Clod Buster
Model Number: 58065
Released
21-Sep-87
Drive
4 Wheel Drive & 4 Wheel Steer
Suspension
8 Coilover Shocks
Chassis Description
Plastic Bathtub Design
Body Type
Highly Detailed ABS Plastic
Motor
Twin 540 motors
Original Price
25800 Yen
Width
380mm
Length
480mm
Height
340mm
Tread Front
270mm
Tread Rear
270mm
Ground Clearance
55mm
Weight
4350 g
Scale
1/10th
Tires
front:165/110mm
Rear:165/110mm
This was the original monster truck that started it all off. Oversized wheels and tyres, twin 540 motors, 4wd and 4ws, 2 coilover shock absorbers on each corner, and a stunning Chevrolet pick up body. This truck was really something to look at, and has proved very tough too. The favourite car/truck of fans of modifying, and there are lots of companies who make parts for these. Also the longest serving Tamiya model.[stulec52]
Reviews
Wild Bart
Wow, love at first sight. Very impressive, considering this is so old! It will keep most people happy running it aroun the backyard but not to be used for big jumps and trashing. But she still makes me happy and can be modified without end. This is the car that makes new friends everytime I run it in public, but if looked at in an objective perspective, it fails to live up to her looks. Diff locks are brilliant if you want to go climbing, but it deserves a better chassis and shocks. Get one, get one now!
mud4fun
I got my Clodbuster off ebay a few months ago. I use and abuse all my cars and this one was going to be no exception. I couldn't wait for this big truck to arrive but sadly the excitement was short lived. It appears that few people actually admit the truth that this truck is awful. I ran it for a few hours in stock form and gave up as even my thundershots could outclimb it! On the positive side it looks good, is huge and looks impressive on my display shelving but the negative list is long:- poor climbing ability without locking the diffs, rolls over backwards on even small inclines, body posts and body crack easily so have to use a lexan shell for off roading, using a single 3000NiMH pack it gives only 8 minutes run time, suspension travel is hopeless and most buggies have better, standard shocks have to be replaced with oil filled, suspension arms break easily as do motor mounts. I really would not recommend this to anybody in stock form unless it was for shelf use only or very gentle runs around the garden. Aftermarket parts are available but by the time you have replaced all the poor standard parts you have very little original Clod left. I ran lots of tests of this stock truck against my modified 2WD monster SRB and the SRB won on speed, climbing ability, handling, suspension travel and pulling power, the Clod only does well on turning circle. I was very disappointed that this truck never lived up to the hype. If you do get one then I suggest the following changes - full ball bearings, twin Kyosho magnetic meyhem motors, lock the diffs, glue the tyres to the rims, fit a lexan shell and you can start to have fun
for those with lots of money available a new chassis with better suspension articulation is the ideal.
huasze
I just got this recently at SGD300(USD160) and proceeded to fix it up. It took me around 2 weeks, little by little, day by day. I run the truck nearly stock, with only the addition of sport tuned motors, ESC and LED headlights. This truck catches me like no other Tamiya I had before. I keep on bringing it for runs at night. Though many people get rid of it, the Power/Economy switch is something I like very much as well. In Economy mode, the dual 8.4v 1800mahs I run manage to last over half an hour easily. For people who like to jump and go fast, you should stay off this beast. It can be made to jump reasonably and go fast, but for the same amount of cash, why not just get a Wild Dagger which jumps much better and goes way faster? What I don't like about the Clod Buster: It looks awfully fragile. I guess it probably is fragile, but I'm not gonna try to find out by trying 5 feet jumps!
miramar
When the Clod Buster entered the market in 1987 it was groundbreaking (pun intended). Today, so many years later it still looks surprisingly fresh and performs well enough to defend its position in the Tamiya product range. Remember that very few models have survived for such a long time, and since long obsolete models from the same time, like for instance the Thundershot, don't stand a chance against modern models.
Writing a normal review on the Clod Buster more than fifteen years after its launch makes no sense. That it is a pleasure to build is also quite obvious. However, does it deserve to be considered an alternative to the Juggernaut 2 and the TXT-1? The Juggernaut, and even the improved Juggernaut 2 is a dead end for Tamiya. Sure the Juggernaut looks good and realistic, but performance is way below par, and no match for the Clod Buster. Some enthusiasts claim that the Clod Buster is even superior to the TXT-1 because so many tuning parts are available to optimise it and rectify its flaws. However, if you look at what you get "out of the box", the TXT-1 is no doubt several steps further. I agree that the drivetrain concept of the Clod Buster is better than that of the TXT-1, and allows for hotter motors, but that's about all. The steering linkage, the suspension, the body mounts, the shorter wheelbase, the chassis itself, the small bracket that stabilizes the gearboxes and always breaks......I could go on forever. Also, I think it's quite disappointing that the improvements introduced with the Bullhead (basically the same model) never have found their way into the Clod Buster, but that's typical for Tamiya.
Conclusion: if you replace almost all parts of the Clod with tuning parts, you end up with a model that outperforms the TXT-1, but you can hardly call it a Clod Buster or a Tamiya model any longer. Also, you will have to spend a lot of money to achieve this. The TXT-1 can be built straight from the box (just don't forget those ballbearings!) and will handle and last a lot better than the Clod Buster. As a runner, I consider the Clod Buster to be outdated, but I've kept a NIB body parts set for a potential future project.
Tamiya King
This is the real monster truck of all RC monster trucks. THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL! Mine is perrty much stock except for the Traxxas Big Bore shocks, Full Ball Bearings, ESP lift Kit, ESP Chassis stiffner and Trinity X Star Motors. I will never get sick of driving this truck. I get about 2 foot air's jumping off the road bumps near my town home. (Tamiya King)
Stu.B
The Clod Buster is just simply the king of R/C. When it was released back in the eighties there was nothing else like it. In standard form the Clod may only posess limited off road ability but it makes up for this with its fantastic presence! Despite being little more than a good pose in standard form the clod can be modified like no other R/C car. The custom parts and kits available make use of the Clod Buster's bets feature. It's gearbox. I run with 12 cells and two 10 double motors and the fact that it all holds together shows how tough the gearboxes are. In my opinion a well sorted custom clod is still better than a TXT1. Due to the fact that the power is transmitted longways down to the axles, the TXT suffers from torque twisting if you run with too much power. The fact that the Clod has all of it's parts rotating transversly means you can run with as much power as you can fit in the truck.
My advice to anyone wanting to soup up their Clod is this: Think about making your own parts! Look at what is available and think how easily you could make it yourself. If you want to make a custom chassis make a carboard model first. Then go to B&Q where all raw materials are available. Anyone with any hand skills and a high school level technical education can make their own 'hop ups' Look at my truck and GO FOR IT!