Tamiya TRF 414M Project

The story of the Tamiya TRF 414 racing touring car chassis is convoluted and difficult to follow.  Many of the models in the line are rare to the point of being almost imaginary, with some never being available to the public at all and those that exist almost impossible to find.  This makes the history very difficult to chase down.  It seemed to start with the TRF 404X prototype in Japan in 1998, a car that never had a model number and was never available for sale.  From there we got the 93013 TRF 414X in 1999, a limited edition model only available to racers in the USA.  I managed to get my hands on one and wrote about it on another page.  That morphed into the 49132 TRF 414 in 2000, another limited edition model that this time was somewhat more widely available (but limited to 750 units) and incorporated quite a few improvements from the original.  The first widely available production model (though still limited edition with unknown production numbers) was the 49175 TRF 414M in 2001 which had lots more changes. Finally, the 49219 TRF 414M-II came out in 2002 with a handful of additional improvements, most noticeably the first introduction of the now familiar Tamiya blue anodizing.  I present a detailed list of the changes to each generation of the model in the table below.  That's still not the end of the story though.  There were also a number of conversion packs and special editions to round out the product line.  49173 was a parts pack which allowed owners of the TRF 414 to convert it to a 414M.  Given that only 750 copies of the TRF 414 existed in the first place, the market for this conversion kit was pretty small.  The 49220 Champion Memorial was a special edition of the TRF 414M-II which included a Dodge Stratus body with wing from Protoform and some upgraded swing shafts.  I was never able to find a manual for this model (I don't think it had a unique manual) so my information is limited to that inferred from a picture of the label on the box.  Much more information is available on the 49255 World Champion Replica kit from 4 months later.  This model is a version of the TRF 414M-II based on Surikarn's IFMAR ISTC¹ world champion winning model from 2002.  It includes the specific settings and modifications Surikarn used in his race winning car and the same Protoform body as the Champion Memorial edition.  The most obvious changed parts are the pocketed bulkheads for reduced weight, an alternate front anti-sway bar installation method, simpler shock towers, and elimination of the radius arms.  These special sets were individually numbered out of a total production run of 1700.  The model I managed to get my hands on is a standard TRF 414M which was very interesting to compare to my TRF 414X prototype.  I'm guessing very few people have had the opportunity to put them side by side.

¹ International Federation of Model Automobile Racing, International Scale Touring Car class

TRF 414 Changes	TRF 414M Changes	TRF 414M-II Changes
Injection molded parts C (knuckles), D (suspension arms), E (uprights), and F (C-hubs) added in place of machined aluminum (C, E, F) or machined plastic (D) Lower chassis plate modified slightly to add holes for aluminum steering servo mounts instead of servo tape Upper chassis plate changed to symmetric design Shorter front drive cups Straighter rear carbon hinge pin mount with smaller skid angle adjustment 4x rear CVDs instead of different style for front New style setting wheel with less material 4x thin wheel hexes instead of thinner for rear One fewer o-ring and extra rod guide in each shock Two-piece kingpins with separate bushing	Stretched wheelbase Accommodation for standard stick battery Threaded shock bodies for two-piece adjustable spring collar New suspension mounts New rebuildable CVDs without pressed pins New dish wheels instead of setting wheels Most 6mm ball connectors replaced with 5mm 0.4mod gears instead of 64p Updated bulkheads with separate motor mount New heat sink bulkhead spacer Modified shock towers Molded pulleys instead of aluminum New two-piece front one-way New diff joints Standard front and rear sway bars Hex hardware Radius arms Proper build manual instead of exploded views	All aluminum parts anodized in blue Rear lower suspension arm spacers moved resulting in 4.7mm wheelbase reduction Ball diff drive cups reinforced Updated turnbuckle shafts Single piece threaded spring perches Wheels and tires no longer included Alternate suspension arms no longer included

Like all the TRF touring car chassis, this a twin belt driven 4WD model with carbon fiber chassis plates, loads of machined aluminum parts, and generally the best parts Tamiya could come up with including hardware and axles.  The result is a beautiful (and expensive) work of art.  Although my standard rule is to drive all my models, given the rarity of these particular chassis (and the fact that I have lots of other touring cars to drive), I have to break precedent and keep these pristine.  Future generations will thank me.