1LikesU.S. Vintage Trans-Am Racing
02-22-2012, 09:34 AM
I ask a question...since tunning rotors have always been illegal in VTA, why would he buy one?...same about the Xdrive GTB2...why buy it till its approved?..
I see your point about the disscussion...and we will end it here...you guys at Hotshots in GA, have a good thing going on with USVTA...great racers and series...do what you are doing...and keep USVTA going in your area...I thank all of you for that...
just be aware that some tracks will be strict, and others layed back...Ive got alot of new stuff to test before the 2012 USVTA Nationals in Music City late Sept..and Ill post way ahead of time
as far as any series for the Southeast...it will be light...
btw...how can you tell if a tunning rotor is being used?
I see your point about the disscussion...and we will end it here...you guys at Hotshots in GA, have a good thing going on with USVTA...great racers and series...do what you are doing...and keep USVTA going in your area...I thank all of you for that...
just be aware that some tracks will be strict, and others layed back...Ive got alot of new stuff to test before the 2012 USVTA Nationals in Music City late Sept..and Ill post way ahead of time
as far as any series for the Southeast...it will be light...
btw...how can you tell if a tunning rotor is being used?
02-22-2012, 09:39 AM
I think what some people are missing here is the progression from a "NOOB" to a racer.
A new person is going to enter the hobby and not realize what it takes to become a racer. They are going to buy all of the "purple heat sinks" to try to keep up with the fast guys. They don't realize that their driving skills and setup skills are non-existant and get frustrated with buying all the purple stuff and not seeing any results. Eventually they quit. If we can keep them from buying all the extra stuff and get them to focus on driving and setup, they will stay in the hobby much longer. They will actually see progression and enjoy the hobby.
Then you have the other guys who have progressed as drivers to the point that they are now looking to become racers. Those guys are looking for the last few tenths from their equipment and driving skills. Some are willing to get the dynos and do the testing. Others will make tiny changes to their cars to see if it gets better. The key difference is that these guys can drive and understand why they are making the changes and purchasing all of that equipment.
A good sign of camaraderie and goodwill is to make sure people don't try to go from NOOB to RACER in one step. They need to progress through the various stages of the hobby until they reach the step where they are comfortable.
I'm to the point where i'm ready to make tiny changes to my car to start picking up tenths. Will i ever buy a dyno or gauss meter to check my motors? No. But it is something i find interesting, and given enough money and time i'd probably look into it. But time and money are something i don't have a lot of, so i'll just stick with chassis tuning and practice for now.
A new person is going to enter the hobby and not realize what it takes to become a racer. They are going to buy all of the "purple heat sinks" to try to keep up with the fast guys. They don't realize that their driving skills and setup skills are non-existant and get frustrated with buying all the purple stuff and not seeing any results. Eventually they quit. If we can keep them from buying all the extra stuff and get them to focus on driving and setup, they will stay in the hobby much longer. They will actually see progression and enjoy the hobby.
Then you have the other guys who have progressed as drivers to the point that they are now looking to become racers. Those guys are looking for the last few tenths from their equipment and driving skills. Some are willing to get the dynos and do the testing. Others will make tiny changes to their cars to see if it gets better. The key difference is that these guys can drive and understand why they are making the changes and purchasing all of that equipment.
A good sign of camaraderie and goodwill is to make sure people don't try to go from NOOB to RACER in one step. They need to progress through the various stages of the hobby until they reach the step where they are comfortable.
I'm to the point where i'm ready to make tiny changes to my car to start picking up tenths. Will i ever buy a dyno or gauss meter to check my motors? No. But it is something i find interesting, and given enough money and time i'd probably look into it. But time and money are something i don't have a lot of, so i'll just stick with chassis tuning and practice for now.
02-22-2012, 09:44 AM
I think what some people are missing here is the progression from a "NOOB" to a racer.
A new person is going to enter the hobby and not realize what it takes to become a racer. They are going to buy all of the "purple heat sinks" to try to keep up with the fast guys. They don't realize that their driving skills and setup skills are non-existant and get frustrated with buying all the purple stuff and not seeing any results. Eventually they quit. If we can keep them from buying all the extra stuff and get them to focus on driving and setup, they will stay in the hobby much longer. They will actually see progression and enjoy the hobby.
Then you have the other guys who have progressed as drivers to the point that they are now looking to become racers. Those guys are looking for the last few tenths from their equipment and driving skills. Some are willing to get the dynos and do the testing. Others will make tiny changes to their cars to see if it gets better. The key difference is that these guys can drive and understand why they are making the changes and purchasing all of that equipment.
A good sign of camaraderie and goodwill is to make sure people don't try to go from NOOB to RACER in one step. They need to progress through the various stages of the hobby until they reach the step where they are comfortable.
I'm to the point where i'm ready to make tiny changes to my car to start picking up tenths. Will i ever buy a dyno or gauss meter to check my motors? No. But it is something i find interesting, and given enough money and time i'd probably look into it. But time and money are something i don't have a lot of, so i'll just stick with chassis tuning and practice for now.
A new person is going to enter the hobby and not realize what it takes to become a racer. They are going to buy all of the "purple heat sinks" to try to keep up with the fast guys. They don't realize that their driving skills and setup skills are non-existant and get frustrated with buying all the purple stuff and not seeing any results. Eventually they quit. If we can keep them from buying all the extra stuff and get them to focus on driving and setup, they will stay in the hobby much longer. They will actually see progression and enjoy the hobby.
Then you have the other guys who have progressed as drivers to the point that they are now looking to become racers. Those guys are looking for the last few tenths from their equipment and driving skills. Some are willing to get the dynos and do the testing. Others will make tiny changes to their cars to see if it gets better. The key difference is that these guys can drive and understand why they are making the changes and purchasing all of that equipment.
A good sign of camaraderie and goodwill is to make sure people don't try to go from NOOB to RACER in one step. They need to progress through the various stages of the hobby until they reach the step where they are comfortable.
I'm to the point where i'm ready to make tiny changes to my car to start picking up tenths. Will i ever buy a dyno or gauss meter to check my motors? No. But it is something i find interesting, and given enough money and time i'd probably look into it. But time and money are something i don't have a lot of, so i'll just stick with chassis tuning and practice for now.
I can't say I would ever buy a dyno either, but if one is available, sure I want to see what my motor can do. My charger will check batteries internal resistance (who woulda thunk!), and I checked my batteries. Yep, my swollen pack is laughably bad. I knew that, but it is nice to have numbers to confirm it.
02-22-2012, 09:50 AM
I ask a question...since tunning rotors have always been illegal in VTA, why would he buy one?...same about the Xdrive GTB2...why buy it till its approved?..
I see your point about the disscussion...and we will end it here...you guys at Hotshots in GA, have a good thing going on with USVTA...great racers and series...do what you are doing...and keep USVTA going in your area...I thank all of you for that...
just be aware that some tracks will be strict, and others layed back...Ive got alot of new stuff to test before the 2012 USVTA Nationals in Music City late Sept..and Ill post way ahead of time
as far as any series for the Southeast...it will be light...
btw...how can you tell if a tunning rotor is being used?
I see your point about the disscussion...and we will end it here...you guys at Hotshots in GA, have a good thing going on with USVTA...great racers and series...do what you are doing...and keep USVTA going in your area...I thank all of you for that...
just be aware that some tracks will be strict, and others layed back...Ive got alot of new stuff to test before the 2012 USVTA Nationals in Music City late Sept..and Ill post way ahead of time
as far as any series for the Southeast...it will be light...
btw...how can you tell if a tunning rotor is being used?
Thank you, Hot Shots is great, and it is why they get so much of my money (they like that) and my time (they may not like that).
I'm USVTA legal, and always will be.
We plan on having a crew of some number to come up in Sept. Make room for us in the back.
I think the only way to tell is to remove it. The one I saw is not as shiny as the regular rotor, but I am not sure if that is material or just that one. I know my rotor has a vague stamp on it that I think says 4500, but it's hard to read. That might refer to something.
02-22-2012, 10:04 AM
Not sure on Novaks if there is a better way but in 17.5 they have to open the motor and use a rotor tester... Fantom sells one. The specs on every rotor are very different from what we have found in 12th scale.
The rings on the end of the rotors are different colors on the duo based motors. I have never seen a novak tuned rotor though so I am not sure what they do... I didn't even know they made them.
The rings on the end of the rotors are different colors on the duo based motors. I have never seen a novak tuned rotor though so I am not sure what they do... I didn't even know they made them.
I ask a question...since tunning rotors have always been illegal in VTA, why would he buy one?...same about the Xdrive GTB2...why buy it till its approved?..
I see your point about the disscussion...and we will end it here...you guys at Hotshots in GA, have a good thing going on with USVTA...great racers and series...do what you are doing...and keep USVTA going in your area...I thank all of you for that...
just be aware that some tracks will be strict, and others layed back...Ive got alot of new stuff to test before the 2012 USVTA Nationals in Music City late Sept..and Ill post way ahead of time
as far as any series for the Southeast...it will be light...
btw...how can you tell if a tunning rotor is being used?
I see your point about the disscussion...and we will end it here...you guys at Hotshots in GA, have a good thing going on with USVTA...great racers and series...do what you are doing...and keep USVTA going in your area...I thank all of you for that...
just be aware that some tracks will be strict, and others layed back...Ive got alot of new stuff to test before the 2012 USVTA Nationals in Music City late Sept..and Ill post way ahead of time
as far as any series for the Southeast...it will be light...
btw...how can you tell if a tunning rotor is being used?
02-22-2012, 10:17 AM
Tech Master
The current tuning rotors can be identified by removing the pinion and looking at the bearing in the motor. The tuning rotors have a different diameter so the bearing will have a bigger inner diameter than stock. I don't know about the newest rotor though.
At any large race if there is any question the motor should be torn down and inspected. But only if its challenged. This should not upset anyone because if you are racing at that level it should be expected. At the club level you are only hurting yourself and lying to the people you call friends.
At any large race if there is any question the motor should be torn down and inspected. But only if its challenged. This should not upset anyone because if you are racing at that level it should be expected. At the club level you are only hurting yourself and lying to the people you call friends.
02-22-2012, 10:23 AM
The rotor I think in question is the same size as the stock one. I thought that the rotor diameter was the rotor itself though, not the shaft, so I do not think the bearing size makes any difference. I could be wrong though.
Either way, it is illegal, and $40 will pay for a full set of tires when they are back in stock, and fresh tires are guaranteed faster laps then worn ones for me.
Either way, it is illegal, and $40 will pay for a full set of tires when they are back in stock, and fresh tires are guaranteed faster laps then worn ones for me.
02-22-2012, 10:46 AM
Upgrade Tuning Rotor... $40.00
Vented End Bells.... $30.00
Cooling Ring for motor... $15.00
Ceramic Ball Bearings... $10.00
Red Wire Epoxy Stator.. $45.00
Having somebody take a picture of your face when you realize that even with $140.00 worth of upgrades you still finished 8th in the VTA A-Main race... PRICELESS!!!
Last edited by wwddww34; 02-22-2012 at 12:10 PM.
02-22-2012, 10:55 AM
Tech Master
The rotor I think in question is the same size as the stock one. I thought that the rotor diameter was the rotor itself though, not the shaft, so I do not think the bearing size makes any difference. I could be wrong though.
Either way, it is illegal, and $40 will pay for a full set of tires when they are back in stock, and fresh tires are guaranteed faster laps then worn ones for me.
Either way, it is illegal, and $40 will pay for a full set of tires when they are back in stock, and fresh tires are guaranteed faster laps then worn ones for me.
02-22-2012, 11:32 AM
TeamNovak 540 rotors....
We only sell two 12.3mm 540 rotors:
Ballistic 540 Sintered Neodymium Rotor -- 12.3mm
Product #5941
Ballistic 540 SmCo Tuning Rotor
Product #5954
The ROAR-legal Neo 12.3mm rotor (standard in our 540 motors) has a shiny, anodized coating; our non-ROAR-legal SmCo tuning rotor has a matte finish. They are easy to tell apart by sight.
We also sell a 13.0mm 540, high torque (non-ROAR-legal) tuning rotor:
Sintered 540 Tuning Rotor-13mm
Product #5909
This rotor has an identifiable groove on the shaft bevel to differentiate it from other Novak rotors.
Ballistic 540 Sintered Neodymium Rotor -- 12.3mm
Product #5941
Ballistic 540 SmCo Tuning Rotor
Product #5954
The ROAR-legal Neo 12.3mm rotor (standard in our 540 motors) has a shiny, anodized coating; our non-ROAR-legal SmCo tuning rotor has a matte finish. They are easy to tell apart by sight.
We also sell a 13.0mm 540, high torque (non-ROAR-legal) tuning rotor:
Sintered 540 Tuning Rotor-13mm
Product #5909
This rotor has an identifiable groove on the shaft bevel to differentiate it from other Novak rotors.
02-22-2012, 12:42 PM
Upgrade Tuning Rotor... $40.00
Vented End Bells.... $30.00
Cooling Ring for motor... $15.00
Ceramic Ball Bearings... $10.00
Red Wire Epoxy Stator.. $45.00
Having somebody take a picture of your face when you realize that even with $140.00 worth of upgrades you still finished 8th in the VTA A-Main race... PRICELESS!!!
There's a guy at my local track who would fit that description perfectly. I can already see his face if he finished 8th in VTA with $140.00 worth of motor upgrades in his car. He would look something like this...
02-22-2012, 02:35 PM
What a bummer. I was sure that the Dodge Charger body would be on the list. The VTA rules are vague on this. The rules say "Late '60s to early '70s American pony car Vintage Trans-Am bodies only.". Which a 69 Charger is. It doesn't say ONLY these specific bodies. No biggie, just odd.
There are still a handful of cars on the Trans Am Series Roster (like the '64 Ford Falcon, '66 Chevy Nova, and '67 Mercury Cougar just to name a few) that would make awesome VTA bodies if some R/C body manufacturer ever decided to produce them.
02-22-2012, 02:37 PM
This kinda looks like it would make a good MasterCard commercial. It would go like this...
Upgrade Tuning Rotor... $40.00
Vented End Bells.... $30.00
Cooling Ring for motor... $15.00
Ceramic Ball Bearings... $10.00
Red Wire Epoxy Stator.. $45.00
Having somebody take a picture of your face when you realize that even with $140.00 worth of upgrades you still finished 8th in the VTA A-Main race... PRICELESS!!!
Upgrade Tuning Rotor... $40.00
Vented End Bells.... $30.00
Cooling Ring for motor... $15.00
Ceramic Ball Bearings... $10.00
Red Wire Epoxy Stator.. $45.00
Having somebody take a picture of your face when you realize that even with $140.00 worth of upgrades you still finished 8th in the VTA A-Main race... PRICELESS!!!
There's a guy at my local track who would fit that description perfectly. I can already see his face if he finished 8th in VTA with $140.00 worth of motor upgrades in his car. He would look something like this...
02-22-2012, 03:46 PM
Tech Master
By definition the charger is NOT a pony car. It is a muscle car. The Corvette is NOT a pony car it is a sports car.
A basic guide. 2 seats is a sports car. Corvette , Viper, most ferraris , 350z, etc.
Full size pavement ponders are muscle cars. Charger, Torino , Chevelle, roadrunner. etc
Midsize two door four seat performance car is a pony car. Mustang camaro firebird etc
Too often all cars from that era are classified as muscle cars. Technically they are not.
There are exceptions like the Porsche 911. A sports car with four seats but the examples are a basic guide.
I too would love to run the vette. I own two hence the 63.....76.....vette in my name but they are not pony cars. The vette did run trans am in 1973. So did the pantera but still not pony cars.
A basic guide. 2 seats is a sports car. Corvette , Viper, most ferraris , 350z, etc.
Full size pavement ponders are muscle cars. Charger, Torino , Chevelle, roadrunner. etc
Midsize two door four seat performance car is a pony car. Mustang camaro firebird etc
Too often all cars from that era are classified as muscle cars. Technically they are not.
There are exceptions like the Porsche 911. A sports car with four seats but the examples are a basic guide.
I too would love to run the vette. I own two hence the 63.....76.....vette in my name but they are not pony cars. The vette did run trans am in 1973. So did the pantera but still not pony cars.