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

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Finally, body clips: on the SWB these should be the type with the "waggly" bit on the inside (compared to the large loop)- the LWB and most other cars have the "normal" arrangement with it on the outside.

Shudder! 😩 😲 😮 I can’t leave it like that. I marked out some tape. Popped it on some plasticard and made a filler. The XB Wild Willy 2 features a gear box neatly secured into a monocoque frame. Side support bars have been added to the frame to heighten the overall rigidity and enhance Willy's "stunt vehicle" realism. Running battery is positioned lengthwise toward the rear of the chassis, providing the ideal balance for outstanding wheelie action. Steering servo is mounted centrally on the chassis and holds two steering tie rods of equal length, which control left/right steering, ensuring reliable handling. Four wheel independent suspension and oversize tires enable high traction and stability. Ready to run straight out of the box, this XB jeep is the perfect introduction to the fun and exciting world of R/C off-road racing. Set comes with all necessary R/C equipment including an Expec 2-channel transmitter and TEU-101BK electronic speed controller 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,

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The LWB on the other hand has slots (that match corresponding ones in the chassis tub) for those wires, in theory making it easier when you have to remove the lid. J1/J2 (sparewheel) I usually assemble it before painting, sand the edges where the two parts come together, same glue/screw prosedure as first mentioned parts 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. It's been a while since I penned part one (detailing the differences between the Wild Willy M38 and Wild Willy 2 body and fittings), this time I'll be covering the differences in chassis parts on the earlier "Short" wheelbase (SWB) and the later "Long" wheelbase (LWB) versions. 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. Specifications

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 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. This is a subtle difference, but if you look at the bumper mounting points on the LWB bulkhead you'll see the holes are much deeper.With the exception of a few screw and bearing dimensions, the chassis of the "M38" and "2" generations of the Wild Willy have no parts in common. The chassis is after all a direct 4WD conversion of the Wild Willy 2 chassis (WR.02), and from what I understand the kits comes with Wild Willy body mounts included. The Wild Willy 2 kit and Having built models on the CW-01 wheelie chassis before and being unimpressed with the ability to hold a wheelie, my expectations of the WR-02 were not high. I was pleasantly surprised. This model holds a wheelie much longer than something like the Midnight Pumpkin. My addition of heavier wheels moderated that a bit, but I still love the way it drives. It is even reasonably capable in the grass. I've done similar projects for several platforms over the years, to later see the model I wanted/built was eventually released by Tamiya - like with the various Land Cruisers. Take a close look at the Wild Willy 2 chassis and you will find an all new design featuring a gear box neatly secured in a monocoque frame. Side support bars have been added to the frame to heighten the overall rigidity and enhance Willy's "stunt vehicle" realism. The gearbox comes pre-assembled, allowing the user to easily remove it for maintenance, without taking apart the frame. The running battery is positioned lengthwise toward the rear of the chassis, providing the ideal balance for outstanding wheelie action. The steering servo is mounted centrally on the chassis and holds two steering tie rods of equal length, which control the left/right steering, ensuring reliable handling. Four wheel independent suspension and oversize tires enable high traction and stability.

A Wild Willy II was up for dicussion among Tamiya and the distributors already in 1996 during the European Finals of the Tamiya Cup in Switzerland, but it took until 1999 before it was realized. No doubt it was worth waiting! What a great model! An even more visible hop-up is an insider tip from the time of the old monster QD's; the hop-up # 43009 QD Monster Spiked Tires fit! Spikes? Yes, "normal" rib tires with spikes between the ribs! They look great on the Wild Willy II.

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Thanks for the interest in this build. It sounds like a few of you have similar love for Tamika RC. 😍 Well it starts looking like a regular model kit. I guess the only difference is nuts and bolts and wires rather than glue and paint. Well for the first part anyway. Sorry if this is out of place but I love to share my builds and I hope you’ll indulge me as I’m planning on doing some sweet paint action on this beautiful beast. I can’t imagine it’ll take long to build and I hope if you do follow along you’ll find it interesting. Then starts the body work - like Theo said, I never use primer for Olive drap color (see his explaination why) - I rather sand the body a bit to get better "grip" for the later to come paint

I also came across HPI Wheelie King rims and the tires on the net and they have the look I'm after. They look closer to the WW2 tires, but bigger. And I like the chevron look better as of the Traxxas ones. Front suspension strut tops & pipe clamps: the SWB has 2mm clearance holes + M2 screws fitted from underneath into the plastic tops. On the LWB the screws are fitted through the tops in M2 pressings in the clamps.

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It’s been 36 years since The 10 year old me drooled over the Tamiya catalogue dreaming about owning a Wild Willy, the most fun RC car ever. Over the past few years I have indulged myself in our beautiful hobby trying to recreate images I saw as a kid in those oh so wonderful catalogues. Building mostly aircraft but some cars and tanks, sometimes even a robotic suit thing has given me great pleasure and sharing on BM has re kindled a long lost hobby. Willys was an American automobile manufacturer. They received a commission to build four-wheel drive reconnaissance cars for use in the Second World War. The original model was the Willys MB. The Willys M38 succeeded it and was in production from 1949 to 1952. It is this Willys M38 that serves as the basis for this kit. The "Differential Gear Case" of the LWB Willy has a small aluminium skid plate. The plastic mouldings have rebates to suit. 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.