locry

i've finally gotten around to resurrecting my old Turbo Optima Mid by Kyosho. Together with my old Futaba Magnum Junior controller, and a new Futaba MCsomething ESC, just to get it running again. Anyway, i was wondering if I installed the latest ESC, motor, NiMh battery pack, can i still compete with the newr models? granting my skills are still up to par, does it matter if i have an old chassis? i really have no in depth knowledge about what's out there nowadays. Ciao!

Thai3g_Eclipse

iTrader: (10)

In the straightaways, maybe. But when the corners and jumps starts coming, you're going to get left behind, unless the driver sucks. Your Kyosho and the current buggies have a large gap in terms of technical advances and such. But it's cool to hear people racing their old cars though.

locry

thanks for the reply!

that's what i'm trying to figure out, what in particular did they change? steering geometry? materials? I can upgrade the shocks if i have to, and probably get a hispeed servo, if my receiver can handle it

hmmmm, if i can keep up in the straightaways i guess that's fine, i'll just have to drive better in the turns.

i just wouldn't want to retire a capable chassis... plus i don't have funds to buy a new kit.

Thai3g_Eclipse

iTrader: (10)

Can you by chance post up some pics of it? I really like those Optimas and I was thinking about buying one off eBay and restoring it as a display car. As for your question, the chassis and suspension is really the only true difference between the Optima and the new electric buggies. Chassis are refined to improve center of gravity, lighter materials such as graphite and carbon fiber is used, suspensions are more adjustable. Other than that, it's pretty much the same old deal.

x-GTer

About 5 years ago I got back in RC racing after a 13-14 year layoff. I sure wish I had the Tamyia Big Wig I used to race back in the day! If I did, I sure wouldn't race it now - 1) I'd get smoked and 2) that sucker would be on a display shelf!

If your car is that old can you still get parts for it? Because if you can't, you'll be in trouble. You will be breaking stuff.

Whatever you decide to do, welcome back to the hobby and have fun!

Cain

iTrader: (294)

I would probably shelf the vehicle (make it your collectors item ) and start fresh. Or, you can sell it if its in really great shape and get another vehicle to start with.

My main reason to do this would be that I would hate to break something like that.

kufman

iTrader: (6)

cars from that era were really built to run on a different type of track. They were made for loose dirt and not really the hard packed clay tracks of today. The optima mid is a cool car, but parts are very difficult to come by. I would suggest putting it on a shelf and starting fresh.

Main things that have changed:

suspension geometry

weight distribuion

tires

weight

locry

my Turbo Optima Mid came with graphite everything, except the main pan, which is semi-gold/brown, i don't think its aluminum, the optimas and the turbo optima came with aluminum shock towers...

Before the Turbo OpMid i raced a Tamiya Wild One, then upgraded to a Hotshot 2, then a Supershot then finally the Optima. Back then the BigWig was king, i think it came with a TechniGold motor.

i'm not worried about parts because i can always fabricate parts that i break.

a can also change tire and wheel combos, because i can't find oem tires anywhere. the ones i had on i shredded after a few runs with my new batt and esc. a friend lent me small diameter onroad tires so that's what i'm using right now.

locry

i'll try to post pics of it, though i don't have the body anymore

jeffreylin

I had the Turbo Optima and I remember it as a great handling car. I would just give it a try at your local track and you'd get your answer very quickly. I have not tried the new 4WD buggies but boy I sure love that Turbo Optima.

oople

the shock towers and such on the turbo mid are fibreglass, they only look like carbon fibre..

afaik its a lot shorter than modern cars, hence the long wheelbase conversion you could get back in the day.. i think that added 17mm
so it might be a bit less stable at the speeds modern cars go...

cells might not fit, cells are bigger now than in 1988.

its a good car and i think you definately should race it..