RC10Talk - The Net's Largest Vintage R/C Community

I'm starting to hunker down and choose projects for the winter, and the first one will be this trio of classic Kyoshos, all of which need some new body shells. First up, the Optima Mid. With 4WD and a low-slung chassis, this thing is crying out for a rally body. I recently scored this Parma Vauxhall...

The diff itself is fairly strong, but the outdrives can split. Luckily, splined Tamiya gear diff outdrives (touring cars, etc) have the same spline count, drop right in, and are much stronger. Just omit the little spring, which you won't need with universals anyway.

A couple of driving notes/tips. After a quick bomb around the yard, I lost one of the lower screws on the servo saver and lost steering. I forgot to thread lock the screw. Dont forget thread lock!!! Also, when the car hit the concrete patio in the backyard and I turned hard, the tires made a a sque...

If you're racing and don't need reverse, a Novak Explorer might fit the bill. It has the classic Novak orange case and purple heat sinks, but it's high-frequency and has the one touch setup. Pretty cheap, too, because they're in that "not really vintage, just old" age range. I can't wait t...

I think I'd switch to a modern 2.4ghz radio before going any further on horsepower. It doesn't need to be fancy or expensive. Simple systems from Spektrum, Tactic, or the Chinese brands work just fine. No more "what channel are you on?" worries, much less interference, stubby or nonexisten...

I try to keep things organized somewhat, but yes, I have a sizeable "junkyard." My RC10 bin. I could build 3 rolling chassis out of there, with the addition of a couple shock towers and some Stealth internals. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qX1sVVgoZo4/VEv5LHvTbUI/AAAAAAAAET4/eRVrEaWEM...

I have one that I haven't finished yet - I was looking for longer rear axles to push the rear wheels out where they belong. Found some mystery axles I think will work, but haven't tried them yet. I'm planning to paint it like a standard-issue US-spec '70s Rabbit, probably beige or brown.

Nice find! And it sounds like you have a similar attitude as me when it comes to the oldies: Air them out, but don't WEAR them out. It's enough fun to see a 25 year old car moving under its own power without treating it like some RTR toy. Enjoy! But be careful: RC10s tend to multiply. I currently ha...

Looks like fun to me. I'd love to try driving one of the big 1/5 scale cars... but I don't know where I'd store one.

He should have made the blower belt turn, though...

Get one. New or used, original or re-re, doesn't matter. The Lunchbox-style chassis is tons of fun, nearly indestructible, and actually a little less wheelie-prone than the Wild WIlly 2 and its new family. But the Willy is a more satisfying build, and has more optional parts available. Can't go wron...

A change of pace. Been wanting one of these for ages...

A couple more photos and some more impressions on my blog...

http://dustylexan.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/kyosho-scorpion-eighties-metal-revival/

Well, I kept mine really simple, paint-wise... https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VC0tbQ8Yqhw/U9WC1el1V_I/AAAAAAAADzw/dCJUla8Ck34/s800/DSCF1221.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6dDRweMMMyM/U9WC5B2GFHI/AAAAAAAADz4/qp8XpDzZ_C4/s800/DSCF1223.JPG ...which is fine, because it won't stay pristine fo...

The front of the body is kind of a tight fit, but if you think about it, with the battery compartment underneath, you don't need to remove the body very often.

It's absolutely the right screw. It's the same as the other side. I looked more closely, and on the other side there's a mold line running right where it split - must have been weaker on one side than the other. Heating up the screw would have been a good idea. Oh well, it's going to be run anyway. ...