Nostalgia Made Me Do It - Nitro Hawk

[jkelm24]

Picked up my 3rd Nitro Nawk. I had no choice. Nostalgia got the best of me!

The Nitro Chicken was my first nitro, and first stadium truck as a teenager. Mine was an early gen-1 with Image engine and aluminum recoil housing. Man I loved that truck! Faster than the Hornet, Raider, and RC10 I had before it, handled waaaay better as a basher, and I could run it as long as I wanted.

I sold that one sometime in my early 20's when I was broke then adopted my brother's gen-2 several years later (black plastics and TRX .12). I then sold that one too to fund other projects...

Now, many-many years later I wanted an early gen-1 to plop on the shelf.

Found one!

This is also an early gen-1 with crappy-but-loved Image .12. It's in pretty good shape, minus some scuffs on the chassis.

I'll give it similar treatment to my original with Stinger pipe, aluminum back plate, and A&L steering. I'll also give it a pro diff and bearings before retiring to the shelf.

[TRX-1-3]

I remember the old guys with deeper pockets rodding the whiz out of these on the track at R/C Plus! bitd. There was this guy, Del, he was always modding one thing or another. Anyway, thanks for letting me piggyback some nostalgia, even though I never owned one. I hope it cleans up nice for you. One of the coolest/sleekest looking ST bodies out there at the time imo.

[MarkyDents]

Nice find, seeing it brings me back too. My first nitro vehicle was the Nitro Street. It was the early version with the image engine as well. Tuning it would make me nuts every time I used it. Pretty certain it wasn’t the engine, just my lack of knowledge back then. Still have it thankfully just wish I never dyed all the parts on it

[klavy69]

Tuning it would make me nuts every time I used it. Pretty certain it wasn’t the engine, just my lack of knowledge back then.

might've been part you but mostly it was the carb on the thing. They were junk from the get go. needles might as well been square fitting into a round hole for being able to get the tune on them. Some would be able to be set and forget but most were re-tune as a degree of temp. went down outside...

Todd

[jkelm24]

Pulled the Image .12 apart. Piston and sleeve are good, but lower rod bushing was a little worn. Picked a new rod and seals and away we go!

[jkelm24]

Polished journals, new machined rod, seals, and bling!

[jkelm24]

Rain on a late Sunday afternoon, so decided to build up the pro ball diff...