TA01
TA-01 chassis represents one of the milestones in Tamiya’s production of four-wheel drive rally and road chassis, a direct evolution of the DF-01 chassis with which it shares 80% of its components. The TA01 chassis was later upgraded to the TA02 version, these two chassis share many parts. The following models are part of this family
– Toyota Celica GT4, model number 58096 put on sale in 1991 and available on the market until 1993, 260 mm wheelbase version
– Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo, model number 58099 put on sale in 1991 and available on the market until 1999, 260 mm wheelbase version
– Mercedes Benz 190E Evo II AMG, model number 58108 put on sale in 1992 and available on the market until 1994, version with 260 mm wheelbase
– Ford Escort RS Cosworth, model number 58112 put on sale in 1993 and available on the market until 1998, version with 260 mm wheelbase
– Schnitzer BMW M3 Sport Evo, model number 58113 put on sale in 1992 and available on the market until 1995, version with 260 mm wheelbase
– Lancia Delta HF integrale, model number 58117 put on sale in 1992 and available on the market until 2000, version with 260 mm wheelbase
– Toyota Celica GT4 RC model number 58119 put on sale in 1990 and available on the market until 1999, version with 260 mm wheelbase
– Axia Skyline GT-R Gr.A model number 58120 put on sale in 1993 and available on the market until 1994, version with 260 mm wheelbase
– Michelin Ford Escort RS model number 58125 put on sale in 1993 and available on the market until 1997, 260 mm wheelbase version
– Hummer model number 58154 put on sale in 1995 and available on the market until 1999, version with 280 mm wheelbase
– JGSDF Light Armoured Vehicle model number 58326 put on sale in 2004 and available on the market until 2005, version with 280 mm wheelbase
The TA01 family is one of the first radio-controlled cars presented to the market with four-wheel drive with excellent performance complete with realistic body. It is not the unanimous opinion that the ‘Touring Car’ category was born from this family, certainly the ‘Touring Car’ category is better defined after the release of this chassis. Notable among the models with realistic body are the BMW M3 E30, the Ford Escort Cosworth released in two different versions, the Lancia Delta Integrale and the Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution-II W201. The first two models have numbers 58096 and 59099 and thus rightfully belong to Tamiya’s historic models. By historical models or the golden age of Tamiya, we mean the first chassis released for sale that are characterised by state-of-the-art technical solutions and their diversity in configuration. There are those who indicate the first 100 models as belonging by right to this period, those who go as far as the first 150 models and those who go as far as the first 200.
Regardless of how many models you want to include in this period, Tamiya’s golden era includes all those families in which Tamiya experimented with construction technologies (2-wheel drive front, 2-wheel drive rear or 4-wheel drive), materials (metal, alloys, plastics, fibreglass), gearboxes (geared or ball bearing with rigid or belt drive), suspension arms (rigid or independent)… introducing a wide variety of models to the market that were later republished for sale. The TA01 chassis rightfully entered this category and won the first ROAR electric National Onroad Champhionship in Naples, Florida in 1991.
These eleven models represented a very important novelty for Tamiya and there were several advertisements that Tamiya or the various importers around the world published in trade magazines; in the image below is an example for Hummer.
This project is so important to Tamiya that the models are used for the most important pages of the Guide Books and the catalogue; there are also bodies that are sold without a chassis to allow enthusiasts to customise their models:
– body 50430 Calsonic Skyline Gt-R Gr.A
– body 50431 Zexel Skyline Gt-R Gr.A
– body 50438 Taisan Skyline Gt-R Gr.A
– body 50447 Castro Rb Skyline Gt-R Gr.N
These bodies have 260 mm wheelbase
The TA01 chassis (right in picture) shares these parts with the DF-01 chassis (left in picture):
– front gearbox,
– rear gearbox,
– gears; the rear differential of the TA01 series is ball differential while the DF-01 has both ball and gear differential depending on the model,
– central plastic tub-shaped chassis; some models of the DF-01 family have the FRP chassis as standard, for the TA01 it is an accessory and
– all parts to install electronics and battery in the central chassis.
The major differences between the DF-01 and TA01 chassis are
– shock absorber lengths differ between the two families; TA01 family shock absorbers are shorter than DF-01 family shock absorbers, TA01 chassis shock absorbers are all four the same
– suspension changes in the shape and size of the arms; TA01 family suspensions have shorter arms
– suspension changes in the shape and size of the towers; TA01 family towers are lower
The characteristics of the TA01 chassis are:
– 4-wheel drive
– 4 independent suspension
– front gear differential and rear ball differential. The gearboxes of this machine are easy to inspect for maintenance and gear replacement
– central tub chassis made of plastic material
– 4 x CVA shock absorbers in the mini version
– engine positioned in the central part – rear
– battery positioned transversely in the central part of the chassis
– 260 mm wheelbase excluding the Hummer and JGSDF Light Armored Vehicle models, which have a 280 mm wheelbase with the replacement of the front and rear suspensions. Pictured on the left is the one-piece front suspension arm of the standard TA01 model and on the right the two-piece front suspension arm of the Hummer – JGSDF model.
Pictured on the left is the one-piece rear suspension arm of the standard TA01 model and on the right the two-piece rear suspension arm of the Hummer – JGSDF model
The different geometry of the suspension allows the wheelbase to be increased by 20 mm between the two versions; all other parts remain unchanged, although the colour of the plastic of the front and rear differential gearboxes changes from red on the standard model with 260 mm wheelbase (left in picture) to black on the ‘Hummer’ model with 280 mm wheelbase (right in picture)
Parts list for the Lancia Delta HF integrale, model number 58117:
Exploded view of Hummer parts model number 58154
Different accessories are available for this model to increase performance:
– complete FRP frame part number 53099
– carbon graphite upper and lower frame plate part number 53100
– FRP front suspension plate part number 53193
– rear suspension plate made of FRP part number 53194
– ball differential for front part number 53070
– aluminium plate for engine installation part number 53142
– high performance shock absorbers part number 53155
– hexagonal aluminium wheel adapters part number 53056
– universal shaft part number 53115
– Servo Protective Mount Set part number 50473
– Dynatech electric motor part number 53001
– Pin Type Wheel Adapter part number 53056
unidirectional bearing system for front gearbox, part number 58071
Tamiya does not produce any anti-roll bar for this chassis. The rear anti-roll bar accessory for the TA02 chassis, part number 53189, is not suitable for installation on the TA01 chassis. The lower rear suspension arms are different. Due to their different orientation, the 53189 set cannot be installed on a TA02 chassis unless the metal wire bar is replaced with a custom-made one.
As of today (2024), no reissues of these models have been released, but during an event in Japan a series of plastic parts in special colors were made available:
– Fluorescent Orange Hi-Torque Servo Saver, item number 49036
– Fluorescent Yellow Hi-Torque Servo Saver Set. item number 49553
– Fluorescent Green Hi-Torque Servo Saver Set, item number 49554
– Fluorescent yellow suspension arms part D (2 sets), item number 49543
– Fluorescent green suspension arms part D (2 sets), item number 49544
– Fluorescent green adjuster set suspension upper arms, item number 49545
– Fluorescent pink adjuster set suspension upper arms, item number 49546
– Fluorescent yellow gearbox, parts A and B, item number 49547
– Fluorescent green gearbox, parts A and B, item number 49548
– Fluorescent pink gearbox, parts A and B, item number 49549
– Fluorescent yellow chassis, item number 49550
– Fluorescent orange chassis, item number 49551
– Fluorescent green chassis, item number 49552
– Fluorescent orange damper springs, item number 49555
– Fluorescent green damper springs, item number 49556
– Fluorescent yellow damper springs, item number 49557
– Fluorescent pink damper springs, item number 49558
– White suspension arms, part D (2 pieces per package), item number 49572
