thanks Tony......it is a fantastic source of information.

i think the point I'm at with my mini is summed up in the last line.....I've got to stop fiddling with it and just drive the wringer off it.

Thats possibly the most important sentence you'll ever read....

Ran my M03 in it's first actual race over the weekend and I'm pretty sure the $18 Dynamite ESC I threw in there isn't the best I can do and I had to do weird things with the trim and subtrim settings on my transmitter to even make it work properly. What's a good, currently available, ESC for running silver cans? I'm not looking to spend a lot of money, but if there is something that will make a difference ...

Tekin and KO are the only quality new brushed esc on the market. I think the Tekin is about $85 and the KO is over $150.

You can usually find hi end, used esc on the market for pennies on the dollar. See if you can find an LRP QC3. It's probably the best all around esc made except for the KO.

Mine has the Tekin FXR in it. Car was fast Saturday, the driver wasn't.

I hear you. I went from 5th to 1st to 4th in the main. The Mini racing was definitely more fun that I expected though.

I'm leaning towards the FXR since I already have a HotWire. I'll probably start searching for a used/cheap one on eBay.

The Dynamite ESC I've had to do weird things with the subtrim and trim settings to even get it close to working right. It still makes the car go backwards for 3 feet when you first turn it on and if I forget and turn the transmitter off before the car it goes into high speed reverse on it's own. I'm still not sure that it's calibrated properly.

I run an LRP stock spec in brushed mode. Complete overkill for a Saturn 20, but boy it's quick!

Question for the M03 drivers. I'm thinking about getting a mini for racing as a second class. I really don't want to spend much, and was thinking of racing it bone stock. How durable is the car in stock form? I'm a decent driver, so I'm not going to be crashing very much. But are there any "must have" hops up that are needed just to make the car more durable?

IMHO, id be on the look out for a second hand car. You will save alot of money buying one with the upgrades installed. If you do decide to go stock std M03 Id suggets the following depending on which kit you buy -

-Plastic CVA shocks - not as good at the alloy ones, but if your kit comes with the friction dampers, you will need oil shocks at the min.
-Tires - Depends on your track. check with the locals
-Ball Bearings - a must. again depends on kit
-Your kit will have the gear diff, depending on your track surface, build it as suggested in this thread (I prefer putty).

Thats about it. The alloy bling really doesnt equate to going faster, and geometry of most of it is exactly the same as the plastic. Ive found the plastic lasts very well too. Mini is a fantastic second class, as its very easy on maintenance.

Could anyone confirm with me if the Tamiya M06 RX7 body is 225mm or 240mm wheelbase? Everywhere it is saying 235mm for some reason.

Rx-7body is 239 mm for long chassis

Thanks for the info!

Thanks. I'm glad to hear the car is pretty tough and I won't need all the aluminum suspension bits. I definitely will get shocks and bearings. So do you put putty in the gear diff to lock it?

If you really want to stop breaking, Superglue the whole side of your front tires, and shave your axle stubs flush with the wheel nut...

I 2nd everything Arron said but I would add a decent servo saver to try and keep the wheels pointing in the right direction. I use a Tamiya hi torque servo saver.