Help me pick a F1 chasis please !
08-05-2013, 01:23 PM
#16
im surprised people are reccomending the version 2 over the trf 101.....if i were you and you were going to go with a tamiya kit go for the trf 101 its tamiya latest and greatest.
08-05-2013, 02:20 PM
#17
Sometimes the "latest/greatest" isn't always the best. If I had to choose between the two versions of the Tamiya F1s I have (F103 & F104), I would roll with the F103 anytime. On the carpet, my F103 is way more stable than my F104, even after I converted my F104 to the Exotek F1R chassis.
08-05-2013, 02:27 PM
#18
Does the club you will be running at run rubber or foam tires? What is their max width? 190mm? 200mm? Those are important to the choice of car. If your club runs wide cars with foam tires you'll want to look at something like the Top Rebel, F113, or other wide cars. If they run 190mm with rubber tires the F104v2 is a good way to go. The Speed Passion SP-1 is a nice car for either as it has adjustable width with the stock parts right out of the box. The other cars out there that can be adapted to other widths require additional parts. Any of the cars out there are good...look at which one has good parts support and which will need aftermarket parts that will bring the price up and decide what fits in your budget.
08-05-2013, 04:27 PM
#19
On rubber tires no...but if he shows up to the track with a 190mm rubber tire car and they are all running 200mm foam tires...it is going to matter.
08-05-2013, 04:37 PM
#20
Sometimes the "latest/greatest" isn't always the best. If I had to choose between the two versions of the Tamiya F1s I have (F103 & F104), I would roll with the F103 anytime. On the carpet, my F103 is way more stable than my F104, even after I converted my F104 to the Exotek F1R chassis.
08-05-2013, 04:37 PM
#21
Hi Angry_Arowana
I wont be at Castle Hill this Friday so here are some tips,
We can run cars up to 205mm wide, and we all use 21.5 blinky motors now in line with the national rules, Rubber tyres are a must..
The gun tyres to use on the surface are Pit 0545 soft rear and 0543 medium fronts. these are for wide 205mm cars
The wide cars are much easier to drive and there is much more knowledge,
currently the quicker cars are the following in no particular order, Yokomo Yrf001, 3racing 113, Top racing Rebel F1, Tamiya F103, the occasional F104/ Exotek F1RW
Ok some pro's and cons,
Yokomo YRF 001, This is what I drive, it was very stable out of the box on kit setup, Possible weakness issues with front suspension and rear axle, but I didn't have these issues. Yokomo gave us for free updated parts to fix any problems.. Parts available locally now and through A-main in the US.
I really like the front suspension design. It also comes with a narrow front end.
3 Racing 113, A slightly more complicated car to build and setup, they have lots of steering due to their front suspension design, and with the kit setup a little too hard in the rear end for a beginner, softer oil in the side shock and softer rear side springs will make it easier to drive,
Good parts support, but some weak parts in the front end.
Top racing Rebel F1, the one we have running around is very stable with good rear grip and lots of steering, overall a very fast car. no real known weaknesses, good part support as the distributer normally races with us on Friday night. Like the Yokomo its really just a 12th scale stretched and narrowed to fit an F1 shell.
F103, well, you cant really buy one new anymore but I did build one from scratch last year using new parts so its possible, They are starting to show their age, and the newer cars are starting to overtake them more regularly now. Lots of knowledge as they have been around forever, lots of steering and lots of grip, very simple design. Using carbon option parts fixes any breakage issues.
F104, overall a good car, do yourself a favour and bolt a F103 front end on they are quicker and easier to drive in wider config. I had an Exotek F104 as my previous F1.
Lots of parts support, car was very stable when setup right, but took a little time to get there, required lots of upgraded parts from stock.
Now I wont recommend a Speed Passion f1, they are just too weak at the moment, you will spend more time broken then running.
no one has run a serpent F110 yet, it is currently only available in narrow 180mm.
The FGX while cheap to buy needs lots of upgrades to make it quick and reliable, but in the right hands fast.
the TRF 101 looks to be very a very good car, I haven't seen one turn a wheel at Castle hill yet, so I cant comment on setup and speed, also delivered with narrow 180mm front suspension.
If you choose to run a narrow car the tyres to use would be pit PS-0575 soft rears and PS-0573 medium fronts,
I hope this helps
Beth.
I wont be at Castle Hill this Friday so here are some tips,
We can run cars up to 205mm wide, and we all use 21.5 blinky motors now in line with the national rules, Rubber tyres are a must..
The gun tyres to use on the surface are Pit 0545 soft rear and 0543 medium fronts. these are for wide 205mm cars
The wide cars are much easier to drive and there is much more knowledge,
currently the quicker cars are the following in no particular order, Yokomo Yrf001, 3racing 113, Top racing Rebel F1, Tamiya F103, the occasional F104/ Exotek F1RW
Ok some pro's and cons,
Yokomo YRF 001, This is what I drive, it was very stable out of the box on kit setup, Possible weakness issues with front suspension and rear axle, but I didn't have these issues. Yokomo gave us for free updated parts to fix any problems.. Parts available locally now and through A-main in the US.
I really like the front suspension design. It also comes with a narrow front end.
3 Racing 113, A slightly more complicated car to build and setup, they have lots of steering due to their front suspension design, and with the kit setup a little too hard in the rear end for a beginner, softer oil in the side shock and softer rear side springs will make it easier to drive,
Good parts support, but some weak parts in the front end.
Top racing Rebel F1, the one we have running around is very stable with good rear grip and lots of steering, overall a very fast car. no real known weaknesses, good part support as the distributer normally races with us on Friday night. Like the Yokomo its really just a 12th scale stretched and narrowed to fit an F1 shell.
F103, well, you cant really buy one new anymore but I did build one from scratch last year using new parts so its possible, They are starting to show their age, and the newer cars are starting to overtake them more regularly now. Lots of knowledge as they have been around forever, lots of steering and lots of grip, very simple design. Using carbon option parts fixes any breakage issues.
F104, overall a good car, do yourself a favour and bolt a F103 front end on they are quicker and easier to drive in wider config. I had an Exotek F104 as my previous F1.
Lots of parts support, car was very stable when setup right, but took a little time to get there, required lots of upgraded parts from stock.
Now I wont recommend a Speed Passion f1, they are just too weak at the moment, you will spend more time broken then running.
no one has run a serpent F110 yet, it is currently only available in narrow 180mm.
The FGX while cheap to buy needs lots of upgrades to make it quick and reliable, but in the right hands fast.
the TRF 101 looks to be very a very good car, I haven't seen one turn a wheel at Castle hill yet, so I cant comment on setup and speed, also delivered with narrow 180mm front suspension.
If you choose to run a narrow car the tyres to use would be pit PS-0575 soft rears and PS-0573 medium fronts,
I hope this helps
Beth.
Last edited by evochick; 08-05-2013 at 08:10 PM.
08-05-2013, 08:04 PM
#22
Hi Angry_Arowana
I wont be at Castle Hill this Friday so here are some tips,
We can run cars up to 205mm wide, and we all use 21.5 blinky motors now in line with the national rules, Rubber tyres are a must..
The gun tyres to use on the surface are Pit 0545 soft rear and 0543 medium fronts. these are for wide 205mm cars
The wide cars are much easier to drive and there is much more knowledge,
currently the quicker cars are the following in no particular order, Yokomo Yrf001, 3racing 113, Top racing Rebel F1, Tamiya F103, the occasional F104/ Exotek F1RW
Ok some pro's and cons,
Yokomo YRF 001, This is what I drive, it was very stable out of the box on kit setup, Possible weakness issues with front suspension and rear axle, but I didn't have these issues. Yokomo gave us for free updated parts to fix any problems.. Parts available locally now and through A-main in the US.
I really like the front suspension design. It also comes with a narrow front end.
3 Racing 113, A slightly more complicated car to build and setup, they have lots of steering due to their front suspension design, and with the kit setup a little too hard in the rear end for a beginner, softer oil in the side shock and softer rear side springs will make it easier to drive,
Good parts support, but some weak parts in the front end.
Top racing Rebel F1, the one we have running around is very stable with good rear grip and lots of steering, overall a very fast car. no real known weaknesses, good part support as the distributer normally races with us on Friday night. Like the Yokomo its really just a 12th scale stretched and narrowed to fit an F1 shell.
F103, well, you cant really buy one new anymore but I did build one from scratch last year using new parts so its possible, They are starting to show their age, and the newer cars are starting to overtake them more regularly now. Lots of knowledge as they have been around forever, lots of steering and lots of grip, very simple design. Using carbon option parts fixes any breakage issues.
F104, overall a good car, do yourself a favour and bolt a F103 front end on they are quicker and easier to drive in wider config. I had an Exotek F104 as my previous F1.
Lots of parts support, car was very stable when setup right, but took a little time to get there, required lots of upgraded parts from stock.
Now I wont recommend a Speed Passion f1, they are just too weak at the moment, you will spend more time broken then running.
no one has run a serpent F110 yet, it is currently only available in narrow 180mm.
The FGX while cheap to buy needs lots of upgrades to make it quick and reliable, but in the right hands fast.
the TRF 101 looks to be very a very good car, I haven't seen one turn a wheel at Castle hill yet, so I cant comment on setup and speed, also delivered with narrow 180mm front suspension.
If you choose to run a narrow car the tyres to use would be pit PS-0575 soft rears and PS-0573 medium rears,
I hope this helps
Beth.
I wont be at Castle Hill this Friday so here are some tips,
We can run cars up to 205mm wide, and we all use 21.5 blinky motors now in line with the national rules, Rubber tyres are a must..
The gun tyres to use on the surface are Pit 0545 soft rear and 0543 medium fronts. these are for wide 205mm cars
The wide cars are much easier to drive and there is much more knowledge,
currently the quicker cars are the following in no particular order, Yokomo Yrf001, 3racing 113, Top racing Rebel F1, Tamiya F103, the occasional F104/ Exotek F1RW
Ok some pro's and cons,
Yokomo YRF 001, This is what I drive, it was very stable out of the box on kit setup, Possible weakness issues with front suspension and rear axle, but I didn't have these issues. Yokomo gave us for free updated parts to fix any problems.. Parts available locally now and through A-main in the US.
I really like the front suspension design. It also comes with a narrow front end.
3 Racing 113, A slightly more complicated car to build and setup, they have lots of steering due to their front suspension design, and with the kit setup a little too hard in the rear end for a beginner, softer oil in the side shock and softer rear side springs will make it easier to drive,
Good parts support, but some weak parts in the front end.
Top racing Rebel F1, the one we have running around is very stable with good rear grip and lots of steering, overall a very fast car. no real known weaknesses, good part support as the distributer normally races with us on Friday night. Like the Yokomo its really just a 12th scale stretched and narrowed to fit an F1 shell.
F103, well, you cant really buy one new anymore but I did build one from scratch last year using new parts so its possible, They are starting to show their age, and the newer cars are starting to overtake them more regularly now. Lots of knowledge as they have been around forever, lots of steering and lots of grip, very simple design. Using carbon option parts fixes any breakage issues.
F104, overall a good car, do yourself a favour and bolt a F103 front end on they are quicker and easier to drive in wider config. I had an Exotek F104 as my previous F1.
Lots of parts support, car was very stable when setup right, but took a little time to get there, required lots of upgraded parts from stock.
Now I wont recommend a Speed Passion f1, they are just too weak at the moment, you will spend more time broken then running.
no one has run a serpent F110 yet, it is currently only available in narrow 180mm.
The FGX while cheap to buy needs lots of upgrades to make it quick and reliable, but in the right hands fast.
the TRF 101 looks to be very a very good car, I haven't seen one turn a wheel at Castle hill yet, so I cant comment on setup and speed, also delivered with narrow 180mm front suspension.
If you choose to run a narrow car the tyres to use would be pit PS-0575 soft rears and PS-0573 medium rears,
I hope this helps
Beth.
Thank you so much for that ! Just what I wanted to know.
I'm probably gonna go with a f104 ver II or the serpent as they would be around the same price anyway.
I have been to jay and he's selling the f110 like hot cakes.
08-06-2013, 12:49 AM
#23
Having local parts support for the Serpent is a big plus, but as I am on a limited budget the F113 comes with a body, and front & rear wings which only leaves the rubber tires & rims to buy to get it on the track (already have the electrics).
One thing with the above 2 cars you have the choice of being able to use standard or "shorty" lipo batteries.
Cheers
Rob.
08-06-2013, 01:33 AM
#24
Like yourself I'm trying to decide which F1 to get, I'm currently driving a borrowed F103 atm and having fun with it, but as Beth pointed out the car is dated and showing it's age against some of the newer cars. However in the hands of a good driver they can still be very competitive, but I personally feel that I would do better with a newer car and I'm trying to decide between the 3 Racing F113 or the Serpent F110.
Having local parts support for the Serpent is a big plus, but as I am on a limited budget the F113 comes with a body, and front & rear wings which only leaves the rubber tires & rims to buy to get it on the track (already have the electrics).
One thing with the above 2 cars you have the choice of being able to use standard or "shorty" lipo batteries.
Cheers
Rob.
Having local parts support for the Serpent is a big plus, but as I am on a limited budget the F113 comes with a body, and front & rear wings which only leaves the rubber tires & rims to buy to get it on the track (already have the electrics).
One thing with the above 2 cars you have the choice of being able to use standard or "shorty" lipo batteries.
Cheers
Rob.
As far as I know the serpent doesn't come with any body or wheels. It's only the chasis with front and rear wing that comes in the package.
I'm thinking of going with the F104 ver II Black edition+wide track mod and buy the body i like then start from there.
I think I'll go to Tempe tonight to have a look at the F1 races there.
08-06-2013, 01:49 AM
#25
Hi Rob
As far as I know the serpent doesn't come with any body or wheels. It's only the chasis with front and rear wing that comes in the package.
I'm thinking of going with the F104 ver II Black edition+wide track mod and buy the body i like then start from there.
I think I'll go to Tempe tonight to have a look at the F1 races there.
As far as I know the serpent doesn't come with any body or wheels. It's only the chasis with front and rear wing that comes in the package.
I'm thinking of going with the F104 ver II Black edition+wide track mod and buy the body i like then start from there.
I think I'll go to Tempe tonight to have a look at the F1 races there.
Cheers
Rob.
08-06-2013, 01:54 AM
#26
Hi Rob
As far as I know the serpent doesn't come with any body or wheels. It's only the chasis with front and rear wing that comes in the package.
I'm thinking of going with the F104 ver II Black edition+wide track mod and buy the body i like then start from there.
I think I'll go to Tempe tonight to have a look at the F1 races there.
As far as I know the serpent doesn't come with any body or wheels. It's only the chasis with front and rear wing that comes in the package.
I'm thinking of going with the F104 ver II Black edition+wide track mod and buy the body i like then start from there.
I think I'll go to Tempe tonight to have a look at the F1 races there.
Well if you like the F104W bodies maybe get a F104v2, put the F103/F104W front suspension on it and run the F103/F104W wheels and foam tires. That will get you a modern rear suspension and the full width without the front widening kit that moves the wheel so far away from the pivot point. Or alternatively the F104W (Which comes with a nice body) with the Exotek F1R conversion. Both would get you a wide Tamiya based car with a link type rear suspension.
08-06-2013, 03:01 AM
#27
Well if you like the F104W bodies maybe get a F104v2, put the F103/F104W front suspension on it and run the F103/F104W wheels and foam tires. That will get you a modern rear suspension and the full width without the front widening kit that moves the wheel so far away from the pivot point. Or alternatively the F104W (Which comes with a nice body) with the Exotek F1R conversion. Both would get you a wide Tamiya based car with a link type rear suspension.
Ahh I really like the modern F1 body.
Is it not possible to use the 103 front end on a 104 ver 2 with something like a 2009 body ?
And we can only use rubber tyres here.
08-06-2013, 03:04 AM
#28
I was gona wait for a review too but knowing serpent not gona have a 200mm front track version any time soon makes me having second thoughts about the f104.
08-06-2013, 07:44 AM
#29
If I were you, I would consider getting a car that is supported by your local hobby shop. I have owned and raced a few different cars including the F102, F103, F104 pro, F1R, WRC F-One, TRG F111, F104 Ver.ll (current), and a freshly built Serpent F110. I think the biggest deciding factor should be if rubber or foams will be used, and maximum width allowed. Of the cars listed (excluding the Serpent, as I haven't raced it yet) the fastest being the Ver.ll and the TRG. We adhere to UF1 rules, which dictate rubber tires and as of this season, a max width of 190mm. The TRG (wide) that I experimented with last year was very easy to drive. It felt so planted, that I could drive the car hard under most conditions. Funny thing was, it was slower than my Ver.ll. I found that the narrow cars transitioned a lot faster through the turns. The downside was that the quicker transition speed translated to a less forgiving drive. Locally, there is one guy (Mantisworx) that is always my main competition. Most times, our lap times are nearly identical. So every .1sec counts, especially in a 15min race. I just couldn't keep up with him with my wide car. Now with foam tires, that's another ball game. There's where a wide car is going to have a clear advantage. With all that being said, I don't think that you can go wrong with a Ver.ll as long as you can get parts. I can't comment yet on the Serpent, but from what happened in the ETS and from what I can tell from the build, it's going to be very good.
