RTR car for club racing.

[grumpygramps]

I've decided to give 1/10 electric circuit racing a proper go at my local club, starting in the RTR T/C class, which shouldn't be too expensive or too fast for me to keep up with!

I'm going to buy something off the shelf and just get on with it, maybe buy some sets of wheels/tyres, but thats it, no messing about with all the hop-up stuff, so it's got to be as good as pos right from the start.

The rules are as follow-

• Any car with a tub or monocoque chassis, or which has been available in the UK as a Ready to Run package.
  
• Race weight will be a miniumum of 1500g including transponder.
  
• Any replacement ESC must have a UK list price of £40 or less. (Allows waterproof ESCs such as the Mtroniks RV15.)
  
• Upgrades to the car CAN be...
  
  • Ball races
    
  • PLASTIC Oil damped shocks.
    
  • Different spring rates
    
  • Drive shafts/CVDs/propshafts
    
  • Adjustable tie rods
    
  • Replacement/alloy steering blocks and c-hubs.
    
  • spur gear and pinions
    
  • Servo and servo saver
    

  [*]Upgrades to your car may NOT be

  • Carbon
    
  • Titanium
    

  [*]Any rubber tyre (No foam tyres)

  [*]Any 190mm bodyshell

  [*]Lipo, NiMh or NiCad batteries, with a nominal voltage of no more than 7.4V

  [*]Minimum weight limit of 1500g, with transponder.

  [*]Motors for the electric RTR class.

  • 53689 Tamiya 540-J Kit supplied Johnson Motor, or any other similar sealed can motor, such as the Mardave G2
    
  • 53068 Tamiya RS540 Sport Tuned
    

Anyone got any suggestions what might be best, within those rules? I really don't have a clue...

Many thanks in advance, Lawrence

[grumpygramps]

OK, done a bit of looking about.. Maybe an HPI Sprint 2 Sport and buy one of the Tamiya motors..? Either that or a Carisma M40s or Tamiya TT-01 E, but they don't look anywhere near as good as the HPI.

Any ideas?

[headamage]

HPI is the better deal. Just get a silver can motor for it. the stock motor is out of spec.

[grumpygramps]

Thanks, yep, that's what I thought. Any idea if the "Sport Tuned" Tamiya motor is worth paying double over what the silver can one is..?

Cheers, Lawrence.

[Matt Donalds]

If you can find one about, take a look at the hot bodies cyclone s or kyosho tf5. Both based off the geometry of a top-spec chassis but with a tub-chassis and available as an rtr.

Matt

[headamage]

Run the silver can first and see how you like it before deciding on the more expensive motor. The only concern i really have is if the HPI is a real tub chassis like the Tamiya.

[grumpygramps]

If you can find one about, take a look at the hot bodies cyclone s or kyosho tf5. Both based off the geometry of a top-spec chassis but with a tub-chassis and available as an rtr.

Matt

Cheers Matt, I'll check them out

The only concern i really have is if the HPI is a real tub chassis like the Tamiya.

I don't think that the HPI is a "real tub chassis", but it has been available in the UK as a RTR package, so will qualify in the class according to the rulebook.. I guess anyway!

[Matt Donalds]

Apex still list the Kyosho TF5 readyset, i would look about for parts availability first though

Matt

[Just Chris]

Hi have you thought about the annsman are-2

I startes with the are 1 great car and very sturdy.

Racing isn't about the faster motor its about lines and set up.

Some of our sponsered drivers at are club will run 2-3 year old cars and still lap the new cars.

Go to the x-ray site they do a really,really good set-up guide (its a real black art )

Hope this helps its great fun as you get better watching the laptimes get better.

Also the esc by fuison for approx £30-35 is great for this class.

My TC6 set up for PRO-ECO at our club

Edited September 28, 2011 by Just Chris

[grumpygramps]

Apex still list the Kyosho TF5 readyset, i would look about for parts availability first though

Matt

Thanks Matt. I remember seeing them a couple of years back and thinking they were nice cars for the £££'s, will check out the spares availability. At the mo the HPI is looking fave though, as spares are all over the place and the car is only £150 in some places.

Hi have you thought about the annsman are-2

I startes with the are 1 great car and very sturdy.

Racing isn't about the faster motor its about lines and set up.

Some of our sponsered drivers at are club will run 2-3 year old cars and still lap the new cars.

Go to the x-ray site they do a really,really good set-up guide (its a real black art )

Hope this helps its great fun as you get better watching the laptimes get better.

Also the esc by fuison for approx £30-35 is great for this class.

My TC6 set up for PRO-ECO at our club

Thanks for the advice Chris. I'll have a good look at the Xray site and the set-up advice, that will no doubt be very helpful.

I checked out the Ansmann, looks like it might be sturdy and the kit is so cheap it would make sense, being that I'm going to be putting my own radio gear and motor in.. Doesn't seem to be ballraced though, and it looks UGLY!! I know that shouldn't be a problem, you can put a new shell on and hide the chassis underneath it, but I'm not sure I would want to live with it, all the same..

Nice TC6 btw, funny seeing it with the Maverick electronics in there though, they any good..?

[Garry]

Sounds like the rules are perfect for getting newer RC'ers into racing, (or even the older RC'ers! ).

Maverick Strada TC Evo ticks all the boxes, its £110 RTR too so a bargain, and fairly easy to get spares for. I'd pick that over a Sprint as the money you save can be put towards a Protoform bodyshell and better tyres.

[Just Chris]

Hi grumpy yes the electrics are good ,under our club rules you have to have a eco motor Strada,Annsmann,etc

and a Esc up to £40 your allowed any chassis (any make and value). Look up shmcc also you might

want to look at the indoor series at chippernam, im running 17.5 with a kinetic esc.

As Gary says the Strada is good starter car.

Edited September 29, 2011 by Just Chris

[headamage]

May I ask what is an eco motor? I know about stock, super stock and modified.

[Garry]

Eco motors tend to be brushed motors which are non-rebuildable, like Tamiya Silver and Black cans, HPI Saturn, Ansmann Clash etc.

[headamage]

Ah I see. I thought they called that stock.

[Garry]

Eco - sealed brushed motors

Stock - 27t brushed or 13.5 brushless (or 17.5, depends on the club)

Super Stock - 19t brushed or 10.5 brushless (or 13.5, depends on the club)

Modified - Any brushed or brushless.

[headamage]

thanks for the info. hopefully i will try my luck some day at super stock because i just got a 19T V10 LRP. I got no car to use it with as my others are already fitted with 3T and 2T brushless.

i wanted to suggest the LRP TC. Looks very decent to me and they sell it as RTR or as a kit without tyres or body. For about £90 i think it is a bargain. i am considering it too.

[Garry]

I forgot about that car, its similar in terms of spec to the Maverick Strada but has ball diffs so would handle a bit better. With it being available as a race roller (built, no electrics), it should be a great choice if you have electrics already.

[headamage]

it has adjustable camber in all corners, alloy oil filled shocks, sealed gear diffs so you can use whatever oil you want in them and the middle drive shaft is alloy too. The manual also shows alloy motor mount as standard. CVD shafts in front and dogbones in rear. I am really liking it. You cant possibly ask for more at £90. Just throw in the electronics, some tyres and a shell and you are off. The only thing I am missing is a receiver.

[Cherry]

Don't the alloy shocks disqualify it?

[Garry]

Technicaly yes but it depends how much of the shock is alloy or plastic. From the pics it looks like a plastic threaded body with alloy pre-load collar, and top/bottom caps which could be OK. Best ask the club for clarification.