rere Turbo Scorpion build

[asciibaron]

like many here, i first got into rc cars in the 1980's. the Tower Hobbies catalog was well worn and dog eared, the page with the Kyosho Scorpion was read and re-read dozens of times. at that time i could only afford the Kyosoho Pegasus, a car i would literally drive into the ground. but it was no Scorpion. i would go on to pick up a Tamiya Blackfoot in 1986, an AYK Radiant (the poor man's Optima?) in 1987 and then a Team Losi JRX-T in 1989. i raced the JRX until 1991 and then everything went into a big box and stored away in my parent's basement.

jump ahead 31 years and my interest in rc cars has rekindled after digging out that box of rc cars at my parents. once again i found myself looking at the Kyosho Scorpion and day dreaming about driving it. unlike the 1980's, i don't have to mow lawns to save up for my hobby. i decided to pickup a few Kyosho cars, the Turbo Optima, the Turbo Scorpion, and eventually the Ultima. last week i received the Turbo Scorpion and promptly set about the task of assembling the car.

i'm not breaking any new ground here with shots of the box and packaging, but it's where we all start the process.

i'd never seen a Scorpion in person and i wasn't sure what to expect when building it. i was immediately impressed with the quality of the metal parts for the frame. as an engineer, the design is intriguing and i felt a sense of regret for not having bought one in the 1980's.

the pre-assembled gearbox made assembly a fast but still enjoyable process. as an owner of a vintage VW, the rear suspension seemed oddly familiar.

it did not take long to have the chassis completed. i sat for more than a few minutes admiring the design and precision of the Kyosho kit.

with the tub in place and the wheels attached, the assembly is nearly complete.

i assembled the body with the roll cage and driver to see how it looks. it looks mighty fine and is ready for the electronics.

i installed a Radiolink R6FG receiver, a Hobbywing 1060 ESC and an Airtronics servo from the 1980's (taken from the AYK Radiant's mechanical speed control). i had ordered a Kyosho G20 motor and instead of waiting for it to arrive i installed a Tamiya Sport Tuned 540 motor and took the Turbo Scorpion for a test run in the alley behind my house. i had a blast running around the alley seeing what the car could do. i run with 4600 maH NiMH batteries and wasn't sure how long the car would run... i was out for a good half hour blasting around the alley before it started to show signs of the battery running down. i LOVE this car, it's a fun and easy build and it puts a huge stupid grin on my face when driving it.

i still have to paint the body and apply the decals, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying this great looking and really fun driving car.

thanks for following along.

[XLR8]

Well done, sir.
I've found the overall quality of Kyosho products are second to none and I believe the TS is one of the best looking 2wd buggies of all time.

If anyone is interested...
Out of the box, my runner car tended to oversteer on a loose dirt track so I've made some rear suspension mods to provide some toe-in options and reduce camber angle at normal ride height.

Here's the modded assembly vs. stock:

That said, the mods certainly aren't necessary to just go out and have some fun - as you've already discovered.
It's a great car and thanks for taking time to post your build here.

[asciibaron]

I believe the TS is one of the best looking 2wd buggies of all time.

Out of the box, my runner car tended to oversteer on a loose dirt track so I've made some rear suspension mods to provide some toe-in options and reduce camber angle at normal ride height.

you are 100% correct, it is the best looking 2wd buggy of all time. it looks the business.

very nice straightforward mod for adding adjustments to the toe-in and camber. i was considering using a shim on the outward swing arm mounting post to add camber but i wasn't sure how it would affect the angle of the driveshaft in the rear axle cup at full compression.

[XLR8]

In stock form, my car's rear camber angle measured 6-1/2 degrees which I felt was far too much for optimal rear traction. It also caused uneven tire wear.
The redesigned stanchions brought the angle back to 1 degree which is what I run on my RC10's.
The car handles much better now but it still won't perform as well as an RC10 using the same motor and battery.
Nevertheless, I very much enjoy running the car. It looks awesome out on the track.

[silvertriple]

Also does anyone know the exact parts differences between the Scorpion and Turbo Scorpion?

The rear plate is different and the Turbo Scorpion is having a longer wheelbase. There is other differences, however the main difference I noted:
- shocks are longer on Turbo Scorpion (they are the same as Optima Fronts). Same goes for the shocks mounts that are bigger
- front train is larger (the bar on which is the supsension arms are mounted is longer)
- wheels/tires
- wheek driver is hex on the Turbo Scorpion, while friction driver on the others
- roll bar, roll cage, roof, bodyshell
- wing and wing mount

Hope it helps...