Optima restoration-lots of pics - now a Turbo as well

[mtbkym01]

Ok, so I thought I'd document my resto of a chain drive Optima here, this project went on for quite a while with quite a few starts and stops. S any way onto the pics.
I started with a 2nd hand example that as a bonus came with option house gold shocks on the rear






I was also given a wreck by a fellow racer from my club, and went on to strip both chassis down and clean, my plan was to use the best parts from both to build 1 car, and then assemble the 2nd (still sitting in parts)



Started the strip down


So, here is a pile of 1 & 3/4 Optima's in parts

[HKS_TRD]

Look forward to seeing this progress, I'm building an Optima up from scratch and whilst I'm really familiar with the Mid I have no idea what I am in for with the Optima build just yet!

[mtbkym01]

Started sorting the ultrasonic and/or dishwasher cleaned parts








Managed to track down a set of front Option House gold shocks to match the rears


Then had some more bits arrive from MarwanRC in Kuwait, awesome quality

[mtbkym01]

Look forward to seeing this progress, I'm building an Optima up from scratch and whilst I'm really familiar with the Mid I have no idea what I am in for with the Optima build just yet!

If your like me you'll love the Optima build, as you can see from the photos, this project started 2+ years ago, and I'm still not (quite) finished

I have to say that I think the Optima series of cars are my favourite of all, I have a few cars (mostly Tamiya), but my favourites are definately my Kyosho's

[mtbkym01]

Progress pics continue, on to the rebuild
Found a motor for it


Rear end taking shape, complete with brand new drive chain


And the front




Rails in place

[markbt73]

Looking good! I have a similar project going on, started with one and three-quarters and now I have about 1.95 of them. Still waiting on a few odds and ends to complete the second one (long story, stupid postman).

One thing: your front top-deck mounts are on backwards. They go inside the side plates, but stick out to the outside.

[mtbkym01]

The pics continue




Just love the Option House shocks


Sand Supers all fitted up




A little bit of cheating here, fitted up with a digital servo, 2.4ghz radio gear, and an ESC

[mtbkym01]

Looking good! I have a similar project going on, started with one and three-quarters and now I have about 1.95 of them. Still waiting on a few odds and ends to complete the second one (long story, stupid postman).

One thing: your front top-deck mounts are on backwards. They go inside the side plates, but stick out to the outside.

Oh ok cheers, better check the manual , would've it had an impact on the remaining build, as, as far as I'm aware, the remaining build went together without a hitch, cheers, will look into it.

**edit** just goes to show how long ago I built this, as they are now on correctly, must've realised when I went to fit the top plate, D'Oh, cheers mate

[mtbkym01]

So this is how it sits now, just requires box art paint, and decals applied, thinking that I'm gonna try liquid mask to get the black striping nice and clean, may even enlist my mate from Scottz RCDesigns to do the paint, really want it to look perfect.











Will update this thread when the paint is done, hopefully sooner rather than later, cheers for all comments

[markbt73]

Looking good! I have a similar project going on, started with one and three-quarters and now I have about 1.95 of them. Still waiting on a few odds and ends to complete the second one (long story, stupid postman).

One thing: your front top-deck mounts are on backwards. They go inside the side plates, but stick out to the outside.

Oh ok cheers, better check the manual , would've it had an impact on the remaining build, as, as far as I'm aware, the remaining build went together without a hitch, cheers, will look into it.

**edit** just goes to show how long ago I built this, as they are now on correctly, must've realised when I went to fit the top plate, D'Oh, cheers mate

Yeah, it didn't occur to me until after I posted that that the time-stamp on the photo was 2 years old... been a long day.

And modern electronics is not cheating if you plan to run it; can you imagine having a runaway or a resistor meltdown after spending all that time and effort? Not me; I'll take function over nostalgia when it comes to running gear any day.

[keithrc]

Nice job mate, well done. Just one thing though, if it were me I would've straightened out the lower guard where it's bent (where the bumper bolts up) and if it's gonna be a runner maybe get an alloy front brace to replace the plastic one.

+1 for it not beeing cheating with modern electrics, I run all my Optima's with ESC's.


Keith

[j0pp3]

Great build!

Looks like you have mounted the chain wrong though (I made that error too).

[mtbkym01]

Great build!

Looks like you have mounted the chain wrong though (I made that error too).

Really? As in around the wrong way? far out, more embarrassment, better fix that as well then

[Coelacanth]

Yes, anyone who has built Optimas a few times has probably installed the chain the wrong way. I'm guilty of that too! Page 4 of your manual specifically mentions to "Note direction of chain", with the link ends curling to the outside, not the inside. It's a bit hard to see from your pics but I agree with j0pp3.

Excuse my crude drawing but it should clarify. Yeah I know, it sucks to have to disassemble both gearboxes after you had the whole car built! (I made a few profanities the time I did it, too.)

And that leads me to my next comment: I've built Optimas over a dozen times, not including parts car strip-downs, and I find the Optima quite a bit more challenging than the Optima Mid series. They're a finicky car to put together with a lot of steps that can lead to swearing. Like putting the chain on wrong; or the final pinion set screw falling into the gearbox before you can screw it in; or getting the steering servo mounted on the little mounting plate "just so" with the double-sided tape, and then having to feed that zip-tie around it. And be sure to threadlock EVERY single outdrive and the final pinion, because they WILL come loose and you'll end up with a 3-wheel-drive (or less). Another annoyance has to do with building the horrible red shocks, but looks like you upgraded them to Golds.

[mtbkym01]

Yes, anyone who has built Optimas a few times has probably installed the chain the wrong way. I'm guilty of that too! Page 4 of your manual specifically mentions to "Note direction of chain", with the link ends curling to the outside, not the inside. It's a bit hard to see from your pics but I agree with j0pp3.

Excuse my crude drawing but it should clarify. Yeah I know, it sucks to have to disassemble both gearboxes after you had the whole car built! (I made a few profanities the time I did it, too.)

And that leads me to my next comment: I've built Optimas over a dozen times, not including parts car strip-downs, and I find the Optima quite a bit more challenging than the Optima Mid series. They're a finicky car to put together with a lot of steps that can lead to swearing. Like putting the chain on wrong; or the final pinion set screw falling into the gearbox before you can screw it in; or getting the steering servo mounted on the little mounting plate "just so" with the double-sided tape, and then having to feed that zip-tie around it. And be sure to threadlock EVERY single outdrive and the final pinion, because they WILL come loose and you'll end up with a 3-wheel-drive (or less). Another annoyance has to do with building the horrible red shocks, but looks like you upgraded them to Golds.

Cheers for that, will have to rectify it then.