Parma Scorpion

[Hcp22]

I have to admit that i have lost myself in hop-ups for the COX/Kyosho Scorpion. This time it’s all about hop-ups from Parma. Parma didn’t manufacture that many parts just for the Scorpion; most of the parts fit many other cars to. The parts I have gather for this project I have mostly found on eBay to reasonable prices. But reasonable prices is not always the case when it comes to hop-ups for the Kyousho Scorpion unfortunately, I just saw a Dirt Burners diff go for $325…

Sort story for you that don’t know anything about Parma:
Parma is one of the oldest RC manufactory’s hop-ups around. Ken MacDowell started “Parma Model Raceways” in n 1964 with a slot racing track in Parma, a town just outside Cleveland Ohio. 1968 “Parma International Inc.” was the leading manufactory in the slot racing business. In the middle of the 70’ Parma stared to make Lexan bodies for the growing RC market. Today 38 years later Ken’s son Mike is the one running the company.

I found a beat-up Kyousho Scorpion chassis as base for this project, and stared to clean it up. If you follow the manual you should star with the shock towers. Sins I gone us Parma’s shocks that are much longer than the original ones I needed “new” shock towers. Parma made one for the rear especially for the Kyousho Scorpion #1760, but for the front I have to make my own towers.

I made it out of 2mm aluminum and extend it with 5 holes and 25mm. The original is only 1.15 or 1.45mm thick, and that for slightly bending them apart when you are mounting the body. So I have to bend the new ones before I mounted them on the frame.

#12622 and #12625 is Parma’s pre-built and pre-oil filled shocks. And back in the days you cud chose between “soft-medium-hard” oil. I have tried to find of Parma’s collars and springs for this shocks, but I haven’t mange to find any. A month ago I found a set among with parts I didn’t want ore needed, for instance a Checkpoint motor; instead I tock black springs and collars from Kyosho gold shocks.

Surprisingly after 25 years only 1/3 of the oil was gone, so decided to do an oil change! I started with the rear ones. There I found a type of shaft that I never have seen before, the piston was mounted 5-6mm below the top. I think I know the reason for tis sins you have to leave a bit of air for the shock to work properly. After reassembly the rear ones I took a coffee break, 20 minutes later I return to do the fronts. Then I discovered that one of the rear shocks was leaking like Titanic… I wonder what went wrong, maybe the gasket… Okay, do it again and do it right… But that didn’t help at all, and I notice that the other one also had started to leak. Then I decided two things, leave the fronts as is and that tis car want be a runner, at least not with this shocks.

[Coelacanth]

Nice work so far. I enjoy seeing such iconic cars being modded and improved. Although I doubt I'll ever find a Scorpion at a price I could justify spending for, I'd love to give one the same kind of treatment I did with my Optimas, and build an "Uber Scorpion" or something.

[Hcp22]

Nice work so far. I enjoy seeing such iconic cars being modded and improved. Although I doubt I'll ever find a Scorpion at a price I could justify spending for, I'd love to give one the same kind of treatment I did with my Optimas, and build an "Uber Scorpion" or something.

Now I got curious, what is an “Uber Scorpion”? Lay it out for me please…

[Coelacanth]

Now I got curious, what is an “Uber Scorpion”? Lay it out for me please…

Take a regular Scorpion or Turbo Scorpion...identify all the weak spots and modify/upgrade as necessary...yard out the vintage archaic electronics and modernize as much as possible within the car's capabilities...and make it look like no other Scorpion, while still clearly showing off its Scorpion heritage.

Maybe something you're already planning to do, from the looks of it. Good luck with your build!

[DennisM]

This is looking good - Do you go for the parma shocks ?
It must be possible to rebuild them

[Hcp22]

Now I got curious, what is an “Uber Scorpion”? Lay it out for me please…

Take a regular Scorpion or Turbo Scorpion...identify all the weak spots and modify/upgrade as necessary...yard out the vintage archaic electronics and modernize as much as possible within the car's capabilities...and make it look like no other Scorpion, while still clearly showing off its Scorpion heritage.

Maybe something you're already planning to do, from the looks of it. Good luck with your build!

Yes I have, I think I’m ready for something in that neighborhood… I have seen some remarkable built from Japan from the mid 80’ that have inspired me. But I would love to see you sinking your teeth in a Scorpion, I have seen what you can accomplice with your cars!

[GJW]

i'm loving your scorpion's, great work! 325 for a diff

[Hcp22]

This is looking good - Do you go for the parma shocks ?
It must be possible to rebuild them

Tanks Dennis, those blue are Parma’s shocks and I haven’t found any rebuilt kit.

[Hcp22]

i'm loving your scorpion's, great work! 325 for a diff

Tanks GJW! and yes 325

[Phin]

What's nuts is that the bidder that lost the diff at $320 had already spent $162.50 for the Thorp Scorpion spur that was also on auction.


Anyway looks like this should be another great build Lars. That rear Parma tower looks pretty tall....does it work with the Scorp roll cage or is it meant to be used with a Parma body?

[Hcp22]

The funny thing is that $162.50 spur only works with Dirt Burners pinion gear that went for $5.50 the week before! But this seller seems to have a huge Dirt Burners lot for sale. I’m not surprised if more Scorpion stuff turns up for sale.

Thanks for the comment! And no, I won’t use a roller bar, you figure out the rest…

[Hcp22]

In the RCCA issue from August -87 you can read the column “watt’s new”, there you can find Parma’s 2” “Track Adjustment Wheels”, I don’t think this wheels was a big hit, and I never saw them in Sweden. But you guys would know that for sure if they ever hit it off in US. If they have ben introduced for the RC market 5 years earlier I think they had ben grate for the narrow Scorpion and a few others. So I will take the opportunity to widen the Scorpion a few mm.

Parma Adjustment Wheels.jpg (20.97 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

Parma Adjustment Wheels.jpg (20.97 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

These wheels came with only the wheels or wheels and tires. My rear set #12099 was with tires, a set of Tamiya Super-HotShot copies. The front wheels #12107 was just a set of wheels, no tires. For tires I have chosen what Parma calls “CAT Replacement Tires” #12030 at the rear and #12031 at the front.

I have tried to locate a Parma front bumper, but I haven’t found one yet. And I don’t even know if thy made one for the Scorpion. But in a moment frustration I lay down a bet on Fox bumper and won it for $6 ink shipping to Sweden and I didn’t know if it would fit the Scorpion. The only thing I had to do was a bit of rounding some corners, drill two new holes and it fits perfectly!

Parma didn’t make there one 540 motors, they did as many else did. They just order motors from Yokomo, Trinity and some others with their one Parma label on. Evan Swedish distributors did that, sold motors under there one label. The only Swedish company that did there on tweaking was Sping Motors. They tighten the winding and rebalanced before putting them together with their one label as far as I know.
I have two motors with a Parma label, one Trinity “Parma K stock” and one “Yokomo/Parma stock”. I don’t know anything about this stock motors, so it will be heads or tails.

Bild 19.jpg (14.36 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

Bild 19.jpg (14.36 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

To protect their motors from dust and gravel Parma sold a blue foam dustcover #11011. You can debate if it protected the motor from dust, but at least it let in some air compered to Kyosho’s own rubber cover that kept the motor warm and dust free. I know I use to use dustcovers when I started to race, but when we started to run 1700 mAh the motors got too hot even with those dustcovers. So we started to use heat sinks instead, therefore I will also install Parma’s #11027 heat sink.

Bild 20.jpg (14 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

Bild 20.jpg (14 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

[Hcp22]

Forgot this one

[DennisM]

Those rims and tyres look very cool - keep up the good work

[RedScampi]

Looks awesome with those rims! I have a set of those for 4wd with foams attached.