HPI Nitro RS4-2 resto build #1

[Defiant]

Welcome, I initially didn’t think I’d post this car at all because relatively little progress has been made and I actually don’t have any photos of the car before I restored it.

So anyway this was a slider I had bought that didn’t have a transmission, engine, wheels, fuel tank, or any electronics.

I added a new original RS4 (1) chassis plate, carbon fiber upper deck, carbon front and rear shock towers, wheels, bumper foam, a fresh transmission (2speed), belt tensioner and some temporary new hardware to replace the rusty old screws.

And it sat on my shelf… i basically put it on the back burner but I had some free time today and some new parts for it so I thought why not

I got a new Japanese Pure Racing upper deck, new matching washers, new mid belt tensioner and swapped out all the Phillips screws for hex.

I do have a body on it but it’s not painted and I don’t want to reveal it just yet. In the future I will be changing the chassis for the purple RS4-2 version as well as some more upgrades. But for now, this is the current status

 

[Tahoe851]

This rebuild is serious! How and where are you finding any parts for this restoration? I have an old single-speed RS4 2 I'm trying to rebuild, but can't find anything for it. I decided to upgrade the engine to the T3.0 but now I can't find the left-side manifolds/pipes that fit. Belt tensioners, decks and shock towers are impossible to find.

 

[Defiant]

This rebuild is serious! How and where are you finding any parts for this restoration? I have an old single-speed RS4 2 I'm trying to rebuild, but can't find anything for it. I decided to upgrade the engine to the T3.0 but now I can't find the left-side manifolds/pipes that fit. Belt tensioners, decks and shock towers are impossible to find.

eBay, nitro facebook groups, fb marketplace, googling part numbers and checking all hobby sites.

I have an upper deck for sale

I can also get you a belt tensioner like the one on my car in the pics above

 

[Tahoe851]

How much for the deck? Will that fwd tensioner work on a single speed?

 

[Defiant]

How much for the deck? Will that fwd tensioner work on a single speed?

$35 and yes works on either a one speed or two speed. Can I see a pic of your car?

 

[Tahoe851]

Sure

I could also use some advice on getting the T3 to align with the spur gear, I assume I need engine mounts to offset the engine correctly but may plan for now it to thin out a spare flywheel.
Right now my spur gear rubs the clutch bell slightly. This is going to be primarily a shelf queen since parts are increasingly hard to come by.

 

[Defiant]

Sure

View attachment 162070

View attachment 162071

View attachment 162072
I could also use some advice on getting the T3 to align with the spur gear, I assume I need engine mounts to offset the engine correctly but may plan for now it to thin out a spare flywheel.
Right now my spur gear rubs the clutch bell slightly. This is going to be primarily a shelf queen since parts are increasingly hard to come by.

Looks good, if you’re looking to set it back away from the spur I’d look into a different flywheel.

 

[Tahoe851]

Thanks I have one coming in, hopefully it will be a better fit. How much would you do the tensioners and the deck for?

 

[tudordewolf]

I can't find the left-side manifolds/pipes that fit

Here's a header (part "A950"), someone's asking $150 for a set with the exhaust (A940)... you're better off with a generic 1:10 tuned pipe at that price, something like this could work.

 

[Defiant]

Thanks I have one coming in, hopefully it will be a better fit. How much would you do the tensioners and the deck for?

$60 shipped, gonna take me a week to get the tensioner though because the hobby shop that has it is a bit of a drive for me, and so I’d have to plan ahead

 

[Tahoe851]

Here's a header (part "A950"), someone's asking $150 for a set with the exhaust (A940)... you're better off with a generic 1:10 tuned pipe at that price, something like this could work.

Thank you! I saw that header but couldn't find specs or fitment. I just ordered, I have a similar pipe generic pipe I can throw on. Thanks for the info!

$60 shipped, gonna take me a week to get the tensioner though because the hobby shop that has it is a bit of a drive for me, and so I’d have to plan ahead

Awesome! I'll take them! I'm not in any rush so please don't go out of your way to that hobby shop. PayPal good? No chance that hobby shop is in Virginia is there?

 

[Defiant]

Thank you! I saw that header but couldn't find specs or fitment. I just ordered, I have a similar pipe generic pipe I can throw on. Thanks for the info!

Awesome! I'll take them! I'm not in any rush so please don't go out of your way to that hobby shop. PayPal good? No chance that hobby shop is in Virginia is there?

PMed you, and no the store is in Connecticut

 

[Defiant]

I felt bad about letting this car sit on the back burner and just putting spare parts on it so I wanted to give it some attention.

I bought an alloy brake hub, RRP spur gear adapter, alloy gear shaft and a carbon fiber brake disk.

First I removed the two speed, yes I’m converting it to a one speed BUT to be fair the two speed is a bit stripped and the RRP spur gear can be interchanged much more easily and is super light.

Also this lightweight gear shaft is compatible only with the one speed gearbox

Lookin a bit more fancy now

Next I got a set of Eagle Racing threaded shocks for it

I also installed a brand new (grey) foam bumper and a carbon fiber brace

I then put on some staggered foam tires and to top it off some Japanese eagle racing wheel nuts

I put on some sanwa servos and a nice fuel tank, the tuned pipe is from my R40

This car is getting the HPI Toyota Celica body

 

[Chubaka]

Lookin great. Was the the rrp gear on ebay I was eye ballin?

How is the quality on the shocks?

 

[Defiant]

Lookin great. Was the the rrp gear on ebay I was eye ballin?

How is the quality on the shocks?

I don’t think so, I bought the gear from a UK website, I checked their eBay page just in case and they didn’t have it listed there. I also bought it roughly 4 weeks ago.

The shocks are excellent! As with everything made in Japan I am never disappointed. Not quite as nice as the Phoenix shocks I have on my RS4-3 and Super Nitro, but for the price they’re excellent.

If you’re looking for shocks I can find some for you.

 

[TenTlover12]

I felt bad about letting this car sit on the back burner and just putting spare parts on it so I wanted to give it some attention.

I bought an alloy brake hub, RRP spur gear adapter, alloy gear shaft and a carbon fiber brake disk.
View attachment 163108

First I removed the two speed, yes I’m converting it to a one speed BUT to be fair the two speed is a bit stripped and the RRP spur gear can be interchanged much more easily and is super light.
View attachment 163106

Also this lightweight gear shaft is compatible only with the one speed gearbox
View attachment 163107

Lookin a bit more fancy now
View attachment 163110
View attachment 163115
View attachment 163111

Next I got a set of Eagle Racing threaded shocks for it
View attachment 163114
I also installed a brand new (grey) foam bumper and a carbon fiber brace
View attachment 163112

I then put on some staggered foam tires and to top it off some Japanese eagle racing wheel nuts
View attachment 163113
I put on some sanwa servos and a nice fuel tank, the tuned pipe is from my R40
View attachment 163116
View attachment 163117

View attachment 163122
View attachment 163119
View attachment 163120

This car is getting the HPI Toyota Celica body
View attachment 163121

Sweet build man!

 

[Defiant]

Got lucky and found an almost new countersunk chassis

I began swapping them over from this

To this

I figured out what theme I wanted to go with on this car so I’m slowly going to be exchanging parts starting with the shocks. Ditching the eagle shocks for another set of these incredible Phoenix

Here is the final result

 

[dasrcparts]

I definitly prefer the look of the factory chassis, its too easy to find alan aftermarket chassis. Much more difficult to find a nos original. Nice find with the sticker still in place!

 

[Defiant]

I definitly prefer the look of the factory chassis, its too easy to find alan aftermarket chassis. Much more difficult to find a nos original. Nice find with the sticker still in place!

I agree it’s nice to find nos, and in my case I couldn’t find anything at all lol! And considering it was only $20 I’d say that’s a pretty good deal

 

[Defiant]

Put some new foams on it and remove the bumper brace, I still have a ton of work to do.. and money to spend

It no longer looks like the red headed stepchild of my nitro collection. And now with a picture in mind of what it will look like in the future, it’s going to be one of my best builds