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Saito2

Golden Arrow question/Resto canidate

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I've got an old Radio Shack/Tandy Golden Arrow that I procured cheaply at a swap meet years back. It was an impulse buy and came with no controller. As nobody wanted it when I tried to sell it, I decided to keep it for a rainy day and put "hobby grade" radio gear in it. Its in fair shape, but not perfect. The problem is, as iconic a buggy as it is to some, I was never crazy about its mass of black plastic chassis and body with gold stickers. I much preferred the more colorful Nikko variants on that chassis. I have the itch to peel the stickers off and paint it something I would prefer more. I do have a sense of guilt wreaking these old and probably not reproduced stickers however. Since its not perfect, should I just get over it and do as I please or will I hate myself for ruining a collectable down the road?  I know, ridiculous concerns over a toy car, right? 

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Cool cars!

This is mine

MdLgiv0.jpg

tcHvg7j.jpg

I'd say, if it's mint, leave it alone. If it's a little worn, go for it. RS are never going to release new stickers for it, and cars get worn. Better it's used and enjoyed. Yes, it may be worth something later, but that could be said of anything.

In terms of value, I bought the above for around £40, and selling for almost the same (after a few bearings added, free labour for someone!)

Oddly enough, I prefer the Black Wolf shell for this chassis, although not considered the classic.

 

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I guess I've messed with stuff in the past only to think to myself decades later "why heck did I do that?" The Golden Arrow definitely has that cool/classy John Player Special vibe going on, but its just not my cup of tea. I generally don't like black cars and always preferred the original Nikko F10 buggies like the Rhino/Bison/Thunderbolt from which this car was sourced (although I do prefer the Golden Arrow over its other well known variant, the original Traxxas Cat). So, if I peel off the decals, there's one less true Golden Arrow in the world but since no one wants it anyway, it would just sit in a box in my basement as it looks now. I worry about odd things.:wacko:

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100% agreed, the early F10 based Nikko buggies were the best.

I've got a Bison missing a rear gear box - one day I'll fix (or sell on - as they fetch really high prices in Italy!)

 

 

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@Saito2 Those are all valid concerns.  However, I usually have my cake and eat it too..  I would take some high resolution pictures in the original state, print and frame the ones you really like, and repaint your car to your liking.   

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19 hours ago, Saito2 said:

I guess I've messed with stuff in the past only to think to myself decades later "why heck did I do that?" The Golden Arrow definitely has that cool/classy John Player Special vibe going on, but its just not my cup of tea. I generally don't like black cars and always preferred the original Nikko F10 buggies like the Rhino/Bison/Thunderbolt from which this car was sourced (although I do prefer the Golden Arrow over its other well known variant, the original Traxxas Cat). So, if I peel off the decals, there's one less true Golden Arrow in the world but since no one wants it anyway, it would just sit in a box in my basement as it looks now. I worry about odd things.:wacko:

I don't think it's an odd thing to worry about that kind of stuff. I do, all the time. Most often, I leave well enough alone and try to pass it on to someone who truly wants it. The hardest part is holding onto stuff until you come across that special person. But I have been the benificiary of someone else holding onto stuff for years until they sold or gave it to me, so I see it goes both ways. I'd rather save it as it is and let the next person decide what they want to do with it. But it can be hard to suss out someone's level of appreciation over the internet. If it was my car, I'd leave it as pristine as possible (even with some defects) and post it up for sale. Someone may not want the chassis, or the electronic innards, but they may have been looking for a decent body for years and only now just come across it. Maybe it's the exact opposite. Sometimes it takes some serendipity to get it placed into a loving home. Kind of like adopting a puppy :P

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How collectible can it be if nobody wanted it when you tried to sell?  I only said that to say this -  If you actually like it and just don't like the livery, then go ahead and change it.  You already tried to pass it on and had no takers, so don't feel bad in doing what you want with it.  I do have the same tendency and always dread taking apart original cars or repainting them, etc. and will sometimes just sell them on so somebody who sppreciates it for what it is can have it, but if I have a "vision" for the project then I'll jsut go ahead and do what I please with it.  Good luck either way.  

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@El Gecko summed up my concerns pretty well but today I think I came to this conclusion:

19 minutes ago, 87lc2 said:

How collectible can it be if nobody wanted it when you tried to sell?

I think I only tried getting $10-15 for it IIRC. It was sitting in a big tub of cast off RTR RCs from the 80s with no controllers at the Hershey PA swap meet many years back when I grabbed it on a whim. If it wasn't for me, it might have ended up in a landfill. There's probably plenty other ones in better shape out there anyway. I'm going to go forward with tinkering with it. Thanks guys!

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Glad you've decided to make it your own.  I changed my thinking a bit on things like this when I tried to sell my Juggernaut a few months back.  I put it on FB/Craigslist for a very reasonable price and no takers, hardly any interest.  I let it sit on there for a while then an idea popped into my head for the truck and I recently went through the entire thing and am almost done restoring it.  Had it out for it's maiden run last night and it put such a smile on my face that I can't beleive I ever gave a thought to selling it.  Sure, it won't be an original truck anymore but it will put a huge smile on my face whenever I look at or drive it and that's what this hobby is all about, right?  

 

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3 hours ago, 87lc2 said:

Sure, it won't be an original truck anymore but it will put a huge smile on my face whenever I look at or drive it and that's what this hobby is all about, right?  

 

Right on.  I encourage making one-off cars even if it's just a minor modification, but a modification no one else has.   I don't get much enjoyment any more out of building a kit and buying hopups that anyone with some extra cash can buy.   There has to be something unique about that one particular car.

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1 hour ago, Willy iine said:

Right on.  I encourage making one-off cars even if it's just a minor modification, but a modification no one else has.   I don't get much enjoyment any more out of building a kit and buying hopups that anyone with some extra cash can buy.   There has to be something unique about that one particular car.

Agree 100%   The only original stuff I have are the classics (Hopper, Blackfoot, Monster Beetle, etc.) because they just bring back such nostalgia in box art.  Other than that I typically go crazy and do whatever suits me at the time.  More fun that way. 

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