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Reviving my Midnigh...
 

[Closed] Reviving my Midnight Pumpkin (oo-er) - radio controlled car people pls

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[#4018581]

So, as a lad (20+ years ag), I was lucky enough to have been bought - and built by my 12 y/o hand - one of these:

[img] [/img]

When my parents moved house a few years ago, I rescued it. Now I want to get it going again.

So, I'm thinking I need:

1. New transmitter batteries (about a million AA cells)
2. New ni0cad battery - I guess battery tech has changed. What's suitable?
3. Charger - must be better than the trickle charging nonsense of old.

Go on, make a grown man happy..!


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 2:54 pm
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No-one?

Boo 🙁


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 3:50 pm
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Just get it off the bay...
I have one in the loft still..


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 4:01 pm
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I'd be surprised if newer cars weren't quite a bit better...might cost a bit to get that going too.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 4:04 pm
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Suspect it'll run off 7.2v nicad packs, they've been replaced with NiMH packs which are a bit longer duration but lower overall performance in general. Plenty of chargers about for them for buttons.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 4:05 pm
 nols
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I had the lunchbox - It was lost may years ago. However Tamiya re-released both the Lunchbox and the Midnight pumpkin last year. So you can actually get everything for them, all the spares, the hop up kits, everything.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 4:18 pm
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Don't especially feel the need to change it - just want to get it going for the odd play now and again.

It's otherwise intact (of course who knows what's sealed or corroded in the interim years.

I'll look out 7.2v Nimh packs. And cheap chargers. And start there.

Ta.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 4:37 pm
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I had the Mud Blaster subaru brat version. I have a horrible feeling my dad threw it out because of the space it was taking up in the attic.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 4:40 pm
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All you should need is a new battery and charger. Worth getting a couple of batteries. And as you say a million AAs for the transmitter. Something like this [url= http://www.modelsport.co.uk/orion-sport-power-2200-stick-pack/rc-car-products/31485 ]http://www.modelsport.co.uk/orion-sport-power-2200-stick-pack/rc-car-products/31485[/url] and this [url= http://www.modelsport.co.uk/fusion-nx84-sprint-ac-auto-charger/rc-car-products/39235 ]http://www.modelsport.co.uk/fusion-nx84-sprint-ac-auto-charger/rc-car-products/39235[/url] should do the trick.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 5:08 pm
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www.msuk-forum.co.uk

those boys may be able to help more.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 5:10 pm
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Interesting thread.

I've got a Tamiya Madcap squirrelled away. I found the bag (after a long absence) with the transmitter and batteries in the other day, been meaning to have a go at resurrecting it.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 5:16 pm
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7.2v race pack batteries www.component-shop.co.uk

and a charger.

i use my old rc car on my pump track - its great!

i`m interested in fitting electronis speed control to mine - £20 i think.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 5:20 pm
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God I so wanted a Wild willy!
[img] [/img]

They did the best wheelies ever 😛


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 5:24 pm
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I always wanted a Tamiya RC car because my mate Spud had the Wild Willy but my parents would only buy me a Jet Hopper - some rubbish ready built thing

Decided to treat myself to a IC powered RC car a couple of years back. Bloody mental, but everytime i used it, i smacked something much harder at about 30 mph

Its now very broken and gathering dust in the shed.....


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 6:03 pm
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i always use modelsport in leeds, got rid of my battery one and changed it for a nitro one, well its no good having a son who`s car can out run mine. problem being it did 70mph my reactions didnt work that fast, and i found the only bit of wall in the carpark.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 10:01 pm
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Had a Wild Willy, a Fox and a Clod Buster with two highly tuned motors in it, was still a bit rubbish though lol.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 10:07 pm
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Was the Clodbuster that daft thing with four-wheel steering??


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 10:20 pm
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Yeah 4WS 4WD, two batteries and motors etc, it shifted with the two nice motors in it but handled like crap. Actually IIRC it was switchable between 4WD and 2WD. Always wanted a Kyosho Optima or a Schumacher Cat.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 10:28 pm
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I still have my original Hotshot on display, I also bought 2 of the rereleases that are stored in the loft along with a new build hotshot 2 and a huge amount of hotshot spares. Enough to build another 2 cars. I did have a lot more vintage tamiya cars and trucks but sold them. Have a look at www.tamiyaclub.com.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 10:34 pm
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hey, cheers all 😀


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 10:43 pm
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Back at mums I still have:

Shumacher Pro-Cat (my first proper RC car and I went racing from the off)
Shumacher Boss-Cat
Kyosho Lazer ZX-R
Shumacher Cat-2000 - almost complete as it was built from spares taken off my main one.
Associated RC10 Works

On the window sill in my office here I have:

Shumacher Cat 2000EC (needs a wishbone after a mate at uni crashed it)
RC10 B2
Losi XX-CR - ready to go if I can get some new batteries as my old SCRCs are all dead.

Also have a very expensive JR Propo transmitter, Novak charger for NiCds and a few Corrally motors from when I was sponsored by the importer, along with a load of dead Orion battery packs.

They all run brushless these days with NiMh batteries and seem to be a hell of lot faster with batteries that just don't die.

Used to race in the North West and Nationals with Neil Cragg (you tube him) who has done very well as we all expected as he was wiping the floor with everyone back in the late 90's.


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 11:00 pm
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oh hang on, are they all using LiPo batteries now for more punch and even more life?

The cars don't seem to have developed much as when I stopped they were onto the RC10 B3 but now only onto the B4? But they do seem to have got a hell of a lot faster but now the racing seems too fast with less skill setting people up for a move as you just seem to get round bends too quick and the jumps they are doing are crazy. Saw one track with a cross over consisting of a clear perspex table-top jump with the track running underneath and another with a shortcut loop-the-loop if anyone dared!


 
Posted : 29/05/2012 11:07 pm