The 58043
Grasshopper came out in 1984 and, depending on how you define buggy,
was really the second after The Frog of the previous year. While
The Frog was a somewhat deluxe version of a 2WD buggy, the Grasshopper
was as basic as it gets. Sporting a solid rear axle, a 380 motor,
swing arm front suspension, and pogo stick shocks, it pretty much drove
like the bouncy insect after which it was named. Unlike many of
Tamiya's earlier offerings which sported many metal parts, the
Grasshopper is nearly entirely plastic right down to the gears. It
may not have been fancy, but it was cheap and a good starting point for
scores of RC enthusiasts. The Grasshopper was re-released in 2005
as kit 58346
with basically no changes from the original apart from the lack of a
mechanical speed controller. This is the version I built.The Grasshopper is not good, but it was not intended to be. While some racing buggies are described as though they handle like they are "on rails", the Grasshopper drives like it derailed and then fell off a cliff. The suspension is so bad that it probably does more harm than good. On asphalt it drives reasonably well, and it is acceptable on small gravel. Anything else is too much. Oddly though, it always puts a smile on my face. You can't help but laugh at it as it bounces around the yard.
Update: This model was destroyed in the 2022 fire. It has not been replaced.
 Page 1: Assembly |
 Page 2: Final Photos |