Tamiya RC – Classic Playtime

The world of scale models, die cast and radio control cars is vast. If you think of a make and model of a car, there is going to be a small scale version of it somewhere. And that’s especially the case when it comes to classic cars, as evidenced here with this Citroen 2CV. In 1:10 scale, it’s a wonderful, detail rich representation of the real machine ten times its size. But it gets better, because this one is Tamiya, and Tamiya is the king of the RC car, and that’s exactly what this one is. You can race it, you can terrorise the cats with it and you can even try to drive it across a ploughed field without breaking any eggs. We suspect a full-size 2CV might be best for that. 

This isn’t an off-the shelf toy though. No, this is a car you have to build completely. And when we say completely, we really mean it. The suspension, the gearbox, the steering – it’s all in its component parts and it all needs assembly. Then there’s the body, which comes to you as a vacuum-moulded ‘shell’ that you have to cut out, paint, affix the decals to and add the lights and mirrors. With these kits, you’re building a car. Except you can do it in the warmth of your lounge and without the need to roll around on a cold garage floor. Winner! 

Who is Tamiya? 

Tamiya was founded in 1946 as Tamiya Shoji & Co and, weirdly, it was a sawmill. With all the wood to play with, the products division started making wooden models of ships and aeroplanes as an extra source of revenue and as a way to utilise the smaller cuts of wood that weren’t sold. Little did the company know, the models would become so popular that in 1953 they became the main focus of the business. 

The shift didn’t come without its challenges. In the late 1950s, plastic models began to gain popularity, which meant Tamiya had to adapt if it wanted to stay competitive. From there, Tamiya built its in-house mould and die department, it introduced more models, a lot of which were of military equipment such as tanks and fighter planes. Though, it also stepped into the world of model cars, motorcycles, grand prix cars and more. 

In 1976, Tamiya entered the RC market with the Porsche 934 Turbo kit. It was the right thing to do, as the model was incredibly popular, helping Tamiya become a global brand. From there, the money rolled in and Tamiya designers were given free reign to create whatever they desired. This means new bodies, new chassis (FWD, RWD, AWD, 4×4, truck…). The RC division exploded. The reputation for detail, quality and customisation spread over the globe. 

And that, for us, is where Tamiya is different from all the other manufacturers of RC cars. The others lack detail and realism. Tamiya prides itself on these areas. As such, the 2CV is exquisitely detailed and perfectly proportioned, and that’s the same for every other model in the range. With Tamiya RC cars, you’re not building a caricature or a toy, you’re building a very real, just very small car. 

The Build 

As you can see from the above video, the build of one of these cars is quite involved, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. What we would say, however, is that you need some mechanical or automotive knowledge to do it right. The instructions are incredibly detailed and well laid out, but the build is still complicated. You have to assemble the inner workings of the gearbox, for example. You have to put the suspension together, and the steering. Nothing at all comes pre-done. You even have to put the tyres on the rims. 

The chassis for this model, which is the M-05, is a FWD design. This adds a further level of complication, as the steering, suspension, motor and gearbox are all in the same space. We took our time and although  we will freely admit we made the odd mistake, it all went together with relative ease. Tamiya makes sure the instructions are clear, it gives you plenty of spare screws and in some cases, spare parts, too. 

All moulded from incredibly tough black plastic, the chassis feels sturdy when it’s all together, and with the battery and motor in there, it carries a bit of weight, too. And if you want, you can upgrade almost everything. The bearings can go ball race, the motor can go brushless, you can get adjustable suspension – just like a real car in fact. 

The kit we got came with everything we needed. By this, we mean the radio gear. You need to be sure you buy this stuff too, otherwise you’re just buying a scale model. You’ll need a battery, a battery charger and a handset and servo if you plan to actually drive it. Hobby Co, where we got our kit from, will happily supply all this stuff. And furthermore, the kit’s instructions cater for the fitment of these parts, which is good. 

All in all, it took us about six hours to build the chassis to a point where we could affix a battery and drive it around the lounge, much to the horror of the cats. All we had to do after that was sort the body-shell. 

The Body

Now we needed to make it look like a 2CV. This meant painting the body. Before we could do that though, we had to cut it out. The shell comes as a vacuum-formed mould. You need to trim it and cut it free. Happily, while the shell is tough, it’s also flexible so you can get around it without too much fuss. 

Once that was done, it was time to paint it, which given the two-tone nature of the 2CV was rather complicated. First of all, you paint the inside of the shell, not the outside. As such, you can’t use primer – making sure you have the proper model paint is a must. 

Tamiya supplies masking sheets for the windows, which are useful. You cut these out and then affix them to the inside of the shell. For the arches, roof and bumpers though, we were on our own. Some masking tape and a lot of fiddling later and we were done. We then painted in the bumpers in model paint before spraying on the black for the arches and roof. Once that was dry, we took off all the masking, bar the windows, and applied the yellow. Thin tack coats are what’s needed first, then slightly heavier coats until good coverage is achieved. We then left it to dry overnight.

Once dry it was time to apply the stickers, and this is where the kit falls down for us. But we’ll get to that in a minute. First, the shell’s outer side is coated with a protective film you have to peel off. This is immensely satisfying, as it reveals the shiny plastic underneath. Once that is off, we could apply the stickers. And this was deeply frustrating. The 2CV has a lot of detail on it, and fine detail at that. Window surrounds, small badged, door hands, so on and so forth. Then there are the big sweeping stickers that fill in the side of the car to give it the trademark Charleston look. Applying these stickers is, as expected, fiddly. Having to cut them all out individually, however, was infuriating. It’s 2019, we’re sure it’s possible to pre-cut the stickers. It made an already difficult task incredibly fiddly and arduous, and honestly, it sucked some of the fun out of the experience. 

Stickers on, after what felt like an eternity, and it was time to drill the body. You have to drill four holes (which are subtly marked out on the body) for the mounting pins on the chassis, along with a selection of other holes for the wing mirrors, the headlights and the bumper overriders. All simple stuff. 

The Finished Car

Despite the fight with the stickers, we’re incredibly happy with the finished car. It’s not a toy, it’s not a pastiche of the 2CV, it’s a proper little car. And we built it, which is ace. Much like our real cars that we work on, we know this little 2CV’s inner workings, and that makes us love it that little bit more. The detail really is exquisite. 

Should You Buy One? 

Yes, absolutely. This is a perfect rainy day project to have on the go. The stickers are annoying, sure, but you’ll get over that. And the best thing about Tamiya is that when the chassis is built, there are all kinds of other body-shells you can buy and build to fit atop it. This is a great way to have a fleet of interchangeable classics!  

These kits are the perfect mix of engineering, of fun and of overall satisfaction. And honestly, the mechanical side of them is so detailed you’ll be amazed. We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again; you’re not building a toy, you’re building a tiny car. 

If you want to browse the cars available from the Tamiya range, you can do so by having a look on Hobby Co, who will also sell you everything you need to get it going. Not only that, they have all the tools, paints and guides to make sure your build is fun. We thoroughly enjoyed building our 2CV, and we’re confident you will too. Just remember to let the cats out first.