e372: Tamiya XR311 - The Buyers Guide Series 

The XR311 was my first radio controlled car I ever had. I’m 56 years old now and I bought this kit when I was 13 or 14 years old. It really was fragile. The suspension arms were brittle plastic and broke very easily if you drove it a little too roughly. My first use offered rocket glue to glue the broken parts back together until I could order replacement spruce’s Anyway brought back massive memories for me

Original comes with brass dog bones and 3 different gears for the gearbox, they also have a locked rear diff. Wheels and tyres are unique as is the lamborghini version which also has its own tyres and has a longer wheelbase. Body is easy to remove by snapping the triangles off the rear mount, it slides on and off easily then, they normally snap off anyway. Torsion bars were plastic and snapped over any bumps bigger than a pavement cack. To adjust the torsion bar, push the pin in at the spring end and twist the Torsion bar with needle nose pliers take finger off pin and the spring pushes the spline section back in. That one you have is missing the mirrors that go on the A-pillars. Tell you friend to locktite all the nuts and bolts if they're not already done. I still have my original one and the new one.

I bought one of these when they first came out and my son bounced it all over the yard. The only parts that broke were the headlights. It's tougher than you think.

Don't forget it was tamiya's first stab at a off road rc too in a plastic model crazy way! I am a big fan of the XR311 and yours looks fantastic!

Great info and appreciate you sharing this one from the collection. before it was shipped. Glad it’s found a good home.

Great examination of such a cool vehicle

Having built a few of these over the years, I will agree, they are very fragile. One of my rereleases rolled when I took a corner on dirt just a tad too quickly. Even at a very slow (under 6mph) speed it ripped off the windshield, top, one light hoop and one of the grab bars on the rear off. I repaired it and it still gets run occasionally but I learned my lesson. My other XR311 only goes out on the soft dirt and is driven very slowly. I replaced the motor in it with a 55turn crawler motor for more realistic speed and throttle control. Interestingly I have seen two real full sized versions of these. The first is/was sitting at the military museum in Kenosha WI. The other belonged to local car guy and he would bring it to shows. While he believed his was a kit car of some sort, I'm not entirely sure he didn't have one of the few originals as it had a Chrysler 318.

I just got one for Christmas and will be starting to build it very soon. It actually has a warning label on the front of the box stating that it was originally release in 1977 and is almost identical to when it first was released and to take care when operating and handling the model. It is definitely not one I will be taking out and bombing around the track!! I will get it out and drive it around the yard and will certainly enjoy getting it all put together! I do like the woodland came that was done on this one... it is a lot more lively than the plain OD green the box art calls for!

Great examination of such a cool vehicle, especially the detail talking about the suspension! Very cool! I just checked and Chrysler was involved in the manufacture of these vehicles. It uses small block Chrysler engines and transmissions so would not surprise me if they used similar Chrysler suspension set ups as you mentioned. Chrysler liked using torsion bars in a lot of their cars back in the 70s.

Nice video!

It says exactly the same on the original Sand Scorcher box too. Suitable for RC. So a scale model first. This text was replaced on the re-released versions of the Sand Scorcher. Now we spend all out time trying to make RC cars look like scale models. :D

Cool! Man this is a lot smaller than I thought it was!

THE "HUMMER" IS 2x2 seating, not 3 wide "abreast". There is a wide tunnel down the middle of the cabin.

A few of Tamiya’s early RC cars were ‘suitable for remote control’. Pretty sure the green Vaillant Porsche was originally released that way.

Yes I want one.

Considering most RC in 77’ were pan car based, this thing was truly groundbreaking with its double wishbone suspension. Less than 2 years later the Rough Rider came out. RIP Shodog

The rerelease has quite a few differences compared to the original. The original used dogbones but the cups were moulded in plastic with a brass sleeve over them to stop them splaying. The original torsion bars were round and moulded in plastic, like the rest of the parts. They often broke and you would find many originals with no working suspension. They go much better with the suspension upgrade from RC Channel which replaces all the suspension and arm mounts with metal upgrades, and can be fitted with coilovers that work properly.

The RC Channel has many hopups for this model to make it more an RC car.

I’ve always thought that would be a great kit to have. Vast amounts of open space would be ideal for driving it though. I don’t have either.

Super primitive but so dang cool. I would love to see someone make a trail rig out of it.

Super cool.. I heard they are going to rere it again.. there’s also a bunch of them out there unbuilt for sale.. RIP SHODOG

OUTSTANDING!!! Because, this is TAMIYA!!!!!! This vehicle, would look nice in my videos...

I put a FPV system in it and safari through the jungle. (I made a trail through the garden) I made up a 5 cell nicad like the original. Trying to run it on 2C LiPo would be a recipy for disaster. It works great if kept within it limits.

It works fine as a super-scale trail truck. I got the re-re, and it performs pretty good (for a 2wd) on dry, not too rough ground. The mirrors are the first thing that disappear in the 'great RC detail-part beyond" somewhere along the trail. Next are those things around the headlights. It's not fast, but not as slow as a crawler. Gears look like something from a cheap toy. Very narrow by today's standards, but they've held up, even without a diff, or a slipper to save them from jolts. Originally it was conceived to be driven by max 4 big c-size dry batteries, or Tamiya's early 1200mah small hard cases i.e. 6v. Hence, 7.2v, or even 7.4 will make it a tad too fast for comfort with that big 540, and those bouncy springs. Front wheel bearings are also a very odd size and form-factor (=expensive) So bronze bushings were implemented. Another indication that it wasn't actually meant for big power. I even believe the Cheetah came with the choice of a 540 motor, or the smaller 380 from the Grasshopper, depending on where it was exported to, not sure. A 380 would have been a better choice, especially when using dry batteries. All-in all, it's not as fragile as You'd think, but it's no basher for sure. A roll, or a curb at speed will mean a lot of re-gluing parts. Luckily easy done because it's mainly styrene.

Another great review. On the original XR311. The torsion bars were plastic apparently.

Terrifying is the correct word for removing or replacing that body. Even worse with all the electronics and battery in it. I have driven mine. Soooooo good to see it bobble around. But, also terrifying. Hahaha

Had the Cheetah, wish they would release it again. Wheels held on by the five screws on this and the Cheetah. The torsion bars were Not metal but plastic. Also the Cheetah had the same chassis, only the front was mounted a screw hole shorter..

Interesting video. FYI, the hummer sits 4. The trans tunnel is too large for another seat in the middle. Actually, the gunner uses the trans tunnel to stand on when using the turret. Be neat to find that body being reproduced and use it on a current platform.

The Lamborghini LM002 was based off this vehicle. It has a very interesting history.

Balsa and tissue model airplane kits would also say "suitable for radio control". Not unusual for the time. Radio control equipment was very expensive in the 70's.

Always loved the XR311 but have never had one. My friend has one NIB that I can have i just have to work out a price.

Fun review of a RC unicorn. Great to learn more. Good news this example goes to a new home. Cannot help but ask, is the 2023 version something for you to build on the channel? Thank you very much and 1977, by now that really is museum age.

I would have been scared to even touch it. You said it was Shodog's. So he assembled & painted it? VERY COOL! Big loss to family & friends as well as the hobby

I'm going to use it I'm no self Queen man.

Very nice vehicle but the skid plate needs to be modify 🔵🔵🔵👍👍👍🙂🙂🙂🔵🔵🔵

Kyosho's re-release of the 1/8 scale superbikes calls them kinda the same thing. They can be made into rc.

Speaking of Porsche I'm glad they just finally bought a modern-day Porsche body out.

What do you think about the two new chassis that'll be coming out to think they're going to really replace the tt02 and the m chassis?

You to do option parts for the EXR 311 I broke mine the first time I went outside and played with it

And I guess they just announced that they are rereleasing it again!

This is a torsion bar suspension.

Hello! By chance do you have an episode showing how you did your Leafspring under Axels on a TF2? Thanks for your time

It's beautiful but yeah, ridiculously fragile. It's literally a static model with the same fragility. Even handling it is sketchy, let alone driving it. I almost wish a company like WPL or FMS would make one. Their stuff hits a really nice balance between detail and being able to withstand an angry stare without disintegrating.

hi A E... ' i have R/C tamiya cheetah and XR311 already in my channel video... both cheetah / XR311 has problem with rear axle lock gearbox

What is the wheelbase of this?

Gi Joe Vamp

c'est un Lamborghini il me semble ce véhicule en europe

They are terrible I have one , you can adjust the suspension all ya like and it does nothing 🤣. Rubbish of road to , the bolts in the wheel hold them on to.