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Cycledude

Rough Rider Mk2 Restoration Ideas

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I just finished restoring my 1984 Grasshopper, my first RC car, and while I was in the middle of it, I came across a Rough Rider on Ebay with the original box and Acoms radio.  This was the first real RC car I saw as a kid, but I could only save enough to get the Grasshopper.  Thirty plus years later, I could afford it so I paid more than anyone else in the world was willing to pay (that's how Ebay works, right?).  When I received it I checked over the condition to see what needed to be done.  Surprisingly, it's all there and original with the exception of what appears to be a homemade rear cage.  Tires are not cracked or excessively worn, but the rears are flat-spotted.  Body has cracks at rear corners and nose and the roof is shot.  Radio box has a crack at the front bolt, but otherwise is good.  The previous owner extended the wires of the battery and on/off switch to the rear of the buggy to allow charging and turning it on/off without taking off the body.  I'll have to return that to normal.  Overall, it appears to have little use and I'm happy with it for what I paid.

Now, I'm thinking about what I want to do to it before starting the tear down.  I already have a re-release rear cage and roof.  I'm considering just replacing the roof and cage and cleaning everything else, leaving the body with the yellow paint.  While it's got some cracks, it has character.  My other choice is to strip the body, fix the cracks and do the blue box art scheme.  I already have reproduction decals on the way.  What do you think?

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i would restore it to its original glory without changing any parts that are not original. Strip it down, clean, grease and change the switch back to original condition.

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8 hours ago, Cycledude said:

 

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I was looking at that pic & wondering why my eyes had gone wonky :wacko:

 

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Thanks ddaenen1 for you thoughts! That homemade rear cage is just so poorly done...crooked, poor welds.  I think the original owner was learning to weld and this was a first project.  It just makes the whole rear end cockeyed.

The switch will be easy as the PO saved the radio box grommet and switch cover.

 

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I don't think that need restoring. You could tear it down and rebuilt it just for fun though with a bit of cleaning here and there. 

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Did some disassembly today.  Not to bad overall.  The front radio box crack looks fixable, but the rubber mount got damaged when I had to grab it with pliers due to too much threadlock.  I also found two bent front shafts on the right side.

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I cleaned the brass parts tonight by soaking in a solution of white vinegar and table salt for about 30 minutes.  I then neutralized the solution with a short soak in water and baking soda.  A quick dry and buff with a towel and it looks good!

I didn’t think it was a good idea to try to remove the grommets from the shock eyelets for fear of damaging the 35 year old rubber.

I also washed the tires well and am letting them air dry before I soak them in glycerin.  I need to address the flat spot on the otherwise great rear tires.

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