Question for Dads- trying to get my 6 year started
 

Ok I've read a lot about the differences in the way one-ways and spools and diffs drive.

Now for someone that already has a driving style they would pick what works for their style.

What would you pick to teach someone? Just wondering on what the thoughts were. This would be carpet.

Well, if you wanted something easy to drive then I would stick with a diff or a spool. If the car comes with 2 diffs then leave it alone because it doesn't matter, to some degree, what you change for someone learning. You want to make it easy to drive.

You can learn and teach more by focusing on setup and other things.

Jeff

I would start out with a diff all round. Its the most easiest to drive :nod:

One ways will give less brakes, spools tend to need a slightly different setup to work well.

i know a 14yr old just won the worlds, but at 6, it can still be about learning to drive and havin fun.

R

Exactly. I hate to be a kill joy,but I think I would put him in a 2wd truck or buggy first.Something he can thrash on around the backyard or the park in between race days.I started my boy at 8yrs. in a 2wd buggy. now at 12yrs he runs 2wdtruck,2wd buggy, and 1/12.He is a solid a-main finisher on dirt and a top of the B finisher in 1/12. But at first it was all about keeping it fun until he learned the basics.My attitude has been that he can try whatever class he wants along the way.He tryed touring car for a season, didnt like it at all. I let him try 1/12 and now it's his favorite along with mini-z's.We also did a few other things along the way like mini-z's, 1/18 dirt,1/18 carpet,1/10 dirt oval ( he can whoop up on me on a dirt oval!), micro t's(they run great on a mini-z track), and I also put a small 40x70 dirt track in the back yard.i will post a couple pics to maybe give you some ideas to maximize his fun in his r/c experience.I will say from a parent standpoint this is the best thing I could get him into.Other parents kinda think i have lost it,But you know what, I dont care what it costs me because it gives him a huge positive to look forward to.His grades in school are always tops because the standing rule is that if the grades drop the racing ends until he brings them back up. I have had to not let him race 1 time due to his grades in the last four years.

I should hav mentioned he does have te basics down fairly well. He's been running a Sash all summer and no longer has trouble steering when it's coming towards him, actually counter steers in th dirt quit well and has god trottle control. Since I went indoors, he wanted to try it with me.

I just got him a used TA05 so it no big expense and it came with Diff, one-way and spool.

Thanks for the input.


Edit-- I have to ask looking at the track picture are you married? Does she have a sister? No way my wife would allow me to do that

My wife would let me but there is no telling what I would have to do to pay for it. :blush::blush::smile::nod:

LMAO!!

My son is 9 and has just started to take an interest in RC. Like most kids under 10, most of his mistakes occur because hes using too much throttle. I would describe his driving style as point and shoot.

We recently switched from a diff to a spool and his TA05 and he likes it much better. The lap times were not dramitically better, but, his car looked better and it was easier for him to drive.

I drove it for a couple of laps and I could tell the spool was more linear and didnt require much finesse to drive fast compared to when it had the diff in it, which I think is a good thing for young drivers.

Plus for me, its one less diff to maintain.

I tried getting my nephew into this when he was eight. He never liked it to the point where he was excited to go to the track. He is now 14 and admits he never liked r/c cars too much and he is now into his guitar.
The kid really has to like it or it won't be fun for them.

Yes I am married, we had a minor scuffle about the track space out back.I ended up telling her that when she helped take care of the outdoor space she could have a say on what happened with it.That was the only time she has EVER mowed the lawn.She realized it sucks, and she wanted no part of it.Besides she has the entire side yard and front yard for her flower boxes and yard doohickies that I hate to mow around. So it was a compromise.This will really get you, we also have a 12'x20' mini-z track in our basement!:nod::nod::nod:So we can run and practice in rain or shine, summer or winter.She has come to accept the fact that in the long run having the trackssaves us a boatload of money , and of course what I save, she spends, so that makes everybody involved happy!!!:D:D:D

Nice track...I see the advantage of less mowing!! Thing is do the local kids show up at your fence like they did the guy next door with the swimming pool?? :smile:

No , all the neighborhood kids think I am the devil!! I am officially the mean guy on the block since I caught a couple of them egging my house a few years back and talked to their parents and gave their parents the option that they could clean up the mess, their kids could clean up the mess, or I could file a police report, clean up the mess myself, and press charges for malicious vandalism on their kids, who were out at 4 in the morning at 12 yrs. old doing this.Which where we live would have brought protective services up into the parents business.The 3 of them spent the entire day picking up eggshells , washing my siding,and just basically taking a good old fashioned tongue lashing from me the whole time.To this day none of them will even look at me or walk past my house on the same side of the street!

^^ That's classic! Good work :)

Wicked track. I doubt wifey would be keen on me doing that to our yard, buthten, we are trying to sell the house! I sent her your pick anyway and live in hope :)

My 9 year old is jsut getting into RC too. My biggest prolem with him, is he is a lazy sh*t, he wants to make a mess of his car in the dirt, but doesn't want to clean it afterwards!

I have the same problem. My friend asked me why I didnt make my son do all the work on his car.

I remember how overwhelmed I was with my first RC car and how I almost quit a few times so I'm having him start out with small things and eventually work his way up.