Don't know what model it is a lot of parts will need to be replaced if even possible. It's my dads old tamiya hot shot buggy. I'll post a picture in a bit. I'm new and wanting to get into RC off-road vehicles but I don't want to go spend $400-$500 on a new one if I can restore my dads old one and play with it. So if it's possible to restore life to this one that be cool.

Tamiya re-released that car a couple of years ago. You can have a brand new one for right around $200. Yes you can restore or fix that one though. The biggest problem is that the plastics from those old cars doesn't age well. It gets brittle. If you do restore it to drive it, be gentle.

I got my dads 1986 tamiya hotshot out of storage the other day. I charged a battery put batteries in the transmitter put the battery in the car turned it on it still runs but it wigs out. The steering moves on its own and it will drive forward too. Not sure if some what electronics in the car would cause this maybe a switch or the servo. But some help would be appreciated thanks.

For the wigging out just put in a 2.4ghz radio system. You do not have spend much to be better off than those old FM or AM style crystal based radios.

Do yourself a favor, pick up a 2.4ghz radio, no more "wigging" out.

Less than $20

http://www.hobbypartz.com/79p-gt2-blue.html

I run a Flysky system on my Tamiya Fox with a Hobbywing Justock esc and 21.5T motor combo. It's way more than enough for that old car and its far smoother than it ever was new. I love old Tamiya cars. They are just plain fun.

So I haven't yet but I need to go pick up a new 7.2v battery. My dad said it used to wig out when the battery got low. It runs though no problem might get a new transmitter adventually. But before I go that far I need new suspension the mono shocks have no rebound anymore. Not sure if taking the apart cleaning them and getting new springs is the solution but if not I need help.

Your battery isn't your problem. It may be from the standpoint that it doesn't have much runtime but the glitching is going to be most prevalent with those old AM radio systems. The FCC opened up a larger band of the AM spectrum around those old frequencies to other needs so you'll get far more interference on them today than we ever did 25 years ago.

Taking the shocks apart and cleaning them can certainly help. The springs could be worn out too though but those are easy to find.

You might want to clean the mechanical speed control too. It could be that some of your problem is that the contacts are dirty. While you're at it, give the motor a clean as well.