Advice wanted on 1/5th basher/LSOR

[Tezcat]

I'm looking to spend up to £300 on a 1/5th scale off road car. Main use will be bashing but I would like to race it next year as well. I do have a large scale club a few miles up the road from me (not many members and they just charge round a track at the moment and nothing for sale).

I've been monitoring an auction site and it looks like my likely choices are a HPI baja or an FG marder. I've seen a couple of KM's and an AoWei, new models, as well that look interesting.

I really don't want to spend more than £300 if possible on my first one, in case I don't like it or want to race. Can't see it happening but you never know! I will probably end up looking for another model this time next year so this first purchase is to help get me started and out playing and learning.

Also, any other good places to look for second hand models?

[(off)roadrunner]

http://www.accessmodels.co.uk/shop/3...ess-buggy.html

Not sure how it stacks up against the hpi or fg cars But for £300 including lipos and a charger as well as the usual esc and motor seems a bargain.

[twisty]

Originally Posted by Tezcat

I'm looking to spend up to £300 on a 1/5th scale off road car. Main use will be bashing but I would like to race it next year as well. I do have a large scale club a few miles up the road from me (not many members and they just charge round a track at the moment and nothing for sale).

I've been monitoring an auction site and it looks like my likely choices are a HPI baja or an FG marder. I've seen a couple of KM's and an AoWei, new models, as well that look interesting.

I really don't want to spend more than £300 if possible on my first one, in case I don't like it or want to race. Can't see it happening but you never know! I will probably end up looking for another model this time next year so this first purchase is to help get me started and out playing and learning.

Also, any other good places to look for second hand models?

Hi,

your budget for getting into 1/5 is really at the very bottom end,i can understand wanting to get into 1/5 but for what you are thinking price wise it will really limit what you can buy.

I would be very carefull about buying cheap new Yama buggy ect [you will get what you pay for] = CHEEP,if you buy at the bottom end ,you will probably find out very soon that there WILL be reliability issues and problems.
I started largescale about 15 - 20 years ago with FG [Marder] that was pretty much all that was available back then,even then the Marder was a copy of a Kyosho and the design was/is very old and simple,we had to spend quite a lot ontop to make the Marder race worthy and they still shook themselves to bits and broke.This is mainly down to the sheer size/weight and inertia of a largescale model.

The biggest step forward in many many years was the HPi Baja,the car is a completely new design,much stronger in stock form than the FG,it uses lock nuts and new style fixings ect to hold things together,where as the FG has bits which have bolt just screwed into plastic/nylon parts.

After the HPi Baja,there are the clones [kingmotor]etc they have 90% interchangability of parts with the HPi Baja but the materials used are inferior,cheesy alloy parts ect,thats why the are cheaper.
The Yama is like a poor cross between the FG and the Baja,very few parts are interchangable.

The 1/5 racers hate the HPi Baja because it is quite competative on the track,you will take flack trackside/pits because of the snobbery from the all alloy car owners who have paid a fortune for thier cars for not much better performance than the HPi.If it`s mainly for racing,you will be better recieved in the pits if you go with the FG.

If it`s mainly bashing,i can`t recommend the HPi Baja enough,they are very tough [still not unbreakable thoiugh] and definately worth paying a bit more for than buying the FG.

I would say go for a good second hand genuine HPi Baja if you can find one,grow thicker skin for racing.
Be carefull buying second hand though,off roaders tend to get plenty of abuse.
HTH and
Best of luck.

Simon.

[Tezcat]

A second hand HPI baja does sound a better bet than the KM or AoWei. There's one available at my local shop that I'll go check out. It's a little more than the £300 I want to spend but don't mind spending an extra few quid to get something that's a bit better quality.

As for other racers. I can live with that. My bad driving will more than make up for the cars ability!

[Tezcat]

Originally Posted by (off)roadrunner

http://www.accessmodels.co.uk/shop/3...ess-buggy.html

Not sure how it stacks up against the hpi or fg cars But for £300 including lipos and a charger as well as the usual esc and motor seems a bargain.

Interesting option but I really want to stick with a petrol engine.

[Callum]

I think a Baja is your best option I used to have one and raced it at KORT down in Cornwall they can be quite competitive once fitted with a decent steering servo such as a hitec or rhino available from rossmods. A local racer used to regularly make A finals at BRCA nationals but has now moved to a hormann a very competitive car winning BRCA nationals at the moment.
For any help and advice check out http://team5hite.forumup.com/index.php?mforum=team5hite great bunch of guys that will help you out.
Callum

[Tezcat]

I've acquired a MCD race runner with a few mods fitted to it from my local shop.

See you on the track!