The Tamiya chassis conversion kits are made by a small Japanese business called Matrix Racing Club (MRC). They have a P-Tile drift circuit at their facility where they test their products. They have a very useful YouTube channel, which goes into detail on set ups and what is good to run with their products. They’re not just focused on competition, but also on having fun! Some drivers, such as those at Mosso Racing in Japan use Tamiya platforms with MRC products for high level competition.

The “OGs”, the TT-01 and TT-02 kits, are awesome and very popular. The MRC kits for the MB-01 and BT-01 are new to the United States.

The Grasshopper
I recently converted an old school dirt buggy, the Tamiya Grasshopper, to a RWD drift setup. I built it to MRC’s kit specs. It doesn't have full angle like their other kits provide, but it definitely provides more angle than stock. So when it comes to drifting the Grasshopper, as long as you don’t push it too hard, it will drift very smoothly and it’s a joy to watch the front end bounce! I use a Yokomo servo and Yokomo V4 gyro in it, which makes it drift more smoothly. And it just looks too cool with the 2.2 large diameter wheel and tire combo that MRC makes. It’s definitely fun and puts the biggest smile on everybody's face.

People in Japan are using TT-02 style shocks and springs in the front of the Grasshopper. I haven’t done that yet, as I have a feeling it’s not going to bounce like it currently does. I am going to modify the rear springs though. The Grasshopper comes with a 380 size motor and I’m planning to install a big Tamiya brushed motor. Once that’s done, the factory rear springs will not clear the new motor. It’s been suggested to 3D print a high cantilever system on the rear to provide the clearance needed. That is in the works currently, and hopefully it will make it look more like a grasshopper with its rear legs disguised as shocks!

The TT-02
You can start with a bone stock TT-02 kit. The benefit of the MRC conversion is that is all you really need in order for it to perform very well as a chassis. The next question is what electronics to use? The least expensive way is a brushed motor and ESC, and then use a Yokomo servo and gyro. I have around $400 invested in one of my TT cars but if you opted for a brushless setup, like in my TT-02, it will cost more. With a brushless setup, you would be more in line with what people are driving at the tracks and be able to keep up with them.

I recommend keeping the kit as close to stock as possible at first, as the tuning provided in the kit is more than sufficient to learn to drift with. After that, you can tune to whatever driving style you prefer. Some people in Japan are using Top Line lower arms in the rear with modern hubs. They achieve this by ditching the original Tamiya design rear arms, and use cups and hinge pins versus the old style. There are no rules and the possibilities are endless with this chassis.

The TT-01
The TT-01 set up is pretty much the same as the TT-02. The only differences between the kits are the wipers and front arms, and they are only changed slightly to correct for angle. I have my TT-01 set up to factory MRC specs with a brushed motor. I don’t plan on changing it much, and that's what I like about the Matrix Racing Club. Once you have it built, it’s all about learning to drive and having fun!


The M-06, BT-01, and MB-01
The M-06 rear motor layout is very interesting and provides good grip, but with the MRC conversion, the amount of steering angle they have produced with this kit is tremendous. It has always drifted really well and is popular with both old and new old drivers. It’s interesting that it has a selectable wheelbase from 210mm all the way to 239mm. MRC also has a new kit for the M-06 with a wheelbase of 256 mm and wider arms to convert it to a full-size chassis.

Tamiya also makes a BT-01 with two variants: front motor, and rear motor. Those provide 50/50 weight balance or a traditional rear weight balance car. They can be tuned for either as well.

Then there is the MB-01, which is almost the same as the BT-01 platform, it’s just shrunk down to a mini chassis, AKA M-Chassis.

Some bodies, like the VW Bug and BMW 320I, only come in the 210/225/239mm M-Chassis size. The M-06 and MB-01 give you the fun advantage of being able to run different bodies from what everyone else is running.

Final Thoughts
All six conversion kits are great but I still keep going back to my original TT-01. Close second is the M-06!

The main advantage of the MRC Tamiya conversions is the ease of building. The manual isn’t available in English yet, but you’re able to build from the well documented pictures, plus there’s always YouTube and Facebook. I can think of some “plastic fantastic” style chassis in a similar price range, rolling chassis compared to rolling chassis, I would go with the Tamiya MRC Conversion. They are also producing a lot of new carbon fiber parts for most chassis kits. At the end of the day, it’s about how you want to go about doing it. Personally, I have more fun building and converting Tamiyas than I do building higher end kits. That's why I stick with MRC Tamiyas.