Optima Mid dirt oval build

[Lowgear]

This will be the build thread for my Optima Mid dirt oval car.


This is the car as I received it yesterday:


The first 3 pics are without flash.

[EvolutionRevolution]

Nice!

What wheels & tires are that?

[Lowgear]

Thanks, hopefully the finished product turns out to my expectations.

The tires are Pro-Line Cherokee waffles, and the wheels are You-G Aero Speeds which are either 1.9 or 2.0 in size. I'd like to use them but they're not in shelf queen condition which is what this is going to be. Two of them have cracks around the hex portion, and the edges have some damage. Its a shame really because from what I understand they're pretty rare. I'd like to find a new set but that might be easier said than done. I have a feeling I won't like the price if I do.


So far the only thing I've done is clean the tires and they came out looking like new.

[Coelacanth]

Those You-G's are probably just about as ugly as they are rare. Don't you still have a set of those Asian "Phoenix" rims to put on that Mid? Those would look a helluva lot better than those You-G's. At least IMHO.

[Lowgear]

Yeah, I have several sets but didn't think they would be a good match for this build. I need something period correct that would have been used when this car was originally built. I like the You-G ones so much as they fit the bill, and they're rare enough where you would be hard pressed to ever see another Optima Mid oval converted car sporting them.

[Mr. ED]

I had one set of those You-G wheels (still have them actually somewhere I believe). But mine didn't have a hex backing. Mine we for the hotshot.
They were nice hopups that gave a bit of extra width due to their larger offset than the hotshot originals. I never found a couple of fronts to match the rear-ones.

[Lowgear]

Theres a 3 year old post on Tamiyaclub of a person in Germany selling a NIB pair of the Optima ones. Thats the only thing I can find. I just sent them an email asking if they were still available. They also have a pair of the Hotshot ones if you're interested.

[Lowgear]

Well, I never got a response from the Tamiyaclub member so that takes care of that.

I do have some new questions now:

My first question is were there ever any aftermarket bumpers made for the Mids? I've yet to find any. I bought a JG oval one for an Optima thinking it might work with the Mid as well but it won't. That is unless I modify it. Since its Kydex I think I might be able to heat it up and flatten out where it mounts for it to work. The holes probably won't line up though after that.

The next question I have is what would be period correct electronics for this? Oval motor, esc, servo, etc... I might not even install any but it would be nice to know in case I come across anything on eBay.

Lastly what period correct rims would have been used in either 2.0 or 2.1 size since I can't find a set of the You-G ones?

[EvolutionRevolution]

Well, I never got a response from the Tamiyaclub member so that takes care of that.

I do have some new questions now:

My first question is were there ever any aftermarket bumpers made for the Mids? I've yet to find any. I bought a JG oval one for an Optima thinking it might work with the Mid as well but it won't. That is unless I modify it. Since its Kydex I think I might be able to heat it up and flatten out where it mounts for it to work. The holes probably won't line up though after that.

There is an official Kyosho alternate bumper, for the Optima Mid Oval version with touring car bodies, part number OR-46. You can see it on my Optima Mid Skyline here.
Note that this bumper is rather flat, and tends to crack in the corners nearest to the mounting point during use. I have three, and the best one (broken, but straight) is attached to the car. The other two are bent downwards - apparently it likes to get stuck under things. If you get one, use a tie-wrap to prevent it from bending downwards (just wrap it around the front edge and the front shock tower).

Lastly what period correct rims would have been used in either 2.0 or 2.1 size since I can't find a set of the You-G ones?

If you want to go for the official Kyosho ones:
Kyosho Optima rims (silver or white; or silver F-40 ones) + the on-road Optima tires. W-5053 for rain tires, W-5054 for on-road profiled tires, W-??? for slicks. Any Superten-sized tire will fit the Kyosho rims (or aftermarket ones by Cross, HPI, etc.)

[Lowgear]

Hey thanks for the help. I didn't know Kyosho made that bumper for the Optima Mid as well. I've only ever seen the Ultima version before. The final product will be a shelf queen queen so if I do come across and decide to use one of those bumpers I won't have to worry about breakage. I've also been wondering if the Slingshots bumper would fit.

I suppose I should have been more specific. What I'm looking for are parts that would have been used on this car to race dirt oval during the time period when it would have been. I'm going to use the tires that came on the car as from what I understand they were used for this application back then. I've cleaned them up already and they came out looking brand new. Now that just leaves the rims. If the stock Optima ones were used I will add them to my list of choices. I just need some input from someone who was around dirt oval racing back then and remembers all that was run.

[Charlie don't surf]

A very big challenge in the DO world as cars go is every part of the country had different setups (like the shorter right front control arm). Some low traction cold weather indoor tracks used waffles (Cherokee/waffle) most fast places used foams etc-
Also finding a correct body like a Twister/Premier that is new is going to be difficult.

I love the car so far and can't wait to see more of this project!

[Lowgear]

You're right I never thought about regional differences. I guess what I'm trying to achieve is not something that was correct to any particular place, just a dirt oval car in general from that time period. The body and bearings are the only things I don't mind if they aren't vintage.

On an interesting note this one does have a different front right arm as seen in the last picture. I don't think its any shorter than the other side though. At least by eyeballing it anyway. It might just be different because the person didn't have a stock one.

I'm actually far more excited about this build than any of the others I have in progress. I'll reveal that I'm the one who bought nvxwax's JG Optima Mid. It will help me immensely in this build. It would have cost more to restore this one by itself than what he sold his to me for so it was a no-brainer. I'm going to combine the parts from the two in order to make the finished product.

[Lowgear]

I disassembled around 70% of the car today. All I have to say is I'm glad I bought the one nvxwax was selling as this one is in worse condition than I expected, and is best suited for parts. Its funny how much better it looked when assembled. It was worth the price I paid though so I can't complain too much. It also appears to have a Reedy Modified 12x2 blue dot motor in it which is a nice bonus.

[Charlie don't surf]

Found you something- http://www.ebay.com/itm/180790261529? ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555

[Lowgear]

Thanks for thinking of me. By chance I saw them right when they were listed and couldn't believe it. I messaged the seller in hopes of striking a deal to add a BIN to the auction but after agreeing they rejected the price I was willing to pay. I didn't want to argue over it so I said that I would take my chances with the auction. They're either going to go fairly cheap or go through the roof at the end. I want them pretty bad but not bad enough to pay some ridiculous amount so I hope they don't go too much higher than the opening bid.