Kyosho Turbo Burns - New Rebuild

[Lavigna]

These are new waters for me. This is the first Kyosho I have ever owned. However, it is my ultimate RC dream build. When I was about 12 years old, I would drool over the Turbo Burns in the 1991/1992 Tower Hobbies Catalog. I would daydream about driving and owning one. I had never even seen a nitro RC at that point, but I imagined they must be the coolest thing around. Of course this vehicle was way out of my league in many ways, but I always told myself I would someday own one.

That day has come. I snagged a new, but built and dirty, Turbo Burns from eBay. It came with the box, manual, extra parts, OS RF engine, partial electronics, and it doesn't have a scratch on it. The engine has never been turned over. I was surprised how big the box is, and the front picture is so cool looking. It also came with decades worth of dust/grime covering most surfaces. Luckily, the rubber tires were not flattened, and still very soft. It is the perfect platform for a complete rebuild into an immaculate concourse shelfer. I basically want to build the ultimate RC for my 12 year old self.

The only down side are the following missing parts:
- Body
- Decals
- (6) aluminum wing washers & (2) aluminum cross braces

If anyone has the above pieces, please let me know. Currently, I am completely stripping the car down. Everything is getting cleaned, polished, inspected, etc. I have several Kyosho vintage upgrades coming, such as the black carbon/glass front and rear shock towers, front dual disc plate, and titanium tie-rods. I am still looking for the needed pieces to complete the dual disc brake conversion. I hope to eventually find a OS EX engine with the 10 finned blue head, or just the head itself, as the motor I have is identical on the outside. If anyone can suggest a source for the body and decals, that would be much appreciated. I would like to find original pieces, but reproduction is probably more likely.

I plan on painting the body box art, but these cars look so good in that vintage green too. Decisions, decisions.

There is not much information online regarding the Kyosho Burns cars that I have found. I have seen several other Turbo Burns builds, but none of them are to the level I am planning. If anyone has any good sources for info, or has much knowledge of the car, I would love to hear from you.

Here are a few pictures of how the car arrived. It was pretty grimy (pictures don't really show it) but immaculate underneath. I am expecting a great result. Hope you enjoy.

[Coelacanth]

Sorry I can't help, but I like that body too.

[tamiyadan]

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[Lonestar]

Still, it was a game changer... it took 8th offroad from a hobby for a selected few very experienced and "dirty-handed" modellers to a category that could be run by (almost) everyone...

[USA-1]

In all my years of racing the Inferno with the case harden steel gears I never had one failure, even the twins couldn't damage them, on the other hand It ate through the Aluminum and cast iron gears like it was nothing. Perhaps a Basher could damage them if they hit a lot of objects at full speed. The Inferno was a blast to run when I ran the oval track knocking out the 1/10 scales off the track.. I have 2 extras O.S RX-B engines, one Ron Paris version but has slightly sanded blue head to remove some scratches, manifold and a few pipes, but no spare blue head. I would install a 18 tooth clutchbell and a case harden steel main gear for the center differential.
My Burns became the twin headed monster truck... Also the body on the engines are not identical, you have an early version bottom of the totem pole in terms of power. If the BSW 1,2 steel gears were such a failure I'm sure they would complain about them during the Jack Johnson Southeast shoot out back in 92, they ran the crap out of them with no failures..

[DennisM]

lavigna -
Nice one!
Marwanrc can help You with the body and decals

[USA-1]

Here's some pic's of the two RX-B I swapped the blue head with the Ron Paris.


Latest Ron Paris modification was the black hard anodized back plate.

Looks like I'm missing one back plate bolt.


Here's some pic's of an extra dual engine chassis using 18 toothbells an case you have a itching to build one..


My Inferno's..



pm me if you're interested.

[Lavigna]

Here's some pic's of the two RX-B I swapped the blue head with the Ron Paris.

pm me if you're interested.

Nice looking buggies. That dual engine Burns chassis is insane! I am assuming that is custom?

I am looking for the earlier version OS EX engine. It has 10 cooling fins (instead of the 9 on your later versions) and is fully anodized blue (the half circle cuts are not bare aluminum like yours), and the cuts are straight. The early version is what is shown in the box art photos of the Turbo Burns. This version of the engine has the same lower half (external) to the RF version I have (except the EX/RF marking) and is why if I can only find an early version head, it will be close enough on my RF engine.

I do not have plans to run this buggy when I am done with it. Maybe very very light running in the driveway, but even that is unlikely. That is why I don't care about the durability of the gears, etc. I doubt I will ever find another brand new Turbo Burns, so I can't imagine driving it after all the work that is going to go into building it. I may build a runner if I can find a clean unit for a good price.

[Lavigna]

lavigna -
Nice one!
Marwanrc can help You with the body and decals

I have looked at that site. Can you vouch for the quality of the bodies and decals?

[Coelacanth]

Marwan's bodies are about the best you can get. A tad pricier than most, but excellent repros for bodies and stickers.

[tamiyadan]

.

[Lonestar]

same here... top notch product, super nice guy

[DennisM]

Marwan is serious about quality - It´s as close to the original as it comes.

[Lavigna]

Great to hear on the repo decals and body. Thanks for the input guys.

I have torn the car down, and am cleaning all the pieces. So far, no issues other than some stubborn nuts due to locktite. I have some option parts on the way, which I feel lucky to have found.

I may have found a brand new, optional hard anodized Gold chassis. I am kind of excited about this.

[USA-1]

Nice looking buggies. That dual engine Burns chassis is insane! I am assuming that is custom?

Yes it came straight off the dual engine ready for powder coating. I manage to fine another Burns/ crusher chassis in my stock pile and made a back up chassis this time I bend the chassis without make the slit cut you see on the gold chassis and was powder coated Blue.

As for that engine I have forgotten about that version. Looks like you might have the case harden steel gears, came stock on the top of the line Inferno and some turbo version, according to the manual if came with BWS 1,2 a better picture of the gears teeth and I can determine if that is indeed the case. Also the giant e-clip retainer to hold the gear on to the housing is good sign, I believe the Aluminum and the cast gears did not used the e-clip retainer.

Some fine examples here...https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/68284-kyosho-turbo-burns-is-it-worth-restoring/