Vintage Radio Controlled Nikko Rhino Buggy

The 1/10 scale Vintage Radio Controlled Nikko Rhino Buggy was one of favorite RC cars growing up. It was the Radio controlled car that everyone saved up for (at least in my town). The Nikko Rhino came out in the mid to late 80's. It was considered a hobby grade buggy and came fully assembled with a receiver for around $150 new. It was one of the fastest electric stock buggies that I have ever owned. The top speed exceeded well over 20mph. It used a 7.2 volt and was equipped with a strong RS 540 motor. You could purchase them in red or white. The Nikko Rhino was very popular 15 to 20 years ago, and due that popularity there not too hard to find today. Many people today still buy the Nikko Rhino just for the design of the buggy, gut them, and replace the electronics /servos with modern components. You can still buy Nikko Rhino parts and working buggies on ebay and craigslist pretty regularly. The make of the buggy was very similar to the Tamiya Frog and Tamiya Hotshot. You can see the side by side comparisons of the two Radio Controlled buggies below.

Vintage Radio Controlled Radio Shack Red Arrow Buggy

The 1/10 scale Vintage Radio Shack Red Arrow Buggy was released in the late 80's / early 90's around the same time the Golden Arrow Buggy was released. It come fully assembled and included a receiver, charger, and 7.2 volt battery. Back then the entire kit could be purchased at Radio Shack new for around $69.00. I owned two of these Radio Controlled buggies and they were also very speedy, rugged, and durable. The Red Arrow's were very similar to the Golden Arrow's except they were red and had some slight modifications to the body and electronic components. They were also a little lighter than the Golden Arrow. I don't remember all the exact specifications for the Radio Controlled Radio Shack Red Arrow, and it's nearly impossible to find one these days. But I a, pretty sure the buggy had a 540 type motor because it was just as fast, if not faster than the Golden Arrow because it was lighter. I remember the wheels also being interchangeable with the Golden Arrow. The Red Arrow without any modifications had a top speed of around 18-20 mph.

I don't think many of these Red Arrow RC cars were manufactured. I sold mine about 10 years ago for around $100 dollars each. I have searched ebay and craiglists up and down looking for one of these RC Buggies to no avail. I can't even find a picture anywhere of these either. I wished now I would of took some photos of my vintage Radio Shack Red Arrow Radio Controlled Buggy. I think this buggy was designed to compete with the Nikko Thunderbolt (the little brother or cheaper version of the Nikko Rhino). If you know were I can find one of these Red Arrow RC buggies or if you have a Raid Shack Red Arrow for sale please leave a comment. I would like to purchase it for my boys and I. I was able to find a video of the Radio Shack Red Arrow Buggy.

Vintage Radio Shack Golden Arrow Frame Buggy

The Vintage Radio Shack Golden Arrow frame Radio controlled buggy was released back in the mid to late 80's. It was a 1/10 scale hobby grade buggy that came fully assemble out of the box. At that time you could purchase the entire Radio Shack Golden arrow kit which included the buggy, receiver, 7.2 volt battery pack and slow charger for around $99. Out of the box the RC Buggy would run about 18mph. You could also significantly increase the speed some by adding a 8.4 or 9.6 volt battery back. But adding the 9.6 volt battery required you trimming the 7.2 volt battery casing of the Radio Shack Golden arrow. The Golden Arrow came stock with RS 540 motor installed, and it was a very rugged RC buggy that could take a lot of abuse.

I was fortunate enough to have own one of these vintage buggys. They were nearly impossible to break. Mine was always a blast to drive and handled quite well for a stock buggy. The only thing I ever had to do it was replace the tires and bearings. I replaced the stock Golden Arrow plastic bearings with metal barring replacements. I ran mine for years before selling it to free up space for new RC's. The Radio Shack Golden Arrow was comparable in build and speed to the Tamiya Hornet and Tamiya Grasshopper. If you are looking for a fast but yet very durable RC Buggy then you can't go wrong with picking up a Vintage Radio Controlled Radio Shack Golden Arrow. These days you can find them in yard sales, thrift stores, and places like eBay for as low as $20 dollars.