Mini-T PRO or bog stock?

[cray-]

ok its decided...i NEED a mini-t.

169$ for the stocker at rms or 199$ for the pro at phc. cant decide.

if i get the stocker i can drive it straight out of the box. dont have to wait for extra parts. but ill inevitably have to spend money to replace all the crappy parts...at minimum 40$ for shocks straight away and later on all the aluminium bits to replace the plastic shit that seem to break too easy.

if i get the pro then i need to order esc/servo/rx off ebay and tower. and that'll take 2wks + for delivery.

cost break down for the pro is:
200$ Mini-T Pro
60$ Futaba MC230CR [eBay]
30$ Battery
100$ + Futaba R142JE Receiver [32$us]
+ Airtronics 94091Z Servo [25$us]
+ Airtronics Mini-T Servo Saver [5$us]
+ Postage 10-30 Days [18$us]
-------------------------------------------
390$ Total

cost for stock mini-t:
170$ Mini-T
40$ Racing Shock Absorber Set(4)
30$ Ti Turnbuckle Set (6)
25$ CVD Set
20$ BB Upgrade Kit 4x8 MM (8)
30$ Battery
-------------------------------------------
315$ Total

what other upgrades does the pro have that the stocker would need? is hd slipper clutch and ball diffs standard? is the "speed" motor a big jump over the stock motor? i guess im asking the wrong crowd since u all seem to have mumbas.

ggggaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh sorry for the long rant....ppl...help me decide!!!

cray-

ps. one last thing....anyone seen the pro cheaper than 199$ locally?

[justo316]

Get the Pro for sure. Nice to see the Mini-T bug has been caught by someone else!

Stock comes with a slipper which I found *fine*. Nothing special. Seemed to do the job at the time. I upgraded to an Atomic Aluminium one and have seen no difference. Gear diff is standard. Recommend a ball diff for sure.

I think most people running the stock Mini-T find their electrics fry pretty quickly as I'm sure people around here will tell you. I guess if you were gonna run AA's it'd be ok?

Are you sure those electronics need to be sourced from the US? If you're desperate, they aren't too expensive from RMS and Modelflight.com. I know my JR receiver cost about 90bux from RMS. HS81MG servos are 38bux, need a small mod to fit in a stock chassis but worth the trouble (forget about the servo saver). They've got a wicked GM (cant remember the model number but it had a '3' in it) micro esc with reverse and thick gauge wire for around 90bux too.

The only two things I would definately recommend are a GP cell battery from Blindbatts.com. Ryper do have some but I'm not sure if they carry anything apart from 6cell packs. RMS have KAN1050 cells which are just as good (supposedly).Blindbatts put a nice waterproof black rubber coating on it for no extra charge (deans connector +$3). Stay away from all other premade packs (ie 'Losi' and Venom). Got them, shit stuff comparatively speaking.

Don't bother with any motor besides a Beast Raptor Dyno Tuned motor from one18th.com. Got one in my M18 but considering putting it in the T.

Brushless systems aren't too expensive if you want to aim for that later. B-p-p do them the cheapest but Balistc seems to be having a bit of hassle with them. I think most people find them great though(as I did). Going brushless *requires* a GP or KAN cell batt, so something to keep in mind.

Lastly, you might want to add wheels/tyres and a body to your list. Get some onroad ones if you plan on driving on tarmac at all. The stock tyres are for dirt only (even then they aren't exactly long lasting). The stock body is crap. It is ugly and you will get sick of it in about 2 days. The Pro comes with an unpainted one.

$199 for a Pro is awesome. They only just got released here. You probably could find it a bit cheaper overseas, but then you run the risk of attracting customs duty if your order is over 200bux.

Good luck! If you need inspriation head over and look at danhfvcsd's (in the micro forum I think) and my mini-t (in the members rides forum).

[justo316]

Wow. I didn't realise my post was so long. SORRY!

[BALISTC]

Very simple.

Get the Pro, get a good Micro ESC (Novak Spy comes to mind, cheap on eBay) and your radio, and you wont ever have to upgrade, unless your crazy like dan, justo or myself.

If you get the stock, you'll find yourself wanting to upgrade all the time.

[cray-]

hhrrmmm....thanks for the replies all. very helpful.

i think i knew all along that pro was the way to go....its just that i wanted the instant gratification of a stocker....i wanna run it now Now NOW!

guess ill hit tower and get the process goin. when does winter racing at ryper start? will it have diff classes for diff motors? im keen to run. they should do it late on a weeknight rather than sunday mornings though. its inside with lights...so no reason not to. oh well. thanks again all

cray-

[cray-]

the pro is the only thing i WILL be buying local. US prices for the cars themselves seem overly high. as for parts...well i guess ud all know. for my tb-02 i got almost all the parts at about 50% less than local prices even WITH the postage. though its only really good for the major stuff...esc/radio gear etc. and hard to find things like my DR30 skyline body and some trick wheels. apart from that im happy to support the locals where i can. but when money is tight im afraid u gotta do what u gotta do.

cray-