mike142

Ok, so i know it's kind of futile to ask "what't the best car for x class". Often it comes down to preference, what people run in your area, etc...

I'm new to 1/12 pan car racing, but have raced TC's and offroad for a while. I'm competitive...not usually THE fastest guy...usually in the mix though.

I currently have a 6-7 year old CRC carpet knife I picked up used (no idea exactly which one). I've only run it a couple times, and I hate running a car i didn't build....I really have no idea what i'm working with. I did have a blast driving it though. My local track is very small so 1/12 is perfect.

I'm looking to get another pan car so I can build it myself, and i see the CRC CK25 is available for $189....which is much cheaper than a lot of other brands.

So i guess my questions are...

1. How competitive is the CRC CK25 ?...I don't want to unknowingly buy the 'Slash' of pan cars.
2. I'm racing on a very small, tight track, are there any specific characteristics/features I should be looking for that would be advantageous ?

any thoughts would be appreciated. TY !

DesertRat

iTrader: (2)

There is a 1/12 Pan Car forum. Please repeat your post there, and see how deep this rabbit hole goes.

biz77

iTrader: (47)

CRC CK25 is a very competitive car that happens to be the most affordable. Parts are available at most of the large online retailers and also available through Horizon Hobby so your local hobby shop should be able to get parts as well. The team drivers are very active on this forum and very helpful with build/setup questions. CRC cars have always built very easily for me and they can take considerable abuse. They are ready to race and very light weight out of the box, with the only changes I like to make being 1. swapping out the rear plastic standoffs that hold the cross support with the nice red aluminum ones that Amain sells for like $3 and 2. ditching the 3/32" 16-ball CRC spur gear because... almost any other spur gear is better.

RussF

iTrader: (22)

The CRC cars are pretty good. I have a CK25 and a Xti-WC myself. As for the older car you bought you could post a pic of it in the 1/12 forum or the CRC forum and I'm sure it can be identified. CRC cars are super simple so I'd just disassemble the whole car and re-assemble via the instructions that I'm pretty sure you can download on CRC's site. Most 1/12 cars need to be "gone through" after a few races and every "wreck" anyway. If your track offers 1/12 GT I would highly suggest it, super fun and the car setup seems much more forgiving and easy to drive.

The other cars that are popular at my track are the X-Ray and the Associated cars. But we have all types including Yokomo, Roche, Kyosho and others.

slotracer577

BullFrog

iTrader: (4)

biz77 is correct on what to change on the CK25. I've been running it since it came out and most everyone here at our track runs CRC. It great out of the box as most of the CRC kits are. Now if you are running on Black Carpet there are a few other suggestions ..

mike142

We are running on older CRC grey carpet, medium-ish bite.

Buckland

iTrader: (11)

The CRC is a great car. Some like an aluminum chassis on super high bite, but even the best team drivers seem to use the stock carbon in all conditions.

peter george

iTrader: (377)

iTz Nicholas72

iTrader: (19)

Rckstar759

iTrader: (1)

CRC makes a great car and the Xray is very competitive at our local track

trilerian

iTrader: (51)

I am not a fan of the CRC cars. For me it is purely aesthetics, the CRC cars have an unfinished look to them and generally have too much flashing left on the parts. That said, I have seen a couple of guys make them fast, so as long as you get them setup right, they are a very capable car. Also, the CRC kits still use SAE hardware.

In all honesty however, your best bet is to get the car that is the most supported at your track. That way when you ask someone for setup help you are comparing apples to apples.

Rckstar759

iTrader: (1)

Yes I definitely say see whats at your track its way easier when you need parts and setup help

Skiddins

I second checking what everyone else runs at your track.
I've owned CRC and found their cars to break too easily, it was almost a coin flip to see if I finished a run.
Now run Xray and have only ever had to replace a few parts in several years of running them.

Rckstar759

iTrader: (1)

My son also runs Xray and I can confirm its been a very durable car. I have an Associated and have to say the Xray is really a better car