About
Every time i get back home from work or outdoor i would always passed by my living room and caught a glimpse of my pride and joy standing tall on my dark wooden shelf. Those shiny golden rims, yellow oil damped
CVA shocks, spikey monster tires and wholesome red hard shell bug body with few bits of chromes always caught my attention between rival Tamiya models nearby. Its that R/C model you'd rarely seen in this era that would awe any classic R/C enthusiast. No matter how bad my days were whenever saw this it made a huge wide smile on my face pondering how many years it has been to reach this very moments. Behold sitting there with pride!; the "TAMIYA MONSTER BEETLE". ....i'm living back to my sweet childhood days finally full filled in current time in my 40s. Yeah! i'm old and can't trust my own fart! lol! Whheewww!! Now that's living! Just like the story i told about my first sight on Tamiya BLACKFOOT during my child hood in my previous article review the Monster Beetle was also on the same page too as i drooled on the 1990's Tamiya's catalogue book. When it was released again in 2015 i was in a huge joy able to grab my lost childhood dream from online stores. Years later there it was next to me a huge box brown shipping box from Hong Kong (Rcmart.com) spilled out two of my favorite childhood monster truck; The BLACKFOOT and MONSTER BEETLE. Too bad there's no news about revival of the of 1989 Subaru MUD BLASTER monster truck else i would have a complete nostalgic family in my collection. That years of missing wet dream have finally return to reward my patience for living that long, it was worth it despite spending all 
my saving for both, any ways money always return back once you work hard for it.
A quick note about its history; Tamiya Monster Beetle was released in late December 1986 few month later after its brother the Blackfoot was released. The Beetle serial production number was 5860/58060. Few decades later it was re-release again in year 2015 under model number 58618 with slightly modern ESC unit and minor changes to omit original 'race sponsor' decals. Both share the same base 2WD chassis but the first model that uses such chassis was the 1983 "THE FROG" (58041) buggy. Unlike other re-released classic TAMIYA models that came along together in the same era like the 'BLACKFOOT', 'CLOD BUSTER' and others that losses its replica manufacturer emblem/badges off from the body the MONSTER BETTLE still able to retain its licensed 'VOLKSWAGEN' signature even in re-released models still etched hard on its plastic body shell to this day. This makes it more desirable for R/C modeler enthusiast to make this as valuable collectible models on their shelf. As for me the re-releases was a blessing and here i am on the sofa smiling like no tomorrow holding most beautiful Monster Beetle art box....my precious!!!
Specification (as describe by vendor/manufacturer)
Brand name: TAMIYA
Model name: MONSTER BEETLE
First date production release: 23 Dec 1986 (Model no: 5860/58060)
Re-release edition: year 2015 (Model no: 58618)
Scale size: 1:10
Chassis type: ABS plastic space frame chassis
Bodyshell: Hard cover ABS resin plastic
Length: 410mm
Width: 290mm
Height: 240mm
Wheelbase: 246mm
Drivetrains: 2WD
Motor: 540 Brushed - MABUCHI (*Can easily upgrade to 540 size brushed motor)
Electronic Speed Controller module: Tamiya TBLE-02S (support brushed and sensored brushless)
Front suspension type: Front double wishbone with CVA damper shocks
Rear suspension type: Rear trailing arm suspension with CVA damper shocks
Items required to complete the build. (Not included inside the kit)
- Radio transmitter and receiver unit (2 Channel minimum)
- 1x Steering servo (Standard size for 1:10 scale eg; FUTABA S1001)
- 1x battery; 7.2v Sub-C/NimH or 7.4V Li-Po 2200mah~3300mah
- 1x battery charger
- Building tools such as screw driver, cutter and etc
- Tire glues and plastic cement
- Few plastic acrylic paints
- Spray paint color code: TS8 'Italian Red' (85008)
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Quality and builds
The MONSTER BEETLE chassis kits uses exactly the same base chassis as the BLACKFOOT kit that i've reviewed previously, only the body shell, body mounting poles, wheels and tires were 
different by a small margin. They both parts are happily compatible and interchangeable with each other which explained both was released in the same production year on 1986. While the BLACK FOOT looses its FORD F-150 aesthetic signature previously imprinted into the body shell design such as on front grill and back side in the re-released version the Monster Beetle however retain its licensed VOLKWAGEN aesthetics and still have its emblem on the hood. On both models only the decals were changed a bit away from original release to avoid copyrights issues.
As usual in the kit box it comes without battery, radio combo and servo which you need to supplied by yourself at your own choices. The kit already comes with stock 540 size MABUCHI brushed motor and TAMIYA TBLE-02S electronics speed controller which support both brushed and brushless option. It also comes with bottle of oil dampers and some greases so you don't have struggle to find proper ones to fill in. Unlike the 2WD buggy kit this truck have lots more parts counts and moving parts which need more greasy work and bigger work space. The plastic parts including critical ones such as swing arm, A-arms, wishbone suspension, 
chassis and top body are made from robust impact resistant ABS plastic which means likely to survive moderate impact on stock powered motor on speed when bashing without broken every corner of this model. It seems that the plastic parts tree for Monster Beetle especially for body shell parts have more parts counts than Blackfoot kit in thimble size due to extra aesthetic detailing work.
Built process are the same like building my BLACKFOOT since both models share the same base chassis design; just cut the parts from the plastic parts trees, snap-in, screw, assemble the gears, grease, oil fill the shocks and other normal R/C assembly tasks. The tools needed to get this done are simply some household tools such as screw driver with Philips head, small cutter to remove cut out parts form plastic tree, narrow head plier and scissors or pen knife for cutting out stickers. The only build differences between the Monster Beetle and the Blackfoot is the top body shell build. Blackfoot body shell is easy to assemble, screw in chunky sized parts together, snap locked and apply decals. As for Monster Beetle is a bit complicated and 
takes more effort to put together since it has more miniature of detailed parts such as head lights/lens set, side mirrors, emblem and extra paint works to the rear lights and panel lines with silver and black marker pen complete the body shell finishing. I didn't spray paint the body using the recommended TS8 'Italian Red' (85008) spray since the plastic body shell itself already default red enough to mimic the default theme. All the detailing work is quite handful but it was worth the experience to enjoy.
The remaining require electronics are self supplied by my own choice which i opt for the classic FUTABA S1001 as steering servo which is good for stock driving, FLYSKY FS-GT3B radio 3CH unit with receiver and finally a 7.4V 2s 2200mah 35~40c Li-Po battery pack to power the model. There's no soldering needed for the electronics hardware just snap in the wire in place, calibrate the ESC according to the manual and wiring cleanup via zip ties. Overall to complete the build took around 12 hours with electronics hardware fully installed. It was fun and satisfying because it fill that empty gap what i wishes for during my childhood since i always dream of working with R/C tamiya models. Long time ago i was just a bystander watching my uncle build his Tamiya in the 80's and now i'm living it. Mission Accomplished!
Driving performance
Is it fun to drive?...if you we're living in the 80s till 90's when models used to be powered on NiCAD and NiMH nbattery it was indeed fun but with the advent of new technologies pour into R/C models in 
current era its quite a boring monster truck for new generation of R/C owner......okay! mostly the "Boomers" and the generation one step ahead later do love it. By today R/C standard this classic mid 1980's TAMIYA MONSTER BEETLE is not able to compete with new age R/C monster truck; its neither performance racer nor a basher due to its relic design chassis. Its good enough for 'stock' driving just able to enjoy seeing it moving around like a baby who just had its first walk. Best way to say is people who own this model would just love to cruise leisurely, not serious but love to see the 'styling' and the photogenic moments as it bounced around on the track...its a 'show' monster truck with style.
In 'stock' form it still fun drive with just 2s Li-po battery pack, plenty of torque to pull mild wheelie when you hit the sweet spot on the throttle. The best place to enjoy driving it is on loose pack sand, dry mud holes with long fast bumps. I could drive it on hard pavement or cemented surface but i wouldn't risk balding those beautiful looking studded tractor tire though. On bumpy 
off-road the driving characteristic is quite quirky and bubbly; its a very jumpy monster truck due to stiff shocks and swingy rear suspension pretty much how you would see a motocross bike traverse though courses of bumps. Through every break and entry into the bumps there's always a wheelie effect when you hit the throttle right the moment the rear wheel touches the ground which is why its more of a fun drive rather being a racer. The steering is very wiggly, loose and not so accurate to steer around which can be quite challenging to drive and slalom around at high speed especially on dedicated race circuit. Since i use a lighter 2s 2200mah 35~40c Li-Po battery pack under the chassis the cornering stability can be unstable at 80% throttle especially on grippy tarmac road almost tipped over on its side on two wheels but when i used heavier 2s 3300mah li-po battery pack it seems very planted due to lower heavier center gravity. Remember back it the old days these models used to run on heavier NiCAD and NiMH battery pack which is ideal way to keep the CG lower and run stable so its best to run on heavier Li-Po battery.
However its a very 'noisy' model; with on board plastic parts clunking around as if you felt something was loose or rubbing against each other which is true especially on the rear suspension swing arm and wiggly battery hatch below the chassis. The top hard plastic body shell is quite heavy too and wiggle about loosely on the post 
mounting pole. Runtime on 2s 2200mah 35~40c Li-Po battery pack lasts me between 16 to 25 minutes on average depending how i pull the throttle but still enough to keep me entertained. As for the stock 540 motor and the Tamiya TBLE-02S ESC temperature its warm to touch after few runs.
In terms of durability the base chassis can really take the beating from jumps and tumbles on rough off-road terrains since most plastics such as the swing arms, front suspension A-arms and the lower chassis frame are made from impact resistance plastics. The stock gear box seems to held up from the torque produced from stock 540 brushed motor on fully charged 2s Li-po battery pack but there no guarantee if it could handle brushless motor upgrades. The only minor problem was the rear CVD drive's ball joint keep popping off from the differential cup gear after few random jumps but easily put it back in place by hand...pretty much expected from relic design independent swing arm axle. However since the Volkswagen replica body shell is very detailed in construction some bits of aesthetics parts may get damaged such as the clear head lights and side mirror might get easily dent, scratched or bend...chrome parts are just too vulnerable to be out in the wild. So far i had one side mirror slightly bent and looses it back side reflection panel after 
bashed and landed on its side. Fortunately both side mirror can be easily detached by hand if not needed.
Personally what i like about classic 80's Tamiya monster truck both the Monster Beetle and Blackfoot are how easy it was to plug the battery and quickly go and drive it. For modern R/C car, trucks, buggy and etc you'll need to remove the body shell to access the battery compartment to plug in the battery and turn on the switch then put back the body shell and snap back all those four tiny snap pins to secure it took somewhere between 3 to 4 minutes task....as for old people like me that's a lot of work to go through. But for retro Tamiya monster trucks i just slide in the battery from the under carriage of the chassis, snap in the battery plug and turn on the ON switch and i'm ready to drive...all that for under 30 seconds. Plus the classic monster truck pretty scale and looks photogenicly good on the picture and videos thanks to its detailed plastic hard body plastic models rather than shiny bubbly soft lexan plastic shell like a soapy UFO contour design. If post it on social media definitely you'll get more attention from scale enthusiast and plastic modeler, more likely the compliments for its looks are ageless and lasts for many generation to come.
Aesthetic value
Among all the ground base R/C model that i loved based on visual 'aesthetic value' that i owned within my collection the Tamiya Monster Beetle top first, Tamiya Wild Willy 2 gets the 2nd and the third position goes to the 
Jeep AXIAL SCX-10 platform. Of course the Monster Beetle will always be an eye magnet because the rare golden wheel and yellow coil damper shocks seems to visually standout among the rest...it shouts "Looks at me, i'm blinged!". In fact similar 'gold wheeled' theme also can be found on TAMIYA's classic 1985 buggy "The FOX" or the re-release version 2013 "Novafox" which i think inspired what Monster Beetle to be. Same goes to few selected classic series of Tamiya like the "HOTSHOT" buggies which also adapted golden wheels too.
By today standard at the time of writing this article no other R/C manufacturer yet able to build a monster truck as unique and looks good as Tamiya Monster Bettle with its gold rims, spiked tractor tires, detailed aesthetic looking body shell that carry licensed VOLKSWAGEN signature. Its definitely a head turner and a keeper for R/C collectors, a model that definitely doesn't age through time. Definitely my top choice for shelf queen to be! ...i make sure no scratches came near to it!
Videos/Medias
Here are sample of video of i posted on my Youtube channel contain fun driving & bashing around my TAMIYA BLACKFOOT
- Product gallery: 1/10 Tamiya MONSTER BEETLE
Vendor/seller
Here are list of reputable vendor/seller which i bought from and also verified by community forum discussion groups. Also i've experienced buying from these places that have good support and services:
- Seller Rcmart.com (East Asia): 1:10 scale Tamiya: MONSTER BEETLE (Re-released 2015)
**Note: There are many vendor/seller for TAMIYA models around the globe but the above is closest to my country in east asia.
Support group/articles:
Places where you can find help and resources related to this product:
Company website: https://www.tamiya.com
Wikipedia TAMIYA CORPORATION: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamiya_Corporation
Tamiya 1986 MONSTER BEETLE specification sheet: https://www.tamiyabase.com/tamiya-models/58060-58060
Tamiya 2015 re-release MONSTER BEETLE specification sheet: https://www.tamiyabase.com/tamiya-models/58618
Tamiya TBLE-02S Speed controller module support: https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/electronics/rc-esc-tble-02s-brushless/
Summary
For old generation like myself and other 35 years old above collectors the TAMIYA MONSTER BEETLE is a symbol of testament of time tapping the glory days when R/C used to be concentrating admiration on aesthetic value, leisurely driving with style than speed bashing like we have today. Not only serve as an obsession to own the model itself but its an object of reminder how awesome the time we used to live in the period around 1980 to 1990 when life was very much care free and not much of a rush since technology have not yet consume the society norm.......
yeah! we lived happily during 'analogue' times. Majority of us bought the Monster Beetle because we're trying to get back what we couldn't back and also as a time capsule to remind us where we came from. Good memories will always bring happy and positive thoughts even though its just an object from the past.
Honestly i don't drive the MONSTER BEETLE as much as i do with modern R/C model outdoor because it looks too beautiful to get wreck or scratch on this fine looking model! If i do i just drive at leisure mild pace around the parking lot after working hours just to enjoy the view and the feel on this model as if i was driving in in my kiddy age in noir ambient. As for me i felt much happier and enjoyed more playing with this retro TAMIYA than my modern fast brushless models...probably because of my age or something that changed me, the older you get the more inner peace you shall seek. Regardless it does however spark those inner happiness in me because every time i see and touch this classic red Volkswagen. It reminds me how lucky i was to be able to live through hard times after many decades and appreciate those year living under the wings of my caring parent who raise me to become a successful independent adult. The beetle stays as proof of living! On similar matter i think in the future i would like pick up the TAMIYA NOVAFOX buggy if i have the budget...those gold wheels looks so tempting! Old classic stuff seems to bring me joy some how. Well my pocket is drying right now so i better start saving for next purchase. hahaha!
