My Optima Mid Turbo
 

With the cold winter nights I have been working on some restorations

Here's my optima Mid Turbo
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/e...6F182EC2EB.jpg
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/e...347689D9F9.jpg
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/e...50B10A66C2.jpg
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/e...6B5E30FC3C.jpg
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/e...F3F4E3AE8E.jpg

Bodyshell is a replica as are the decals and tyres
I do have some nice alloy wheels to fit with another set of tyres.

Quite pleased with it overall, but theres room for improvement :)

Next for restoration is an original Optima :)

Yeah, it looks pretty bad, let me take it off your hands, so you don't need to live with the shame of having to look at this. :D


But seriously, a very nice Turbo Mid. Beside the repro items, is this a from cleaned up parts, or new old stock, or mix?

The car was bought as a rolling chassis with low miles, I then stripped and cleaned it using an ultrasonic bath.
The chassis plate was replaced with a Very good used part, The wheels were stained and I have as yet not managed to find a set of replacements in good condition, so they were cleaned and the re sprayed in white.
I did plan to race this in the summer but have now decided it's come out too nice to race, so will source another not so good one to actually use.
The anodising on the shocks is a little worn so I'm on the lookout for some more. Tho all the ones I have seen for sale have been in not so good condition.

Sounds like I hear myself talking, except I would replace the word "race" by "run" as I don't race except with VRC on my laptop. ;)

Be careful, before you know it you'll have more cars than Dan. :D

Between my son and I we have over 30 cars in various states of repair :blush:

Smart strategy, to get someone involved. Now you can claim it is only 15 cars each. :D

That looks brilliant!

I restored my standard mid a couple of months back and people said it was too good to use. I race mine (indoors only) and it's absolutely brilliant fun. It even manages to put up a good fight against the modern 4wd's on the right track. Last time I used it was at Worksop in the Schumacher Indoor Off Road Masters series. There were a few surprised faces and it's a great talking point.

That looks great
I have a NIB built Turbo Mid that is not quite finished, seeing yours is giving me incentive to finish mine

The anodising on your shocks isn't faded, those shocks on it are Platinums which are silver from new unlike the original Gold Shocks which the Turbo Mid came with

Your mid looks like a turbo optima mid se..judging by the platinums and the diff outdrives look like ball diffs.
i feel like building a shelfer myself but my urge to relive the late 1980s today is too strong..thats why i put my mids through great abuse , pounding on hard track surfaces ..kicking dirt and still raising hell in 2015.

Then the "stained wheels" may very well have been silver coated ones with much surface wear. Shocks are indeed platinum type, the bottom retainers are different than on the golden shocks.

I agree - it also has tie roads and not turnbuckles, also pointing towards a Turbo Mid SE

And the metal plate for the mechanical speed controller
Definitely a Turbo Optima Mid SE

[Next for restoration is an original Optima :)[/QUOTE]

Have fun - I did with mine.
And don't be afraid to run it - that seems like the whole point :-)

Yupp, it's a Turbo Mid SE chassis :)

http://joppis.dyndns.org/turbo_optim...nd_se/0061.jpg

http://joppis.dyndns.org/turbo_optim...nd_se/0063.jpg