Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

I am thinking about trying out some VTA locally. I have all the electronics, I would just need a 25.5 motor and a VTA car. I am thinking about getting my 10 year old involved also, so I want to get a pair of matching cars with solid durability and parts support. I mainly run 4wd buggy and 2wd 17.5, I have not run onroadsince carpet tc3 many years ago.

tbamsey

iTrader: (1)

In gilbert we are running tc3/4 all the way to the awesomatix there are durangos and tc 6.1/2 If you are going to stay in vta with out moving up to spec and expert/sportsman road any chassis will work. It comes down more to driving in that class with the tires and motor limit. Todd can dominate in that class with his tc 4 and Don has been winning with his durango i think its more on driving than anything. i have ran the tc 6.1 and currently running tc4 no lap difference for me between the two. any of the modern chasis would be good if you will move up, but cant beat the tc4 for the price. Mine is box stock except for green rear springs only change i made.

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

move up? where do you move up to? lol, I thought vta was a stand alone class.

chris moore

iTrader: (96)

He is talking about moving to a faster class like sportsman or 17.5 expert TC.

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

so the VTA guys are the slow pokes? Like short bus racing?

CraigMBA

iTrader: (22)

I won a fair amount of races with my losi xxx-s.

My Hot Bodies cyclone was unstoppable.

I'm a tamiya championship series racer now, so I run a tb-03 in VTA because I only have to carry TAMIYA parts. I never have needed them. That car is even faster because I'm super comfortable with it.

The most important part in VTA is droop, ride height, and camber. The chassis really doesn't matter.

VTA is my favorite class. It's the easiest on your wallet and requires the most driver skill of any of the sedan classes.

Race19s

iTrader: (57)

My son and I have matched Xray T3 2012's both bought used for about $175ea. There really is no reason to spend 500+ on a new fancy car for VTA.

Race19s

iTrader: (57)

+1 to this

bigwavedave33

iTrader: (1210)

you can be very competitive with any chassis in VTA. If you are not sure you'll keep running get a TC4. Lots of them out there and do well in VTA and lots of help out there for them. Personally I think you could get a TC6.1 WC or another newer style belt driven car reasonably priced. I just saw a TC6.2 in the classifieds for $200 and change. Really only $100 more than what you would get a typical TC4 for used and have a more modern car. If buying new... well There is also a great XRAY T3 in the classifieds on the cheap.

bigwavedave33

iTrader: (1210)

I would say its a great place to start, but once you want to get to the front... FAST and stupid competitive.

theproffesor

iTrader: (66)

VTA is the slowest of the classes speed wise. But it is by no means the "short bus" class. Many view it as "entry level" due to the speed, but to actually be good at it, take more effort than some of the faster classes. Its less about power and point and shoot driving and more about chassis set-up and driving lines. You have to stay fluid and smooth. One trip to wall-mart during a race and your off the podium. I believe many 17.5 drivers could benifit from running VTA for a bit. One thing is also for sure, driving any onroad class will improve your offroad driving.

As for chassis, I am personally a VBC guy, but a TC4 is a great car as well. Especially if you already have offroad cars with SAE hardware and tools. 99% of all other chassis are metric. But best rule of thumb adbice out there is get something that others are running. It helps with getting a good set-up. I would also recomend a good set-up station. Consitant set-up is critical in any onroad class.

Most importantly... have fun no matter what chassis you get or class you decide to race.

RoyU

iTrader: (2)

The SpecR S1 and S2 makes good VTA cars also. And the price is not bad, about $120 new. They're upgradeable.

Pit-racer

iTrader: (4)

I use the SpecR S1 in vta and I'm always at the front of the pack. Any TC chassis will work fine.

SteveM

iTrader: (165)

There has been lots of good points made and recommendations given already. If you plan to run outdoors on asphalt tracks, as your original post suggests, then you might prefer a shaft drive chassis with sealed gearboxes. Chassis that immediately come to mind are the Tamiya TB03 and TB04 as well as the Team Associated TC3 and TC4.

I race on asphalt tracks in the summer and despite best efforts, there is always dirt, dust and a pebble or two that always manages to ruin the pinion or spur gear on my belt drive cars. Once you hear the clicking sound you know your gears are done.

The transmissions on the cars I mentioned are pretty much sealed so the likelihood of damaged gears on race day or just playing with friends is greatly reduced. I have also found that once setup correctly, a shaft drive car has lower drive train friction which allows for a more efficient car. In Canada, we use a 21.5 motor for VTA and I know that the USA VTA uses a 25.5 motor and friction in the drive train for these low power motors is bad for performance.

I have, or have had, all four of these chassis and they all work very well. At the moment, I have a Tamiya TB03 and an Associated TC4. My TB03 spins extremely freely and the TC4 almost as well. The Tamiya TB03 is getting harder to find, but the TC4 is available new for bargain basement prices. I'm not too concerned with imperial versus metric hardware and I would not let that be a decision point.

SWTour

iTrader: (9)

The biggest downside to a TC3 or TC4 is w/ the shaft drive and the way the motor mounts, it restricts the maximum gear ratio you can run (w/o modifying the car a bit) - and since the 25.5 motors are pretty much the Slowest brushless motor on the planet, with the lowest RPM - you need pretty tall gearing.

Handling wise - there is NOTHING wrong w/ the TC3 or TC4 cars - and they are pretty durable with good parts availability.