My restored Optima collection...

[jwscab]

I always liked kyosho's styling, those cars look fast just sitting still!!!

always looks tough too with the wide front wheels! their polycarbonate design guys were/are awesome.

[Jirka]

You have to change the shock tower too if You want to use the gold or platinium shocks. See Kyosho Optima Pro http://www.tamiyaclub.com/pictureframe.asp?t=n&id=img14549_13012007211357_1.jpg, that came with short red shocks but with "high" shock towers.

Jirka

Can you tell me what part numbers those higher front and rear shock towers are and do you know where they may be readily available? (e.g. here? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/kyosho-turbo-optima-alloy-front-rear-damper-stay_W0QQitemZ130359380862QQcmdZViewItemQQptZRadio_Control_Vehicles?hash=item1e5a064b7e )

Part numbers - I don't know, but they can be found from Optima and Turbo Optima/Optima Pro manuals.

Those ebay shock towers seems to be the towers that you need to install longer shocks to Optima. They are Turbo Optima towers and they are just extended versions from Optima towers. You can use Optima's short red shocks by mounting them on one of two lower holes and the gold/platinium shocks on the upper most hole.

BTW if only gold and platinum shocks are equal long, they use different springs. Platinium springs are a little shorter and a little different colors than the gold ones. That's because the platiniums have that piston adjustment mechanism on the bottom spring cup. The platiniums also tends to leak a lot. So if You are going to archive car to the bookshelf, use gold shocks.

Jirka

[CNA75]

BTW if only gold and platinum shocks are equal long, they use different springs. Platinium springs are a little shorter and a little different colors than the gold ones. That's because the platiniums have that piston adjustment mechanism on the bottom spring cup. The platiniums also tends to leak a lot. So if You are going to archive car to the bookshelf, use gold shocks.
Jirka

Take your point. Weren't the platinum shocks meant to be better than the gold shocks?

[turbowop]

OT-57 are the shock stays required to use gold or platinum shocks.

When I purchased this car it actually had those on it. I picked up a set of standard ones to try keeping this car somewhat true to the original. I figure if I'm not going to use the bigger shocks, why have stays that have extra holes up higher?

[Jirka]

BTW if only gold and platinum shocks are equal long, they use different springs. Platinium springs are a little shorter and a little different colors than the gold ones. That's because the platiniums have that piston adjustment mechanism on the bottom spring cup. The platiniums also tends to leak a lot. So if You are going to archive car to the bookshelf, use gold shocks.
Jirka

Take your point. Weren't the platinum shocks meant to be better than the gold shocks?

In performance point of view, the golds are better.

The idea of platinum shocks were that You can adjust piston without opening the shocks. This mechanism require more parts, more leaking points and more mass. I found two pics about those platinum shocks that might be helpful.

Jirka

[CNA75]

That's great. Thanks a lot, Jirka, for the pics!