Bolink Invader Oval

[Garage Hack]

Here's the chassis I was talking to you about in PM. Pretty much the same thing, only a few minor differences. My chassis plates are all green and it's set up for mono shocks front and rear. No shocks though The front arms are a little different too. I've seen pics of primitive Digger's that shared that black nylon part of the arm.
I was told this was a "Super Digger" when I got it, but who knows. I can't find vintage literature to confirm this. Bolink seemed to have strange model evolution and transition.







and the body I'll run on it. Just gotta dig out the body mounts and get it fitted.


I'd love to find one of those front bumpers too!

I got this exact car when I was either 6 or 7 years old! It was a Bolink Digger and I must have broke 3 or 4 of those black plastic axle braces near the edge of the rear chassis plate. Must have been 1982 or 83. I can remember the resistor type speed control but I cannot recall what radio I used with this. Let me know if you ever want to get rid of it.

[GoMachV]

Sadly Jeff already sold it on eBay
Even more sadly I didn't pick it up when I could have

[morrisey0]

So, if I mate these two, I would have the foundation of an Invader Off Road of some sort?

So many pics are lost in this thread, it is a little hard to keep up, but mine would look a lot like hugger19's, save the dogbone vs spring axle coupler.

Would a mis-matched green / black chassis combo ever come from Bolink that way?

Are the rear wheels standard bolink pan car, or something special with a bead for the rubber tires? The front tires look to be just grooved doughnuts?

The rear shocks look to be the same as the pan car main rear pod spring, which with quick measurement, appear to be the same as the fronts? Can this be confirmed?

I have the lower aluminum angle rear shock mounts, but no shock tower. Is the rear shock tower identical to the front?

Nice to know about the rear cut bulkhead, as I was certain mine was broken and would need replacing, which I would guess isn't all that easy.

[GoMachV]

The digger 10 and even the later Invader MT truck had a solid axle rear like your bottom pic. The dirt oval cars were the ones with the independent rear option, as well as the Invader Off Road. You been cleared for however you want to build it, it will be proper

The colors did change over time and I've seen some odd combos, but I'd have a hard time not dying the green to a black

wheels had no bead, just glued. The ones I have had were factory glued. Fronts were grooved foam and rears were rubber although in the pics I found there were rubber fronts also

Shock towers are the same front and rear. Only the MT varied, much taller but same shocks mounted on top instead of down low.

Shocks should all be the same. I haven't seen different lengths or ends.

If you build it, I hope you run it, cause I am excited to hear how that spring coupler works out haha. Slingshot mode!

Here's some pics off worth point

[morrisey0]

Thanks Jeff!!

I found another Bolink in a box that had two more shocks, so I should be good there. I have been trying to work out a deal on a parts lot (mostly RC10L) that has a broken down invader in it with shocks and shock tower, but haven't had much luck closing the deal. Now that I know I really need a couple of the parts, I will hopefully get all that cleared up this weekend.

I got the rear pod broken down and cleaned up this evening, and put it on the new to me chassis. Need to get a few bits of hardware tomorrow, but it is already in transformation mode. Coming together so quick I need to figure out a body next.

[GoMachV]

Are you going for dirt oval or off road? If off road, the Funco bodies that Sabulatech sells are perfect and very economical

[morrisey0]

Search for a body took approximately 12.5 minutes! My wife always wonders why there is a big pile of bodies sitting in the garage .............. and it is for times like this!! A NIP Bolink Corvette Dirt Tracker sitting there waiting for this car to be built!!

[GoMachV]

Oh yeah that's a good pick! My kit came with the ndra firebird but the Vette was way cooler.

[morrisey0]

I found a bag full of Losi something buggy spiked tires, and they fit the Bolink wheels like a champ. I know the 2wd big spike front tire isn't all that practical, but I have always loved the look, so it is what it is. I did work out my deal on the parts lot, so hopefully I have some more parts in soon. On the front suspension, I and thinking about making some new lower shock mounts so that the shocks can be installed more vertically and lift the front a little. As it is stock, the upper shock tower holes are worthless because you can never mount the shock in those because the shocks hit the arms.

[Frankentruck]

Those are some beefy spikes for a pan car!

[MarkyDents]

Heck yea they are, looks like if you winged it at a sheetrock wall it would stick
Me like alot

[morrisey0]

So I got in my little parts lot, and am being haunted by two separate instances of DIY butchery I think.

First, the shock tower from the parts lot.

And then it caught my eye that the lower shock mounts were different, and now it is clear that the ones on my car have been hacked .............. which lead to my whining above about the shocks sitting too horizontal. They should sit just fine with the stock mounts. What is weird is that the car is like new, so not sure why anyone would have modified the mounts.

I took the opportunity to order up some black G10, and hope to make this rear shock tower my first CNC G10 project. Will see how that goes.

[morrisey0]

Well, my CNC future is a bit on hold right now, so I got a shock tower from factoryworks.com Then had a little time today to get some things installed. Getting close to being ready for the body.

And I know the rear driveshaft is really the oddball here, but TBH, the front suspension is just as suspicious. The front wheels go from about 30* toe-in to 30* toe-out as the suspension cycles!

[GoMachV]

Try to get the steering arms as parallel as possible to the arms and it should cut down the bump steer tremendously

[THEYTOOKMYTHUMB]

I really dig that. The whole look. Great job!