Optima Mid - Which One Is It? - Help Needed Please, Optima mid Pics

[Gayo]

The bumper is from a Burns. I agree, it looks like an Optima Mid (not Turbo because of the alloy shock towers and standard turnbuckles) upgraded with the LWB kit ("graphite" chassis and that exact body). Tyres are from a Schumacher Cat.
Memories

Oooh that ESC!! LOL

[jimmy]

That bumper is the optional optima mid bumper isn't it? I still have a scar from cutting that bumper on my lwb optima mid - my car wasn't custom-anything and looked exactly like this car - including the giant bumper which was an optional part.

[terry.sc]

Originally Posted by Si Coe

So the last versions of the Custom Special had a carbon chassis as opposed to the alloy of the earlier ones.

The alloy chassis was only on the early versions of the Mid Custom. The Mid Custom Special always had a grp chassis, and later versions of the Mid Custom also had the grp chassis.

The only kit that had a carbon chassis was the limited edition Turbo Optima Mid Special.

The body with the bubble on the side was the Mid Custom body.


The Mid came with a tiny front bumper as standard, but as the BRCA rules at the time meant a full width bumper needed to be fitted Ripmax drilled a couple of extra holes in the Burns bumper and sold it as a Mid upgrade.

[bondy]

Looks like an optima mid which has had a LWB conversion done !

Check out the link below for the geneolgy and pictures.

Mid custom special came with ally chassis gold shocks ball diffs I belive!

Mid custom ally chassis plastic shocks etc

http://theoptimahouse.blogspot.com/

[NeilD]

Originally Posted by jimmy

That bumper is the optional optima mid bumper isn't it? I still have a scar from cutting that bumper on my lwb optima mid - my car wasn't custom-anything and looked exactly like this car - including the giant bumper which was an optional part.

Yes it is Jimmy.

[steveproracing]

I had the exact same car from brand new it is a standard spec optima mid custom( not custom special). The only thing this car has that is not standard is the front bumper, which was a kyosho hop up. The chassis came standard but is not carbon it's a dyed grp one!! Even down to the wheels and shell this car is correct. Just google optima mid custom

[isobarik]

Originally Posted by bondy

Looks like an optima mid which has had a LWB conversion done !

Check out the link below for the geneolgy and pictures.

Mid custom special came with ally chassis gold shocks ball diffs I belive!

Mid custom ally chassis plastic shocks etc

http://theoptimahouse.blogspot.com/

And here we have the winner

just plain mid with lwb chassi kit and optima mid custom shell

mvh isobarik

[NeilD]

Originally Posted by steveproracing

I had the exact same car from brand new it is a standard spec optima mid custom( not custom special). The only thing this car has that is not standard is the front bumper, which was a kyosho hop up. The chassis came standard but is not carbon it's a dyed grp one!! Even down to the wheels and shell this car is correct. Just google optima mid custom

Steve, I had a Mid Custom but it had the alloy chassis and black hard plastic shocks. A friend had the special which had the gold option house shocks and looks pretty much like this guys.

[isobarik]

yes custom ally chassi and turbo optima mid special carbon chassy and this has also the ally towers from the optima mid hence why

optima mid with LWB and custom body since it has the bumb for the mechanic speed control.


mvh isobarik

[Paulstevo]

Hi think i'm gonna get a new battery. Whats with this lipo business? i have an old charger and a 1400mah battery and it lasts for 20 mins. can i just buy a battery with an increased mah and keep the same charger (a cheap tamiya one that charges from my car battery)?

I am also gonna get a optima mid custom shell and repro graphics from marwan for display purposes in my house - what do people think to that or should i leave it!

[Si Coe]

Only if you fancy a house fire. Lipos must never be charged on a NiMH/Nicad charger.

However lipo capable chargers aren't expensive and with a 5000mah pack you'll be running all week!

Edit - of course you'd need a cutoff too, so skip that. Just buy some modern NiMH's. But aware that they are slightly larger than the Mid was designed for though.

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by Paulstevo

Hi think i'm gonna get a new battery. Whats with this lipo business? i have an old charger and a 1400mah battery and it lasts for 20 mins. can i just buy a battery with an increased mah and keep the same charger (a cheap tamiya one that charges from my car battery)?

I am also gonna get a optima mid custom shell and repro graphics from marwan for display purposes in my house - what do people think to that or should i leave it!

I have one of Marwan's Mid LWB shells and they are the business and the decals are good as well - I'll post some pics later once I get home.
I only run mine indoors as I don't want to break it! I have a Losi for outdoors.

Cheers

Graeme

[Paulstevo]

nice motor mate! do you get the side wing decals too?

[Paulstevo]

Damn - both of the battery holder clips have snapped due to corrosion. does anyone know what they are called (are they called battery holders?) - they are small plastic loops on either side with small screws in them

many thanks all

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by Paulstevo

nice motor mate! do you get the side wing decals too?

Here's the image of what you get. Plenty of Optima Mid logos and I think there even some Hooker header stickers whatever that means!

[terry.sc]

Originally Posted by Paulstevo

Damn - both of the battery holder clips have snapped due to corrosion. does anyone know what they are called (are they called battery holders?) - they are small plastic loops on either side with small screws in them

many thanks all

If it's the straps that go around the battery, not surprisingly they are called releasable nicad straps, part number is 1704 and they are available from any Kyosho dealer - but if you are searching online don't buy from Ben Racing as they have been shut for some time even though their website still exists.
They will have snapped because they aren't supposed to have the screws going through them.

[terry.sc]

Originally Posted by Paulstevo

nice motor mate! do you get the side wing decals too?

If you want to see what's included, here's all Marwans bodies for sale.http://www.tamiyaclub.com/trades.asp?id=5484

For the bodies that fit your chassis, there's the Turbo Mid Special, Mid Custom and Mid Custom Special
Each link will show you the body set and complete repro sticker set included with each body.

[trd179v]

Originally Posted by Paulstevo

I have received this reply. Does anyone agree?

-------------------
It's an Optima Mid Custom, identified by the long wheelbase chassis with alloy shock mounts and no suspension turnbuckles. It has been upgraded with Kyoshos gold shocks, as used on the other Mids.

If you are happy with repro stickers, Marwan is who you need to contact:
http://www.tamiyaclub.com/trades_mod......470&id=5484

-----------

Yes,
That is correct. I have 2 of them.

[BORMAC]

Im going to do my best to do a run through the first to last OPTIMA models. Feel free to correct me if I stuff this one up guys.....

Optima
Turbo Optima
Optima Pro

Optima Mid
Turbo Optima Mid
Optima Mid SE
Optima Mid Custom
Optima Mid Custom Special.

Sure Ive left out the Javelin and possibly a couple others but you get the idea. Ive owned a couple of OPTIMA MID CUSTOM SPECIAL cars and they came with the very rare (and expensive) carbon fibre saddle pack chassis kit. Im certain its the same wheelbase as the MID CUSTOM and MID CUSTOM SPECIAL but I think Kyosho released this kit to help racers convert the shorter wheelbase Optima Mid's into the longer wheelbase car. The kit included belts, chassis plates and lexan cover Im sure.
Anyway these were the two cars I owned.

[BORMAC]

Easily one of the sexiest vintage racers!