The RC Deep Dive

NOTE: This episode was recorded before the repose of Tamiya Chairman of the Board Shunsaku Tamiya at the age of 90 years old on 18 July 2025 . Our condolences go out to the entire Tamiya family during this time of their loss.

What is the history of the Tamiya corporation? How have they managed to stay family owned and stayed true to their vision while being flexible and pivoting when necessary? We untangle the roots of the family tree and point out all the Tamiyas running the Tamiya Corporation in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

You are out bashing your Tamiya Frog 1/10th scale radio controlled buggy and your axle just falls off, with the bearings, wheels, and nylock nut all together in one piece on the ground. What causes this, how can you fix it, and how can you prevent it from happening in the future? We look at various options to repair this rere (re-release) failure point in the Frog and BRAT in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

The hunt for the perfect or a unique place to bash or race your R/C model vehicles requires a 1/10th scale eye. However, you need to know what terrain is best for bashing or racing each model of your radio controlled buggy, car, truck, van, or bus. We open up the map and show you how to unearth your local hidden R/C playgrounds in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Tamiya's vintage, classic, and rere (re-release) 1/10th and 1/12th R/C model vehicles' box art is iconic and has caught the eye of multiple generations and is now literally displayed in art and history museums around the world. But who are the artists and artistic directors behind this kinetic fantasy art recording chaotic joy? This collaboration between designers, engineers, and illustrators within Tamiya is a fascinating story. We open up the historic corporate employee directories and help you draw conclusions about this iconic radio controlled car, buggy, truck, van, jeep, tank, and bus box art in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Is the increasing focus on UX (user experience) over the DIY (do it yourself) builder's ethos going to head to an implosion of skills in the radio controlled model vehicle hobbyist community? What is the importance of this DIY philosophy, and how can the user's experience without the builder's ethos actually hurt the end user's long term R/C experience? We open the box and unpack this debate between builders vs users in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Which is the authentic R/C model vehicle philosophy? DIY (Do-It-Yourself) customizers or Box Art Purists? What do these opposing philosophies say about the members of these two camps, and is there a third or middle way, perhaps in the RestoMod Movement or the Box Art Plus philosophy? We put on our referee shirt and lay it all out in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Which way do you mount your motor? What does it say about you? Many Tamiya RC model vehicle hobbyists have strong opinions on why you should always display the motor with the motor decal showing. Why is this important? We stick to motor preferences and give you all the details in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Speed, power, and runtime, three things we all want to increase when running our radio controlled buggies, cars, trucks, vans, and busses. Simply hopping-up one little piece in your R/C model vehicle can instantly improve all of these immediately! We plug-in, power-up, and remove all of the resistance to this key knowledge in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Lilith, whether represented as the first created woman, fully woman and fully demoness, mother of demons, Queen of Hell, or a goddess, she is represented in many ways, but how would she be represented in the ratio controlled model vehicle hobbyist world? It would be a tangible self-portrait with each R/C car a piece of her story and identity. Would she have a Tamiya Sand Scorcher, the Wild Willy, a Hornet, a Blackfoot, the Clodbuster, the Bullhead, and/or the Avante or something else? We take a deep dive into mythology and religion to bring you this hypothetical representation of her story of creation, rebellion, power,  sovereignty, subversion, and more in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

It is important to know safety rules for wiring your power and electronics. Such as red hot female which tells you that R/C batteries are always female and ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers) are always male and Ohm's Law which tells us that the lower r (resistance) goes the higher i (current) gets. However, here at the RC Deep Dive podcast, we also think it's important to know the why behind these  rules. PRO-TIP: Once you know why, you are less likely to forget them or challenge them, because these safety rules and electrical laws are smart and make sense for radio controlled vehicles and professional electricians everywhere.