thecman26

iTrader: (112)

+1!
I am going on my 9th year of racing and definitely do NOT consider myself a "buggy guy". That was until I was coerced to get a B4.2 and was amazed! I have since gotten a B5 and a B5M. The B5 series is one of the most robust buggies I have ever seen. In fact I have not seen one single broken part on a B5 yet.
My $0.02

TrolleN

Keep in mind that buying cheap doesn't cost you in the beginning but usually does in the long run. A quality car at a higher price initially will end up being cheaper than it's lower initial cost competition.

froggie22

iTrader: (4)

Have you checked out the Yokomo Bmax2 MR?? Its an amazing buggy and very durable. The only thing that I have broken on it with nearly a year of racing (2 times per week) is a couple of ball cups. These things are very well made and they drive amazingly.
Plus it comes with mid mount and rear mount in the box.

I purchased a second car for spares and I have never needed to use it..

RacerX11

iTrader: (6)

Not always the case. The team c tc02 evo for example is a quality car at a good price. I race one and I can tell you the buggy is very durable.

vwjuice

iTrader: (5)

Actually I had forgotten all about Yokomo. Never hear about them. I'll check into it as well.

vwjuice

iTrader: (5)

I disagree. When I started racing about 7 years ago I bought all top name stuff as that's what the guys at the track said to do.
AE T4, Novak GTS esc, custom matched cell battery, Birdman motor, extra wheels/tires, etc. I had nothing but problems with the truck. Esc burned up after a year of racing. Motor burnt up after half a season (partially my fault as I should have been two teeth down on the pinion, but I used what I was told to use), so i tried using cheap sky lipo batteries and an Xerun brushless system. It is still working flawlessly after 5 years. I upgraded my gts to a gtx esc and it didn't last a year either. My Lrp sphere esc has worked great for 4 years.

So in my experience, some expensive name brand items work great and some don't, but I haven't had any of the cheap stuff fail me yet.

vwjuice

iTrader: (5)

That's what I've read a lot about the Team C cars. I am considering them because of the durability they are rumored to have, but they don't look very appealing. Using E clips instead of captured hinge pins and they don't look like anything special, just another buggy.

The PR S1 and Cactus look cool and have some crazy lines to them.

IntegraMark

iTrader: (1)

of the 3 you've narrowed it down to, the TeamC is the easiest to get parts for. every LHS worth an antenna straw, deals with HRP, therefore they can order you Team C parts. It's not to say that the Cactus and the PR S1 aren't good vehicles, I've tried both and they can perform well when set up right but you'd have to keep a stock pile of spare parts and have to order them online.

I'll let the article from RC Car Action explain it, if it's readable

rcgerber

iTrader: (8)

What's your driving style? Do you prefer a car that has a little push or do you like a lot of steering with a slightly loose rear? What kind of tracks do you run at?
Most any car you can tuned to your driving style, but some (due to geometry) favor push while others favor steering.
I have a HobbyPro, and it's been a very durable car for me. I think it tends towards more steering, but it responds well to changes. So with some small adjustments to the stock setup I'm sure you could get it dialed. PM me if you have any questions about it.

Davidka

iTrader: (86)

Get the B5 and be done with it. Any of the 2nd tier cars can run very well if you hit the setup but you don't have to guess with the B5. You can arrive at your track, ready to be competitive before you run your 1st pack.

hairless_ape

iTrader: (3)

I agree, the e-clips are lame. And IMO, the only negative thing about the Evo. But that's just because of personal preference, they've never actually been a problem.

Beaker151

iTrader: (8)

I have been in this hobby since the mid 80's and still lucky enough to still be less than 40. He is what I have learned for the most part most of the main stream cars on the market will be competitive. No car is vastly superior over the other out of the box and there will always be something you have to do or buy for a car to meet your needs/desires. I always tell people pick the car that appeals to you the most because if you buy what you feel is right for you, then you start off with a more positive mindset. I have bought cars that everyone under the sun told me I needed to buy and honestly I played along bought said car and gave it a go. Results have been mixed but when I use rctech to research about cars I want to buy and buy them the overall exprience is usually better. I look at it like this, I reasearch the car i am interested for the pro and cons then good or bad I find I am more committed to do want is needed to make the car more sucessful for me. So pick the car you like most or feel is more suited to you and your budget and go have some fun.

vwjuice

iTrader: (5)

I tend to like a car that has a little bit looser rear end. My driving style is best suited for driving with the back end. I run on a hard packed high traction clay indoor track during the winter and a hard packed dirt outdoor track that gets watered during the summer.

That's good to know. I have plenty of older vehicles that have e clips, but the arms start to wobble if they lose an e clip.

I've been in the hobby since '86 so it's been a while for me as well. Haha

I'm a truck guy though. The only vehicles I've ever really liked were trucks. I started with a raider buggy and quickly moved on to trucks with a Blackfoot.

I've never been a buggy fan, but we don't any other classes very often now at the track. They even have buggy only nights as they're so popular now.
I will only have $200 at most to buy a new car to race and I will use all my current electronics. It'll be a couple months before I'm ready to buy one so I'm trying to do some research now.

hairless_ape

iTrader: (3)

Keep an eye out on eBay, I bought my Evo new for $150 shipped.

The front arm mounts have a set screw, so even if you lost one you'd still be fine.

RacerX11

iTrader: (6)

Except the team c cars are a top tier product. I can go anywhere with my evo and be competitive off the bat. And as far as the B5, they haven't impressed me one bit. IMO I think they are just B4.2's with a few different parts