Hotshot restoration project.....

[Mankku]

Good thing. Just placed an order for the Boomerang propeller shaft/joints and an upper Hotshot 2 chassis. How did you secure the propeller shaft in the joints? In the Boomerang there are plastic piece of tube (e8) that slides over the joint. Those "tubes" dont come with the shaft/joints sice they are on plasticparts e.

I probably have to make the hatch on chassis since thats also in some oter "parts bag"

 

Thank You all guys so far, I´v got a lot of really good ideas and help from this thread....!

 

Mag

[terry.sc]

To hold the propshaft in you can either find a length of plastic tube that will be a push fit over the joints, or just use a short length of silicone rubber tubing. None of the torque goes through the sleeve, you just need something that is going to keep the shaft between the slots. I also wouldn't worry about the hatch unless you plan on running in a lot of dirt as the body will cover it. With the hatch missing there will be more cooling for an ESC.

[barney buggy collector]

im also in the process of doing a Hotshot beach runner.on my Tamiya Falcon i filled all the little grooves on the arms around where the suspension pins go through with araldite to beef them up.a couple on my Falcon were cracked etc but the araldite has held up really well to beach bashing.

i am doing the same with the  Hotshot arms.hopefully it stands up to a bit of sand work 

 

one thing i dont have is the body, but the Hotshot still looks ok without one. 

[barney buggy collector]

 There alot of people still running thier Hotshots.Heres some links from here in Japan if you would like to see some creative ideas for the Hotshot.

http://rc-off.com/toukou/hot2.html

http://rc-off.com/toukou/hot8.html

http://rc-off.com/toukou/hot17.html

http://rc-off.com/toukou/hot20.html

These are all cars on http://rc-off.com/

I have driven with some of these guys, http://tuyosi.ath.cx/dekigoto/20060505/index.htm heres a link to the last meeting we had.

People still enjoy their older RC cars.

 I agree that Tamiya`s dont have to be expensive. I use modern parts when i can and dont run tires that are hard to find.so my running has been fairly cheap.And besides i remember when Traxxas was a bad word.[:$] 

 

that is a really cool website.and those pictures of the old cars racing is just awesome. 

[bakaguyjean]

 Im looking for a body as well but i might make one from some lexan.The Hot shot is really just a box so when i get my chassis and roll cage i might have something to show.Im changing my Super Sabre to a Hot shot type of car.

Glad you enjoyed the pictures.lets see some pictures of you beach runner Barney

[barney buggy collector]

took the Falcon for a run today down the beach,just need to get  the Mrs to bring the  camera down on my next days off.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/da...jpg thats my Falcon,ill get pics of the Hotshot soon as i put it together,most probably a week or so.

i just picked up another hotshot the other day for parts ,so mine and that one are in bits at the moment getting a good clean and going over and regreasing the gearboxes etc and also aralditing all the bits around the arm mounts to beef them up a bit.

 

has anyone ever used the Parma slipper kit for the Hotshot?about the only spare motor i have at the moment is a GM 11x3,i think that might be a little to much for the old hotshot lol, might invest in a checkpoint 19 turn for it.

[bakaguyjean]

Nice Falcon beetle.cant wait to see your Hotshot.I will put my Hotshot up in my showroom when i get it finished.

[civilguy]

Baka- A while ago I wouldn't have even considered a Traxxas.  That is mostly what they run locally and parts are available on site.  I suppose-- When in Rome....

I guess "expensive" (to run vintage) is a relative term-- I not only meant the costs of parts, but the time spent looking for those parts. All those hours spent trying to track down difficult bits is lost income too (especially with a small business to run).  And unless you build up a pile of used parts, racing is out of the question (for me).  Not to mention there is not enough local interest at the track.  Next closest that runs a very small vintage class is a 75 minute drive and with family and community commitments that's just too far, especially to race against 2 or 3 people.  So that's why I thought I could race something else cheaper.  (If I was Howard Hughes, I would go race with the guys over at RC-OFF - great pics btw.)

It seems that vintage models are more scarce here in New Hampshire.  Just a thought on 2 possible reasons- (1) the colder months are tempting to get out and run, but plastic (a-arms, bumpers) snaps easily in those temps leaving less viable parts available? I'm guilty of this for sure.  I broke my first bumper on the 2nd run during Christmas vacation of 1985!  (2) R/C just wasn't as big here in the 80s as other parts of the world.  I had all the magazines back then and was racing at least twice a week, but I think the climate and lack of tracks up here just didn't allow it to take off.  So I could look for stuff on eBay, but most sellers know the Hotshot and its parts are rare and worth more.  Also, it seems to me that vintage Tamiya (especially Hotshot and WWI) has a bigger fan base overseas and shipping is prohibitive on a lot of items (cost of shipping often equals item price).

I read the "my mate gave me this out of his closet" in the threads here.  Well, I had that happen once- I got a Hornet in November that I managed to save 1 shock, most of the gears and some smaller bits (for Grasshopper).  The rest was trash- I actually couldn't believe he had saved it all that time it was so bad.  Most people I talk to here (coworkers, etc) had R/C at one time but it was so beat up that it was thrown out or given to a younger relative who proceeded to finish it off completely.

So I will continue to run my vintage Hotshot, WWI and RC10.  My daughter (and son once I convert a TX to left-hand- that's another subject entirely) will learn how to drive the Grasshopper.  We will have lots of fun doing it!  I appreciate all the help that I can get here too- you guys are a treasure trove of knowledge (and I intend to plunder it regularly!).

Jeff

 

[Rusty2903]

Good thing. Just placed an order for the Boomerang propeller shaft/joints and an upper Hotshot 2 chassis. How did you secure the propeller shaft in the joints? In the Boomerang there are plastic piece of tube (e8) that slides over the joint. Those "tubes" dont come with the shaft/joints sice they are on plasticparts e.

I probably have to make the hatch on chassis since thats also in some oter "parts bag"

 

Thank You all guys so far, I´v got a lot of really good ideas and help from this thread....!

 

Mag

The collar part you may be looking for is also on the Hotshot II on the "D tree" readily available on eBay (i know as i have just purchased the very same thing) There is a picture in my showroom under the hotshot or in my trades section [y]

 

 

[blasta999]

I think you're probably right there, i hadn't thought of it that way, i suppose because they're more of a challenge to drive to be able to keep up with other cars they're more fun! I had an old commodore quite a few years ago (australian family car) that i used to occasionally take to the racetrack and i used to love it when it showed up the pocket rockets(skylines/wrx's etc) with its taxi style handling and really big old cast iron engine!

 The DF03 will come in handy though, the hotshot is in pieces again getting a tune up and that new smaller ESC put in it, then the fox gets a tune up and its thorpe diff and i'll take 'em both out and try to keep up once again! 

 

The reason the new ones don't seem as fun is that the new ones handle well. To cover an off road track quickly nothing can touch a modern buggy as they do just go where you point them, the old cars need a lot more work to get them round a track. Rob, as you've found a Dark Impact is by far the best buggy Tamiya have produced (ignoring the TRF501X) but yes it can be boring when it just goes where you point it.

[bakaguyjean]

 As far as running older cars it can be done using newer car parts.

 Everybody knows the the A arms on a hot shot break easily.I plan on finding some newer car parts to replace the front A arms so i dont have to a pay a million dollars just to run my car.

If running the four shocks instead of just the 2 it should be easier to find something that will work.I know its thinking outside the box but i dont like to see my cars sitting on the shelf.

[civilguy]

I took these with my daughter's camera-- I need to get my wife to take some pics with hers.  (The Hotshot one was sort of blurry, but you get the idea.)  But here's my family of runners!

Also, can anyone verify the style of the body on the Hotshot?  It's a Parma and I seem to recall Stinger II (maybe).

Jeff

 

[civilguy]

File size was too big I guess- Here's the family!

[terry.sc]

Nice set there, original RC10 looks in great condition as well.

The body is a Parma Stinger, originally designed for the Hornet chassis. I guess they didn't take too long thinking up the names back then, they also made a shell for the Frog called the Hopper.

[bakaguyjean]

I love that speed control in your Hot shot.How about those Apple stickers,TASTY

[Mankku]

Yes, I agree, it a nice set. And the Willy does not look too bad from a distance........!

By the way I cleaned all parts today for my Hotshot. Noticed that some of the treads for the self-tapping screws in gearboxes are history. Thinking about drilling trough and use a bolt/flangenut were its possible. Or glue in the holes? Suggestions? What kind of grease to use on the gears in the gearboxes? Any idea to put some oil in the bearings before fitting?

 

Mag

[civilguy]

Mag- Thanks- Willy only looks not to bad from a loooooong distance- with your eyes crossed-- in the dark....  [] The body is in really rough shape, but most of the mechanicals work (although well worn).  I have 5 or 6 old 1200 'hump' packs that still work, so he's fun to beat around for a while.

On your gearboxes, if you have a tap then glue would be OK.  I've used epoxy and then tapped them out successfuly in the past.  However, I am finding out that the older plastic has more of a tendency to crack.  If you don't have a tap, or don't care if you have extra holes, then where you can I would carefully drill through and bolt it.  I've done that before too.

There are several threads here about what to do for lubrication. Here's my 2 cents-- After a good cleaning of the bearings, I just use a small drop of light oil on the bearing & on the axle shaft.  In the gearbox, I've always used Tamiya Molybdenum Grease.  I run dry dogbones as I've found the wear was about the same dry versus greased dirt.

 

Terry- Thanks to you too!  The RC10 is in real nice shape- I just have one leaky shock that needs a rebuild.  Of course the bottom of the pan is scratched, but I think they're supposed to be! []  And yeah, Parma must have stayed up all night coming up with Stinger and Hopper!!  Thanks for verifying that.  That body's been on there for ages-- notice the notch on the right front of the body-- that was there to clear the monoshock.  On my first race with that body on the housing would grab around every hard corner or jump and made a horrible snapping sound.  I thought my night was over-- but a quick xacto in the pits cured all.

 

Baka-  I have the same speed control in my RC10- and I paid dearly back in 1985 for two of those!!  According to Futaba it was only good for 27 turns, but I've been running Kyosho LeMans 360 (25 turns) and 240 motors (23 turns) since I bought the things with no problems.  Lately I've used 3500 packs and the ESCs are still very responsive.  (Secretly hoping they go so I can convince the wife a no limit is needed!)

As for the stickers- vintage 1986/87 all the way!  I had an Apple ][c that I took to college and I was the only one with a computer (term used loosely) in my room.  There was always someone in my room all night long typing their papers due the next day!!

 

Jeff

[WillyChang]

to be honest though, something just isn't the same when driving the DF03, the Hotshot and fox are much more fun.

I can tell ya exactly what's wrong with the DF03...

1) its got too much steering, mine oversteers naturally even with skinnier front tyres. Nice 'drift' machine, but I've NEVER seen a Hotshot-series buggy swing out its tail. (not unless you run sponge slicks on the rear offroad)

2) suspension is too good, body just floats and lets the suspension do all the work. Not as interesting as watching the whole buggy crash and bang over every undulation, needing slight corrections at the wheel otherwise it'll spear off into a different direction at every bump. (Bump steer?) Oooh, and the bumpy jiggly 7.2V plug hanging out the side - gotta have that!!

3) no Japlish sayings on the rear wing. No 'Crash Cramer' figure under the shell. .. hmm, ok these can be fixed.

 

[WillyChang]

... As for the stickers- vintage 1986/87 all the way!  I had an Apple ][c that I took to college and I was the only one with a computer (term used loosely) in my room.  There was always someone in my room all night long typing their papers due the next day!!

Always wanted a ][c, but bit fearful that I'll land one today with a bung 5.25" drive.

1986 might be a bit late for that but... I had my //gs by 1987.

And yes it went into school and we spent way too many long nights competing on Zany Golf. [8-|]

[civilguy]

1986 might be a bit late for that but... I had my //gs by 1987.

I had my ][c before 1986/87- that's just the last time the bodies and decals on my buggies would have been changed.  I stopped running in 1987 and just started running with my daughter (vintage Grasshopper with re-re body) last fall.

The internal drive did eventually die in mine, but I had the external as well.  I sold it to a place that fixed Apples for rent money in the early 90s. [:$]

Jeff

 

[Mankku]

Well I got it all assembled after a time of getting parts from hobby-shops and over eBay. Thank you guys for all help you gave me, especially Jeff, your hints really made sense....!

It takes a while to get in to the "business" again after beeing out of it for 20 some years.....!

Got the propeller joints and shaft from the Boomerang and they fit perfectly, also had problems with selftapping screwholes in the gearboxes but those I just drilled through (where possible) and used bolt-flangenut. Got a new chassis and controlbox from HS2 and they are almost identical with the ones for mine HotShot. Also had a cracked oil seal at one of the shocks, that I glued with Locktite and some silicone. Anyone knows if it is possible to get new oil seals like these ones? Maybe some newer models uses same size?

Also had to put in a new 17t motor in from GM-racing, a Hi-tech ESC and a new batterypack.

Yes it ate a bit of money but it was all worth it after the first testrun. It got so mutch power it is almost impossible to go full throttle on the snow. It was flying......!

Got most of the Tamiya parts from Modelbuild in the UK, great outfit with good service! I always got the orders after 3 workdays. 

Still working on that front A-arm bracket. I´ll maybe get it machined out of aluminium from a friend of mine. Cant find any on eBay right now since I would prefer one from CRP (they say it is stronger than the one from Parma.....?)

Rear A-arms are also in bad shape (glued) and Im thinking of getting those machined out also since I work in the "metal business".

So now I will continue with my other project, the WildWilly restoration and then I have a Kyosho nitro Truggy waiting for me but thats an other story......!

 

Thanks again, Mag 

 

 

 

 

[civilguy]

Mag-

Search for "Parma 12850 Hot Shot"-- it's a Parma one though.  And "Dirt Burners Front Arm Hotshot"- again not CRP.

Couldn't find CRP one listed right now- but they do come up.  They are stronger because they wrap on either side of the gearbox and are plastic-- the fiber ones can be brittle.

As for rear a-arms, if you machine any I would definitely be interested in buying a set.  They are very hard to come by- or crazy expensive!

Your Hotshot looks great-- good luck to you!  I'm jealous of the motor/esc combo-- I'm going to have to break down and get some hotter equipment now!!

Have fun,

Jeff

[barney buggy collector]

 parma one of the braces

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Parma-12850-Front-S...1QQcmdZViewItem

 dirt burners brace

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Dirt-Burners-Front-...1QQcmdZViewItemi got one of the CRP ones off ebay about 2 weeks ago.fit was really good etc.

has anyone ever used the "parma hot shot slipper clutch kit" as i got one off ebay but cant find any cars with it installed or any info on it.thanks,Dallas. 

[terry.sc]

has anyone ever used the "parma hot shot slipper clutch kit" as i got one off ebay but cant find any cars with it installed or any info on it.thanks,Dallas. 

Shodog has a set on his Hotshot

 

Not the best idea in the world, the amount of slip is controlled by how tight the wheel nut is, so both sides can slip at different rates and it wears away the plastic in the centre of the wheel. More information in his showroom http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...10619&id=34 

[barney buggy collector]

thanks heaps for that,love the alloy knuckles on it