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I am (almost) done with the body. A lot more work goes into those than I had expected. Cutting it all out, drilling holes for accessories and all that has took some time. My biggest challenge was getting the Tamiya 9808269 body clip set modified to work on this Tomahawk. I wanted to drill the holes in the body where the dimples were so that if I ever found an original clip, the holes would be correct. My issue now is my shocks. I have 3 bottom retainers. So I am searching for a set of those to complete the shocks. One of the 3 is different than the other 2, so I need to find a match to the odd one or 2 like the others. To help broaden my horizon on the search, does anyone happen to know the names of other models that used the 8mm shocks? Or part numbers for service part packages that would work.

Got an email from Glenn @ TeamCRP today. They make those repro shock collars that nobody seems too fond of. Anyway, he told me that he is working with a new shop and they should be able to start producing some collars that clamp and lose the set screw. I ordered a set of the ones they have (mainly for the springs) but the plastic seems to be nice quality. Hope they get it all worked out to make the clamp type in 8mm & 10mm. I managed to get some painting done on the Tomahawk. Still has a few small areas that need to be addressed but over all it turned out better than I expected. I did it all without the airbrush since I never could get it to work properly. Also got the lettering highlighted on the Sand Supers, although, there are a few spots I need to fix when I get some tooth picks.













Not the best paint job, I know, but it was my first on a Lexan RC body. Once I get the few spots fixed (like the window trim) I will be able to apply the decals and start mounting all the accessories. It has been about 5 weeks since I ordered rims from Pargu. He tells me they will be done soon. It just won't feel like a buggy until I see it with some wheels. I now have all parts needed to finish, except the gear cover and I "ALMOST" had one earlier today. I posted an add on FB and within an hour someone replied that they had a new SC-36 in the bag for 8 euros!!! Well, before I had a chance to respond, this lovely chap from the UK swooped in and took it The seller said he didn't realize he wasn't the original poster until it was all done (This all happened within an hour). What kind of D*CK does something like that? I contacted the guy to tell him what a wonderful move that was to do to someone and he told me that he only needed the back plate and feels bad about doing it, so he said he will send me the cover free of charge.....We'll see how that plays out.

Coming along real nice, I like it!

GREAT STUFF, Love the paint job , well done. Yeah those 10mm shocks are new like. Its funny, considering this thing is from the 80s, it looks like new after a bit of restoration and some $$$$$$, worth every penny if you ask me.

looking great. You must be enjoying every bit of, it, the fun stops when its all done , well then its up to a new project.

Yea, It has been loads of fun and I have though about what will happen when it is finished. I want the fun to last. I'm not 100% happy with the paint job. There are some areas down in the tight corners that the paint must have pulled away from. I have to decide what to do next. I would like to fix it but also afraid I will just make things worse. The paint has been the biggest pain so far. Wish I had known someone that does it nice and I would have sent it to them. I never was a good painter and a lexan body has proven a challenge for me. I know I sprayed down in those crevasses plentiful, but maybe as the paint dried, it pulled away from there...Not sure.



The window trim can be easily fixed by making it wider, but those corners I don't like I did spray some paint into a bottle to see if I could brush it in, but it seems VERY thin.

Been awhile since I updated this thread. Mainly just waiting on some last few parts to finish. Thank you Lars for the shock bottoms The collars and rims will be arriving from Pargu (sometime) I am touching up some bad spots on the paint while I wait. Also, my JB weld did not hold for repairing the rear motor cage, so I went ahead and ordered a NIP one from evilbay. It will be a great feeling when I finally get to mount the wheels (I still have NEVER seen this buggy with wheels on it) and it just looks bare the way it is now. I wanted the paint to be finished by now so I could move ahead with decals and accessories, but I have time to make it look a little better. I've been trying to gather the money for a re-release Scorpion. I really don't want this project to be done because I have had so much fun doing it and the new Scorpion will let me continue that fun.










I know that wiring is a mess. I am still not sure what to do about the driver doll not having the cut out for the wiring. I guess the only option is to cut it out myself. I'm not even sure the wires are long enough. If I have to make them longer, I plan on getting some white silicone wire to make it look more original. If anyone has their original wiring, could you measure the length for me so I know what it is supposed to be?

I didn't realize just how long it has been since I updated this post.
I got into a bunch of Ultimas & Optimas and the Tommy got put on the back burner.
Well, I managed to get the (new) body painted and (finally) got the rims done.
I guess pictures speak louder than words, so I am just going to post pics

I started with a set of Scorpion 2014 rims from Banzai Hobby.
Thanks to ScootMike, I was able to get measurements for the 5 hole pattern.



I masked off the rims and used oven cleaner to remove the chrome paint from the centers






Once the chrome was removed, it was ready to dip dye
(Yeah, don't lift up the rims while the oven cleaner is applied or it will seep under the masking and mess it up)




The only issue I had was the oven cleaner left a residue. Even cleaning them (repeatedly) in dish soap, the dye still did not want to take.
After many dips, the dye finally started to take. So, keep that in mind if you use oven cleaner. It really sucked, but it sure did the trick on removing the chrome paint!





After mounting the tires, I decided that the small area the chrome was removed from wasn't too noticeable. That was the only mess up during the whole process.....I knew something would go wrong, but they look pretty decent. Still have to take a toothpick and clean up around the lettering also. I took these pics while they were still wet.

Looks great Tom!

Nice job with those wheels

Thanks guys

As soon as I get the decals on, I will post some more pics.
Hopefully soon, I never applied decals on an RC and a bit nervous about it.
But, I will have to sooner or later. Part of me doesn't want to finish
because I had so much fun building this one.

I really would have liked those alloy rims, but this is a nice second choice.
I've been busy building a Turbo Optima, Optima Pro, Ultima, Turbo Ultima & Outlaw.

TM

Finally finished the Tommy








I have a few little tweaks I want to do to it, but she is ready to run.
Will be staying busy with other projects though, like this new built Ultima:

Great job on the Tomahawk!
Sure has come a long way since you started the thread.
That Ultima is a beauty too!

Thanks Mike

I am happy with the way the Tommy turned out.
It was a bear to gather parts and everything, but it was worth it.
The Ultima is a fun build. I hope you find one soon, you will love it.
The biggest problem is the rollcage, so make sure it has a decent one when you find a good one.
I lucked out with a trade for a NIP kit. Kind of had to have it since everything else was new :/

Not going to start an Optima/Ultima build log since there are plenty of those here!
But I will post some pics when they are finished in the showroom.

TM

you are GOOD, your speciality was helis and planes, right? well you have jumped right into rc buggies and a vintage one at that and have done a great job. classic buggies demand a lot of hours, ingenuity and a whole lot of other things, they are not RTR which makes em so much fun,

great job on the ultima too, The bridgestones look great on it

Thanks Ron. You know exactly what I had to go through to get it where it is now. I wanted to thank you again for the 8mm shocks (among other various parts) I would also like to thank Lars for the shock bottoms and a huge Thank you goes to ScootMike for the millions of questions (and dimensions). Actually, everyone here has been so helpful. Who would have though I got most my info on this build from an RC10 forum, LoL.

I will say, it was (at times) aggravating, frustrating and don't forget very expensive to build, but I hung in there and rode it till the end and I am happy for it. There was a point where I really didn't want to finish because the fun would stop. Then, just like that, a huge vintage lot practically fell in my lap and now I have more than I can handle. I have 4 buggies to finish and 1 to start and I still find myself looking for more.

Many of my friends and family think I'm crazy for spending the time and money on toys, but you all know as well as I they are truly much more than that. They are a piece of history/art/creativity and just plain fun! My only regret at this point is NOT having a basher or something to run. I really need to pick up something that I can take out back and just have fun (without worrying about getting dirty or damaged). Hopefully that will change very soon. Thank you all for your help and hopefully I will be able to help others in the future.

TM