rere Turbo Scorpion build
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 9:14 am
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.
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.