Turbo Optima Mid Special

[DanB4]

Hi Guys,

I've seen a couple of used mids recently ripe for restoration but get confused between the Original Turbo Optima Mid Special:

http://image.dhgate.com/upload/spider/e/049/171/e_361exi171049_4.jpg

and the Turbo Optima Mid with the LWB Conversion fitted:

http://www.rcscrapyard.net/clas_files/Kyosho-Turbo-Optima-Mid.jpg

with this conversion:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/88/con1c.jpg/sr=1

I think from the original has a different chassis material and no adjustable turnbuckles, am I right?

How do I tell the difference between an original and converted car and if I do find an original how much would it be worth restored?

Cheers,

Dan :cool:

[alcyon]

Hi Guys,

I've seen a couple of used mids recently ripe for restoration but get confused between the Original Turbo Optima Mid Special:

http://image.dhgate.com/upload/spider/e/049/171/e_361exi171049_4.jpg

and the Turbo Optima Mid with the LWB Conversion fitted:

http://www.rcscrapyard.net/clas_files/Kyosho-Turbo-Optima-Mid.jpg

with this conversion:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/88/con1c.jpg/sr=1

I think from the original has a different chassis material and no adjustable turnbuckles, am I right?

How do I tell the difference between an original and converted car and if I do find an original how much would it be worth restored?

Cheers,

Dan :cool:
i dont think there is any way to find out if the car is original or converted, other than the box. Becuase you can buy all the parts to convert a normal mid to the special.

[DanB4]

Here's one of the cars - what do you guys think? How much is it worth?

[daveyboi1973]

The optima mid custom lwb came with a goldish colour anodized chassis,where as the lwb and conversion kits where either black anodized or polished alloy or an frp material from memory.Prices dont go too high for any of these,which is a shame because if set up right they would give procats a good run for thier money.As Alycon has done,if a few lazer parts are fitted would be good for a spot of vintage racing as tend to be alot less fragile than most others :thumbsup:.

[terry.sc]

The Turbo Optima Mid Special was a limited edition release, with carbon chassis, ball diffs, every official upgrade and two sets of Option House tyres. The car was the same as an original Turbo Optima Mid with the long wheelbase chassis conversion, with ball diffs and all the upgrades added.

Non turnbuckle upper links were found on the swb Optima Mid and the Optima Mid Custom, all other models (Turbo Optima Mid, Optima Mid SE, Optima Mid Custom Special) had turnbuckles and front universals as standard.

As for chassis materials, all three swb cars had a narrow bronze anodised alloy chassis, the Turbo Mid and Mid SE had 2.3mm thick countersunk chassis, the original Mid has a 2mm thick non countersunk chassis. For the lwb cars the Turbo Optima Mid Special and the conversion kit has a carbon chassis. The Mid Custom first came with a bronze anodised alloy chassis, but this was later changed to a black fibreglass chassis. The change of Mid Custom chassis is noted by a change of model number, from 3193 to 3193FG, The alloy chassis is dropped fairly early so most Mid Customs have a fibreglass chassis. The Mid Custom Special had the black fibreglass chassis.


Here's one of the cars - what do you guys think? How much is it worth?
That's a swb Optima Mid that has had the lwb conversion fitted, the fibre pattern in the chassis is only seen on the conversion cars. If it was originally a Turbo Optima Mid Special it's missing all the parts that make it a Special, such as the wheels, anti roll bars, etc. Even the ebay picture of the body make it impossible to identify whether it's a Mid Special or a Mid Custom body.
It started as the standard Optima Mid before conversion as it has no turnbuckles, can't see anyone taking turnbuckles off to replace them with plain threaded links. The original 'basic' model wasn't much different to the original Turbo Mid. The lwb conversion and Yokomo adapters to run 2.2" wheels have been added, but the lack of turnbuckles means it's impossible to guess whether it has universals fitted or if it's still running dogbones, or whether the gear diffs have been replaced with ball diffs.

As for what its worth, ebay completed listings values a good condition Mid at £80-100 at the moment based on ended auction prices, although I've never paid anywhere near that for my collection.

[eddscott]

Edited - All answered far better above.

I bought an Optima Mid for restoration and pretty much ended up building a new car :)

[Jamesk]

Ive got a Mid Custom Special,that in rebuild stage at the present. The car has the fiberglass floor pan but its very weak and floppy, does anyone know if the Lazer floor can be used or where i could find a new carbon mid verson?

jK

[terry.sc]

Ive got a Mid Custom Special,that in rebuild stage at the present. The car has the fiberglass floor pan but its very weak and floppy, does anyone know if the Lazer floor can be used or where i could find a new carbon mid verson?

jK
Nothing wrong with the stiffness of the fibreglass chassis when complete, Kyosho used exactly the same fibreglass for the Lazer as well and didn't use carbon until the very limited edition ZX-S. As for strength, the standard fibreglass is plenty strong enough, the only Mid chassis that I knew that broke was the carbon one on my own Mid. If you really want to throw money at a genuine carbon chassis expect to pay more than double the price of just ordering a chassis from Fibre-Lyte.

[oli4ke]

Ive got a Mid Custom Special,that in rebuild stage at the present. The car has the fiberglass floor pan but its very weak and floppy, does anyone know if the Lazer floor can be used or where i could find a new carbon mid verson?

jK

Hi Jamesk, I have 1 brandnew kyosho genuine carbon OTW-5 main chassis available.
PM me if you are interested....

[Jamesk]

I stripped the car down last night and there are some small cracks in the lower plate, I'll get the alloy version as I will do some classic racing with it this year. The car otherwise is not in bad condition a good clean and some new screws are all that's
needed .Who makes good repo bodies for the custom special?

jK

[alcyon]

yes, the graphite chassis will crack if you race them on todays big jumps tracks. if you even case the jumps a few times, your chassis will snap. i now use OT-122 alloy chassis and have no worries at all. See my blog for more info.
http://superturbooptimamidspecialzx-5.blogspot.com/
keep in mind after a few months of hard pounding, i managed to partially snap a Lazer front arm, and also bent the RCPS titanium hingepin. This wouldnt have haapened if i cleared the big jump at the track, but my 10.5 did not give me enough speed at times to clear it. i magine slapping into the other jump from maximum height, either on the chassis or the front bumper or the front arms.. thats what happened to my Mid, that snapped my arm. Not only that , i also shook the motor plate loose, becuase of the jolt stripped the thread in the top deck mount near the motor, causing the spur and pinion mech to go off and destroy the spur. i have since rebuilt the front suspension with MPP lazer arms, since i got 8 bags of them. i am now in the process of getting a new brushless ESC + 8.5T motor combo so that i will have more speed to clear the jumps and land properly to avoid destroying the car. Dont get me wrong, the Optima Mid is still wayy tougher than todays cars, but if they get abuse constantly soemthing will eventually give as in my case. i surmise since with the more powerful 8.5T i will slam the car a lot less. i am only slamming the car badly at the big jumps anyway.

[Jamesk]

I've got a few pictures now. As you can see i have a few classics so far as well as my normal race cars. The mid is the one car i wanted to get as i enjoyed racing a swb back in the 80's.
I've ordered an alloy plate this morning.

[eddscott]

I stripped the car down last night and there are some small cracks in the lower plate, I'll get the alloy version as I will do some classic racing with it this year. The car otherwise is not in bad condition a good clean and some new screws are all that's
needed .Who makes good repo bodies for the custom special?

jK

I got my Mid SP bodyshell from an ebay seller who remakes old Kyosho shells- he also supplies the decals. Good quality too.

My Mid has all Fibre-Lyte parts. They do a good job and look great (they've recently supplied a full set of carbon parts for an Egress rebuild)

[terry.sc]

Who makes good repo bodies for the custom special?

Marwan :thumbsup:
http://www.marwanrc.com/product.sc?productId=30&categoryId=2
he does almost all KYosho bodies, and repro OT-66 Mid rear tyres as well.

Better than a Kamtec body and repro decals, and cheaper.

[DanB4]

My shell arrived from Marwan today :)

Ordering another and some OT-66's today ;)

[Jamesk]

Thanks Dan, i will have one of those after ive rebuilt the car as the new ally floor turned up today, let the rebuild commence.

jK

[93works]

at terry, didn't the first mid have a silver chassis non ano? i have read the the "conversion kit" of the mid special came with either a graphite chassis in 6 or 7 cell or carbon fibre as per the kit in 6 or 7 cell. the buggy kit box for the mid special is also a little larger

[Jamesk]

I have been busy with my dremmel and the polishing wheel. This is a racing rebuild and will not be a shelf queen, ive only replaced the bearings and fitted a new alloy floor plate as the fiberglass original was very weak with a few cracks. The shocks have had new o rings and fresh oil added and all parts are just cleaned up and freed off, must say the car has held up very well better than my Avante i rebuilt earlier this year. Will have to stop work on her now as ive got a busy couple of weeks ahead and Le Mans 24 to attended too.
I have ordered a new body from Marwan today but undecided on a colour scheme.

[ralphee]

Nice, you polish them well bud!

lee

[Jamesk]

I have done some more work on her today,but my camera died as i started to take some pic,s.
It would be good to have a Optima / classic race meeting oneday i think.

jK

[traffman]

When i first started racing i had a rear engined optima with a salute shell , then went to a rear engined optima pro , then came a short wheel base optima mid turbo which i loved.

That came with a anodized countersunk chassis and frp towers and top deck.

My friend still has his optima mid lwb custom that he raced in the early nineties.
Complete with speedmaster silverstar.