My Childhood Top Force Restoration

[GTodd]

Good Afternoon all.  I think I purchased this in 1992.  RC Car Action use to run adds for American Hoby Shops in it.  One company for about 6 months (if I recall correctly) was selling The Egress for 99.99 US!!! One day I called to order it and they were gone, lost my chance.  "They" were selling the Top Force for the same 99.99 so I ordered it.  I ran it with the silve can for a couple years and then a speed tripple with Tekin ESC.  I ran the Silver Can with the Novak.  I discovered girls and real cars a few years latter and it was neglected for about 10 years.  In 2007 I purchased an EVO, a Rere TF, and enough parts to restore it.  I never ran the Re-re, ran the EVO at a track in SoCal, and bashed the original.  I sold the EVO a few years ago when I purchased my 12' Mustang GT, used the funds to purchase Koni Yellows.  

Back to the old girl. While bashing it in 2007ish I broke the gearbox cover yet again, and it was relegated back to the shelf. With the advent of the rerere TF I decided it was time restore her again. 

Ive oredred (2) sets of front and rear gear box parts, rebuilt the ball differentials, installed DF03 turn buckles, front universals with metal turnbuckles, and ball bearings.  I have DF03 shocks on order which might go to the Monster Racer as i think I want to add the big bore shocks for this old girl as Im going to run it again at the local tracks.  Also going to order Fibrelyte bottom chassis with their front and rear shock towers.  Also going to order hex screws and new wheels/tires 

Currently sits on a shelf with the spare EVO body as I love the color. Will run it at the track with the original body and the Novak Brushless that was in the EVO. Updates to follow.

 

.

[Saito2]

18 minutes ago, GTodd said:

I think I purchased this in 1992.  RC Car Action use to run adds for American Hoby Shops in it.  One company for about 6 months (if I recall correctly) was selling The Egress for 99.99 US!!!

 

19 minutes ago, GTodd said:

"They" were selling the Top Force for the same 99.99 so I ordered it. 

Yep, American Hobby Centers. Their ads were a full page with a bunch of little postage stamp-sized black and white pictures of the cars. I remember both of those buggies being priced at $99 too. Man, did I kick myself for not grabbing that Egress! Some great history there! Eager for updates.

[GTodd]

59 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

 

Yep, American Hobby Centers. Their ads were a full page with a bunch of little postage stamp-sized black and white pictures of the cars. I remember both of those buggies being priced at $99 too. Man, did I kick myself for not grabbing that Egress! Some great history there! Eager for updates.

Bingo! That was them. I recall they did the Avante 2001 first, I was saving my money from chores while the add for the Egress ran. By time I had the money the Egress was gone. I so badly want that Egress Rere, but with an amazing family to support I think it'll remain a dream. The only high dollar rere I purchased was the Bruiser in the pics that I made into a Mounty way before Tamiya did.

[GTodd]

The TRF shocks FINALLY arrived.  I was second guessing my descion to buy these over the big bore buggy shocks.  These things are silky smooth.  They remind me of small verions of the 801x shocks.  I know this is sacrilegious, but I think these are worls better than the Hicaps.  I also installed my old Top Force Original body. I think it looks great Battle scars and all!

 

 

 

[GTodd]

Oh yes I wanted to add that this is not a "frame off numbers matching" restoration. This is being built to run. At the club level I have confidence that this can still run with newer stuff. If I'm wrong I'll get a DB01RRRz but for the time being I'm going to try with this. I'm keeping the top plate for nostalgia, sure top and bottom graphite chassis from Fibrelyte nould be better but I want to see that old grimey FRP top plate with the rainbow Novak sticker. 

[GTodd]

Mmmmmmm, I'm not sure why those pictures are rotated. Well one run was all it took to brake the brand new factory motor mount! So what is the prefered brand for a metal motor mount? I'm not paying  $200 for a 20 year old Tamiya one!

[GTodd]

I ordered an Egress!!!! Once the Egress is up and running I'll finish this. I need to order a graphite lower chassis and front and rear shock towers from Fibrelyte. The factory TF FRP shock towers are amazingly flimsy, I should order both the lower and upper deck graphite chassis but I like seeing the old original FRP one.

[MICHAELs TopForce17]

14 minutes ago, GTodd said:

Mmmmmmm, I'm not sure why those pictures are rotated. Well one run was all it took to brake the brand new factory motor mount! So what is the prefered brand for a metal motor mount? I'm not paying  $200 for a 20 year old Tamiya one!

I like the motor mount from yeah racing and there’s one from gpm as well. Got any pics of the egress?

http://www.rcmart.com/yeah-racing-ta01013bu-alum-modified-motor-mount-1621t-ta01ta02-p-27517.html?cPath=595_744_754

https://m.ebay.ca/itm/ALUMINUM-MOTOR-MOUNT-HEATSINK-STYLE-S-TAMIYA-MANTA-RAY-TOP-FORCE-DIRT-THRASHER/183319315789?hash=item2aaeaec54d%3Am%3Am7dUesgfrKMDX_TAY5pJ63A&_ssn=rcdamper&_nkw=top+force&_sacat=0&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=p2499338.m4084.l1313.TR10.TRC0.A0.H0.Xtop+force.TRS2

[GTodd]

Thank you for the links! I found one more stock motor mount. Will see how it lasts on the track tomorrow!!!! 

The Egress just shipped from Hong Kong via RC Mart. I have a looooong wait. Total cost shipped to the states is about 392 American.

Almost half of what it's going for shipped form Tower. 

[GTodd]

PS, just changed out some of the originally installed brass bering from 25 years ago with ball bearings. The original installed servo is still there and working, a futaba S148!!!!!!

[ThunderDragonCy]

If you want to keep the top FRP mount the car will still be stiffer and stronger with the carbon bottom plate. If you really want to even up the performance you could always get the bottom plate in 3mm instead of the standard 2.5 for extra stiffness. Fibre Lyte chassis are lovely. I built my Terra Conqueror evo with them.

[GTodd]

That's exactly what I'm planning. Ordering the thicker bottom deck once I've got the Egress up and running. Taking the TF to the track today!

[Saito2]

Be sure to give us full report on how it goes!

[GTodd]

The old girl did very well at the track.  Fantastic speed from the Novak 8.5.  The TRF shocks soaked up the bumps and jumps with ease.  I think Im still going to go bigger and get the big bore shocks. The old girl could use all the dampening it can get on the modern track. On power turn in was great, off power was under steer city. Softening the front didnt make it  better.  I need a one way!!!! The car easily cleared the doubles but I flipped it a couple time and didnt want to damage the body or snap another gear box. 

[GTodd]

Good Morning all,

I won an auction for a complete fibrelyte Graphite Chassis set with shock towers for $35 total. A steel! 

[GTodd]

I was going to leave the original top plate on, but after seeing the gorgeous Graphite Top Plate in person and how much stronger it is over the original I installed with the rest of the pieces. 

 

 

If you look closely you will see I modified the battery holder a bit. More on that in a little while.

[djmcnz]

On 8/3/2018 at 12:49 PM, GTodd said:

Well one run was all it took to brake the brand new factory motor mount! So what is the prefered brand for a metal motor mount? I'm not paying  $200 for a 20 year old Tamiya one!

 

On 8/3/2018 at 2:49 PM, GTodd said:

I found one more stock motor mount. Will see how it lasts on the track tomorrow!!!! 

 

On 8/5/2018 at 5:41 AM, GTodd said:

The old girl did very well at the track.  Fantastic speed from the Novak 8.5.

  

You're going to need a metal one! Yeah or GPM is fine. 

[GTodd]

On 11/9/2018 at 12:33 AM, djmcnz said:

 

 

  

You're going to need a metal one! Yeah or GPM is fine. 

Yep, got one!!!! I just ordered a high torque servo and a new Tamiya ESC. The Novak setup is in my Stealth transmission King cab. Might run my old speed gems² modified or pick up a new Tamiya Brushless when I get paid again,.not sure yet.

[Yalson]

On 8/3/2018 at 4:58 AM, GTodd said:

PS, just changed out some of the originally installed brass bering from 25 years ago with ball bearings. The original installed servo is still there and working, a futaba S148!!!!!!

When I looked at the servo in my old Lazer ZX-R, I found that rather than a Futaba S148, it was a Futaba S128! It must have come with the Futaba set I got with my first Grasshopper back in about 1987. Still works, too...

[GTodd]

WOW has it really been two years since an update???

18 months on and it is doing great.  Its been ran in a couple club events, it did pretty well, but nothing since the latest additions due to the 'Rona. 

Since the last update I found the EVO spec ball diffs I ahd as spares for my now solf EVO, Installed the Top Force Hicaps, purchased and dyed EVO Orange modern Tamiya 2.2 wheels. Kblocks upfront, prolines in the rear and just added this 3650KV Hobbywing Beast. I can not wait to get this thing back on a track. 

PS this is not the track body!

 

The beast! With Tamiyas aluminum mount behind it. I love all the hops ups they released this year for this. Make me think an EVO is coming or was planned.  They released the aluminum motor mount, HIcaps, Graphite chassis and the one way.