Unusual optima, information please?

[wldnas]

I was at a toy fair today and saw a Kyosho Optima for sale on one of the stalls, it appeared to be in very good condition and was painted pink, but came complete with Radio, ESC, Battery, Peak Charger and Instructions manual, the Guy selling it originally wanted £98 for it but seeing as I was a fellow exhibitor he offered it to me the knock down price of £75, I was quite reluctant to buy cos I really needed the money for other things and left the fair without getting it.

But there was something unusual about it that I want to get further information on, it was quite unlike any optima I have ever seen before, it was called Kyosho Optima MID Custom Special, now know that Kyosho did a lot of spin off versions of the Optima but Ive never seen one quite like this before, the body was a different shape to normal, looking more like a Salute than an Optima, and it had option house shocks, wheels and tires, can any tell me any more about this car, is it a rare special edition of some kind, and if so why the badword did I turn it down.

any thoughts would be appreciated

[Stu.B]

It sounds like a custom special in the 'upgrade sense'. By this I mean you could have a Mid Custom Special by one of two ways. You could buy one off the shelf or you could already have a standard one and buy an upgrade kit. The upgrade kit consisted of a new chassis and upper deck, new battery holders and a new undertray and shell. The shell you got with the upgrade kit was rounded as described and I know as I had one. Quite a rare find, it is a shame I no longer have that bodyshell or chassis.

Anyone else go the 'upgrade' route?

[WillyChang]

Stu's right.

Custom Special has the longer chassis/wheelbase, so longer belts are also part of the kit. Then of course you need that longer bodyshell... []

[wldnas]

I think you guys are missing the point, this car was a stock kit original, it came with a manual and the manual was for an Optima Mid Custom special and it also had original custom special decals on it as well, it didnt appear to have been modified, it was built this way out of the box, I just wanted to know weather it was some kind of Rare special edition car that I was foolish to turn down....

I wish now I had taken a few pictures of it

[RETRO R/C]

No - it was nothing special at all - despite the box top name ! YES - IT WAS a kit !

They are a fairly hard find in kit form. I stole this pic.

They are around - as you have found out.

Pretty much the last of the optima mid series.

Cheers

Darryn

[Wireless]

Kyosho made the Optima Mid, Optima Mid Custom and Optima Mid Custom Special all as off-the-shelf kits before going onto the Lazer ZX series of cars. OMCS was last of the line IIRC.

Prior to that there was the original Optima, Optima Pro and Turbo Optima. These all had the motor slung out the back of course.

W

[RETRO R/C]

Here we go one last time !! [] I hope this helps to clear some misconceptions......ESPECIALLY note that none of the chain drives listed here came belt drive.........this was an option brought out late in the chain drives series life.

Chain Drives, PLEASE NOTE that I have ioncluded the progress series in the chain drive list:

1) Progress

2) Gallop

3) Gallop MKII

4) Optima

5) Javelin

6) Turbo Optima

7) Optima Pro

8) Salute

9) LIMITED EDITION "GOLD" Celebration kit.

(if you would like to see ALL of these kits - please see my site) []

For the "MID" series of cars (which were all belt drive) : (in no particular order):

1) Optima Mid

2) Turbo Optima Mid

3) Optima mid custom

4) Optima mid custom special

5) Turbo optima mid special - this was the highest specced kit. (graphite parts etc etc - the custom special only had a pressed alloy chassis)

I think there may be another one or two that I am missing - but I am too tired to rack my brains !![xx(]

We then go on to the Lazer series which replaced the Optima.......again - too tired at the moment ! 1 am here !

Cheers

Darryn

[Mooplea]

But hey, you forgot the Turbo Optima MID SE ??

I have a turbo optima mid nib.. the SE version was slightly hopped up and had apart from different decals, the platinum shocks, carbon shock towers, duraluminum chassis, silver wheels ???

and a fast 240ST motor and mechanical speedo

I had a optima mid, normal one, then a turbo optima mid SE, it was a long time ago and they are long since gone.. sigh..

jimbo

[wldnas]

Thats the Puppy Darryn

only the one I saw was painted "PINK" of all colours and it had different wheels (white 5 spoke) and strange V block pattern tires, it was quite tidy almost new built in fact and came with Radio,ESC,Battery,peak charger and manual.

I could have bought it but needed the money to service my car which I did today in the freezing cold wind... BRRRRRRRR []

[RichieRich]

Someone should really make a list of the different versions. I was running into the same problem trying to find out all the different Ultimas out there.

[RETRO R/C]

hehehehe - I knew I forgot one (as I said originally)- ironically I owned and raced one of the SE's myself.......

Yep - for sure the "MID" series was by far the best "results" car as far as major meetings went........things then went to the "PORKY" Lazer series.....

I agree ....... sigh........

Cheers

Darryn