Associated 1/18 18b

[lucasan]

I came across this kit while flipping through the kits on omnimodels: http://www3.omnimodels.com/cgi-bin/woi0001...7&P=M&I I like the looks of this thing and it comes stock with some nice parts. 1/18th scale is kind of tiny, but it looks like it could be a good build. Anyone have any experience with Team Associated kits? What are they like in build compared to our favorite Tamiya kits? I really like the instruction booklets of the Tamiya cars so far. (only done 3, Hotshot rere, vintage Wild One back in the day, and the Durga which I am currently about to finish). Looking to branch out a bit and try something new, but with just as much goodness in the build.

I've found that my passion for this hobby really lies in the building and problem solving of the tricky parts of the build, rather than the running. The running part just lets me know that I completed the kit well. Until I have a track to run on, that will probably remain the case. Building is my therapy, my escape and ultimately my satisfaction in a job well done.

Thanks guys.

[Shodog]

Most of the 1/18 scale associated stuff is prebuilt RTR so your not going to have much fun building it. However you will have a lot of fun running it. I have an 18t and an 18R for my self and for my son. We have a blast running them around parking lots. Both of our 18r's have brushless motors so they are faster than snot on a first date.

[lucasan]

Most of the 1/18 scale associated stuff is prebuilt RTR so your not going to have much fun building it.

Yeah Shodog, this kit is one of the few Associated 1/18th scales that isn't rtr. I saw that the 18T is a an rtr kit, and that style buggy or is it truggy? doesn't really appeal to me. I like the idea of this kit, but know I'd have to get smaller components to run it. Check it out though. I think it looks pretty sweet, especially with few included parts that would normally be hop-ups on 1/10 cars.

[Shodog]

If you plan to run it near stock, then a RTR is your best bet becuase you'll have all the running gear. But if you want to mod it, then get just the kit becuase you will end up replacing the radio gear, ESC and motor anyway.

[lucasan]

Yeah, that was my thought process, as I like to tinker, and I'm looking forward to trying new things out with different cars. The only rtr kit that piques my curiosity right now is the tamtech rtr Hotshot kit. And even then, after looking at the oompah review of the frog ttgear, I am tempted to try something zany like he did.

[markbt73]

Associated cars have historically been great builds. The parts are much more precise than a typical Tamiya kit. Some things need some finishing work before you install them, but if you love building, you'll have a blast.

I was just looking over the manual for the 18, and it seems they've changed their instructions to be more Tamiya-like. They used to have more photos and text, and fewer exploded-view drawings. (I also notice they've gone metric, so the caution I was going to make about getting the proper tools no longer applies.)