TC3

Old 09-02-2006, 09:28 AM
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I a FT TC3 and I want to start racing onroad again. Is that car still competive or should I get a new car? What new car should I get if my TC3 isn't competitive?

Thanks

Last edited by MXer92; 09-02-2006 at 01:35 PM.
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Old 09-02-2006, 09:34 AM
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TC3's are gonna b competitive for a long time. Especially on low traction tracks. Only thing I can say is get a Carbon Fiber Chassis. It will really help the car out. The BMI is the best one on the market that I've tried. The SRD-1 is also pretty good...
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Old 09-02-2006, 10:40 AM
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Originally Posted by HK Racing Joe
TC3's are gonna b competitive for a long time. Especially on low traction tracks. Only thing I can say is get a Carbon Fiber Chassis. It will really help the car out. The BMI is the best one on the market that I've tried. The SRD-1 is also pretty good...
if your starting out a tc3 is perfectly fine... you dont need to be that competitive until you get intoo a intermediate/sportsman class. Just keep what you got and learn on it and you should be perfectly fine
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Old 09-02-2006, 10:41 AM
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Ok sounds good. Thanks a lot man.

Kyle B.
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Old 09-02-2006, 01:34 PM
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I will be racing sportsman stock. Do you think it is competitive in that class? I have raced intermediate and it was just fine but I haven't raced onroad for a while and I don't know what has changed.
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Old 09-02-2006, 01:54 PM
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Originally Posted by MXer92
I a FT TC3 and I want to start racing onroad again. Is that car still competive or should I get a new car? What new car should I get if my TC3 isn't competitive?

Thanks

XLR8 -September Special!!
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Old 09-03-2006, 02:38 PM
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The TC3 is still good enough to win club races at least for the non-pro drivers. Most of our club drivers have TC3 or TC4. I don't know about regional races or sposored-level drivers because all the ones I know drive belt cars. But for what it's worth, some of these drivers claim the belt cars are worth an extra lap or two.

Unless you got a lot of money that you want to spend now, go have fun with it the rest of this year, then when the TC5 comes out, voila you're ready for the upgrade !
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Old 09-03-2006, 05:42 PM
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I've been running carpet with a TC3 for almost 1 year. Me and my two boys have had three of them. My older boy took the car up to the point where the car was keeping him from doing better at our club races. He could consistently turn pretty good lap times but got to a point where the car wasn't keeping up with other drivers who had belt driven cars. So he went to an X-Ray. So now when he runs the X-ray and then occasionally tries his old TC3 he does feel the TC3 doesn't let him get near the laptimes he does in the X-Ray.

Now me on the other hand (I'm a Sportsman Class racer).....it's my lack of skills that keeps me from doing better, not the TC3. If I try my kid's X-ray I don't do any better than the TC3.

If it were me and it's club racing go with the TC3. If you get to the point where you think the vehicle is keeping you from winning then move to a belt drive car. I also wouldn't throw a hundred dollar carbon fiber chassis onto the TC3. Why spend oodles of money when you don't have to?

Couple of things that bought me better control of my TC3 running stock and rubber tires on carpet, and didn't cost a lot of money:

front oneway
better batteries (running stock rubber)
keeping up with motor maintenance
learning how to gear the car for a specific layout
dialing in proper amounts of steering
using front swaybar

..and the biggest factor that has been helpful:

asking better racer's opinions on handling issues of the TC3.

Oh yeah...THE BIGGEST factor:

practice, practice, practice
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Old 09-03-2006, 05:56 PM
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I too agree w/ Kenji on his points.
I recently switched from a TC3 to an X-Ray.....is there a clear diff. in the chasis?.....yes but I will say the 3 can be a very comp. car still an A mainer even. Heres what I had in mine

64 pitch 118 tooth spur gear(yes it will fit)
you can also fit the stearing rack for the NTC3 in your TC3 which is more efficient and also alows for easier ackerman adjustments....

Give it a shot

TRAPFU
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:10 AM
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I like me TC3. It seems to do fine against the others. Just drive it.
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:38 AM
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The TC3 is a great bit of kit, and you should be able to pick 2nd hand ones up very easy now. I know, you already have one, but whole cars come in handy for spares at cheap rates

You can drive a TC3 at a competative level but you have to really hussel the car, The drive train is a weak spot. Its just not efficent enough. Depending on the level of competition will depend on if the TC3 is right for you. In many places you can put a TC3 in the A. However at locations were the quality of racing is very high you'll find you need to have the best everything in your car to keep up. You'll be forced to really focus on every aspect of the car and keep everything perfect on it to keep up with the newer cars.

If your getting back into RC the tc3 will be great for you. If you find yourself at a dead spot where week in week out your constantly 1 or 2 laps down on the top guys, no matter how hard you push with no errors in your perforamnce then dont go throwing money at the car. At this point, its time to move on.
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Old 09-04-2006, 09:33 AM
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I won't go to any big onroad races soon. Just club racing pretty much. Ive got a ways to go until im comptetive anyway.
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Old 09-04-2006, 02:09 PM
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I've got a FT TC3 4 sale......$80
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:50 PM
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I am at the same decision point only I have never raced on road before. I will need to choose between my Ta05 and my Tc3. The Tamiya definitely runs smoother and more consistently than the Tc3. Although I feel the Tc3 is much more durable, short of chasis tweak when conditions are hot.
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Old 09-04-2006, 08:14 PM
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I have had an extremely good run with my TC3 in the past year

I got 2nd in New Zealand in Touring Stock
1st in the South Island Champs in Touring Stock
5th in the Summer Nationals in Australia in 27T stock (with 60 odd entries and I was using rubber tyres when everyone else had foams)

Im sure only the pros can tell any difference between it and other cars. If you think the car is slowing you down you really havent explored all the setup possiblities
This car can still win and I won't be changing anytime soon

Mike
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