General Maintenance and upgrades of cars.

[NooP]

I have 3 cars. HPI Nitro rs4 mini, Traxas 4-tec, and an OFNA 1/8 scale buggy. I am not sure if its an mbx or a gt lx pro.

I have spent about 500 since january for general maintenance and upgrades for these cars. The reason I say general maintenance and upgrades is because, I usually do not upgrade untill I break it.

I know these cars are not the best cars out right now, but I'm just a basher for now. No local tracks close enough to get serious into racing. (maybe thats a good thing for my wallet)

But my questions is... is this a lot of money? Would I be better off getting newer better quality cars? 500 since january doesn't seem too bad to me, but I would like to save some money if possible, but still have fun bashing hard.

Catching my drift? What do you guys think?

--NooP

 

[GilBeQuick]

Well it just depends on what you're upgrading. Crap, an aluminum set of a-arms will cost you around $30, to finish the car you've got $60 in it already. A new engine will set you back $150 no problem. So it really depends on what you're upgrading and what you're upgrading with.

For me, I know I don't -normally- spend that much. I also throw away my reciepts as soon as I get home so I can't add them up over time. I used to keep them, but once I started counting and when it got over $4k I decided to throw them all away! (and that was over a year ago) I also throw them away so there's no evidence if ya know what I mean HAHAHA.

 

[militarymaxx]

The initial investments are always going to be high. Between tools and parts, both stock and replacement and cleaning supplies
the money spent can be overwhelming. But things will level off. I've gotten to the point that all that I need is fuel, some simple green and the occasional set of tires. Try and purchase things that even though might cost alot initially, will save you money on the long run. Buy fuel in the gallon vice quart size, it's cheaper that way. Use denatured alcohol and simple green (concentrated) for cleaning instead of nitro blast. Buy the upgrades you need first before you get the ones you want (the bling bling upgrades).
You are already on the right track with "not upgrading until you break it". That's smart thinking. Archie Bunker said it best. "If it works, don't fix it". $500 since January might be alot to some folks but to others it's nothing. I've seen guys walk into a LHS and drop a couple grand like it was nothing. A good weekend for me is a few bucks in fuel, maybe a few more for some soda and snacks. Your choice of where you run will also have something to do with how much you spend. Concrete curbs and fire hydrants aren't as forgiving as dirt tracks.

 

[zoeybadm]

I agree with all that is mentioned above minus the part about dirt tracks being that forgiving. When you have a couple triple jumps things can get pricey really quick.

But I will get back to the point of the thread. You are on the right track as the guy mentioned above. There is NO need to upgrade anything until the original part breaks unless of course you want a spare.

I have been in this hobby for four months (seriosuly in the hobby i.e. racing not just bashing which is what I did when I was younger) and as it is stated above the intial startup cost is high. The cars you have are fine for general bashing but your wallet would be better suited if you hopped up to a higher quality ride.

When I started racing it seemed nearly impossible to finish the race day without spending at least $100 but this was only during the first month. After I had upgraded (hop ups)a lot of the parts my daily cost of racing dropped a lot. For me when I upgraded say the turnbuckles to titanium I had to get new ball cups (RPM extra beefy are like $5). Now I have threaded shocks on all my rides and carbon fiber (btw carbon snaps easier than plastic) kits and I spend way less on parts. For example my total bill for today was $3 (After Run Oil). So in the beginning $500 is not that much and it will decrease over time but if you find yourself spending $500 in two months time then either your driving skills have not improved that much or you need to upgrade to something which can take the abuse of whatever type of bashing you are doing.

 

[StrechM]

It is not that much when you take into consideration that you are maintaining three cars.

 

[zoeybadm]

exactly my point...you will reach a point when things will not break and things will be kosher....have fun and let the good times roll

 

[NooP]

Thanks for all the replies. All of you input is very usefull.

The cars you have are fine for general bashing but your wallet would be better suited if you hopped up to a higher quality ride.

Thats exactly it! I'm not sure which route to go. I really can not see buying top of the line RC cars for bashing. Its just not sensible to me. Its like buying a Ferari to commute to work. Just not sensible. But if buying better quality cars will reduce maintenance cost, then yes it makes sense. But how much will I save?

If you guys are saying I have not spent that much, then all is good and Ill bash away.

Thanks again
--NooP

 

[StrechM]

Bashing can get expensive depending on the degree that you take it to. Real hard bashing and higher end rc's can be much more expensive than what you may think.

 

[zoeybadm]

Yeah I agree with Strech...just stick with what you have and upgrade when things break and just try to attempt stuff which you have a decent chance of making....don't just try to jump your MT onto the roof of your house or anything like that. I only bring this up because I have seen someone send their buggy flying over the house for sh%ts and giggles but when completed the car actually did not break.