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-   -   Good car to buy for Beginner (https://www.rctech.net/forum/electric-off-road/229346-good-car-buy-beginner.html)

MesaRacer07 06-29-2008 12:42 AM

Good car to buy for Beginner
 
I am getting into the rc game and would like to know what car should i get? I heard a t4 by Team Associated, but the price of the car have me second guessing that choice. It retails for $240 give or take, does that price indicate that the car can't compete? I'm looking for something that I can upgrade the parts as I get better, also I would eventually start racing as I get better. Also, what all is needed when starting; tools,parts,etc. what will i need. Thanks in advance for your help.....

foolio 06-29-2008 06:28 AM

The T4 you are looking at is either an RTR T4, or the Factory Team T4. Did it come with the radio and electronics?

The RTR T4 which comes with just about everything you need to get started is a fine car. The car is designed as a competition vehicle. However, the RTR does not have all the go fast parts you may want down the road. A winning platform is there, though. As you get better, you an upgrade. The downside is, the electronics that come with the car (radio, ESC, motor) are not of the highest quality. Furthermore, most people that race a T4 at higher levels will end up replacing many of the parts that the RTR comes with.

This brings you too the Factory Team T4. This version comes in kit form. You will have to build it from the ground up. It also does not come with any electronics. No radio, ESC or motor. However, as far at the chassis goes, you may not have to replace or upgrade anything as you get better. There may be a few items of personal choice, but the components such as great shocks, titanium turnbuckles, and various other titanium bits are already included. Furthermore, building a kit from the ground up will give you a much better understanding as to how the car works. Personally, the first build is one of my favorite parts of the hobby.

The downside is the start up cost will be quite a bit higher. The RTR retails for around 230-240 (ballpark) and all you need to do is add batteries and a charger. The Factory Team kit retails for around the same price (may a little cheaper). However, you need to add:

Radio
Electronic Speed Control
Motor and Pinion
Batteries
Charger

The sky is the limit as far as how much all those other parts could cost. It depends on how much technology and how many features you want. You could spend as little as $300 or as much as $1000. Either way, not including tools, you are probably looking at around $600 to get you started with a Factory Team T4.

This brings us to tools. As far as tools go, you need a few specialty items, but if you have a well stocked tool box at home, you will already have a lot of what you will need to wrench on the car. You might want to go out and buy a good quality set of Hex wrenches. I don't have the sizes off the top of my head, but you good get them from the Team Associated website. Other than that, you are looking at things like x-acto blades, soldering iron (60W or higher), various pliers, box wrenches (small sizes) screw drivers, calipers, sand paper, glue. Those are just a few things off the top of my head that I like to keep in my pit box.

Lastly, if cost is a concern, you could buy some things used. If you have the means, I would get the truck kit brand new. Then, find some quality electronics on ebay. It could cut your start up costs in half and you could get some top of the line equipment. But, that is up to you.

Good luck!

OG RC 10T 06-29-2008 07:24 AM

Please dont be offended by me saying this but if you think $240 is to much money to spend on getting into RC, dont get into it.

The RTR's are a good place to start and you can build up from there.

If you looking at the race kit, $185, you will have to build it your self, Then easily add $100 for a radio and steering servo, then add another $100 for a decent speed controler and motor, then add another $100 for a battery pack and charger.

Good luck. Just remember when you get into hobby grade RC its not cheap.

Miller_Time 06-29-2008 08:26 AM

One thing to keep in mind is that there is not a lot of really good options for RCs that you can take out and "bash" with and also put on the track and race competitively. If you try to do both with one RC you will find that it doesn't do either particularly well.

If you are interested in racing either now or in the future, I would suggest first finding the local tracks that are close enough so you would be willing to drive there and race. Find out what classes they run so that you don't end up buying something and later finding out there isn't a class for it. Some of the classes that they offer may not have many people runnng regularly or even at all. That's a bit of a local thing - class popularity varies by the area, and sometimes it seems to vary by the week :) Talk to the people racing there and see if there is a novice class, and what other classes are always popular and ask their recomendations. Watch at least one day's racing to see what class might appeal to you more.

The T4 is a sweet truck - one of my favorites. It most certainly can be competitive, and the factory team edition is, in my opinion, the best setup out of the box that you can find. I'd suggest that you opt for stock truck class if that's being run at the tracks near you. It's easier to learn on a stock truck, it's more likely to have people that are also new, and you won't get run over as bad while you're learning. The T4 probably isn't a good a choice for something you can take out to a dirt lot and mess around with though, most all "racing" designed RCs will be somewhat fragile.

If the local tracks in your area are running a Traxxas Slash spec class, that's your best bet. The idea there is you cannot make performance modifications to the truck - take it out of the box, put in a battery, and race. Everyone will have the same hardware, the Slash is probably a bit more friendly to the beginer on driving style, and it's tough as nails. You can take that out and beat it around on dirt lots and construction sites, etc. That class is pretty popular in most areas right now, and it's my current favorite. The ready to run kit costs about $200, comes pre-assembled, and includes everything you need other than a battery and charger. You can be racing for $300 and stay close to the pack on race day. You won't find many other options to get in so cheap and still be competitive.

Make no mistake - RC racing is an expensive hobby.

RodneyB 06-29-2008 08:35 AM

double post oops

RodneyB 06-29-2008 08:36 AM


Originally Posted by OG RC 10T (Post 4586531)
Please dont be offended by me saying this but if you think $240 is to much money to spend on getting into RC, dont get into it.

You should re-read...nowhere did he say it was too much money. The way I read it is he was concerned a car that "cheap" was not competitive. Which of course it not true, the T4 in any form is a great truck.

MesaRacer07 06-29-2008 09:25 AM


Originally Posted by RodneyB (Post 4586661)
You should re-read...nowhere did he say it was too much money. The way I read it is he was concerned a car that "cheap" was not competitive. Which of course it not true, the T4 in any form is a great truck.

Thanks you Rodney,your right cost is not a concern for me. It's just that a car that cheap i thought wouldn't be able to compete.

Turbo Joe 06-29-2008 09:34 AM

If you like 4wd at all...Speedtech sells the ZX-5 Readyset for $240 WITH a 3200 Orion Lipo. We have four guys that run them at our track and they're really tough...same as the original ZX-5, but a little more plastic. They're really tough and pretty damn fast out of the box. They're about like a 19T 4wd as far as speed.

http://www.speedtechrc.com/store/ebp...alpage=special

He doesn't have them on the web page, but he almost always carries them in the store. Just e-mail Jeff and tell him that I sent you. If he's out, he can get them in a day or so.

http://www.kyoshoamerica.com/cars/in...part_num=30861

rocket-mtrsprts 06-29-2008 09:38 AM


Originally Posted by MesaRacer07 (Post 4586087)
I am getting into the rc game and would like to know what car should i get? I heard a t4 by Team Associated, but the price of the car have me second guessing that choice. It retails for $240 give or take, does that price indicate that the car can't compete? I'm looking for something that I can upgrade the parts as I get better, also I would eventually start racing as I get better. Also, what all is needed when starting; tools,parts,etc. what will i need. Thanks in advance for your help.....


Originally Posted by MesaRacer07 (Post 4586756)
Thanks you Rodney,your right cost is not a concern for me. It's just that a car that cheap i thought wouldn't be able to compete.


Maybe your confusion is thinking that everything that comes with that RTR T4 is good quality. While the T4 itself is a good truck to start out with and is very raceable, the electroinc and radio gear that comes with it is where Associated cuts the corners and isn't very good quality stuff. If you were to get it, I'd suggest upgrading that stuff once you learn the basics and before you start looking to start racing.
Otherwise you can buy the Factory Team T4 and get better quality radio gear and electronics to start with, but you'll easily end up spending 2 or 3 times as much as the $240 you mentioned.

JR007 06-29-2008 02:15 PM

I disagree with some of the above comments by other posters.

If you're just getting started in RC an RTR is a good idea. FT kits (the full racing spec ones) are great if you can race. If you can't, and you want to grind up your back yard for a bit of fun while learning, you'll have more expensive bits to replace.

I bought second hand first time, and it worked for me. If I could do it again, it would be like this:

TO START
1. Buy a new RTR T4 or B4. (I'm an AE fan, so i'm biased)
2. Foolio had the tool list down...
3. Buy a big stack of replacement parts with it. A-Arms, ball cups, shock towers, spur gears, a selection of pinions, basically half of the parts list. (that will add another $100 easy)
4. Buy more tyres, you'll wreck them on the street and flipping lots. Pre-made wheel/tire combo's are good (sucks trying to glue them when you're starting out, spend your time driving, not fixing cock-ups)
5. Get a good Lipo. If not, get 2 to 3 Ni-MH packs and a good charger / discharger. (There goes another $150 or so)
6. Get a few stock or pro-stock motors, or if budget permits, rip the gear out and go brushless. (Lets round off another $100, or $220 for the Brushless)

THEN
7. When you've beaten the crap out of it, learned to turn, mastered keeping it upright, start upgrading. Get a more powerful motor, a few ali parts if you like bling.
8. Forget the fact you ever had a savings account, and try not to let your wife see your credit card statements.


And THAT is how you "upgrade as you get better"....

:)

rjs_13203 06-29-2008 02:33 PM

i ran a t4 for awhile and is fine for racing. i also bashed with it good for both as far as im concerned

cliferton 06-30-2008 09:18 PM

if you are new for sure go lipo. If you have to buy it all for the first time it cost more to go ni/mh than lipo. Wait I know someone is going to say im wrong. So here is how it went for me 3 months ago when I first got into the sport.

these are rounded prices
3x matched ni/mh packs $60 bucks each $180
batt. doc. $50
that little light bulb thing you guys use $20
used charger $50
------------------------------------------------$300
---------------or------------------------------------

ROAR legal lipo $120
Imax B5 charger $70
------------------------------------------------$190

And after I fix the parts I broke I get to watch others race and see how its really done instead of playing the batt. cycling game.

Chris__RC 06-30-2008 09:29 PM

You will also need a power supply for the IMAX B5 lipo charger.

You can get into NiMH really cheap if you want. Get a Hot Bodies Micro Charger to charge 1, 2, and 4 amps for $30 and 2 3000 Trinity Reference batteries for $20 each. That is $70.

cliferton 06-30-2008 10:29 PM

i stand corrected I forgot the supply. I have one but have only had to use it for indoor and home use. I usually just hook up to the goat. but if you run off a gen. you will need one I got a used 12 amp one for $25. You May have to get a new one though cause You dont see many racers getting rid of their power supplies. I think they are about $60 new at the SHACK or maybe even cheaper on ebay.

You could go with the cheaper end of ni/mh but I think you will soon want to upgrade so just go ahead and get the good stuff for either ni/mh or lipo and you will save money in the long run.

If you need a powersupply I got one that came with the bundle I bought off an racer on here. Its an old pc supply but it worked fine with the 1 pulsar sport. free for anyone who needs it just pick up the shipping

Chris__RC 06-30-2008 10:40 PM

what kind of pwer supply is it? amp? volts?


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