Turbo Joe

iTrader: (41)

That's the thing...he's not THAT DAMN GOOD. He's a decent local guy, but not a hero or anything...LOL...that's why we had eagerly anticipated lots of broken stuff.

party_wagon

iTrader: (29)

Start with 2wd buggy. No other class can prepare you for it & it will prepare you to be faster in other classes. If your jumping straight in to mod then run like a 17 turn brushed or 10.5 bl motor out of the gate. Once you can turn consistant laps w/ that setup you can run a hotter motor.

Blind Skwerl

iTrader: (1)

2wd = faster, more challenging to drive, slightly cheaper, easier to maintain
4wd = slower, easier to control, little more expensive, more maintenance.

party_wagon

iTrader: (29)

I don't mean to offend you, but that statement is completely wrong.
I'll break down the two classes w/ mod setups.
4wd buggy:
-throtle control isn't an issue, lightning fast accel & capable of handling 9 turn mods.
-setup isn't a crucial to turning decent laps, you will not turn lightning fast laps w/ a soso setup , but decent laps.
2wd buggy:
-throtle control is an issue, you will spin out or wheely if you have too much throtle.
-setup is more crucial, you will be all over the walls if you have a bad setup & it will turn out to be a frustrating track day.

My choice for 1st off road is a 2wd buggy. Off road cars are easy to setup from base setups. The easiest thing to do is try several drivers setup for a certain condition that suits your driving style. You will also learn to have much better throtle control which will make you a much faster driver in other classes. You can also find guides on this forum that will explain how to set up a car in off road which are very helpful. An off road car does not need to be set up as precisely as tc, it is not as predictable so you will not notice if your toe is off 1mm or something.

hated1racing

iTrader: (1)

what?

2wd electric will make you a good driver. you get fast in 2wd, you will be able to move that skill set elsewhere.

4wd mod is awesome and maybe easier in some instances, but 2wd makes you a driver. period.

the above post is shit. if 4wd mod is slower at your local track then people should be scratching their heads. 4wd is fatser, way more expensive, and the maintenance will depend on brand and drivetrain as 4wd's have different drivetrains unlike 2wd. in general, to be fast, they all require a lot of maintenance. if you aren't working on your car, you arent gaining knowledge.

this is my last post on these forums as they suck my balls.

C_Suzuki

now the issue of cars which would be better for a begginer:

2wd:

B4
rb5
sv2
xxx-cr

4wd:
b44
cyclone d4
academy 4wd

party_wagon

iTrader: (29)

Go w/ 2wd electric. As far as picking a car is concerned I would visit your local track and see what the other drivers are using. You need to make sure you can easily get parts & odds are some one will be willing to help you with a setup.

Turbo Joe

iTrader: (41)

Uhhh...yeah...them beginners are all over soldering up the saddlepacks, huh? That and searching for Academy and HB 4wd parts.

party_wagon

iTrader: (29)

If you would read his original post he notes that he normally runs on road and wants to get in to electric off road.

Turbo Joe

iTrader: (41)

I quoted his whole post...

bowl806

got another ? Looking at Traxxas Stampede VXL for Christmas and am going to power w/2s LiPo. Any tips? This is a 1st off road. Usually drive a FWD Mini w/7700 Mamba.

NJA82

iTrader: (33)

I agree with a lot of what has been said, i think IMHO you will have more FUN with a 2wd buggy running stock for a bit if you arent to confident and then working your way up to modified, if you are an experienced driver and have the cash to properly equip a modified car than go straight into modified, i personally ran several years stock before running modified and cant say enough about how much it teaches you to drive the track properly, in stock everyone is equal paced but you learn other aspects of driving, like learning to take better lines and jumping obstacles more accuratly and the learning experience is made easier due to the slower car running mod isnt the best place to learn this as you are spending more time trying to drive the car and handle it than having time to learn other aspects, when they become second nature from racing stock over the years you wont even realise the little things you know until you go faster and they become instinct.

I run mod now and have no probs at all and have a lot of fun doing it, I agree that 2wd modified is the elite class, no off road car is as hard to go fast with than a 2wd, especially on a slick loose surface. Dont be silly though and go and buy a 3.5 turn brushless motor if you do go modified, get something realistic like a 7.5 or even a 6.5 would be the max i would go, i run a 7.5 and running lipo`s i can wheelstand anywhere on the track with a hard squeeze of the throttle, thats more than enough power for anyone starting out thats for sure...

Leave 4wd for when you have 2wd mastered and want to have a bit of variety or something different, 2wd is where its at and will most of the time always pull more numbers, which means more competition and more FUN, thats what its all about isnt it?

Turbo Joe

iTrader: (41)

For me...

My 4wd is my favorite car ever. I will tell you...and I've told everyone within earshot at the track...that I would sell every other R/C I have before I would sell my Lazer. I don't give a crap if they have a mod class, I'll throw a stocker in it. It's so fun to drive and so easy to pull off crap...LOL...it's fun to jump...you name it. I run it in parking lot races, jump it off skateboard ramps...the whole works. I run it against electric guys, gas guys, practice with 1/8th scales. Great car.

As for whether it's more expensive...maybe it is, maybe it's not. Yeah, I break more on the Lazer than the RB-5, but that's mostly because it has a faster motor and I try more stupid stuff. The parts are all the same price for both and I don't really break it all that often (anymore )

I say if you run TC and you like it, a 4wd will suit you just fine. You don't need a full-on mod, you can run a stocker or 19T. You'd be surprised how fast you can go with tons of traction and no power.

I have started running stock and 19T 2wd buggy...and it is making me a better driver (not a very high bar...LOL), but for the most part, I don't really care if I climb the ladder/get better/go faster/whatever. I like to go out and have a fun time and hang out with my friends and have a good time. If I win...good for me...if I lose, then I still got to jump my car and have a good time.

I've always enjoyed watching the 4wds race...they're glued to the track and look like no other car going around the turns. Just bad ass. If you're thinking you want one, get one and you won't be sorry.

FWIW, Lazer parts are REALLY inexpensive,lots of great places carry them (yeah for Speedtech!) and it's really easy to work on...and 4wds hold their value pretty well, so it's not a really big risk, financially-speaking. If you figure out that it's not your thing, you can always sell it and get a good chunk of your money back.

This whole thing is about having fun and there's no more fun that surviving a 4wd race unscathed...no matter what place you finish. Everybody watches, everybody cheers and it's like a wild-west stampede.

Blind Skwerl

iTrader: (1)

You say I was wrong and then repeat what I said about driving.

I referred to maintenance, not setup. More moving parts = more maintenance.

Put that same 9 turn into a properly dialed 2wd and have a drag race. See which is faster.

Metla

Throttle control is a massive issue, The main issue. Hell, every second of every race is about throttle control.