Help me pick a EP Onroad car

[Pony]

Looking to get into EP onroad racing. Will start in the 540 class and work my way up so I need some suggestions on what car to buy. Should I start with a cheap car and upgrade as I go up classes or would it be cheaper and better to start with a better car and just change the electrics. I am open to suggestions my only preference is for shaft drive.
<span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited ]</span>

[50 lemons]

no belt drive cars really limits your choices to tc4, tb02, evo4/5 and tt01

[Sly33]

why shaft drive? i went from shaft in my tt01 to belt.... i am getting close to the quickest lap time ever in stock class with my xray fko4 from the weekend just gone! I am still in happy mode from yesterday of my PB!
i recon go with xray but thats just from preference plus the accolades they have behind them, i am thinking of selling mine and getting a T2 for my bday so if your in the market for one of the quickest times in australia on the ryper track let me know if price good enough you can take it otherwise i will keep it myself... it is running perfect right now!

[nexxus]

Go the TA05, used one all last season in 540 and won the season, and moving up to stock now, it's still keeping up with Sly and co, it's just my driving errors that are costing me, but car speed and handling, it's not too far off the pace.

[Pony]

Whats so good about belt drive? Shaft drive look more durable and less maintenance.
Thanks for the offer Sly but what ever i buy will be new. (Buildings half the fun)

[M.J]

shaft is less work you are right

i have a hpi pro4 and i love it.

check them out

[Beev 30]

you dont love it you were selling it last month ..love is a kammmitment ...you like it ...lol

[Matt]

i bought a second hand Team Associated TC3 for $150, shaft drive, LOVE IT.

it was advertised on this very forum. added radio gear, speed controller and a motor and away she went.

if youre getting into the sport/hobby, i would recommend low cost to see if you like it and can afford the parts and upkeeping of a simple car. if its all good, then upgrade. the way i see it is that if it doesnt work out, its better to have bought and lost out on a cheap-ish car, then to have bought and lost out on an expensive one.

matt.

[Sly33]

true :-)

well i think it is much of a muchness however i have seen some shafts snap... especially the standard tt01's. apparently with the belt it does have a little bit less response time however cannot tell the difference. the xrays and the corralys seem to be the top of the wozza but maybe as nexxus said for starting out but having a good one ta05 aint a bad pick. not too cheap and nasty but good for learning and cheap enough that if you hammer the crap out of it (which you will) it aint goin to be that too hard to replace.

[Sly33]

well said mat, go the TC3! nearly forgot about that one, matts car on the last race of the nationals was F&*Ken quick! it ate everyone down the straight!
dont worry about buying new just because you want to build it... by 2nd ahnd then rebuild it problem solved!
ta05 or TC3??.... hmmm i would go the TC3 after seeing matts...

[Pony]

Thanks for the advise Matt. I already race nitro monster truck offroad and mini onroad so cost does not concern me too much and i know i enjoy electric on road. Its more is the base kits are easier to drive for a begginer. I know with 1:1 cars the the better they handle the easier it is to find the limit, if that makes sense

[nexxus]

Everyone knows how oftem I crash and you know how many parts I have broken off on the TA05 while racing thus far (6 months), NONE! Had a couple of screws come loose, thats it. Solid as a rock. Leonie and Tyson both race 540 (Tyson Stock) and neither of them have had a breakage either, and Tyson has had some huge crashes!

[bd581]

HPI Pro 4 is awesome, but expensive

TC4 (which i race) is just so damn easy to drive, its boreing. Had some major crashes and havn't hurt a thing.

Yokomo = Brokeomo, but bloody quick

Losi XXXS RTR, Damn good value for money

They are cars i own so i can vouch for them all. All running identical batteries motors gear ratios etc.
TC4 is easiest to drive consistantly. Build quality is down a little, the front wheels wobble around a little cornering, which looks bad, but it doesn't affect handling in any way (not that i can tell.

[M.J]

id loook at rctech you can pick up alot of these cars metioned for very good prices with a shitload of spares.

and bev30. i had to seel cos of debts

but after i posted it i went outside and it was too nice to sell.

M.J

[J-ME]

Pony, the only think i can say is that when i first got into onroad racing, i also only wanted a shaft drive car. everyone said that belt drives r a lot better, i didnt listen when i should have.
i got a tamiya evo4 for the first season and in my opinion it had its limitations and was more maintance than my belt car which is a xray fk05 which i think is alot better car. In the end it comes down to personal choice
good luck.

[mIKe-]

Do you guys think a XXX-S G+ is a good car to race?

[nexxus]

I had a XXX-S G before I went to TA05, and it was a bit of a pain, handled like it was on rails (It was James' old car so I left it set up as he had it) but was brittle, stuff broke easily (like chassis!) Also it uses a different wheel nut size to a 7mm standard which was a bit annoying, and tightening or changing the belt was a mission. But as far as speed goes, my TA05 would smoke my old XXX-S G+

[JL]

I'm with Matt too (G'day from Scotland Matt)

I got myself a TC3 and it's a great car to learn your set ups on. I've run it for 2 years. It's tough, cheap and easy to set up to drive quickly.

Plus shaft drive cars are more efficient and accelerate better than belts for anything slower than about a 12 turn mod.

Get a good second hand car with a good supply of spares but do get the best electrics that you can afford as these will last a long time especially as your driving progresses.

Good luck,
Jason

[Sly33]

here ya go checkit out!

http://www.rctech.net/forum/showthread.php?t=115195

[NEEDspeed]

Can I get some opinions on Tamiya TA04-TRF? seen one cheap is all.

[mIKe-]

I had a XXX-S G before I went to TA05, and it was a bit of a pain, handled like it was on rails (It was James' old car so I left it set up as he had it) but was brittle, stuff broke easily (like chassis!) Also it uses a different wheel nut size to a 7mm standard which was a bit annoying, and tightening or goes, changing the belt was a mission. But as far as speed my TA05 would smoke my old XXX-S G+

Hrmm doesn't sound that promising. I need to upgrade my TT-01 as with a stock motor it's drivetrain is literally falling aparts and rattle's like crazy. I don't want anything flash, just something that will go up and down the road, possibly get raced, and can handle a stock motor.

[nexxus]

I call my TT-01 the rattler, never sounds healthy, but if it aint broke don't fix it. Anyone who saw me clearing the triples on the offroad track Fri night can confirm how my TT-01 is treated.

[mIKe-]

Yeah I jump my TT-01 (well I use to) and it never broke.

But I have replaced nearly every part on it to try fix the rattling, and the best I can do just aint good enough. Parts that rattle the most are the steering and shocks, pretty important parts on your car to have rattling. I thought about getting all the tamiya aluminium hop-ups for it, but then I thought why part $200 to bling a tt-01, under all the blinds it's still a tt-01, I'm sure $200 will get me a alot better used car.

And I thought a better quality kit would fix the problem. Does anyone know how easy TC3 parts are to get locally now that the TC4 has been released? I'm pretty tempted to get that FT TC3 from the guy on RCtech, it looks brand new.
<span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited Sun Jun 18 2006, 10:45AM ]</span>

[nexxus]

The steering on the TT-01 is sloppy as, and the friction shocks are shite. I've got CVA dampers I am putting on mine ($30) but thats about all I'll be doing. You should look at the TB02 because from what I can gather you're more the frequent basher, occasional (if ever) racer.

[mIKe-]

Yeah I have never "raced" I have just been down a few times and played on the track. I would like to do 20 full laps in a row before I race I think. But you are right, I drive my cars atleast ever day, but very rarly at a track.

Yeah whatelse that annoy's me about my TT-01 is that it's not adjustable, and I want a car with adjustable stuff so I can change things and see how it affects the car.

I'll just keep an eye out some something to pop up for sale (I want to buy used, don't have the cashola at the moment to buy new toys). But after saying that, a Team TC4 kit from the US looks like another option I will look into.

[Pony]

Well guys no one has talked me out of shaft drive so it comes down to decide on the following

HPI Pro 4
Nice looking car but there is talk it will be replaced soon but parts are reassembly easy to get if I can wait

Tamiya TB Evo 5
Very nice car (And the price shows) but they seem to change models every 6-12 months which concerns me for parts. Parts would be harder to get and I doubt many stores would stock them.

Team Associated TC4FT
Never been a big fan of TA but the car looks good parts are easy to get and normally in stock and the production cycles are in the years not months so it should last me a while.

So if nobody can convince me otherwise I will get the TC4

[mIKe-]

From big races over in the US the FT TC4 isn't holding up to well against the Xray cars.

[M.J]

the pro4 wont be replaced for ages their are no design floors and they just bourght out the hara edition.

M.J

[Pony]

MJ
What are the parts stocks like for the Pro4 at the Perth hobby stores

[M.J]

well i am not 100% but i am pretty sure we can get them because model flight now have the pro4 in stock, but none are kept in stock due to the fact that noone needs/wants them.

and u got pm
<span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited Tue Jun 20 2006, 06:46PM ]</span>

[Sly33]

ohhhhh whats the hara one like? is that nw for 06?

[bd581]

Pro 4s are easy to get parts for. MRC in ACT stock enough parts to build one from scratch

www.mrcmodelcarparts.com.au

[M.J]

the hara is very nice dan,

but the new hara cyclone is even nicer but so expensive

[Pony]

I have found a lot of hobby stores that i vist carry part for the TC3 and most are starting to carry for the TC4, which made me decide on the TC4. Most people on this site will encourage you to shop at the LHS so would it not be best to buy a kit that is supported locally