Topcat / Cougar

[Jas41]

Recent aquisitions to undergo refurb. Pictured as I received them, the cougar looks like it has been well used but looked after, the topcat looks like it has seen a lot less use but is definitely in need of some love.

I have already stripped the top cat down ready for cleaning and got lots of lovely new parts from various sources including of course Bormac who seems to have a hand in them all! Shocks are in the worse state, gearbox does not seem bad at all, crash back posts look fine (despite elastic bands being used) and the chassis seems in good condition, just needing a bit of a clean like the whole car. I have a new body from bluegroove, but undecided on the colour scheme at the moment.

[highwayracer]

Those are going to be great projects. I just restored the same cars myself a few weeks ago. The chassis on your cougar looks better than the chassis on my top cat...so you can easily get it to look new.

Regards,
Roger

[Bormac]

Wow! More 2WD Schueys. Awesome.

[highwayracer]

Wow! More 2WD Schueys. Awesome.

There's been a lot more top cat / cougar restorations within the last few weeks. I think we get inspired when seeing another person's project. I started my 2 because I saw DerbyDan's and CAT3K's top cat builds.

[Groomi]

After a bargain win yesterday, I now have no fewer than six to restore. I might do three at once, so look out for a thread title along the lines of a Cougar threesome... ooh-err!

[highwayracer]

so look out for a thread title along the lines of a Cougar threesome... ooh-err!

In this case, simple pictures won't do...we need video

Jas41...can't wait to see your progress with those 2.

[19RC80KS]

Very cool Jas41.

The 2wd original Schumachers are very special. Does your Topcat have any of the front end updates that Scumacher released along the line? I'm thinking of the narrow track kit, the changed Ackerman plates for the uprights and the dual wheel bearing uprights. I don't know how vital these mods really are but I suppose they improved the handling a bit.

Another thing, what's the speedo in the Topcat? It looks rare.

/ RM

[Bormac]

All the upgrades made a very real difference but none more than upper arms with less caster built in. The original car had some real issues turning corners. When I tried the standard arms the car would under steer like a real pig and no matter what tyres I used I could not get the car to turn in enough.

[19RC80KS]

All the upgrades made a very real difference but none more than upper arms with less caster built in. The original car had some real issues turning corners. When I tried the standard arms the car would under steer like a real pig and no matter what tyres I used I could not get the car to turn in enough.

Those reduced caster upper arms, are they part of the narrow track kit or are they yet an update kit?

/ RM

[Bormac]

I don't remember which kit they came in but the original arms had a sharp square type finish whereas these have a rounder off smoother edge in the molding.
One of these days I really should snap some pics of all the parts, mods and the cars I have built up.

[19RC80KS]

I don't remember which kit they came in but the original arms had a sharp square type finish whereas these have a rounder off smoother edge in the molding.
One of these days I really should snap some pics of all the parts, mods and the cars I have built up.

Ok, I'll check what kind of top arms there are on my Top Cat.

And yes, it would be very cool indeed to see pictures of your Schumacher race cars and how they are updated with mods.

The Top Cat is such a wild design and I just want that front end to work as well as it looks querky. Obviously there are ways to acheive that.

/ RM

[DerbyDan]

Wow! More 2WD Schueys. Awesome.

There's been a lot more top cat / cougar restorations within the last few weeks. I think we get inspired when seeing another person's project. I started my 2 because I saw DerbyDan's and CAT3K's top cat builds.

Haha, you may have been prompted/inspired by mine & CAT3K's TopCat projects, but you've absolutely 'rinsed' me - completeing two first class builds in the time that I've managed to buff up my chassis lol!

@ Jas41 - both your cars look to be great bases for re-build/restoration, they appear to be in great condition already! The TopCat especially takes me back to when I got my original TopCat Bitd - I did a similar 'fade' spray job on the bodyshell (pink to blue) which wasn't completely successfull!

[LurkingCAT]

Just sooo nice to see more of the old 2wd Schumachers diving in to sanctuary. And inspiring - just have to get going with my own stuff. Thank you for posting!

[Jas41]

Topcat undergone its first wash, it was really dirty. Looked like a spider had taken residence in the front bulkhead. Chassis had a quick go over with some brasso but still needs more work to get it properly cleaned up. Not sure on the front end spec, need to check. Motor is a schumacher gold rush, speedo is a nosram, see photo sure someone will know what it is. Hopefully will have some time to do it justice after Christmas.