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The bored at home / COVID19 / Working from home thread

-Dutch-

Drag Race Newbie
Location
RI
All around basher makes sense for dipping the toes in. I didn't realize that was the case for inclusive kits though.
 

Raguvian

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
2019 GSW 4MO 6MT
99% of kits don't supply electronics, battery or charger. 99% of bashers are also RTR, unfortunately. Most RTRs don't supply battery or charger either (although some do, but the charger is usually junk).

On the crawler side, you can get most of the popular RTR's as kits as well. I built my crawler as a kit and added everything that was needed. A kit will be more expensive but much more fun to put together and run, and you get to choose what you want to use in it.

I would budget $50 for a charger, $100 for a decent radio, $30-50 for a servo, and the motor/ESC will really depend on the application (for a monster truck or fast basher, a nice brushless system can cost quite a bit, but for a crawler, you can get away with a $30 brushed motor/ESC). Batteries, paint and other things will also add up.
 

Raguvian

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
2019 GSW 4MO 6MT
Eyeing this because Lancia. Doesn't break the bank. Not top of the line obviously. Thoughts?

https://www.rcplanet.com/tamiya-1-10-rc-lancia-037-rally-ta02-s-4wd-kit-tam58654/

TA02 is a pretty old chassis (released in the early 90's), so things like Lipo battery compatibility aren't great (you have to get rounded Lipo packs, and even then they might not fit), and you want to make sure you can still get spare parts down the line. The S also is a shorter wheelbase. Standard touring car 1/10 scale wheel base is 257mm, so if you want another body down the line it'll be hard to find one that fits that particular chassis.

If it's just to drive around though it should be fine. I am always nervous of cars that are either rereleases or just older chassis because parts availability sucks. I ended up shelving a Tamiya rerelease because I stuffed it into a curb and couldn't find the parts to fix it.
 

Raguvian

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
2019 GSW 4MO 6MT

Corprin

Autocross Champion
Location
Magrathea
Car(s)
A car
I am more of a crawler and drifter type now.

I’d lean towards the Axial Wraith 1.9 for an all around basher starter platform that can do more. A touring/rally car is going to be limited to fairly groomed trail and nice tarmac. My drifter doesn’t come out because I need nice new pavement or a tennis court to drive it.

I get building from kits, my now-drifter is a Tamiya T03F they started as an Opel Calibra kit in 2000. Was a rough learn to get to speed on radios and such.

my next car was an Axial Deadbolt RTR (ready you run). Just needed battery and charger. I've replaced a few parts here and there when something breaks, or when I want to throw some excess money at it. It was nice to just buy and drive, then mod as I go. Had I started with a kit, I would have done the “while I’m in here” mods and the cost would have spiraled.
 

Chad13762

Go Kart Champion
Location
Henderson NV
Take a look around at locations where you'll be able to to run the car, before deciding what type of vehicle to buy. In my case, the desert around my house first seemed promising, but after trying my rwd buggy, I found the surface to be too rocky and sandy to have much fun with it. However, the school just down the street has fresh smooth asphalt and ended up perfect for a road car.

In other words, where you'll be able to drive your car will be as important as what kind of car you want to drive.
 

Raguvian

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
2019 GSW 4MO 6MT
I am more of a crawler and drifter type now.

I’d lean towards the Axial Wraith 1.9 for an all around basher starter platform that can do more. A touring/rally car is going to be limited to fairly groomed trail and nice tarmac. My drifter doesn’t come out because I need nice new pavement or a tennis court to drive it.

I get building from kits, my now-drifter is a Tamiya T03F they started as an Opel Calibra kit in 2000. Was a rough learn to get to speed on radios and such.

my next car was an Axial Deadbolt RTR (ready you run). Just needed battery and charger. I've replaced a few parts here and there when something breaks, or when I want to throw some excess money at it. It was nice to just buy and drive, then mod as I go. Had I started with a kit, I would have done the “while I’m in here” mods and the cost would have spiraled.

I don't know, I think buying a kit and getting to build it is a huge part of the experience, so much so that I try not to buy any RTRs. For me, I also always like to build box stock first, and then upgrade as I see fit. For example, I built my Gmade GS02 completely stock and have been running it like that for a while, even though I've had a ton of aluminum parts and a two speed transmission sitting around. Gradually upgrading (or even doing a rebuild when the chassis needs it and incorporating the upgrades then) keeps the RC fresh, so you don't get bored of it and you get to see all the different stages of the build.

I first ran the GS02 on a 2S battery and it was dog slow. Even just upgrading to a 3S battery has made it so much more fun and capable. I can't wait to see what it can do with some non leaking shocks, aluminum upgrades, two speed transmission and a brushless motor.

Take a look around at locations where you'll be able to to run the car, before deciding what type of vehicle to buy. In my case, the desert around my house first seemed promising, but after trying my rwd buggy, I found the surface to be too rocky and sandy to have much fun with it. However, the school just down the street has fresh smooth asphalt and ended up perfect for a road car.

In other words, where you'll be able to drive your car will be as important as what kind of car you want to drive.

This is great advice! I always am tempted to get a 1/5 scale gas RC, but I live in a dense neighborhood, and I'm sure my neighbors would hate me if I kept ripping a loud gas motor up and down the street. The Losi DBXL looks incredible, and yeah I could get an electric version, but I want the sound and response of the gas motor. Plus, at that scale, gas is actually cheaper (gas is much cheaper than the giant batteries needed for 1/5 electric, plus the motors are basically weedwhacker motors).

Maybe I should get a 1/5 gas RC and just run it somewhere else...
 

brat_burner

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
Car(s)
Mk6
This is great advice! I always am tempted to get a 1/5 scale gas RC, but I live in a dense neighborhood, and I'm sure my neighbors would hate me if I kept ripping a loud gas motor up and down the street. The Losi DBXL looks incredible, and yeah I could get an electric version, but I want the sound and response of the gas motor. Plus, at that scale, gas is actually cheaper (gas is much cheaper than the giant batteries needed for 1/5 electric, plus the motors are basically weedwhacker motors).

Maybe I should get a 1/5 gas RC and just run it somewhere else...

I feel like I'd rather have an 1/8 scale nitro. More agile and still capable of some massive jumps
 

Corprin

Autocross Champion
Location
Magrathea
Car(s)
A car
I don't know, I think buying a kit and getting to build it is a huge part of the experience, so much so that I try not to buy any RTRs. For me, I also always like to build box stock first, and then upgrade as I see fit. For example, I built my Gmade GS02 completely stock and have been running it like that for a while, even though I've had a ton of aluminum parts and a two speed transmission sitting around. Gradually upgrading (or even doing a rebuild when the chassis needs it and incorporating the upgrades then) keeps the RC fresh, so you don't get bored of it and you get to see all the different stages of the build.

I first ran the GS02 on a 2S battery and it was dog slow. Even just upgrading to a 3S battery has made it so much more fun and capable. I can't wait to see what it can do with some non leaking shocks, aluminum upgrades, two speed transmission and a brushless motor.



This is great advice! I always am tempted to get a 1/5 scale gas RC, but I live in a dense neighborhood, and I'm sure my neighbors would hate me if I kept ripping a loud gas motor up and down the street. The Losi DBXL looks incredible, and yeah I could get an electric version, but I want the sound and response of the gas motor. Plus, at that scale, gas is actually cheaper (gas is much cheaper than the giant batteries needed for 1/5 electric, plus the motors are basically weedwhacker motors).

Maybe I should get a 1/5 gas RC and just run it somewhere else...

I agree. Building yourself is a big part of it. For me, with two little ones, I just don’t have the time to muck with a kit. The 88cc kit for my pit bike has been on turn shelf for 2yrs lol.

the kits do come with better parts, Axial kits have aluminum rods and better bearings and such. I was very close to grabbing oneof the SCX10-ii unimog kits when they dropped last year. Time will tell, my old ass deadbolt does me just fine.
 

Raguvian

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
2019 GSW 4MO 6MT
I feel like I'd rather have an 1/8 scale nitro. More agile and still capable of some massive jumps

Nitro is expensive and even louder/smellier. Plus I've had nitro vehicles before but not a 1/5 scale so it's tempting. It's just that $900 price that scares me, but any 1/10th I get ends up ballooning to that price anyways. Other issue is the DBXL is RTR... (although I guess I could sell the radio that it comes with).

I agree. Building yourself is a big part of it. For me, with two little ones, I just don’t have the time to muck with a kit. The 88cc kit for my pit bike has been on turn shelf for 2yrs lol.

the kits do come with better parts, Axial kits have aluminum rods and better bearings and such. I was very close to grabbing oneof the SCX10-ii unimog kits when they dropped last year. Time will tell, my old ass deadbolt does me just fine.

The SCX10iii looks really nice, actually. I like the two speed + portal axles.

The other issue with RTR is often times they need to be gone over or even rebuilt before running, unless you want things falling off. A lot of reviews I read complain about having to rebuild the vehicle before even running it.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
Finally had the "we're sick of being stuck in the house" meltdown today. I wanted to go for walk on the beach and wife wigged out. Huge fight, then circuit board in fridge popped a couple capacitors and we had to deal with that.

F this day.
 

brat_burner

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
Car(s)
Mk6
Finally had the "we're sick of being stuck in the house" meltdown today. I wanted to go for walk on the beach and wife wigged out. Huge fight, then circuit board in fridge popped a couple capacitors and we had to deal with that.

F this day.

No bueno. Stuff is opening back up here and a lot of people are out and about. I didn't really go anywhere for a couple months. I understand people being scared, but damn what are we going to do? Just stay home forever, and keep celebrating health care or "front line" workers I guess. That's all they seem to be talking about on the news here.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
No bueno. Stuff is opening back up here and a lot of people are out and about. I didn't really go anywhere for a couple months. I understand people being scared, but damn what are we going to do? Just stay home forever, and keep celebrating health care or "front line" workers I guess. That's all they seem to be talking about on the news here.

I think walking on an empty beach is pretty low risk. It's crazy where I live though, no one wearing masks or distancing, the state and city are opening more and more, when cases and deaths are actually still increasing. That's why she's freaked out. I think it's just been a long 3 months, because we started working from home and distancing 3 or 4 weeks before the first order.
 
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