Mystikal8885

Hi everyone, i'm making a big leap from the traxxas forums to start talking Cen business. I'm from the Caribbean currently living in Georgia and our local hobby store back home stocks Cen's full range of products. Before I was all Anti-Cen and kept saying "Revo is the Best", but now I have seen a new light after seeing the Matrix Buggy run. I have firm belief that the Matrix Tr Arena wont be anything short of amazing. Everything night for the past week I've been anxiously waiting to see what people have been saying about their new truggy. Haven't found much info on the different forums i've been searching on though, maybe it's because it has just been released. Hopefully i'll magically have enough funds in my bank account to get me one of these no later than next week so I can do review. So look out i'll post pics when I get my first RTR truggy made by CEN and i'll take it for a race at out local track here in Georgia. It sure would be intresting to see how she would hold up against those other brands of truggies. GO CEN!!!

ssmtc05

Keep us updated ive been eyeing this truggy up alot this week thinking of making the purchase.

Mystikal8885

I've been looking at both the RTR and FRE. The RTR would be my choice mainly because it is in my price range and comes with the cool looking RGX painted body, wheels, tires, engine, pipe and descent servos. I would eventually do upgrades similiar to the FRE. I tried contacting Cen today to find out a little more about the differences between the RTR chassis and the FRE chassis. Will try tomorrow and tell u what their response was.

ssmtc05

thanks appreciate it

Mystikal8885

Today I spoke with Blade from RGX Racing for over an hour. His company is a couple miles away from Cen's main offices and distribution center. He explained to me that there are currently three versions of the TR Arena available through him. First there is the Factory Race Edition (FRE) which you can check out on Cen's website. Second is the Almost Ready to Run (ARR), it comes assembled with identical parts used in the RTR kit. The only difference between the RTR and the ARR kit is that the ARR kit has the blue lightweight hubs and no factory radio. Servos are included in the ARR, so those who have aftermarket radios may be intrested in this package. The lightweight hubs cost around 60 dollars. Cen will be releasing a milled lightweight chassis upgrade for all three versions of the Arena truggy, so look out for that. His prices are higher than other companies that sells the TR Arena online, but that's because he deals directly with Cen and is a Authorized Cen dealer. So when you buy a Cen product from him the warranty does apply. RGX Racing also throws in a couple of handy coupons and stickers to offset the slightly higher price of their Cen products.
Check out this website http://www.rgxracing.com/ for more info.

DahlELama

Agreed.... this is going to be a great truck. Only thing holding me back on getting mine running is a. Time b. cold weather here and c. now I think I will go for a different engine and sell the one I had planned on using. The one I was planning to use is an RB Modded Picco .26 so it will be sick fast... but I think I will go for a Werks or Radical.

Blade is a great guy to talk to. Knows his stuff for sure.

e.

MBX5T Maniac

My Feedback: (-1)

Are those 23m hexes? I know the rtr has them, but does the kit have them too?

DahlELama

The kit does come with the new light weight 23mm hexes. I used Matrix Buggy 17mm hexes as I have several sets of ST-R and Mugen wheels and they are 17mm.

Note: The kit does not come with a body or wheels... so I figured I'd use the wheels that I had. Killer Hobbies was clearing out their Matrix parts inventory at 45% off so the 17mm hexes and nuts were cheap. Another note... if you go this route you will need to shim up the play between the hub and bearing face. About 1.25mm. Any standard hub/hex setup should work that fits an 8mm axle. CEN uses 3mm pins so HPI and Mugen pins will work as well.

The jury is still out on this for me... I may just end up using the 23's that came with the kit. I just dont like the style of dish wheels. But I think the offset 23mm wheels will be a good choice.

e.

MBX5T Maniac

My Feedback: (-1)

No body? Just like the Matrix FRE? lol Stupid isn't it?

bigbadbowtie

I have to agree.... whats up with NO body???

Mystikal8885

it's kinda sad to know it doesn't come with atleast a body with the FRE kit. Thanks to Blade and RGX he includes a free clear body with the FRE arena kit. I really like the wheels and the body and from what he told me, the RTR is a very good race ready truck. There are a couple upgrades he recommended to me for the RTR. These are the front upper brace, carbon fiber towers and the aluminum knuckles. RTR will be the direction i'm heading with few upgrades along the way when they are damaged. I can only see Cen making better and more race spec upgrades as sales increase and they do more testing. The chassis is something i'm really looking forward to.

Mystikal8885

Hey guys continuing the thread in Cen Support thread. Hopefully we should get responses from Cen rep's in there as we touch the subject of the TR Arena

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_52...tm.htm#5249341

annie_himself

Hey Mystikal, if you are racing in Atlanta I know a guy that can help you on setups. Call him O.C. or Ox, I can't tell you his real name. He dosen't even know I know it...lol. Tell him Antrell told you about him.

Mystikal8885

Atlanta is 2 hours away from me. There is a track closer to me in Warner Robins which I go to. I currently talk with a cen sponsored driver right now and he gives me alot of info but i'm always open to new ideas and setups for the arena.

Mystikal8885

Guys have you visited the Cen Forums? Some pretty intresting things going on there.
Came across these sweet looking proto body being designed by RGX Racing for the Arena truggy.





All thanks to Blade at RGX Racing for his one off custom paintjob

annie_himself

The CEN forums are dead. No one post and it has few members. Thats why I never registered.

DahlELama

Regarding the RTR.... I was going to go that route and I think that is a could be a good way to go with this truck. The FRE is $500 no wheels tires or body. The RTR is between $470 and $500. At one point RGX was going to offer (maybe they still do) an RTR upgrade kit that would bring it up to FRE specs. A body, tires and wheels would cost about $100. I think the RGX upgrade kit was $125. So.... for the RTR and the upgrades about $600. Turn around and eBay the motor and radio you could easily make the $100 back.... you'd be ahead of just buying the FRE as you would have the body wheels and tires too for about $500.

At the time I bought my FRE, there just wasnt enough info out there to make me comfortable enough about how close in spec the RTR was compared to the FRE. Sounds like it is pretty close.

e.

Mystikal8885

RTR surely is the better choice for the Arena since it comes with wheels, tires, servos and a very strong body from what Blade has told me. i've seen the .26 cen engine perform in a matrix buggy and it impressed me so I am sure the ,28 included in the Arena would be great until I can afford a better motor. My choice of aftermarket radio would be the Nomadio React, may be my first step to a serious upgrade. Blade, a Cen driver gave me good info that Cen would be releasing newer upgrade parts which are not included in the FRE, such as new blue clutch shoes which are not yet released and a new lighter racing chassis. CNC kunckles are a must for a serious racer. Carbon Fiber towers are better than the red CNC towers because they are more forgiving in a hard impact and less prone to being bent. Don't forget there is also a ARR kit which has no radio but has the blue lightened 23mm hubs. Everything else is similair to that of the RTR. RGX racing seems to be the only one I found stocking the ARR kits.

MBX5T Maniac

My Feedback: (-1)

No tires or wheels either? That's rediculous. I mean, 500 for a complete kit is reasonable, but not including tires, wheels, or body? Bah! I'd get the rtr, ebay the stuff you don't want, and upgrade it to kit specs

Mystikal8885

that doesn't sound like a bad idea mayhem, maybe i'll just sell the new engine and buy something stronger. What is an affordable truggy engine on the market right now that would use the stock pipe and header? i'm not on the top lists of RC drivers, so I don't need "The Best" so something descent that can later take a nice upgraded pipe would be attractive.
I wonder what effect a JP-1 or JP-2 pipe would have on the stock engine though.

MBX5T Maniac

My Feedback: (-1)

I couldn't tell you from personal experience, but the LRP .28 Spec 3 is a very popular engine. Although you might want a .21 for it, since a .28 may be too strong

Mystikal8885

Amainhobbies has the best price on the Cen Tr Arena right now I think. Has anyone else found any good deals or links with upgrades and good prices?

RGX Blade

hey ya everyone,
been getting a grip of mail about i should come on out here on RCU and post some info...
now this is a nice fourm....
if there is anthing i can help with from RGX Racing,or Info about CEN products please let me know, be happy to help as best i can....

annie_himself

RGX, I sent an e-mail to you guys. Try to reply when you can.

Mystikal8885

RGX will you be offering an upgrade package to bring the RTR to FRE standards? OR maybe you can offer a package with the carbon fiber towers and knuckles........just a thought.