TA-04 TRF

This model is quite apart from the rest of my collection since it is both a limited edition and a pure racer. It is also my first belt-driven 4WD chassis. At first, I wanted a TA-03 chassis because it combined an older design with Tamiya's first belt-driven model. But things went differently and this TA-04 TRF edition was a great opportunity: I clicked.

 

The TA-04 family

The TA-04 is Tamiya's on-road belt-driven chassis second generation. Strangely, Tamiya abandoned the shaft-driven transmission introduced with the TA-01 when they released the TA-03 in 1996... and re-used it in 2000 with the TB-01. It would have seemed more logic to keep the shaft-driven transmission for the TA series and to use the new TB name for the new belt-driven transmission. Especially since the B could have meant Belt: this is not what happened, I don't know why, but this is not the point anyway laughing.

There are several variants of the TA-04:

 

TA-04 chassis (2000)

Tamiya TA-04 Chassis

 

TA-04S chassis (2001)

Tamiya TA-04 Chassis

 

TA-04R chassis (2001)

Tamiya TA-04 Chassis

 

TA-04SS chassis (2002)

Tamiya TA-04 Chassis

Photos © Tamiya

 

Compared to the TA-04 base, the TA-04S (S for Sport) comes with ball bearings everywhere and adjustable steering turnbuckles, the TA-04R (R for Racing) is an hopped-up S version (carbon parts) and the SS version (Sport Short) has a reduced wheelbase by 10mm.

Each variant was used by different models:

 

 standard TA-04

58261 TA-04 PRO Chassis Kit

Tamiya 58261 TA-04 PRO Chassis Kit

 

58266 Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge

Tamiya 58266 Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge

 

58269 Loctite Zexel Skyline GT-R R34

Tamiya 58269 Loctite Zexel Skyline GT-R R34

Photos © Tamiya

 

 TA-04R

58276 HKS Racing Altezza

Tamiya 58276 HKS Racing Altezza

 

58282 TA-04R Chassis Kit

Tamiya 58282 TA-04R Chassis Kit

 

58291 HKS CLK

Tamiya 58291 HKS CLK

 

58297 Raybrig NSX 2002

Tamiya 58297 Raybrig NSX 2002

Photos © Tamiya

 

 TA-04S

58272 Corvette C5-R

Tamiya 58272 Corvette C5-R

 

58274 TA-04S Chassis Kit

Tamiya 58274 TA-04S Chassis Kit

 

58279 Mercedes Benz CLK DTM 2000

Tamiya 58279 Mercedes Benz CLK DTM 2000

 

58285 Calsonic Skyline GT-R

Tamiya 58285 Calsonic Skyline GT-R

Photos © Tamiya

 

 TA-04SS

58290 Toyota MR-S Racing

Tamiya 58290 Toyota MR-S Racing

 

58300 ABT Audi TT-R

Tamiya 58200 ABT Audi TT-R

Photos © Tamiya

 

This chassis also exists as a limited edition signed by the Tamiya Racing Factory, Tamiya's racing division. The TA-04 chassis being the TRF414 public version, the TA-04 TRF is a version equipped with many parts from its race brother.

 

Side view

Tamiya 49278 TA-04 TRF

 

Top view

Tamiya 49278 TA-04 TRF

 

Bottom view

Tamiya 49278 TA-04 TRF

Photos credit: Garrison from Vintage-RC

 

 

My TA-04 TRF when it arrived

The big advantage with a model featuring so many hopups right "out of the box" is that you don't need to add any to improve it laughing.

 

Tamiya 49278 TA-04 TRF as received

Tamiya 49278 TA-04 TRF as received

Tamiya 49278 TA-04 TRF as received

Tamiya 49278 TA-04 TRF as received

 

The model is in perfect state and came with several bags of options, proving that even a limited TRF version can still be hopped-up laughing. So my idea is to give it a powerful motor that my driving skills can deal with. Above all, I want to give it a body with more... steroids.

 

FlickR