Recommisioning 30 Yr old models

[Paceman]

Hi all, 

New member here and first post. 

I've got an original mid 80's Pajero and Hotshot in my loft which haven't been touched for 30 years (jeez I'm getting old). I'd like to get them up and running for my son. The plan is he can do all the strip down, clean, lubricate etc. I'll get a full bearing kit for the Hotshot as well. 

What I'm unsure of is batteries. I'd wager that the Ni-cads that are in the box are well past it so will need modern replacements which seem to be NiMh. Will I need to replace to anything to use NiMh batteries? Both models are using original mechanical speed controllers. 

Aside from batteries, is there anything else I should consider upgrading? Is it worth putting electronic speed controllers in? If so, what would you suggest? 

No idea if there are any broken plastics, but hotshot parts seem fairly obtainable, no idea about the Pajero. 

Thanks for any input and advice! 

J

[ThunderDragonCy]

Welcome! Your plan sounds good and getting nimh batteries will be spot on. Something around 3000-3500mah capacity will give you run times you never dreamed of as a kid, but without being so heavy. They are easy to use, and way better than nicad. By a modern quick charger. 

I would definitely replace the mechanical speed controllers. Get a hobbywing 1060 and you will be set. 

Would probably be worth buying some 400cst shock oil and some tamiya red o rings as the shocks will probably be perished and horrid.

After that, have fun and see where it takes you. 

[Losi XXT-CR]

The NiCd would probably revive quite well. But are low capacity, so not worth it. 
 

Not sure you can really say NiMH is modern. They became mainstay in the RC world about a quarter of a Century or more ago!

LiPo is so much better. You just need to understand and respect any potential risks/hazards. 

[MadAnt]

Hello and welcome!

Sounds like you have some fun projects. You can 100% run NiMh batteries. If you ever decide to run LiPo batteries make sure to study up real good and use the proper charger.

[yogi-bear]

a second for upgrading the electronics, the hobbywing as mentioned is a good choice, and I'd stick with the stock motor. And while the old radio and receiver are probably fine, I'd also recommend upgrading the radio system to a Flysky controller as they are cheap and will be more reliable than the old systems.

I also restored a Hot Shot many years ago, the only other issue I had is that you might find some of the plastics have gone a little brittle, but as you mention, due to the re-re, spares are available. 

[markbt73]

Welcome! It sounds like you're on the right track, and others have given some very basic advice, but allow me to explain what they're talking about in a little more detail, if I may. There are a couple of different levels you can go to; it all depends how original you want to keep the models vs how much you want to improve the experience.

Basic, cheap, get-em-running: NiMH battery packs will plug right into your existing mechanical speed controllers, and get the cars up and running just like they were. The standard white nylon "Tamiya" battery connector still exists, and packs are still available that use it. Most NiMH packs are in the range of 2000-4000 mAh (as opposed to the 1200 from your NiCd packs), so expect luxuriously long run times. You'll want to get a modern peak-type battery charger to charge them. Get one that can handle Lipo batteries as well. I wouldn't suggest jumping straight to them, as there is a bit of a learning curve involved, but it's a good idea to get a charger that can handle them just in case. They are definitely an improvement.

One thing to consider: If memory serves, the Pajero is designed to use a hump-pack style of battery, mounted in the back of the chassis. Packs of that configuration are nearly impossible to find these days, but you can probably find a smaller stick-pack battery that will fit. Just something to be aware of.

Minor upgrade to electronics for reliability: Removing the mechanical speed controllers and replacing them with a simple ESC will improve control, efficiency, and reliability, and it can be done with minimal invasiveness. The ubiquitous Hobbywing Quicrun 1060 is the one to get: it's cheap, bulletproof, and requires very little setup. It has the ability to use either NiCd/NiMH batteries or the modern Lipo batteries, so if you ever decide to go that route, you'll already be set there as well.

Radio gear: If your old radio systems work, you can still use them. So many modern devices have moved out of the low-mHz frequency bands that I find there's actually less interference these days with the old radios. Modern radios are in the 2.4gHz band and use frequency-hopping technology, so there is no worry about interference, and no crystals to match up.

Lots of folks here swear by the cheap Flysky brand of radios; I personally can't stand them because they're so cheap and flimsy-feeling. They work, but they feel like toys. I tend to stick with bigger names: Futaba is still my favorite, though they aren't the cheap choice anymore. Spektrum is also a good brand, I've found.

If you need to replace servos, because they don't work or aren't compatible with the new radio, stick with name-brand basic servos. You don't need anything stronger for those models, and off-brand servos are cheap for a reason. Futaba S3003 servos, brand new and in the white box from Futaba, are what you want. No reason to even mess with anything else.

Motors: Stick with the standard 540 motors they have. Put a drop of machine oil on each bushing of each motor, and run them at low speeds to clean out the gunk. If they don't run well after that, replace them with new 540 motors, or the Tamiya "Torque Tuned" motors. Vintage cars don't need anything more powerful. You'll just break stuff.

Other stuff: The Hotshot spares are available, because it has been re-released. The Pajero technically has as well, but it's a little different, so some stuff won't fit directly. 90% of its mechanical and suspension parts are shared with the Grasshopper, though, which is plentiful.

Very long, I know, but I hope it helps. Trying to give a bigger-picture view instead of bits and pieces of information.

[scoobybooster]

Excellent write up from markbt73 here !

As a small addition regarding the Hump-Packs for the Pajero: Look out for Carson, which is pretty much the only manufacturer I know of for Hump-Packs, because Carson has also specialized as a Tamiya accessory supplier.

[BuggyDad]

Nothing useful to add, but stick up some pics for us. I had a Pajero as a nipper. It disappeared into the mists of time along with everything else from my childhood, unfortunately. 

How old is your son? If he's this way minded he might enjoy a new kit, because the build experience is a good entry into things and the modern basic electronics and whatnot are so reliable while also being fairly inexpensive*. This is not to say a restore is a bad idea, far from it, just that a kit build might give him his own entry into things, plus an end result that's a lot more robust and won't make his dad cry when he breaks it. And £100ish for a basic kit might suddenly look cheap when the bill for old broken plastics mounts up a bit! 

The kit build is of course essentially just the same as ever. 

*subjective, obvs! 

[Paceman]

Wow, blown away by the number and quality of responses here. Many thanks.

In typical fashion I've ended up with a very busy work week, hence my delayed response - my apologies for that. Nothing worse than replying to a post and getting no acknowledgement!

I think I'll do the minimum to get them up and running in case his attention span is short (he's nearly 12), but if he gets in to it, I expect upgrades, and ultimately his own kit to build.

I'll post up some pictures when I dig them out the loft. I seem to recal doing a horrible custom paint job on the Pajero so I'll expect some criticism.

thanks again, I'll keep you posted with how I get on.

J

[urban warrior]

What else to add but ...

[DearHighRacingClub]

If you go for a modern ESC for the Hotshot you won't need the fancy resistors (the round aluminium thingies on the back). I'm not sure if they're worth a bit of money?

It's always exciting to restore an old vintage model. It takes a lot of time, patience, money and in the end it's not really worth it... UNLESS you dig that kinda stuff and/or have personal connections to a car. Then it's DEFINITELY worth it

Dad fixed up his old runner for you. It took ages, sweat'n'tears and all the time you spend videogaming. But it's my car, it has seen some heavy battles and boy can I tell you some warstories ...

Versus

Dad bought this new fancy thing online in five seconds. Now go enjoy

Also, please involve your kid in the restoration, it's a great bonding AND learning experience!

Cheers

[Paceman]

Oh intend for him to do the bulk of it - already told him that. Might learn some patience instead of the usual instant gratification of things these days.