Do these look any good for competetive racing?

[b4rs]

its the new tamiya duranga, and basiclaly its quite cheap, but not too much cmpared to the B4. so i was wondering if it is anygood in any of your eyes. may buy it as a spare for racing.

[janus_77]

If you use a B4, might be easier to search for a decent B4 runner as a spare car. That way you can change parts when needed.

[DCM]

if you are going to race it, then you are going to need at least the front CVD's and slipper, I know I got a quote from a certain asian champion store and the price is silly cheap.

[terry.sc]

its the new tamiya duranga, It's the Durga http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5482

[jimmy]

I think I might review this one and do a shoot-out between it and the 501X for a laugh, mr.Rotheram is up for some racing with it so we'll see how raceable it is.
The shocks - unless they are somehow changed from other cars, are a bit toss - but some B4 shocks would fit and work like the 501X shocks

[DCM]

if they are the plastic shocks, then as a stop gap, get some of the 501X pistons to take up some of the slop till you can get propper shocks.

[jimmy]

Afaik the plastic shocks have different diameters front and rear? so 501X pistons won't work.

Saying that - the 'hop up' shocks that Tamiya make for the DT02 / DF03 etc have the same diameter pistons as the 501X but the 501X pistons are about 50% thicker so won't work....
In other words there are probably multiple ways that the 501X pistons won't fit ! And pistons are the main problem with these plastic shocks - the provided ones are simply crap.

[PaulRotheram]

shall be giving this a whirl for a few meetings for a review if we can get things arranged.

[RogerM]

Afaik the plastic shocks have different diameters front and rear? so 501X pistons won't work.

Saying that - the 'hop up' shocks that Tamiya make for the DT02 / DF03 etc have the same diameter pistons as the 501X but the 501X pistons are about 50% thicker so won't work....
In other words there are probably multiple ways that the 501X pistons won't fit ! And pistons are the main problem with these plastic shocks - the provided ones are simply crap.

Wouldn't be too much trouble to turn up a few pistons from some PTFE bar ..... let me know the dimensions and I'll see what I can do!

[DCM]

if I remember rightly, I used the onroad TRF pistons on the DF03 metal shocks as the stock pistons that it came with were to big and just were pants...

[jimmy]

I put 501X shafts in the DF03 metal shocks - so I could use 501X pistons. Shame Tamiya can't sometimes reuse parts between their shocks.

[super__dan]

My two peneth if slightly off topic.

I dont understand when people buy cars like this or particulalry say the Dark Force, to spend a fortune on Hop Ups to get a car that is still far less competetive than a basic race kit.

For me (and some people will realise how difficult this is for me to say) I'd even rather buy a Lazer ZX5 as at least spares are avaialble trackside. Or for a little more a bog stock xx4 would be MILES more competetive as an off road racer.

It's not like I don't like modding, just with the tamiya kits you end up with something that's still a fancy basher, is that fair?

Just to point out, if someone is buying it to run as is, thats a different thing, it's the massive modding for as I see little gain I don't get.

[jimmy]

Dan, it may surprise you to know this - but people racing cars account for a small portion of electric buggy sales. I'd guess most people buy them for fun. Granted it would be a massive majority in the past compared to now where many people buy 'fun' vehicles like trucks or monster or micro things.

That said, not everyone is out for the same thing.

I'll finish with the comparison that the Durga can be bought for less than you probably paid for a one-way for your old XXX4... :)

[Doomanic]

I'll finish with the comparison that the Durga can be bought for less than you probably paid for a one-way for your old XXX4... :)

It's cheap, but not that cheap (unless you know of somewhere selling them for under £60 :o)

I kind of agree with Dan on this, but I'm still considering one for Callum as long as they are built like a tank.

[purpletimbo]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330187580995&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014
Don't know if there's any cheaper out there?

[Doomanic]

I've seen that one, he doesn't actually have the kits and he wants £29 for shipping! :o

[DCM]

if you were racing 4WD competitively, then this isn't for you, but for some, they race occaisionaly, so it is ideal. After running the 'budget tamiya tourer for over two years, and only broken one part, I know the Durga will be solid and take a lot of abuse, plus many parts will carry over to. As for price, jumping the que with a certain company, and on pre-order, I can get the car, full set of CVD's and the slipper unit for quite a bit less than £100, and shipping wont be excessive either.

you got to ask yourself 'why' you are buying it, and i guess i am buying it cause there wont be many people racing it, so making it work is far more satisfying than going on X-forum and asking the team how to make it do this or that.

[jimmy]

Well the fun of getting mr.rotheram to race the car back to back with the 501X is to get an idea of just how competitive it is. without pre-bashing it. :)

I love you really Dan. but don't forget, your X6 is an upgrade / conversion for the B4. Bit like putting shocks and a slipper on this Tamiya then really eh! :)

[super__dan]

I don't know if my post came across right, I was genuinley asking to understand. I guess I'm more race focussed and that is much more important to me. I don't see the X6 as the same thing as without to get into that discussion.

It is actually much cheaper than I thought but to get it any where near race pace even at club level (inc postage at the moment) would make it much more expensive.

Incidentally I seem to recall the one way for my XXX4 was forty something quid way back when from Apex ;)

[losidan]

i cant say nowt about the cars spec but the shell is badass

[DCM]

dan, i can get a durga, full set of CVD's and a slipper unit, to the UK for about £120 max, including shipping and taxes, so as far as I am concerned, for my occaisional use, it is an absoloute steal. so if it is the choice between someones sloppy second hand car which needs £50 of spares or a brand spanker, then I know which I would op for.

i am race orientated, but have to do it on a budget, i don't mind carrying a spares package with me.... but no for a fact that i would probably not need it.

[terry.sc]

I dont understand when people buy cars like this or particulalry say the Dark Force, to spend a fortune on Hop Ups to get a car that is still far less competetive than a basic race kit.

It's not like I don't like modding, just with the tamiya kits you end up with something that's still a fancy basher, is that fair?

Just to point out, if someone is buying it to run as is, thats a different thing, it's the massive modding for as I see little gain I don't get.Tamiya probably sell more Dark Impacts than all the other 4wd racers put together. There are many times more bashers around than there are racers, racers only count for about 5% of all r/c cars sold. They aren't interested in spending £300 on a car nor are they interested in whether a B44 laps a track 5 seconds faster than their choice of car. It's perfect for bashing without costing a fortune and the owners then personalise it and hop it up as and when they can afford the parts. If they have the money to afford a high end buggy they go for a big nitro truck instead.

Tamiya understand this market, that's why Tamiya is by far the biggest r/c company in the world.

[DCM]

the DF03 is definately a fun players car, but I think the Durga is more aimed at the club racer as it got all the tuning options.

[super__dan]

Terry,

I think you’ve missed my point.

It’s not that I don’t understand the basher market. What I don’t understand (and granted this is slightly off topic) is when people buy the very basic Tamiya kits, with the express intension of seemingly spending loads on money modding them, to end up with a car that’s less competitive than a car that would at best have cost you no more off the shelf.

As Alex’s original post was whether this was good for competitive racing the point I was eluding to was that I think it unlikely unless you spend loads on it, in which case you might have well have bought something better in the first place.

[DCM]

but thats where you are so far off the point though Dan, you don't spend lots, with todays internet shopping, stong sterling against the dollar/yen, plus the stuff is just cheaper in asia, you can throw hop-ups at the car and still easily be less than half the price of a full on race kit, i would even go as far as maybe a third of the price.

prove a point, I buy a TA05, £60, carbon fibre chassis, £20, TRF shocks £25, CVD's all round £25, alloys suspension blocks, £20, thats £150, the cheapest I can get a TRF car is about £210 and for what i race, just pointless.

[VintageRacer]

Terry,
What I don’t understand (and granted this is slightly off topic) is when people buy the very basic Tamiya kits, with the express intension of seemingly spending loads on money modding them, to end up with a car that’s less competitive than a car that would at best have cost you no more off the shelf.


I often wonder the same about people who buy a Citroen Saxo (or other similar) and spend thousands on body kits, engine tuning, lowering/upgrading suspension, turbos, etc.

[super__dan]

Steve, you're talking touring cars (I think) which mean nothing to me, less than nothing in fact ;)

But we do clearly come from totally different view points, which is obviously fair enough.

My take on what you said there is that you've paid 3/4 of the price of a TRF(that's the nice fancy one right?) but I would guess most racers would say still not as good, is that fair?

Would a hopped up Dark Force be better than a ZX5 or Academy SB2? I'm unlikely to ever drive any really so can't say for sure but I would doubt it?

I'll try my best to let it die from here as I fear this might all sound a bit argumentative, which was/is not my intention.

[Oscar]

Perhaps the other thing to consider Dan, is even if kits are bought by racers, they are not all F1 licence holding superstars. To an average club racer, how much faster will they go with the latest kit?
To illustrate a point, last year (or perhaps early this) I ran back to back my B4 (a car which I am used to) and Fish's old Fireblade (which even had had no attemp at being set up properly). Yes I was faster with the B4, but only by 0.7 secons a lap:o
To you 0.7 seconds a lap probably makes a HUGE difference, but to your average club racer they would be unlikely to even notice this difference;)

[bretts]

isn't this the same arguement as modifiy a road car....

...a 1.4 Saxo is still a 1.4 Saxo not matter how many mods you put on it. yeah it might go a bit faster but for the money spent on 'modding' you could have got a much faster car...

..it's about being orginal, personal choice, horses or courses etc etc....

[DCM]

My take on what you said there is that you've paid 3/4 of the price of a TRF(that's the nice fancy one right?) but I would guess most racers would say still not as good, is that fair?

Would a hopped up Dark Force be better than a ZX5 or Academy SB2? I'm unlikely to ever drive any really so can't say for sure but I would doubt it?

I'll try my best to let it die from here as I fear this might all sound a bit argumentative, which was/is not my intention.

yes, you could say the TRF is the better car, and if i was doing large tc meetings, i would buy the trf, but for running at club, the initial layout for the trf is just to much, with the ta05, there has been small upgrades over a period of time which makes it far more palletable to the wallet.

the dark Impact will never be good as the Kyosho or the Academy, but then we are talking about the durga, which has the 501x suspension, a very efficient drivetrain and all the adjustmens you need where as the dark impact didn't. so i would say that it would be just as competitive as the other cars.

I don't race big meetings, I got fed up of spending lots of money on gear to race for 30mins a day, so to me, and probably a lot of other people, the opportunity or buying a cheap car and being relatively competitive will be far more benneficial than having lots of top end cars to choose from. The durga fills a gaping hole in the market I think.

But to put a shot across your bows, I do think you are very blinkered in this subject and got to take the broader view of it, kits like this will make it far more accesible for people to get into racing to.

[sosidge]

Don't forget also that there is a large community of Tamya fanatics who will buy anything with the two starts on it, regardless of cost.

Tamiya as an RC brand attracts a lot more "modellers" (rather than "RCers") - just look at tamiyaclub for some of the amazing examples of Tamiya RC kits that have never been raced, never been bashed, never turned a wheel!

[super__dan]

To be honest, you’re right in the sense I’d wrongly assumed it as largely a DF clone which I had seen and thought very little of in respect of it ever being ‘competitive’ for racing.

If this does have a lot of the 501 geometry etc then hopefully it will be a much better car to get beginners into racing without having to change cars or spend much money on, I am of course all for that. So I’d have to stick by my guns and don’t understand people bothering to spend large money on a DF to competitively race, but Alex it seems that a Durga with a few well choice mods might be OK.

[DCM]

glad we beat some sense into you there dan... I tried to get the DF03 to work as a project, but the Durga will be raced.