getting back into the hobby

[medved]

hi there,

i'm after some advice as i'd like to get back into the hobby after a 14 year break and get my kids involved too.

having had a good trawl through the forums and some other internet sites things seem to have changed a bit and there are lots of RTR and then elite racing kits. tbh i havent got a clue which is good and bad. i used to race a stock RC10 B3 back in the late 90's

i'm looking to get a 2WD car for racing at club level that is enough to race with but also let the kids crash it regularly and come back for more.

total racing budget is around £200, but i'm guessing i will need a couple of battery packs and spare tyres and spring sets, alongside some spare gear parts. this needs to be factored in.

what kits and brands do people recommend? a few new faces like FTX and ansmann alongside the RC10 and schumacher and Losi that i remember from when i raced.

should i be tempted by the FTX edge and mad rat as they are sub £100 or should i aim for more like a schumacher cougar sv? i cant really afford to go full out with super batteries and a motor that will make the car go splat into the nearest hard object.

any advice from racers is very much appreciated, my local club is Eden Park Raceway

thanks,

Stuart

[B3.is.King]

im looking at getting back into the sport and i am just going to use a 13 year old car, id say that its more about the driving style than what car you have.

get a half decent power plant and learn how to drive it then race... you will win more race and be higher up the table, having a half decent motor and being able to drive it to the max (consistant driving). Rather than having a beast of a motor and not being able to tame it and use 100% power.

id say that the ftx 's and mad rats for £89 RTR would be a fine starting point with a slight motor upgrade.

£89 or less for a RTR mad max or ftx or one of the lPR cars (slightly more £119 but come with better electrics and motor)
Maybe a motor i still run mod brushed £6 - £35
wouldnt bother with springs
lipos ace gens ar brill from giant cod and the C ratings have been tested and actually perform better than advertised! £17 for a 4000mah 25C



my two cents..... oh plus if you do have an underdog car and start winning due to consistant driving it also looks better

[rondoolaa]

a good 2wd car still is the team associated rc10B4

my 7yr old son has one and bashes it and comes back for more,

and if you do break anything the parts are readily available and cheap as chips,

he even broke my little toe with it a while back and drove away laughing, little buga, lol

i'm actualy gunna get one too as the speed they deliver is astonishing even with a brushed setup..

anyway, thats what i recommend, a b4

[B3.is.King]

or even a B3, which is what i have dug out of the attic...

i have seen thm go for £30 on ebay but that a rolling chassis

[JCJC]

Spares for B3 can be found, B4 was a big step up, you will find good secondhand B4's and they may be stronger than the cheaper plastic Rats but they won't be cheaper. Lots of B4's are now mid motor wonders much liked on UK tracks (astro or grass not dirt).
There is a list of approved motors & batteries, may not apply at club or bashing level but at regional & national meetings it will. Brushless is almost fit & forget so a good investment (RTR mostly have mild motors suitable for starters, upgrading will involve a new esc as well as motor). lipo's can be run, charged (less than 1 hour) and run again, you can almost manage with one battery, they do need respect and looking after.
2.4g radio gear is now cheap & common, no more crystals. You will use up tyres & break a few wishbones, you & the kids will have fun and they may well be quicker than you expect.
At a club like Eden Park you will may need a transponder to record lap times & will need BRCA membership sooner rather than later.

This is the best forum but real best is asking question trackside, and you can look at the kit. Lipo batteries and brushless motors have made it easier, cars are now overpowered and driving skill and setup is what you need.

[jim76]

an ansmann mad monkey RTR kit would do you fine. just pick up some second hand alloy shocks to upgrade with, then you have a pretty competitive car on a cheap budget. spares are also very cheap. It's more than a match for the elite cougars and b4's.

[Alan Reeves]

I was in the same position, just raced at Bury for the first time, and been out of the hobby for a good few years, I raced an old losi xxx and placed 4th in the b final so quite pleased with that!
Have a look at some of the second hand stuff on here, one thing I noticed on Sunday was most people are using mid motor cars now.

[medved]

thanks for the responses guys

can somebody run this lipo battery and brushless system past me please?

can you gear up or adjust the motor to make it tamer and how long do the lipo batteries last?


i used to run a 27single stock motor in a class specifically for it and then a 17 triple modified motor for an open class. tb i'm not sure what these would equate to nowadays?

[JCJC]

Originally Posted by medved

thanks for the responses guys

can somebody run this lipo battery and brushless system past me please.

can you gear up or adjust the motor to make it tamer and how long do the lipo batteries last?

i used to run a 27single stock motor in a class specifically for it and then a 17 triple modified motor for an open class. tb i'm not sure what these would equate to nowadays?

Brushless is what it says, coils now in the shell, magnet is the rotor all controlled by electronics, 2 bearings to drop some oil on now and again and your done, motors have 3 wires and a bunch of thin sensor cables, most can be adjusted in the esc profile, some button & flashing lights, some computer connected.

Lipo's - say 4000mAh, can run for 20 minutes I suppose, making everything a bit toasty, so in a 5 minute race they are still pumping out full power, beauty is they can be charged and used again, one battery all day, they have a good 'lifetime' as well. They are light and the cars fly with them in, most add weight to the car to help balance.

Your old 27turn could be 13 brushless, the 10's & 12's I used to put in our B4 are now replaced with 5.5 & 6.5 Novaks. You will not need anything lower than 5.5.

hope this is helpful, simple enough question that needs a longer answer I suspect, your yet to ask about 2.4g radio sets and where all the crystals and pegs have gone

[martgifford]

Medved. Get down to EPR on the 5th Feb Winter Warmer.
My preferences are:
Cougar SV - a little on the high end of being expensive - I have owned one recently and really found it difficult to get use to - also all carbon so if your child snaps it - going to cost you
TLR 22 - Got one, seem to be sold cheap on oople. Quiet new so it has the benefits of being a mid or rear end motor car. So it can accomidate either a stick lipo in rear config or mid motor with saddles
B4 FT / B4.1 - B4 personally as they are cheap and readily available. Look for a second hand one with a spares package.
Kyosho RB5 / Tamiya 201 - Both nice cars but as they are 'desirable' they are a little on the high end
Ansman - bang for buck, cannot go wrong

FTX / LRP for 2wd - not widely use so personally I would stay away from

These are all IMO so don't start criticising it, just give the guy some advice.

Someone is always selling a car. So sometimes the car picks the driver. LOL