Random thoughts about a few possible kits

[alvinlwh 7419]

Just browsing and planning a shopping basket, nothing concrete yet. I have an upcoming opportunity to aquire some kits for cheap and are wondering what to or not to add to thr short list. Some that had caught my eye are:

#47367 Manta Ray ~£62

#47350 Top Force ~£126

These 2 are the same chassis except the TF has better bits right? I have a TA-02(Ra) which I quite like, which could be why I am drawn to these. Personally, I actually prefer the looks of the MR over the 'flatten' looks of the TF but if TF is the better choice/value...

#58525 Wild One ~£85

The price makes this really attractive, but when I looked at the instructions, it seems quite similar to the Frog, which I already have. Too similar to get another one?

#47304 Fighting Buggy ~£158

Now this is very different from anything I have, in fact probably different from anything Tamiya offers now. But is it worth while as a runner? Or is it really a shelfer?

#58517 Super Hotshot ~£158

Again, I already have a HS2. Will this be too similar to that? 

Thoughts, views, experiences, ranking, etc welcome.

[Eurypylus 4]

#47470 Top Force Evo

The carbon fiber chassis and steering is worth the extra :-)

[alvinlwh 7419]

24 minutes ago, Eurypylus said:

#47470 Top Force Evo

The carbon fiber body and steering is worth the extra :-)

That will be ~£245, about double the 100th Ltd Ed. I can buy another kit with the difference.

[Saito2 7978]

Looking at the prices available to you, you'll have to decide if the Top Force represents a better value then the Manta Ray at basically double the price. Both are DF01 chassis buggies and both will still benefit from an alloy motor mount, bearings (the MR  has plastic bushings and the TF has bronze bushings) and a steel pinion. The TF does have a better prop shaft. Whether the double deck FRP chassis, FRP shock towers, front universals, ball diffs and different wheels/tires are worth it are up to you. The shocks are basically the same outside of the color.

 

Other than sharing the drivetrain style, the Wild One is pretty different from the Frog. Its much more realistic for one. It also drives quite differently. The Frog is light and bouncy. The Wild One feels heavier, but with its low COG, feels very planted and stable comparatively. Personally, I find the Wild One to be superior. 

The Fighting Buggy is the old Super Champ (I hate the FB name, why all this fighting?). It is a first gen off roader, the ultimate factory iteration of the SRB line. It is a different animal than later plastic Tamiya buggies, comprised of mostly diecast aluminum. I like them very much, but they are quirky and the era they come from must be kept in mind. If you want to relive 1982, that's awesome, otherwise it may be a novelty.

As much as I love the Super Shot, I feel it would be too close to the HS2 in your case to consider.

 

Feel free to ask any more specific questions. I'll answer to the best of my ability.

[Nick-W 1880]

At those prices, all of them! I’d give em’ a quick wipe for fingerprints first mind, just to be sure. 
 

On a more serious note. The TF is great and the body is much better looking in the plastic than on the box art. 

[Eurypylus 4]

13 minutes ago, alvinlwh said:

That will be ~£245, about double the 100th Ltd Ed. I can buy another kit with the difference.

Unless you are not planning to do any hop-up, if not the price of the kit itself is negligible.

[alvinlwh 7419]

@Saito2 I am leaning towards the TF than the MR. TBH, its a case of at that price, why not?

It is hard to pass on the WO at that price too, similar to Frog or not. Only question I have is, does it have the similar 'spitting dog bones' problem of thr Frog? I had to fix the Frog with universals as it will not run for 5 minutes without throwing out its dog bones.

I think I will pass on the FB as it will probably end up as a shelfer since I have no 1980s memories to relive.

Ditto with the SHS, I will just spend the money on throwing more pointless hopups at my current HS2.

Thanks for your input, very helpful.

[Saito2 7978]

I have never experienced the "splitting dogbones" problem with the Wild One like the Frog does at times.

[Kowalski86 4476]

I'd either go with the Top Force, Manta Ray, or a Wild One. The Fighting Buggy is very primitive and the Supershot isn't far from a HS2.

The Wild One is one of those very rare instances of an RC that blends acceptable performance, scale, and simplicity. Xtra Speed makes some useful upgrades like a rear skid plate and universals (that are cheaper than Tamiyas).

If scale doesn't matter and you just want something to run, go with the Manta Ray. Ball diffs are nice but they require more maintenance than simple gear diffs.

[alvinlwh 7419]

2 hours ago, Nick-W said:

At those prices, all of them! I’d give em’ a quick wipe for fingerprints first mind, just to be sure. 

They will be totally legit from a legit retailer.  You will see what I mean when I finally buy them (all?), but for the moment, I will keep it a surprise.

For now, the list is:

1. TF (Evo or 100th)

2. WO

Now got to see how it fits in with the rest of my list.

[alvinlwh 7419]

1 hour ago, Kowalski86 said:

Xtra Speed makes some useful upgrades

Yes, I am already pricing up Xtra's bits in the list which brings the total cost to around £200.

[Kowalski86 4476]

2 hours ago, alvinlwh said:

Yes, I am already pricing up Xtra's bits in the list which brings the total cost to around £200.

If I had to pick and choose specific upgrades, the rear skidplate would be my choice and some universals just in case.

[alvinlwh 7419]

7 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

the rear skidplate would be my choice and some universals

Yeah, XS-TA29117 and XS-TA29121, already shortlisted, along with a bunch of other blings.

[Twinfan 2176]

Top Force is the way to go in my opinion, but even at that price be careful of throwing too many hop-ups at it. A set of bearings and an alloy motor mount is the bare minimum, but bear in mind the shocks are basic with fixed pistons and shafts. The diameter of the shock bodies is also different to a regular CVA so you can't just swap the innards - ask me how I know! 

If the Top Force Evo can be had for £245 it has Hi-Caps, carbon fibre, bearings, the one-way bearing option etc. If you're planning on upgrading shocks etc choose wisely would be my advice otherwise you may as well start with an Evo which will be better value and be worth more if you ever want to sell your car.

[Wooders28 4968]

Seriously, unless fitting them in luggage is going to be the decider, I would get all of them....🤷‍♂️

If fitting them in luggage isn't an issue, then probably more than one of each, get on a credit card, then sell some. You could still get one or two for free yourself, and still sell them cheaper than the shops, I'm thinking you'd have no issues selling them (ie, sell ,X2 NIB Manta Ray for £105 each, you'd get a Wild One for free, and me and someone else, still got a Manta Ray...🙄) , so pay the credit card off 'IN FULL' (so no interest) everyone is a winner in that case! 

[Jason1145 4688]

You could  consider flattening the kit boxes to get 4 x kits in a suitcase as opposed to only 2, and then reassemble the boxes back home.

Don’t forget some motors and ESC’s while your shopping, they are a 1/3 the price of the UK.

 

[Kpowell911 2293]

14 hours ago, alvinlwh said:

That will be ~£245, about double the 100th Ltd Ed. I can buy another kit with the difference.

But its quadruple the car. Id rather have 1 good R/C over 3 ok ones.

[alvinlwh 7419]

5 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

Seriously, unless fitting them in luggage is going to be the decider, I would get all of them....🤷‍♂️

If fitting them in luggage isn't an issue, then probably more than one of each, get on a credit card, then sell some. You could still get one or two for free yourself, and still sell them cheaper than the shops, I'm thinking you'd have no issues selling them (ie, sell ,X2 NIB Manta Ray for £105 each, you'd get a Wild One for free, and me and someone else, still got a Manta Ray...🙄) , so pay the credit card off 'IN FULL' (so no interest) everyone is a winner in that case! 

Haha! You knew what I am going with this. Luggage is currently unknown, depending on local support I can get from my friend on the ground, but likely not a problem. Credit limit is more likely the problem! I currently has over £5k in the list for "decided", "likely", "desired" and "probably not", along with a 3 page static, tools, hopup and electronics list.

Now, do you guys know that RCM operates with a "two tier" (seems to be the buzz words these days) pricing system? One chassis I am getting, the LC PTG-2R, for example.

What most will see.

https://www.rcmart.com/lc-racing-1-10-ptg-2r-4wd-rally-chassis-touring-car-kit-ep-ptg2r001-00112293

USD299/£243 + PP + VAT

https://hk.rcmart.com/lc-racing-1-10-ptg-2r-4wd-rally-chassis-touring-car-kit-ep-ptg2r001-00112293

HKD1550/£155

There are many other examples, but this one jumped out at me the most. That is nearly £100 difference between local price and ROTW price. I only need 6 of them to cover the cost of the flights.

Currently my list is:

1. T3-01

2. GF-01FT

2.1 TT-02FT

3. LC PTG-2R

3.1 XV-01

4. 3R Cero Ultra FWD

5. Arrow AM1S

6. TF

7. WO

8. MB-01

And hopups of course.

[alvinlwh 7419]

2 hours ago, Jason1145 said:

You could  consider flattening the kit boxes to get 4 x kits in a suitcase as opposed to only 2, and then reassemble the boxes back home.

Don’t forget some motors and ESC’s while your shopping, they are a 1/3 the price of the UK.

Suitcases? Nonono, that is for amateurs. Far more can fit in a 'tea chest' box, at least 6 large kits or more smaller ones.

The advantage is I go out with 2 less suitcases, travelling lighter, and come back with literally a truck load.

Yes, everything on that truck is mine.😁