Tamiya Hornet Aluminum Chassis and Wheels Upgrade! 

Yes sir! Removing the old wheels reminded me of how much I hated putting them together, lol! 👊

Thanks foe the sub! And welcome back to the wonderful world of RC!

Absolutely! I'm hoping the added weight and rigidity helps control some of the Wild bouncy-ness this buggy is prone to. 👊

Awww that feeling when your 380 GH motor gets punished by a Hornet 540, must've been heart breaking! Haha! Glad you got the Frog after to fill your need for speed! 🤣👊

You read my mind.... Could you imagine a bunch of us Hornet lovers getting these things going 60+ MPH??? 🤔🤣🍻

@@poorboysrc For sure!!! I think it's a top challenge and you'd get a lot of entries too😁👍

@@outbackrcaustralia4895 I think so too pal, another great example of an inexpensive kit that was never intended to goo too fast, but sure would look cool doing 60mph! 😀

Oh man, I'm excited for you buddy, your new place is gonna be sweet! Send me pics when it's all set up! 🍻

If only I could do the same thing at home😭 my family don't understand my hobby.and I had a vintage Tamiya Fox as a kid still got it plus lots of other cars from Tamiya and a couple from Kyosho and 1 from Traxxas. My mum three away the original box packaging from my Fox. I'm not the type of guy that spent my money on shelf queen's, well I am now but as a 14 year old kid back in 1987 I drove my Fox a lot. Anyway fast forward 35-36 years now original vintage Tamiya is worth a lot of money. And the box with artwork was a critical integral part of the Tamiya experience. But try telling that to my parents. It's gone , I still have the car which could do with some respect/restoration and the instruction manual plus the original acoms techniplus radio in great condition and my nickle metal cadmium battery charger also in great condition. But these days in 2023 nickle metal cadmium batteries are no longer available. I'm currently expanding my collection even further when I get my Tamiya Hornet today .love your work at poorboys RC.👍👌

and yes..i did give it a thumbs up and i scubscribed to your channel.

Welcome aboard, Gary! Glad you're here, and you're enjoying the content. Have fun with the Grasshopper, it's such a fun chassis! 👍🏻

@@garykee1 thanks pal! 👊🏼

It's very strong, I would think you could bend it, but you'd have to be doing some Talbot style jumps to do so, lol! 🤣

Thanks OAG! Maybe next time I unbox something I'll get my Kitano out and really out on a show!?!? 🥷 🐢

Thanks for watching, Mike. Hopefully this video answered all of your questions. 👍🏻

All except, where can u buy one. I only seen it on ebay. Where else can people buy these items.

@@mikejohnson-vl6nv ebay is the only spot I know of. 👊

Yeah man, I'm really excited to get it out for a rip! 👊

Thanks for subbing, amigo! 👊

Right on Andy, glad you enjoyed the vid. And cheers to you for still racing a Hornet! 🍻

Deckle...lol. I thought it was just a mistake when he said it the first time, but then he said it again later on. Dee-kal.

Deckle, it's like a dee-cal, but not. Lol! You're gonna love the chassis, dude! Grab one while you can! 👊

Haha, not a mistake. Seems like here in western Canada we call 'em deckel's, not dee-cals. Potato, potatto, I suppose. 😎

Beadlocks on a Hornet would look cool!

Thanks Robert. We did manage to get the esc working properly. 👌

The Hornet is a ton of fun! For an inexpensive but good radio, check out the Flysky gt3b, or the Dumbo rc radio. As for a lipo, the biggest challenge with this chassis is fitment. Hard case lipos will always be a tough to impossible fit. I'd look for a 2S lipo soft case, something under 5000mah. If you're planning on going brushless, the kit supplied Tamiya esc can handle brushless motors. If your kit didn't come with an esc, I'd suggest the Hobbywing 10bl120. It's gonna be a tight fit, but I'm sure you can make it work. Hopefully that helps get you started. If you need any more guidance, shoot me an email at poorboysrc78@gmail.com, or come join the Poor Boys RC Facebook group to meet the rest of the crew! 🍻

Thanks pal, nothing too crazy planned, just a little different. Got some special decals on the way! 👊

A fancy chassis is just what this old Hornet needed! 🤣🍻

Hahaha, gotta call 'em as I see 'em! 😂

Thanks foe commenting, Jerome. And good news, just scroll back through my vids and you'll find what you're looking for! I've got Wild One, Sand Scorcher and Wild One BHM vids that I made in the last year or two! 👊

Yeah the chassis costs as much as a NIB Hornet does! Lol! But my Hornet was just sitting on the shelf about to become a parts donor, so I figured, why not!? 🤣👊

Thanks for commenting, Luke. Yeah you won't regret it man. They're not cheap, but they're so nice, worth every penny IMO! 🤙

It's really nice! You're gonna love it. 👊

@@poorboysrc I also bought an aluminum gearbox.

@@yukihetfield3325 oh wicked! That's gonna be one blinged out Hopper! 🍻

Ah, that makes sense! Thanks for the heads up. As for the GH2, I think it would work, but I don't own one so I don't want to say for sure. 👊

These chassis' are top notch! I'm really happy with them👊

Cheers! 🍻

Thanks Bruce! Hope you're doing well, my friend! 🤙

Very heavy indeed, but I find it actually helps keep the rear end somewhat planted. 🍻

You're bang-on there, they're both heavy and expensive. But man, do they look nice! And at this point I'm just happy I can drive my Hornet again! 👍🏻

Haha yeah it'll sting the wallet, but dazzle the eyes. Decision made! 😎

Thanks for the comment and the sub! You'll love this chassis! The rear upper shock mounts are a little tricky, but other than that, it's easy-peasy. Plus, the added weight helps the Hopper/Hornet stay planted to the ground a little better.

@@poorboysrc thanks great upgrade 👍

Just for you, Mads, I'll leave in all the swearing next time, lol! When I'm really mad it comes out in French, occasionally Croatian, lol! 🤬🤬🤬 These chassis' are simply amazing! They're gorgeous to look at, brilliantly designed and very strong. I hope you get your hands on one soon! 👊🍻

Yeah absolutely you can! I never thought of doing it, to be honest. But you're right, it'd really make the wheels pop! 🤙

Hey Ralph, shoot me an email at poorboysrcchristmas@gmail.com and I'll send you some pics of how I mounted it all up! 🍻

Oooh yeah, you betcha! Now if only I could figure out independent rear suspension... 🤣🤣🤣

Thanks for coming on board, Robert. 👊

I might go brushless down the line, we'll see how the Sport Tuned goes for now. 👊

Thanks for watching and commenting! Here's the link to my "go to" servo: Miuzei 20KG Servo Motor High Torque Digital Servo Metal Waterproof Servo for R/C Car Robot, DS3218 Control Angle 270° a.co/d/aVRs4wJ

@@poorboysrc thank you so much!!!

@@bradbrevelle6257 any time! Thanks again for supporting my channel. It means a ton! 👊🏼🍻

I like the more powerful servos since I run in sand a lot, it gets everywhere and can bind things up.

Thanks Jon! 🍻

You're bang-on there pal, very limited space for an esc. A TBLE-02S will likely not fit. A HW1060 can drop right in, sitting on its side along the upper deck of the chassis next to the battery. 👊

For sure, just gonna stick with the stock springs for now. 👊

The shock mounts are weak? That's crazy, they're 3mm aluminum! How hard are you running your Grasshopper? I'm impressed that you managed to break one! 🤣🍻

@@poorboysrc The mounts in my kit are 2.5mm. I flipped my hopper over in a small jump on its third run with the new chassis, and the shock mount broke on one side of that mount, where the triangular cutout is.

@@AtlantaBoxing wow that's really crazy, I figured those shock mounts would be bulletproof! Lol! Thanks for the heads up bro! 👊

@@poorboysrc I bought mine the first week they showed up on ebay. Hopefully for everyone else that is buying them, I just recieved a weak one. I just wish they would sell replacement parts for a chassis that costs over $100.

@@AtlantaBoxing yeah for sure man. Is the seller willing to work with you and just sell you the parts you need?

Agreed! I need to order some cored wheel nuts for a few of my kits. 👊

@@poorboysrc , and thank you so much for spending the money to buy those aluminum chassis, but you've got my mind totally rotten now. They are perfect they're like the finishing touch is there more adjustability with the aluminum chassis the problem I just saw one for the ORV and when you own as many such as yourself you see the problem! The aluminum chassis some would say something are like the final gilding of the lily. But in the case of the grasshopper, the fox, the ORV, especially the cloud buster, The hornet, lunch box family, and any other aluminum chassis out there I saw one for the wild one in two different colors, if they afford in inkling of customization and even a bit of tunability then it justifies the price. At this point can you please for the rest of us that don't have $600 lying around purchase the rest of the aluminum chassis and put together some wonderful content with the addition of aluminum chassis to the kits aforementioned?

@@UlisesBatalla well the good news is that I've been in touch with the manufacturer of the chassis', and I'll be doing a lot more reviews of them this year. 😉

@@poorboysrc BOOM! Thank you that is going to be awesome I can't wait excellent stuff I love watching those videos where you work on the chassis. Please, get the one for the ORV! Hell I hope you worked it out that you're getting them all!

@@UlisesBatalla thanks for watching, Ulises! I'm quite sure we'll see an ORV chassis review in the near future! 😉

No, this chassis is Grasshopper / Hornet only. There is an aluminum chassis for the Lunch Box / Midnight Pumpkin though and I did make a video series on it recently! Just scroll back through NY videos and you'll see it there. 👊

I jist get them at Home Depot or Lowes, look in the closet/organizer area and you'll find everything there. 👊

Good question. I don't own a GH2, but I do know the chassis is different than the GH1. They're similar, but different. You could probably make this work, might just need to get creative in a few areas. 🍻

You just need the rear body mounts from a hornet. Otherwise it works.

Now that's a great idea! Never even thought of that, thanks for the tip! 🤙

Thanks for watching and commenting. 👊

Duuude, the 2 in 1 would be perfect in this chassis! 👌 A 2S hard case is a tight fit, but doable. 2S soft, easy peasy! 👊

@@poorboysrc I ordered a Hornet, a chassis, and the wheels. I'm going to build it with the aluminum chassis from the get go. I'd like to go with oil shocks on the front but I'm not finding any options that seem high quality.

@@PsychoticBovine oh wow, that's awesome man! As for the oil shocks, I have seen some on ebay. I have no idea if they're any good, but I don't think there are a ton of options out there. Either way, have fun with the build! 👊

Yeah dude! Nothing wrong with hopping up a classic! 😁

You know I'll get one coming! 😎🍻

The RC senses are strong with this one! 🤣

Not very much, the rear axle is pretty well locked in place. 👊

In my neck of the woods (Ontario, Canada) at birth, we all called them "deckles." When I moved west, it was a mix of "deckles and deecals" - Man, I was torn! Ultimately, I chose to stick to my roots and call them deckles. Then I started a RU-vid channel... hahaha. Boy, do I get beat up a lot for calling them deckles! 🤣🤣🤣 Potato, potatto I say! Doesn't bother me much either way. Imma start calling them decknellz or something just for more clicks! 🤣🤣🤣

Decknellz it is 🫡

Thanks dude! It's a Ryobi, I picked it up at Home Depot. It works awesome! 🍻

@@poorboysrc good deal man thanks!

@@mtgoat4434 any time, amigo! Cheers! 🍻

Hahaha the deeeecal deckle conundrum runs strong on this channel! 😆

@@poorboysrc it shouldn't. That's the way you say it. Ask any person that speaks English. 😅 so now I need to buy a grasshopper and metal chassis.

@@shaneworden1325 potato, potatto, right?!?! Haha! Have fun with the new chassis, you're gonna love it! 👊

About $120. 👊

Gotta watch the video, my friend! All the answers you seek are there. Haha! 😉

@@poorboysrc I have watched it. I probably didn't ask the question well enough. When I purchased the chassis this morning some of the listings showed the chassis with a specific battery hold down bar. I wondered if it came with that or if it was an option part. I only asked because no where seems to list it as an option for sale. So, I guess, like you did I'm gonna have to use the velcro.

@@toyolien1694 you're 100% right! The battery hold down plate is indeed an option part. The chassis itself doesn't come with that part, it comes with two velcro straps that work perfectly. That's what I'm using. Thanks for watching, my man! Happy new year! 🍻

Then this is the chassis for you! Haha! 🤣

Up here in Canada, we call 'em deckles. It's a thing, give it a Google! 👊🏼

@@poorboysrc as well as ooot not out, I’m a scoucer (from Liverpool in England) I’ve only just found your channel and in the words of my employer- I’m loving it 😎!!!!!

@@josesphdobie2897 ah, a Mc Fan! Hahaha! Thanks for watching and commenting, amigo! 👍🏻

Definitely a fair amount of dough to drop on an antiquated kit. But for Tamiya addicts like me, it's a cool hop-up that takes a classic and (somewhat) modernizes it. 👊

That would be sweet! 👍🏻

@@poorboysrc yes that would be

Hahahaha I put bearings in the front wheels, I promise! 🤣🤣🤣

Oh, and why is that?

I just need to start making some of that RU-vid money now... 🤣👊🏼

Is it really UK/Aussie slang? Bits and Bob's, sure, but Bob's your uncle is passed around in Canada more than a hockey puck on a Saturnday night! 🏒

Thanks for watching! I got the shelves at Home Depot. 👊🏼

Thanks mate! 🍻