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Not to leave well enough alone I had to tear into my Kyosho Scorpion.



I bought this scorpion about ten years ago and restored it best I could. I wasn't totally satisfied with how it came out. It looks nice in the pics but the aluminum parts were dinged and scratched up. Polishing can only do so much. Along the way I've picked up quite a few new OEM and aftermarket parts. These buggies aren't as plentiful so it takes a long time to collect those parts. My plan now is to build two scorpions. One with lots of aftermarket parts and another with just a few. I've started on the aftermarket buggy first because I know it's going to take longer to try and fit everything together. Many times aftermarket parts from different manufacturers don't always work in conjunction with each other.

First order of business is transmission. I will be using a new transmission case. A Thorp ball diff and idler gear with a CRP brass counter gear.



To power this buggy I chose to use a new in the bag modified motor from MRP



I added ball bearings to a new gear case. I found that the CRP counter gear would float so I used two ball bearings on one side and one on the other. After the transmission was built I did the rest of the rear end. A CRP fiberglass shock tower that will allow for longer rear shocks. JG aluminum rear cage. CRP fiberglass arm mounts and CRP suspension pin mounts. The plastic rear arms are from Houge racing. I have set of MRP arms but they would need modification to open up the mount area plus I wanted to use a set of RC10 axles so that I can use an extra set of Tecnacraft RC10 size wheels.





Next up was the front suspension. The fiberglass shock towers as well as the plastic suspension arms are from MRP. The front arm shaft, kydex bumper, aluminum shock tower brace and aluminum radio box braces are from CRP. I replaced all the ball cups with ones from Dubro. The turnbuckle steering rods and trailing links are from Bolink.



The old frame was bent in the front so I used a new in the bag frame that I polished.

Damn that is nice

I know the way to San Jose and I am getting in the car, I need some parts

Sweet sho! Where ever did you find that motor . NIP early 1980's motors are such a tough get.

Pushing the period correct envelope with the turnbuckles in the linkage are ya? At least for the camber links, you could take some 1" titanium 4-40 screws, and cut the caps of them to make titanium threaded rods. It's in tune with the home-brewed them that these buggy's had when built to race bitd, and trick I think.

I picked up that motor along with another NIB MRP motor from a local hobby shop several years ago. I want to say they were about $15 a piece.

I wrangled back and forth on the steering rods. I actually have a CRP trailing links set that is basically 4/40 rod and dubro links. In the end I may switch them out to be more period correct.

Nice project. I really wonder how these hopped up cars run. How would they fair against, say, a rc10 team car?...

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=32824

It´s hard to say, but taken into consideration that the scorpion was 82-83 ish and the team car is from 1990 - and add that the developments of the race buggys was going really fast in that time span - I´d find it strange if the scorpion could match it


The main rival for the Scorpion was the SRB´s from Tamiya and between those two, I know where I´d put my money.

With the little time I was able to spend on my project was taken up figuring out what dampers to use. I spent a lot of time stripping some old Delta's only to find that they really aren't going to work like I wanted them to. So I decided to use a set of Kyosho CB 88's. Here is how they look installed on the back.



To mount them on the front, I'll need to make longer shock towers which is okay because these MRP ones look really wimpy anyway.

Man do those shocks bring back memories. I had them on my Scorpion and could never figure out how to bleed them right. I also had an issue with one of the shock collars, it was too tight on the body and would not slide up and down easy.

Those Houge arms look fantastic.. never even knew they existed.. What else did they make for the Scorpion?

Raman wrote:Man do those shocks bring back memories. I had them on my Scorpion and could never figure out how to bleed them right. I also had an issue with one of the shock collars, it was too tight on the body and would not slide up and down easy.

I had those shocks on the original Optimas and they were a b!tch to get dialed in properly...and when you finally did, they leaked. They're beautiful, mind you. Though I must admit, seeing those alloy collars with the grub screws possibly biting into those beautiful red anodized shock bodies makes me cringe...

Coelacanth wrote: I had those shocks on the original Optimas and they were a b!tch to get dialed in properly...and when you finally did, they leaked

You had CB's on an Optima? They are not the stock red optima shocks....I dont know that ive ever seen anyone put CB's on one come to think of it. That would be a cool upgrade but keep the look. hmmm

Sorry, they looked like red long Optima shocks at a glance. The rest of my comment still applies.

they make grub screws with soft tips now, I need to order some. They arent cheap but im sure they are worth it!

Ya I cringed when I lightly tightened the grub screw down. I guess I could have put a little spit ball in before the grub screw and that might protect the shock shaft a bit

I love all this hop-up parts, this is a real killer

gomachv wrote:they make grub screws with soft tips now, I need to order some. They arent cheap but im sure they are worth it!

WAY cheeper than a set of CB88's

http://www.mcmaster.com/#94095a020/=q8xhxs