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Hi all,

I'd like to share my MP5 restoration project. This was my runner from 1996, I'd kept it all these years thinking one day I'd slap a new chassis on it, now after 20 years I'm finally getting around to this


First item to check off was indeed to find a new chassis to replace the old scuffed piece. I managed to find this long wheelbase conversion kit. The great thing about the kit has to be that it comes also with a rear centre universal and rear universal drive shafts that add more track width. Apparently this would become standard in the MP6. Front and rear track rods are also included and the aluminium rod looks better than the threaded originals.


A new IF12 front centre universal then fully replaced all the dog bones that were originally standard.


I was lucky to chance upon a big lot of MP5/6 parts on Ebay. This allowed me to replace all my plastics.. they make the car look much newer. This lot came also with special tie rods and steering rods that make camber adjustment easier.

One thing I found out was that there were 2 colours to the aluminum plate parts. My original car had aluminum suspension plates, radio tray in unanodized/natural anodized silver, but I've started replacing them with the champagne/light gold versions... still waiting for the remaining pieces to arrive.

My runner had the optional IFW8 alloy center diff mounts. I found a Kyosho Thorsen center diff to install it with. The Thorsen diff called for a different part number to the spur gear which I couldn't find, but I managed to modify the stock plastic spur gear to fit.

Now I'm waiting for more parts that I've hunted to arrive. Rather than install my original blue shocks that have faded, I've decided to fit later-year silver ones IFW30/61 fronts and IFW31 rears.

Waiting eagerly too for a set of blue wheels and rear wing too

Looks really good and super cool that it's your original car. I'm looking forward to more progress pictures. Thanks for posting!

Thanks Lavigna! Your Inferno builds are amazing and very inspiring. I hope I can get my build to a good level

I'm not too familiar with this Kyosho, looking forward to the build. It looks like a cool chassis!

That diff is engineering art !

Hi Coelacanth, starting from the Burns series this would be the 5th generation 1/8 gas buggy. I could be wrong but I think with the MP5, Kyosho was the first to introduce front chassis kick-up to the 1/8 class.

Hi Dadio, I love the way the diff works too. Although it looks complex you can take it apart rather easily.

Dadio wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:58 pm That diff is engineering art !

I agree!
I've never seen anything like it.

So, this gear set is only on one side?
If so then the unit will require would a counter balance weight to prevent vibration.
Very cool!



Also, notice that there are disc brakes on both output shafts so it's possible to adjust brake bias. Amazing!

Hi Doug,

There's a total of 6 worm gears and 2 of them you see in this picture is also behind on the other side.


The diagram shows just 2 standing D22's and 2 axial D22's (they should have named it D-something else; these are shorter) but in fact there are 4 standing D22's.

Actually the spelling is incorrect and they should be spelt TORSEN (TORque SENsing). Such a diff works like your regular diff when the amount of torque, in this case as a center diff, going to the front or rear wheels, is equal, but as soon as one set of wheels lose traction, the difference in torque causes the TORSEN gears to bind together, thereby applying more torque to the set of wheels with more traction.

It was more common in the day with the Italian 1/8 gas buggies, SVM, Bergonzoni had them. Today aftermarket brands like Fioroni make them for the modern MP9, etc.

While waiting for the rest of the other parts to arrive, I started to look for a period correct engine. At the time, the ubiquitous match would be from OS engines, namely the 21RZ-B. I made a call to my LHS to ask, and truly amazingly, he still had one unused unit in his store! This turned out to be the first version of the 21RZ-B, released in 1995 if I'm correct, the same year as the MP5, so I couldn't be happier!

I've mounted the BSW51 optional engine mounts - they were on my car back in '96, and still looked alright after a bit of degreasing; also a new set of flywheel, shoes and clutch bell.


This engine has an interesting design with the provision for what I reckon to be unburnt fuel to flow from the backplate back to the carb. To this day I'm still not sure of the design intent.


I've also sourced for a matching manifold and an OS muffler.


The period-correct pipe should be the T-2010. This T-2030 is circa 2000~2001, but it looks very much like the 2010, so I feel it's alright. Note how I've capped the stinger.. in Singapore where I live the weather is humid and you need to seal all points of entry to the engine if you'd like it to stay free of corrosion over time!

My IFW61 front shocks arrived today. They are described "ML" or mid-long front. Together with IFW31 "L" rear shocks, these were the package on the MP5 Evo2 and MP6 International.

It turned out that the ML fronts require the IFW20 taller front shock towers. The IFW20 is blue, and that wouldn't quite pair up aesthetically with the black IFW10 rear tower. So the IFW61 will move to another project. I'd stay with the matching IFW9 front tower but go back to the original blue shocks.

After cleaning up my original shocks, I found more wear than I'd like for this shelf build. Moreover the blue anodizing has overall faded with time.. a new shock body next to it tells the story.


So it was back to a little hunting with my LHS. Fortunately they still had old stocks of them.

New shocks assembled and mounted


While still waiting on my other parts I continued to hunt for period-correct servos. The closest I could find were these. These KO's could be circa 1999 and really more in the time of the MP6. If anyone knows more on these KO's please share with me.

Today I started installing the servos and mounting the engine. The radio plate needed a little filing to allow these servos to fit.


Until now I forget the intricacies of the linkages of the 1/8 buggy.

Great build! You´ll need to get that purple engine mount re-done in blue