My Original Marui Big Bear - rebuild after 30+ yrs

[mtbkym01]

I’ve had this thing since the middles 80’s from brand new. Not sure what I was thinking back then painting it the way I did . Also, I remember battling with popping steering ball cups off every time I drove it, and had started my own teenage engineering on it to come up with a solution. What eventuated was a hacked into chassis, and a truck that never got used again. Also, very unlike me, I didn’t even have the front tyres on the right side
3D079FDD-1553-4B89-95F4-336004E62A1E by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr
E28A86ED-CEEF-46B4-B2C9-3928E8F7DAD5 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

I decided to rebuild the chassis using styrene where it had been hacked into by me all those years ago
49765065-C5DB-4EB3-9B38-C09C8F5A6598 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr
Gearbox looks ok
EBFBFFA8-C42E-42AD-BB2C-5C97FC26BE77 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

Motor wires twitched together to the speedie
BEB79A73-6722-455E-9BCF-18E9D2BAA7F4 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

So the body got an oven cleaner treatment, which after a couple of applications took almost all the old paint off
80BDAE53-03A6-4CCA-8351-5C9FA762B42E by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

A bit of sanding and it was ready for primer
138F74EC-A6DB-48BE-9374-78EC928E8A2B by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

I painted the chassis with a satin black primer paint, then rebuilt it
D95C52A0-8637-4E64-9D09-23E0327319D7 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

For quite a few years, I’ve had these period correct hop ups waiting for the day that I get around to working on this truck
823A1515-8099-41E4-A4CB-B6255008694B by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

And an original front body mount (prior to the 3D printing options available now)
5076E49C-4E7C-48EA-AA8D-CFEBC491589F by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

The JG steering hop up, mounted to a Kimborough HD servo saver is exactly what this truck needed back in the day, it’s a solid arrangement that I would’ve loved to have fitted to it back then
59048DE9-319C-478A-87E0-C6954A743696 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr
4F21DD6E-9E74-4B28-83B4-FE9240458B00 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

[mtbkym01]

I picked the best 4 tyres I’ve got, gave them a soak of silicone spray for a week, and fitted them onto the rims, minus the internal locking rings, as they put too much pressure on them and they just tear (I destroyed 2 tyres trying this )
620A1964-ADE2-4047-B026-55874BAD9520 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

First coat of paint and a test fit to see how it’s looking
6DE300A4-94DE-4A76-8394-E90544E88746 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

Started placing (MCI) decals
0BAB0B8C-F799-41E8-A8FE-F73CD2B88FF6 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

Finished the decals, and clear coated the body, fitted the roll bar, complete with original spot lights, and fitted the interior
CDC06D7A-D2FC-4C34-AAFF-0F8BE2CA985F by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

F49DAFEA-0A1A-4FCD-AF7C-8E55D8984949 by Kym mtbkym01, on Flickr

Pretty happy how it looks out in our summer sunshine

[Dadio]

An excellent restoration , it looks minty fresh , is she destined for the shelf or some running ?

[mtbkym01]

Thanks for the kind words, Unfortunately these tyres won’t handle any running, if I come across a viable alternative at some point, I’d definitely like to give this a run on maybe 6V, just for old times sake

[Winger]

Big Bear...by far one of the toughest models I had! Cool project...glad to see one is still around.

[coxbros1]

As was yours, that was my very 1st rc back in the mid 80's. Changed my life forever, (cost me a shitload of dow! Lol) but great fun.....anyway, wanted to say very nice restoration!!!