Tamiya Toyota Mountain Rider

Without a doubt Tamiya has a huge following in the RC world. Tamiya has helped introduce this hobby to so many people over the years and if you ask any RCer to rattle of a few names of popular Tamiya kits or a list of Tamiya kits they would most like to have, the Bruiser or Mountaineer would most likely be on the list. For the longest time, Tamiya fans hoped the aforementioned kits would be re-released and now that wish is has come true with the Toyota Mountain Rider, the re-released version of the original Mountaineer. This is one kit I’ve always wanted in my collection so I jumped at the chance to build, detail and drive it. During the build, I photographed the assembly process and I can certainly say it was one fun build!

 

BUILD NOTES

Tamiya kits go together rather easily and the Mountain Rider is no exception. I do however have a few suggestions to pass on.

-Make sure you get all the glues (CA, silicone, model cement) and paints ahead of time. Run through the instructions before hand and use a highlighter to mark any gluing or paint steps to help you plan your build.

-When you get to the transmission step, familiarize yourself with all of its steps and take the build slowly. It took me two tries to get it right… I admit it.

-Make sure you get the pinion angle correct on for the axles. Tighten the U-bolts well and don’t carry the model by the axles, they still can shift and mess up the pinion angle you worked so hard to get right.

WRAP-UP

When you finish your Toyota Mountain Rider build, you’re left with a very impressive recreation of an amazing model from the past. The build is fun, but be aware its time consuming and painting can be a challenge but that’s the fun in modeling. I’m eager to take this truck out for a drive, yes I’m going to drive it and get that old school driving experience. Make sure to check out RC Driver Magazine for the full review.