--- product_id: 1411608 title: "Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car" brand: "tamiya" price: "€ 310.92" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 category: "Tamiya" url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/1411608-tamiya-58346-the-grasshopper-rc-car store_origin: GR region: Greece --- # 7.2V NiMH battery powered 2WD RWD drivetrain Off-road suspension system Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car **Brand:** tamiya **Price:** € 310.92 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🚀 Revive the thrill of vintage RC racing with the timeless Grasshopper! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car by tamiya - **How much does it cost?** € 310.92 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.gr](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/1411608-tamiya-58346-the-grasshopper-rc-car) ## Best For - tamiya enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted tamiya brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Iconic Retro Design:** Own a piece of RC history with the legendary 1984 Grasshopper, a cult classic that never goes out of style. - • **Modular Assembly Kit:** Engage your inner maker with a hands-on build that sharpens problem-solving and fine motor skills. - • **Customizable Performance:** Upgrade-ready chassis compatible with powerful 540 motors and sealed bearings for next-level speed. - • **Robust Suspension System:** Independent front swing axle and rigid rear axle suspension deliver smooth handling on rugged terrain. - • **Classic 2WD Rear-Wheel Drive:** Experience authentic vintage RC driving with a durable 2WD chassis built for off-road thrills. ## Overview The Tamiya 58346 Grasshopper is a 1:10 scale, battery-powered 2WD off-road RC car kit that combines nostalgic 1980s design with durable ABS construction and a robust suspension system. Designed for hobbyists who love hands-on assembly and customization, it supports upgrades like 540 motors and sealed bearings. Perfect for outdoor terrain, this iconic model delivers up to 30 mph speed and offers a rewarding build experience that connects you to the roots of RC culture. ## Description Product Description Tamiya ventured into the modeling business in 1948, with a scale wooden ship model kit. Since then, Tamiya has been striving to offer merchandise that can truly be called "First in Quality Around the World." Now Tamiya is offering more than 300 different products, both in the fields of precision static models and high performance radio control vehicles. These products are not only sold in Japan but also exported in vast quantities to the United States, Europe, South East Asia, and to many other parts of the world. The standard of excellence achieved by Tamiya is regarded as among the very finest in the world of model hobbies. From the Manufacturer Based on 1-seater buggies seen tearing-up dirt tracks across the U.S. in the 80's, the Grasshopper first made its appearance in R/C stores in 1984. Boasting easy assembly and easy control, the lightweight Grasshopper proved an instant hit as the perfect entry level R/C kit. Also compatible with a whole range of option parts such as 540 motor and ball bearings, the Grasshopper was an entry level car that could keep up with the owners driving experience. Packed with all the fantastic features of the original kit, this fun 2WD buggy is a blast on both off-road and on-road tracks. Whether it was your first or will be your first, the Grasshopper guarantees to please. Simple But Tough 2WD Chassis The perfect combination of simple assembly and tough exterior is what made the Grasshopper so special. Durable plastic body is fastened to bathtub resin monocoque chassis by screws, creating a solid frame that can absorb any type of rough handling. Off-road tracks can be tackled with ease thanks to coil spring dampers and independent swing axle front and rigid axle rear suspension. Diff loaded sealed gearbox keeps out the dirt and stones for smooth driving and cornering. Paddle style rear tires and grooved front tires combine with 3-piece assembly type wheels for excellent grip performance on dirt tracks. Half-body driver figure adds that finishing touch to a fun off-road R/C car. Review: Great vintage RC kit! - If you are looking for an entry level RC that you can take down to your local RC track, this is not the RC you want. It is a re-issued, vintage, entry level RC kit. It uses entry level 1980's technology, save for a couple upgrades. It is not going to compete or handle like the current RC models. This is essentially a durable hobby grade toy. Nothing should be "missing" from the kit. "Missing" implies that it was supposed to be present with the kit. Tamiya's QA/QC and overall model quality are pretty superb. It is a hobby grade RC kit; meaning it does not include certain items, which is common for most hobby RC kits. The items not included in Grasshopper kit are the transmitter/receiver, battery/charger, servo, standard RC/model tools (hobby knife, small screw drivers, pliers, and file) and paint. It does come with a small hex wrench to fit the various nuts for the kit, but there was at least one nut that was in a position that was difficult to reach/tighten with the included wrench. So you may want to consider grabbing an RC tool kit that has small hex sockets. The kit contents include a small box with all the bags of bolts, washers, nuts, screws and specialty parts (like the transmission gears and grease), a sturdy black resin chassis, a sturdy white resin body/cover, the tires, various injection moulding sprues (the kit pieces that are attached to frames), the decals, and the instructions. The instructions can also be downloaded online at the Tamiya website. Nothing is painted; everything is pretty much either black or white plastic (or metal). You will need to use a hobby knife or plier snips to cut out the kit pieces from the injection moulding sprues. You can either file down the leftover spurs or shave them off with the hobby knife. The kit is easy and fun to assemble. You have some upgrade options, which include a better motor (the Tamiya RS540 seems to be the most popular, but you will also need an 18T pinion gear if you buy the RS540 motor) and sealed bearings. The sealed bearings used for the kit includes one (1) 5x8x2.5 bearing and nine (9) 5x11x4 bearings. It doesn't have to be Tamiya brand bearings (I used Traxxas aftermarket bearings for the 5x8x2.5) and you might have luck with these at your local hobby shop. The bearings are an ideal upgrade since the included "bearings" are pretty much just plastic or metal spacers. The one thing that you will really need to pay attention to when assembling the kit are the wheels. They come in three peices per wheel plus the tire. Once they are put together, they are very hard to take apart without gouging the plastic rims. So make sure the back tire treads are oriented properly and if you decide to paint, you are best off painting each piece separate before you assemble them. Another detail: if you decide to leave the center piece unpainted/white/different color like I did for contrast, be sure to either file the back side of the other two pieces clean or paint both the front and back of the other two pieces, as the back side of the other two pieces are slightly visible when assembled. Finally, you will need to paint the outer edges of the rims; they also show slightly when assembled. If you want the same exact color scheme as the picture on the box, the instructions tell you which Tamiya paint colors to use. TS-26 (Pure White Spray Lacquer) for the main body color. X-18 (semi-gloss black) for the roll cage bars. X-11 (gloss chrome silver) for the body detail. TS-26 (Pure White Spray Lacquer), XF-1 (flat black), XF-2 (flat white), XF-15 (flat flesh), and X-18 (semi-gloss black) for the driver. Alternatively, you can paint the kit whatever colors you want and used some, all, or none of the provided decals. That is the beauty of building the kit yourself :) I found that the local hobby shop was cheaper to buy the paint I wanted than to get Tamiya brand paint online. I went with a mica blue, white, and fluorescent orange color scheme using mainly testors paint. If you plan on doing a bit of detail painting, grab some high quality brushes, otherwise you will be spending a bit of time picking out loose brush hairs from your paint job. You can use pretty much any standard servo, I used the futaba brand. Roughly the same applies to the transmitter and receiver (both of which come together), again I used futaba's brand, the base model 2ch transmitter, which also came with servos. Not many transmitters include servos, just fyi. For the battery, I used the Tenergy 3800mAh combo with the smart charger. After all is said and done, you will be spending about two hundred fifty-ish on this kit. Pros: Fun to build, great quality (vintage) RC kit, pretty simple (less parts to break), durable and easy to use. Cons: A bit pricey, vintage 1980's technology (good and bad), limited upgrades, not a big aftermarket for replacement parts - once Tamiya discontinues it, parts will likely be a bit difficult to obtain. Update: 11/11/14 - It is a fun car to drive around. With the Futaba 2DR AM R162JE and Transmitter, the range is very long, like barely can see the car kind of long. I am really impressed with the battery life. Somewhere in the range of 30-45 minutes with the Tenergy 7.2V 3800mAh battery that I bought. The kids have a lot of fun with it too and while it has taken some damage to the chassis, it is running fine. Both of the headlights have been snapped off and a chunk has been taken out of the tail, but most of the damage is from indoor hazards. I am not a big fan of the battery cover design; it falls off a lot. I think a screw or maybe just some duck tape will work, but I haven't bothered trying yet. The wheels get poor traction on tile and hardwood floors, but do a little better on pavement. Works best on carpet. Steering is good, but due to the rear suspension being fixed instead of independent, it bounces around a lot and flips pretty easy. All in all, I am very happy with the car! I couldn't add a customer photo, so I put the finished car pic on my profile photo. Review: One of the first rc. Buggy's made - I had this back in highschool.just bought one 42 years later. I love the grasshopper. It has come a long way. ## Features - The leader in hobby products around the world - Made using the highest quality components and materials - Test for durabitlity and safety - Construction type : assembly kit - Terrain use : off-road; Drive-train : 2WD RWD - 380 type motor (chassis compatible with 540 type motor - sold separately) - Requires A : 7.2 battery & chargerRequires B : 2-channel radio gearRequires C : TS plastic model paint - Independent swing axle front suspension, rolling rigid axle rear suspension ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B000BMVIGM | | Additional Features | Portable | | Age Range Description | Kid | | Are Batteries Required | Yes | | Batteries are Included | No | | Battery Description | Nickel-Metal Hydride | | Best Sellers Rank | #131,955 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #472 in Hobby RC Cars | | Brand Name | TAMIYA | | Color | Multicolor | | Customer Package Type | Standard Packaging | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 627 Reviews | | Educational Objective | Hands-on learning, problem-solving, fine motor skills development, understanding of basic mechanical principles and physics concepts, automotive history interest | | Global Trade Identification Number | 04950344583461 | | Indoor Outdoor Usage | Outdoor | | Is Assembly Required | Yes | | Item Dimensions | 19.09 x 12.99 x 4.53 inches | | Item Weight | 2 Pounds | | Manufacturer | HRP (Level 3 Products) | | Manufacturer Maximum Age (MONTHS) | 36 | | Manufacturer Part Number | 58346 | | Manufacturer Warranty Description | No Warranty | | Material Type | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | | Maximum Speed | 30 Miles per Hour | | Model Name | The Grasshopper | | Model Number | TAM58346 | | Model Year | 1984 | | Number of Batteries | 1 Product Specific batteries required. | | Number of Items | 1 | | Number of Players | 1 | | Operation Mode | Remote Control | | Power Source | Battery Powered | | Scale | 1:10 Scale | | Size | 38.9 x 22.3 x 13.5cm | | Theme | car, off-road, spring | | Toy Vehicle Form | Car | | UPC | 716080174165 783329514112 798256896507 751871027176 | | Unit Count | 1.0 Count | ## Images ![Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517q99G6GeL.jpg) ![Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51eHxl2RfoL.jpg) ![Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61qKzqPUa2L.jpg) ![Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61DVteP1YNL.jpg) ![Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51XaY-PDuZL.jpg) ## Questions & Answers **Q: What needs to be purchased with this car? Please be specific with model number and other important info. Thanks, 1st time RC buyer** A: Chris, a number of reviews (mine included) list suggested components. The beauty of an R/C kit is that *you* get to build and customize it to suit your needs. That said, I know that the Grasshopper is aimed for beginners and beginners don't always know everything they need. You might be best served by purchasing an XB (expert build) version of a Tamiya car. The Grasshopper XB is ASIN: B000FGBME2. It comes with all you need to run it. Other brands of R/C cars call these types of cars RTR or "ready to run". If you still want to build this car and do it as cheaply as possible I suggest the following items:Futuba Attack 2DR remote ASIN: B000ZMATRCTenergy batteries (X2) and a charger ASIN: B001BKPAR6Highly suggest that you get a sealed ball bearing kit ASIN: B00MOD2F68While the Grasshopper is *supposed* to ship with an electronic speed control (ESC) some vendors are pulling the ESC to sell sepertely which IMHO is dishonest. If you don't get the ESC you're supposed to I suggest this one by Neewer. ASIN: B00CIPTPRY I've been using it with my Grasshopper and it works quite well.Contrary to what Miguel stated, the car does ship with a motor. It's a type 380 which is not as fast as the more standard type 540 but is great to learn on and provides much longer battery life per charge. If/when you outgrow the 380 you can simply buy a type 540 and 18t pinion gear and upgrade your 'hopper. **Q: Does this kit come with everything needed in the box for full operation or are there parts sold separately that are necessary for operating this car?** A: NO. it comes with nothing. its a Rolling Chassis a "glider" so to speak. you will need TX/RX (around $60) and a steering servo (go with metal and get a servo saver. trust me servo saver is mandatory) Battery it probably takes 7.2v Nicad Sub C packs but you can use lithium as well 7.4v is perfectly fine (2s) just get something with the "dimensions" of a 7.2v sub c pack (they are pretty big so this won't be hard at all) get a decent C rating on the battery so it can put out the amps. and of course a charger for that battery pack. **Q: how far is the range** A: I purchased the Futaba R152. It is a simple AM controller and I get about 300 ft out of it at a park running it up a big hill and back down again.. then back up again :) **Q: Where can I buy a frame?** A: Go to towerhobbies.com. Do a search for the frame (chassis), they'll have it. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great vintage RC kit! *by B***N on January 9, 2014* If you are looking for an entry level RC that you can take down to your local RC track, this is not the RC you want. It is a re-issued, vintage, entry level RC kit. It uses entry level 1980's technology, save for a couple upgrades. It is not going to compete or handle like the current RC models. This is essentially a durable hobby grade toy. Nothing should be "missing" from the kit. "Missing" implies that it was supposed to be present with the kit. Tamiya's QA/QC and overall model quality are pretty superb. It is a hobby grade RC kit; meaning it does not include certain items, which is common for most hobby RC kits. The items not included in Grasshopper kit are the transmitter/receiver, battery/charger, servo, standard RC/model tools (hobby knife, small screw drivers, pliers, and file) and paint. It does come with a small hex wrench to fit the various nuts for the kit, but there was at least one nut that was in a position that was difficult to reach/tighten with the included wrench. So you may want to consider grabbing an RC tool kit that has small hex sockets. The kit contents include a small box with all the bags of bolts, washers, nuts, screws and specialty parts (like the transmission gears and grease), a sturdy black resin chassis, a sturdy white resin body/cover, the tires, various injection moulding sprues (the kit pieces that are attached to frames), the decals, and the instructions. The instructions can also be downloaded online at the Tamiya website. Nothing is painted; everything is pretty much either black or white plastic (or metal). You will need to use a hobby knife or plier snips to cut out the kit pieces from the injection moulding sprues. You can either file down the leftover spurs or shave them off with the hobby knife. The kit is easy and fun to assemble. You have some upgrade options, which include a better motor (the Tamiya RS540 seems to be the most popular, but you will also need an 18T pinion gear if you buy the RS540 motor) and sealed bearings. The sealed bearings used for the kit includes one (1) 5x8x2.5 bearing and nine (9) 5x11x4 bearings. It doesn't have to be Tamiya brand bearings (I used Traxxas aftermarket bearings for the 5x8x2.5) and you might have luck with these at your local hobby shop. The bearings are an ideal upgrade since the included "bearings" are pretty much just plastic or metal spacers. The one thing that you will really need to pay attention to when assembling the kit are the wheels. They come in three peices per wheel plus the tire. Once they are put together, they are very hard to take apart without gouging the plastic rims. So make sure the back tire treads are oriented properly and if you decide to paint, you are best off painting each piece separate before you assemble them. Another detail: if you decide to leave the center piece unpainted/white/different color like I did for contrast, be sure to either file the back side of the other two pieces clean or paint both the front and back of the other two pieces, as the back side of the other two pieces are slightly visible when assembled. Finally, you will need to paint the outer edges of the rims; they also show slightly when assembled. If you want the same exact color scheme as the picture on the box, the instructions tell you which Tamiya paint colors to use. TS-26 (Pure White Spray Lacquer) for the main body color. X-18 (semi-gloss black) for the roll cage bars. X-11 (gloss chrome silver) for the body detail. TS-26 (Pure White Spray Lacquer), XF-1 (flat black), XF-2 (flat white), XF-15 (flat flesh), and X-18 (semi-gloss black) for the driver. Alternatively, you can paint the kit whatever colors you want and used some, all, or none of the provided decals. That is the beauty of building the kit yourself :) I found that the local hobby shop was cheaper to buy the paint I wanted than to get Tamiya brand paint online. I went with a mica blue, white, and fluorescent orange color scheme using mainly testors paint. If you plan on doing a bit of detail painting, grab some high quality brushes, otherwise you will be spending a bit of time picking out loose brush hairs from your paint job. You can use pretty much any standard servo, I used the futaba brand. Roughly the same applies to the transmitter and receiver (both of which come together), again I used futaba's brand, the base model 2ch transmitter, which also came with servos. Not many transmitters include servos, just fyi. For the battery, I used the Tenergy 3800mAh combo with the smart charger. After all is said and done, you will be spending about two hundred fifty-ish on this kit. Pros: Fun to build, great quality (vintage) RC kit, pretty simple (less parts to break), durable and easy to use. Cons: A bit pricey, vintage 1980's technology (good and bad), limited upgrades, not a big aftermarket for replacement parts - once Tamiya discontinues it, parts will likely be a bit difficult to obtain. Update: 11/11/14 - It is a fun car to drive around. With the Futaba 2DR AM R162JE and Transmitter, the range is very long, like barely can see the car kind of long. I am really impressed with the battery life. Somewhere in the range of 30-45 minutes with the Tenergy 7.2V 3800mAh battery that I bought. The kids have a lot of fun with it too and while it has taken some damage to the chassis, it is running fine. Both of the headlights have been snapped off and a chunk has been taken out of the tail, but most of the damage is from indoor hazards. I am not a big fan of the battery cover design; it falls off a lot. I think a screw or maybe just some duck tape will work, but I haven't bothered trying yet. The wheels get poor traction on tile and hardwood floors, but do a little better on pavement. Works best on carpet. Steering is good, but due to the rear suspension being fixed instead of independent, it bounces around a lot and flips pretty easy. All in all, I am very happy with the car! I couldn't add a customer photo, so I put the finished car pic on my profile photo. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of the first rc. Buggy's made *by S***R on May 22, 2026* I had this back in highschool.just bought one 42 years later. I love the grasshopper. It has come a long way. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Graduating from Legos *by Z***Z on July 23, 2016* Living my dream, just 30 years later. Always wanted this, parents never allowed me to get it. Now, just finished building with my 9 yr old. So much fun! Great bonding time. I was tired of buying Legos. It was time to graduate to something else. This kit requires patience for the first time builder. My son had a hard time with the screws, so I had to help. Hardest part is curbing the excitement and making sure the instructions were followed properly. Took about 10 hours to build, excluding paint and decal time. He couldn't wait to drive, so painting and decals will happen later. Our kit did not include an ESC. Purchased one for less than $15 on Amazon. Selected basic transmitter - not sure higher end is necessary. Upgraded bearings right away - didn't even have second thoughts about it. Once he masters the speed, might upgrade motor. But small one is fast enough for first kit build. Happy with purchase. ## Frequently Bought Together - Tamiya 58346 The Grasshopper RC Car - TRB RC Tamiya Grasshopper Precision Ball Bearing Kit (10) YE Rubber Sealed - TAMIYA 300053068 Electric Motor 540 Sport Tuned --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.gr/products/1411608-tamiya-58346-the-grasshopper-rc-car](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/1411608-tamiya-58346-the-grasshopper-rc-car) --- *Product available on Desertcart Greece* *Store origin: GR* *Last updated: 2026-07-10*