5 replies to this topic

[Mad Ax]

Hi all,

I've taken a break from carpet racing to venture into the great outdoors with Chippenham Model Car Club. During the summer* evenings we hold classes for 2wd Buggy, 4wd Buggy, 2wd Short Course and 4wd Short Course, all electric 1:10 scale.

I started my induction to buggy racing with an Ansmann Mad Monkey, however I've destroyed the rear diff with my 9T brushless system and I'm worried that it will turn into a frustrating car to own. Performance is good, balance is great for a £65 car, but the shell has already been demolished and finding a replacement to fit is nigh-on impossible. I can repair the diff but have no idea how long it will last before it goes again. I don't really want to reduce the power as I want to keep up with the other cars on the straights.

Recently I've dug my old DF03 out of bashing duties, but it's not the right car for the track. It's had a hard life as a basher and it's ready to be retired. I've had to tune out almost all of the front suspension travel to stop the front CVDs from seizing up, various threads have stripped in the plastic parts, the wing is looking more dog-eared each week (will probably come off completely next week). No disrespect to the car - it's done me proud for many years and is still awesome on gravel / concrete / tarmac with an old Monster Beetle shell on, but it's no good on the track.

The 4wd buggy class isn't really what I'm looking for, 2wd buggies was much more fun, so I'm considering a Team Associated B4.1 Factory Team Worlds. It's within budget, lots of people run the B4, and comes out of the box with everything I need - no additional hop-ups required. I hate the Bulldog shells though - I really want a traditional B4 shell. (Anyone know if they fit on the Worlds +8mm chassis?)

I've also considered a Losi 22, mostly because a mate's just bought one, but apparently they need hop-ups (diff balls and races at least) to make them reliable and competitive.

On the other hand, I've always wanted but never bought a short course truck. I've been warned not to go 2wd - various club members are struggling to make their 2wd SCs handle on the track and they all seem to be getting hugely frustrated, so I'm thinking of going 4wd. What's a good 4wd short course to race with? The Team Associated doesn't seem too expensive (a little more than the B4.1 Worlds).

Will I need to go to a 550 motor for an SC, or will my 9T 540 be alright for power on short grass?

Anything else to help me decide between 2wd buggy or 4wd short course? I loved the feel of driving 2wd buggies, but the 4wd SCs look totally awesome barrelling around our track and I could do a much more interesting race paint job on a big SC shell.

Thanks all

*Sunshine not included

[dragnse7en]

Hi Ax

Whatever you feel the most comfortable driving AND working on would be what I'd suggest.

As far as a 550 size BL motor, the answer is always the same - it varys between tracks, and the track owner or track director always know which motors are allowed in each class. You really should spend more than a full day at your local race track, and ask questions. Some people won't be as willing to share info with you (they think they have winning-edge secrets), but for the most part, you will get your questions answered. Always ask the same thing for each different person, whether or not they have the same car you've seen before - ask "What are the most important spares to keep on hand?" - and remember or write down their answers. Not everyone wuld have the same exact answer, but at least 50% of what they say would be in the same frame of mind.

The Losi 22 looks really nice to me, but I have'nt read up on it yet. The RC10B4.1 is great, and you can't go wrong there. If you go to rc10talk.com's forums, sign up and ask the gurus there if the original B4 body would fit the +8 chassis. I remember seeing that question answered somewhere else, but I can't remember where.

For 4WD SC trucks, I really, really like the losi ten scte. The center diff seems much more appealing to me VS AE's front one-way diff.

Also, after you make a "top 10" list, narrow it down to a "top 5" list, then a "top 3" list. Pick a winner from the top 3 list by going to your LHS or favorite online hobby store, and see which model they have and especially see if they have great parts and tech support for that model.

Good luck!

[speedy_w_beans]

For a B4.1 +8mm body alternative, consider Jconcepts +8mm Punisher. Jconcepts also has a +8mm Finnisher body, but it looks more like the Pro-Line Bulldog. The Punisher looks pretty good to me; it's as close to the Associated RC10B4 Interceptor body as I've seen.

-Paul

[Mad Ax]

Thanks for the advice. To be honest I posted this here to try to clear my own mind - I actually wrote the post 3 times then decided not to submit. It's really a decision as to who I want to compete alongside, which nobody outside the club will know about.

Lots of people use the B4 or its variants at the track, and the local shop (who has a van at most meets) stocks spares. They at least stock the buggies themselves because that's what they recommended to me.

The 4wd Short Course class is much smaller, so although it looks cool maybe I'd have more fun in 2wd Buggies. There's a wide range of skill in 2wd Buggies so even someone rubbish like me can have fun and not feel like I'm getting in everyone's way. We usually run A and B buggy races; 4wd Short Course only has one heat.

It looks like 2wd Buggies would be the better option. I've already got a couple of rounds to my name with the Mad Monkey, so I know what I'm doing and know what pace I should be aiming for, plus my pit buddy is about to move to 2wd soon. Maybe I'll sell a few things over winter so I can afford to go 4wd SC next year.

Thanks also for the info on the Punisher shell I'll probably start with the stock shell but consider a Punisher for replacement later in the year.

[WillyChang]

what's wrong with the TRF201/DN01... they seem to hold their own here pretty well against the B4.1s

[Origineelreclamebord]

I'd have a look at how big the field of competitors is of each class. For example in the Netherlands, 2WD is by far the biggest class, then 4WD. There recently has been a lot of interest for an SC class as well, but to add this to club races and national championships, the events would become too big to do in a single day. So as it stands now, if you have an SC you can only drive for training and there are a few (2 or so?) SC races a year (which by the way attracts interest from German and Belgian racers as well).

Also, think about your preference, and your budget. For example I'd prefer 2WD anytime over 4WD, let alone an SC (Not that they're not fun by the way). Also, I think you'll find a different wear pattern on both cars, you could have a look at what costs more to run in the long term if budget is an issue.

Lastly, if you go for 2WD, don't just pick the Tamiya. Have a look around. I've chosen a TRF201 (partially still Tamiya preference, but more importantly, it's like a B4 but metric, so I didn't need new tools and don't need to keep my spares seperated). I'm happy with it, but practically all the current competition 2WDs out there are well performing cars. Sometimes cars need a small amount of modding to really work for you, but in the end all cars will perform very much alike in lap times in the hands of the same experienced driver.