The RC car thread. Anyone into these things?

[inlinefour]

Well I can't ride anymore for obvious reasons, so I've been looking at ways to get my fix for speed as racing the Airtrek is not an option.

Got a moddified Tamiya Grasshopper 2 awhile back and its fun and scares the shit out of the cat, but after awhile it was slow and I was looking for something faster...

Well I might have jumped a little far maybe, like going from a 250cc (more like a 125cc I reckon) to a 1 litre sprotbike???

Enter the Baja 1/5th scale with 27cc 2-smoker engine :devil2: Are moving into a plush neighbourhood later on this year so I want to make sure they know that I'm there and will be good for fun, but I really need to find some places to race and I'm wanting to put the feelers out for anyone who is also into the RC care scene.

The nitro cars looked cool but alot of pissing about, that and I love the sound and smell of a 2-smoker.

Apparently my new toy is capable of 80kph and it can still be modified far further to get more grunt and top speed. But then again there are better quality cars out there and it might take abit to get to terms with this one, but hopefully not. I've also got a spare set of wheels with tarmac tyres, I wonder if I could get a speeding ticket within a 50km area? I'd argue that I'm sitting in my chair not moving so the plod might want to check his gear or get glasses... :spanking:

So is it just me thats into these things or are there other KBers out there doing cool shit with RC machines?

Oh, this thread is pointless without pictures so here is the Baja, in black of course. :cool:

[insane1]

been into rc for years used to have a 1/8th scale buggy had a mental as os-30vg big block blew 3 clutches before i got the right one wolud leave 3 inch gouges in the lawn every time i really opened it up top end somewhere the other side of 90kph where bouts are you wouldnt mind coming down for a good look at your beasty never seen one of those bajas up close.pm me have some set up data that should work.

[nadroj]

Do you need a big foot to tow your chair? or a Mack truck....
They could tow you up hills to freewheel back down.
Have fun

[deanohit]

Always been more into electric cars and monster trucks.

Got my 2 smoker fix with a home built race boat, about 750mm long and 35cc of tuned fire breathing weed eater motor.
We speed tested it with my old ski boat, at 70kmh it left us behind.
Then hit a stick floating just under the surface.
About a doxen barrel rolls later it was in many many little pieces sinking down.

My next one is going to be a wee bit more sedate.

[Brett]

I have been into them since I was about 12...bought my first one way back then. I love them. I love building them, fixing them, racing them etc. I even once took a set of wings off my rc glider, strapped them to the rc car, built a ramp in the road and attempted to lauch the car into orbit. It did sort of glide. Was very very cool.

[Brett]

Haha just remembered the other funny things we used to do. My cousin Matt also had one, and our fun would be to wait on long 50kph straight sections of road, and when cars came past, we would overtake them, underneath. Ie go up the exhaust end and come out under the bonnet and keep going for a little bit.:2thumbsup Ahhh good times. We got them run over more than once. Amazing how strong those bloody are. Matt's still got his original one that was run over twice. And it still runs mint.

[Headbanger]

The bigger/faster the RC, The more space you need to run them, Not that this is really an issue, Just how it is. Personally I prefer Electric powered, For the lack of noise and fluids as much as anything else. been tinkering since about 1984....

Have built a track in Wanganui, In the final stages of building a website.

http://jurgensdemolition.co.nz/rcoffroad/

Well, Sort of anyway, I threw the entire thing together in 4 hours while stuck in a motel on Thursday night

[ynot slow]

Had the original Tamiya grasshopper about 25 yrs ago,and have a cheap helicopter which is fun.

Used to be a remote crowd by paritutu carpark years ago.

Can remember at xmas one year,ran the car into neighbours drive and out and accross the road,neighbours kids were annoyed it was my toy lol,they thought it was theirs and I was keeping it till they finished opening their pressies.

It was bloody near indestructable,bumpers break and repaired was most damage,suspension worked good.

[inlinefour]

Had the original Tamiya grasshopper about 25 yrs ago,and have a cheap helicopter which is fun.

Used to be a remote crowd by paritutu carpark years ago.

Can remember at xmas one year,ran the car into neighbours drive and out and accross the road,neighbours kids were annoyed it was my toy lol,they thought it was theirs and I was keeping it till they finished opening their pressies.

It was bloody near indestructable,bumpers break and repaired was most damage,suspension worked good.

Allways been told Im a bit rough with things. I also had the original grasshopper but it did not take me long to kill it to the point that it was no longer worth fixing. Happy to report that the grasshopper 2 is a much more sturdy unit, but Im sure I could break it if I tried...;)

[sAsLEX]

Senseis got one.

Go have a play by Paritutu, there is a track there for them.

[Coyote]

I has really into RC for a while, couldn't afford it though.

Then when I could afford it, I got into bikes. :rolleyes:

I bought a Tamiya TT-01 with a Calsonic GTR body. I built it, but couldn't afford to get electrics for it so it's been sitting in it's box for the last year and a bit.

Used to have a Tomy Bit Char-g which was awesome. Just slightly bigger than a Matchbox car. I wanted to mod the hell out of it, turn it into a 20kph machine (that's quick when you drive them on dinner tables), but couldn't afford it (see a pattern here?). Unfortunatly it broke. Then someone stole it when I took it to metalwork to use their soldering Iron to fix it.

I searched them up on the net recently, they don't make them anymore :(

[Sensei]

I have 2 GS Avengers now , one is the first model & the other is the new CL1 Avenger they are good for about 70ks . Just put them back together after a 50k head on with my oldest boy .

[skidMark]

Yep...

Kyosho - Monster truck Giga crusher SF, nitro.

Havn't used it for a while because i hit a jump ramp crooked and smacked it into a tree, easy fix, i just can't be arsed.

Needs a couple of servos too.

I do want to get a nitro street car for drifting though.

www.rcuniverse.com (http://www.rcuniverse.com) i found is a good forum.

Havn't got mine here, but it's one of these...

http://www.hobbycity.co.nz/Soldat/ProductImages/Big/KYO%2031142.jpg


http://www.kyosho.com/common/image.php?id=101258

3 speed auto gearbox...reverse....neutral, hits about 60-70kph tapped out in top gear.

[inlinefour]

Yep...

Kyosho - Monster truck Giga crusher SF, nitro.

Havn't used it for a while because i hit a jump ramp crooked and smacked it into a tree, easy fix, i just can't be arsed.

Needs a couple of servos too.

I do want to get a nitro street car for drifting though.


3 speed auto gearbox...reverse....neutral, hits about 60-70kph tapped out in top gear.

Somewhere under that pile of motorcycle parts of destroyed bikes is another pile of rc car parts of destroyed rc cars... :crazy:

[Dak]

I know they only go round in circles but f%^k me, these things haul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T31juxlQuGA&feature=related

[LilSel]

I have a mini!! :D

& a carbon fibre chassis modified touring car. (a few diff cabs)


my workmate recently got a nitrate (tamiya) gas truggy, it goes like the clappers, broke a handful of parts within the first week.

[bully]

yip, i have a nitro truck like the one pictured, except no reverse. 3 speed 80k, havnt used it for a while, i forget the name. does good wheelstands, the best place i found was the local bmx track did orsum jumps was clearing the table top. it costs me about a grand. now im trying to get a komatsu bulldozer, im in earthmoving so could be fun. they looked more real than the diggers, in the way they function. maybe ill make sum jumps at work for the truck with it.

[skidMark]

yip, i have a nitro truck like the one pictured, except no reverse. 3 speed 80k, havnt used it for a while, i forget the name. does good wheelstands, the best place i found was the local bmx track did orsum jumps was clearing the table top. it costs me about a grand. now im trying to get a komatsu bulldozer, im in earthmoving so could be fun. they looked more real than the diggers, in the way they function. maybe ill make sum jumps at work for the truck with it.


Yeah mine was $1200.

I put a metal geared servo in the front though because hauling the big wheels around (expecially on tarmac) wasn't easy on the plastic geared one, was about 80 bucks i think, and i think its called a bluebird or something, makes it handle well, but i want something i can drift.

[nadroj]

Senseis got one.

Go have a play by Paritutu, there is a track there for them.

Paratutu off road track has shifted to opposite lake Rotomanu turn off. Sealed track is still at Paratutu.

[inlinefour]

I have a mini!! :D

& a carbon fibre chassis modified touring car. (a few diff cabs)


my workmate recently got a nitrate (tamiya) gas truggy, it goes like the clappers, broke a handful of parts within the first week.

Yea, I've been wondering how long it will take to break something considering how rough I can be on my toys. Mind you it'll be a good excuse to put some better mods into it. Is the mini a rear wheel drive or frount wheel drive like a conventional full sized mini?

[inlinefour]

Paratutu off road track has shifted to opposite lake Rotomanu turn off. Sealed track is still at Paratutu.

That offroad track I've been to and would be OK for the grasshopper2 I have which is bigger than the original. But for the 1/5th size car it would be fairly tight. Although it would be fun to run over anything smaller.:devil2:

[deanohit]

I know they only go round in circles but f%^k me, these things haul.

200mph RC car!

Right, lets see him miss his footing and get the cable tangled on his leg! :devil2:

[LilSel]

Yea, I've been wondering how long it will take to break something considering how rough I can be on my toys. Mind you it'll be a good excuse to put some better mods into it. Is the mini a rear wheel drive or frount wheel drive like a conventional full sized mini?


The mini is a front wheel drive. however back when I used to race RC cars we converted one into a rear wheel drive one. pretty easy to do.

I have a real life full sized mini too, going to get a new cab for RC mini and paint it the same as the real one :D

[skidMark]

The mini is a front wheel drive. however back when I used to race RC cars we converted one into a rear wheel drive one. pretty easy to do.

I have a real life full sized mini too, going to get a new cab for RC mini and paint it the same as the real one :D

Gotta finish the real one first!

[nelson gt250r]

yeah mate been there done that
i had a savage 25 monster truck that was capible of over 80 kms.2 speed and 4 wheel drive
cost the earth to keep going
pays to mix ur own fule as the model shops are stingy on the oil and ull end up doing motors flat out
they are ok as a toy but they get boring after a while

[shingo]

Got myself a couple trucks at the moment.

First is an HPI Savage with an OS30VG (0.30 cubic inches of pure power :Punk:) engine in it. Has 1.6" extended chassis, relocated gas tank and electrics. Dropped a 3 speed in it, along with better servos and an fm radio setup.

Have a few sets of rims and tyres along with a few bodies as well. The one pictured is a Chevrolet C10 painted in the factory paint scheme (as close as i could get it at least).

The second is a Team Associated RC18MT with a Mamba 25 6800kv brushless motor, powered by a 3-cell lipo.

This beast is capable of over 100km/h with the right gearing. My current setup is around 80-90 km/h. Needless to say it can be a handful in confined spaces, especially when the front starts to raise up nearing to speed from the lift created under the car.

If anyone in the west auckland area wants to go out and run their cars, let me know. Would be nice if you could tune a nitro engine too, as mine is running a bit shit at the mo and i aint havin much luck with it.

[skidMark]

yeah mate been there done that
i had a savage 25 monster truck that was capible of over 80 kms.2 speed and 4 wheel drive
cost the earth to keep going
pays to mix ur own fule as the model shops are stingy on the oil and ull end up doing motors flat out
they are ok as a toy but they get boring after a while

Would've had more grunt than ya hyosung though :dodge:

[shingo]

Inlinefour thats a nice baja you have there. Wish i could afford one of those myself, but my savage owes me enough as it is :crazy:

[DMNTD]

Would've had more grunt than ya hyosung though :dodge:

...which would have to have mammoth amounts more power than your BMX

[skidMark]

...which would have to have mammoth amounts more power than your BMX


Don't underestimate calf power, im a little powerplant, spool up my turbo au!

[inlinefour]

Don't underestimate calf power, im a little powerplant, spool up my turbo au!

Then why did you not ride your bmx to do the job offer from Jimmy?
Ah, thats right, you like to stay in bed. :baby: Those arms must be getting bigger, do you shave your hairy palms? :tugger: I think also its time you stopped spamming the site up because most of your recient threads have been bollocks IMO. So Mark, this thread is abour RC Cars, not for you to try to boost your ego and talk dribble. I've been given an infraction of taking thread off topic for far less...:spanking::finger::nya::kick:

[Leong]

Yes I was heavily into these things when I should have started riding bikes. As it's one of my only claims to fame - would it be OK if I had one skite paragraph?

I started in 1984 when I had a Tamiya Frog. We went to he first Off road nationals in Wanganui that year (Be interesting to know if the other KB'er from Wanganui who started in 1984 was there too). Finished 5th. The following year I got a Team Associated RC12i and won the 1/12th Nationals (modified class) After that things were a bit of a blur - In 1986 I was a sponsored dirver and won the off road 4WD open class at the nationals in Palmerston North. Went to Christchurch for the SOuth Island Champs that year and won the 2wd Modified class. Got into the 1/8th Gas on road scene in 1987 and betweeen then and 1993when I got married and quit the scene, I won 5 or 6 National titles....

Getting into these things, joining a club and getting into the racing scene was in many ways a great thing to do. My closest friends to these days were met while racing - (one was the guy I went to Wanganui with in 1984). We used to travel to New Plymouth frequently for Regional or even club events, and Christchurch whenever they had national events. Quite cool in those days - I remember one time in Tauranga they ran an teams electric off road enduro event and my mate Tony and I teamed up to win it on a track we'd never driven on before. Still have the newspaper clipping about that somewhere! Hmm... I could go on for hours....

Another mate gave me a really neat present last year - A DVD of the 1988 1/8th Gas Nationals which I won. He got raw footage taken by another club member - we used to call him Grandpa though he was probably only around 50 at the time - and edited it well incorporating Queens "We are the Champions". I should edit it down to 10min and upload to youtube. There is nothing like the sight and sound of a well tuned 1/8th Gas car as it revs and changes gear half way down the straight. I can almost smell it watching the video. It's probably why I like the 600cc inlinefours...

So as with anything I guess, the more you put into it, the more you'll get out. If you join a club and start racing, it's much like any other form of racing, just as competitive (but a lot safer than bikes - for the racer at least - gas powered RC cars can dangerous to spectators, thats another story) and just as expensive at the higher levels.

I met three people in wheelchairs that I can remember who raced regularly. I can be a problem getting up onto the drivers stand, but that depends a lot on each venue. Otherwise an excellent way to quench one's need for speed and excitement ie 1/8th Gas Racing. (I hope it still exists)

[Headbanger]

I started in 1984 when I had a Tamiya Frog. We went to he first Off road nationals in Wanganui that year (Be interesting to know if the other KB'er from Wanganui who started in 1984 was there too).

I lived and raced in Marton at the time, By the time we moved back to Wanganui the club was in serious decline. check out http://rcracer.co.nz/ some of them have been around the racing scene since back in the day, and they have some "vintage" footage from a couple of large meetings. The F1 stuff is killer, I'd get back into on road racing if that were a strong class.

[Kendog]

I also started with the Grasshopper. Raced a fair bit years ago.

Looked into getting back into it, but it seems a little quiet in Wellington. The I discovered buckets, so getting my fix that way.

[Headbanger]

Looked into getting back into it, but it seems a little quiet in Wellington.

Wellington http://www.rcracing.co.nz/

They have 2 impressive tracks, excellent facilities, constant club events, and host a number of national level competitions.

[lb99]

Allways been told Im a bit rough with things. I also had the original grasshopper but it did not take me long to kill it to the point that it was no longer worth fixing. Happy to report that the grasshopper 2 is a much more sturdy unit, but Im sure I could break it if I tried...;)

I had an origional grasshopper too, I kept breaking front wishbones, and the stupid heavy solid plastic body kept getting chunks smashed out of it, I brought a bigger battery and promptly burned out the old 380 motor, so replaced it with the 540 motor out of my mates hornet, and a lighter polycarbonite body a much faster beast. I have some weird japanese thing now that I picked up at a garage sale to relive my youth, 4 wheel shaft drive, 4 wheel double wishbone bla bla bla, complex as fuck, and too rare to contemplate breaking, tamya wheels fit, as do the shocks, everything else seems pretty tuff.

if you remove the front drive shaft she'll spin the centres out of the rear wheels on grass, or smoke 'em (a bit) on ashpelt, not bad for a 'leccy one....

[lb99]

I know they only go round in circles but f%^k me, these things haul.

theres an old guy here in blenheim who has a couple he built in the 50s or 60s, he reckons there good for 120mph, he still runs em occasionaly, I have a crappy cellphone vid somewhere, the model engeneering soc. here has a pole like that in the boat pond too, maybe for hydroplanes?:drool:, never seen it in use though.


Im slowly getting the parts togeather to build an rc lawnmower, with a webcam on it so you can mow the lawns from anywhere in the world :drool:

[deanohit]

theres an old guy here in blenheim who has a couple he built in the 50s or 60s, he reckons there good for 120mph, he still runs em occasionaly, I have a crappy cellphone vid somewhere, the model engineering soc. here has a pole like that in the boat pond too, maybe for hydroplanes?:drool:, never seen it in use though.
I used to run my electric boats at the club ponds there, just with the remote though.
Saw some guys running the tethered cars as well.
My dad was saying they used to have a sealed track, long gone now.

[inlinefour]

I had an origional grasshopper too, I kept breaking front wishbones, and the stupid heavy solid plastic body kept getting chunks smashed out of it, I brought a bigger battery and promptly burned out the old 380 motor, so replaced it with the 540 motor out of my mates hornet, and a lighter polycarbonite body a much faster beast. I have some weird japanese thing now that I picked up at a garage sale to relive my youth, 4 wheel shaft drive, 4 wheel double wishbone bla bla bla, complex as fuck, and too rare to contemplate breaking, tamya wheels fit, as do the shocks, everything else seems pretty tuff.

if you remove the front drive shaft she'll spin the centres out of the rear wheels on grass, or smoke 'em (a bit) on ashpelt, not bad for a 'leccy one....

The grasshopper2 puts the original to shame and I've been doing a fair bit of drifting on the courtyard outside the flat. Tyres are looking pretty shagged though and I'll have to go and look for some more. One of the reasons I got it was because its a RWD and its the same story with the baja. I suspect that once I get the tarmac tyres on the baja it will be the drift car from hell. Be funny as fark to race with the road nitro drifters. Although I might need some better gear like a preformance exhaust to get some more power and top end to be competitive. Although Im sure if I ran over a nitro, the baja would cope...:innocent:

[CookMySock]

Im slowly getting the parts togeather to build an rc lawnmower, with a webcam on it so you can mow the lawns from anywhere in the world :drool:lol! woohoo! I used an electric mower once - it was surprisingly powerful.

DB

[Kendog]

Wellington http://www.rcracing.co.nz/

They have 2 impressive tracks, excellent facilities, constant club events, and host a number of national level competitions.

Thanks.

I had looked at that site a while back and went out to find the track, but I must have picked an off weekend.
Will try get up there on a scheduled day for a look.

You race?

[lb99]

lol! woohoo! I used an electric mower once - it was surprisingly powerful.

DB

pfffft, electric....... this fucker is six horse 4 stroke elecric start petrol, a HONDA no less, I just have to figure a few things out, like brake steering, and an emergency stop bumper so if ya hit something it will kill the engine.

[Headbanger]

Thanks.


You race?

At the Manwatu track, And I have built my own track in Wanganui. I have made a couple visits to the Wellington track but only to be nosy and say hello.

[inlinefour]

Thought this thread was gone burger so here is something to get it going. Anyone wanting a baja or bits etc, here is the linkage to the dudes website that I got mine from, cheaper than what they are going for on tardme.:spanking:

http://www.rcinnovations.co.nz/shop/catalog/

[lb99]

anyone got any controllers for a cheapo 2ch warehouse type buggy, my boy just scored a good one but no controller, sometimes they cross over but none of the ones I have got will do it......

saw a re-release grasshopper on tm for $135 I paid $308 for mine in 1988

[inlinefour]

anyone got any controllers for a cheapo 2ch warehouse type buggy, my boy just scored a good one but no controller, sometimes they cross over but none of the ones I have got will do it......

saw a re-release grasshopper on tm for $135 I paid $308 for mine in 1988

I only paid 2hundy for my grasshopper2 with all the bits including the faster engine. Has a double action required to go straight from forward to reverse to try to protect the gearing. Was 2nd hand, but only just by the looks of it. I paid way too much for my original and probaby would not own another unless it was just for show. Those rereleased jobbies still need all the radio gear for them on top of the price dont they? Cant help with the controller as the only other car Ive got is in storage, a 1/5th ferrei f1 car but its too fast for me at the moment...:shit:
Ive been looking for ideas for dressing up the plain white shell of the hopper2 but Ive just found out that my sticker/decal collection is also gone into storage, think I might have to paint it black at some stage but I've also been looking at what others have done to theirs. I dont have the original sticker sheet though. :(

[Pillarz]

Well, this may be reviving an old thread, but stuff it.

Benn into R/C since I was a kid when my old man bought home a Tamiya Thunderbolt for me. Ran that car till it's death. It might still be around in storage somewhere...

Anyway, curently have a Tamiya TT01 (it was the right price for an entry level car) and a Hotbodies (HPI) Cyclone S.

Both of them were bought for a bit of fun at the track with a couple of mates (who both bought the same cars).

Currently, I have a HPI Baja 5B SS kitset shipping in from the states, and I'm slowly getting giddy about the 2-smoker goodness to be had when it arrives.

Am thinking about pulling out the TT-01 and cyclne to get them both setup for competition racing, but due to funds, I think I'll be stuck in stock class for both of them (well, not much choice for the TT-01 class, but can't afford to race Mod Touring class with the cyclone.