noobrcenthusiast

Hey guys,
Id like to start off my apologizing for my lack of knowledge about some of these things. Ihave done my reading around the forum as well as generally on Google but basically I want to know whats a good RCcar for someone like me - a beginner. Ive had an RCcar in the past but it was nothing spectacular and just a basic on-road type car.

I'm looking for an RCcar that would mostly be used on-road a little offroad is OK but mostly I'd like to use it on-road. I have read that brushless motors are the best for speed and I'm mostly interested in electric since I am new. Also, I know that LIPO's can be used for better play time and better performance.

Basically,I don't mind if its car or truck shaped.I do want it to be electric and brushless is a big plus. I'm looking for speeds at about 50mph so faster is okay as well but 50 is pretty good I'd say. That gives me room to go faster in the event I need it.

I wont be abusing the car but I do want something sturdy and good in terms of repairs and such. I am looking for a RTRcar that I will be using mostly for racing not for bashing. Also, I dont mind doing repairs myself when need be because there are a few RChobby shops nearby. The scale of the car does not matter either but nothing too big like a 1/5 or something.

My budget is probably $250-$300 for the RCcar and then ofcourse extra for Lipo.

Thanks!

rc_connection

if you are still intrested in a rc please feel free to give me s shout out i will give you the best pricing and give you cost on any accessories that you want

noobrcenthusiast

I am interested in purchasing an RC car but I am looking to see which one is best for me first. Any advice based on what I initially mentioned would be appreciated.

mechanizeddeath

My recommendation is to see what's available in your area when it comes to parts support. Everything can be ordered on the internet, but it is a pain (especially when starting out) to find you have to wait days or even weeks for parts. For a first RC, local parts support is really important. You'll be having quite a few mishaps when you start out. At least I know I did, and I wasn't even running a fast RC.

Traxxas is usually good for parts support, HPI is another good one. Call or shop around and see what's hanging on the walls at your local shops.

You say you're looking for primarily on-road, but also off-road. A rally car might be something to look into. I might suggest the Tamiya DF-03ra, except that it would be a kit, not RTR.

It's for off-road, not on-road, but the Traxxas Rustler would make a good first car too. And as mentioned before, local parts support would likely be good.

For on-road only, an HPI Sprint 2 is also often suggested, though I've never driven one myself.

noobrcenthusiast

The local Hobby shops seems to have Traxxas, HPI and Team Associated Parts.  Thanks for your suggestions. I will look at those as well.

I will mainly be using it on-road but sometimes some of the cars that are lower to the ground have issued with minor things in the road like a small pebble or reflectors and such so that was my reason for mentioning an off-road option.

Thanks again for your recommendation. I am looking them up now!

noobrcenthusiast

I looked at the Tamiya DF-03ra, do you have any idea of how fast they go and if they are capable of supporting Lipos. The pricing I'm seeing online isn't bad, around $150-$180.

ScottStaypuff

Rustler VXL would be a good choice, maybe a Bandit VXL. Get some Traxxas Anaconda tires for the street to save your off road tires. I think you'll end up liking off road better so these are good choices, just my opinion.

EDIT: also look at the HPI E-Firestorm. I have one and its great. IMO a better truck than the Rustler but not quite as good of parts support at local hobby shops.

noobrcenthusiast

The Firestorm looks pretty sweet. Thanks for the advice about the tires. I figured I'd have to get other tires for that so that might be a good option.

Also, I live in Houston and came across this on craigslist, is that a fair price?
http://houston.craigslist.org/tag/1746501493.html

nitrosportsandrunner

you can get a pair of winforce 2s 30c 3000mah lipos off ebay for $45. you will need to add the battery plugs tho.
and then you can get a imaxx b6 lipo charger. it charges, lipo, life, pb(lead acid) and nimh batteries. basically, it will do everything you need, and only costs $50 shipped.

noobrcenthusiast

Thanks for the advice about the lipos. $50 is definitely a lot less than I had initially read about Lipos. What do you think the speed would be with the Lipo you are suggesting for say a Traxxas Bandit or Rustler?

mechanizeddeath

As for the speed of the Traxxas vehicles, it depends. The VXL versions with a 3s 20c lipo will go 65+ mph with appropriate gearing according to their site. I will caution you that speed isn't everything, especially for a beginner. Not only will you break more parts, but there's plenty of fun to be had below 25 mph. Take a look at the crawler forums to see what I mean. A lot of people are surprised that my most enjoyable RC is probably my Tamiya Grasshopper, a 25 year old design and easily my slowest RC. But it has a certain charm and enjoyability that makes me always want to run it. And the runtime on it rules... I'll get bored with it before the pack flattens out.

I don't have any speed data on the DF-03ra. Out of the box it will be kind of pokey, with a standard silvercan motor and basic brushed speed controller. I have the regular buggy DF-03, the Dark Impact, and it was rather slow until I switched motors. Most people swap in a brushless setup. It should work with some lipos, but the cramped battery compartment may require the use of a dremel tool to fit certain packs, or be unable to use them at all. I am still on NiMH and NiCd packs so I can't comment much.

noobrcenthusiast

Thanks! Yeah, I'm not looking to go too fast mostly because I don't really have the room for it so 35-50 would be a good range for me. My current RC gets about 25 but is a no-name cheap-o type car so its fairly pointless. I think a bit more bang was needed but thats why I'm willing to spend a bit more.

If I get the DF-03ra basic model, how much would a brushless setup cost me?

Also, I guess I'm stupid for asking this but I don't get the concept of electronics or controller being separate from the car. Is there a link I can read up on this?

lthall

That Rustler looks like a pretty good deal. You may also wanna take a look at the 1/16 ERevo Brushless. Greeat on the road or off. It may push the limits of your stated budget, but an awesome vehicle!

Slo-V Flyer

Electronics are sold separately when it comes unassembled kits, so you can choose what components/quality/price point you want to use to complete it.

Not everyone wants a certain motor, or steering servo, or transmitter or receiver. If that answers your question? RTR or ready to run models come with everything you need, but then again often times it's just basic stuff to get you going, and you'll find yourself upgrading anyway.

noobrcenthusiast

Hey, thanks for all the help. I think I'll be getting the Traxxas Rustler VXL with the 2.4Ghz controller and 7 cell for now. I've heard the Lipos are a great upgrade but they take time to get used to.

Considering my current RC only goes 20mph, I better get used to the Traxxas with the 7 cell before upgrading to the lipos. The best price im seeing is like $295 shipped. Is that a good price? Also, how quickly would I need to replace tires considering I will be using it on-road?

Shenanigans

My Feedback: (12)

To be honest, 50 mph is incredibly fast for an rc..specially a beginner. You may be suprised how fast it actually is once you get it on the street. Much faster than 50 and you will have little control, and will be limited to making passes up and down the street. Rustler is a good choice...you can always get on-road tires to run on the street like anacondas as mentioned above, or road rages, road hawgz, etc..... I recently got a rustler set up with 2.2" street tires and it moves damn well on 2s lipo. If you just want speed, buy a 3s lipo and drive in a straight line till you try and make a turn and hit something or rollat 60 mph and have to fix everything.

mechanizeddeath

I'll second that. Most of us would agree that silvercan power is pretty slow, yet it kept me entertained for almost 2 years when I was starting out. A box stock XL-5 Rustler is more than enough power for a beginner. I love kits, but a Rustler really is a great first RC, simply due to the availability of parts, which you will need starting out.

I got my roommate started in RC just two months ago, and he ended up picking the Rustler. Great truck, but seconds into his 2nd pack, he slammed into a garage door and broke the shock top and one of the camber links. Less than $5 worth of parts, but the damage would have been substantially greater if he'd been running something as fast as you're looking to start out with.

Personally, I think it's a lot of fun to start slow and see how much speed and handling each successive upgrade brings. But everyone is different!

Also, some RCs, including the Rustler, have a "training mode" on the speed controller. I suggest using it, at least for your first pack, while you get the hang of things. It limits the power to about 50% and allows you to learn easier.

noobrcenthusiast

Hey,
Thanks for the advice. I think I'll stick with the basic Rustler VXL for now. I will get the Lipo's later on mostly so that it lasts longer. I realize speed has its limitations based on what Mechanizeddeath and Shenanigans have said.

Do you think that the Rustler VXL stock is a good first time car? Also, what is a good website for the tires and any idea how long they last? I read somewhere that its 20 runs but I wasn't sure.

Also, the stock battery, which is the 7 cell, will that last a good amount of run-time? like 20-30 minutes?

mechanizeddeath

Good choice! I think you'll be pretty happy with it for a first truck. If you find yourself wanting another vehicle after a while, I suggest buying a kit and selecting your own electronics for it.

I actually don't time my runtime, but my guess would be more along the lines of 10-15 minutes as for what I get from the Stampede, which is the closest thing to your Rustler. But mine is an XL-5, not a VXL.

As for how long the tires last, a lot of it depends on the surface you're running. Also the type of tread and softness of the rubber. I bet I've put a dozen packs through my Stampede and I'm still on the stock tires. My Levant seems to show no wear even after two dozen packs. My Grasshopper does nothing but do burnouts everywhere it goes, so I've been through a few sets of tires on that. Need more.

thikill

does anyone know how to make a roll cage for a nitro rustler. and what do i need for driving on sand

noobrcenthusiast

So, I'm going ahead with the Rustler VXL. The price im getting is $295 shipped so I wonder if thats any good?

Also, I'm keeping it stock the way it is until I wrap my head around how it handles and such.

I am getting the Anaconda tires and I was wondering, do I need a full set, like 4 of them? The price is like $17 shipped for a set of 2. Is that fairly decent or can I find something a bit less.

Any other things I should purchase or keep in mind?

kaiser01

thats a good price, my friend bought one monday for 329.00.

it's stupid fast stock. i laugh at the guys that want to go 65+ mph. the truck is almost uncontrolable at the stock 40mph. it takes off like a rocket.</p>

Shenanigans

My Feedback: (12)

http://www.neweramodels.com/item.cgi...;part_id=10113 roll cage

qoisdhc oqina

My Feedback: (-1)

Dont hijack peoples threads.


Yep, thats a pretty good price on it.My first hobby grade was a xl-5 rustler, now i turned it into slash, but definitely wish i would've went vxl right off the bat. You dont NEED all 4 anacondas, but having all 4 would definitely help.At least get them on the back, front is optional, but again, it would help.

BlackVXL

+1 on the traxxas Rustler