what about these 5b clones ?

[powerbar]

i'm ready to get out of nitro and into 1/5 scale gasers,so i was looking around on ebay for a deal on a 5b or maybe 5t when i came across a clone from king motors that virtually looks the same and has a 29cc engine. (it has a smaller battery and an am radio wich blows but with the cost dif. ,you can upgrade with the savings ) you guys must have seen these, what do you think for $600.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-29cc-1-5-Sca...66:2|39:6|72:1215|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:24

please give your opinion on a clone or going for the real deal.
thanks for any info.

 

[Lessen]

I'm not extremely familiar the in ins and outs of a 5b but from my viewpoint it looks exactly the same. I wonder how cross compatible parts are if at all.

 

[itsalifeworthliving]

well, my opinion is they are cheap clones. not nearly the same quality of the real deal. wich inturn, is a headache. little things go here and there, wich really isnt fun. i have had clones. they are good if you want a project. something to fiddle with if you have other things to enjoy. also, there is alot of negative emotion when it comes to clones. it will never be ecsepted in the hpi 5b world. they are stolin ideas. if your budget doesn't make it to the $900 mark plus upgrades, then you might wana think about another more affordable 5th scale like redcat. there not clones and are pretty decant. or just keep looking for a nice used 5b/5t. they pop-up sometimes with upgrades for pretty cheap. but i can't say its a good idea to get a clone for your first 5th scale. it could possibly ruin your experaince. buying a used 5th scale isnt like buying a used nitro. they are mainly adult owned and for the most part well takin care of. and the motor issues arent there like buying a used nitro mill..

ps.. if you hop on the largscale forums and hpibajaforum, you will have a good chance of landing a sweet well takin care of rig. and alot of those guys came from nitro. but they never went back to nitro. its a hole diffrent world. i also have some post on here about my redcat 5thscale line with some vids too. its just another option to look at. 4wd 5th scales are WILD!

I'm not extremely familiar the in ins and outs of a 5b but from my viewpoint it looks exactly the same. I wonder how cross compatible parts are if at all.

some parts fit, and some dont. suspension arms are a go, but shock parts arent. servo's drop right in, but the radio box mounts are diffrent, that meens if you bend the chassis, you'll have to re-drill the holes on the "real" hpi chassis. the motors are "cy" brand, but of less quality. the case porting is also diffrent(were the case ports meet the head ports are diffrent). also the servo saver is spaced slighly diffrent. so replacing with hpi's servo saver wont line up on the chassis. its alot of trail and error. its breaking the parts, then waiting for the "real" parts, then butchering a brand new rig just to get them to fit. if you only have or only want to spend $6 bills, then get a redcat 4wd buggy.

 

[powerbar]

tks for some good info

ya mainly looking at the 1/5 scale to actually use the rc more and do a little less tunning and in the end maybe a little less spending. when i got a t-maxx 3.3 i got a little carried away and bought parts and spares wether it was busted or not and a while ago i checked all my receipts including the purchase of the mt - came to near $3000. (crazy) if i burnt 1/2 a gallon of nitro-that was it. been waiting for the weather to heat up here to break in a new picco .26 since feb. finally got temps over 15c 2 weeks ago but i'm into house renos now.... hoping to switch to gas for no hassle runs. anyone whant a shelf queen lol i'll keep looking, thanks guys. roly

 

[itsalifeworthliving]

hey roly. your looking at 5th scale for all the right reasons. break in? what is that, i forget. tuning? when and why? my bashing session with my nitros was maybe 2 hours max. now bashing is an all day event. its not uncommon for me to leave the house with 2 large scales no tools and be gone for 4 hours. and it IS cheaper once you land a rig. i love nitro, but the tuning became un-fun once i got older. you'll love it. the size, the radio time. its just great. keep us posted

 

[powerbar]

right on the money

you hit the nail right on the head my friend...i'll post soon

 

[itsalifeworthliving]

here is a 5b rtr in GREAT condition. it has some upgrades and some ss parts on it. he was offering this as a roller but couldnt sell it, so he put a spare motor and radio in it. not a bad deal
http://www.largescaleforums.com/showthread.php?t=5627

 

[powerbar]

thanks bud,

i hit the link and a password page came up so i typed it in a 1/2 douzen times before i woke up and realized i wasent at rcnt anymore todo, lol. i guess i need some sleep so i'll check it out after work tomorow. thanks for the help. "i love this place" :thumbup:

 

[itsalifeworthliving]

you might need to be a member to see it, I'm not sure. if you can't get, let me know, i'll send him over here to give you the info.

he wants $650 obo.

 

[weezracen]

Wow think I am starting to like these 5b's next fall I was going to buy a cen gst 7.7 but I think I might change my mind! Itsalife I can't wait to see your rigs ripping it up I know that will be the end for me.

 

[powerbar]

thanks for all the info

i did it , i have one- yah! found one today and it was local too. feeling good right now...thanks for your valuable input, i found one in great shape with an extra set of sand buster tires (4) and a pipe along with some minor extra parts and it has a jr 3 ch. radio tx and rx. the dirt busters in the rear are just about dead though . can you suggest a tire that has decent wear on hard surfaces ? hey the best part is that it's NOT a clone, its the real deal-hpi 5b ss with 26cc engine that was well maintained all for $600. canadian. i'm happy- just wish it would stop rainning, ohh well i guess i should order up a pico switch failsafe. thanks again guys. :thumbup: