My Turbo Optima

[Meanee]

I have been wanting a Turbo Optima for a long time..... Reciently I splashed out on this. Cast your expert eyes over these pics and tell me if there is anything missing or wrong? The motor wires and the drive peg are things I know. Are the tires and rims Option house??
I have had my Baja bug and the Marui batt operated one for many years.

[DennisM]

That´s a nice buggy
To me it looks pretty original, no non Kyosho parts.
Tires and rims are option parts, as You wrote.
Perhaps You should dismantle the motor before running it - The attached hexkey gave me that idea

[Coelacanth]

Looks pretty nice, bumper brace is intact, the front aluminum chin skidplate doesn't look bent as they usually are, the shock bodies look like they don't have much of the anodizing rubbed off...that car looks like it wasn't run much. Add a steering servo and rod, and it looks like it's ready to run. Should clean up nicely!

[Meanee]

Hey thanks for your imput. Do you have the dimentions for the steering rod? I have pulled the motor apart to have a clean.... So gona wanna hav a run of it.

[Jirka]

Your 1:10 Turbo Optima does really look nice and I think that those Option House wheels and tires, even they are not the the original Turbo Optima parts, are even more better than the stock items. Those tires were often used in races, maybe the best Kyosho 2" tires. Only thing that I see that Your car is missing is Le Mans 240S motor (the one with red label) and motor guard, also on Option House part.

But really interesting is the smallest Turbo Optima that You have. It has Marui text in it's front bumber so could that be Marui made? Is there anywhere written Kyosho in that car?

Jirka

EDIT to 1:10 Turbo Optima: Also front drive shafts seems to be dogbones, they should be universals.

[DennisM]

Before You make up Your mind on the steering servo installation, You should have a look around in here.
Some of the guys, has mounted the steering servo in the cutout for the MSC servo, with a longitude rod connected to the steering bellcranks.
I can´t remember their handles, but if we´re lucky, they´ll chime in.

If You´re going to run it with a ESC, I would choose that solution.

[Jirka]

You can download the manual (if You need one) here: http://www.retromodelisme.com/manuel_page/139/turbo-optima-kyosho.html . When You have the first page open, click the picture from upper left corner where is "Version high resolution" and You will get the picture even more bigger (You can see only part of the picture) and save those big pictures to Your computer.

Jirka

[Jirka]

Before You make up Your mind on the steering servo installation, You should have a look around in here.
Some of the guys, has mounted the steering servo in the cutout for the MSC servo, with a longitude rod connected to the steering bellcranks.
I can´t remember their handles, but if we´re lucky, they´ll chime in.

If You´re going to run it with a ESC, I would choose that solution.

That is Optima Pro "steering servo solution" where the battery was moved more forward than in Optima/Tirbo Optima. Because of this, Optima Pro did have different (plastic?) top deck.

Jirka

[DennisM]

Your 1:10 Turbo Optima does really look nice and I think that those Option House wheels and tires, even they are not the the original Turbo Optima parts, are even more better than the stock items. Those tires were often used in races, maybe the best Kyosho 2" tires. Only thing that I see that Your car is missing is Le Mans 240S motor (the one with red label) and motor guard, also on Option House part.

But really interesting is the smallest Turbo Optima that You have. It has Marui text in it's front bumber so could that be Marui made? Is there anywhere written Kyosho in that car?

Jirka

EDIT to 1:10 Turbo Optima: Also front drive shafts seems to be dogbones, they should be universals.

To my knowledge, the motorguard was optional and not a part of the kit?

I´ve seen the "Steering servo solution" performed on Optimas and Turbo´s aswell.
This was done because of the, mildly put, extremely bad original servomount solution

[Jirka]

Your 1:10 Turbo Optima does really look nice and I think that those Option House wheels and tires, even they are not the the original Turbo Optima parts, are even more better than the stock items. Those tires were often used in races, maybe the best Kyosho 2" tires. Only thing that I see that Your car is missing is Le Mans 240S motor (the one with red label) and motor guard, also on Option House part.

But really interesting is the smallest Turbo Optima that You have. It has Marui text in it's front bumber so could that be Marui made? Is there anywhere written Kyosho in that car?

Jirka

EDIT to 1:10 Turbo Optima: Also front drive shafts seems to be dogbones, they should be universals.

To my knowledge, the motorguard was optional and not a part of the kit?

I´ve seen the "Steering servo solution" performed on Optimas and Turbo´s aswell.
This was done because of the, mildly put, extremely bad original servomount solution

Yes You are right. Motor guard was an option part, I did check this from manual and catalogs. But it was very common hotup part.

The steering servo solution also helped with weight distribution. Schumacher and BP (and others? like SG) did have competitive mid motor 4wd cars already this time and Optimas did have a "little" more understeering than those mid motor 4wd cars.

Jirka

[Coelacanth]

EDIT to 1:10 Turbo Optima: Also front drive shafts seems to be dogbones, they should be universals.

The Turbo Optima never came with universals. Dogbones were original parts for the Optima, Javelin, Turbo Optima & Salute. However, CVDs or universals would be a highly recommended upgrade option.

Meanee, I went another route to improve steering on 2 of my Optimas, using a 4.8mm ball stud and hex ball, and a turnbuckle instead of that tiny threaded servo rod, making steering adjustments easier, much stronger and less sloppy--and practically impossible for the ball ends to pop off the balls, which was a *big* issue with the original design. It's a bit more finicky and probably more work than the other "extended rod" solution, but you get to keep your servo in the original location.

Hopefully these 2 images should show you how it works. Basically, you get a 3mm turnbuckle with the correct length (I'd have to measure this for you if you go that route), put a 4.8mm ball cup on one end and a 4.8mm Delrin open-ended ball end on the other. The ball cup pops onto a 4.8mm ball stud installed on the servo saver assembly. The Delrin ball end pops on a 4.8mm hex ball, shaved down so it fits as close as possible to the inside surface of the servo horn, and screw on the hex ball with a 3mm screw, also cut down so it doesn't protrude beyond the hex ball when tightened up.

http://www.rc10talk.com/download/file.php?id=59736&mode=view
http://www.rc10talk.com/download/file.php?id=76730&mode=view

[Jirka]

EDIT to 1:10 Turbo Optima: Also front drive shafts seems to be dogbones, they should be universals.

The Turbo Optima never came with universals. Dogbones were original parts for the Optima, Javelin, Turbo Optima & Salute. However, CVDs or universals would be a highly recommended upgrade option.

Yes, You are correct too. It was Turbo Optima Mid that had universals in stock in front.

Jirka

[Mad Racer]

Nice score.

As others said this example looks to have little use. I find it a bit odd that the motor is a Le Mans 240 can with a different end bell as it should be all red.

My Turbo Optima I bought new never came with front universals. It was a option I think but It was a long time ago so I could be wrong. I do remember buying the motor guard though.

[Meanee]

Thanks again for the info.
I think i will go the direct route for the steering thanks for the pics Coelacanth
My Mid Se has Universals.
Pic of the motor



The Marui car has kyosho on the back.....Pic for Jirka
Has 2wd or 4wd options with a switch and high or low gearing switch.
I have another Marui that is called a Shogun.
its not le mans powered....has a mabuchi special motor.