Kyosho Optima re-release coming!

[steelo]

Ah, very nice. Did you buy those or print them out?

[steelo]

Just ordered the original decals and tires

I’m going to attempt to paint it, this has been my fantasy rc car for years and I want to take pride (even if it’s difficult) to make it look like the car I cherished when I was a boy =)

[lin6499]

Ah, very nice. Did you buy those or print them out?

It's been years so I don't remember.

Please show us your work when it is done.

[lin6499]

I love this picture. (RC Magazine, April)

[steelo]

Since I’m terrible at painting, all I can do is take my time and think things through. Start with the light colored, smaller areas then move on to the larger. Don't try to finish it in one sitting....

I don’t care if it takes me 14 months to finish, I’m going to do it correctly! =)

It looks like the ‘Sand Super’ on the OT-30 repro tires need to be painted as well. I've never had luck with the paint not peeling off the tires while driving. Even the ‘Goodyear’ whitewalls on my wife’s Tomahawk are beginning to fade/peel

They may just have to be my display tires.

[Theibault]

Since I’m terrible at painting, all I can do is take my time and think things through. Start with the light colored, smaller areas then move on to the larger. Don't try to finish it in one sitting....

I don’t care if it takes me 14 months to finish, I’m going to do it correctly! =)

It looks like the ‘Sand Super’ on the OT-30 repro tires need to be painted as well. I've never had luck with the paint not peeling off the tires while driving. Even the ‘Goodyear’ whitewalls on my wife’s Tomahawk are beginning to fade/peel

They may just have to be my display tires.

Just a tip for painting Lexan bodies, darker colors first, then on to the lighter ones.

[steelo]

Ah, thank you! =)

[steelo]

I do think I'm going to 'cheat' and use the 'micron line tape' on the outside of the shell for the black and blue pinstripes

[lin6499]

I do think I'm going to 'cheat' and use the 'micron line tape' on the outside of the shell for the black and blue pinstripes

That's how everybody does it.

Those micron tapes are not only for decoration but also to cover a tiny, unwanted paint.

[moffman]

For all you guys out there who have ordered in the UK according to modelsport (not that its modelsport fault there probably more annoyed than us!) TODAY'S release date is now 20th April!, so by the end of this month I'm calculating we should have it by June 2017! What a joke no wonder people order from over shore's I think that's going to be my choice from now on!

[4WheelRC]

For all you guys out there who have ordered in the UK according to modelsport (not that its modelsport fault there probably more annoyed than us!) TODAY'S release date is now 20th April!, so by the end of this month I'm calculating we should have it by June 2017! What a joke no wonder people order from over shore's I think that's going to be my choice from now on!

FWIW: Sadly (as a longterm Modelsport customer), I cancelled my Optima pre-order with them as dates were slipping and pre-ordered with RCMart instead. My re-re Optima was delivered safely at the start of this week. While I want to support UK model shops, sometimes it is difficult when the likes of RCMart, Stella, Tamico.de, Amain etc. offer such better prices and service

My advice right now for anyone in the UK wanting to get their hands on an Optima kit quickly would be to set-up an account with usgobuy.com (other mail forwarders are available ), then order from Kyosho US. You get it shipped to the USGoBuy address in the US and they then ship it on to you in the UK - I have used them a few times for things not available in the UK and it has worked perfectly every time.

[Percymon]

I don't think Modelsport are any more in control of their stock position than other UK sellers (MBModels who show stock of 3, but thats against £50 pre-order status and not physical stock; Apex show pre-order at full price, insidelinemodels pre-order at full price) - its a UK distributor issue (probably the container is on the next ship, not the last ship) any nothing anyone can do much about.

My experience of buying from the USA is that you virtually always get hit for import duties, and going via a third party is probably only going to enforce those charges.

I think those that bought from RCMart have been relatively lucky escaping uk charges

[Wandy]

Collected mine today, after missing the delivery yesterday. Final price, delivered, was £243.60. That will do me.

Since we are on the subject of Stella's awesome customer service, they advised me before I completed the transaction that the box lids were not in what they would call mint condition. Honestly, the care and attention to detail that these guys put into their service continues to be off the scale because if this is not mint then I don't know what is, lol. I think I know what they are getting at, with a tiny bit of residue where the kit boxes have been sitting on top of each other when delivered from the factory...but that will easily polish out. If they had not mentioned it I would never have noticed though. My Avante Black Special kit box was in a far worse state than this and that came up great with a bit of polishing.

Still, it's great to have a seller like Stella, who are as meticulous as us, when it comes to having the perfect kit.

[moffman]

Stella are top for customer service without a doubt! I just thought I would support UK model shops (use them or lose them as they say!) And something I ordered from America got caught ( nothing RC related) through customs less than six months ago and I know if you get caught that anything that goes through customs with your address and name up to six months after flags up so that's why I ordered from modelsport but when I phoned them and said the stock due date has changed 4 times now he just said it will arrive when it arrives!, if these shops want to stay competitive they need to look at what the likes of Stella are doing! I know we are taxed to death over hear which has a big effect on the final price but the shops need to start talking to the importer's of these model companies between them they need to get there act together because the paying public (us) are just going to take our money and spend it elsewhere! Mainly overseas!

[4WheelRC]

FYI I spotted that Kyosho has the Re-Re Optima instruction manual, exploded diagram and parts lists for download in .PDF format at http://www.kyosho.com/eng/support/instructionmanual/buggy/buggy_index.html (at the bottom of the page at time of writing this - "No.30617 OPTIMA")

[lin6499]

The new car looks great, is'nt it.

Haven't tried it before. I'll go get this thing and give it a try.

This video doesn't have to do with RC, I share it because this song is good.

I listen to it over and over again when I do the masking.

If I violate one of the regulations, please tell me and I'll delete it.

[lin6499]

Got a few spare parts, today.

[Wandy]

I don't think Modelsport are any more in control of their stock position than other UK sellers (MBModels who show stock of 3, but thats against £50 pre-order status and not physical stock; Apex show pre-order at full price, insidelinemodels pre-order at full price) - its a UK distributor issue (probably the container is on the next ship, not the last ship) any nothing anyone can do much about.

My experience of buying from the USA is that you virtually always get hit for import duties, and going via a third party is probably only going to enforce those charges.

I think those that bought from RCMart have been relatively lucky escaping uk charges

I pretty much agree with this.

It's a little harsh to criticize the UK stores for any delays, as they are completely at the behest of their distributors. However one area that they could definitely improve upon is their packaging methods. Having said that, this is only when comparing them to the standards that Stella set. In all fairness though, there isn't a single overseas seller that gets close to Stella's standards either.

In summary, Stella are something of a one-off when it comes to customer service.

[Wandy]

By the way...has anyone had a whiff of the new tyres in this kit? My word, the smell almost got me high. Talk about overpowering.

[lin6499]

Turbo Optima and Super Hot Shot.

If Kyosho does release TOP again, I'd like to see a lexan under-cover coming with it.

[moffman]

I pretty much agree with this.

It's a little harsh to criticize the UK stores for any delays, as they are completely at the behest of their distributors. However one area that they could definitely improve upon is their packaging methods. Having said that, this is only when comparing them to the standards that Stella set. In all fairness though, there isn't a single overseas seller that gets close to Stella's standards either.

In summary, Stella are something of a one-off when it comes to customer service.

your spot on when you say Stella is a one-off but why if Stella can give that sort of service can't other seller's? Don't get me wrong modelsport in the UK is first rate but they must be losing out a lot when you can get a model like the optima (and many others) far earlier and cheaper over sea's and the only gamble is running the gauntlet with customs and even if you get caught its probably still the same price or even still cheaper than buying it over hear!, between the model companies and importer's there has to be a way of making the product available so it becomes pointless importing it yourself(making it available at the same time everywhere?) because like I have said before when I order RC models etc from over sea's I know almost to the day when I am going to receive it and I'm just Joe public so how come importer's who's main job it is to IMPORT don't (on the face of it!) Seem to have a clue?

[madmickmalone]

Stellas service is 2nd to none

[lin6499]

A little progress but it took me hours and hours.

By the way, the blue paint I use is PS-30 brilliant blue.

It's a rainy day in my city. I had to move the whole thing into my house.

[madmickmalone]

a bit wet in Taichung, peeing down in HK

[Robert5000]

The norwegian importer/distributor has pushed the date further and further back, so I'm inclined to order from Stella just to put an end to the wait. After customs have had their say the price will be more or less the same as buying it locally, but at least I'll have it before the summer.