Tamiya RC Radio Control Car 1/10 Electric Wild Willy 2 Jeep Kit

Product Information

The original 58035 Wild Willy came out in 1982 and was really unlike anything that had come before it. It had the large tires of the 58029 Blazing Blazer but with a short wheelbase and a high center of gravity mated to a new wheelie chassis. The name "Willy" comes from the fact that this is a model of the M38 made by Willys as the second generation of the original military "Jeep". The body is scale accurate but placed on a crazy high 2WD stunt chassis. May as well name the driver "Wild Willy" and give him a giant head and a lot of detail. Willy would go on to pilot other vehicles over the years including the 58039 Willy's Wheeler only a year later. The 58242 Wild Willy 2 came out in 1999 as a tribute more than a re-release. Although the newer model bears a superficial resemblance to the original, virtually everything has been changed. The original chassis is gone and replaced by a more modern WR-02 wheelie chassis with balloon tires and chrome wheels. At first glance the lovely hard shell body might appear original, but for reasons that are not exactly clear subtle details (including the grille) have been changed which make this now resemble the M151 made by Ford as a successor to the M38. Maybe it was a licensing thing, or maybe Wild Willy 2 is the successor to the original just like the M151. Willy is still there driving. Although this model is still for sale (as of 2019), it is now marketed as Wild Willy 2000. The "Switch Stay" also sees some changes between versions: the LWB pressing is narrower & loses the reinforcing fold, but gains an upright section which helps to position the MSC servo. Wild Willy, 58036 Audi Quattro Rally, 58037 Opel Ascona 400 Rally and 58039 Willy's Wheeler all use the same gearbox. But the Wild Willy has a different gearbox plate and a 15T pinion. The other cars use 18T. In one way, I'd like to get something that might be used 'entry' or 'junior' level at a buggy club but I suspect none of the suggested items are really that suitable for this. Or are they? I like projects like this normally but was never 100% happy with my set-up. Looking at B.M.T's job though I am tempted to have another go.The alignment issue is minimal and easily solved. By reversing the front body post, you can fit the WW body straight out of the box. By adding 4 simple spacers, you can fine adjust the lateral alignment of the body. I'll design a set of these spacers now, it's a very very simple part to make,

I had to chop the driver's feet just like BMT said. But it's worth noting that we both removed the 'lump' that protrudes on the underside of the body (the bit that fits around the switch on a Wild Willy M38). The driver's feet would be unscathed if the body was left standard, but the body would have to sit noticeably higher. The large body clips are the reverse of the norm - the "inside" extending part should have the bends & fold to accommodate the body post, not the outside as on every other Tamiya car. Here's what the tamiya catalogue says...A new concept in radio control off road enjoyment. A truely versatile stunt vehicle that makes spin turns, jump turns and wheelies with ease. Body styling is from the famous Jeep which is now utilised by auto sports fans for racing and hill climbing. High strength nylon, ABS resins and injected molded plastics are used in its contruction for lasting durability. Precision ball bearings are employed on in the system to ensure smooth running. A large differential gear and a sealed mechanism box allows running in all types of weather. Large sand tyres and coil spring suspension dampen out all of the rough terrain surfaces. With a realistic driver of Wild Willy. BTW, the rubber plug for the SWB resistor wiring is a 3-speed gearbox bung, now easily available with the Bruiser and Mountaineer re-releases.

CHARGERS

The Hornet 18T, 0.8mod; mad brushless motors: use 10T midnight pumpkin / lunchbox 10T/0.8mod pinion & gearbox fittings (Thanks Jonny Retro) Also needing a mention here is part J5 (on the inboard end of the servo saver shaft) has a raised pip, I would guess to try to reduce friction. In reality all it did was wear a pronounced ridge in the inside of the chassis tub.

The original Wild Willy released in 1982 was purposely designed with its weight center in the rear. The motor was positioned behind the rear axle and the battery placed toward the rear of the chassis, giving rise to dynamic wheelie potential. The original Willy was equipped with an independent spring axle suspension on the front and a sturdy trailing link, coil spring on the rear. These mechanics allowed for highly effective off-road performance. Nice catch, the original Willy isnt the most technicaly advanced car, bit over designed, but sure the most fun one of its time. The Wild Willy 2 is a reproduction of the popular original Wild Willy from the mid 80s. The new Wild Willy has an all new chassis and larger tires allowing it to tread over rough terrain. Of course, the Wild Willys trade mark is the animated wheelie capability thanks to an all new wheelie bar. The side rails are an issue though. The chassis has three of the mounting points but not the rearmost. You either have to shorten the chassis rails or trim the body post mount on the chassis. The rails can be made to fit with a little work.

TOOLS

I even thought it still had its wrapping around the wheelie bar One thing I noticed but I am not sure it looks like super glue was used on the tires/rims. For example, I had a middle period RC10 with an 81T spur gear, with a diameter (across the lands) of 1.63" - which gives a pitch, thanks to my not very accurate measurement, of 49.5 - close enough to 48dp. My Mardave Meteor on the other hand, has a spur gear with 28 teeth, and a diameter of 0.83 inches - which comes out at 33.9 - again taking into account the fact I measured in mm & converted, + rounding = 32dp. Gear pitch will be one of two types imperial (diametral pitch, aka diametrical pitch, dp or simply pitch) - mostly found on US and UK made cars - e.g. Associated & Mardave; or metric - module or mod - mostly found on Japanese made cars - e.e Tamiya.