Grasshopper II (BEFORE)
Finally got my hand on this after 6 months…
FIRST CONTACT:
Saw this sitting in a box under a table at the Nottingham TC 2013 meet, looking all neglected and abandoned. It was very cheap but I passed it up as at the time as funds were prioritised elsewhere and I remained much disciplined. Few weeks later I put up a post on TC saying thanks to everyone at the event for a brilliant day, incidentally I mentioned on the post that I regret not buying that lovely little Grasshopper. Months later I was reading an epic post by someone on TC called ‘wldnas’. I left a comment or two about his epic posts and it must have spurred him to check my showroom out. A while later a comment was left on my post about the Nottingham TC meet, it was ‘wldnas’ and his comment was ‘I still have that Grasshopper’. Well I messaged him a day or two later and enquired about availability and price. Wldnas confirmed and we arranged for a meet up in Leamington Spa as I go there once in a while to visit family. Unfortunately I fell ill and had to cancel... Damn! That pesky Grasshopper had slipped the net again. In the end I Paypaled him and covered the cost of Special Delivery plus the original price of the Grasshopper… eventually Royal Mail delivered.
THE APPEAL:
I notice sometimes when surfing fleecebay that from time to time cars come up that are very old and tatty, but are very appealing, just because of that very fact. Maybe it’s how paint colour on the car fades and changes over the years, or maybe paints change and the shades and tones are now a little different these days. Maybe it’s all the battle damage that tells stories and evokes our sympathy to return it to glory or just to look after it. Either way, that’s why I love this Grasshopper to bits; it’s tatty, repaired, battered, and weathered and at some point in its history had surely seen much better days. That’s why I just had to have it, the appeal was the abandoned-runt-of-the-litter-look as I remember it in the box, along with all the wear and tear on the body and it just looks old too. It s also complete and absolutely nothing is missing, even the servo blocks are there.
CHEERS WLDNAS:
Big thanks to ‘wldnas’ for an easy no messing trade, top guy! Oh and the front Dynamite tyres you threw in are superb, now cleaned and adorning the shelf awaiting for the time I get to do my ‘Apocalypse project’.
DESTINATION:
Will not be cleaning or restoring this as the way it looks is what did it for me, a few extra decals and some minor body additions like alloy meshing, window netting does beckon though, maybe some alloy exhaust too. It will be getting brand new full electrics, double rubber sealed bearings through out and re-greased though, I think it deserves something nice considering its state and the life its obviously had… a hard one. This one will definitely be a runner, want to just keep it going strong and hopefully for many years to come. When I make this ready to roll, it will have a new lease of life and active once again…
Cheers all, comments welcome.
If you liked those pictures, you should see these...
Grasshopper II (AFTER)
Comments
Crash Cramer
That does look quite appealing in that state of appearance. I think I can agree with all your points on that.
ModMax
It has that ' I have been loved ' charm. Great story and find.
wldnas
Hmmm... That car looks strangely familure? Great to see that you took the time to do a 'wldnas' inspired write up of the story surrounding the how, when and why you got acquired this car, love how you highlighted the crack in the rear wing in photo #4, flag you like the car, pleasure to trade with you, when your better we'll have to reconvene for that coffee
Dirt-540
Thanx wldnas, yes definitely up for a coffee and talk of all things RC. Glad you liked the write up.
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