Help me choose.....HPI R40 or NTC3 kit

[GDOMe]

Help me choose.....HPI R40 or NTC3 kits

my LHS has both kits with equal amount of parts in stock. to me it really doesn't matter. each one has their own pros and cons (whether it's belt or shaft). i've test driven both. if this thread doesn't help, i'll toss a coin. oh, and what motor? i'm looking into a no-pull .12 motor. thanks for any input.

and please don't say it's all about preferrence. tell me your opinion and/or experiences with either.

 

[soc123_au]

I love my NTC3. what else can I say. Havent driven an R40 myself, but have kicked the ass of a few on the track. In saying that I have had my ass kicked by a few R40's as well. The NTC3 is lighter than the R40 & accelerates much better. Without driving one I couldnt say too much more. Of the tourers I have driven I like the NTC3 the best with the LD3 Pro a distant 2nd. Also I am a big fan of RB engines especially the .12 size, Novarossi are good too, although I have only personaly had .21 Novas. My NTC3 has an RB V12 Rody in it & it hauls. I also have another NTC3 with an RB C12 pullstart in it, it goes hard too. I sent the C12 over to Uriah Murnan to work his magic on it & it did the trick.

 

[kwong2001]

I'd say ntc3 if you wanna bash and/or race, and R40 strictly for racing.

As for engines, what's your tuning ability? How much you wanna spend?

 

[GDOMe]

which kit has more upgraded parts for the money?

my tuning ability is good. but i don't want to be adjusting every time i take it out. the less maintenance the better.

no set budget for an engine.

 

[soc123_au]

I dont know about the R40 it doesn't look to have any shiny or carbon bits on it from stock, although I havent looked all that closely. I also have never looked to see what is available in aftm hop ups for the R40. The NTC3 doesn't come out of the box with any fancy stuff, except it is a good race ready kit (as is the HPI I imagine) You can buy all sorts of upgrades from associated for the NTC3 as well as shitloads of aftm stuff. I reckon the NTC3 would be only 2nd to the T-Maxx in aftermarket options availability. The only real hop up you need for the NTC3 is "the fix"
from BMI. It is a screw/bolt system to strengthen the shock towers & diff cases. Other than that the car is pretty good from stock althogh you can go as crazy as your wallet permits with hop ups. When you say you dont have a budget for the engine,
do you mean its unlimited or you dont know how far you want to go yet. With the engine, work out if you want to race at events where you need to be legal as this cuts your options if you want to be competitive. Also being shaft drive the NTC3 is lower maitenance IMO.

 

[GDOMe]

well right now it's just a few co-workers on the track having fun. it's nothing serious, but it is competitive. I STILL WANT TO KICK ASS!! i'm sure you all understand. as far as an official race event that's something i might look into down the road so lets keep it legal.

i'll also take engines that aren't legal into consideration if there's a big difference.

price is not an issue.....i think

 

[Nitroaddict]

the R40 is going to be a bit better car. the nct3, due to its shaft drive, tends to pull alot when accelerating, and turn left better than it turns right. the R40 needs no aftermarket hop ups to make it competitive. the only thing that would be recommended is the CVD conversion, as the original kit comes with dogbones. as for engines, the RB Concepts RODY modified V12 5 port turbo is probably the fastes engine out there right now in small block form, but is very expensive. the engine is also NOT race legal. for racing, u can also go with teh RB Concepts RODY modified V12 3 port. Other great non legal engines are the Novamega MS12 and anything by Paris racing or JP Modified

 

[smz]

I'm in this dilema right now also, i'm stuck between the R40 and NTC3. The majority of my driving will be done in parking lots. I can afford both, so which cars would you guys recommend?

 

[Nitroaddict]

it really is up to u. both are great cars. pick one. or get both.

the r40 has better parts out of the box, including the centax clutch, while the NTC3 will be a bit better suited to parking lots due to its shaft drive.

 

[soc123_au]

For the engine as nitroaddict said the RB 5 port Rody is a weapon but not legal, another one that is insane is the RB v15 small block, I think you can get a Rody version in that too. Both theese are no good for racing at sanctioned events or if your club doesn't allow them.
To be safe the V12 Rody is probably one of the quickest legal engines around. Thats what I have in my NTC3 & I can't speak highly enough of its power & reliability.
I have used RB engines for years, going back to the C3 Rody worlds edition in about 1997, which is still going in an EB4 buggy.
So without gushing on about them too much more, if your LHS deals in RB & your pockets are deep enough they are the pick.
Novarossi are a good choice too if that gives better availability, the only Nova I own is a .21 Kangaroo Mario Rossi modified & it goes hard & is reliable but IMO the old C3 RB I have is still a bees peepee quicker & its a 7 year old engine compared to six months old.
The only Sirio I have is a .12 legal 3 port it goes well but is a little more finnicky than I would like. The only other high end engines I have had have been Picco, the .21 G1 pro was a good thing but all the .12 engines I tried were unreliable pieces of poop.

 

[kwong2001]

Originally posted by Nitroaddict
the R40 is going to be a bit better car. the nct3, due to its shaft drive, tends to pull alot when accelerating, and turn left better than it turns right. the R40 needs no aftermarket hop ups to make it competitive. the only thing that would be recommended is the CVD conversion, as the original kit comes with dogbones. as for engines, the RB Concepts RODY modified V12 5 port turbo is probably the fastes engine out there right now in small block form, but is very expensive. the engine is also NOT race legal. for racing, u can also go with teh RB Concepts RODY modified V12 3 port. Other great non legal engines are the Novamega MS12 and anything by Paris racing or JP Modified

Damnit, just because of your post, i'm seriously considering parting out the ntc3...possibly within the next few months:depress:

 

[Nitroaddict]

kwong - I'm telling you on a second hand. i am now up to 3 RB's - possibly moving into a fourth, and everyone has exceed my expectations so immensly that i cannot even begin to put it into words

 

[kwong2001]

Originally posted by Nitroaddict
kwong - I'm telling you on a second hand. i am now up to 3 RB's - possibly moving into a fourth, and everyone has exceed my expectations so immensly that i cannot even begin to put it into words

lol, I was talking about the R40 vs. Ntc3...but I believe you about the RB engines, unfortunately, I can't afford one, but whenever i'm in the market for a new .12 engine i'll probably get one.

 

[dcracer]

Originally posted by Nitroaddict
it really is up to u. both are great cars. pick one. or get both.

the r40 has better parts out of the box, including the centax clutch, while the NTC3 will be a bit better suited to parking lots due to its shaft drive.

 

[Nitroaddict]

LOL - u can't afford one - 1st, your rich as poop, 2nd - the V12 costs less than the engine you have now. Finally, the R40 is a good car, but I know you - get a Mugen Trinity or Serpent.

 

[kwong2001]

Originally posted by Nitroaddict
LOL - u can't afford one - 1st, your rich as poop, 2nd - the V12 costs less than the engine you have now. Finally, the R40 is a good car, but I know you - get a Mugen Trinity or Serpent.

Man, I ain't rich. I have no job, the only income I get is weekly lunch money. Oh yeah, I have no savings. I think I have -$100 right now...since I still owe my sister $300 for my headunit.

If you're saying i'm rich because my dad bought my car, it's an asian culture thing.

As for buying the R40, it's more convenient than getting a Mugen, Trinity, or Serpent since my LHS only carries AE and HPI. And parts wouldn't cost nearly as much...since i'd have to mail order them. Also, the downtime wouldn't be as much

If I ever get an RB, i'd HAVE to get a mod engine. But those cost madd cash.