My latest discontinued acquisition, HPI Blitz.

[biggman100]

I have wanted another one of these for awhile now, but they are always beyond my budget (I have seen some on eBay go for $600+). I found one that is a bit rough on FB marketplace for less than $100, so I snapped it up. It's pretty much complete, but does have a couple minor issues, like a broken body mount, and the diff needs to be rebuilt, so, first order of business is to gut it and see if it needs anything else. Oh, and get rid of the TRX electronics.

 

[DavidB1126]

Oooo
Older VXL 2 pole. You can replace it if you want too but id keep it on hand bc it's old and imo better than the new 4 pole VXLs. Woah, the only time I liked Traxxas electronics??!??!! Lol. Great find though! One of my classmates has a blitz that he needs to fix up.

 

[biggman100]

Oooo
Older VXL 2 pole. You can replace it if you want too but id keep it on hand bc it's old and imo better than the new 4 pole VXLs. Woah, the only time I liked Traxxas electronics??!??!! Lol. Great find though! One of my classmates has a blitz that he needs to fix up.

It will end up with Hobby Wing electronics, like all mine eventually do. It actually came with two of those motors, but both of them are pretty much shot.

 

[BudUMfan]

I really want a short course truck and I don’t know why. That’s nice

 

[RustyUs]

Let's see, the HPI Blitz... greatness comes to mind!

I bet the Blitz ESE kits are the ones going for bigger money. Yes?

HPI was always on my radar. Sadly, I missed out on the Blitz and Firestorm platforms. I was so caught up in my "4 series" Associated rides, nothing else mattered at the time. I'm pretty sure HPI was one of the companies that Shawn Ireland (Team Associated) talked about in a parts manufacturer bankrupt debacle interview.... platforms suddenly went on the discontinued list.

I never really followed HPI after the company went through its ups and downs. Are parts still around?

Good luck with your SCT.

 

[jojobeans]

Oooo
Older VXL 2 pole. You can replace it if you want too but id keep it on hand bc it's old and imo better than the new 4 pole VXLs. Woah, the only time I liked Traxxas electronics??!??!! Lol. Great find though! One of my classmates has a blitz that he needs to fix up.

The old VXL-3s 2-pole motor was made by castle... they were phenomenal motors. I'd keep that one around personally. ESC should be sensor capable as well, although I don't recall many people having good luck running sensored motors back in the day though.

I had a Blitz back in 2011 (ish). It was my first hobby grade rc aside from a Heng Long rc18 clone I had prior. Probably the most durable RC I've ever owned... that truck could take a licking and keep on going. I don't think I ever broke anything on it come to think of it?

 

[9x19]

Nice classic RC!

 

[jojobeans]

I never really followed HPI after the company went through its ups and downs. Are parts still around?

HPI really took a nose dive after they sold off. Their product line is filled with lazy rebrands and very little stuff even appears to be made in house. Just another Redcat at this point IMO. Pretty much all parts from the Blitz era of vehicles are no longer being produced to my knowledge aside from the Savage and now the Baja 5b. Which given their recent rack record in the last few years, I wouldn't be surprised if the re released Baja 5b's are just rebadged clones with a markup.

It's hard to see HPI in it's current state, even if it means they're doing better financially... They were once one of the greatest. Felt like actual hobbyists were designing kits compared to some corporate marketing shill designing them.

 

[biggman100]

Let's see, the HPI Blitz... greatness comes to mind!

I bet the Blitz ESE kits are the ones going for bigger money. Yes?
View attachment 232366View attachment 232367

HPI was always on my radar. Sadly, I missed out on the Blitz and Firestorm platforms. I was so caught up in my "4 series" Associated rides, nothing else mattered at the time. I'm pretty sure HPI was one of the companies that Shawn Ireland (Team Associated) talked about in a parts manufacturer bankrupt debacle interview.... platforms suddenly went on the discontinued list.

I never really followed HPI after the company went through its ups and downs. Are parts still around?

Good luck with your SCT.

Actually, there is only maybe two Blitz ESE's on there that I saw recently. The one I just picked up though, albeit in much better shape, is currently on eBay for $650, and, the average price is still above $250.

 

[biggman100]

The old VXL-3s 2-pole motor was made by castle... they were phenomenal motors. I'd keep that one around personally. ESC should be sensor capable as well, although I don't recall many people having good luck running sensored motors back in the day though.

I had a Blitz back in 2011 (ish). It was my first hobby grade rc aside from a Heng Long rc18 clone I had prior. Probably the most durable RC I've ever owned... that truck could take a licking and keep on going. I don't think I ever broke anything on it come to think of it?

I have pretty much broken every thing you can think of on one (at one point I had 4), but, I'm also harder than most on my trucks. My first one I raced along with an original Arrma Fury, back around 2012-2013, then I gave up racing, and started massively bashing my stuff, but, I also like working on them.

 

[biggman100]

The old VXL-3s 2-pole motor was made by castle... they were phenomenal motors. I'd keep that one around personally. ESC should be sensor capable as well, although I don't recall many people having good luck running sensored motors back in the day though.

I took them both apart, and they are pretty much junk. This is pretty much what both of them look like. The inside of both motors, the windings are coming apart completely, because someone put the wrong size bearings in them, so the rotor rubbed against the windings and tore them up.