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Adamcurrie

Original Top Force - Should I bother?

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Hi, I'm new here. Just picked up an egress re re and have an avante 2011 shelf queen. Digging through my RC stuff in the Garage I came across my old Top Force and mused on whether rebuilding was an option. It's had quite a bit of love in the past then left to die :(

It has universals in the back and almost all bushes have been replaced with ball bearings.

It's missing shell, original wing and under tray. Broken plastic too:

025D5512-B7D5-4260-91FE-13CA8034D45C_zps

So what do you think? Can she be saved? Should she be?

Edit; thought I'd better have a comparison then to now (still not complete)

2A89EE96-86D9-47B1-B16D-B4B91C120C69_zps

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Yes, everything can be saved.

If I saved my Striker you absolutely can and must save this one.

As I said in my Striker thread, hey, it's a Tamiya anyway!

Max

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Thanks Max, I'll pull it apart tonight and see what plastic is broken, what car should I be looking at for the plastic parts?

I have fond memories of this car :)

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Welcome Adam

Of course its worth restoring / rebuilding - they are a great runner, and look fab on the shelf too.

Its based on the DF-01 chassis, and shares some parts with other (plastic tub) models like Manta Ray, Blazing Star, Dirt Thrasher and Terra Conqueror.


I have a load of DF-01 spares, some partly used new sprues, some used stuff - if you get a list of what you need to replace I'm happy to help you out where I can

If you don't have a build manual then PM/message me your email address and I'll send you a pdf through,

You already have the steel propshaft which was an mprovement over the wire version of the lesser DF-01 cars - you can buy lighter weight alloy ones from the likes of asiatees.com or rcmart.com but probably not worth it for general use. On the subject of changes/hop ups the main things are..

alloy motor mount
plastic gear set (gets rid of the horrid aluminium idler gear in rear gearbox)
steel motor pinion (RW or Robinson Racing)

you can also fit alloy front C hubs and rear hubs/upights if you fancied althoguh these are not essential

forget alloy wishbone arms - a waste of money and just put more stress on the central gearcase if you land a jump badly.

Good luck - there's loads of Top force / Manta Ray threads on the forum, so a search will find planty of information - happy reading !

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This definitely needs to be restored. Get it stripped down and see how it all is. don't forget pics 😃. Give everything a good clean up and check for fatigue and cracks etc. Once you have a list together you'll be able to get an idea of cost. You'll be glad you did once it's bck to it's former glory.

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Definit Yes, go for it.

Have a look in the forum there are several rebuild threads on the TF and TF evo. (I did one but there are several others that are genius)

Parts are easy to get at several HK and Japan based sellers. (rdvtg, jr-rc, hobby japan etc.)

Decals are still available and original undercowl sometimes avalable in shops too.

If you make it into a runner get the one piece alloy motormount from Pargu and replace the original dampers (the rere HiCaps should become available again)

Tires go for the Dual blocks (maybe with the orange dish wheels, evo style).

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Definit Yes, go for it.

Have a look in the forum there are several rebuild threads on the TF and TF evo. (I did one but there are several others that are genius)

If you make it into a runner get the one piece alloy motormount from Pargu and replace the original dampers (the rere HiCaps should become available again)

You are forgetting mine http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=70227&hl=%2Btop+%2Bforce :P

The Top Force is a great car. I also still have a bunch of DF01 spare from my project so if Percymon doesn't have it, maybe i do.

The hi-caps are already available again and can be bought now at reasonable prices. I did choose for the Dyna Storm dampers at the time because hicaps were impossible to find and if way too expensive and since they work really well, i am not going to swap them for hi caps..

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Don't restore it, just get it running again. I would try to keep it as-is and simply get it as close to the way it was as I could. Old closet-finds make great pieces of history in action. Especially with those vintage modifications. I have an old Hotshot, Vanquish & JrX-T that look almost the same as they did in the 80's, yet run better than ever. Vintage electronics and everything (except the hotshot).

Your buggy would be extra-great if you could find it's old body. The old bodies really make them look special (to me).

Sunset-1.jpg

Hotshot-1.jpg

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You definitely need to get the top force running again, even if you don't do a full rebuild.

tamiya's 100th kit deserves to be made whole again :)

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Don't restore it, just get it running again.

I did restore mine but still run it. I also run the Avante 2K1 and Avante 1988 occasionally. I don't see the point of restoring cars to be "shelf queens" imho.

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I have just bought one in need of some tlc. in the pictures its not as bad as yours. :)

but I would defiantly restore it, as that's what I plan on doing (with a twist). as already said look on ebay.com search ***** top force for a body set decals are easy enough.

plus there is loads of help to be had from everyone on here.

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Full restore, and keep it all crossed for an Evo re re lol, though i do like Seans used Hotshot, my first RC, great memories!

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Get it back in action! Like the rear wing says: Formidable!

... That last sentence made little sense (I was hoping it would read something else), but the point is that the Top Force is easy to find parts for, it is a special model in Tamiya history, and it can make a very good runner.

Best of luck with the revival!

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Thanks for all the responses and offers :)

I'll rebuild it and keep it as a runner.

I took some more pics last night / today and compiled a bit of a list of needed bits. I'll post up in a bit

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Few odd screws there, I probably have the necessary replacements somewhere.
2616D241-E707-4F29-A54F-3FE8397DBB63_zps
Bit of a chunk missing there but should still function ok
13D14210-82B7-4EA6-8E82-1F349B19E605_zps
Odd screw there
F5BF78DE-B22D-4C8C-A800-0D94F2C23312_zps
Tab that holds the bar in place is worn on the bumper
D46BEB80-0C3B-450D-98E5-15991385D7E9_zps
Missed replacing a bushing there, in the steering arms too
041497D9-77DE-4FD5-B226-F33A65DA01A8_zps
Cracked
1D914D1C-6CC0-45C7-B494-96035FAFDF22_zps
Hate the red gearbox, missing the body mount there, broke in two
38B45640-D0C7-4C5F-BE6B-D001B3320120_zps
Gears look ok
CEF41838-E02D-4AA8-8A64-C65D46779E72_zps
gears look ok here too, although there is some wear
041497D9-77DE-4FD5-B226-F33A65DA01A8_zps
Steering arm broken :( missing the linkage going to the wheel too
C8E65312-9EC1-42DD-9289-6E9DDE03AD31_zps
Broken battery stay and funny bolt. missing both hold downs too.
A7E12E66-6A3D-4814-82D8-BA8F5C8BD15A_zps
Egress and Avante boxen!
63A67B31-1EC8-4959-89D7-A0C8C18DC672_zps

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Well not too bad, from what i can see from the pics above (unable to view the photobucket library in the office :( )

Rear gearbox - should be black as you know

Front knuckles / uprights - cheap, common part - part number 0445098, more commonly used part number is 50648

Battery end stop is part J14, from part sprue 9115041

Steering arm is part J8, from same sprue as above

Steering linkage is a 3x42mm shaft (comes in shaft bag part 9405701, but you could buy some 42/45mm turnbuckles from stellamodels or asiatees or rcmart

Steering linkage rod ends (adjusters) are from D parts tree 0005378

Battery hold down plates (2) are part number 805392, although normally sold as part of the press parts bag 9405707, which includes the shock towers and other parts - you could just cut some plasticard / evergreen sheet, or glass fibre sheet to the correct size to get the job done ;)

Front gearbox outdrive cup / joint is part SA4, sold as a pair of left (long on front gearbox) and right (short on rear gearcase) - part 9805377, although what you have looks like it will still work ok temporarily.

Yes you have a few incorrect screws on the underside of the chassis - all those that screw into the alloy posts are 3 x 3mm flat head machine screws, from screw bag A (part 9465396); the self tappers 3 x 12mm that hold the plastic parts and gearcases are from screw bag B (part 9465397) which also includes the step screws which hold the front knuckles to the C hubs (you have a few incorrect screws there as you pointed out)

I'll need to double check tonight , but i think I can help you out with..

a used bumper in better condition than the one you have

used black rear gearcase

rear body mount/post

rod ends D3 new

3 x42mm shaft for steering linkage

J14 battery end plate (new)

J8 steering arm (new)

would leave you needing body, undercowl and wing, and front uprights 50648 (£5 delivered from HK sellers on eBay) and screw bag B (screw bag A items can be found at hardware store / online fastener retailers) and to make some battery retaining plates.

I'll confirm what i can give you in about 10 hours time when i'm back home.

I also have a new spare set of decals.

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Percymon, thank you very much. If you can spare them, I would certainly appreciate it. I pulled it all down tonight and found a couple more broken plastic bits. I'll get some pics up. I've made a little list which I'll upload and some spare screws, out drives and wheel hexes :) no body though. I guess it's gone in one of the many clean ups.

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