Fat Freddy

My local model shop has decided to remain closed after lockdown and concentrate on online sales. Gutted.

Tamiya metallic orange with cheap but effective Fast-Finish (Fastrax) black and white....

I spend too much time on my hands and knees searching for tiny screws that roll off my work table......... this would be super useful.

Personally I’d avoid aluminium parts. Expensive and if bent, knackered. Plastics might break easier but are cheap as chips to replace. Carbon top plate is worth the money though.

Thanks @CarlC, looks good but I reckon @m4inbrain might be right. Looks worth the extra £15. If I don’t get any better suggestions, that’s the way I’m jumping. thanks fellas 👍

Hi folks, Due to budgetary constraints, when I bought my most recent transmitter I was forced to buy the cheapest I could find. (£26 inc receiver) It does ..O.K.. but it really is cheap and nasty and I’d really like to get something a little better. Trouble is, I still don’t have much to spend on one, and as I’ve been away from RC for so long and SO much has changed, (transmitters and receivers had crystals when I was into RC the first time round!) I have no idea what’s considered good and what’s not. I am looking for something around £50-60 but could go higher if there is a “must-have” option. I will consider used and will also be posting a wanted ad on here. It will mainly be used for crawling. I don’t need whistles and bell but an extra channel or two for lights etc would be useful. SO.... Is there a go-to brand for reliable, well made kit at a reasonable (cheap) price? cheers Fred

Thanks, that seems like an easy solution 👍

I’ll be honest, I’ve no idea. No doubt someone on here will know what you want to know. All I’d say is get yourself a hobbywing 1060 esc. Easy to fit, cheapish, way more reliable and robust than the stock item .

Hello folks, bought a cheap switch off eBay. Didn’t work. Not 100% sure if it’s the switch or the transmitter at fault but am just going to forget the idea for now and settle for having lights on constantly. Maybe if/when I get a new/better transmitter I’ll try again.

Hi there, I hesitate to contradict @Nickarla , but I fitted the aluminium suspension arm holders up front after getting sick of replacing the plastic ones. So far it’s been fit and forget. Obviously the stresses are passed along to other parts but I haven’t noticed anything amiss yet. Mind you, I’m crashing a bit less these days so that will be a factor. Never broken a rear one so not bothered changing them yet, but when I inevitably do break them I’ll be getting the alloy ones. Although the plastic arms/pins cost more to replace than the holders, they are still relatively cheap and WAY less hassle to replace than the holders. I’d avoid alloy suspension arms and shock towers though, expensive waste of money.

Personally I’d replace with new. But then again I’m lazy 😂

Thanks. Yes. That's exactly what happened. Cheers 👍

That's excellent thanks. No, you definitely haven't pitched it too simple. So once that's installed I SHOULD be able to use the CH3 aux switch to turn them on and off? I shall get one ordered, asap. ✊😷👍

Hi folks, Hopefully you can help fill in some gaps in my radio gear knowledge. I bought a super cheap (£26) Himoto 3 channel transmitter/receiver from my local model shop. You get what you pay for and this thing is really cheap and plasticky but basically works. Obviously I use the first two channels for throttle and steering. The third channel has a switch marked CH3 AUX. I fitted lights to my car and plugged them into the CH3 slot on the reciever. In my ignorance I thought that I'd be able to switch the lights on and off using the aux switch but when I tried, nothing happened. I was convinced it was a faulty switch and contacted the shop but as they are closed due to lockdown, it was weeks before they responded. All they said was, the lights couldn't be turned on/off via the aux switch. I replied, asking what it was for then but they still haven't responded. To be fair to them, they have always been a great source of knowledge and advice and if they were open, I wouldn't be asking you lot. So, what do you reckon folks? Faulty switch and bad information? Or is it just my lack of actual knowledge? How best to proceed if I want to remotely turn the lights on and off? (Short of just throwing the thing away and getting a decent one instead) Thanks in advance for your help.

Worth noting, if it's a Vantage, a servo mounted servo saver won't fit under the body shell. It's also worth noting, if you going with the servo mounted saver, you can replace the stock servo saver, with an alloy steering kit for the hpi bullet. Just use the stock plastic steering Ackerman instead of the alloy one that comes with the kit.

Hi, I use a sport tuned 21T 540 on my vantage. It's twice the price but has never missed a beat. It's slower too but has more torque so you can gear it a little higher. I can't remember what the standard pinion for a bugsta is but get a pinion with an extra tooth or two and you'll barely notice the difference.

+1 on that. Complain. Threaten. Insist on a refund or replacement motor. I recently had a problem with a completely different electrical device and got a similar response. The supplier was adamant they wouldn't replace it. I don't do Facebook but my son posted about it on his account with pictures and links to the company. Within the hour, they rang me back and offered me a replacement item.....as long as my son took down his Facebook post!

Tbh, for all I know they are the same. I just vaguely remember some blurb about “improved wheels and tyres” as a tempter to get the kit.

It's still bushes for the kit, but if you going to shell out for bearings, easier to fit when assembling than having to disassemble it all first. And I believe the kit has better wheels/tyres than the RTR. I got the kit for Christmas. I couldn't tell you if it's a good choice.....First crawler so nothing to compare it to but am loving it. Surprised how capable it is.

Not something as simple as the trim on your transmitter is it?

Sorry for late reply fella, message @daveyboi73 on here. He's the man for steel spurs.

I think when folk are warning against metal components is more usually the shock towers/suspension arms. As well as being more rigid and passing the shocks along to other components, once bent, they're pretty useless. Very hard to get em back in shape and expensive to replace Vs plastic parts. With the spur, you are protected by yr slipper clutch. Although, if you get a steel spur, get a steel pinion too. The metal spur will eat through a brass pinion pretty quick. I had to change 3 plastic spurs in a matter of weeks (it's very gravelly where I use it), and I'd found it hard to get the mesh right. Not had a single issue in 6 months since switching and meshing spur/pinion is way easier. Agree with others about alloy parts except for suspension arm holders, they seem to be fit and forget, just like the steel spur. Carbon top plate a good upgrade too. If you go for carbon shock towers, avoid the vantage pro version, they have all the same cut outs as the plastic towers, are very light but fragile and will snap. Standard carbon towers less pretty but tough as old boots.

I did the same but replaced the plastic servo saver for a metal part from an HPI bullet. Fits straight in and comes with bearings. warning for vantage owners though, a servo mounted servo saver won’t fit under the shell.

Trying to seal off the spur gear is a pain in the arse. It seems expensive when the plastic ones are only about £3 each, but swapping to a steel spur and pinion (about £20) will solve it. They eat gravel for breakfast and run quieter too.

Hehe, repairing these things is half the fun. And those tyres look AWESOME!!✊ Looking forward to those pics. 👍