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I'm so pumped to add another childhood dream machine to the RC garage. I couldn't believe I found this buggy close to me. I thought it may be a rere, but after seeing it in person, I knew it was an original.

The cage and frame needs some attention but the Option House add-ons give it the period correct "bling." I think the rear wing is original as well. Hopefully...

Now, to do the belt drive upgrade or leave it chain driven. She will only see the occasional run on carpeted surface.

Merry Christmas

Very nice find , I personally love chain drive but if you have the conversion kit sitting there it's almost rude not to use it .

Dadio wrote: ↑Tue Dec 26, 2023 4:15 am it's almost rude not to use it .

I started disassembly. The cage definitely wasn't made for quick removal. You can see the damage needing addressed in the pictures. The side bars of cage were installed on the wrong sides, upside down.

cjack wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2023 11:54 pm Now, to do the belt drive upgrade or leave it chain driven. She will only see the occasional run on carpeted surface.

Years ago I converted my Turbo Optima from chain to belt. I was really pleased with the belt setup. The biggest improvement was that the chain setup seemed sensitive to proper chain tension, the belt setup seemed to be always happy. With either, I would look for a Thorp hard/steel final pinion in to replace the original aluminum final pinion in the gearbox. For the belt setup I always wanted the front 1 way diff setup but never got it. I'd do that last though.

Undercarriage definitely needs some tlc. Pinion gear has seen better days as well.

Can anyone help me identify this motor? "Epic" & "5.0" are on end cap, but no name or markings.

Also, is there a way to determine if this Javelin was sold as a kit or if it started life as an Optima?

Thanks for any input!

Epic is Ernie Provetti International Corp or something similar, basically Trinity. It is a later design than the car by quite a bit, looks like a Slot Machine II. Not era correct for it.

GoMachV wrote: ↑Tue Dec 26, 2023 10:33 pm Epic is Ernie Provetti International Corp or something similar, basically Trinity. It is a later design than the car by quite a bit, looks like a Slot Machine II. Not era correct for it.

GoMachV thanks! Great info!

Would a Kyosho Le Mans Stock 05 or Mega Motor be period correct for a Javelin?

No, both are too new but the lemans 05 would be my pick of those two. For that time it was a plain Jane 540 that came with it, and an upgrade could have been one of very many.

cjack wrote: ↑Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:30 pm You can see the damage needing addressed in the pictures.

The roll cage is still available, and in several different colors.

1911Colt wrote: ↑Wed Dec 27, 2023 7:40 am
The roll cage is still available, and in several different colors.

Any idea how close the modern orange is to original? I would like to keep the cage but if the color shade matches then I could swap out the damaged pieces. That would save me a lot of work.

I don't know, but my guess is that the original parts would have faded over the decades. Javelin is what, 35 years old? 38? If it is a runner it may not matter.

Also just a guess, but I think you have to buy the complete set anyway, so you could compare and decide for yourself what is acceptable.