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

Product Information

IBIFTKH pretty much sumed it up already, but now I know first hand from actually having built the chassis... 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. The original Wild Willy released in 1982 was purposely designed with its weight center in the rear. The motor was positioned behind the rear axle and the battery placed toward the rear of the chassis, giving rise to dynamic wheelie potential. The original Willy was equipped with an independent spring axle suspension on the front and a sturdy trailing link, coil spring on the rear. These mechanics allowed for highly effective off-road performance. With the sturdy Wild Dagger gearbox within a ladder frame with even an indication of a V8 engine and the TL01 suspension arms and chromed Mad Bull wheels, Tamiya has a winner. Top this chassis with the Wild Willy body, and you have a future classic. The "Differential Gear Case" of the LWB Willy has a small aluminium skid plate. The plastic mouldings have rebates to suit.

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. The Wild Willy II is great fun to build, but for those of us who can't let be (why should we?) replacing the bushings with ball bearings the preassembled gearbox is slightly irritating. Apart from ball bearings the Wild Willy 2 doesn't really need any hop-ups, but many of the TL01 hop-ups fit the model, and it's a lot of fun hopping it up as so much is visible even with the body in place. Let's start with the most obvious difference between the two: on what Tamiya call the "Arm Stay". The SWB version has a round hole, and the LWB parts are longer overall with a slot. 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. 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 "Switch Stay" also sees some changes between versions: the LWB pressing is narrower & loses the reinforcing fold, but gains an upright section which helps to position the MSC servo. I had to chop the driver's feet just like BMT said. But it's worth noting that we both removed the 'lump' that protrudes on the underside of the body (the bit that fits around the switch on a Wild Willy M38). The driver's feet would be unscathed if the body was left standard, but the body would have to sit noticeably higher. 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.

As a footnote, a prototype version of the Wild Willy, which can be seen in an "action" pic on the Body Set box and in a least one Tamiya Catalogue, didn't have any sort of perforation. The next steps get you sorting out the radio gear. It’s all digital these days compared to the old radio and crystals of the 80s. Thanks for the interest in this build. It sounds like a few of you have similar love for Tamika RC. 😍

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. Next up, the "Mechanism Box Lid". The SWB has holes on the top for (from left to right) the antenna wire, speed control resistor wiring, and battery cables.

I tried fitting one to a GF01 and there are a few fit issues that can be overcome by modellers but would not really be acceptable to be sold as such.

Item Details

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.

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. I keep my fingers crossed, and hope if this is released, that Tamiya take their time to update with some cool new details, like jeep wheels and new tires for it, to make it a new release, rather than just a GF-01 Willy release with the same parts that have been available for almost 15 years now. 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'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. The trailing arm ball pivots and rear spring mounts were weak points which failed regularly, but both were moulded integrally with the chassis tub and the only repair was a new chassis rebuild. Did a few of those.

Specifications

This got dismantled and some sealed running bearings replaced the plastic bushes that came with the kit. I then added the rear wheel arms. L10/L15/L14/L3/L2/L9/L16 (Willys body) glue it all together, do a test fit with steeringwheel/shifterknop fitted before glueing on his arms though, so they're fitted in the right angle The Wild Willy II performs much better than the Wild Willy and it sure it's much more durable. Because of the better handling, it feels slower than the original, but the high center of gravity and short wheelbase doesn't make it suited for a hotter motor, if you care about the rather fragile body. Enjoy some thrilling wheelies with this assembly kit R/C model! The chassis is constructed around a lightweight and durable monocoque frame, with 4-wheel double wishbone suspension and sealed differential gears. A roller on the rear support bar ensures longer, more stable wheelies. The model features a detailed ABS plastic boy with driver figure included. Wheels already have tires pre-attached, and the motor comes attached to the gearbox to ease the assembly process.