Neil.tmorris Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Hey there. I have played with normal RC cars since i was a boy and want to now get into it a little more and buy my first proper electric on road RC car. I have been looking at different and makes, concluding that i would like to get a Tamiya 1/10th Electric car but need advice on which one. I want something that is powerful and easy to maintain but that i can start upgrading and tinkering with once i advance with this particular hobby. I have been looking at the M05 mini cooper and the TT01 - i love the mini and do have an old mini shell i painted which would be nice to use, but i wanted to see if anyone with a bit of knowledge has any advice on the matter? My budget at the moment is around £200. Any advice would be appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorrylemming Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 TT-01 is ideal really, if you wish you could make the entire car out of aluminium and carbon bits, not reccommended though. £200 would get you the kit, plus a light brushless combo, radio and probably the charger and batteries aswell, might run over to £230. If you stayed with brushed you would be well under budget. Brushless is a lot more power but a little more money. Tamiyas are good kits but they aren't good value for money, a schumacher Mi1 has more adjustment as standard and would require less upgrades. For instance the tt-01 requires bearings, alloy prop shaft to start with really. Mi1 Here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheese85 Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 TT-01 is a great car, I race one at my local club against about 3 other Xray T3s and it keeps up pretty well with brushless and the right gearing. It can also be made into a rally car or a drifter with realative ease.It is easy to maintain, but not all that tough - mostly the front hub carriers that go - gone through about 7 of them! another bonus, Iliked mine so much and upgraded it so much, a put all the extra spartes and lower grade parts together into another car! Im no expert on the M05, but from what ive heard, alot of people like them quite alot, and that racing them is one of the most fun things to do in the world of RC. This is the point at which Garry (Modelsport Forums resident Know-it-all) come in and tells the world about the M0 series of cars yet again. The Mi1 is abit specialis if you ask me Lorry, Not alot you can do with it, plus its not all that good for a begginer, but if your going racing, then its the perfect car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si Coe Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 I'm not sure about that. The Mi1 is no harder to built than a TT-01, just as strong (but parts are cheaper) and if built to the kit settings easier to drive. Every shell that fits the TT-01 will fit it, as will every wheel. It can be upgraded using parts for the old Mission racer on which its based - better shocks, C/F chassis, alloy bulkheads etc. There isn't as much bling stuff available as for the TT01, but then 90% of that stuff is just a waste of money anyway. Ultimately nothing you can throw at a TT01 will make it outperform an Mi1. There is no reason it can't be used as a drifter - spool type diffs exist for it and it will take drift tyres. Its one problem is that being a belt drive its not ideal for running in areas with lots of small loose stones. That would rule it out as a rally car, but there exists an undershell and tray that seals it up nicely. The M05 is great fun, but not the easiest to drive (thats why its fun!). As its front wheel drive, it can't really cope with powerful motors so will never be a speed machine, but that was never the point. Personally I've found bashing on-roaders gets a little dull after a while - there is only so much driving up and down you can do. At that point you start looking for what to do next and the main options are: Go fast! Speed run car - Mi1 would work better than the TT01 here. Go sideways! Drifter - Just get a TT01D. The Mi1 can drift, but its no better sliding than the TT01. Go racing! Track car - this is the Mi1's territory. You can race TT01's, but you'll do better with the Mi1. Go fun! Wheelspin, quirky handling and an awesome shell - the MO5 doesn't need to be fast, can't drift and can only race effectively against other mini's because its just a laugh to drive it around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz! Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 the new mo6 looks good, rear wheel drive so should be a good laugh. one thing to remember if you do buy tamiya, get a set of bearings for your chosen car before you start to build. does it have to be on-road?? if not, have a look at the fav, subaru brat etc. they are good fun on both tarmac and grass. also with any m-chassis, brat or fav, the kit supplied esc coupled up to a tamiya sport tuned motor and a set of bearings will increase speeds no end. or if your feeling flush, a ezrun 13t brushless will do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorrylemming Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Mi1 was just an example, you can also compare it to the maverick TC and drift car, that for the same price are RTR and have everything except the nice shell. If you do go for a tt-01 have a look on ebay, there are alot around and you can get a very good deal, most will already have the basic upgrades aswell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil.tmorris Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 Thank you all for your advice, i have had a look around on the net and defiantly want to have a chassis that fits the old school 1/10 mini cooper shells ( i have a mini and want a smaller version ) but am now getting slightly confused with the sizing. I'd quite like a rear wheel drive but the m06 doesn't fit the shells. what other kits should i look into or are the FWD M-chassis's the only ones that will fit? cheers for the advice, am also looking at the Mi1 an the Maverick TC - i'm just a sticker for the old mini's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si Coe Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 There are a few nice 4wd chassis you can get that fit Mini shells. This ABC Genetic for example which is basically a shaft drive TC like the TT01, but Mini sized. ABC do them with shells too, which are stunning - as good as Tamiya's in fact! There is also the Xpress Mini Roadrunner, which is belt drive and a few others too. Mini racing is big in Japan and there are several 4wd and rwd models. Only problem is most aren't imported to the UK, and those that are will be pretty rare so parts support is restricted to a few mail order outlets only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz! Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Thank you all for your advice, i have had a look around on the net and defiantly want to have a chassis that fits the old school 1/10 mini cooper shells ( i have a mini and want a smaller version ) but am now getting slightly confused with the sizing. I'd quite like a rear wheel drive but the m06 doesn't fit the shells. what other kits should i look into or are the FWD M-chassis's the only ones that will fit? cheers for the advice, am also looking at the Mi1 an the Maverick TC - i'm just a sticker for the old mini's! the m05 (fwd) and the m06 (rwd) have 3 different wheelbase settings just like the old mo3, just a case of moving suspension arms and shock mounts. but they will fit the mini shell. the express roadrunner is a ggreat bit of kit but as si coe as already said parts are a little thin on the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil.tmorris Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 thank you for the help. i had read an article that said the rear motor meant it was to big. I may go with the m06 - i'd like the option to drift if i wanted. has anyone any experience with the Tamiya m06? Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper_Harley Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 I've had my Kyosho TF-5 readyset for a year or so, its a cracking little car, used to have a TT-01, maybe it was just me but i couldn't use it, all it would do was slide out everywhere :/ ended up selling it for £30, ill never buy tamiya again unless it is a scale project. My Kyosho is for sale if you are interested, it is in near perfect condition and RTR, great little electric car if your interested (this wasn't a sales pitch i genuinely do not like tamiya after making a great loss on it ) give me a PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 The M06 won't drift, it just spins (like any RWD RC really). I have raced M01, M02, M03, M04 and M05 chassis, and alla re a riot to drive , the 01, 03 and 05 are FWD, the 02, 04 and 06 are all RWD. Definitely ballraces when you build them, and oil filled shocks too as the standard friction dampers are like pogo sticks, they don't do much other than keep the chassis off the ground I have an M03 at the moment and its a nicely balanced fun thing to drive! Easier to work on than the M05 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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