TAMIYA 58630 1/10 RC Plasma Edge II Buggy Kit, with TT-02B Chassis, Brushed 4WD

I am almost done building this kit, with just the shell to paint.I went with an 80A ESC from Surplus Hobby and went with a brushless 3650 / 3900KV motor, and Zeee 5200 3S battery. This RC setup is very fast and handles nice and solid. I want to try it in a large parking lot. so I can go full throttle for more than a few seconds. I had hit a brick lining in a yard and it held up well, nothing loosened up, this wasn't full speed but maybe 10 to 15 mph.I want to note some things to be aware of.1. Ball Bearing upgrade... I upgraded to ball bearings, tried the Tamiya brand TT-02/TT-02B ball bearing pack and I found that the bearings for the wheel cups were too small in diameter and were loose in the wheel cups. Yes, they would work but are not a good tight fit. If you are upgrading to ball bearings, get the Fast Eddie - Tamiya Plasma Edge II OR Neo Scorcher TT-02B Sealed Bearing Kit which has the proper size ball bearings.2. During testing the Tamiya ESC was bad, I will need to contact Tamiya for a replacement so I can use the included brushed motor on a basher car. When turning on the ESC there was a sizzling sound and won't go into programming mode to change to brushless, just a flashing green light.3. There was an extra washer, which was good because I used it to screw in the backplate where you need one screw. Without the washer, the screw just pops in past the backplate. The instructions didn't mention this, but that seems to be where the extra washer Is used.4. The servo I bought had a screw that wasn't long enough, and the screws in the kit didn't fit. I had to go to the hardware store to get a screw that was long enough. This isn't an issue with the Tamiya kit, but rather something to be aware of with the servo you use.5. The shell is clear and will need to be painted, so be prepared to buy paint.6. UPDATE: I tried a generic brand aluminum drive-shaft and joint-shafts. The driveshaft wax not long enough and there is too much play, so much that the front joint-shaft can be pulled right out of the bevel gear that connects with the differential, while installed.**Go with Tamiya brand aluminum driveshaft and joint cups and those fit correct.The plastic driveshaft and joint cups included in the kit fit correctly fine andcseem to hold up well. The aluminum parts ate noticeably lighter.7. The instructions are great, I started with youtube videos then found I could follow along with the instructions quite well. It took me much longer to build this kit up to this point, but I was taking my time and learned a lot from this build and feel I could get through another build much quicker next time.

Tamiya has been around for a long time and is wonderful for those who are getting into RC hobby grade vehicles. Will this vehicle be as good as a Team Losi or Team Associated? No, but are you wanting to spend so much money if you are getting into the hobby?Compared to WLToys; you will spend more on the Tamiya kits, but the replacement parts are easier to come by in the US and with less waiting than ordering parts from China. Additionally, if you want to go with the more powerful brushless engines, you will not need to deal with super-glued bolts for motor mounts (WLToys) that will need heating up to get them loose.This is a Tamiya TT-02B kit and you will need the following to complete building:Radio system (transmitter/receiver); I use a Flysky FS-GT2B ($30.99)Servo for steeringBattery (The speed control is set up as Brushed and with Tamiya plugs) I updated to brushless and LIPO batteriesCharger for the batteryTools; Screw drivers highly suggest the Tamiya screw driver kit for Japanese Industry Standard screws, hobby knife (remove plastic parts), scissors to trim the body coverSpray Paint for the Car BodyIncluded with the kitBrushed MotorBrushed Electronic Speed ControlKit building experienceThis is not the first kit that I have put together and experiences will differ in the time and frustration of putting these together. If you have a six-year-old waiting for you to put this thing together while going crazy, this will be a patience building activity. The instructions are clear and very detailed, and attention to detail is key.Lipo/brushless upgrade:Drive shaft and differentials are plastic. I added aluminum prop shaft, joints, and bearings. The front propeller gear disconnected on the second run while using a brushless motor. Shimming the front propeller bearings with folded aluminum foil kept the propeller shaft in place and now the car maintains four wheel drive regardless of crashes, flips, bouncing around. So far, I have only ran the car on grass and am still tinkering before abusing it on ramps and jumps.Overall a great experience for myself and for my children who are getting into the RC hobby. I didn't want to purchase a TLR or Team Associated kit to see it ran into a curb or tree at full throttle and see $200+ broken on the first run.

Fun kit to assemble with my son. We ordered hop up parts directly from TamiyaUSA. You will need to purchase a ESC separately. Box lists ESC as not included, one was not in the box. Product is shipped from Japan.

I really liked that it fealt like a old school build. Not a lot of high tech add ons

I am returning to the hobby after 20 years absence and felt this would be a good place to reintroduce myself to the hobby. My instincts were correct this has proved to be a Easy build and easy to maintenance platform I have just started upgrading parts here and there and have had no issue finding options there are OEM or after market parts available in abundant supply I strongly recommend the plasma edge 2 for any level driver

very nice.

I love Tamiya models, but there seems to be a design flaw with the TT-02B, the spur gear strips badly. I don't run my Neo Scorcher anymore as I go through a spur gear per run.

This was a fun build and a great car! As mentioned by others, it is not the fastest, but is a good starting point for those new to the hobby. The only item of interest is that the kit does NOT come with an electronic speed control, unlike many other Tamiya kits. This is not a big deal, but worth noting that you will need to purchase one in order to run the model.