These conversant in Tamiya’s GF-01 wheelie-happy, four-wheel-drive chassis will inform you that it’s a extremely enjoyable and typically foolish car to drive. Combining the GF-01 chassis with the traditional appears of the enduring Toyota Land Cruiser 40 (FJ40) makes it a combo that’s actually onerous to prime. We at RCCA like to customise our RCs, and this FJ40 is not any totally different. With the best hop-up elements and the assistance of a inventive pal, this pickup truck was destined to be one cool trip.

This isn’t our first article in regards to the GF-01 chassis Tamiya Toyota Land Cruiser 40, and it’s unlikely to be our final. The very enjoyable to construct and customise Tamiya truck is reasonably priced and addicting. Avid RCCA readers might recall that we featured a personalized and slammed GF-01 Land Cruiser 40 with bulbous go-kart wheels and tires over a yr in the past, and we’re again at it once more with a totally totally different construct.

These conversant in Tamiya’s GF-01 wheelie-happy, four-wheel-drive chassis will inform you that it’s a extremely enjoyable and typically foolish car to drive. Combining the GF-01 chassis with the traditional appears of the enduring Toyota Land Cruiser 40 (FJ40) makes it a combo that’s actually onerous to prime. We at RCCA like to customise our RCs, and this FJ40 is not any totally different. With the best hop-up elements and the assistance of a inventive pal, this pickup truck was destined to be one cool trip.

This isn’t our first article in regards to the GF-01 chassis Tamiya Toyota Land Cruiser 40, and it’s unlikely to be our final. The very enjoyable to construct and customise Tamiya truck is reasonably priced and addicting. Avid RCCA readers might recall that we featured a personalized and slammed GF-01 Land Cruiser 40 with bulbous go-kart wheels and tires over a yr in the past, and we’re again at it once more with a totally totally different construct.

GF-01FT

This time, we’ve handed a GF-01 Land Cruiser 40 over to RC customizer extraordinaire, Robert Pezza, aka Scale Rat. This isn’t any unusual GF-01, thoughts you; it’s Tamiya’s Quadtrack variation, the GF-01FT. Tamiya’s Toyota Land Cruiser 40 Quadtrack GF-01FT rides on a set of observe items as an alternative of wheels and tires. These 3-sided items enable this FJ40 to traverse filth, snow, gravel, and different terrain with ease. The tracks provide unimaginable traction in comparison with even off-road tires and in addition allow the FJ40 to run on snow, sand, mud and different difficult terrain. The tracks themselves are available two varieties: a regular flat design, and a toothed grouser design for further floor chunk.
Out of the field, Tamiya’s GF-01FT chassis Toyota Land Cruiser 40 includes a highly effective, gear-driven 4WD transmission system and a tricky monocoque body. The chassis’ tread and wheelbase lengths are practically the identical, which is undoubtedly one of many the reason why it’s so straightforward to pop wheelies when it’s fitted with normal wheels and tires. The chassis rides on a double wishbone suspension and contains friction dampers. A wheelie bar mounted within the rear retains it from flipping.

Scale Rat’s signature patinas function painstakingly detailed oxidation parts, on this case indicating this rig is a real survivor.

Sporting a cool classic look and quad observe items instead of wheels and tires, the Survivor is a singular and succesful car to drive.

Right here’s a have a look at the GF-01T chassis with its physique off.

OXIDATION & RUST

As a result of we love seeing a well-customized RC, we thought we’d unleash Scale Rat’s inventive thoughts and abilities onto this distinctive, tracked FJ40. To begin with, he determined to go along with a classic look and worn metallic end. The physique was completed in order that it appears prefer it’s a survivor of a really sluggish oxidation and put on course of as a consequence of publicity to salt air.

He defined to us that there’s a reasoning behind his paint type on ’70s-era Toyota pickups: “Though Toyota vehicles are recognized for his or her longevity and long-term reliability, there was a minor flaw within the our bodies and frames within the ’70s that will make them simply corrode and rust— which was the metal manufacturing formulation utilized in Japan at the moment.”

It grew to become such a recognized difficulty right here within the States that this corrosion received a nickname—“Toyota Caner”—due to how briskly the oxidation would happen. “Metal is an alloy mix with a number of metals, however its base is iron combined with carbon,” Scale Rat explains. “This creates a powerful alloy with out being brittle. However when uncovered to air and moisture it begins to activate an oxidizing response, and that’s after we get rust. This course of accelerates even sooner when uncovered to water and salts. These onerous situations occur simply within the harsh winters within the U.S., the place the moisture and salt are within the air and within the snow or frost.”

He continues: “Toyota designed its vehicles very effectively, however these environmental situations have been by no means examined. Japanese and U.S. environmental situations are nearly like two totally different worlds. They might by no means should salt their roads for icing as a result of very not often have they got a harsh winter. The vehicles would rust, however at a a lot slower charge. The U.S. is native to rock salts, and our ocean coasts have virtually salt air. So a dab of moisture, some salt air, and a slight paint chip might create rust consumption everywhere in the total truck.

The tracks make fast work of sand, snow and dirt, so picket slats don’t stand an opportunity!

“I’m infatuated with oxidation. I feel that the method is so fascinating and mesmerizing. I’ve performed a lot analysis, and also you be taught that its response has a distinct look everywhere in the world. A technique to consider this course of is that it’s our planet utilizing its sources to interrupt down supplies by corrosion. That is what influences me on how I determine to climate and misery an RC or mannequin physique.”

THE SURVIVOR

With a really cool classic look and spectacular crawling capabilities due to its quad observe items, this FJ40 is definitely a good-looking and unique-to-drive car. We name it the Survivor for a number of causes. To begin with, as a Toyota of the Seventies, this FJ40 has pushed previous its physique corrosion difficulties and has been transformed to be a track-driven car, one that’s able to surviving over any terrain, even deep snow and sand. That’s a survivor for those who ask us.

P/N: 58704
MSRP: $514
Kind: Meeting Package
Scale: 1/12
Drive: 4WD

FINAL WORD

Scale Rat’s personalized rendition of the 1/12-scale Tamiya Toyota Land Cruiser 40 Quadtrack GF-01FT includes a convincing paint job that makes it appear to be it’s survived years of oxidation and put on. We particularly just like the refined patina and the era-correct classic colours that he utilized to the physique. Tamiya’s GF-01 chassis is at all times a enjoyable car to construct, drive and customise, and this distinctive GF-01TF model provides to its already-incredible versatility.

Sources:
Tamiya tamiyausa.com
Scale Rat
Instagram: @ScaleRat20
Fb: @ScaleRat20

Textual content by Robert Pezza and Jerry Tsai
Photos by Jake Wilson and Nanishka Guillermety