My Super Champ - Looking to modernize it a little

[Chapel 5]

So, I've had this Super Champ in my family since about 1982.

It's pretty beat up

I have all the original parts and about 10 years ago I slapped a newer motor (labeled Roar 96 on the metal can) and a Duratrax ESC into it along with a new battery pack

Then it went back into a basement

I now have a 5 year old and he wanted an RC car for Christmas

I told him we already have one in the basement if he's interested in fixing it up with me

Here's some photos of it:

I'd like to update it a little bit. Get a newer more efficient battery/motor/esc setup.

The radio stuff is cooked, so I ordered a new radio kit -

http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10608__Hobby_King_GT_2_2_4Ghz_2Ch_Tx_Rx.html

I also ordered a new charger as my charger seems to have a loose connection and it's antique...

http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__67936__IMAX_B6_AC_Charger_Discharger_1_6_Cells_GENUINE_AR_Warehouse_.html

I may need a new battery as well, but I'm going to let the charger come first and tell me that it's dead

I don't want a speed demon or anything, but I would like a long lasting car. Something we can play with for an hour or so before it dies. I remember the most annoying thing when I had this in the 80s was the battery life. It made playing with my car a very ADD affair of "play for 10 minutes... charge for an hour... play for 10..."

I want my kid to enjoy this without needing to charge or change batteries every 10 minutes.

Someone I know suggested upgrading to a LiPo battery, ESC and Brushless motor.

I would also like to get a new body on it. I vaguely remember being able to mount Sand Scorcher bodies to the Super Champ chassis, but have no idea what that entails.

I'm very new at all this... but I figure if I can build and wire real cars, I should be able to figure this out with some help.

Most of my friends with RC cars have modern cars.

I went over the car last night and got a list of parts together. Mostly a few missing screws, needs new rear shock oil, oil hose and some seals.

I also had some questions about the zip ties all over.

I noticed the reproduction model doesn't have zip ties on the rear shock/suspension, but all the vintage ones I see have zip ties that seem to limit suspension travel?

Also, I noticed many have zip ties around the front control arms too. Is this normal? I remember my control arms always used to separate.

and on the subject of zip ties: was the original rear roll bar secured using zip ties normally? I noticed the repro has 'Pipe joints' and nuts holding it together.

I need a bunch of cap screws for sure. Where's the best place to get those and what should I expect to pay? I need a bunch of 3x10, 3x12 and 3x18s

Thanks in advance

[yellowcat 117]

You can get metric cap screws from tony screws and Mcmaster Carr. Mcmaster has the best selection and prices.

Stainless steel screws are not as strong as the regular black oxide screws.

http://www.tonysscrews.com/category.sc?categoryId=3

http://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-head-cap-screws/=v1txul

Please make sure you don't spend overboard to upgrade an old car. Some time is cheaper to buy a new re-release.

[Chapel 5]

I actually found a guy on ebay last night selling an entire package of fasteners specific to the Super Champ for $20

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291326473827

no more guessing. I'll just replace them all

[yellowcat 117]

Yes, there are a few on ebay. Those are all stainless steel if you prefer the looks. Some time is cheaper to buy bulk.

[Chapel 5]

well, I figured it was worth the $20 to not have to comb through every missing nut and bolt (of which there are numerous) and have all the right ones for the vintage kit. I have the parts list for the reproduction and it's not the same.

looks wasn't much of a concern

My biggest concern now is how do get a LiPo battery in here that has some life. Mounting it lengthwise as the stock battery is is very limiting. I'm wondering if I can mount it width wise.

[mtn bkr 4]

Maybe a shorty lipo will fit in the stock location. Tonight I'll see if my shorty lipo fits into my Super Champ and will let you know.

[Chapel 5]

thanks, that would be great. I'm hoping to get something more than 2000mAh if possible.

I'm looking for 30-45 minutes of play time. It's mostly for my 5 year old. We're going to rebuild the car into a solid runner and play with it.

[CoolJetta3 39]

You'll get at least that or more on a Lipo. The Lipo last so long in the lower power vehicles that start to wonder when the badword it will die when I use mine

[Chapel 5]

Oh, hey you!

<VWVortex

[mtn bkr 4]

thanks, that would be great. I'm hoping to get something more than 2000mAh if possible.

I'm looking for 30-45 minutes of play time. It's mostly for my 5 year old. We're going to rebuild the car into a solid runner and play with it.

I went out to my garage to have a look and had forgotten that I let my brother borrow my shorty pack for a race last weekend. In looking at the Super Champ though, a shorty lipo will fit with room to spare. HobbyKing has 4200mah lipos (they're about 4" long) for a good price. Combine that with a brushless 21.5 motor and you should get some good run times provided you gear it correctly.

[Chapel 5]

What size do you see fitting at that capacity. Also, I see most brushless motors listed as kV. What's a 21.5 brushless?

[Chapel 5]

so it looks like if I can find a 4x4" battery, I can fit that in there. as long as it's under 1" high or thereabouts

that's assuming I keep the stock body.

if I get a sand scorcher body, I've got a lot more room.

I just need to understand how to fit the body to this chassis.

[Chapel 5]

I'm thinking this might work if I go side by side - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=24308

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=17274

I'm just not sure about that C rating. is that too high? Someone said I should be using like a 15-25C battery.

it looks to be 100x100x30mm if you were to square off the platform in the stock body.

the narrowest part of the body is about 4.25" (107mm)

These may also fit

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=28006

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=23821

[mtn bkr 4]

Here's the shorty pack I'd go with.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__28647__Turnigy_nano_tech_Shorty_4200mah_2S2P_65_130C_Hardcase_Lipo_Pack_ROAR_APPROVED_US_Warehouse_.html

Then something like this for a motor.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=71364

[Chapel 5]

Here's the shorty pack I'd go with.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__28647__Turnigy_nano_tech_Shorty_4200mah_2S2P_65_130C_Hardcase_Lipo_Pack_ROAR_APPROVED_US_Warehouse_.html

Then something like this for a motor.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=71364

How would that motor work with the SRB motor cap?

I think this one would fit in the same space as the hump pack:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=59141

[Chapel 5]

Ok, so I've got a LiPo saddle pack on order, a Traxxas XL-5 on order, a new radio coming tomorrow and a bunch of screws to replace some missing ones

The only thing I need to get now is a body to fit over it

I would still really love to do a Sand Scorcher body, but I don't know how I would mount it.

I assume I just need the right front post and then use the clip to mount it to the roll cage?

[Chapel 5]

Hey, it runs.

[redzone 212]

Oh man, do you really want to give that to a 5 year old? Maybe grab a rere grasshopper kit for him first so he can get used to rc, otherwise there will be a lot of expensive breakages happening I think!

[mongoose1983 3335]

Oh man, do you really want to give that to a 5 year old? Maybe grab a rere grasshopper kit for him first so he can get used to rc, otherwise there will be a lot of expensive breakages happening I think!

Yeah, a five year old kid will most likely destroy it. Now, I am not against whatever you decide -the car is yours, but please remember that buggy is a classic. I mean, that would be pretty much like giving up a Chevrolet Corvette for Bob Chandler's Bigfoot to run all over it

[bromvw 744]

Yeah, a five year old kid will most likely destroy it. Now, I am not against whatever you decide -the car is yours, but please remember that buggy is a classic. I mean, that would be pretty much like giving up a Chevrolet Corvette for Bob Chandler's Bigfoot to run all over it

now that i would pay to see - i hate Corvettes . Stupid fiberglass yank tanks that can't go around corners - waits for the kicking from our American members .

[Chapel 5]

Oh man, do you really want to give that to a 5 year old? Maybe grab a rere grasshopper kit for him first so he can get used to rc, otherwise there will be a lot of expensive breakages happening I think!

well, "give" isn't the right word. Supervised usage is probably more accurate.

I'm going to install that XL5 and put it in trainer mode for him. He had a good time with it today and only crashed it once with no damage.

I'm trying to think of what he could possibly break beyond the chassis ($32), the front bumper ($10-20) and perhaps the front suspension ($40 for a fully assembled SRB front kit on ebay)

The body was trashed so long ago that it's not worth anything. The roll bar section of the plastic body is gone, the body is cracked in multiple places and the rear bumper is broken off.

One thing I'm trying to figure out right now is the rear zip ties for the suspension/wheels

I'm not looking to restore it. Just have fun with it. If my kid really enjoys it, I'll sink some money into a modern buggy or something for him to have as his own.

To me, the good news is that they re-released it, so there's new parts to get for it from Tamiya directly.

And, it's not like the electronics are going to go to waste. Even if I shatter the car in a million pieces, the receiver and batteries can live in something else.

While it is a classic buggy... it's never going to be a restored show-piece. It'll always be a runner. A ratty muscle car It may not look like much, but it was cheap and puts a smile on our faces.

[Chapel 5]

question: the zipties for the rear suspension. What's the best material to use? I tried some zip ties and they snapped immediately.

[Chapel 5]

Good news:

battery fits with multiple options

Plenty of room for some Command DualLock velcro to secure it to the chassis

[zakspeed 187]

I'm rebuilding an original super champ at the moment. Regards the front zip ties. These were shown in the original manual as they were a simple bodge to keep the front arms in place. Just don't over tighten them as you will limit movement.

Reference the rear cage, yep that's how they did it originally. I bought some clamps from rc channel (this was before the reissue but tamiya must have copied it)

Regards the body I was thinking of trying the subaru brat body on it as they were designed to fit the super champ.

good luck with the rebuild.

[spankrjs 77]

I built a Super Champ from a NIB kit about 6-7 years ago. Except for adding ball bearings, I ran it stock a few times at the beach. The stock speed control did not impress me, but other then that, it handled great.

A few years later, I rebuilt it with SS screws, sport tuned motor, water proof ESC and servo, and a HPI WP receiver case:

The rear shock also leaked badly, picture showing the leaking shock oil inside the gear case!!!!

I used this to seal the shock hose to the bottle, plus all of the other oil bottle/hose leak points, so far, no leaks:

And the water proof electronics installed:

All in all, a great buggy, and one that out performs the other SRB's in several ways:

1) the rear suspension has more travel

2) much better steering (servo saver and linkages)

3) hardened front suspension pins and rear u-joints

4) The open decks are easier to clean and access the electronics. Modern WP electronics make the SRB radio crate obsolete IMO.

Compared to my original Sand Scorcher, the Super Champ is a much better runner, stock vs stock