R/C: I'm just so lost... Need help...

[ThEvil0nE]

Hello all,I'm ThEvil0nE of NY and I'm new in the forum and new on R/C (the fact is... I don't even have a clue on it). I'm more into computers (building, destroying and modding). I started a thread to the forums where I belong (motherboards.org) and being that only have a few experience on this R/C thing... I was reffered to this forum as people here (as he said) know their stuff.


So here's my other half of the story...

Dad in-law got bored, looking for a new hobby and it's giving me a headache... I have no clue about R/Cs.

For starts, here's what he wants... a gas powered buggy that will tear up the track and rips 1st thru the finish line. In other words... he'll be using his ego for fuel :whip:

Anyway, before I go jump with him on the buggy-band-wagon... I have a little question. If you were to race (off road/dirt track) head-to-head a buggy and sport truck with same engine... which of the two have the edge?

Also... He wants to get a kit without engines. Kits that would take a Trinity Sirio .21 Kanai Evolution 2 (is that engine good? any other recommendations?)

Budget is not an issue (he's getting the tab anyway). R/C must be purchased by the end of the month as he will be taking it with him to Bangladesh. He's a VP on a mechanical engineering firm and they have a project in Bangladesh.

Lastly... What's the best/fastest buggy and truck (not monster) in production???



Help me out pls...

Thank you in advance

 

[wannarunem]

... I have a little question. If you were to race (off road/dirt track) head-to-head a buggy and sport truck with same engine... which of the two have the edge?

well..in that case....The better driver would come out ahead...which will come with pratice.

welcome to the board man.

 

[vbgagnon]

There are a few great buggies out there, Mugen MBX-5, Kyosho 777 sp2, X-ray xb8. If I were you I would go to a local hobby shop and see what they have for parts. Ordering online takes a long time compared to going down the road to pick somehing up.

Do you want the same car as your dad?
Do you want the same engine as your dad?

And you say price isn't an issue, but these things to be built with the best stuff can run upwords of 1500-2000 bucks by the time your done. So give us some more insight and we'll help you out some more.

 

[Plaidfish]

you're asking a loaded question BTW....it will only bring people out saying their setup is the best.....really you need to see what local people are using and what your LHS stocks for parts...if he's taking it to bangladesh and money is not an issue he might want to buy 2 kits so he has spare parts as well.....they do break......persoanlly if you are real techno weenie about your toys I'd suggest the XB8 or 777SP2....I like the xb8...it's a lil tougher IMO.......there's easier mills to tune than the Sirio line too....look at nova rossi, but I'd suggest getting an O.S. RG to learn on.....these toys require tuning as the weather changes......buggies will not run over alot of the rougher terrain and they kind of suck in sand....you should look into the whole Truggy thing.....it's going to be the biggest class at my track this year.....every stinkin truggy in stock is bought as soon as it hits the shops......you might want to consider the Jammin, Mugen, TT ST-1 or Hellfire truggies....the "best" is always going to be personal prefference.....if I asked your computer Forum "what's the Best PC???" how many answers would I get?...and how many arguments would it start?......

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Thanks for the insights... sorry to be a PITA but this thing just popped into me 2 days ago when I got an email from him and I'm hard pressed on a deadline too. I did went to a hobby shop yesterday after work but my knowledge of the R/C world is a big fat 0... nothing. They did recommend Mayhem and gave me all their broshure for other brands... I also have not gotten anysleep last night just crawling my way into the web.

This one came into mind: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p.pgm?&P=PR&I=MUGC0013 and a few more I was bookmarking.

Anyway, he'll just be racing with fellow engineers on site (I'm sure $$$ is on the side). I assume this race isn't sanctioned onder2:

He did mentioned wanting to have a .28+ engine... and the Mugen I mentioned above is .21 engine. So if there's a good/solid 1/8 scale .28 power plant available right off the box? I also wouldn't mind buying the KIT and ENGINE separate and also a few "usual suspect" parts that are a must if minor accidents goes wrong.

As for me... I might have one of mine but I won't rush it like this :eyes:


Thank you very much.

 

[vbgagnon]

To tell you the honest truth, any high end .21 will work just as good if not better then a .28+ ingine in a buggy. The kit you posted there is a pretty good price and its a great buggy.

Build-A-Combo: Xray XB8 Model Name Qty Price Total
HUD350000 Xray XB8 Nitro 1/8 Buggy 1 $702.99 $702.99
NVRX21P5 Novarossi 21 P5 Long Stroke Buggy 1 $251.99 $251.99
OFN10046 Jammin JP2 Racing Pipe 1 $57.56 $57.56
OFN10250 1/8 Universal Starter Box 1 $62.99 $62.99
OFN10227 Rechargable Glow Heater 1 $14.36 $14.36
Air94357 Airtronics 94357 High Speed 1 $99.70 $99.70
Air94358 Airtronics 94358 High Torque 1 $99.70 $99.70

Build-A-Combo Total: $1,289.29
Build-A-Combo Savings: $53.50

http://www.acehardwarehobbies.com/2.2/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42_43_375&products_id=10230

For a grand total of 1590. You would be ready to go and be competitive.

If your interested in this go to www.acehardwarehobbies.com and build a combo using the list I sent you. The radio is one of the 3 top radios on the market right now. You will have to add that seperatly.

 

[vbgagnon]

You will be hard pressed to find a better buggy with all the fixings for the price.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Thanx for the quick run down vbgagnon. The Xray XB8 Nitro 1/8 Buggy was in my bookmarks and that's good to know and ACE have it priced for $600.

All I need are second opinions with regards to your list and maybe I'll get this thing over and done before the day ends. I just want a money's worth unit without over spending.

Thanx again vbgagnon good to know I'm making progress




I'll also start calling local shops with your list too.

 

[Plaidfish]

XRAY
P5 LS
JP-1
JR-8611 steering
Futaba S9451 Throttle
3PK radio (w/ spektrum)
Panther step pins, crimefighters or K2 wheels

To me that's the best setup...mostly cause I run that....you can sicker mills but realistically he should start w/ a cheap mill...you can kill a top end mill real fast and at 250+ a pop I'm sure even money bags is gonna have issue w/ blowing that up.......tell him to get the best kit, pipe and radio gear...get an RG to start w/...he won't be the fastest right away but he won't be cooking a high end mill either......buy the high end mill and just have it ready for when he feels it's time.....I've never seen a new guy come in and just get it w/o trashing a new mill whne they are left to their own skills.....it is a learning process and should be done gradually....you wouldn't want to teach a someone how to drive in a NASCAR racer would you???
your time restraint is your biggest issue since you can't research everything AND have it ready by next week.......if that's the case....get a prospec....most raced car in the world......the engines and pipe combos you're going to have to trust the forums for advice I guess......keep in mind every mill/pipe is tuned for different style of driving and different track layouts////mine (p5) is really for tight tracks...it lays down a lot of power on the bottom of the curve and tops off pretty quick......so your top end speed isn't as high.....the RBWS7-2 is more of a long straight engien...has a lot of top end power......the newer WRS7-3 is suppoesed to be a better mix inthe power band....and we can do that on every mill out there....

 

[vbgagnon]

I wasn't sure with the pipe, but with the servo's/radio its all prefrence.

 

[psunitro]

Go with the JP-2 not the JP-1. Will give more top end,and the bottom end will suffer just a little. X-ray and P5 is a GREAT GREAT combo either way.If you get a crystal radio(non Spectrum or syn.) you will want to pick up some extra xtals so there are no freq. conflicts.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

For the radio, I think the M11 is too function-over-rated and I doubt if all function can be used in one sitting, just my I'm considering DX3 DSM 2.4GHz spectrum.onder2:

BTW, I talked to a local shop and I've learned alot from the buy for a good 10 minute chat. He also mentioned about new Novarossi engines coming out this March. They have the Novarossi C5 Buggy long-stroke and he said he'll give it to me for $420 including the pipe kit. He's giving it to me for that price because it's a display unit but never used. They're display is a locked glass cabinet. Is that a good deal and a good engine?

 

[Plaidfish]

the rossi pipes are a bit pricey IMO...they rock but when you can get T-boned and ruin a $150 pipe it's a bit much to see get wasted...I have good luck w/ the JP series on my P5....I think Corrado runs one and a few people I run with use that same combo...you can get a p5 for around 250 and the JP-1 or 2 pipe for around 60....seriously DON'T start out w/ the baddest mills around....these are not like a drop it on the floor and go type of hobby......you are looking for the best and that's a good thing for most of your equipment...but getting a high end mill for your first nitro is just asking for headaches....and a waste of money....you can blow it up real easy if you don't know what you're doing.....in the grand scheme of things getting a $100 RG to learn on is a wise thing to do......also buy a temp gun.....the Rayteks are nice and more accurate than the duratrax ones.....

 

[vgibbens]

I'm gonna chime in and also vote for the Xray with the P5/Jp-2 combo and the Airtronics servos mentioned above. That's the setup I'm runnin' and have been runnin' for a while. I used to race a Mayhem with the same setup, but the Xray is sooooo much better. Easier to work on too.

 

[kx250ryder]

Some options with high/no budget limit in mind (my picks greatest to least if more than one). If you manage to lose a race with this gear, it is your fault, absolutely no excuses.

Kit:
Kyosho MP777 SP-2
OFNA/Jammin X1-CR
Mugen MBX5 Pro Spec
Xray XB8

Engine:
OS VZB V-Spec T
RB Concepts C5 BB
Novarossi P5x

Pipe:
OS 2050
Jammin JP-2

Clutch:
Conventional 3 shoe setup aluminum shoes with 1.0 springs
Werks Racing clutch

Radio:
Nomadio Sensor
Airtronics M11 w/ Spektrum
Futaba 3PK w/ Spektrum

Servos:
Airtronics/Sanwa 94357 (Throttle) 94358 (Steering)


Starter box:
OFNA 10253 (OFNA 12 Volt Heavy Duty w/ power panel)

Battery Charger:
MRC Super Brain 977
Great Planes Triton


Support gear needed:
- Fuel Byrons Race 3000 (30% Nitro)
- Tires depends on soil Proline or Panther brand (small block pattern for firm soil, large for soft soil)
- Batteries: 12 Volt gell cell for starter box, 1.2 volt 2500mah Nimh cells (8) for radio (except Nomadio), 6 volt 1500mah Nimh receiver pack
- Temperature gauge (Exergen)
- Diff fluids 7000, 5000, 3000, 1000
- shock fluids 35, 40, 45, 50 wt
- Extra clutch bells (one size below, and above stock)
- Dubro pit caddy (fuel bottle, tuning screwdriver, engine stopper)

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Hi guys, I just want to thank all of you for being so helpful. I appreciate all of the ensightful advices and I/we have come to a conclusion and here's the verdict:


Mugen 1/8 MBX-5 ProSpec with O.S. MAX-21VZ-B V-Spec Engine (kit/combo) for $959 at Tower Hobbies

Mugen 1/8 MBX-5 ProSpec

O.S. MAX-21VZ-B V-Spec Engine

REQUIRES:
Radio: 2-Channel with 2 Servos, high torque servo recommended forsteering
Receiver Battery: 6V
Radio Batteries: 8 AA size
Exhaust System: Muffler, manifold, and manifold spring
Glow Starter: 1.2 volt

Talked to customer service and made sure if the kit/combo is availabe. Status is good and they have it and ready for shipping.

As for the required additional parts, can you help me out with specific brand and links? I'm hoping to get this over with by today.


Thankx again in advance

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Here's the rest of the parts:

O.S. Silencer Header Set T-2050
Airtronics M11 3-Channel Transmitter/Receiver
Airtronics 94357Z ERG-VR Hi-Speed/Hi-Torque 125 oz/in
Airtronics 94358Z ERG-VB Hi-Speed/Hi-Torque 200 oz/in
Ofna 1/8 Starter Box On/Off Road w/12V Motor
Ofna Glo-Starter Set w/Charger & Battery

The kit and parts are ordered by phone to ensure availabilty (and hold somebody responsible if it screws up). It should be here within 3-5 days (hopefuly).


Thank you all again for giving great and helpful help!!!
Now I know where to go to when I start to build my very 1st R/C. it's not gonna be somethin like this but it should be decent enough for a 1st time user


So, what do you think of the final outcome? Was it a sound decision for what it's worth???


kudos!

 

[vbgagnon]

He won't be disapointed.

 

[AC48]

Wow, thats going to be one hell of a buggy. Personally I chose to go with a Xray XB8 and a Novarossi P5, but the Prospec and that engine is also a killer combo.

Did you get a battery/charger for the starterbox? You may also need some tires, a lot of the kits don't come with tires.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Thanx for the reassurance vbgagnon.

@AC48:
I would have if I have to... BUT the only reason I've chosen the Prospec with OS Max engine (besides the fact that it has good reviews as well)... because it's the closest I can get to a complete out-of-box R/C and I still don't have enough confidence on my part to go buy different brand parts for integration :depress: (and that's to be honest)

The starter box charger... I don't think I purchased them pps: I guess I'll just have to localy purchase them... onder2: I think they're readily available at local shops in NY (I'll make calls)

As for the tires... the description on the kit said:

Tires: Pro-Line M2 Crimefighter diamond edge tread pattern, 1.7 wide
x 4.4" outer diameter (43mm x 112mm) with foam inserts
Wheels: White, solid dish 1.6" wide x 3.1" diameter (41mm x 79mm)

Are those good enough tires?