tamiya3speed

Kyosho put up an Optima Mid video to youtube that is worth watching:

Heck of a price, congratulations! Check Tamico or RC Mart for the radio. Factor in shipping but may be cheaper overall than anywhere in the states.

This is absolutely the answer here. With the chassis cover in hand you are like 0.01% of the way there to a Beetle project. No need to stop there!!

Looks like a radio box lid from a Kyosho Beetle to me. https://kyoshoamerica.com/scb003.html

Oh yeah Willy, probably would have been easy to find elsewhere. They were only backordered through Horizon, who my LHS uses. All just an excuse to overspec a basic car though!

Well, the plastic ones were on backorder so LHS offered $60 on a set of TRF dampers. Figured if I don’t get on with car they will always be useful elsewhere!! Also as stated earlier, I am a sucker for blue!

You could also swap the stock ends out for Traxxas Revo ends fairly cheaply. You will need screws and nyloc nuts to replace the stock ball studs but they are much stronger than the Tamiya rod ends.

Thanks all. I think that settles it. Going with oil dampers and the aluminum prop shaft and joints for a little blue goodness. Appreciate the feedback!

Oh yeah, how will I use it! Likely no racing, light bash out front here and there. Not much racing around me. The rational me says CVAs, bearings, maybe the aluminum prop shaft, sport tuned. BUT the siren sound of that blue aluminum goodness…

So my LHS has talked me into one of the TT02 Senna kits. After committing I proceeded to price desirable (to me at least) hop-ups (aluminum steering, universals, oil filled diffs, driveshaft/joints, oil shocks, high speed gear set, etc) and when it was all said and done I was well over $200. Now I enjoy Tamiya option parts as much as the next guy but all told I am more than a TA08 and I just can’t justify the spend. So what is the best course of action here? Build kit stock, limit to certain option parts, go all out?

If anybody is still looking here, now showing in stock at Kyosho USA.

Funny story on this, got up at 4am this morning and couldn’t sleep. I ended up seeing this post and going on a hunt myself. Found Servo City here in the US and put the order in then. Will see how it goes but already got a shipping notice and tracking number so at least they move quick.

No they will not. TLT tires have different diameters on inside and outside bead. They are also considerably smaller than the stock Monster Beetle items. WW2 tires may stretch but I will defer to others on that!

Kyosho USA put the last of the parts up on the site. LHS called with my additions and it sounds like at least some of the parts are on the way so will be interested to see what shows up.

Hey @Pintopower good to see you here again! What about longer drive shafts for the CVDs? That would go a long way to eliminating the need for the telescoping shafts themselves? Not sure if it would cause other issues but it is a thought. Also, my sincere thanks to you and Eustace for the diff as it is. It has been a fantastic addition to my Monster Beetle and really stepped up my ability to run it trouble free.