The Hotshot

Released in 85 the Hotshot was Tamiya's first four-wheel-drive off-road buggy. It featured four-wheel independent double-wishbone suspension, a unique mono-spring suspension that used only two springs for the entire four wheels. For its time, the car was light, rugged and upgradeable. In the years that followed, parts of the Hotshot were evolved and reused in several other 4WD buggy models, including the Hotshot II, which was identical aside from simpler direct rear suspension, the Boomerang and Tamiya's 10th Anniversary car, the mighty Bigwig.

In 2007, Hotshot was re-released. Electronic Speed Controller is included instead of mechanical speed controller; body has a metal patch to function as a heatsink to dissipate heat from ESC; dog-bone shafts are simplified, hexa bolt and hexa cup universal for connecting front and rear gear boxes are discarded and simpler dog-bone shaft is adapted. Because of ESC, original heatsinks for resistors for the mechanical speed controller are no longer necessary, but included as dummies as they are unique to Hotshot.

You will not be surprised to hear that the re-release is not considered to be anywhere near as valuable to collectors due to the nostalgia value of the older technology in the original kit, along with a number of negative changes such as the removal of real world racing brands from the decal sheet and a less impressive kit box.

The Bob Ross Experience

"We don't make mistakes here, we just have happy accidents. We want happy, happy paintings. If you want sad things, watch the news. Everything is possible here. This is your little universe."

With his calm, patient demeanor, Bob Ross (1942 – 1995) rose to prominence as the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, a television program that ran for twelve years in the United States. He parlayed this success into a commercial "Bob Ross" brand: an industry of how-to art books, instructional videos and art supplies.

Ross had a son, Steven, who occasionally appeared on The Joy of Painting and is a Bob Ross certified instructor. There are more than 1500 Bob Ross certified instructors holding workshops throughout the United States every day. You can become a Bob Ross certified instructor yourself. No previous painting or teaching experience is required but you and your students paintings may tend to look like Bob Ross's.

Ross also filmed wildlife footage, squirrels in particular, usually from his own garden. Small animals often appeared on The Joy of Painting as he would often take in injured or abandoned squirrels and other assorted wildlife.