Finally got round to it - photos of the TOP Scythe
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008Here are some pics of my TOP Scythe. For those that don’t know this is a 1/10th electric touring car, combining the best of HPI, Yokomo and TOP’s own parts to make a very competitive chassis.
I just took these pics quickly as it is a sunny day, the car was run at an outdoor meeting a couple of days ago hence the tyre dust all over it. Sorry if it offends your eyes.
Somewhat battered shell now, having had the car 9 months or so. It is a Protoform Mazdaspeed 6 if you were wondering.
Under the shell. The car is quite close to standard, there are a few bling parts on there like the red nuts, but I still run the plastic bulkheads because for me the car is a lot easier to drive like that. And yes, I know I am using stone age brushed/NiMH/40MHz technology - but it works!
Couple of quick comments about this side - Keyence speedo is far and away the best brushed speedo I have ever used - totally programmable on-board and no schottky or power cap needed. I am using a low-profile servo (Futaba S9550) which does not overhang the chassis. And my lead ballast (50g of it to make 1500g safely) is in the centre of the chassis, just in front of the motor mount and beside the ESC. At some point I might experiment and move some of it behind the motor mount for a more rearward CG which should add stability when the grip is low.
Shot of the front showing the TOP steel spool - a very worthwhile addition on carpet and tarmac IMHO. Also, a tip on shock mounting, get some longer screws (M3×16mm) and fit backwards with a locknut so you can remove them more easily for maintenance and not crush the plastic mounts.
Another shot here showing the optional split suspension mounts - I use them because I run a raised front roll centre (2mm spacers under the mounts) and this gives more belt clearance.
Final shot of the car, the back end. Not much to say except that the TOP diff protection seals keep everything a lot cleaner and consistent, well worth the small outlay, and another tip about building the Yokomo-based shocks - cut down the triangle spacer for extra travel, you need it to get the droop right.
Any questions? Just leave a comment and I will reply.