Start from scratch

[Bugg]

Hey All,
New to the forum and the hobbyist/professional rc scene. I've handle my share of "toy" rc's, changed parts, motors. But, as we all kno they do not kompare to "the real deal" I've been doing a lot of research and I would love a truggy or a truck, off road and onroad, is that possible? I am also looking for a kit to start from the ground up, but have yet to find any. I went to the local hobby shop and all of theirs are RTR. If I do have to go with an RTR I would like to be able to upgrade parts as much as possible, i.e. engine, transmission, etc. Not looking to break the bank, would like a 1/10 scale model, doesn't have to be fast out the gate. I would actually prefer if it weren't, that's the whole fun of upgrading. Any ideas, thoughts, or comments pointing me in the right direction would be great. Looking to spend $200-300 USD, to get started.

 

[olds97_lss]

Where are you located? US or outside?

First, I'd figure out what your LHS stocks parts for. Then lean towards that.

Pretty much any big name rig will have plenty of aftermarket support and can be "upgraded" to the moon as long as your wallet allows.

Getting a rig that is good for on/off road is tough. Most on-road vehicles are low to the ground for handling purposes whereas many off-road rigs are taller to handle rough terrain.

A good mix would be a 1/8 scale buggy with a couple sets of tires. But that's quite a ways out of your price range.

The only ones I'd recommend personally is the HPI nitro MT2 or Traxxas Jato. Both have good parts support and both can be slammed to the ground for on-road and set tall for off road. If I were to choose for my only rig, I'd lean towards the MT2 just because it's a bit more versatile and better handling due to 4wd. However, if I were to have 2, both of which staying near the $300 mark, I'd get both.

All that said I really enjoyed having 3 completely different rigs. Jato, 1/8 buggy and 1/8 MT. Having one of each fits pretty much any terrain I have and works for whatever mood I'm in.

The jato is great for just screwing around and fulfills the need for high speed. That high speed comes at a cost of low ride height and many costly crashes when trying to run it where I run my MT's.

The buggy was fun for big air and really quick handling to slalom pine trees at a local park. Was also a blast at the skate park with street tires on it... man that thing could fly.

The 1/8 MT is good for everything else. Still pretty fast, but generally top heavy and avoiding hard turns at speed is a must. Wheelies are cool, big air is fun and any terrain is doable.

As it stands, I no longer have a buggy. For where I run, the jato and 2 MT's (heavily modified Losi aftershock and HPI savage) work well enough. The buggy was a riot when bashing with friends, but many have stopped running due to money issues, so I spend most of my bashing alone.

 

[Bugg]

I'm in the US, Los Angeles, CA to be exact. From the way it looks it seems as if the HPI MT2. I like the way it looks and from reading up on the 2 the obvious choice would be durability plus speed. One thing I wasn't able to locate, would I be able to change the chassis? Is that standard for every car with the same scale? If not I can just give it a new paint job.

 

[olds97_lss]

You can buy aftermarket chassis I'm sure. However, usually when you want to up the scale, it's not just a "chassis" change. A larger scale rig is usually heavier and the driveline is more robust to support the extra weight and power required.

But, many have jammed a big block in small block toys... usually though, they end up replacing axles and diffs way more frequently than what is fun.

EDIT:
I may have to retract that "aftermarket chassis" statement. I figured New Era would have one, but they don't. They have a lot of other stuff for that chassis though:
http://www.neweramodels.com/cgi-bin/inccatalog.cgi?h=y&fitlist=1037&shortlist=1#

 

[Bugg]

Okay, almost done with my research just a couple more questions; want to make sure I get everything right. Have u ever heard of a MadWarrior, are they any good and what about these, http://m.ebay.com/Pages/ViewItem.aspx?aid=150363607510&emvcc=0 and http://m.ebay.com/Pages/ViewItem.aspx?aid=170367645160&emvcc=0. While keeping what I'm looking for in mind, mainly the ability to upgrade, are they a good quality/buy? I sure do appreciate all the help, u are makin this a lot easier.

 

[NitroRC4Life]

i have never heard of a madwarrior maybe somone else has but looks like and off-brand and fishy that its gonna actually do 60....JMO

 

[Bugg]

Your opinion matters a lot, especially since you're the only one on the post. Once again, I do greatly appreciate all the support that you have given me. Hopefully, I'll be 100% ready to buy my car before my birthday. Thanx a milli.

 

[NitroRC4Life]

yea no problem... if you go witha traxxas just remember you have the erp( engine replacement program) where if something happens to your mill you can send it in and have it fixed or get a totally new one for free....Pretty cool

 

[Bugg]

Great to know!