flipwils11 wrote:I have to confess that I have a strange infatuation with the Javelin. I like looking at resto builds on this forum as well as when they come up on ebay, usually for insane money it seems. I think I might like to get one, but maybe if I knew the whole story I'd be better off continuing to admire them in pictures.
They're chain 4wd right? How are they as a runner with limited use? Are parts scarce making them shelfers only such as tires and other critical components? What are the weakpoints if I were to get one and run it a little bit? And last question I think, can they accept modern electronics like lipo and brushless, as well as consumables like modern 2.2" tires?
In a word, they're awesome. Javelins were a lot less popular than the Optimas, and the plastic rollcages are nigh impossible to find at affordable prices today after all these years, hence their much-inflated value today. They're essentially the exact same car; one had a body, one had a rollcage. If you really want a Javelin, be prepared to pay. If you want something that performs the same, get an Optima, it's the same car.
As a runner goes, they kicked pretty much everything's ass back in '86, winning just about everything. They had their weak spots, though. The bumper braces & front "chin" metal piece are easily bent/broken, those are hard to find in decent shape. One solution is to cut off the bent part and do away with the front stabilizer assembly altogether, as some people suggest it wasn't too effective, anyway.
The chain drive needed frequent adjustments to keep it tight, another annoyance of the car. This is more or less remedied by installing the belt drive conversion, another rather pricy hop-up item that's not easy to find.
Lastly, the aluminum final pinion gear, inside the rear gearbox, wears out faster than all the other gears. You can find replacement aluminum gears easily enough (pargu2000 has them) but they will also wear out. Finding a hard final pinion gear (made of steel) is a sweet hop-up but those are also difficult to find.
I don't think you'd need either of those hop-ups (belt conversion, hard final pinion) for an occasional runner. The existing powertrain will handle ESC, brushless, LiPo just fine; 13.5T or higher would be no trouble at all, and lots of people are running them with even more power, but I'd want the belt drive & hard pinion before going that route.
If you want more detailed info than you could shake a turnbuckle at, there's a lot of info below. With my 2 Optimas (and a third upcoming), I've done countless hours of research, trial & error to find all the ways to modernize the Optima/Javelin series. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.
http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=17726
http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=17162
http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=16938
Chassis with inexpensive 2.2" wheels & tires:
See it scoot:
http://youtu.be/7jv-2dYfyQQ