TOP Models Hybrid

[dinglem]

I have posted this up pretty much everywhere else, but am adding it here also. I absolutely love the look of this car and am very very chuffed to have been able to retain and use the original TOP Models Hybrid bodyshell.

I picked this up a few months ago, and have given it a sympathetic scrub down, although I didn't really want to fully strip and restore it to shelf condition as I intend racing it. I have recently touched up the very ropey early 90's paint and made it as white as I can, then added some 90's floro stickers to jazz it up a little. It is extremely rare to find such a complete RPM chassis set in white, let alone for it to still have every HYBRID additional kit part as sold by TOP Models in kit form from late '92 onwards. It even came with spare wheels sets and a couple of spring options. I have been told only 20 of these kits were actually ever sold by TOP Models, so a rare beast indeed. The shell was specially commissioned (I was told Racecraft by one person, so I have added a Racecraft sticker but I have no official confirmation on that).

I managed to get hold of a load of original TOP Models stickers so they have been added, plus a Missile 15Triple motor which I restored and had rebuilt late last year.

There was supposedly an issue with rear chassis flex on these so the TOP team drivers added a thin piece of carbon fibre below the gearbox to solve this, and having a quick nose I have discovered that my car has this particular mod

[dinglem]

Magazine info from Radio Race Car, March 1993 which detail the original spec of the 'kit' sold by TOP Models.

[daz75]

Looks good xfactor will be jealous

[Welshy40]

I wonder, is that Harris's car? Top models were superb as well, superb car, tempted Yes I was but got persuaded to go via another manufacturer. This was in my top two choices tho. Never got the recognition it really deserved, it was a great car.

[dinglem]

No, this was literally a garage find. A friend of mine said he had been chatting to somebody online who had told him he had a TOP Models car in his garage that his dad had brought him new in kit form directly from the shop. I was given his contact details and this is what he sent me. It is literally the real deal with every component as it came new, right down to the spare HPI rims and two sets of optional Losi springs in different colours. I have been tempted to put the greens on the rear shocks too like the press car, but this is how the guy raced it so I want to try it out first with his set up. The only thing that needs changing is one rubber shock diaphragm has split (inside one of the front shocks) so once I have that it'll be good to go. An amazing time-warp car.

Looking at the underside it has only really had light use, which is also clear by the fact that the original Hybrid bodyshell has survived intact. That is probably the rarest part of the whole car as it cannot be replaced.

[Welshy40]

I would advise using a different shell and a chassis sticking protector. I came close to having as top models did support me but got a better deal to use a B2, had a sport kit in stock at the time with gold shocks so had that and added bearings and titanium tie rods and a few mods and that car was on rails for my style of driving. However Craig beat me with this top models car and sometimes by quite a big margin. Car was well thought out so great find by you.

[dinglem]

It is probably only going to get one race meeting a year, maximum. It'll be fine....

I can see how good it is just by checking it over, but it is the shocks which are the biggest revelation to me. I mainly ran Option House or very occasionally Associated on all of my cars back then, but these Traxxas items are like nothing else I have ever come across before. Super buttery smooth.