Falcon restoration

[Mr_Mac 18]

Good day sirs. A slight tale of woe. I got a falcon for my 13th birthday...got it from Hamleys...ah...the old days. Anyway, I restored it but in 2015 fell upon hard times and had to sell... really regret that. Now I have the opportunity to restore another...but it is missing a lot of screws. I can get a repro body...can get a few bits...but my question is ...do any of the current re releases share any of the falcons screws or parts? I don't need the wheel's, tyres...but new cva's, steering rods...screws. Any information would be a delight 

[Beetlemankurt 676]

Mr_Mac, welcome aboard from a fellow Falcon fan! Good to see you have the opportunity to get back on the Falcon bandwagon! I restored one about 10 years or so ago and it's a lovely 'shelfer' that has been run again since being restored, albeit respectfully around the lawn.

The Falcon is unique in that it was essentially an all new model at time that didn't generally share parts at all with other models. Xommon parts like tyres were later used by the striker, sonic fighter, grasshopper 2, thundershot etc and the tub used by the Bearhawk and Blitzer Beetle I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong).....other than that, the majority of plastic parts are unique to this model. I think it's under rated by quite a few people in regards to this uniqueness.

The screws in Tamiya kits these days tend to be black coated instead of the golden coating they had back in the day. So you can certainly still use them if you are not too fussed on the colour as long as the size is the same. The old screws however, can still be found from time to time either new (in parts bags) or used qs pqrt of other bundles for sale. 

How many short are you and what sizes are you after? I've probably got a small number I can chuck in envelope for you if you don't mind that they've been used already....

In regard to the CVA's, you may be better off to look for a parts car on line that has the shocks, dog bones, screws and a number of other parts you may need? Might be better/cheaper than trying to get parts individually. Just make sure you get some a good honest description about the condition before purchasing so you know what you are getting....

You will likely know that by now plastics of this age are likely getting brittle so how far you want to go for the restoration may depend on whether you intend to run it and how hard. There are also aluminium chassis braces etc available that can help with durability. There are quite a few 3D printed parts around that can be good for running, although the quality can vary.

Hope this helps. Good luck with the restoration and make sure you post pics as you go so we can follow along 😁....

Cheers

Kurt

[Mr_Mac 18]

Thank you for that excellent reply! I am missing the screws from 'screw bag A'...so the little 3 x10 mm screws and nuts that hold D3 parts to the tub. Its going to be a slow but enjoyable project...will keep an eye on ebay for bits and bobs. I bought a Striker a few years ago off of ebay...thick yellow paint...grasshopper front arms had been put in...but no cracks and it came with brand new in the pack original decals....£60.  Its been restored but never to be run! Back in the day a friend of mine had a striker and I think he bought three body shells during his time owning it. You can buy U and Y CVA parts via re issues easily so that's helpful. Anyone know if the Kamtec repro bodies are worth getting?  It will get done...no time frame ...money and the rare nature of parts...but would like to get it able to move..for old time sake.

[Beetlemankurt 676]

PM sent mate.

[Mr_Mac 18]

Hello. Falcon resto going well, nearly finished. The body is old new original..never been painted but no wing. I am going to get a repro shell with wing...Kamtec i believe? Anyway..would do you think I should use the original body or the repro one? There are some scratches on the original...not sure how they will show up when painted. I have ordered MCI reproduction stickers. 

[Mr_Mac 18]

The rear tyres only came today....the smell! Took me right back to opening the box back in 1987! Will get a new motor as the old one looks bad...not sure if it works, try and get the same vintage techniplus controller and a tamiya battery. 

[Mr_Mac 18]

Restored this last year

[Mr_Mac 18]

And built this too. It takes a long time to get back the stuff you had when a kid....couldn'treally afford them then...still can't now!  

[Mr_Mac 18]

Look better in real life...my phone is OLD!

[BuggyDad 4417]

Those restos look stunning. Falcon looks as new!

I have the kamtec shell and MCI stickers. I'd be interested to see the two shells side by side - I suspect the kamtec one, while decent, will have nowhere near Tamiya precision, but that this might not be so noticeable on the wing? Also my MCI stickers, while good from far, aren't Tamiya quality. Bit blurry in places. I guess Tamiya stickers impossible to come by? 

[Mr_Mac 18]

Simply cannot find original sticker...last time I see them on ebay they wanted over £150! I was hoping for a re release...was just hoping to use MCI for the sponsors that they would change..but for some unknown reason they will not re re it. I got lucky with the striker as it came with an original sticker sheet...car was in a shocking state though. 

[Beetlemankurt 676]

Lovely cars mate and your Falcon has come out epic! If u want to give the body a nice shine, Meguiars Plastx is an awesome product. 

I've just checked and although I've got a couple of original wings here, they are not in good shape so wouldn't be up to the same standard as your car. 

The decals do come up from time to time so don't give up. I ended up with some from Switzerland about 10 years ago but yeah they are not cheap. 

I still reckon they will re re it at some point....

Keep up the good work, your fleet looks fantastic. 

Cheers

Kurt

[Mr_Mac 18]

Thanks for your kind words. Got the MCI decals today...they are better than I was expecting. Yes, the colour is a tiny bit off here and there and not everything is sharp but good enough! Hopefully they will re release and I can use bits of both. Just need the wing and the paint. Last time I built a falcon I had the brush poly paint...they don't do it anymore so it will be masking time....must...be.... careful!