EddScott

I stopped for a number of reason, mainly that with Sunday being the only day we had as a family, it was a bit unfair to disappear for the day - 8am to 8pm would be easy during the summer season. The club I went to was over an hour away and that was a pain.

It also meant 2 nights a week while I was doing rallycross - one night to strip and clean and one to put back together and make ready. Could easily be 6pm to 12pm "fiddling"

I'm toying with the idea of starting a club but it needs commitment from those interested and would mean a big commitment from me which I'm not sure I want. The local sports centre can give us the small hall which is plenty big enough for 3 hours on Sat morning at £14 per hour - if I can confirm 10 drivers at say £4 that covers it and a bit over for things we need. 3 hours will be enough to start with and with guaranteed commitment they'll give us priority in the future.

Big problem is what class - the guy that started the idea with me really only wants to drift which I don't - not keen on tourers either but probably best to start with them. Also carpet and track markers and then theres how to time them. Proper timing is ££££££££

Moley

iTrader: (9)

Was trying to find a 'Terra Scorcher' the other day, but no joy

http://www.rcscrapyard.bizland.com/c...a_Scorcher.jpg

EddScott

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TAMIYA-TERRA-S...item4156be43a9

Built but a bit ambitious with the price.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tamiya-58075-T...item3a62b545b8

Again, somewhat ambitious.

pnbond007

iTrader: (1)

My two classics in 1/8th

nickwrxstiV2

Rather a noob question but here goes -

What's better, battery or petrol? What are the pros and cons of each? I'm a beginner, as in never owned one before but wouldn't mind having one to blast around in the local car park! Not looking to spend megabucks!

Cheers!

Nick

Moley

iTrader: (9)

DAMN!!! Would have bought that 1st one

EddScott

Well, battery power is far less problematic for a start. Theres two power routes you can go down - brushed and NiMH or NiCad (6 cell packs) OR brushless and LiPo (slices)

Brushless is easier to live with and can be quite powerful but can also be quite expensive. LiPo battery packs can last much longer than NiCad packs - a mate reckons he can get an hour out of his drift car. I don't have experience with LiPo packs but I think care needs to be taken with charging.

Brushed motors can need a little looking after - brushes wear and comms (the bit the brush pushes on) can get dirty and lose power over time. Modern NiCads can probably last 15 minutes depending on the motor your using.


Petrol cars are usually the big buggers so I think your probably on about Nitro fuel cars.

Nitro engines need to be broken in properly but its not difficult if you take your time and plenty on the net about running in.

Running time is down to how much fuel you have really and keeping an eye on the engine so it doesn't get too hot - you can buy a temp reader or the cheap option to spit on the coloured heatsink bit - if it stays and bubbles after a while its OK, if it bounces off its probably too hot.

Battery cars usually have one servo for steering and a speed control for the motor. Nitro cars tend to have two servos one for steering one for throttle and brakes. One thing about nitro engines is that if you lose contact with the car on full chat its a bit of a weapon. You can get electric protection but a cheap option is to use the neck of a balloon around the linkage and the engine - if you lose contact the balloon neck will pull the throttle servo closed.

I love nitro buggies purely for the sound they make and that you feel like driving a proper car. I know alot of folk who are ditching nitro for brushless but I'd miss the noise.

As for buying - a few options.

Buy new from a shop (modelsport or Apex Models maybe)

Buy from ebay (bit riskly particularly with nitro if the engine is shafted or the car has been battered) but with an ebay purchase if you buy, try and don't like you can stick it back on and not lose too much.

If you really want to get into it the very best thing to do is find a club local to you and see what they are running. Its OK on your own but easy to get bored. At a club you have a purpose.

One last point as well - if your not a BRCA member and not at a club track be careful - clout anyone and you might get sued. Never heard of anyone being sued but its possible.

This might be of help

http://www.rccartips.com/


If you want I'll ask on the Tamiya club forum if anyone has a Terra Scorcher for sale.

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

^^^ wow great post,im now looking aswell as iwanted a tamiya avante as a child-teen but couldnt afford one.
am new to these too can i ask if the electric ones are fast ie the tamiya avante 2011

Moley

iTrader: (9)

Cheers

nickwrxstiV2

EddScott - brilliant post, cheers!

You are right, I was on about the Nitro engined ones! How much do these go for second hand for a decent one? Also, whatabout the second hand price of a decent electric one? Would £100 get me a decent one?

Thanks!

EddScott

How fast a car goes is largely down to what motor you put in it. You needed a wild modified motor to keep up a 1/8 rallycross but these days I think brushless motors can outpace a nitro engine'd car.

Electric brush motors are rated by winding (how many times the wire is wound around the armature) and the number of wires used - i.e. a 19 turn single is one wire wound 19 times. The lower the turn the faster the motor, the number of winds the more torque it has.

Brushless motors I'm sure on. Posh brushless setups can be plugged into a PC to setup the power delivery of the motor!

If you get a "toy" RC car compared to a racer and stick a low turn motor in it you may well melt the gears.

One thing about having a silly fast car is that how to control it. I ran a 19T super stock motor in a £130 offroader compared to a mate running some low wind modified motor (stock you can't advance the timing, mod you can) in a £300 buggy and I handed his *** on a plate. Just couldn't control it.

Fast as f*ck is ok but irritating if it barrels into a hedge every time you try to corner.

Personally my Avante 2011 "might" be run and if so indoors and not on the box tyres. Its likely to be a shelf queen.

Electric cars need:-

Car
Steering servo
speed control
receiver
transmitter
batteries
charger

Nitro cars needs:-

Car
Steering servo
Throttle servo
engine
starter - important this - either pull start or starter box (push down and it spins the flywheel)
Glowpug - for the spark and don't put your finger on the end
Receiver
Batteries for the receiver
Charger for the receiver batteries and glowplug
Fuel

So if your looking 2nd hand these are the basics. It can be just as complicated to setup a RC car as an F1 car! But to begin, the aim is to keep the thing on its wheels.

£100 for electric setup is probably doable and say £200 for a nitro setup. If your buying nitro second hand ask what fuel was used and stick to that. If they don't know might be best not too buy. If buying electric ask how old the batteries are as they can go off or rather lose charge quickly.

One thing to look into is to make sure parts are available. The cheap off roader I mentioned was made by a Korean company called Academy. Great car but I had to buy 2nd hand cars for the parts - and its not always guaranteed that the shop you buy the car from has all the parts you might need.

The modelsport website is quite handy in that under the kit it gives suggestions of what else you need to complete and will usually give a bit of a deal.

HTH

nickwrxstiV2

Spot on! Thanks!

EddScott

Its here



22 years later I finally have one. Don't think I was this excited when I picked up my first scooby. Over the bloomin moon

Ray_li

nice

I have to admit. Tamiya make awesome stuff

salsa-king

Do you still have to build them up?


I had THE FROG back in the 80's then built the Tamiya Celica WRC car up for a skool mate.. did it over a week.. he came and picked it up when I was out.. he took 10mins to smash it up!! lol

EddScott

It needs building but in two minds whether to build or put into storage as an investment.

The Celica is on the rare expensive list

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TAMIYA-CELICA-...item439db7393f

Think the 959 is likely to get a re-release.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

What kit are those Scoobys?

DJ_Jon

iTrader: (7)

The Celica & 959 kits were expensive back in the day, over £250 just for the kit.

Are they re-releasing the Blazing blazer or the hilux with the 3 speed box?

EddScott

They have but its not cheap!

http://www.modelsport.co.uk/index.php?product_id=28830

Toyota is the most expensive tamiya product on ebay right now

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/tamiya-vintage...item3cb514b24b

DJ_Jon

iTrader: (7)

wow! That Hilux brings back a few memories. I always wanted the Blazing Blazer as a kid. very clever bit of kit with lockable front hubs.

Gigsy

I still have my original one of these - cracking model on the right surface. Stripped it and rebuilt it not so long ago.

Would love it if they do re-issue the 959 as I'll be able to get parts for it again!


Edit: if you do build it, would be worth taking a mold of the bodyshell so you can make more of them as they're prone to breaking and impossible to get hold of. (i.e. please can you build it so I can take a mold of the body and replace mine )

pnbond007

iTrader: (1)

They are kits from around 2000, you can still find them around though expect to do some parts search. The bodies are still available as new & cheap so if you find a TGX chassis in 1/8th Bobs your uncle.

I use either Time Tunnel models or the link below.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Tonys-Tamiy...&_sid=99799178

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Cheers chap, I was secretly hoping for an 'off the shelf' answer
Will have a search around

EddScott

Theres plenty of TGX chassis on ebay - just need to find a good one.

The 22b shell is probably the hardest but there are a few on ebay at the moment.

pnbond007

iTrader: (1)

The 22b impreza shells & decals are easily available......and cheap too considering what can be achieved with them.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Just did a search on the bay for 'TGX chassis' and it only came up with 9 results and not one of them was a complete chassis?
Changing it to 'TGX' only and the only complete things that show up are trucks?

I must be doing something wrong

pnbond007

iTrader: (1)

They are outhere, its a matter of 'if you see something decent get hold of it quick' The Scooby stuff is tough but not impossible.


I managed to get a set of new original wheels after being told they no longer exist......got em from hong kong...not many about though.

I built one to be original and a second to try and mirror 'loosely' my own motor

Be patient

specialx

Just seen this thread so late to the party but I used to race 1/10 electric off road I had BRCA number 10 for a few years.

I had a Mardave Meteor being as they were made in my home town, I would pop down to the factory on my bike and pick up parts as they were being made!

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2862

Nothing like having a hot tire thrown at you straight out the mould!

The Meteor was nigh on indestructible with it's metal chassis and rear mounted battery, it would just bounce off kerbs!

We used to make our own speed controllers with 2 settings on and off!


Fanstastic days!



Great thread!


Ads

Trying to remember the names of the motors we had back then I think they were "Trinity" or summat adjustable brushes etc and proper quick!

EddScott

Well theres the shell anyway

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TAMIYA-1-8-SUB...item483ad94844

Theres a couple of TGX car chassis but they are US based - not too big an issue but I would wait for a UK one to come up.

EddScott

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=140512503880

PM'd you - Hopefully I've asked him if he'll post to UK. I used Babelfish.

"Sind Sie glücklich, vereinigtes Kindgom zu schicken?"