kyoshofan223

Just finished the build & have some adjustments .. My first concern is the slop in the steering.. I spent plenty of time making sure the tie-rods were even, and centered the servo, but the turning radius & endpoints are still out of whack. I hate these tiny tie-rods they are such a pain to adjust. I don't expect there to be any aftermarket solutions to that though, since you can barely get replacement parts for the cars in this series. The thing sure is purty, but I'm going to run it hard. No more tracks here, so it'll be the smoothest parking lot I can find.. but I need to get it dialed in first. Anyone have any tips for the steering?

The response I got from Kyosho America was: "From what I can tell, I do not think they will match up. I think the Mid SE was a long wheelbase conversion, our manual is in Japanese, but the part numbers are showing OTW1-9 which are the Long wheelbase from what I can tell. I hope that helps." But I also know for sure what I have is a SWB ...I'm not quite at the stage of the project where I'll need it, but I'd better buy one soon though ... the way these re-re parts are already disappearing...

I was making it much harder than it needed to be. Granted I still would probably never have gotten it on there, at least not without going through another bag of e-clips... but I needed to clip on the bottom one first. There's a little graphic in the manual that is supposed to indicate this, a 1>2>3 sorta graphic, but even with that it's kinda hard to tell. I brought it to a nearby hobby shop & got both problems solved. New glasses & better/correct tools would have prevented a lot of frustration.

I can't seem to figure out if any of the chassis available, OEM or aftermarket, would be a direct replacement for my original Kyosho Turbo Optima Mid SE. Because there were so many versions of the Mid series, there's a whole lot of confusion on this subject. Kyosho America wasn't able to give me a definitive answer. The original I'm trying to replace is 12" long & 3" wide at its widest point (see attached photos). I can find some examples that are close, but the dimensions are off or a couple of the holes don't line up. I suppose as a last resort I could drill extra holes, but I would really, really, really prefer to avoid doing so. I think this might be the closest example, but I can't tell for sure. Any help appreciated!

I know this thread is ancient; as is the car... I have one of these NIB if you need any other specific pages scanned... opening the instruction manual is probably as close as I'll come to building the thing. It has to be the rarest kit in my collection.

No, it's not ... but that was my attempt at a workaround; using the e-clip tool for the e-clip .. because I can't hold that thing down with my hands.. also, that tool has no groove in it & is a ludicrous expectation in my opinion - to try and use that to attach the clip

I do .. and sometimes it works better than the pliers.. I should probably spend the money to get a better one ... but in this case it's really just about doing two things at the same time. The caster jig is really flimsy & doesn't even do its job very well in the first place .. but holding a spring with that tool AND trying to snap an e-clip on there simultaneously is just impossible...or at least I can't do it.

A couple of issues I'm having with my Plazma - Kyosho 1/12 really... haven't been able to find any help yet .. maybe someone here?! 1. I can't get by step #2 - It seems completely impossible to hold the spring down while attaching the e-clip. I've run into hard spots on builds before, but this just feels ludicrous. My bad vision isn't helping, but it feels like without an extra set of mini-hands, it's not going to happen. 2. This one's actually for my Fantom - I'm having a helluva time (meaning I can't in any universe apply enough force to remove it) getting this hub apart (photo attached). I tried WD-40, hot water... can't get it off with that plastic wheel wrench. Any suggestions? 3. Anyone know if there is a set of adjustable M2x35mm tie-rods out there for this thing? I'll spare you the "why" but I'd really like some sturdier rods & ball ends - can't find anything that'll fit, but a few that are close... Any suggestions at all very much appreciated!

Old topic I know .. but anyone know of some aluminum rims that'd fit without any adapters? Thanks.

Super cool ... thanks. If you asked me if Kyosho would have re-released any of these old 1/12 cars, I'd have thought you were crazy. I am still blown away by them coming out with 3 versions of the Fantom. I really thought I was the only one left who even cared about these cars. I just wish they'd keep the parts in stock. I can't even find a replacement body for it! I have the original, which used to be rare & valuable! The main question is whether or not I'll be able to bite the bullet & run it in the parking lot, and just accept the thrashing of my chassis & exposed transmission when running into a little sand & a few pebbles. There's not a single on-road or carpet track anywhere in my state these days. They just can't seem to stay in business. I have a whole fleet of 1/12 cars & nowhere to drive them anymore.

Agreed... got mine pre-ordered from Amain (and getting impatient) ... What I'm trying to figure out is whether or not I can retrofit the new ball diff designed for this re-release onto my Plazma MKII... since i could search the planet until the end of my days & still never find a new original gear set for that ancient thing...

Ever find anything? I need Spur Gear EF-20

Ok, I'm starting to feel a bit silly. I built this Wild One Blockhead Motors Edition (some of you may recall my whining during some trouble I had with it) a while back, primarily as a display model since I get the feeling it would fall apart after a few laps at the track (and it's just too cool looking to scuff up)... It's actually RTR, but it's kinda silly to leave a good battery in there, so I went to remove it, and it is hopelessly stuck. I am scared to apply much pressure, since that decision is how I broke some very weak plastic parts during the build, but in this case I don't see how I could be doing anything wrong. Anyone have a similar experience or might be able to offer any suggestions? Thanks a lot. IMG_4297v.mov

Those era-correct restorations have gotten much harder nowadays. Really a paradigm shift in vintage R/C collecting altogether. I'm seeing more and more folks posting outrageous collections of hoarded vintage models NIB, & the guys posting stuff for ridiculous prices finally started selling them. I dunno, perhaps it's a microcosm of the overall trend of haves having a lot more & the have-nots having less; but all just speculation. Maybe it's a little like the "poster-cars" from the 80s that have appreciated at an insane rate now that guys in my generation can afford to buy the toys they dreamt of in high school. I can relate to the desire for period-correct restoration for the full nostalgia experience..definitely some seller's remorse now that I'd love to have my Novak T-1 ESC, NES 1-A servo, and NER-2X receiver back. I have a brand new 7.2V Kyosho battery for my Plazma MKII, but even if I found the Novak electronics by some miracle, it'd cost $1k or more. Did you ever find what you were looking for?

Anyone have an opinion on the Annimos 45KG High Torque Steering Servo for this car? I've not heard of the brand, but it seems to be a good budget-friendly choice for an application that'll really just include fun-laps at the local track. The thing is way too pretty to get it all jacked up bashing in the random desert wilderness, and I'm not into racing. I already blew the budget on the shiny Kyosho electronics (I know, I know, but I couldn't resist... I have them in my Fantom & Turbo Optima & they run as good as they look). I am thinking I probably won't notice the difference between this & a Savox brushless servo for 2x the price. Any opinions on this model or experiences with the brand itself? Thanks.