RC Cars/Trucks/Buggies

[Slinz]

They're something I've been looking into for a while now, just seeing if anyone here is into their RC cars to offer advice!

I'm considering buying a cheap HSP truck/buggie to have a play with, since they have very cheap/available parts. I know lots of enthusiasts bag them for being of a lower build quality (than cars that cost 5 times as much) but for someone who's never owned a serious RC car I feel it'd be alright..?

I'm looking into electric brushless models to avoid having to buy nitro fuel and maintain a nitro engine. Something like this: http://www.rcfactoryoutlet.com.au/I... BRUSHLESS ELECTRIC LIPO RC 4WD MONSTER TRUCK

 

[justdo]

Hey Tom,
Ive played around with them alittle, (no expert) I have a nitro powered hobao buggy 1/8 scale, it is great fun but can be quite expensive, I wouldnt go anything to cheap as it will only frustrate you in the end with unreliablity, I would go speak to the guys at hobby habbit & see what opptions you have. I dont know if hobao have an electric vehicle, but I do know in nitro form there are parts aplenty.

 

[unclepaulie]

Its something I would love to get back into but I don't need another hole in my pocket. Vr4 is more then enough lol.

Last one I had I drove till the chassis actually wore out

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I have an electric RC drift car. Good for a squirt and a bit of laugh!

 

[Slinz]

Yeah I might go pick the brains of some dudes at a hobby shop on the weekend Daniel.

Did/do you have just cheapo type ones Paul/Lach? I'm thinking that ~$200 is enough to blow on a first-car RTR set, and then if I get hooked and want to race etc. I might look into some of the bigger name-brands.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Yeah, my brother got me a China one for Christmas last year $200-$250 from memory. Purple Soarer with a big wing, gold Work XSAs and Toyo R1Rs. She's a beauty!

 

[hozza]

Been playing with rc cars for about 10 years now. and dabbled a bit into helicopters as well
Have had to many vehicles to list.
The rtr truck will be fine.
Pretty nice actually HSP have come along way and the parts are every where.
So because its cheap it will break easier but can replace it with aluminum when it does.

The only thing i would be effy on is the lipo battery.
If they are discharged too low they can be potentially ruined.
but if you follow the guide lines then they add a heap more punch.

If you dont mind me asking whats your budget

 

[unclepaulie]

mine was a dune buggy style one, cost a bit under $200 i think

 

[triggs]

I have a Hyper 10 from Hobby habbit. Its good coz its easy to modify. If i didnt have what i have now though id go for a 1/10 tamiya.
Havent used it in a while...

Bad quality pic anyone?

 

[Slinz]

Been playing with rc cars for about 10 years now. and dabbled a bit into helicopters as well
Have had to many vehicles to list.
The rtr truck will be fine.
Pretty nice actually HSP have come along way and the parts are every where.
So because its cheap it will break easier but can replace it with aluminum when it does.

The only thing i would be effy on is the lipo battery.
If they are discharged too low they can be potentially ruined.
but if you follow the guide lines then they add a heap more punch.

If you dont mind me asking whats your budget

Yeah I've been doing more reading on PLAIG.com forums and it seems there are LOTS of alloy upgrades for the HSP's now which help make them sturdier. I think I'll go for one of them. Apparently the ESC shuts the car off when the power from the battery drops below X amount, which keeps the LiPo's in decent nick.

My budget is probably too low for anything else other than toy-grade cars anway. Around $250 but that has to include a transmitter etc. so an RTR is good. After that I'm happy to spend little bits at a time to upgrade parts when it suits me.

 

[Fully]

Here is my collection

https://picasaweb.google.com/115408619870504353289/NitroRcCarS

I race in the .28 class with a SH engine, My boys race in the open .18 classes under different age groups.

We have broken plenty of stuff, mostly due to getting out of range as they go WOT. That has being sorted =)

 

[Slinz]

Is that the nitro version of the Brontosaurus Shane?

 

[hozza]

I think its called a Tyrannosaurus but works of the same platform as the Brontosaurus.

For $250 I would personally go second hand.
may not get the shiny box but get twice the car.

 

[Fully]

One is the tyrannosaurus hsp nitro truck - After searching on google, they look like the samething.

Cheap - stock cars are cheap and most of them made of plastic. These are the parts that break. I have converted them all to alloy parts, and they are almost bullet proof.
There quite a few other little mods that I have done to improve them. Like made the axles thicker and a few mil longer to stop them falling out on sharp turns.
Replaced the washer bearings to ball bearings...

Dude if you want to play with it go for the cheap one.
As for the nitro engine, once they are run in. there is nothing thats needs doing them to maintain them. I had one in a box for about 10 yrs, pulled it out, put a new glow plug into it and fired it up.

 

[Slinz]

Yeah I think they're the same cars just differing names for nitro vs electric.

I've bought one of the Brontosaurus Pro's off eBay just now so it should rock up next week! Went the Pro over the standard one as it includes brushless motor/ESC along with a few upgraded alloy bits. Seems like most people end up upgrading most of their parts to alloy on the standard ones anyway (like you said, to keep them from busting), and pretty much everyone swaps in a brushless motor for more speed, so hopefully this way I'll spend less on upgrades in the short term!

 

[Fully]

Wd I hope you have a heap of fun with it =)

[video]http://youtu.be/GOI2Q0_cirA[/video]

Here is a Tamiya nitro =)

 

[dwarfmarine]

i had a 1/10th Tamiya TT-01 drift car for a while.. was good fun while i had it but i kept breaking parts (much like my Legnum) and couldnt afford to keep replacing the parts..
cost me about $200 used but i ended up having to buy a new shell, battery charger and crystals for it so ended up costing close to $500.
only managed to get $150ish for it when it came time to sell

 

[Legume]

i had a 1/10th Tamiya TT-01 drift car for a while.. was good fun while i had it but i kept breaking parts

Entry levels have a habit of that. Especially drift cars hitting side on to everything. But they are good for what they are marketed to do... get people into the hobby. But then comes the time to step up into a better quality car. The price paid is saved on parts broken and the ability to add hop-ups.

My collection is down from about 25 to 15 and been sitting in the spare room for about 3 years now. Every sort of car.. pan, drift, vintage, monster truck, race, custom made, etc.. but I found the most fun was the Wild Willy 2. I can take it anywhere handles good and has great clearance (and does wheelies when you give it some stick).

An electric buggy/truck would be the way to go. I know you need chargers etc, but nitro fuel is expensive and will soon add up. And you can leave an electric set up in the boot for some fun whenever, where as gas is oily and fuel goes off quickly. Gas and electric powered are similar speeds now (and the neighbours wont hate you).

Still one of my favourites

 

[Slinz]

Haha that's a pretty cool Mini.

Yeah I didn't want to fork out for nitro, went electric/brushless truck. There's a 1/16 Tamiya Frog on sale for pretty cheap on another site, but I think that's a little too small. I'm hoping I can avoid breaking too much for the time being, and the HSP's have plenty of hop-up parts now too if I do.

 

[hozza]

my favorite would have to be my t-max.
It takes some serious beating but never had a problem with it.
My first drift car was a victory hawk cost me $60.
Lasted me 2 years didn't buy any thing for it.
Then I broke a suspension arm. for $60 bucks i just threw it away.