Si Coe

The problem was never getting the Pred going, its keeping it that way! They are awesome machines, as futuristic now as the day they first appeared but they were always rare with limited parts support even when TTech still existed. On the earlier models you didn't even have to hit stuff because the bevel gears worn out very quickly, and I'm pretty sure will be hard to replace.

I switched my old Cat '98 to lipo whilst it was still running its Mtronik's Prodigi just by adding a low battery buzzer and it worked fine. You might need to alter the battery straps though as lipos tend to be squarer and the Schumacher plastic straps are rounded. I used some velcro instead but also found I had to tape the pack down so it didn't slide out. BTW my Cat absolutely flew with lipo power and a cheap brushless system but it did seriously hammer the rear belts. Its also tough on the driveshafts - the plastic ones wear fast and the blades type fly off which chews up the outdrives. Just be gentle with it - surprisingly the Cat 2000 series doesn't cope with mega power as well as the earlier XLS series can be made to.

You could try making a saddle pack - you'd need to get a stick pack, rip it apart and resolder. Its not that easy since stick packs tend to use spot welded thin metal strips which you'll have to pull off, and finding proper good quality copper tabs will be harder now, but it is the best way. Those low capacity packs you've seen are probably one for a Micro RC and therefore far smaller than you want in terms of physical size.

Futaba T4GRS is about the cheapest major brand multi model stick radio. Very nice it is too.

The Firestorm is better than the Rustler, and yes if I was after a truck I'd get the Firestorm BUT that doesn't mean the Rustler isn't a perfectly decent truck. If you prefer the Traxxas, you can go ahead and get it with no regrets. It will do everything you ask it to do as well as you could want it to. Its just the Firestorm would do it a little better......

I'll second AJ's Iroda Solderpro 70. Because I race electrics outdoors a gas iron has always been handy, but traditionally I've had a regular iron back at home. But the Solderpro works so well I don't bother - its used for everything. It has blowtorch and hot knife bits too which are handy. The only issue is that you need the extra tips pack that AJ also shows to get a decent sized tip. Mine came from CPC which is cheaper than Maplin.

For certain any money spent modding is essentially money burnt. You absolutely will not get a penny back when it comes to selling the car. You might think it looks better but buyers won't. The only way to recover any of the value is to convert back and sell the mods separately. Thats fine if you've got somewhere you can store the standard wheels, shocks, audio equipment etc but otherwise not practical. If you fancy modding for fun thats your choice but just understand its money spent for no real gain.

Have you just learnt to drive? The reason I ask is that if so you might want to try ringing a few companies directly (actually thats a good idea anyway) because you might well get a better deal. A 30 year old with no driving history (good or bad) tends to make insurers suspicious as to why you've never held insurance in your own name before. Anytime you don't fit 'decidedly average' for insurance price comparison sites won't get you a decent deal. But also agree with the whole 'drive something a grown up would not a teenager' thing. Anyone who learns to drive over about 25 is best off avoiding traditionally 'cheap' runabouts. Older cars can count against you too - newer tends to suggest better maintained and you'll take more car of it.

Some esc/radio combinations do that - something to do with refresh frequencies but its not an old vs new thing. I've got some modern esc's don't work with a particular modern reciever. Its rare but it happens.

Yes - the stock diffs were always a weak point on the DB01.

Perfectly good setup which will work well in the DB01. With the slipper you are good down to about a 5.5t motor in that chassis but the diffs can get a pounding. As for what is good - well truth is pretty much any UK sourced brand is going to be alright. Buying Chinese stuff over ebay with no parts support can be a gamble but otherwise no problems. As for Speed Passion, in the early brushless days they were a major name with motors that were rebadged Feigio's and esc's by Hobbywing but since they switched to their own esc's they aren't as popular as they once were. Nothing wrong with them, just not fashionable I guess. Then again LRP is a bit out of fashion too right now.

I fitted a brushless system and lipo to my MR4 before I sold it and it held up fine - back then the MR4 was a top notch TC. That said, the belts need to be in good condition. I've also fitted modern electronics to a Cat'98, '91 RC10 team, '92 RC10T, '90 Cougar and my current vintage runner which is a '90 Manta Ray. Just pick a fairly mild wind, go for a slightly smoother motor like a Speed Passion and turn the punch on the esc right down. You may actually find the lipo cells more of a challenge. They are very slightly larger than something like your 2400's and might be a tight fit depending on what you get. All my converted vintages required a little altering to fit the cells in. The problem is that late versions of NiMH's were a bit fatter than the old Nicads, so models designed for the very old cells have little room. I found it easier to adjust the car to the pack then bothering to find a pack that fits. Normally all thats needed is to come up with an alternative battery holder and maybe dremel the ends of the tray a bit. Your old radio will work, though I'd still upgrade to 2.4ghz anyway. Being used less now 27mhz is actually more reliable than it used to be, but even so 2.4ghz is virtually glitch free. Your servo remains pretty decent spec, but good luck replacing the gears!

Adjusting the gearing can make a huge difference to a cars performance but limited gearing options in some Tamiya's will naturally restrict that. Likewise brushed motor performance is very variable depending on condition. Back in the days of brushed motors for racing we used to dyno test before and after a service (skim, new brushes, timing adjustment) and frequently saw no load RPM's double. Its a reason brushless is better even before having more power. But the last thing not mentioned is other possible bottlenecks like the battery pack and the connectors. A faster motor will draw more current, but if that can't be supplied for another reason it won't perform. Did the pack or any connectors get warm?

Other clubs to consider - Southport which is another large outdoor club. It used to be the more 'serious' of the two but Bury is now a lot more professional then when I was running it - mostly because I'm not running it! There is also Ribble Valley up in Leyland who race indoors on carpet on Friday nights. Its easier on new drivers than the more 3 dimensional outdoor tracks so it's where I take my kids.

We have a few female racers though not many regulars. There are quite a few 'racing widow's' who come with their family each week, sit in the pits, drink and chat though.... Best advice is to talk to Stu Wood at Rossendale Models. He is the club's race director and a former pro racer. He'll know what's best to choose.

Well the SKYRC stuff is pretty decent. I've got one of their Toro esc's, and an Ares motor and both are very made quality items despite the price tag. But then the same applies to a Quicrun which would also be waterproofed too (though on sensored systems the sensor lead isn't and can cause issues) so its up to you. As for the cheap Chinese combos - as ever its a question of how lucky you feel. Sometimes they work well and you get a bargain, sometimes they explode in your face......

The club nearest you is Bury which is were I race/help out when I have time (so basically never right now) They are running indoors on carpet/polished floor in Oldham once a month over the winter so the tyre of choice there is Minipins as Alex mentions although the new Darts seem to work nicely too. Outdoors the track is in Goshen Park Bury and its a super grippy short pile astroturf track - its more like outdoor carpet than traditional astroturf. In the dry its yellow schumacher or white ballistic minispikes, in the wet switch to their respective green versions. Even in the worst weather you won't be needing Pinks which help lots if there is standing water, but that doesn't happen. Cut staggers tend to be the front of choice in all weathers. Our straight isn't that long, and most track layouts we use tend to be quite twisty and technical. That means a smooth motor setup is more effective than a power based one. The Speed Passion motors have a rep for being a little 'soft' which works well at Bury but might leave you outgunned somewhere with a larger straight like Southport. There are a few good drivers with both the Xray and the B6 so plenty of help on hand making both good choices. I would personally rate the Hobbywing over the Speed Passion of the 2 I suggested, and also agree that the SKY RC is better still. I have an older SKY RC esc which is in my sons car, and one of their ARES motors which are superb. I have several Hobbyking X range escs in my bashers, boats etc but I wouldn't recommend them for racing. They are absurdly cheap but amazing capable WHEN THEY WORK, but terribly unreliable. Thats fine for say my airboat because if it breaks or gets waterlogged you just throw it away and get another - but would be frustrating if it died in the middle of a big race meeting. Definitely get a good servo. Its worth every penny. My YZ4 is using a ACE DS1015 servo I bought for £70 10 years ago. Its been in whatever my primary race car was that entire time and is still going strong. Meanwhile secondary cars have killed dozens of cheap Bluebird servos in the same time span.

I agree about the servo, and which battery pack too but why do you need three of them? I have three myself but they are all in different cars - I never use more than one pack during a single meeting. Having two is useful just in case one dies, you have charger problems etc but a third isn't required.

I have and like the Durango cars. I don't actually have a 210F, but thats because before it was released I made my own from the front of a 210 and the back of a 410. That said I cannot currently recommend them. The cars are good, tough and drive well, but support is sorely lacking both in terms of spares and top drivers developing the car and its setup. In this respect the Xray is far better served, but all lag behind Team Associated. These days the Durango's have gone to my 2 lads who's cars are so slow that they can't break much (plus I have a LOT of 210 spares - whole cars worth) and I run a Yokomo YZ2. People will recommend all sorts of fancy (and expensive) motors and esc's, but truth be told there are distinct limits to what an 2wd buggy can cope with and you can easily exceed that without spending loads. You'll want a motor of around 7.5-8.5t with a suitable programable esc to match. The Speed Passion Reventon R and the older (but still excellent) Hobbywing Xerun 2.1 are both inexpensive and quite up to the job at club level. Partner that to something like these Speed Passion or Turnigy motors and you'll have more power than you can handle. Wheels will depend on the car. Most cars take a common fitment and offset now, but not all. Tyres depend on the track but because the national series runs on the Schumacher Yellow Minispike as a control tyre for the rear its the default tyre pretty much anywhere. I actually prefer Ballistic Buggy White Minispikes for 2wd myself. At the front its normally Schumacher stagger ribs or cut staggers depending on the amount of steering you want, again in yellow. Be warned tyre life is very short in a 2wd buggy. They may look like there is a lot of spike left but they will seriously lose their edge after only a few runs.

Yes. Its provides liability insurance. Normally first time racers get a meeting or two before its needed, but since the insurance covers you off track just bashing in the park its worth it regardless.

The advice wasn't wasted. It matters that you know what you are buying and its limitations - if you understand that you'll be fine. Lot of people end up disappointed with RC's (and models get poor reputations) because they got something that wasn't really suitable for what they planned on doing with it. 1/10th buggys are awesome, but they have some very clear limits and you have to work with that. If you do so, they are great, if you don't you take it home in pieces.....

The Mini-8T is barely smaller than a 1/10th buggy and in fact the wheels are the same diameter so it can go pretty much all the same places. It does use micro scale electrics though which are a bit overstressed in such a big car. The Rustler is a popular model - if you prefer a buggy it has a brother in the Bandit but I'm not sure the Bandit shell fits the Rustler. Either way they are fairly tough out of the box and with a few aftermarket parts virtually bombproof. That said they are overpriced for what you get and if you want the truck version the HPI Firestorm is a better model all round. Unlike the Rustler it needs no upgrades at all to be nigh on indestructible, it has better handling than the Rustler too. The Ultima is a superb package for the price and is upgradable all the way to full RB6.6 spec if you want (and are willing to spend a LOT of money) but it is more of a race orientated design than a pure basher. Not that it can't be used that way of course, they are quite tough etc but it has a lot more setup options, tweaks and tuning to make it work. That means you can dial it to handle really well, but it also means if you mess the setting up you get an undrivable pig. Its a great car, the best of the buggies you've suggested in fact, but one that takes a lot more work on you behalf to get the best of. In contrast the Firestorm especially is pretty much buy and forget. Aside from upgrading to brushless later it requires no tweaks, upgrades etc and little maintenance. Heres a real left field option to look at - http://answer-rc.com/en/4634-sworkz-fox-4x4e-cage-buggy-rtr.html

Embarrassingly I don't actually know. Since I did race control until Stu took over I've not had to pay for racing and membership for about 6-7 years now! IIRC actual club membership isn't that expensive - £10 for adults, £5 for juniors. Pays for itself in 5 meetings, but you will also need BRCA membership. Speak to Stu at RossMods - he has all the forms details etc.

RTR = Ready to Rebuild as Capri said. Depends on the brand etc, but frequently the design is OK but quality control and assembly is shocking. Which means you get the odd 'Friday car' where nothing is right. Not sure how you've managed to rack up that bill without reversing over it with a full sized car though!

I can answer your questions with regard to Bury though despite what my sig says I haven't actually raced in a while! You probably didn't get a reply as the Neil who is Club Secretary has been very busy sorting out winter racing venue issues - that and I haven't been helping him so he has more to do..... There is no problem with you using your Vantage and Carnage on the track. They mostly race buggys so the Carnage will look a bit out of place but you'll be allowed to run. In winter they race over at Counthill in Oldham, but in spring/summer its every other Sunday at Goshen Park in Bury. The track is in a public park and there is nothing to stop you climbing the (very low) fence and practising on the track. The only issue is that you can't use the rostrum unless you have the code for the gate (and no I don't know the current code). The gate code is emailed out to members, so you could either join yourself or just turn up to practice and hope someone else is there and has unlocked the gate - which happens most Saturdays. As for the 1/5ths - try asking Rossendale Models. They are large scale specialists so should know where there is to run them. Oh, and Stu who works at RossMods is also Bury's race director so maybe drop by RossMods and all your questions will be answered.