Vintage Kyosho Car Crusher - Double Dare 4WDS

[BlackSeaRC]

Released as a competitor to the Tamiya Clod Buster, the 1:10 scale Kyosho Double Dare was a twin motor, 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel steering monster truck (or "car crusher" as Kyosho preferred to describe it). I purchased mine in 1989 and fitted Acoms radio equipment. The Double Dare promised high-performance and long travel suspension, so did it live up to expectations? Sadly no. Whilst it was very fast, it was also very hard to control. The 4-wheel steering meant that it was difficult to keep in a straight line and the smallest steering input could lead to a roll-over. As for the suspension, the stock friction shocks were absolutely terrible. They were very stiff, limited the wheel travel and made the plastic mounting brackets flex badly. The truck used double wishbone independent suspension instead of solid axles and multi-links. I ended up buying 8 oil-filled shock absorbers and this transformed the handling. I also handmade some reinforcement plates and brackets. Other notable features included a sealed "dust proof" centre chassis module that housed the electronics but again, the design was flawed as space for the servo operated rotary speed controller was extremely limited. The body was a Nissan pickup with a simulated engine protruding through the bonnet.

The Double Dare never achieved the success of the Clod Buster and is now quite a rarity. Despite the numerous design flaws, it was still an interesting and fun machine. Other members of the Kyosho car crusher family included the Big Brute, Hi-Rider Corvette, Big Boss and USA-1.

See the whole truck, along with my custom modifications, in close-up detail in the following video:

BlackSeaRC

 

[itstoobright]

Sweet! I think quirky, vintage RCs are the best!