Turbo Optima mid SE

[XLR8]

Well, speaking only for myself, I have zero artistic talent. I can't design graphics nor can I coordinate colors. So I'm stuck with box art or I'll have an ugly car if I try to do a custom paint job.

One benefit of going box art is that everyone can immediately identify it and this could make it easier to sell later on. So, if you're going the restoration route and think you might sell the car later, box art could be the best way to go.

BTW, I've seen many of your custom buggies Coel and you obviously have artistic talent.

Anyway, whatever Chuck decides on paint, I'm confident it will look awesome!
I worry that it will look so good that he'll be reluctant to run it -- and that would be a shame. The one Mid runner I have is an amazing car to drive.

[radioactivity]

It's a curse.

My initial intention is to drive almost all of them. Many have been but either living room or on the patio.
But if I take a clapped out car and bring it back to pristine condition, not necessarily original, I don't want to tear it up playing with it after just finishing it.
And if it's a build with all new parts it's even worse.

At any rate, new tie rod ends. Ordered a week ago
And I had some stainless 5.8mm rod end balls so they will be used.

Chuck

[XLR8]

Well, this probably means that you should build a second car to make a runner.
What the heck, it's only money -- right?

[radioactivity]

Put together the front diff with new gears. The gear set was actually cheap, so why not replace.
Cleaned and lubed the bearings first.
Then shimmed the side gears till there was little play with the pinions. Next adjusted the end play of the side gears to a minimum .
Then spun the heck out of one of the side gears with a Dremel while holding the other side gear in place. Reversed the process for the other side.
That seated the diff gears pretty good and almost made the action smooth. Cleaned , re-greased, re-oiled, installed the belt and screwed it together.
A small victory but one thing that always bothered me was a car running around sounding like a bucket of loose bolts.

The belt appears to be in fairly good shape and from what I understand is the better of the 2 belts that were available.

Impatiently waiting for center gear to rebuild rear diff. 2 weeks and "Your package will arrive later than expected".
I still can't find a local anodizer that wants to do small jobs

Brighter note , the body and Lexan parts seem to have survived the trip to me with no damage!

Chuck

[Coelacanth]

Wow...that's a lot of work to build the front diff. I never had the impression those were a major problem...and none of my Optimas, original/restored or modded, sounded like a bucket of loose bolts when running...especially not the belt-converted ones, that actually run pretty quietly. The chain-driven ones have the dinstinctive chain whine, but that's normal.

I always do a lot of shimming with steering and suspension components to get rid of slop, but never had to shim anything in the diffs or outdrives.

[radioactivity]

Yep. Guess my point of reference is the only other real gear diffs I have are B6.2 diffs. Smooth as silk.
Did not mean to imply anyone's car sounded like a bucket of bolts. Just the way I deal with all the gears in my cars.
I will discount my Futaba FX, BearHawk and Panda as they are much closer to toys.
And at the least, I'm trying to waste my time on little cars

Chuck

[coxbros1]

Nope...too late Chuck....u made fun of our Optimas☹

Just kid'n....glad your takin your 1st Kyosho seriosly...u wont even like your RC10's when thats done.....assuming you go boxart
.....and Coel right, those belt drives are smooth runnin'! but i still dig the chain overall for vintage reasons.

[XLR8]

Yep, Mids are super smooth and dead quiet.
I recall the first time I got mine on the track. It was so quiet running that the only sound I could hear came from the tires.
Now, my ProSC 4x4 is another matter entirely. That one does sound like a bucket of bolts, or, more accurately, like a box of rocks. I attribute the sound it makes to the special alloy that AE (TT) used to make the bevel gears - I think it's called Chinesium.

[radioactivity]

Next items of business...

Made a set of lower shock mounts that worked much better than the first attempt.
Haven't filled them with oil yet because one rear has a bad bladder. But they are very smooth.
Will they leak, I dunno.
Do they look good, I think not to bad considering the shape I got them in.

Curious about which springs they are. Wire diameter is about 1.17mm or 0.046". Look like maybe black mediums but could be a crusty silver.

Chuck

[TheDiamondOne]

Shocks look great Chuck. Those are best shocks ever made period. I know u disagree but its a fact. Hopefully the tiny orings on the inner shaft aren't hardened. If they are, they might leak out the bottom adjustment piece. Optima mids are really impressive cars. Will handle with anything ever built, even today's cars. Glad u expanded your excellent work abilities beyond just rc10s (so boring). U do the finest restorations. Please go box art with this, i am begging you! I am so jealous as a turbo mid se resto was next on our list before these damn heath issues shut down me and dereks extra spending. We even had the body and decals. Do u wish u raced one back in the day?

[radioactivity]

Thanks David I appreciate that.

Probably going to order shock diaphragms/compensators, tiny o rings and a couple other smalls.
Sure as I decide to order anything rare/expensive Kyosho will re-release the TOM and all the parts I ordered will become cheap and readily found.
Hoping you guys do good in the near future, health issues suck.

Do u wish u raced one back in the day

The only time I was truly impressed with 4wd, back then, was when Ralph showed up at the Benton track with a Schumacher Cat.
For one weekend that car ran circles around everybody. Then they could never get it "dialed" again and it ran with the rest of the pack.

Finally getting the idler for the rear diff today. Will build it next shortly.
Looks like I'll try my hand at anodizing the chassis clear?? this coming week. Got to order some nickle acetate to seal if it turns out OK.

Chuck

[XLR8]

The word on the street is that Kyosho is getting close to making an announcement regarding the Mid. As we've all seen with Kyosho recently, simply making an announcement doesn't mean the car will become available anytime soon.
Even if they do re-release the Mid, it will almost certainly come with the threaded body gold shocks from the Turbo Optima re-re. I'd be very surprised if Kyosho will re-tool to make the Platimum shocks again.
... but I've been surprised by them before so I guess anything's possible.

I raced the Cat bitd and they can be tricky to setup properly (not the best jumper out of the box). Once it was dialed-in however, it could definitely run with the best.

[TheDiamondOne]

Doug do u like the platinums alot?

[radioactivity]

Old-----New

Chuck

[XLR8]

Doug do u like the platinums alot?

I really appreciate the variable dampening feature and I think they are one of the very best looking shocks on any RC. I have them on a couple restored SE's and a TU but I don't run them due to the lack of replacement parts. I have one or two that need new o-rings at the moment.