How Campatable Is The Rock Buster To The Grasshopper?

[RCH_Blackfoot 0]

I just won this on eBay for $21.21 shipped. I plan to let my 3 year old daughter run it, she does well with my Wild Willy 2, but this should be a tad bit tamer with a 380 motor.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=150264355454

[dimblum 1]

I just won this on eBay for $21.21 shipped. I plan to let my 3 year old daughter run it, she does well with my Wild Willy 2, but this should be a tad bit tamer with a 380 motor.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=150264355454

Nice find on the RockBuster, these are still quite rare in good condition. I got one of these a while ago NIB and am planning a Shelf Queen project down the road.

The good news is the chassis is basically a direct copy of the GrassHopper with some minor cosmetic changes. Every Tamiya chassis part should directly transfer to the RockBuster without any problems.

The main differences are: Body kit, wheels (some came with chrome or gold plated 5 spoke Tamiya copies), front bumper and optional hop-ups. World Engines included a front anti-sway bar and custom oil-filled rear shocks as optional parts.

Hope this helps.

Dan

[RCH_Blackfoot 0]

Nice find on the RockBuster, these are still quite rare in good condition. I got one of these a while ago NIB and am planning a Shelf Queen project down the road.

The good news is the chassis is basically a direct copy of the GrassHopper with some minor cosmetic changes. Every Tamiya chassis part should directly transfer to the RockBuster without any problems.

The main differences are: Body kit, wheels (some came with chrome or gold plated 5 spoke Tamiya copies), front bumper and optional hop-ups. World Engines included a front anti-sway bar and custom oil-filled rear shocks as optional parts.

Hope this helps.

Dan

Thats great news, thanks for the info.

[B.M.T. 127]

Nice find!.

The one I want is the Mugen/Global/Varicom Manx. It had all the goodies for the original Hornet/Hopper, but with a s*******y double wishbone front end.

[RCH_Blackfoot 0]

Nice find!.

The one I want is the Mugen/Global/Varicom Manx. It had all the goodies for the original Hornet/Hopper, but with a s*******y double wishbone front end.

So any idea on what something like this is worth? Ballpark, just by looking at the pics.

[B.M.T. 127]

No idea. The only place I have one outside of the ads, is the one RCCA test drove.

[Hibernaculum 937]

Mugen Manx is quite rare. Nice looking car. I don't recall seeing one on eBay though, and I can say I've been paying fairly good attention to what's out there for a fair while (though not specifically watching for the Manx). Not saying they've never been on eBay (who knows), but I can't see any in the showrooms here either.

Also, if I recall the Manx rear shocks were pretty bad. I have a set, and they're nice looking alloy units, but they were the most leaky shocks I have ever come across. I ran my old Hornet with them for a while, as they were half the price of genuine Tamiya shocks back in 1990. But all they did was leak and attract dirt. Not a good sign for the rest of the kit.

I really wonder how much of the Manx was by Mugen though, as it seemed like a pretty different effort to things like the Bulldog. When a car is released under 3 different brands, it's hard to figure out what's going on and who was really responsible

Edit: In fact, I could be wrong, but I think the Mugen Manx was also sold as the Panda Cyclone. Which would explain the poor (Panda - Taiwan?) as opposed to decent (Mugen - Japan) quality I experienced with those shocks. I don't think the Manx had much to do with Mugen at all. Could be wrong.

cheers,

H.

[dimblum 1]

Mugen Manx is quite rare. Nice looking car. I don't recall seeing one on eBay though, and I can say I've been paying fairly good attention to what's out there for a fair while (though not specifically watching for the Manx). Not saying they've never been on eBay (who knows), but I can't see any in the showrooms here either.

Also, if I recall the Manx rear shocks were pretty bad. I have a set, and they're nice looking alloy units, but they were the most leaky shocks I have ever come across. I ran my old Hornet with them for a while, as they were half the price of genuine Tamiya shocks back in 1990. But all they did was leak and attract dirt. Not a good sign for the rest of the kit.

I really wonder how much of the Manx was by Mugen though, as it seemed like a pretty different effort to things like the Bulldog. When a car is released under 3 different brands, it's hard to figure out what's going on and who was really responsible

Edit: In fact, I could be wrong, but I think the Mugen Manx was also sold as the Panda Cyclone. Which would explain the poor (Panda - Taiwan?) as opposed to decent (Mugen - Japan) quality I experienced with those shocks. I don't think the Manx had much to do with Mugen at all. Could be wrong.

cheers,

H.

I have seen a nice Mugen Manx on eBay before, but I missed the auction (argh). The Manx and the Cyclone are totally different clone cars. The Manx (like the RockBuster) was a direct copy of the GrassHopper with a different body and nice hop-ups. The Manx actually looked pretty good and (if I remember right) was one of the first clones to use a polycarbonate body. Technically it was more of a Hornet clone than a GrassHopper clone. Mugen was fully responsible for creating the Manx, and it fit right into the same RC buggies of the 80's.

The Panda Cyclone, although considered a GH copy car, actually wasn't. The chassis, body, etc were all custom and no parts can be shared between the GH/Hornet and the Cyclone. It looked similar to the GH/Hornet, so it still fell into the line of copy cars.

Dan

[Lonestar 1]

So what exactly were the connections between Academy and Engine Works?

Paul

[Hibernaculum 937]

I have seen a nice Mugen Manx on eBay before, but I missed the auction (argh). The Manx and the Cyclone are totally different clone cars. The Manx (like the RockBuster) was a direct copy of the GrassHopper with a different body and nice hop-ups. The Manx actually looked pretty good and (if I remember right) was one of the first clones to use a polycarbonate body. Technically it was more of a Hornet clone than a GrassHopper clone. Mugen was fully responsible for creating the Manx, and it fit right into the same RC buggies of the 80's.

The Panda Cyclone, although considered a GH copy car, actually wasn't. The chassis, body, etc were all custom and no parts can be shared between the GH/Hornet and the Cyclone. It looked similar to the GH/Hornet, so it still fell into the line of copy cars.

Dan

Could you be thinking of the Pandamonium? (first Panda buggy)

Here are some photos of the Cyclone vs Manx. To me, they look identical - only the stickers vary. Click each image to enlarge.

Panda Cyclone box image borrowed from WIKEDVETTE's showroom....

And here is the Mugen Manx from a magazine scan that someone sent me....

I have a better photo of the Manx in a magazine here (shown from the front, like the Cyclone image). The two really are incredibly similar. Bumper, gold wheels, shocks, tyres, side bars, body shape...all seem identical. Maybe I'm wrong...

cheers,

H.

[RCH_Blackfoot 0]

I have all the hopups that are in that magazine article on my sons original issue Hornet.

[dimblum 1]

Could you be thinking of the Pandamonium? (first Panda buggy)

Here are some photos of the Cyclone vs Manx. To me, they look identical - only the stickers vary. Click each image to enlarge.

Panda Cyclone box image borrowed from WIKEDVETTE's showroom....

And here is the Mugen Manx from a magazine scan that someone sent me....

I have a better photo of the Manx in a magazine here (shown from the front, like the Cyclone image). The two really are incredibly similar. Bumper, gold wheels, shocks, tyres, side bars, body shape...all seem identical. Maybe I'm wrong...

cheers,

H.

Thanks for those photos . I stand corrected and was thinking of a different Panda buggy - It could be the Pandamonium, I will have to find a picture to be sure.

Your absolutely correct about the Panda Cyclone being another hopped-up GrassHopper clone car. It's funny to think just how many RC car manufacturers directly ripped off Tamiya's design back in the 80's. The only other copy car I can think of that wasn't based on the GrassHopper/Hornet was the 'Royal Ripper' which was a copy of the Hotshot.

[RCH_Blackfoot 0]

It arrived today and I was impressed with the overall condition of it. It does need a good cleaning and the swiper arm on the MSC was broken off. But I used one of my many spares to replace it and it works great. It even has an original 1200 camel pack with very limited use on it, only the side stickers on the pack are scuffed up, came with the battery in the original box, lol.

I will get pics of it real soon.

It also cae with a buch of spare part trees, tranny cases, white parts tree, a set of extra Dunlop offroad tires that were foolishly slipped over the front ribbed tires, manuals for both the car and the Futaba Attack radio. Also it has been upgraded to a 540 motor, though there is no name on the can, I do not believe its a Tamiya motor, the wires are red and black.

I do not intend to keep the Camel Pack as I do not intend on making it or any of my cars shelf queens and 1200mHa is never gonna cut it for me. I did give it a full charge, it peaked out a 1327mHa and 7.9v and will run a decent runtime of about 10-15 minutes.

If anyone is interested in the battery, toss me an offer and I will ship anywhere in the world.

[Sayer 763]

I'm sorry, but a buggy named "Pandamonium" from a company called "Panda", may be the best naming of anything I've ever heard ever.

[dimblum 1]

Thanks for those photos . I stand corrected and was thinking of a different Panda buggy - It could be the Pandamonium, I will have to find a picture to be sure.

Your absolutely correct about the Panda Cyclone being another hopped-up GrassHopper clone car. It's funny to think just how many RC car manufacturers directly ripped off Tamiya's design back in the 80's. The only other copy car I can think of that wasn't based on the GrassHopper/Hornet was the 'Royal Ripper' which was a copy of the Hotshot.

I finally found it.. I was thinking of the Pandamonium after all, just like Hibernaculum pointed out earlier.. It appears that Panda RC sold the car under the name of "Panda" and the Instructions list is as the Panda-Monium..

There is a picture of it in TC Member 'wldnas' showroom.. I don't know what the rules are about linking to another members showroom, so I hope I don't get in trouble for this one: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/pictureframe.asp...003202145_1.jpg

[Hibernaculum 937]

Since last discussing this, I've been lucky enough to find that early Panda, sometimes called "Pandamonium", so I just got it out of the store room for some photos and to help this record of information

The naming of the model is a little confusing The official name of the car is The Panda.

The brand on the box is also "Panda". The company who made it was really Thunder Tiger, but they sometimes referred to themselves as Panda. It's as if they created this car (which was likely their first ever electric model), called it The Panda, and then thought it was such a good name they started marketing the actual brand as Panda as well. Something like that.

According to the box, the car has a "High impact, ABS molded Pandamonium body".

Also, the car features stickers that say "Panda Paws", and this was also used on the packets for spare tyres. Which is kind of cute.

This example I have is NIB/new-built. The model inside has only had it's basic chassis assembled, but never completed, and everything is mint.

If Panda/ThunderTiger deserves a place in vintage buggy history, then I think The Panda is the kit that they should be remembered most for. Quite Tamiya-like, realistic, with a hard and detailed body shell, 4 oil filled dampers, bronze bearings and a rather unique ball-pivot rear suspension basis. A nice vintage buggy, based on an animal theme like a lot of Tamiyas. I even like the box art and side-descriptions very much.

cheers,

H.

Btw, this thread probably belongs under "Other makes"

[madweazl 0]

Since last discussing this, I've been lucky enough to find that early Panda, sometimes called "Pandamonium", so I just got it out of the store room for some photos and to help this record of information

The naming of the model is a little confusing The official name of the car is The Panda.

The brand on the box is also "Panda". The company who made it was really Thunder Tiger, but they sometimes referred to themselves as Panda. It's as if they created this car (which was likely their first ever electric model), called it The Panda, and then thought it was such a good name they started marketing the actual brand as Panda as well. Something like that.

According to the box, the car has a "High impact, ABS molded Pandamonium body".

Also, the car features stickers that say "Panda Paws", and this was also used on the packets for spare tyres. Which is kind of cute.

This example I have is NIB/new-built. The model inside has only had it's basic chassis assembled, but never completed, and everything is mint.

If Panda/ThunderTiger deserves a place in vintage buggy history, then I think The Panda is the kit that they should be remembered most for. Quite Tamiya-like, realistic, with a hard and detailed body shell, 4 oil filled dampers, bronze bearings and a rather unique ball-pivot rear suspension basis. A nice vintage buggy, based on an animal theme like a lot of Tamiyas. I even like the box art and side-descriptions very much.

cheers,

H.

Btw, this thread probably belongs under "Other makes"

This was my first RC car (outside of Tyco and the like). I never broke a single part on this thing and literally drove it until the rear tires shredded off the wheels. I'd love to get a hold of another one; I search ebay occasionally but all I find is a part here and there