Brand:

Serpent

Product Type:

Gas Cars > Formula

1/8th scale Serpent F180 kit. This kit is supplied in a high quality carry case and comes with a Mega FT-28 engine, exhaust system, starter, and body shell.

Related products

• - Serpent F180 RTR Assembled kit (#300010)

Introduction

The Serpent F180 was developed with a dream in mind of creating the world’s best gas powered, scale Formula car. After three years of development this all new revolutionary platform is complete, bringing together stunning looks, great handling, F1-style technology all combined in an easy-to-use, high-performance race car.

The F180 has been designed to fit the shape constraints of a modern Formula car and therefore features many innovations that include the use of inboard suspension (previously pioneered by Serpent) which uses pushrods and rockers to act upon pre-built inboard RCC shock absorbers at both the front and rear of the car. Sporting a radical new front braking system, when combined with the conventional rear disk brake system the total braking power and performance of this 2WD car allow for smooth, strong, controllable stops. To further obtain the scale looks of a Formula race car, the F180 features a lay down engine mounting system that prevents the engine from sticking out of the body shell and ruining the aesthetics, whilst the use of realistic-looking and fully-functional front and rear wings and grooved rubber tires completes the overall Formula look that screams “performance.”

The Serpent F180 in Brief

- 1/8th scale basis
- Push-rod suspension front and rear
- Rear gear-differential with belt-drive system
- Disk-brake system front and rear
- 2-speed gearbox
- 2-wheel drive
- Centax II clutch system
- Realistic high quality pre cut Formula body-shell
- Glued rubber F180 tyres & foam

Braking System

The braking system on the F180 is a true innovation with the car stopping on all 4 wheels despite being only 2wd. The rear features a conventional braking system but the front wheels are stopped through the use of a cable which when pulled clamps down on the front disks which stop the drive shafts that are connecting to the front wheels, enabling the car to be stopped. The balance of this braking system between front and rear can be adjusted so as to get the best setup for any track you race on.

Pushrod activated Suspension

Pushrod activated suspension is something that Serpent pioneered many years ago and perfected when they released the Veteq in 2000. Through the use of pushrods, the inboard mounted shock absorbers, on both the front and rear, can be activated. This system allows the car to maintain its scale looks as well as offering great handling and easy adjustment.

Front Anti-Roll bar

Another unique and true to scale feature of the F180 is the front anti-roll bar which is activated through the suspension rockers. Through the use of track rods, when the suspension is compressed the blade assembly, which is mounted on ball bearings for precision, is activated. Due to the use of blades, the stiffness of the front anti-roll bar can be easily adjusted.

Laydown Engine

In order to keep the scale appearance, while at the same time keeping the center of gravity low, the F180 features a lay down engine. Doing so, in combination with a specially machined cooling head ensures that the visible use of an engine is virtually non existent.

Unique Rigid Construction

The F180 has bee constructed from 3 major parts to which everything bolts, these parts include the chassis plate, the front bulkhead and the rear bulkhead. When combined with the radio plate, this core structure becomes very stiff and very strong allowing the suspension to work more efficiently and the whole car more resistant to impacts.

RCC Shock Absorbers

The RCC shock absorbers are the smoothest and easiest to build shocks ever designed. Machined from metal and unique in that the shock bodies only open on the bottom half, they are really simple to assemble. They come with a fixed piston and no longer use a diaphragm as with the previous shocks. The result is an ultra-smooth and air-free shock absorber thanks to the self-bleeding system incorporated into the design.

Another great benefit is that these shock absorbers come pre-assembled in the kit, so you need only add shock oil.

The Serpent F180 comes as standard with Red front springs and Yellow rear springs.

Front and Rear Wings

As the F180 is a Formula based car it comes with front and rear wings, which not only look great but serve a performance function by keeping the car stable and allowing it corner at high speed. The wings on both ends of the car have been constructed from durable and impact resistant materials meaning that in a crash the minimum amount of damage is done.

Chassis Plate

The chassis plate on the F180 has been machined from high grade 4mm aluminum and then black anodised for that slick look. All holes in the base of the chassis have been counter sunk to protect the screws from damage when going over kerbs or when the car bottoms out over bumps. The chassis also holds the receiver battery which is mounted from the bottom of the car.

Independent Suspension

As with all high performance RC cars from Serpent, the F180 features fully independent suspension all around. The wishbones have been constructed from impact resistant materials to be able to withstand heavy crashes and all wishbones are interchangeable between the left and right side of the car.

Roto-start engine

To make starting your car easier, the F180 comes equipped with a roto-start system which enables you to use the supplied hand held starter which starts the car with the simple press of a button. The engine can also be started on a conventional starter box.

Scale grooved rubber tires

The F180 comes with grooved pre glued rubber tires with foam inserts and are mounted to black long wearing BBS style wheels.

Exhaust System

As it is a Formula car, the F180 has some space constraints and no space tighter than the space for the exhaust system which has had to be custom designed and manufactured for this car. As the engine is lying down the manifold faces slightly upwards where it joins the exhaust and then curves back around 180 degrees to exit the car above the rear suspension. The exhaust system is a polished type and provides great performance along with a great sound.

Clutch & Gearbox system

The Centax-II clutch system features large ball bearings (a 5x13mm and a 5x10mm) as well as a large thrust bearing (5x10mm). This increases durability and provides ultra-free movement of parts. Featuring an externally-adjustable clutch gap spacing method, and an innovative pivoting flyweight system, the Centax system invented by Serpent in 1992 is now a standard.

The 2-speed gearbox is race proven and is easy to adjust and assemble thanks to its simple design. The gearbox features large ball bearings (a 6x10mm and a 6x13mm) for extra durability and smoother rotation. The gears are mounted to the carriers with three small screws and come in a full range of gears available in combination with pinions for the Centax-II clutch.

Rear Geometry

The rear upright features three pivot balls making it fully adjustable in all angles making for more complete adjustment and freedom of movement of the rear suspension.

Receiver battery pack

The F180 features a custom configured 5 cell 1100MAh battery pack, which comes pre mounted to the battery plate so that it can be easily mounted to the chassis plate.

Starter

This F180 comes with the Mega FT-28 motor can be easily started using this purpose built rotor start system. Simply push it into the side of the motor, flip the button cover, press the red button and go racing.

Carrying Case

All F180 kits and RTR versions come complete with this high quality carry case that contains a purpose built drawer for your car as well wheels and a handle for easy and comfortable transportation.

Mega FT-28 Engine

The Serpent F180 comes with the new Mega FT-28 motor, which is a powerful, controllable and very durable engine which has been fitted with the roto start back plate to use with the included hand held rotor start system. This .28 engine also comes with a specially designed orange anodised cooling head which offers maximum cooling with minimum protrusion from the body shell, helping to keep the aesthetics of the car intact.

Serial Number

All F180 kits come with a unique serial number which is applied to the chassis and also each car comes with a stylish F180 keyring that sports the same matching number.

Manuals

To allow you to build your car with the greatest of ease, Serpent supplies a full colour instruction manual that also contains a setup section which contains set-up solutions, diagrams and detailed theory. Also supplied with the car is a separate brochure containing all the exploded views and latest options. Also included is a Serpent F180 decal sheet and blank set-up sheet.

All Manuals are available to download as a PDF in the 'Downloads' section of this product page.