WaWa

iTrader: (21)

Last local race

SS LS1

iTrader: (23)

Looks nice but the nitro bodies = thick and heavy = poor handling and top heavy. This is from actual track results. Same car with a Challenger body was the A-main winner one week then a rollover addict the next with the nitro Cuda body. I lent him my spare Challenger body to race with and the car was dialed again. He made it to the top of the A-main the very next round.

Same story with my BMW M3 gt2 USGT body, thick and heavy causing the car to swap ends at every corner (included injected molded wing made it even worse). Swapped to a Porsche 911 turbo body next round and set TQ and won the main with the same suspension setup. Also ran same lap times with a thin GTR body as the Porsche. The BMW sits on the shelf now!

So if you are a serious racer with very tough competition in VTA then skip the nitro bodies altogether. But if your are a newbie racer then go for it as it will take more abuse and last longer for you to develop your driving skills.

wwddww34

iTrader: (9)

That makes absolutely no sense. All of the bodies on the USVTA list are Nitro bodies. They are all 200mm wide in front / 210mm wide in rear and they have dimples where you would drill holes for fuel tank access and exhaust pipe.
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SS LS1

iTrader: (23)

Not sure where I could be any more clear in my post above about thicker body = more weight = poor handling. A few dimples on a body its not what I'm talking about on where to make holes as any body can obviously be used for a nitro car. But rather the fact that some manufacturers will pull a body intended for nitro car use (often for a RTR kit) from thicker plastic to increase durability, thus it will be heavier.

Since body vacuum molds are expensive to make they will use the same one for both thick and thin plastic sheets, therefore the nitro location dimples you mentored will appear an all bodies, thick or thin.

The '67 Corvette is another example, go feel how thick and heavy that body is. (and yes we all know it is not VTA legal before someone says something about that.

NutDriver

iTrader: (30)

IMO, I don't think that HPI or any other manufacturer makes nitro-specific bodies, aside from their width.

NutDriver

iTrader: (30)

I know that their are .020 1/12 bodies that are lightweight versions of the standard .030 1/12 bodies, but I've never heard of anything similar to this with 200mm bodies.

DontChangeUSVTA

I compared 2 unpainted VTA bodies that I have in my closet. I measured the thickness of each body with calipers. This is what I found:

1. The HPI 1968 Chevrolet Camaro #7494 body is 0.030 in. (0.76mm) thick.
2. The HPI 1966 Ford Mustang GT #17519 body is 0.019 in. (0.5mm) thick.

So if what SS LS1 says is true ... ... then if you want to be competitive in VTA, you should stay away from the 1968 Camaro body because it is the thickest and heaviest body.

beemerfan

iTrader: (39)

A heavier body detracts slightly from handling because the weight is up high and supported by body posts which can sway in high G turns. However, there are a lot of factors that make up the weight of a body. The thickness of HPI bodies has varied from earlier production runs and later ones are thicker presumably for more durability. Bodies with more detail have to be pulled thinner to provide that level of detail and have different thicknesses depending on where you measure them. And most importantly, paint, decals, glue and screws to put the finished body together all have weight. I have several VTA bodies ranging from about 100 grams (J71 with front end glued, not screwed) to 180 grams (Cuda with a layered paint job and screwed on spoiler). My finished Camaro body weighs in at about 150 grams. It's important to keep the body light, but that has as much to do with how you finish it as it does the body you started with. Most of the 200mm bodies were originally designed for Nitro.

DontChangeUSVTA

So the general idea is to keep the weight as low as possible and your cars handling will get noticeably better. It's what SS LS1 was trying to point out ... I think ?

IndyHobbies.com

My goal with this one was to make it as scale as possible, and use as few decals as possible. The stripes are paint, the bumpers are paint and the window trim too. All backed with white and then a light coat of black. Faskolor paints. Using fewer decals I think makes the finished body looks better. And, if racing it, it will hold up a lot better. It still needs numbers to be USVTA legal. Don't know if I'll run it or sell it . But, I sure do like that RED!

buckeye dan

iTrader: (11)

[QUOTE=IndyHobbies.com;11745988]My goal with this one was to make it as scale as possible, and use as few decals as possible. The stripes are paint, the bumpers are paint and the window trim too. All backed with white and then a light coat of black. Faskolor paints. Using fewer decals I think makes the finished body looks better. And, if racing it, it will hold up a lot better. It still needs numbers to be USVTA legal. Don't know if I'll run it or sell it . But, I sure do like that RED!

I sure like the stang looks great!!!!

SS LS1

iTrader: (23)

Exactly! For example my '69 Camaro I've been running with screwed spoiler and shoo goo reinforcing weighs 177 grams with a one color paint job. My new J71 stickered up, multi colored paint job and screwed front end is 70 grams lighter at 107g. I can't wait to try it on the track this weekend.

Another plus the J71 can be mounted lower than the '69 Camaro w/o the body dragging the track or rubbing the tires. The lower roof line should help with handling and the rear bumper is high with a tall rear cutout which should let trapped air out the back of the body like on a touring car. Should be great on our high speed track.

I have a new clear '68 Camaro body since last winter to paint but once I found out about the drastic weight difference in VTA bodies I have not been motivated to use it. Plus I've had first hand experience in the USGT class with the car being awesome with one body and nearly undriveable with a much taller roofline and heavier body. Switched back and won the main with the same setup on the car. Proof enough to me.



Anxious to try

IndyRC_Racer

iTrader: (9)

Pretty much every available VTA body has made the podium at big VTA races. There is no reason to avoid a heavy body (either from thicker lexan or heavier paint job). You may need to adjust roll centers or lower the body on the body posts, but that doesn't mean you can't win with a heavy body.

I have personally done well at a few big VTA races running a very heavy 'Cuda on a TC4 weighing in over 1600 grams. There is no ideal VTA body or VTA body to avoid. Just pick the body you like, put a decent paint job on it and have fun.

Meradin

iTrader: (19)

I know this goes a bit against the recent "no sticker" discussion but here is a body I did for a local racer. Everything is paint with the exception of the contingency stickers.

The paint stripe is the VTA tread.

DARKSIDE

iTrader: (2)

BINGO!!!!