Peter Vieira
Wow, you're reading this? Thanks! If you're into RC cars and I seem vaguely familiar, it's because I spent over 25 years writing and editing RC car news, reviews, and tech articles in print and online. What else, what else ... I have a degree in Film Studies (useless), most of a degree in Graphic Design (useful), and I'm married to a wonderful woman with horrible taste in men. Thanks to her, we have a terrific daughter who just earned her Journalism degree and is way, waaay more together that I was at her age. Or right now.
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Those bourbon decanters were basically a marketing gimmick in the 70s and 80s. Whiskey demand had started to wane as clear liquors (vodka, gin) became popular, so distillers started putting out “limited edition” ceramic decanters to help boost sales.
Jim Beam was the most prolific. I’ve collected several over the years, and the detail on them is truly impressive. Autopian-wise, I have a C4 Corvette, 1904 Ford, a full train set, and a Space Shuttle. There were Mr. Goodwrench decanters, semi trucks, chainsaws, and all sorts of other styles.
These were usually made of some combination of ceramic and plastic. The bourbon inside is hit-or-miss. Depending on the spout placement and seal quality, it can taste funky. Regardless, they are truly works of art.
I think my dad had a couple of novelty Jim Beam containers.
Also, several non-novelty ones. My piggy bank was a Jim Beam bottle with a neck that could accommodate a quarter.
Cologne bottles, as well. My uncle had a number of them. The scents were also hit or miss, but I think he only bought them for the bottles. These were glass or ceramic with plastic parts and fairly well done.
I think it’s weird that the golden eagle is more of a bald eagle.
Maybe it has a tan
Did you do any research on the Bourbon side of this? Some kind of promotional thing, I assume? Was it a distillery/jeep dealer collaboration?
It was from Daviess County Distillery in Kentucky, in the early 80s. They had a few different promotional bottles like this; I have a little catalog that came with it somewhere. It was pretty good stuff, if I remember. Wasn’t a lot in it, like half a normal-sized bottle.
I’m mostly out of the hobby, but still have:
1/10 SCX10 with Cherokee XJ hardbody
1/10 RC4WD Trailfinder 2 with the Hilux body
1/10 Custom built Land Rover D90
1/18 scale Hilux
1/18 scale Land Cruiser
Two SCX24’s with Wrangler and Bronco bodies
1/43 rock bouncer
Those are all my scale rock crawling stuff, and I also have an Arrma Infraction v2 truck that is scary fast.
I used to build model cars, play with slot cars and also R/C. I was sad when Mr Tamiya died recently. He made modeling and R/C really popular, and of the highest level of detail.
If someone wants a box of Tyco slot cars, let me know.
+1. Growing up Tamiya was always at the pinnacle of quality. They weren’t necessarily the most detailed, but we’re always striking a great balance between fitment, ease of build, and accuracy. Only Hasegawa were close but their range was limited.
These days the more expensive Chinese brands may have eclipsed Tamiya but the latter will always have a special place in our hearts.
Nice try, Satan. I don’t need another expensive rabbit-hole of a hobby thank you.
This made me laugh out loud. I have fallen into this very hole. It’s expensive and I have no time to do it much. So the sunken cost into it is pretty terrible. Wicked fun stuff there though.
The trick is to first try to get into a much more expensive hobby like photography, home theater, or wood working then spending $500 on a whole RC feels like a bargain.
Nice username! I have an NC as well. So that’s a more expensive hobby right there. HDPE track days and autocross are a blast. Mine is 2.5 swapped and turbocharged. I remember in the early 2000’s my friend took me into a Hi-Fi store. I couldn’t believe that a pair of speakers could cost $15,000. They did sound good, but not THAT good to my ears. Heck, 25 year later I got a whole NC with all the mods already done for half of that pair of speakers.
I got myself a Tamiya Monster Truck a few years back, one of the original ones. It sat on my shelf for four years until last month, when my son (2 years old) became obsessed with it. That was my motivation to put a battery on it and go to the park, where my kid will run after it on his trike like there’s no tomorrow.
And, now that it is working, the temptation to start upgrading is growing…
Heck yeah! This is how we get future Autopians. Teach him how to drive manual too when he’s just old enough to reach the pedals.
I plan to get him driving an old Beetle or T1 when the time comes. Hopefully the price will not be crazy high for a restorable one in the next 16 years 🙂
Once again the Internet tempts me to throw money at cool toys. The YouTube videos of these things slowly crawling along are so relaxing.
Check out @turksandjerps on Instagram or Youtube. Some guy built an entire rock and (mini) tree mound in his yard to drive the scale RC around on and it’s amazing.
That’s one of the guys I interviewed for this piece a couple years ago. Really impressive stuff. Another Youtube channel to check out is Headquake, he hand-carves RC truck bodies out of wood.
Thanks for the comment Mark! I had been watching Headquake’s builds for a long time. I must have missed that article somehow. What a great one. I appreciate the heads up about it.
I can’t find the link right now, but someone near me was giving away an entire RC rock crawling course. Was huge and looked pretty cool.
I’m loving this weekly feature. I tinkered a bit with some wpl trucks but got sidetracked. I got a 80 series body hydro dipped in zebra stripes and need to put it back together
That Blazer looks fantastic, Mark!
Thanks! That one is a Tamiya Bruiser underneath.
That’s awesome
Crissake, please introduce DT to this hobby so he can confine his misery to a single closet.
Elise will buy your next three RC cars in gratitude.
You know, there’s paint that looks like rust.
I’m not sure faux rust would work for David. He needs the gritty feel, the fingers cut on the sharp rusty edges, flakes getting into every orifice on his face, and eventually into his blood.
David would make plastic parts rust.
This is the only time I have ever said this: COTD
There’s actual paint with metal in it that can be “patinated”. usually people get bronze or copper or something and spray it with some kind of salt solution for varying shades of verdigris, but I’m 90% sure there’s a version that contains iron.
I think he’d really enjoy it! Especially in a few years when the kiddo gets old enough to play, too. Pete and I will keep working on him.
Also, “single closet”? Ha. Try an entire spare bedroom and a third of the garage…
I think I’ll send DT my TRX-4m Defender. Set the hook.
Still better than midwest rot scattered around socal in miscellaneous parking spots / lots.
Who brings rotted cars to socal? I f’n love you, DT, but you are going to be the cause of my first stroke.
Also, I’m completely in on the RC content. I have space out back to make a track and an elevated place to drive from. I’ve been working on plans for a buggy using e-bike stuff to run through the trails, but this seems much safer.
Yes to the RC content! This looks like a cool build. I want to have the time and skill to just whip something like this up but I currently live in the kit world. Not complaining. Just dreaming.
Nothing wrong with the kits! I built an Axios kit for an XJ and had a blast doing it.
I need to get into an Axial kit! They look like so much fun and like such good display pieces too. At some point I will fold this into my office enhancement budget, right above comfortable chair, but below new monitor, because “priorities.”
The whole “I started this project then it sat on a shelf for over 2 years” timeline is extremely relatable to me.
The “Shelf of Doom”. I know it well.
I’m an expert at starting projects.
I have a 40″ steam-powered R/C boat project I started in around 1999 and haven’t touched since. It’s still sitting there for ‘some day’. Now that I have grown up, have resources, and own several nice 3D printers and a laser cutter, I am really out of excuses.
I have a few heli kits and electronic components in my basement. When tariff against you-know-who went above 100% I panic-bought everything under the sun.
I’m going to hold on to them. As one surmise, everything about this hobby is made in that one country that can go mano-a-mano in a trade war.
One quibble: that DX5 is an air radio, not a surface radio. And not even a very good air radio since it’s not computerized. Only one model at a time and no fancy stuff like expo. I have one in the basement I got with my Apprentice of Theseus. Now controlled by a Radiomaster TX16S. My surface stuff uses a MT12 since I couldn’t be bothered to learn a different radio operating system. Yes, the RC bug bites and bites hard!
It works great for scalers in “heli” mode, with the ratchet on the right stick. Left stick is throttle, right stick is steering and shifter. And I don’t need all the fancy adjustments or model memory. This TX is for two trucks, and each has its own receiver, and all I have to do to switch between them is tweak the steering trim a little.
And 2.4 is 2.4, it’s not like the old crystal days when you couldn’t use 72mhz for surface models.
Hey, if it gets the trucks driving and it works for you, that’s all that matters! Once I got that second plane the DX5 had to go.
Oh yes. Once you go ELRS (or ETHOS Tandem in my case) you can’t go back.
I’d take RadioMaster and FrSky over the legacy brands even if money is no object.
I have the 4 in 1 versions. Reason being that my stuff has lots of different receivers. From expensive Spektrum ones to Chinese toy protocol integrated bricks.
Full chassis parts list, for the curious:
RC4WD Gelande II aluminum frame
RC4WD T-Rex 60 axles with Yeah Racing aluminum front knuckles
Gmade leaf springs and hardware
Axial SCX10 II two-speed gearbox
RC4WD Punisher driveshafts
RC4WD Ultimate Scale shocks
Homemade steering linkage with Traxxas rod ends
Integy 55 turn motor
Reedy SC480 electronic speed controller
Onyx high-torque steering servo
Futaba S148 shift servo
RC4WD 1.55 steel wagon wheels and Mud Thrasher tires
Curious as to approximately how much $$$ you have invested in it?
It sounds like a person can really get involved so is it something that is going to make my wife crabby at me …..again?
Rule number one of this hobby: Never total up the receipts.
Funny how cars are cars no matter the scale. 🙂
Rule number 1A for helis and planes: don’t take off if you aren’t prepared to bring them home in a garbage bag.
So true! Done that. FoamTac works wonders!
That applies to many, if not most hobbies.