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westers
19-09-2011, 01:51 PM
Hi all, my name's Ian and for my midlife crisis (I'm 40 later this year), I've had a sudden urge to have a go at RC car racing. Needless to say I need some guidance/help.

Ok, strictly speaking I'm not a complete novice at this as I had a short dalliance with a Hong Nor nitro truggy, but it got no further than messing around with it. That soon fizzled out as it's hard to find areas to run a nitro car without upsetting people, and racing at weekends ate into my little free time, so that avenue stopped before it even started.

Anyway, electric seems to be the way forward, especially as the race meetings are on Friday nights:thumbsup:

Now then, the question that everyone gets sick of seeing asked, but...what's a good car to start off with?:lol::lol:

Actually, here's some more info: I want to race a buggy to start with, and from my nitro experience I now know to go down the second hand route to start with; I may spend as much as a new car, but I should get much more for my money. The question is though, what's a good buggy to be looking for, and what sort of add on parts should I look for?

I'm happy to go up to £200, but I also need to factor in a motor, battery, plus radio gear. Is it worth buying radio gear second hand, or is it best to buy new for that?

Cheers

Ian

Robbiejuk
19-09-2011, 04:38 PM
Hi mate, Good to hear you are looking to get back into the sport and you are definatly coming to the right club.

So £200 pound is not much to play with I am afraid but we will do the best we can.

If you are going for new I would suggest one of these two :

http://www.ar-uk.com/product/Ansmann_Racing_124000011_EP_110_Buggy_2WD_Mad_Rat_ Brushless_RTR_24_Ghz_id43411

or

http://www.ar-uk.com/product/Ansmann_Racing_124000025_EP_110_Buggy_2WD_Mad_Monk ey_Brushless_RTR_24Ghz_id45297

So both under 200 pounds, and both come with brushless speedo, motor servo and Transmitter + receiver. So all you would need to get it going would be a battery and charger. Out of the two the Mad monkey has a newer speed controller which I believe is better than the rebadged m-tronicks that comes in the rat and mid motors are great indoors on carpet.

Only things I would suggest upgrading on the cars to start off with would be that the car comes with bushings instead of bearings (this always has bugged me as it is a brushless rtr :thumbdown: but i guess they need to make savings somewhere to keep the cost down). A full bearing set is about ten pounds so not a major expense and definatly worth doing straight away.

A lot of people change the shocks as they have a tendency to blow the tops off after a hard landing off a ramp. Ansmann do their own cheap alloy shocks or you can upgrade the shockbodies and tops to be the same as what come on the pro kit for around a bout 30 quid. There are some decent aftermarket shocks that will fit this car on the bay of e that some people run as well which equally do a good job. The shocks are not majorly critical and you can probably get away with running the kit ones for a while till you save up for some better ones.

Other thing I would say is look at replacing the diff balls when you can, the ones that come in the car are ok but have a tendency to wear out quickly. Upgraded ceramic balls are readily availiable at the club for these cars :D

So you would still need to get a battery and charger. If you go the Lipo route, which is the best way to go, then you can get away with only having one battery whcih you top up between races. all of them are pretty good these days, even the cheap ones are more than capable. Make sure you get one that is Hard cased as we run a hard cased only rule at the club.

Here is an example:

http://www.ar-uk.com/product/Ansmann_Racing_167000112_Lipo_30C2S5000mAhHC_id436 85

Charger wise there are a massive lot of charges out there at competitive prices. Here is a good example:

http://www.ar-uk.com/product/Ansmann_Racing_151100005_xBase_20_SE__12V240V_id45 279

Does all types of batteries including old style nimh and has all the features you really need such as balancing and inputs for 12v battery or mains supply. I use the newer version of this and it is absolutley fine.

My best advice would be to talk David Dodd at Autocare and cycles in cotgrave, He is a club member and also runs a model/autorepair shop. He can order things in for you and assuming the supplier has stock he will have it in two to three days.

Daves shop:

http://www.autocareandcycles.co.uk/

And if Mr Ken Dodd is reading this, get some bloody stuff uploaded to the web shop! :lol:

jamie 6.5t
19-09-2011, 06:22 PM
i think rob has covered it for yourself i started of with a mad-rat and really enjoyed it it is a nicely balanced car with some really neet specs it is the perfect car to start off with and as far as the mad monkeys concerned i don't have anything to tell you about it as i don't know a lot about it :thumbsup:

westers
19-09-2011, 07:38 PM
Cheers guys, will have a look at that, although I wasn't that clear in my message. I meant a max budget of £200 for just the car - radio, battery and motor I'd buy seperately so I know I'd need another £200 or so for that lot.

jamie 6.5t
19-09-2011, 08:38 PM
well then if you meant £200 for the car personally ide either go for the Schumacher cougar sv s1 kit or maybe the associated rc10 b4.1 factory team kit personally ide have the Schumacher just down to the brand name there reliable and ive also heard that there really easy to setup once setup you wont need to touch the settings again.
but if you want to go down the ansmann rout then ide strongly advise the ansmann racing x4 pro kit down to ive been told that it is one of the most agile and rigid chassis from ansmann and it has all top spec parts from the alloy oil filled shocks to the ball raced diffs anyone of these cars are spot on for the price range of £200 cant really go wrong with the brands listed above hope you find what your looking for pall :thumbsup:

jamie 6.5t
19-09-2011, 08:42 PM
and hope to see you racing in the near future

westers
19-09-2011, 08:48 PM
Cheers Jamie.

I need to think a bit more on this. In terms of motors, speed controllers and radio kit, what should I be looking for for each of these? Assume I've got another £200 to spend for all of that gear.

Is there much difference between the 2WD and 4WD models? I'm guessing 4WD corner better, but perhaps don't accelerate as fast/lower top end speed?

/tobys
19-09-2011, 08:53 PM
Before you take the plunge, go to your local club (West Bridgeford) and see what others are running. Keep an eye on what the better club racers are running - and ask them for help if you need it...most experienced racers will be able to give you good advice.

2wd will be less of a learning curve than 4wd IMHO and should be easier to build and maintain = more enjoyment!

If you fancy running outdoors, Broxtowe have their first winter series a week on Sunday so you can see even more kinds of buggy running around a different type of track before you make a decision.

There are also some good bargains to be had by buying second-hand - either off here or from fellow racers at one of the many meetings in the Mid East region. Remember to research the cost and availability of spares and factor the cost of consumables, such as tyres, into your budget.

The Bridgeford crew are a good bunch and run a great meeting. Enjoy!

westers
19-09-2011, 09:01 PM
Cheers Tobys, and yes I'll be going along to one of the meetings at the Bridgford club as I live in West Bridgford.

jamie 6.5t
19-09-2011, 09:08 PM
right 4 wheel drive and 2 wheel drive all really depends on what you find more easy to control they both have very similar characteristics the only difference is the 4 wheel drives tend to have the moor grip round the corners right ill make you a list of what ide put in a buggy if i had £200

:alturn USA high performance race servo £34
:fusion exceed race brush-less combo 10.5t £90
:futaba 4y combo 2.4g fhss dry receiver and transmitter £81
:a full setup barring battery or charger for :£205
(http://www.modelsport.co.uk/alturn-usa-high-performance-race-servo-high-speed-/rc-car-products/359785) but if you shop around you may get them cheaper ive just done a power search of my thoughts of the best possible setup for your price range (http://www.modelsport.co.uk/alturn-usa-high-performance-race-servo-high-speed-/rc-car-products/359785)

good luck :thumbsup:

Robbiejuk
19-09-2011, 09:13 PM
£400 will get you a very nice second hand set-up.

As Toby says come down the club and talk to us, we are always keen to help. We always try to steer people in the right direction, don't want you forking loads of money on a lemon. :thumbsup:

chris brown
19-09-2011, 10:11 PM
Yes, I second that.
Come and have a chat on friday. My name is Chris Brown and I'll probably be racing a mini this week. I do race both 2 and 4 wheel drive buggies too.

Dave Dodd
20-09-2011, 10:27 AM
My best advice would be to talk David Dodd at Autocare and cycles in cotgrave, He is a club member and also runs a model/autorepair shop. He can order things in for you and assuming the supplier has stock he will have it in two to three days.

Daves shop:

http://www.autocareandcycles.co.uk/

And if Mr Ken Dodd is reading this, get some bloody stuff uploaded to the web shop! :lol:

Thanks Rob

and yes i know it needs stuff adding :lol:

westers
20-09-2011, 02:42 PM
Cheers all, I will pop down to the club and have a chat - probably this Friday, depending on work, etc.

I may reduce my budget a bit after thinking about this for a bit (got a bit "kid in a sweet shop" recently), as I have to be a bit sensible/realistic about this to start with. I guess my main priorities are as follows:



Get something that will allow me to learn - I don't have much experience with RC cars, so I'm really a complete novice. The latest and greatest hot poop car and gear is going to be wasted on me at this stage (and possibly wasted in the future - I really don't know what my skill level is going to peak at).
Something that I can upgrade at a later date if necessary.
Value for money - that doesn't mean cheap, but it also doesn't mean expense for expenses sake.

I'm pretty sure I've still got the controller and receiver from my nitro Truggy so I may be able to reuse that to start with (saves some expense).

Need to have a chat and think about it a bit more before I rush in.

/tobys
20-09-2011, 02:45 PM
Sounds very sensible! Don't rush into anything you might regret later!

The Doctor
20-09-2011, 08:48 PM
Simple - go 2WD and get a Cougar SV. Best 2WD buggy out there at the moment and seeing as there are so many people flogging them to try their hand at Losi 22s, Vega whatevers, and no doubt soon the Durango DEX210, there are quite a few knocking around at good prices. Check out dbizzle's which is in the For Sale section now. Seems like a bargain to me, and within your £200 budget with change for some new tyres etc.

Oh, and my infamous little black book is full of set-up info for West Bridgford for the Cougar SV so I'd be happy to let you have a look... :thumbsup:

Now I'm awaiting the inevitable onslaught of abuse from the non-Cougar drivers... :(

...who are all wrong of course. :lol:

chris brown
20-09-2011, 11:34 PM
I have found the Couger a bit Marmite-ish if you know what I mean. If you dont then you are probably really confused right now.
I reckon the best car you could go for that would fit your needs is an associated b4 or an x-factory x6 which is a mid motor conversion of the b4. Spares are relatively cheap but they are a really strong car and you can easily fit in your electrics. There are loads and loads of set ups on the net for either car and they have been national and international winners. You can use it in or outdoors without much setup change.
They are easy to drive too (as much as a 2wd drive car can be).
You can easily find a second hand one on here or ebay. If you see one then just post up a link and we can advise you.
You are probably dissy with all the advise so I'll leave it there.
Cheers, Chris.

reg
21-09-2011, 06:26 AM
The cougar is a good car,but is let down by weak points built into the design,the after care and track side suport is among the best,

I would totaly agree with Chris:thumbsup:

/tobys
21-09-2011, 06:33 AM
Shameless plug (sorry :blush:), but I have my old B4 FT ready for sale, used it when I returned to racing for the 2010 season and was good enough to get me my F2 license.

It's in good condition, has a few spares and can come with some part-worn tyres mounted or just plain wheels.

Just getting it ready to list it on here.

PM me if you are interested. I can send photos if necessary.

westers
21-09-2011, 06:58 AM
Thanks all, the advice is actually helping lots and not making my head spin.

I've been trawling the net for the last few days looking at cars, reading different car forum posts, and generally just soaking up what people say.

Second hand is the route I reckon.

And yeah, I know what you mean about Marmite :D

Dave Dodd
21-09-2011, 10:28 AM
another shameless plug :blush:

i am selling my trusty X6 with a few spares :cry:

including the custard splat shell. :lol:

Robbiejuk
21-09-2011, 05:35 PM
another shameless plug :blush:

i am selling my trusty X6 with a few spares :cry:

including the custard splat shell. :lol:

I misread "trusty" then :D

jamie 6.5t
21-09-2011, 05:45 PM
lmao this forum don't half make me laugh :thumbsup:

The Doctor
21-09-2011, 09:10 PM
Just to confirm, I like Marmite.

reg
22-09-2011, 06:26 AM
Just to confirm, I like men.

yes we know

Captain-Codpiece-The-2nd
22-09-2011, 08:31 AM
Second hand is the way to go! I don't think I have ever bought a new car lol.

My advise for what it's worth, don't beat yourself up over what car to get, they all have 4 wheels :p Just keep your eyes peeled for a good deal. :eh?: I've been racing the same shed for years, she's an ugly X-6 but she works and goes round the track just as good as any other 2wd.

Unfortunately the 'shed' won't be there this Friday :( but have fun, we're a friendly bunch. Just don't talk to Rob Bryan - he will convince you to build your own car from nothing but a sheet of carbon, a pritt stick and a never-ending box of yokomo dogfighter bits :p (love you really rob)

Dave Dodd
22-09-2011, 08:45 AM
I misread "trusty" then :D

lmao :lol:

The Doctor
22-09-2011, 07:56 PM
she's an ugly X-6 but she works and goes round the track just as good as any other 2wd.

Except mine. But yes, it's frigging ugly mate!

Captain-Codpiece-The-2nd
26-09-2011, 10:20 AM
That there sounds like fighting talk boyo :p

westers
26-09-2011, 07:24 PM
Well, Dave's "trusty" X6 is now in my grubby hands. Busy sorting out the rest of the gear now, but batteries seem to be the hardest things to find at a sensible price. Where do you get yours from?

Cheers all.

The Doctor
26-09-2011, 09:18 PM
Not Dave's old ones! :p

chris brown
26-09-2011, 10:52 PM
Try orion rocket pack lipos or overlander sport track or extreme track.
Sport packs are cheaper and still quite good. Some top drivers use the lower c rating for more control.
I use the rocket packs and they are fantastic for the price. you could buy a couple of packs or buy a big capacity pack and charge it between races.

Dave Dodd
27-09-2011, 08:10 AM
Not Dave's old ones! :p

Defo not my old gold ones no.. :blush::cry:

jamie 6.5t
27-09-2011, 02:17 PM
have we got any news on where were moving to yet dave ?
:confused:

westers
27-09-2011, 06:58 PM
Try orion rocket pack lipos or overlander sport track or extreme track.
Sport packs are cheaper and still quite good. Some top drivers use the lower c rating for more control.
I use the rocket packs and they are fantastic for the price. you could buy a couple of packs or buy a big capacity pack and charge it between races.

None of those are listed as being BRCA approved, so I wouldn't be able to use them according to the club rules. Or am I missing something here?

wes j.
27-09-2011, 07:28 PM
Just to confirm, I like Marmite.

I hate Mamite, love the Cougar though :thumbsup:.

wes j.
27-09-2011, 07:30 PM
None of those are listed as being BRCA approved, so I wouldn't be able to use them according to the club rules. Or am I missing something here?

If you're just going to run them on club nights it won't matter mate. It only matters at Regional/National events i think.

Robbiejuk
27-09-2011, 08:26 PM
If you're just going to run them on club nights it won't matter mate. It only matters at Regional/National events i think.

As long as they are a hard cased lipo you can use them at the club. The rules page needs updating to be fair, we stuck that on when lipos started appearing as they were an unkown commodity and so we thought it safer to only allow people to use something that was BRCA Approved. Lipos have been safer than a lot of people thought initially.

We have only ever had one lipo fire, and that was at a regional and not caused by the battery itself, but by mechanical failiure of the car.

westers
28-09-2011, 07:59 AM
Ah, I see. That makes sense now.

Cheers

/tobys
28-09-2011, 09:06 AM
intellect lipos via ebay are usually a good buy...you would need to wait a couple of weeks though as they come in from HK.

Robbiejuk
28-09-2011, 11:55 AM
Ah, I see. That makes sense now.

Cheers

How much are you looking to spend on batteries?

Dave Dodd
28-09-2011, 07:31 PM
http://www.autocareandcycles.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=414&osCsid=111e2b5210af18fa7d08c6eb31e704ef

these don't look to bad.. and they do 4000's too