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Jontea

Super Astute or Top Cat?

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Evening all. Seeking advice on what to purchase next. Recently got back into the money pit that is buggy life!

Picked up a Sand Viper, and am thoroughly enjoying it. Being one of life's fettlers, I get much enjoyment out of building as well as driving. Building the SV was fun, but I'd like more of a challenge for my next one. I like Tamiya, but am not a die hard fan.

So to my point, I prefer 2wd, and am looking at either a Super Astute or a Top Cat. Pros and cons of both would be greatly appreciated. Which is best for spares? Let's say looks don't play a part (only one winner there), will be run brushless, on dirt and tarmac, maybe at a track if I can find one local to me.

Look forward to your opinions.

Jon

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Not really best placed to sell, but only person i know who had a top cat disliked it.

On the other hand, super astutes snap bulkheads.

 

Im sure boths issues are fixable.

 

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If you really intend to run it on a track, i'd definately go for the Top Cat.

It's a competitive car with serious Shocks and can handle brushless power for sure. While the Super Astute is still a plastic-kit with ridiculous Shocks ( for a 260Euro kit) it's not worth the money imo.

But keep in mind that the TopCat might need some experience in building and setting up - i assume the SA is easier to handle and needs less setup to run properly out of the box.

Just my 2 cents

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Yeah, I thought for the money, the SA would have come with better shocks. SA is £200, TC £180+ 50 for upgrade rear drive unit (for motors lower than 17.5t). Bang for buck TC seems a better car. Not worried about building and setting up a Schumacher, had a Cat many many years ago.

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7 minutes ago, Jontea said:

...Not worried about building and setting up a Schumacher, had a Cat many many years ago.

That will help for sure :D (so had i)

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Go with your heart.  If you are trying to make a logical decision, that would be to put that money somewhere else.  ;)  If the Top Cat has your eye, go for it!  If the Super Astute has your eye, go for that one.  I don't think you'll go wrong with following your heart.  Both of them, being re-re's will have some limitations based on their design age.

 

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True. My wallet tends to rule my heart, I have a general idea which I want, was looking to see if there were any gaping pitfalls with either car. I fully understand their limitations when compared to modern race buggies, but as two 2wds from a similar era I was after honest opinions of both. But as you say (ish) it's my money, get the buggy I want, not what people on tinterweb suggest.

Cheers.

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Top Cat. I'm Tamiya guy till the end but the better car for the money is the Top Cat in both performance and materials used in construction. As far as ease of assembly?  Tamiya.

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Cheers, I was heading that way, I'll be ok once I've purchased one, it's just those nagging doubts, only got another 2 months to wait (really hope nothing else rears it's head and makes it a 3 car shuffle).

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I have both and I love them both to bits. I fell in love with the SA a long time ago and after breaking lots of parts racing I have finally got it almost bullet proof and it is a great car. The top cat .... I ve never broken anything and it is a better car out of the box and easier to setup and make it consistant and predictable.

Don t get me wrong I love tamiya and have 25 tamiya rc but schumacher le just in another League. They are made to race and withstand racing.  

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Thank you. Good to hear from someone that has run both. Top Cat it is (for now, today, maybe.......).

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Hey buddy!!

one thing I can’t shake is that the TC is not a good looking car, it just isnt imo. That shouldn’t matter, but it kinda does.

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For performance, Top Cat. For fun, Super Astute.

I had an Astute back in the 90s and upgraded it. Hi-cap shocks, parallel battery placement, fabricated top deck from a 1.5mm carbon fiber. I loved that kit. I wished I never gave it away.

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8 hours ago, matisse said:

Hey buddy!!

one thing I can’t shake is that the TC is not a good looking car, it just isnt imo. That shouldn’t matter, but it kinda does.

Hey dude. Yep it ain't a looker for sure. Leaning towards it though, still a couple of months left yet, summat else may crop up that alters my decision, we'll see.

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I only have the rere TopCat of the two, and it was a really easy and enjoyable build. Each step in the manual has its own bag (smart). Only a couple issues. The axles are not that easy to assemble, and then setting up the belt in the gearbox has caused some trouble. Maybe just me being an idiot :o)

Keep in mind you need the upgraded gearbox to go brushless. Do run a Castle system in mine with standard gearbox without issues, but can’t really say I have tested it properly.

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Yep, built Schumacher before, axles and drive shafts are a pain, but work well, already factored in the upgrade gear set. Love that each step comes in it's own bag, great idea by Schumacher that.

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BLUF I haven't ran a Schumacher. I love Astutes. I still drive the one from my childhood. The Price thing, Tamiyas have never been cheap, quality costs. Yes metal shocks are nice but they would've made the car $300 plus. On modern smaller jump clay tracks the Astute does very well. A little putty in the differential makes it act like a ball differential. 

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Couldn't really comment on current price differences, as Tamiya don't really make race cars, but ( in the halcyon days of my youth) Kyosho and Schumacher were far better engineered and yes dearer, but Super Astute is billed as a race buggy, so make it a race buggy, by the time hop ups have been purchased to get it competitive it's a £400 buggy.

Don't mean to sound anti Tamiya (my next buggy could be one), just think they could make a better job of the top end buggies. But I guess they are primarily concerned with the vintage market (or rere) as people like us look back on our formative years.

 

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Thank you all for your input, a decision has been made. It is neither rational/logical or from my original choices, still 2wd, and capable of running round a track (if so required).

Got myself a TRF 201, with oodles of spares.

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2 hours ago, Jontea said:

Thank you all for your input, a decision has been made. It is neither rational/logical or from my original choices, still 2wd, and capable of running round a track (if so required).

Got myself a TRF 201, with oodles of spares.

I thought you might have, good choice bud

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23 minutes ago, matisse said:

I thought you might have, good choice bud

Cheers, really liked the look of the SA, but the pedigree of the TC swayed me, then the 201 became available, financially and aesthetically it just makes for a ridiculously easy choice ( and considering the amount of spares I'm getting with it, no brainer).

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I Love the super astute but definitely a top cat for sure it's my go to choice! Admittedly I've never raced it but with my shortie lipo and brushless combo over the park on the tarmac it's just so sorted you would think it was 4wd! Mind you the build is not like tamiya (straight forward) it did honestly try my patience!

20190105_135342.jpg

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Very nice. As a youth, coming from a Tamiya Falcon straight to a Cat, I feel your pain, it is a completely different beast build wise. The TRF201 I've bought is built up, but comes with build manual, so will get completely stripped at some point soon, just so I can see what's involved, and you know, just for fun.

How many Schumacher's have you got? there's more than a Top Cat on that table.

Edited by Jontea
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