SilverFox

TRY www.landjump.NET for Thunder Tiger Silver Fox and all the KYOSHO Landjump Vanning parts www.landjump.NET email [email protected]

My Experiences Trying to Make a Gas-Powered R/C Car Run

I've come in to possesion of a Silver Fox gas-powered r/c dune buggy. It was manufactured by Varicom, circa 1987.

I've done some work cleaning and adjusting it, but at this point I have been unable to make it run. Lack of an operating manual is a major problem.

I will have some pics and descriptions up here shortly describing what I have done so far and what isn't working. Hopefully someone can give me some feedback so I can get this thing running. If nothing else, this is interesting from a historical perspective.

Here's a pic of the car:

And here's a series of other pics of the car.

--phil 7/8/2001

More details: when I first got this car, the engine was completely gummed up - you couldn't rotate it by hand at all. I took the engine apart and cleaned it with carb cleaner. I found the book All About Engines by Harry Higley (available at Tower Hobbies) to be an invaluable resource for understanding how these little things work.

After cleaning and reassembly, the engine turns smoothly. The bearings seem to be in fine shape, and compression seems ok (I can spin the driveshaft easily, but you have to give it pretty firm push to pop through).

However, I can't get the darn thing started. One annoyance is that this old engine doesn't have a pull starter, so you have to start it with an electric spinner. The main problem seems to be that the engine is not getting fuel. That's a two-part process - the engine compression should suck fuel, and the engine exhaust is also used to pressurize the fuel tank to push gas in to the engine as well.

My suspicion at this point is that the carb is not seating properly on the engine, and air is leaking in through that joint. I might try a new o-ring there, or maybe a new carb (the existing one is a little dented).

That's where it stands at this point. I suppose if worst comes to worst I can always purchase a new engine and fit in on the buggy. The rest of the mechanical and electrical components are in great shape.

--phil 3/19/02

I spent several hours attempting to start this car with my good friend Andy. We actually managed to make it catch several times, but each time the car stalled out in a few seconds. It seems that fule flow is still a problem. We're not quite sure how to adjust carb screws, particularly since there is also a fuel flow adjustment in the fule line as well. If anyone has info on that, I'd love to hear it.

Also, I searched on ebay and found a Kyoto Landjump for sale. Thanks to Ruenjou Lu, I now know that is the same car as the Silverfox (although apparently with a different engine). That buggy was selling for $255. I'm low on cash right now, so selling this thing is really tempting. Guess we'll see...

I've also added Ruenjou's comments at the bottom of the page. This Silverfox seems to be the one thing on my website that everyone is interested in.

--phil 1/29/03

Update: I sold the SilverFox! I never really got it running, and I realized I just didn't have the time to devote to it. The good news: it went for $406.00 on ebay! So, I don't feel too bad.

--phil 3/19/03

Update: Bob Harald sent me a link to his page about engine problems. I don't need the info now, but maybe one of you out there will find it useful.

Comments from Others:

Hello there,

I'm Dotan and i'm from Israel. I'm like you searching for information about the dune buggy SILVER FOX and without any result. I have also this kind of car and beleave me she is running VERY GOOD. Please fill up what type of problem you have, so i can help you. My mail acount is "[email protected]" Please response fast.

Hi there,

My name is Vincent, but everybody call me Vince. I also have a Silver Fox and I still have the manual. Not the one from Varicom, but the older one, from Thunder Tiger. In fact it's exactly the same buggy with just few minor changes, so the manual I have may help you. If you would be interested, maybe I can scan it and give it to you by email in PDF format. I have to admit that there is not a lot of information in it though. Anyway, if you want to contact me, feel free. [email protected]

Good luck with that great buggy!!

From an unknown hobbyist:

i used to own a kyosho vanning and this silver fox which i have never heard of looks exactly like it other than the suspension placement.

Hi! I also have the Varicom Silver Fox with the 21 size Thunder Tiger engine. I have been completely unable to find any information about it. I've gotten some funny looks from people who have seen the car also. I believe my engine needs to be rebuilt. It doesn't really pop at the top of the stroke. I really HATE not having a pullstart. If anyone has any idea on parts or any additional information on this car, let me know! [email protected] Thanks a lot! -Cameron

Hi Phil, I was reading your article about your Silver Fox. I actually bought one of those in 86 or 87. I only used it a couple of times but I still have it. Not as good as shape as yours but it is just begging to be taken out and cleaned up. Have you gotten anywhere on yours? I loved seeing the pics of my car on the net. I actually forgot what kind it was until I saw your article. :) Well, look forward to hearing about your success on your car. Thanks...Tony

Found your site through yahoo via "Kyosho Landjump" and saw a nicely finished Sliverfox. Knowing that you have some troubles starting it, I'll offer my 0.02. I owned it a few years ago. It was made by Thunder Tiger in mid 80's. It's a knockout of Kyosho Landjump.

To start the engine you need an airplane style starter with a rubber starting wheel on it. It is cumbersome to hold the car still and make sure good contact of the starter to flywheel. It also depends on your experience level on model engines.

I was able to start my Silverfox and adjusted the car to have some fun. Unfortunately the major problem of this car, including Kyosho Landjump and Vanning, is the chain drive. Either the chain breaks or the main gear is stripped with a short run time. I eventually sold both cars. The new generation buggies are shaft driven and are much more reliable.

I still collect vintage buggies. It is a 2WD Kyosho Baja Rowdy or Baja Racing. If you are interested, take a look at http://members.aol.com/ruenjou/vintage_buggies

I am also in the Bay Area and belong to Bayside RC Club in Fremont. If you need help starting the Silverfox, drop me a line and I can help you out.

Ruenjou