davets

I'm brand new to this site but I can see it has a lot of good info and very experienced members which is exactly what I need. My first car was a Tamaiya Frog when I was in grade school. I upgraded to a Optima and got into racing it. I loved the car and it was very fast after tweaking it and running a modified motor. Well, I've been out of R/C for about 20 years and now looking to get back into it. I'm looking at another 4wd buggy and the ZX-5 caught my eye. The kit is out of my price range due to kids, wife, etc so the RTR version is appealing. I found out that the local shops don't carry Kyosho and it is mailorder only. How hard is it to get parts for them? Are there a variety of tires and wheels available for it? My Optima came stock with a 540 motor and it was quick. What kind of motor does the ZX-5 come with stock and how does it compare to a 540? If I upgrade the motor what would be a good upgrade without going to brushless? I've been told by a local shop that anything under 12T would eat up the drivetrain but he admits not being familiar with the ZX-5. I had an ESC on my Optima and it had reverse and a brake. What kind of ESC does the ESC come with? How have the batteries changed over the years? Can a better battery provide more power and if so what else needs to be changed to accomodate it? A relative just bought an E-Maxx with the dual motors. It handles pretty well and looks tough but it seems much slower than I remember my Optima being. Is it tuned wrong or does it take some mods to make it quick? Thanks guys and sorry for the basic questions, they probably bore you.

party_wagon

iTrader: (29)

Do you plan on racing or not? If you want to bash then pick up one of the rustlers w/ a vxl, a lipo, & a charger. If you want to race then go vissit your track & find out what the most popular class is.

jk racing

iTrader: (20)

The ZX5 will take almost any motor you can throw at it. The stock RTR radio system may not be able to handle a hot modified motor. If price is a concern, and your not looking to upgrade (immediately), go for the RTR. There are a few wheels out there for them, and many different tires. If your REALLY adventuresome, I am sure you could do a truck size wheel conversion and gain quite a bit of ground clearance for bashing around.

Batteries have changed drastically since you were in it last time. Lipo is becoming more and more popular, light weight, tons of run time. They do require a specific charger, and are a bit more costly than standard NiCd or NiMh batteries though. Without a low voltage cut off (can be purchased for around $25), Lipos can be discharged to low (like running your car until it slows WAY down) and swell or explode.

I race a ZX5 and love it. I use Lipos and a Novak GTB brushless system. I have more power than I need on any track I drive, and runtime is NOT an issue. I can run around 10 minutes on a 3200 Orion Lipo.

If your only going to run around the backyard/parks/up and down the street, a stadium truck will probably be better, unless you just love the buggy style/look.

In the end, get what makes you happy. If you dont, you will end up buying again and again until you get what you want.

Jason Pelletier

iTrader: (33)

+1

But anyway i have a lazer zx-5 sp i race and i love it, It's pretty tough for a 4wheel. I have no complaints really. Parts are pretty available on the internet.

If you been out of electric for 20 years you will be amazed at brushles motors and lipo batteries.

I don't bash though... But if i were i would buy a hpi baja 5b ss Lol....

davets

Thanks guys. A relative is building a track on his property and the family is getting into the R/C thing because of it. He has an old RC-10 and and a newer version of the Associated but I can't remember what its called right now. One of the relatives just bought an E-Maxx. I will be racing on that track and have no plans of moving to sanctioned racing again. I remember being able to bash my Optima and still dominate at the local track. I'll be doing as much bashing as racing I guess.
Back when I raced my Optima my little brother had a Subaru Brat that he built a complete plow setup for out of brass. He also hand built an aluminum car trailer with a sloping tail and tire rack up front. We would go to the races and load my Optima onto the car trailer away from the sight of the other racers and spectators. He would then pull me to the starting line after most racers had already lined up. I would then back my Optima off of the trailer and take my place in line while my bro drove off. The spectators loved it and the other racers hated it. I would then go on to take 1st in nearly every race I was in. That was back when the competition was made up of Hotshots and when Yokomo had a awesome car. Ahhh, the old days.