This article was written by Chris Martin as part of his investigation into the mysterious Tokyo Toy Show special edition cars. I'm on holiday right now, finally getting time to read it, and wanted you all to enjoy it also. Thanks! -Ozzymuppet November 2025.
Hi Taiyo Collectors,
Please let me explain the Tokyo six cars, I'm hoping this will provide a detailed explanation of my thoughts, knowledge, expertise & personal experience after pulling one of these cars apart to learn from it.
This will possibly need to be read several times. As there is quite a lot of information to cover. I will also need your help to confirm some of the possibilities & finer details in figuring this out.
Hopefully we can achieve a better understanding, of how these special cars manufactured by Taiyo in 1988 , were prepared ready for the Tokyo toy show in Harumi Japan.
I believe the yellow sticker on both the instructions & box is certainly already well covered, so won't go back over that.
So please, bare with me, while I attempt to explain the special edition Tokyo cars.
For the first part of my theory to be true and accurate the information below relies on the Mhz of Number #3 Racing Pickup with the Orange tires - I suspect this maybe 27.095mhz -conformation of this –will mean all the other cars –should follow the chart below perfectly.
Currently the Taiyo Collectors site states it as (27.295mhz) though I suspect this could be just a typo?
There are certainly some additional details that I will cover in more depth for a better understanding.
Below is the standard R/C AM channels & their respective colors. I believe they may have a lot to do with the way these vehicles are themed & based around this frequency & color chart.
27 MHz AM CHANNEL / BAND NUMBERS/ FREQUENCY
1. 26.995 - BROWN 2. 27.045 - RED 3. 27.095 - ORANGE 4. 27.145 - YELLOW 5. 27.195 - GREEN 6. 27.255 - BLUE
Let's begin:
1 Racing pick up – Owner confirmed, frequency confirmed 26.995MHz -Brown
Question: If we look closely at the flag decal – is the 26.995mhz actually (brown) as per the standard R/C AM frequency band chart? Tires ? Are they a faded pigment of brown or orange?
We will leave that one for now & move on to the next car.
1 Jet Racer – Owner confirmed, frequency confirmed 26.995MHz Brown
Same question: If we look closely at the flag decal – is the 26.995mhz actually (brown) as per the standard R/C AM frequency band chart? Tires ? Are they a faded pigment of brown or orange?
2 Racing pick up –not located –although I suspect the frequency to be 27.045MHz
(Based on the standard AM channel / color chart) Red
2 Jet Racer – Owner confirmed- Chris Martin, frequency confirmed 27.045MHz
Based on the standard AM channel / color chart) Red –I'm truly hoping that this is number #2 car
3 Racing Pick up –– Owner confirmed
(Based on the standard AM channel / color chart) Orange
Is it possible that this vehicle is in fact 27.095mhz & not 27.295?
3 Jet Racer –not located –although I suspect the frequency to be 27.095MHz
(Based on the standard AM channel / color chart) Orange
4 Racing Pick up – Owner? Car was listed- for sale post by Nostalgia RC -frequency
confirmed 27.145MHZ Based on the standard AM channel / color chart) Yellow
4 Jet Racer – Owner confirmed, frequency confirmed 27.145MHz
Based on the standard AM channel / color chart) Yellow
5 Racing Pick up -frequency confirmed 27.195MHZ Based on the standard AM
channel / color chart) & the flag attached - Green
5 Jet Racer – not located –although I suspect the frequency to be 27.195MHz (Based
on the standard AM channel / color chart) Green
6 Racing Pick up – Owner confirmed, frequency confirmed 27.255MHZ Based on the
standard AM channel / color chart) BLUE
6 Jet Racer – not located –although I suspect the frequency to be 27.255MHz(Based
on the standard AM channel / color chart) BLUE
Introduction:
Before we dive into the Tokyo Six cars –let us try & wrap our heads around how these R/C cars & systems work from Taiyo –other Hobby grade systems.
Firstly, we need a basic understanding on how a normal Taiyo car operates from the transmitter to the receiver board in the car: This knowledge will help us understand any differences used in the special edition cars & what changes were made by Taiyo.
(Standard Taiyo Transmitter)
Soldered Crystal oscillator locked at a set frequency to operate in conduction with the car's receiver board. (example 30.000mhz) (picture1)
For this system to work -the frequency transmitted from the encoder circuit (transmitter board) must match the corresponding decoder car's receiver board.
This is a simplification of the many components, resistors, diodes, capacitors, transistors all playing apart in how this operates.
The car's circuit board does not have a crystal, instead it utilizes a coil –capacitor circuit that captures the frequency via an inductor capacitor (LC) filter that picks up nearly all the 27Mhz band. (L) Inductor (C) capacitor - This LC filter receiver has a very wide bandwidth & captures all the 27mhz frequencies from Band 1 – Band 6, making it impossible for two cars to operate at the same time without causing some type of interference. Normally we see cars using either: 27mhz, 40mhz & 49mhz to avoid this interference. (picture2)
TX / RX hobby grade Crystal Oscillators: (not fixed)
To understand these frequency crystals, the TX crystal is fitted to the transmitter only & the RX crystal is for the RC vehicle. While both Crystal’s may read 27.145Mhz This system is used for simplicity, for ease of use, both read 27.145mhz & have either TX or RX on them. (However, they are different) The printed circuit board of the car will also have frequency transformers rated at .455mhz – so that actual RX Crystal in the car would be rated at 26.690mhz. To work this out if we subtract .455mhz from 27.145mhz the value of the cars RX Crystal in the car would be 26.690mhz
RX Crystal = 26.690Mhz + frequency transformer .455Mhz =27.145mhz
Now both the transmitter & the car have 27.145mhz (picture 3)
The Tokyo Six Cars - Six Racing Pick Up’s & Six 4WD Jet Racer’s
Interestingly enough, of the Six Jet Racer’s & the Six Pickup’s - All these cars were operating around 27mhz from the first car at 26.995mhz- to the last car 27.255mhz.
These vehicles are separated by a frequency difference of approx. 0.05 MHz between each vehicle -the total difference is .026mhz between all cars. So, if we consider what we have just learnt about the standard circuit board in a Taiyo with the receiver capturing all the 27mhz frequencies from Band 1 – Band 6.
How did these cars operate at the Tokyo Toy Show without causing some type of interference?
If all the cars are running on 27Mhz - Wouldn't they interfere with each other during this event? How did Taiyo race six cars together? How did they overcome this issue?
I was so intrigued by this, I couldn't help it –I had to pull one of these cars apart, to find out how – I might add -that this process took days ,not hours, I've stripped many of these cars in the past – but this one was special – I was absolutely terrified of damaging it –I wouldn't forgive myself.. Anyway, here we go!
Let’s start with the transmitter
First look inside the transmitter of number #2 Jet Racer - reveal’s a gold-colour frequency crystal reading 27.045 TOCRY 88-04 (denoting, year & month) April 1988
(Picture 4)
The circuit board used is TY-C1021 J
The antenna wire “white” wire at the top of the image is noticeably short & direct.
(Picture 5)
The frequency is also on the back of the transmitter in a special red sticker reading 27.045MHz
(Picture 6)
(Receiver / Car) Special Edition Taiyo Circuit Board - Frequency Crystal Printed Circuit
Opening the vehicles internals, the first noticeable thing is the black circuit board protector. Which seemed different, normally I have seen blue or light brown ones, The lower circuit protector on the side of the circuit is also black in colour.
(Picture 7)
Removing the circuit board shows these cars have a special circuit board TY2030A – while also utilizing a different receiver chip 85.8D (Jet racers normally use theT8140 receiver)
(Picture 8)
Next, we see some major difference -this car has a soldered fixed Crystal in the cars board -26.590MHz (Picture 9)
Instead of using the coil-capacitor circuit as seen in all other models. These cars were fitted with a fixed / soldered frequency crystal in the car's receiver board which has a very narrow band width. In addition to the frequency crystal, there are three metal - housed filters (.455 MHz intermediate frequency transformers.
(Picture 10)
The receiver picks up a single 27mhz band only, example: Band #2 Red 27.045MHz.Similarly used in Tamiya & other Hobby grade cars – using the colour system that denotes the R/C -AM band frequency channels.
Using what we learnt earlier a crystal @ 26.590MHz + .455MHz for the frequency transformers gives us 27.045MHz in the car
Underneath the car also reveals a special frequency sticker –for that vehicle only.
(Picture 11)
Now we know exactly how Taiyo raced all the cars at the same time without interference. It certainly looks like Taiyo went all out for these Special Tokyo Toy Show Cars.
Moving on to the rest of the Jet racer – the lower front control arms have additional reinforcements (picture 12)
The colored Red tires –appear to be themed from the AM channel 27.045MHz
(Red -Picture 13)
The body colored in RED is truly amazing -(Picture 14)
While a closer inspection of # 4 Jet racer – the decals are themed from a white Jet racer including, Motor Machine, Mobil 1, Accel, white roof jet racer VSD decals.2 motor (white) world sports & HPR decals. Picture 15.
If we closer look at the decals on the “RED” bodied car you'll see that decals come from a black Jet racer, which is the same as # 1 Jet racer R-Tuned & black themed decals & front bumper decals.
I will finish off with some more pictures of the clean-up, lots of baby wipes & cotton buds used for this one –enjoy.
