Associated TC3 or HPI RS4 Pro 3
02-25-2002, 07:31 AM
#1
Associated TC3 or HPI RS4 Pro 3
I'm looking to get into onroad racing at a local track and could use some advice on which car to buy. The track is a fairly tight indoor asphalt track. Any advice on the advatages/disadvanteges of each car would be appreciated. Also, any other advice on motor/ESC/battery choices would be appreciated. I've been flying planes and helicopter and running nitro boats for years, so I'm not new to RC, just onroad racing.
Thanks,
Rob
Thanks,
Rob
02-25-2002, 07:50 AM
#2
I know this answer may seem very vague but it will probably be the best advice you'll get...
Since you'll be racing this car at a track, I suggest you take a look at what everyone else is running. You'd get much more help if you have the same car most people are running. I personally run a TC3, Losi XXX-S and now a Kyosho KX-One. When a friend asks which car to get I always suggest the TC3 or Losi because my other friends and I all race them. No one runs a KX-One so I'm on my own to figure this car out. The advice you get at the track will be the most beneficial to you since it's most likely advice based on experience.
With that said...I would recommend the TC3. The future of the Pro3 is unclear and the number of Pro3s I see at my local races is very low. The Pro3 is a good car and could/would take you a long way. The TC3 could take you farther.
Since you'll be racing this car at a track, I suggest you take a look at what everyone else is running. You'd get much more help if you have the same car most people are running. I personally run a TC3, Losi XXX-S and now a Kyosho KX-One. When a friend asks which car to get I always suggest the TC3 or Losi because my other friends and I all race them. No one runs a KX-One so I'm on my own to figure this car out. The advice you get at the track will be the most beneficial to you since it's most likely advice based on experience.
With that said...I would recommend the TC3. The future of the Pro3 is unclear and the number of Pro3s I see at my local races is very low. The Pro3 is a good car and could/would take you a long way. The TC3 could take you farther.
02-25-2002, 07:56 AM
#3
Another piece of advice is parts support. If possible choose a chassis with good part suppport at your track. Else if something breaks and u need some time to order in or travel to obtain....
Battery/ESC well see how far you wanna go into racing. I'm pretty satisfied running unmatched 3k nimh packs (for the runtime!).
For ESC, well imho that's like a servo-kinda buy - a good one if you are going to race, if not get something which can take the hotter winds without smoking. There's a thread discussing about them lower down the page.
My prefered brand though, is tamiya.
~Alvin
Battery/ESC well see how far you wanna go into racing. I'm pretty satisfied running unmatched 3k nimh packs (for the runtime!).
For ESC, well imho that's like a servo-kinda buy - a good one if you are going to race, if not get something which can take the hotter winds without smoking. There's a thread discussing about them lower down the page.
My prefered brand though, is tamiya.
~Alvin
02-25-2002, 10:13 AM
#4
Don't waste your money!
Dont be a fool. I know that the Pro3 can be had for insanely low price of only $110 at sheldons.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!
Go TC3 Racer and buy the BRP bumper and nerf wings. Also get the threaded shock bodies. Those are the only things you need.
You don't need blue stuff, you don't necessarily need graphite parts. And most of all you don't need a HPI Pro3!
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!
Go TC3 Racer and buy the BRP bumper and nerf wings. Also get the threaded shock bodies. Those are the only things you need.
You don't need blue stuff, you don't necessarily need graphite parts. And most of all you don't need a HPI Pro3!
02-25-2002, 10:31 AM
#5
Tech Master
I think that you should get a TC3 over a pro3. It is a very easy car to work on and is very reliable. shaft drive is unbeatable. Parts are available at all my hobbystores here...unlike the pro3 where there are no hobbystores that have parts for it. TC3 is by far the most popular car here. Maybe 20 out of the 40 drivers have them...and I think there was one pro3. If you like me and like to have aftermarket parts....TC3 is the way to go.
My vote goes to the TC3
My vote goes to the TC3
02-25-2002, 10:32 AM
#6
Re: Don't waste your money!
Originally posted by DrDiff
Dont be a fool. I know that the Pro3 can be had for insanely low price of only $110 at sheldons.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!
Dont be a fool. I know that the Pro3 can be had for insanely low price of only $110 at sheldons.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!
What's so bad about the Pro 3? i know they may be a bit
flexible but as soon as you drop the carbon fibre top deck on they become very capable racers!
02-25-2002, 10:38 AM
#7
Tech Master
I think that is the thing right there that sets them apart. You have to pay extra money and add more parts to it to make it a capable racer...when the TC3 is a racer right out of the box.
I'm not going to say anything about the performance of the pro3 because I have never driven one. I just know that there is only one person here that has one...and none of my shops have parts for it. the pro3 does have some cool carbon fiber parts
Can some pro3 drivers give R_Andersen some info on the pro3 so that this is not completely one sided.
I'm not going to say anything about the performance of the pro3 because I have never driven one. I just know that there is only one person here that has one...and none of my shops have parts for it. the pro3 does have some cool carbon fiber parts
Can some pro3 drivers give R_Andersen some info on the pro3 so that this is not completely one sided.
02-25-2002, 10:43 AM
#8
What is wrong with the flexy flyer?
What is right about it? OK the central mounted batteries were a good idea. The EXECUTION is where HPI missed the boat.
HPI knows that the flex is a fundamental design flaw. They have done nothing to eliminate it. They are content to sit on their hands and allow the Aftermarket to solve the problems. It seems that HPI is abandoning the racing sceen for RTR sceen. They basically are trying to become Kyosho, all things to all hobbiests. They have spread themselves out far too thin and no longer support their designs. The Japanese division fixed the car but HPI will not release that version anywhere but in Asia!
Why pay $110 for a pro3, dump 2-3 times that in aftermaket stuff. And it still does not solve all of the problems completely
When for around $150 you can get a TC3 racer and then buy the threaded shock bodies BRP bumper and BRP nerf wings and be ahead of the Pro3 from the start!
I have a Pro3 [they should have named it the P.O.S.3]. There is no graphite parts in the USA spec kit. Parts availability is OK, as long as you want factory replacement parts. They had to re-design the suspension arms and Outdrive retention rings. IMHO they should have stayed with the outdrive reteintion rings that they had on the graphite diffs for the Pro2!
About the only good thing are the shocks. I have mine as the instructions say, about 50% of the other people remove the volume compensation sponge and go with the bladder from the Pro2 shocks.
Battery instalation is great but when you add the upper deck, it becomes an exercise in futility! The more you use the car the more the heat affects the chassis and the more the car flexes. They might have gotten more rigidity if they would have held the 2 transmissions together with notebook paper.
HPI knows that the flex is a fundamental design flaw. They have done nothing to eliminate it. They are content to sit on their hands and allow the Aftermarket to solve the problems. It seems that HPI is abandoning the racing sceen for RTR sceen. They basically are trying to become Kyosho, all things to all hobbiests. They have spread themselves out far too thin and no longer support their designs. The Japanese division fixed the car but HPI will not release that version anywhere but in Asia!
Why pay $110 for a pro3, dump 2-3 times that in aftermaket stuff. And it still does not solve all of the problems completely
When for around $150 you can get a TC3 racer and then buy the threaded shock bodies BRP bumper and BRP nerf wings and be ahead of the Pro3 from the start!
I have a Pro3 [they should have named it the P.O.S.3]. There is no graphite parts in the USA spec kit. Parts availability is OK, as long as you want factory replacement parts. They had to re-design the suspension arms and Outdrive retention rings. IMHO they should have stayed with the outdrive reteintion rings that they had on the graphite diffs for the Pro2!
About the only good thing are the shocks. I have mine as the instructions say, about 50% of the other people remove the volume compensation sponge and go with the bladder from the Pro2 shocks.
Battery instalation is great but when you add the upper deck, it becomes an exercise in futility! The more you use the car the more the heat affects the chassis and the more the car flexes. They might have gotten more rigidity if they would have held the 2 transmissions together with notebook paper.
Last edited by DrDiff; 02-25-2002 at 10:52 AM.
02-25-2002, 12:17 PM
#9
Tech Master
DrDiff: you summed it all up in one post. Nicely done. P.O.S.3....LMAO 
02-25-2002, 02:21 PM
#10
TC3.
02-25-2002, 04:17 PM
#11
i like the TC3 - very little maintennance because of the sealed drivetrain (except for the exposed spur and pinion gears.) we also have great parts support. adding the BRP wide front bumper and side nerf wings prevents arms breakage, which was one of my earlier complaints.
02-25-2002, 04:24 PM
#12
Get what the local fast guys are running, that way you now your lhs will have spare parts and you will have plenty of people to help you get your car dialed in and keep it there.
02-25-2002, 05:47 PM
#13
TC3
02-25-2002, 07:13 PM
#14
Tech Master
so far...
TC3 - 7
pro3 - 1/2
what the local guys run - 1
TC3 - 7
pro3 - 1/2
what the local guys run - 1
02-25-2002, 07:34 PM
#15
well, i think what everyone is saying is right about the tc3, but there are some guys running pro3 s at my track, and they are consistently in the a main with top 3 finishes VERY common. this is not to say that there car isnt modified some. but actually a whole lot! now i have a tc3 Team. i have added nothing more that threded shock bodies, white springs frt, yellow rears, and foam tires and i have broken the track record a couple of times with it. i even bought the car off ebay for 120 dollars used.i have been racing for 15 years, but this car is so easy to set up and get in the race with it is pretty hard to beat for the money. so to sum it up go with the tc3, its a very good performance bargain. giddy- up!