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For the longest time I have wanted to fit a lower chassis plate to an original optima. I may just make my own from scratch but wanted to ask if anyone here knows of these items released back in the day? I have seen the 'Hot Trick' kit but weren't there other companies doing a black graphite chassis plate as well?
Any help (and images) would be most appreciated.
Thank you- Jason.

RCH had a wicked cool looking oval chassis for one

Just about any lower chassis with cell cutouts would be easy to make fit to the optima rails, in fact this old drag chassis may even look cool with a little work to shorten it up

I remember Trinity used to have a graphite chassis for optima.......just the two side plates like those in AYK Radiant.....

I don't believe I ever saw a chassis plate for the Optima series, other than the ugly Hot Trick one. As minimini said, I've also seen a set of 2 aftermarket sideplates that replace all 4 (front/rear) sideplates of the Optima series. I don't think it was until the Optima Mid & Pro came out that a bunch of aftermarket chassis plates were developed. I could be wrong but that's all that I've seen the past several years.

It would be relatively easy to make your own. You'd have to chop up the frame rails and use some angle pieces to bolt them onto the custom plate, and it would probably also be a good idea to incorporate some way of slightly adjusting the position of one half (front or rear) to allow you to adjust belt tension, or fabricate a belt tensioner.

I know Trinity also made graphite parts that replaced the Hot Trick red chassis. And even A&L had a prototype chassis for the Optima with trailing arms.


http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=22221

A little while back I missed out on a black graphite lower chassis plate for the original Optima listed on ePay. Can't remember who made it exactly but would like to get a template to make one of my own.

J.M. wrote:A little while back I missed out on a black graphite lower chassis plate for the original Optima listed on ePay. Can't remember who made it exactly but would like to get a template to make one of my own.

I saw that. That was the Trinity graphite replacement chassis for the Hot Trick kit. They also made the graphite towers and upper deck.

I saw that. That was the Trinity graphite replacement chassis for the Hot Trick kit. They also made the graphite towers and upper deck.[/quote]

It did look similar to the Hot Trick version just in black. I really want to build up a very different kind of Optima from the standard car. I may even try the trailing arm car with many custom made plate items.
Just something really different that may have been done back in the 80's for competition use.