TOPIC:

I finally got into the loft and was able to recover my Rough rider - which has not seen the light of day from some 25 years.



I modded at the time as I kept braking the engine cage - making a version from copper tube and brazing together. It has some damage to the shell where it attaches to the roll frame, one suspension damper is missing and the rc box has a crack where it attches to the base. Otherwise looks fine. Of course all the rubber will need replacing as it has mostly degraded - although the tyres are better an I expected.

Any suggestions welcome. Do I take it back to box colour scheme? Should I am to find original parts or is it ok to use the newer version parts?

Chris

Hi Chris, and welcome to TB!
Your Rough Rider looks like an early one?
Going by the black bumper (if it's not painted, or from a reissue) this could be a Mk.1.
Check to see if the front suspension has screws to hold the spring (in two different positions) I cant make it out on your picture.

If this is a Mk1, I would try to restore it to original condition, using as much original parts as possible.
Also, take good care of the front wheels. They are sought after because of the lettering on the sides. The reissue "Buggy Champ" (Rough Rider in Japan) does not have the tyre lettering.

I notice your RR are using the same high-spec damper modification as my runner: up-side-down mounted dampers in order to keep the oil in

-Lars

Yes. I can post a pic but the front springs have two options hooking under screws. So guess its a Mk1.
What's the implication of it being a mark 1?

I remember having terrible oil leakage at first and arrived at this mod myself although am not sure they still did not run dry quickly regardless!

The Mk.1 is the first model variant of the Rough Rider. The Mk.1 has a number of differences from the later Mk.2 in small details all over the chassis. I think there is a thread about this somewhere in TB.

The significance will be that the Mk.1 is more collectable than the alter ones, simply because they are fewer, and then rarer.

-Lars

Looks great in all it's vintageness.
I'd restore this one as original as possible and get a Buggy Champ to bash around with...

OK. So here are a few more pics showing the car as it stands today with a few shots of the damage/focus of the restoration needed. Any tips to address these are very appreciated...



By far the worst of the shell damage. What glue/ filler / sand paper should I be using?



The front tyres are quite cracked and perished but surprisingly not too hardened. Whats the best approach to these?



The insides are pretty good,with the manual throttle control still functional. the bottom of the box does have some impact damage.



You can see here the copper engine cage I made in my school metal work class after I had broken two of the original plastic versions!



Perhaps the most discrete damage - but probably the most difficult to fix is the mounting point on the gearbox for the cage. I suspect that the more rigid copper cage resulted in impacts being pushed onto this point causing the fracture, the plastic versions protecting the gearbox by flexing / breaking instead. Any suggestions a to what to do here ?

Chris

StKi1da wrote:

... shell damage. What glue/ filler / sand paper should I be using? ...

I'd strip the body first ( DeSolvIt Grafitti Remover is excellent), this should also soften/remove any remaning glue, cut/sand back the plastic to good, cut a new piece of styrene sheet to fit + fit a reinforcement from underneath, gluing it all with Poly glue (like you'd use on airfix kits), fill any gaps with either Isopon car body filler or Milliput epoxy putty, then sand ... I always use wet or dry paper, wet, with a tiny bit of fairy liquid - 400 grit will be fairly fast, but it can leave fairly deep gouges that need sanding out, I'd suggest 600 or 800 grit for the rough sanding, 1000 or 1200 before paint.

StKi1da wrote:

... The front tyres are quite cracked and perished but surprisingly not too hardened. Whats the best approach to these?

Remove from rims, wash, glue up worst splits cracks with superglue (don't flood it in, get very thin stuff, put a small drop on a pin & spread it just where it needs to be), soak the tyres in gylcerol for a week, wipe off excess, refit with foam on the inside (to try & push the flat spots/distortion out ... then admire your warped, cracked & glued tyres (because you won't be able to use them without them falling apart) & decide to spend