So...I found this on the "LetGo" app...

[CJ Topspin 34]

$40...I couldn't believe it.  Looks like I have my new restoration project!

 

 

[87lc2 2662]

I browse Craigslist regulary, but recently have found some really good deals on LetGo.  Mostly parents selling off their kids RC stuff after they go off to school or move out of the house.  Good Score!

[CJ Topspin 34]

I was lucky.  I put in a new battery and it started right up.  The servos are shot and twitchy but that is an easy fix.  I just took it apart completely and found one cracked piece - that's it.  Soaking all the pieces in dish soap overnight to do a piece by piece scub-down tomorrow.

[evssv69 378]

Nice find dude....

[Falcon#5 594]

Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

[CJ Topspin 34]

12 hours ago, Falcon#5 said:

Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

Right now I am just scrubbing and cleaning.  Found a new bumper to throw on and new tires - all vintage.  Judging by your avatar you probably already know how sourcing vintage Falcon parts is really difficult.  Fortunately MCI and Team Bluegroove are there to make the body look brand new. 

 

However, There is a crack in bumper part D4 - apparently it is a pretty common issue.  I was able to press it back into shape using some plastic JB Weld instead of going the 3D printer route.  Again, I want to keep this as vintage as possible.

 

Here it is broken down.

 

[CJ Topspin 34]

Has anyone here tried to refurbish old plastic?  I noticed the wheels were pretty banged up.  Instead of buying new ones (for the same price I bought the entire car for) I decided to try to refurbish them.  I decided to sand the wheels - increasing the grit until I could wet sand the rims (with 2500 grit paper) to remove the nicks and dings.  So far it is working pretty nicely (still need to get rest of the dirt off).  Any advice regarding this would be appreciated!

 

[Falcon#5 594]

11 hours ago, CJ Topspin said:

Right now I am just scrubbing and cleaning.  Found a new bumper to throw on and new tires - all vintage.  Judging by your avatar you probably already know how sourcing vintage Falcon parts is really difficult.  Fortunately MCI and Team Bluegroove are there to make the body look brand new.

However, There is a crack in bumper part D4 - apparently it is a pretty common issue.  I was able to press it back into shape using some plastic JB Weld instead of going the 3D printer route.  Again, I want to keep this as vintage as possible.

Yes, difficult AND expensive. Although the parts that don't break are common and inexpensive...

Was D4 split through/around the ears where it bolts to the chassis?

11 hours ago, CJ Topspin said:

Has anyone here tried to refurbish old plastic?  I noticed the wheels were pretty banged up.  Instead of buying new ones (for the same price I bought the entire car for) I decided to try to refurbish them.  I decided to sand the wheels - increasing the grit until I could wet sand the rims (with 2500 grit paper) to remove the nicks and dings.  So far it is working pretty nicely (still need to get rest of the dirt off).  Any advice regarding this would be appreciated!

 

Wheels have come up nicely.

Look pretty clean as they are.

How long did it take to hand sand the rims?

[NWarty 1325]

Awesome find and a super complete car (meaning you got the MSC cover and all). 

My Falcon restoration was the most expensive one to date. 

[CJ Topspin 34]

Took about 20 min per rim.  The buffing with high grit is what took so long because you are constantly washing, peeling off the flashing and re-sanding.  Plus you don't want to thin out the rim edges too much so they break when you put the new tires on.

[Ann3x 220]

On 10/25/2018 at 12:25 AM, CJ Topspin said:

Has anyone here tried to refurbish old plastic?  I noticed the wheels were pretty banged up.  Instead of buying new ones (for the same price I bought the entire car for) I decided to try to refurbish them.  I decided to sand the wheels - increasing the grit until I could wet sand the rims (with 2500 grit paper) to remove the nicks and dings.  So far it is working pretty nicely (still need to get rest of the dirt off).  Any advice regarding this would be appreciated!

 

I put the wheels on a mini lathe then cut or sand on that for a consistent finish that preserves the wheel rim. Works OK. 

[CJ Topspin 34]

An excellent excuse to explain to my wife why I need a lathe.  

[CJ Topspin 34]

On 10/25/2018 at 4:19 AM, Falcon#5 said:

 

Was D4 split through/around the ears where it bolts to the chassis?

 

Yes it was.  I used JB Weld plastic which I’ve used before and it’s pretty solid.  JB Weld tends to create a bond stronger than the original material and, after sanding down the overflow, you can’t even tell it was cracked.

 

 

[Falcon#5 594]

4 hours ago, CJ Topspin said:

Yes it was.  I used JB Weld plastic which I’ve used before and it’s pretty solid.  JB Weld tends to create a bond stronger than the original material and, after sanding down the overflow, you can’t even tell it was cracked.

 

 

Nice work.

I've never used that before, but will definitely give it a go now.

[CJ Topspin 34]

On 11/6/2018 at 1:55 AM, Falcon#5 said:

Nice work.

I've never used that before, but will definitely give it a go now.

Its a little smelly to work with and you have to manually mix it and apply it with a small stick, toothpick, etc.  Seems to work really well though.

[Falcon#5 594]

Any updates on this?

[CJ Topspin 34]

On 11/9/2018 at 1:59 AM, Falcon#5 said:

Any updates on this?

I’m currently dealing with a vendor on e-bay who sent me the wrong vintage bumper.  Won it on a bid and now working on a refund.  Have a feeling it’s deliberate...eBay...so shady

[CJ Topspin 34]

While i wait for the vendor to straighten out the bumper situation i got everything i need to get the body dialed in.  I prefer to “score and snap” using a xacto in order to get nice lines and the scissors for curved areas.  Since I’m will be painting the traditional red and black scheme I’ll be using a combo of masking tape and liquid mask.

 

Again...much thanks to Team BlueGroove.

[CJ Topspin 34]

So my shell had a significant crack in it so I ended up having to order a new one...this time directly from TBG.  So, in the meantime I am going to build the car back up.  I was lucky enough to get a vintage body and bumper from e-bay.

[CJ Topspin 34]

In order to use a modern receiver, the first thing I had to do is to cut and swap out the old Sanwa 2-wire plug from th e MSC to a modern Futaba J-type connector.  (youtube: RC Quick Tips - How to crimp servo leads)  Of course, keeping an eye on polarity so I don't burn everything to the ground.

[CJ Topspin 34]

Once that was complete it was time to plug everything in, neutral the servos, test the motor and check for wiring issues.  Everything worked perfectly.

[CJ Topspin 34]

I refurbished the MSC, attached the servos, added a waterproof cover to the power switch and mounted it all into the new vintage body.  

[CJ Topspin 34]

I scrubbed and refilled the shocks and mounted them to the suspension arms.

So, the only issue I had with the vintage parts was D4.  Apparently, this is a very common issue with the falcon as Falcon#5 pointed out.  I decided to use JB Weld Plastic Bond on it because I have some experience dealing with that kind of epoxy in the past.  It worked like a charm.

 

I had to sand away some of the overflow but, after a good 24-hour clamp, even the torque of a 3x12mm self tapping screw didn't break the bond.  Of course, we will see once it starts running.

 

 

[CJ Topspin 34]

After I made sure the mounts for the suspension arms were solid and not going to break under force I attached them all to the chassis and attached my new vintage bumper.

[CJ Topspin 34]

Well...over a year later I finally finished the project.  Don't have anymore progress pictures but I refurbished many of the plastic parts with Novus (Novus 3, 2 and 1 - we use it for our plexi helicopter windshields and side windows) and a small buffer.  It restores shine like a champ.  Still painting the driver but I figured I would post the final pictures of the restored vehicle.  Again, no need for servo battery pack since power is run through the MSC.