Yuley95

I think you'll find this is a bit of an issue with some of the re-re Fire Dragon kits. Has been a couple of threads about it. I will try and find one and give you the link... EDIT: thry this thread for a start Fire Dragon Help

I just used it last night on my Blitzer Beetle. I always keep one handy.

My first build after about 15 years away was also a Dark Impact. As you say - very enjoyable from start to finish. For my second build I went for a vintage runner and bought a Thundershot. I chose it because of the monoshock suspension and it seems to be a well-loved chassis by a small group of followers. I have to say that I really enjoyed that build also. It was great to work on something so entirely different to the DI but still really well engineered and made. I think most modern buggies are quite similar so to find something interesting you might have to go vintage.

No. Body and wheel colour.

This is totally biased but - Vanquish. After seeing the amazing job Nimrod did with the Dyna project I would love to see them make one of the Avante family all it could be. And I figure it would be more impressive to start from a low base (ie - plastic) and go all the way with improved materials. Also from what I understand the Vanquish has a slightly lengthened chassis over the Avante which may provide a better base to start from.

Been a while since I've read this thread... I think your plan is a good one. The Brat will be great to start with and I recommend picking up a Fire Dragon down the track. I have both a DI and a Thundershot and I definitely enjoy the Thundershot more for general bashing. The high ground clearance soaks up all the small stones bumps etc and lands beautifully of medium jumps. The high centre of gravity and short wheelbase make it a little 'flicky' in change of direction and probably not brilliant for racing but if fun and reliability are what you are after then the Fire Dragon (same as Thundershot but with duel shocks on the front) will be perfect. Enjoy.

Dark Impact all the way. I have bashed the **** out of mine (with standard motor) and it took all the abuse. The only time I broke anything was when I put a 23 turn motor in and tried to make a triple jump at the local track. After landing really severely on the top of the third mound about three times I finally broke the rear shock tower but it was an easy replace (thanks to a generous TC member). Others may look better or give vintage fun but if you want durability and a reliable car go the DI.

I have the 3racing aluminium shocks on my DI and I have been disappointed. In my opinion there is no noticeable improvement over kit shocks. Might have to spend more to get the performance you need...

Jason RC store on the bay has one. It is one of the early release ones with chrome chassis. A bit more than a standard re-re but if you really want one...

I have a Dark Impact and a Thunder Shot (same chassis as Fire Dragon). They both have their ups and downs. The Dark Impact is a really nice build with full bearings and a tight layout. It handles well, is consistent ad durable and has plenty of upgrades and support. The Thunder Shot/Fire Dragon is old school. It has huge ground clearance which makes it more fun for jumping and driving over bumpy terrain but it also has a high centre of gravity and a short wheel base which means it tends to snap into over steer easily. All up I would say that the Thunder Shot/Fire Dragon is more difficult to drive consistently fast and is uglier than the DI but more fun for bashing and more likely to put a smile on your face. In reference to the other two: My friend has a gravel hound which is exactly the same as the Plasma Edge and I wouldn't recommend it. People seem to have fun with them but it is certainly not up to the standard of the Dark Impact and not as fun as the Fire Dragon. Has low ground clearance and seems to have a pretty inefficient gearbox. It has the same top speed down the straight as our DI's but it can't get out of a corner as quickly (maybe that has something to do with the diff - I'm not an expert). Unfortunately I have no experience with the Baldre. Cheers, Yuley

Go the 'Dragon. I have a Thundershot and love it. I can only compare it to my Dark Impact but basically it is less predictable and more fun. The high ground clearance gives it more body roll and makes it handle a little worse but also means it is great over jumps and rough surfaces.

Not a silly question at all. If you are just running a standard motor I wouldn't say it is essential but they do help protect your driveline from wear and tear. When you move onto more powerful motors, they become more necessary. Basically, without a slipper clutch, every time your motor turns, your wheels turn. There is no 'give' in the driveline. This can be a problem if you do a lot of jumping because as you get airborne, your motor turns very fast (not resistance) and your wheels spin really fast but when you land and they make contact with the ground again, the wheels are suddenly much harder to turn and this creates a lot of stress in the driveline. Something has to give and one day it will be a worn outdrive or a stripped gear. A slipper clutch is made up of a couple of plates pushed really tightly together. Under normal load it acts as one solid unit but under stress - such as hard acceleration or landing from a jump with wheels spinning frantically - the two plates 'slip' against each other to absorb the stress. Does that make sense? There is a bit more to it and they are adjustable to give more or less slip but that is the basic rundown. I ran a Dark Impact for a year with standard motor and no slipper and I can see a little wear on the outdrives. I have upgraded to a 23 turn BZ motor and installed a slipper for a bit of protection. Seem to work. Yuley

It was a longer day than I expected and I don't have all the professional stuff so I just charged two batteries at home and took them along not realising the event would run most of the day. Other guys offered to top up the batteries which was cool. As far as the racing went I was actually surprised that I was pretty competative and won a heat. I was just racing in the standard 540 class so all you really have to do is be consistent. A couple of mates and I go to the track every now and then for our own little races so I new it pretty well and my car wes set up as well as I can manage for a standard Dark Impact. I think it is time to move up to at least a 23 turn and see how I go with that.

That would be brilliant. Just sent a PM. Cheers

Thanks everyone. Great advice. I'll get a plastic replacement and have a look at my damping/spring rate. I guess a related question would be - why do people go for carbon or aluminium? I can only guess that you get better performance but accept that you might need to replace it more often... is that right?