1989 Avante Re-build

[GTodd]

Good Evening all, I was gifted this Avante by my big brother. It is nearly perfect, except for the missing gold shocks.  The plan is to strip it down nearly all the way, go through the gearbox, set the rods as per the instructions, replace the random missing fastener and link pins, build the rere shocks, paint the wing and undertray, and then drive the heck out of it!!!!

Here is what im starting with, looks really good!!!

 

[GTodd]

Gents can you help me with this color? What color is it? Is it even a tamiya? its glossy so its a piant for lexan bodies I just dont have a clue what it is. I want to pain the wing to match. Bro doesnt know.

[WillyChang]

Think you need to take some better pics out in the sunlight matey, hard to see what colour it is above  looks black with blue mica pearl at best.

Are u in USA? BiTD probably Pactra rattlecans were more widely found @LHS than any Tamiya or MrColour stateside. Pactra had a pretty snazzy colour range. 

[GTodd]

Here we gooooooooooooo. It is insane how perfect this car really is.  Im mainly re-building to ensure its ready for backyard duty.  For example the center ball differential is slip city and the rear camber was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay off. The differentials feel good, and the gearboxes look PERFECT!!!!! The screws look perfect as well!!!!! 

[GTodd]

Ok got the links working, here are some more!!! Seriously FLAWLESS!!

Parts ready to go!!!!!

Let the building commence!

[WillyChang]

More pics of bodyshell's paint, I meant  

Avante chassis is pretty hardy, even with well-used examples they're fully covered by lexan so they don't show much roadrash. Gearboxes are well sealed. Commonest casualties are the steering knuckles & potmetal thingy it bolts to (check if yours is early or late type with the reinforcing gussets). Only if you're really unlucky & get t-boned might break that skinny piece of top plate that suspension link bolts to.

I assume your pinspikes are kit age so yeah it's barely been run. Be a bit wary of the koalanose hubcaps, don't crank them down too tight - the screw tread potion starts cracking apart.

For general running I swap to normal flanged wheel nuts. And usually Egress-type teardrop wheels with skinnier fronts. Wide fronts give too much grip IMHO. 

[GTodd]

Hahaha, thanks buddy I know. Ill get some shots of the body in the sun tomorrow!

[GTodd]

As stated seeing how the chassis appears to have never ran Im starting with the gear box and then following the instructions from there.  Here I opened the differentials. They both look perfect, there's some dried lube I had to clean out and then re-packed with Tamiya EW lube. 

Cleaned up and re-packed

Rear gear box (like everything else perfect) closed back up for another 30 years!

 

[GTodd]

The center differential was slipping very easily when I hand tested it. The differential felt ver loose and "wigily" yet the set screw was very hard to remove.  Upon disasembly I found this, mmmmmmmmmm. First issue discovered.

Had this extra kit from when I converted my Egress to a center ball differential

Readt to go!!! I used the left over AE ball differential lube I had left over from my King Cab stealth conversion.

 

[GTodd]

Time to re-assemble the rear.  Cleaned up and gathered the parts, not much cleaning needed!!!! Remember when D-parts were unobtanium! I love the rere, if these ever break Ill be able to keep it going!

 

Oddly the car is missing a few fasteners and link pins, interwebs to the rescue! I love these old spare parts bags.

The best looking rear suspension in rc-dom!

 

[ThunderDragonCy]

10 minutes ago, GTodd said:

The best looking rear suspension in rc-dom!

 

Quoted again for TRUTH! 😁

[GTodd]

The Technigold just arrived, looks really good!!!! I'll be installing the motor tonight. Pictures shortly.

[GTodd]

The technigold back in its home!!!!

[GTodd]

I got carried away and forgot to take pictured of thr front end parts.  As is the norm for this project, everything is perfect including these made of the softest most fragile metal on earth uprights. Or thats how its been reported, I never broker this upgraded type.

 

[GTodd]

Next up is to build the rerer shocks, the originals are missing becasue I liberated them as a kid, installed them on my Astute and latter on an Avante that I restored. They are long gone now. The rere shocks are quite nice and easy to maintain.  The originals were difficult to rebuild, they were assembled from the fctory and had a odd size eclip that captured the orings.

Here is one front shock ready to be assembled. Oooops, forgot the piston, itll be installed, hahaha.