What Buggy Should I Get

[tamiya monkey]

ok well i fancy another touareg, and wanted a vintage re-re buggy, i love the hotshot but not sure how it would cope with being bashed about, i want a buggy that will handle a hotter motor say 17t, that handles well and will stand up to being ramped and raced, just want something to have fun with.

[Gruntfuggly]

Thundershot sounds like it might be what you want. Or, maybe a Top Force, if you want more 'hopupability'...

[94eg!]

Thundershot would be good, but they are getting harder to find NIB now. If you wait, Tamiya will be re-releasing the Fire Dragon next year which is basically the same thing but with 4 separate shocks. Very nice model in my eyes.

The Top Force re-re would be better, but they are quite expensive. Also harder to find than the re-re Thundershot. From what I've heard, all those aftermarket hop-ups don't really make them any better. You would probably be fine running it as is out of the box. Though personally I would add front & rear sets of 53125 Sleeved dampers, and ball bearings to the steering bell-cranks.

[subsea84]

I have recently bought a DT-02 (Sand Viper). It is so much fun and cheap. I would recogmend getting one

[ryanbored]

get an RC10 B4

Oops wrong forum

[skip665]

Another recommendation for the Thundershot series - although I have no experience of the recent 4wd buggies but the Thunder Dragon that I had for years and years took more abuse than I care to mention and never broke!

(Although after 15 years in the loft I broke it recently after years of not breaking it when i was younger! :oops:)

[PSXBatou]

If parts are easy for you to find locally, and money wasn't an object I would get a TRF501x

My big gripe with the B4 is that it uses hex screws all around, my fingers are killing me from using those hex keys. Shock assembly is a bit wonky too.

Later on if i decide to go 4wd buggy ill probably get a 501x, right now i have my sights (and money) set on a TRF416.

[94eg!]

If parts are easy for you to find locally, and money wasn't an object I would get a TRF501x

My big gripe with the B4 is that it uses hex screws all around, my fingers are killing me from using those hex keys.

Uh...the 501x comes with hex screws as well. Besides, if your buying these types of racing cars, you should already have a quality hex-driver set. Building cars allen-keys is just crazy. The Durga would make a better basher than the 501X anyways...

[Lemming]

From what I've heard, all those aftermarket hop-ups don't really make them any better. You would probably be fine running it as is out of the box. Though personally I would add front & rear sets of 53125 Sleeved dampers, and ball bearings to the steering bell-cranks.

I recommend a Top Force without doubt (if you want Tamiya). I have put several hop-ups on which are well worth it... These are:

The metal motor mount for a hot motor (cheap non-tamiya ones are fine)

shocks definitely need upgrading (especially the rears)

the uprated steering

full ball bearings (including steering)

Other fun ones (if you fancy, not needed):

Front one way diff or one way torque splitter

CVD's at rear (not essential, as it comes with front ones from memory)

I use the original carbon hop-up drive shaft (slightly stronger and also lighter, quicker pick up allegedly...)

Carbon chassis (had one, slightly stiffer than the FRP one, but neither have broken so far or made a massive difference)

Alloy arms.... Not tried them. The standard ones are pretty good really. Also, they are shared by the Manta Ray, Blazing Star, etc......... Cheap and easy to find

Having run a ThunderShot (eventually on 14.4v for the sake of it) and talked to other owners, the front end is extremely fragile (even on a standard motor). If you look for the A tree (here or Ebay), they nearly always are being sold without the part you need (A5 I think), as people buy the tree, take the part to fix their car and sell the rest on. That makes them almost impossible to get if you break yours.

Regarding a 17t motor, feel free to check out my Novak SS5800 Brushless Top Force (there's a video as well). It has a lot of hop-ups, but the only ones which make much difference really are those mentioned in the first list above. It's done several Kidderminster meets, loads of bashing, loads of jumping and generally been abused. The gears are getting worn now (too much power) but not really surprised. Again, they are so easy to come by and so cheap it doesn't really matter.

Cheers

Steve

[PSXBatou]

Uh...the 501x comes with hex screws as well. Besides, if your buying these types of racing cars, you should already have a quality hex-driver set. Building cars allen-keys is just crazy. The Durga would make a better basher than the 501X anyways...

I'm noticing this can you recommend a decent set? It's crazy but its all I have ATM

Edit: I'll run to Lowes on my lunch break and save my fingers from more abuse I guess

What about Dark Impact?

[tamiya monkey]

i did fancy a re-re for the reason they look great, ive had a keen hawk df03 and it was a good buggy but they dont seem the same, prefer vintage stuff.

[highflyer]

ok well i fancy another touareg, and wanted a vintage re-re buggy, i love the hotshot but not sure how it would cope with being bashed about, i want a buggy that will handle a hotter motor say 17t, that handles well and will stand up to being ramped and raced, just want something to have fun with.

Simple,

The Durga will be more athletic than the Dark Impact. I have a DF03 and it has a overheating of the motor issue with a MOD motor. Personally I would go with the Durga JMO!

I would not go vintage if your going to bash and race hard...

[gixxer]

Simple,

The Durga will be more athletic than the Dark Impact. I have a DF03 and it has a overheating of the motor issue with a MOD motor. Personally I would go with the Durga JMO!

I would not go vintage if your going to bash and race hard...

If you want vintage why not an Egress? If you want a re re what about the Dyna Storm? Heard these were the better buggys

[TamiyaMan]

I'd get the buggy you like the most and can afford the most - that you can also get spare parts and hop-up parts the fastest for...at a fair price.

Talk to your LHS that stocks Tamiya. If they don't stock Tamiya well then pass them by please

[Lemming]

Dyna Storms are quite fragile at the rear, and again are really hard to get parts for.

I would agree that out of the box the Dyna Storm is superb (again, see my videos), but having broken the rear lower arm mount and spent ages trying to get a replacment I would seriously think before I got another one or ran mine too hard.

Steve

[94eg!]

Dyna Storms are quite fragile at the rear, and again are really hard to get parts for.

I would agree that out of the box the Dyna Storm is superb (again, see my videos), but having broken the rear lower arm mount and spent ages trying to get a replacment I would seriously think before I got another one or ran mine too hard.

Steve

I always share this info when this topic comes up: Get TR-15T rear lower arm mounts. They are an exact replica of the Dyna Storm arm mounts, except for the fact that they are gray and made with fiberglass reinforced resin instead of simple ABS. Much much stronger and still available from Tamiya...

[Lemming]

I always share this info when this topic comes up: Get TR-15T rear lower arm mounts. They are an exact replica of the Dyna Storm arm mounts, except for the fact that they are gray and made with fiberglass reinforced resin instead of simple ABS. Much much stronger and still available from Tamiya...

Nice one. I had heard something about that, but haven't had a chance to look yet.

Just to be a pain, any idea which tree they are on?

All the best

Steve

[94eg!]

Nice one. I had heard something about that, but haven't had a chance to look yet.

Just to be a pain, any idea which tree they are on?

All the best

Steve

All the indetical trees have the same letter as the Dyna Storm ones (C tree is still C, etc...). Actual part numbers can be found on TamiyaUSA or eBay. Here is a link showing the various parts being compared:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...%3D4RP%26sa%3DG

I think you will need to start looking after the holes in the chassis pan after this mod. It would probably be prudent to fashion some sort of rearward plate style brace for the rear-lower hinge-pins like what's already present at the front. A rearward impact WILL deform/elongate the chassis-pan holes even with the relatively soft stock ABS hinge-pin mounts. Ask me how I know...

[matisse]

Thundershot Re-re's are available from www.accessmodels.co.uk

cost about 100

matisse