Vehicles
The first R/C cars were made in the 1960s. In today's episode of the RC Deep Dive, we drive into the highlights and important moments in the last 60 years of…
The RC Deep DiveRC Street in Hong Kong
Imagine a street with 10-20 radio controlled vehicle and model stores all on one street and many more within walking distance. This is the reality of RC Street…
The RC Deep DiveRC Boy: The Radio Controlled Vehicle Manga
There was a popular manga called RC Boy/RadiCon Boy (Wild RC Boy) that was influenced by radio controlled car culture and also was an influencer on R/C…