Should I get a new car?
 

Hello! I am new to the forums because I have a question about my rc setup. I currently own an exceed driftstar with a tacon motor and hobby wing 35a esc. I know that the driftstar is a pretty crappy car, but since I have already started upgrading, should I continue upgrading, or would I save money by starting with a better car? By the way I have not had any major problems with my car.
Thanks,
Ructo

Stick with what you have but put a limit on how much you're willing to spend on it.:nod: I always try to look ahead at the next car I want and save money for that,there's no use in buying a new dress to put on a pig if you know what I'm saying!:lol::lol:

Yeah, I'll probably get a couple more upgrades, see how it goes, and go from there. Thanks for the quick reply :D

I can only think of a few reasons that you "should" get a new tc...
maybe you have an issue with something loosening up,or breaking all the time and you spend more time wrenching than you do running...no,you said it was reliable...
maybe the kit features limit you on tuning options and you find you have learned enough that you want more out of your car...
maybe spare parts are becoming hard to find...
maybe your at the top of your game and are tired of finishing 3 seconds down from the race winner...
So probably,the simple answer is no,you don't "need" a new tc...
But the fact that you asked the question,leads me to believe that you "want" one...that's the reason most of us get a new kit...
Set your budget...read the threads on the ones that interest you,and like mentioned above...put no more in your current ride than you need to and start saving...
Look for features that interest you,aftermarket support and spares availability...
Don't forget to look at used cars,this time of year a lot of guys are buying the lastest models...some bargains can be had on last year's cars...
Good luck,have fun...

Yes you need a new TC : either a tc4(cheap) or an Awesomatix (expensive).....

I guess the reason I ever thought about a new car is because I don't want to spend a ton of money upgrading and then realize that I should have just got a new car all together. I'm not really going for racing, but I will probably get a lipo battery and maybe a new transmitter. I am just in the hobby to have some fun, maybe drive around a track, but not really to race, at least not right now. Plus, my car isn't very fast, so are there even any races that I would have a chance in with this car?

Could you explain your answer a little further? Thanks

If your not racing and already having fun with the car then there is no need to buy a new one. In the short term doing upgrades is less expensive than buying a new car and to many people that is part of the fun of the hobby. If your looking for a good justification to buy a new car then that works as well. No matter which way you go if you are just drifting in parking lots neither upgrading or buying a new car is going to make that much of a performance difference.

Another thing to consider...if you are upgrading because of durability issues then a new car probably will not help you there. Higher end cars are not higher end because they are more durable...they are higher end because they perform better in a race environment and are likely no more durable than the car you currently have.

I see you are new here. Welcome ! Don't pay attention to Bertrand. He's been making a fool of himself for as long as I can remember and never gave anyone any piece of useful, or even remotely rational advice. Just ignore him.

To answer your initial question: InspGadgt and brwnbggr gave you some sound advice.

Now if you tell us more on what plans you have, we could help you better. Racing, drifting, both ? Have you tried running your car on a purpose-built track? With good rubber tires ? Are you looking for looks, speed, both ? How much are you willing to spend ? Also, depending on what you may try in the future, your goals may change radically. (I still remember the day one guy let me drive his mod Ground FX'd RC10L2 for one full pack... I was like 11 or 12. LIFE CHANGER, no less. Seriously. GOOSEBUMPS !)

You cannot imagine the adrenaline and addictiveness of racing, even at a low level with slow cars. Try it a little.

Don't listen to Bertrand. All he talks about is 2.5t mod motors and the TC4 and Awesomatix.

I might get into racing, but I also enjoy drifting. I have not raced on an sort of official track, just my road out front, but I am planning to go to a track near me soon. Before that I will probably get a lipo battery because the Nimh I have last about ten minutes after a couple hours charging.

Well Rutco, I was under the impression that you preferred shaft cars over belt cars, so that's why I recommended the tc4 and Awesomatix... There are other options like the hpi pro4, tamiya evo5, etc, but Parts are very rare, and upgrades near inexistant... Good luck with your search....

Not if you are expecting anything coherent.

What do you guys use as batteries and chargers? What are the best brands and websites?

I have ordered from hobbypartz and they seem fine. Any recommendations?

For just messing around you don't need the best...but you still want to get good stuff. I've tried the batteries from Hobby Partz and they work just fine for street bashing. I wouldn't suggest their chargers though. Get something more mainstream for anything electronic and you will be better off. the iChargers are great and they have some lower end models that are pretty affordable. Then there's also Thunder Power, LRP, Hyperion, ect, that will work well for you.

Great, thank you. How is the duratrax onyx 150? Do you know?

I have traxxas connectors, so what sort of 2s lipo would be best for me without spending a fortune because I want to have two batteries?

You will have a hard time beating these packs for price to value ratio http://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?...product_id=183

So far I have found stuff at tower hobbies, but not that brand specifically. What other brands are good, and what will work best for the charger I mentioned earlier?

I was probably going to order through tower hobbies, so I would prefer something that they have. Thanks

How would a traxxas lipo 2s 7.4v 3300mAh 25c battery be? Does traxxas make decent batteries?

I have heard mixed reviews about venom batteries. Are they good?

For your purposes, the Traxxas batteries would be fine - but for a few dollars more, Duratrax makes a battery that offers 50% more capacity and a hard case. Hard case batteries withstand abuse far better than their soft-cased counterparts, and are generally safer to use.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXBDBH&P=0

Personally, the universal connector used on the Venom batteries are enough of a deterrent - lose the adapter, and you won't be able to use the battery... Regarding cell quality, all 3 offer cells that should provide a decent lifespan, and offer decent runtime. However, if you start considering an upgrade to the motor and ESC, you'll need better batteries.

I was actually looking at that exact battery. I guess that's the one for me:)

I would suggest you check out hobby king.

There higher grad lipos are decent and offer excellent value for money.

They also have a great range of chargers, some of which are excellent.

Cool, I'll check it out, the thing is I have been finding what I want in tower hobbies.

Towerhobbies also sells these top quality packs:
LXDUHT & LXDUJK from $89.99 to $99.99 ...

I was deciding on whether to upgrade to lipo, but I decided I would so I got a basic 60 dollar duratrax balancer and charger combo, 2 duratrax lipos, a lipo safe bag, and wheels because the stock ones are ruined. Is there anything else I absolutely need?

Also, does any one know anything about this charger, such as the charge time?