bertrandsv87

iTrader: (2)

You don't need to spend thousands into your car to have fun. The cheapest cars out there are the roller tc4's from racers retiring from the hobby. If you want new, the tc4 club racer is a good choice, and much simpler than the other belt cars mentioned here... Good luck...

DaveVera

[QUOTE=Petem;14709754]I saw this car offered by RCmart $189 compared to dischargerc price of $239, would rather do business here in the states, but $50 bucks would be bit to much, do you know anything about 3racing, RCmart has a 3racing sakura XI listed for $150 with ESC, motor and program card, also have you heard of the new LC Racing 1/10 touring car, my grandsons and my wife and I have 4 of their 1/14 SCT truck and we love them, 80 plus battery packs on each truck and only one broken front a arm![/QUOTE

Actually the difference is $10 or less once you factor in the shipping cost from Hong Kong vs US. Sorry Im not familiar with Sakura Products...

massenb203

Yes, The HK BSR-4 car is a very good car. I purchase one in kit form to build and it performs great. I liked it so well that I brought the Alum hop up parts to upgrade to the TC10 by Team C.

Billy Kelly

iTrader: (9)

I bought the 21.5 RTR version to run USGT. I changed gearing and tires. And had to buy a transponder. I'm under $300.
Most of the others were using XRay. Car did fine. Driver just needs to be more consistent.

https://youtu.be/V5uJ0B4lP18

First race with it.

https://youtu.be/nHdIlU7ikFI

Qatmix

Yep, the BT-4 handles well and it has held up really well with my son (12 yo) racing it.

http://www.thercracer.com/2016/04/ba...on-update.html

IndyRC_Racer

iTrader: (9)

Having fun racing doesn't have to cost thousands. Just remember to factor into your budget a decent quick battery charger, tools, electronics, and items that will eventually wear out such as tires and bodies.

If you decide to race a class like USVTA or USGT you can't go wrong with any of the newer 1/10 touring cars available. However I would stay away from the RTR kits such as the HPI Sport 3, Associated Apex, or Vaterra v100. Even if the RTR kits come with speed controls, they often don't come with a speed control that can run sensored motors which are used in most forms of organized racing. Also the transmitters in RTR kits don't have enough adjustments that you might want to have when racing.

Here is some additional advice
- For USGT/USVTA you can be competitive with inexpensive speed controls like the Hobbywing Justock or Speed Passion Reventon, which can be purchased for less that $50 USD.
- You also don't need multiple expensive batteries to be competitive. You should be able to buy a single ROAR legal 6000 mah LIPO somewhere in the $50-$75 range which will last for years if charged on a balance charger.

Basically if you aren't running the top level classes, you should be able to \buy everything new with a budget between $500-$750 and be competitive/have fun. If already have transmitters, lipo chargers, or other electronics then the entry level cost will dramatically drop.

The best part of the hobby right now is that you really can be competitive on a very limited budget if you are racing USVTA or USGT. I've been racing a 10 year old chassis, 3 year old batteries & motor in VTA and typically am capable of finishing in the top 3 at any track I go to.

halfghan

I HIGHLY recommend the Sakura XI. I'm currently racing with one, and also own the older Sakura Zero S. Both are SUPER cheap and very competitive. Also, they're freaking tanks. I've only broken twice in over 2 years of racing/practicing with them at the track and I've had some straight up gnarly crashes.

With a few aluminum upgrades, they're super competitive and extremely cheap.

Also, I LOVE my Turnigy lipos from Hobbyking. They work as well as any other packs I've tried and I have the same speed, power and runtime as the other racers who use more expensive packs. AND, they're typically lighter to boot!

FreeBandz

TC4 Club Racer, Sakura Advance, or TA07 for USGT/VTA? Lets say with either car, parts will have to be ordered by mail due to lack of nearby hobby shops with parts...

halfghan

The Sakura XI kit is cheap enough to buy an extra whole kit to have 100% of spares on hand.

Also, it's basically an Xray clone and many parts are interchangeable and could work in a pinch.

nubs

iTrader: (2)

https://www.stellamodels.com.hk/5863...is-p-9708.html

TA07 for 185 bucks. If you can wait a few weeks for shipping, this is an unbelievable value.

SouthFloridaApp

iTrader: (6)

+1 for the MTS 2 from discharge rc. They are extremely helpful too. This car is easy to tune and drive. This car drives like a $500 car with a very low price tag. Parts are cheap. This car wins at my track. Best value out there....

I would shy away from a TC4. It is not as tune able as other cars.

Petem

thanks everyone for the info, from all the info, i found that for under $300 I should be able to put together a decent budget car, maybe not the best, but will be able to get into the sport and have fun, here's the build I put together.

Hobby king BSR BT-4 KIT $100
HK GT2B 3CH radio $25
Trackstar 2.5T/80a motor/ESC combo $72 ROAR legal
BMS-661 servo $22
HPI wheels $12
USGT tires $20
body $25

all items, except the wheels, tires and body would be from Hobby King, no freight, since I'm 20 min from their west coast warehouse

WagwanBumba

iTrader: (1)

Batteries and charger?

Grizzbob

iTrader: (2)

Depends again on your own tendencies, & driving preferences. For handling 's sake, & possibly durability, I'd suggest the TA07. Tamiya's TA-series cars have always been pretty durable, & the TA07 has the same suspension design as their TRF418 & 419, plus an adjustment or two that few other cars have(especially the 1-belt drivetrain, with a motor mount that can sit in 3 different places, to adjust the car's weight balance, & it also means that there's only 1 belt you'd have to replace when the time comes instead of 2). Plus, I've driven one myself(a couple of my friends have one), & it feels as good as my own TRF417(which I spent a few years developing to get it just where I want it handling-wise). It's a VERY impressive car(if I had the money to buy one, I would have jumped on it myself). But the other cars mentioned have their merits, too, particularly parts availability for the TC4, & though I've not driven one, I've heard plenty of good things about the Sakura series cars. Additionally, I have a buddy who has the BST BT-4, & while he has had issues with a couple of parts(most notably the steering bellcranks & motor mount), it does handle well, & I believe that there are a lot of hopups from both Team C & XRay that fit it. In the end, though the user is the most important thing here, it really all comes down to what you are most comfortable with, & stokes your fires....

Grizzbob

iTrader: (2)

One thing though, that radio is definitely NOT a very good choice if you have ANY thoughts on racing it, I know of NO ONE who had one that liked it for racing, it's very cheap for a reason. And the radio gear is one of those things that's best to get the best you can afford, buy right the first time so you don't waste it on something you'll need to replace later. On that note, I think you should have a look at radios from Airtronics/Sanwa(like their MT-4), Futaba(like their TC3PV), or Spektrum(& they have several that are decent to start with). All of those brands offer radios that are MUCH better than that GT2B you mentioned, & as your skills grow, they'll still be good enough to not be held back by them....