Please help.The good and the bad of current cars.
 

I am looking for a new gas car and want to know what is good about the following cars and what is bad.

I want to hear from owners of the cars. please just tell me what you have found about the cars.


Performance, breakage, adjusments, parts and driving. what you like and what you do not like.

I am looking for feedback on :

Serpent 710

Mugen prospec

AE FT NTC

Kyosho FW5

Trinity G4


Thanks for this It will help me decide.

I own the MTX-3 Prospec and the NTC-3.

Good cars.. I haven't run the MTX-3 yet still in the process of building it but I can tell you that the build quality is excellent.

The NTC-3 is a fun car to drive around. Competition wise I can't really tell you since I don't race, yet.

But both cars feel great out of the box.

My friend has the 705 and his is a nice car too. The rear tends to spin out a bit but I think that's more of a setup thing.

I guess it would depend on your budget. The NTC-3 in my view is a tad on the weak side. I had to replace a ton of parts already but it hangs in there like a champ.

Once i get more input from the car when i take it out, I'll let you know. But I can already tell its going to be a monster! If you're just beginning, I'd go for the factory team TC3. If you kinda know what you're doing, setup wise, then go for the MTX-3 Prospec or Serpent.

No comment on the Trinity or Kyosho....

I have the NTC3 and the MTX3. The MTX3 is all around the best car that I have owned. I have had a few others that are not mentioned, so I won't either. But the NTC3 is a great little car for small tight tracks but won't hang with the Mugen or Serpent. If you do run small tracks, you will need to get a front diff for the mugen. As for weak points, the only thing weak with the mtx3 is the 2speed parts, other than that nothing. On the NTC3, don't try to use the car like Tony Stewart drives, unless you want to replace parts all the time. The new rear suspension on the NTC3 sucks, the best thing that I have found for the NTC3 is the aluminum Hub Cariers and THE FIX. with those 2 upgrades, it will be twice as durable.

Good Luck

FT NTC3 V2
 

I have just started running an AE FT NTC3. My car is standard except for the Carbon Fibre radio plate and side plate to protect the tank.

Last weekend was my first race with it. I race in a sport class with up to 1hp motors(the beauty of the NTC3 is that you can run any configuration of pull or non pull start, side or rear exhaust so the car can eveolve with your skills).

In that first race meeting, I was immediately on the pace of my old car, then I went on to realise the car was faster than I was driving it and ended up setting a new laps record for a 5 min qualifier in my class. I also would have qualified second in the pro class (any hp .12 engine) behind an MTX-3/JP and ahead of 2 S710/JP combo's.

I can't say enough about how well the car handled with a slight mod to Barry Bakers Las Vegas setup for the V2 car. I had a couple of crashes early on that I thought would break the car according to the hype, however my big box of spares that I expected to use remained closed.

I run on a track that has long straights and also some technical sections. See it at www.warcmcc.org .

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Mike.

i drive a mtx-3 and only weak part i have found is the front up rights. get the mugen front uni's they are very strong. car setup wise if relatively easy to dial in.

I also have a keen interest on the FW-05R have heard lots of praise for this car. So try to stick with these 2 cars.

NTC3 is to weak the rear suspension is only supported by 3 screws or something so i heard.

G4 is pretty weak as well but very good handling car once setted up. same goes with 710 i believe.

This is a great thread idea. I hope we can keep the "i heard from a buddy that the serpent sucks" comments out and just hear comments on a car people have actually owned. I have a few questions regarding the cars in speeds list and also a few other that I am considering. This seems like a good thread to ask so here goes:


Serpent 710: How hard is it to get parts in usa for this car and are they really expensive compared to others?

Mugen mtx 3: Is the mtx 4 right around the corner making this kit obsolete? The Pro spec sure is pricey.

Kyosho VoneRRR: When will this kit be available? Anybody have an idea? This looks like the kit to buy but I don't want to wait forever. I have heard it is tough to get parts for kyosho in usa. is this accurate?

Team Magic G4: Is customer service a problem with this car in the US? Is the steering problem as bad as people say? I keep wanting to buy this car and keep talking myself out of it for some reason.

HPI R40: Is the US version a big heavy pig? I don't want to have to spend 350 bucks on damn upgrades for a supposedly "pro" kit.
I have heard I can get the 2004 kit shipped to the us for around 360.00. Why not just buy the Serpent then? Please tell me r 40 owners.

The NTC3 and FW-05r I am not really interested in as much as the kits above but would love to hear any comments from owners on why you believe they are the kit to buy.:nod: :) :D

You can always order Serpent parts online.....nitrohouse, Ashford, Serpent itself, Buckner....etc. S710 is a great car, just need a lot of experience on setting and in RC racing in order to get that car dialed....just like MTX3.

Sure...eventually, what I heard from my friend in Japan is late X'mas...............and you can see that, Mugen release a fully loaded car and try to do one final push for the sales then release the new platform..........same concept like selling new cars, new TV or new DVD player or new Computer....
I don't have Mugen at all.......but I have seen some in action, again, TOP NOTCH design and performance.

You can get parts easily from TOWER, but not cheap.....RRR is planning to be release in October in Japan, then you can do the math in USA...probably X'mas time....again, good car (I think), but definitely consider the MTX3 and S710 before V1RRRRRRRRR.....

No comment.....I heard it is a OK car, but just not as popular as Mugen, AE or Serpent...........

You buy HPI cause it is a good car.....again, not the MUGEN and SERPENT kinda quality but the car is FAST enough to hang with them.........you buy HPI cause their parts are dirt cheap and you can even find them at Hobbytown USA across USA.......
The US version of R40 is around $245....2004 spec ship from HK or JAPAN via EMS and PAYPAL is around $385 (not $360)...to upgarade your R40 to 04 spec....roughly $200...not $350.
Yes, everything adds up, you might as well get the Serpent and Mugen......but I have to say, car is a lot easier to setup and drive, does not have all the TOPS from the others, but somehow, the car is FAST....

I cannot say about the FW....it took the PRE-WORLD Champion several months ago.........so that must be a good car.

But about the FT NTC3.................if you have never drive that car before, borrow one and give that a try....................our track is like 50% NTC3......and we local racer can use the NTC3 with some $180 and below motor to race against the Mugen and Serpent sponcered drivers with team spec and equippment.............so far, the best I can do is right behind them, and the last 30 minutes main, was like 2 laps behind, that is not the car, that was the way I drive is not as good as them........but with my limited driving skill, limited TIRES and engine suppport......if I can use the NTC3 to hang with the big boys like S710 and MTX3PS..............THAT MUST be a good car.......not to mention, parts are dirt cheap like HPI, and you can find parts everywhere across USA. And I know ppl say NTC3 is made out of glass..........yes, it is not the strongest car in the market, but I rarely touch the board or other cars while racing....I didn't break much parts lately. But last year, got 3 broken tanks cause others just cannot drive and t-bones me from the side............so I got the 2mm carbon fiber side brace to protect the tank....problem solved.

P.S........Forget about those weak arms and legs, broken steering hub or rear linkage..............ALL RC cars has parts that easy to break, if not, whos going to make parts for RC.........? If you want a bulletproof RC car....stay away from the board, or leave your car in the garage, that is bullet proof.

i thought kyosho is going to release the rrr some time this month in japan.

I saw that on the Japanese RC magazine.....and saw ppl post pictures they took from the hobby show....well, I might be several months off, and you might be right.

Speed2004:

I have all the cars in your list except the G4. I could tell you that all of them have their goods and bads. Different people would tell you different stories about them, and these stories may or may not apply to you. One good way to help you decide, I suggest, is to go to the track where you would run your car, tally up what car that people there run most, and get that one. You won't go wrong by doing that cause at least information and setup help would be easily available at the track when you run your car.

My 0.0002 cent

g4 is a good car but steering sucks, wait till they coume out with new steering design

Thanks I am crossing it off my list:nod:

The NTC3 normally requires a different style of driving due to the free drivetrain. Either people will love it, or hate it.

The NTC3 really suits my style of driving I think. I was making lap times all within less than half a second of each other in last weekends qualifyers.

I don't like to use brakes unless I'm in the pit lane or in trouble, and the NTC3 carries some serious corner speed that allows me to do that.

Its futile asking this kind of question to anybosy, anywhere. 99% of people will tell you to buy the car they have. I would go with my gut, really.

I had the NTC3,serpent 710 and now the FW-05R, and I prefer the FW-05R but that is my choice but using the same motor in all 3 cars the Kyosho accelerates better than the rest, and its a strong car.

never a belt car, once you drive shaft you will never go back.
i was tired of having to tighten up the belts, losing belts, they don't have the roll that a shaft car has in turns. my .02

I sacked my RR for a NTC3 about 2 years ago, the only car I love more than my NTC3 is my FT V2 NTC3:D

I cant comment too much on the other cars as I havent driven them much. From what I have seen of the FW-05-R it seems like a good thing. The LD3, I have built a few but only had a quick drive & I wasnt impressed.

What didnt you like about it? I like mine :)
Was it the LD3 Pro or Super cheap (around $160USD) LD3 Standard version or both?

I've got a few alloy bits + not long ago installed the 0.8 gears (see piccy) Love'em :)
http://www.serverdoc.com/personal/pi...pro_dirty3.jpg
http://www.serverdoc.com/personal/pi...pro_dirty4.jpg

The last LD3 I put together was a Championship Edition. The diff didnt do it for me, it looks as weak as piss. The car just didnt go together as well as a NTC3. The owner of it loves it, so thats what matters. Although surprise surprise the rear diff let go first time on the track. It was running a V.12 Rody but a top shelf car should handle the power.

I have the FW05R.

Pro:
1. Fast acceleration
2. VERY free drivetrain with the optional steel ring gears
3. Nearly bullet proof. One of the strongest car out there.
4. Top quality parts. Shocks are the best I known, may even be better than Tamiya shocks.
5. Handles GREAT.
6. Easy maintenance.

Con:
1. The chassis tend to push a bit.
2. Heavy
3. Expensive parts
4. You need to get Kyosho pipes to bring out the top end.
5. Stock ratios are low compares to other shaft cars like the NTC3. It's not a problem if you run in a small to medium tracks. For large tracks, optional spur/pinion/ring gears are must.

Your talking about the 4 2*6mm self tappers letting go?

Yeah Mine did that after about 4 or 5 months. It's hardly a big issue but it is something that should not happen :). Just use machine screws (2x8mm), like used in the one-way (2x6mm). RE: the gears, Ive seen more FW05R diff gears chewed out (3 sets) then LD3 diff gears (none). I don't know if its a shimming issue with the two FW05 owners though.

No problems here, although I switched to the optional steel ring gears after about a gallon.

One thing about these gears, it is an issue inherent with shaft driven cars with one-ways and gear diffs if you crash a lot. Essentially, all that energy is absorbed by the drivetrain during a crash. Unless there are belts that slip and absorb part of that energy or ball diff that allow slip, your drivetrain is gonna take the hit, and the weakest part of that drivetrain will get worn out over time.

the screws in my LD3 let go after a fair run, i just replaced them with longer ones, and hey presto, instant fix, although im gana get a CD3 in a couple of weeks.. cant wait! :D

I second all that (I was about to write the same thing :)), although some points don't apply to me (price of parts, and pipes,.. I'm in Asia so price is at least the same as in Japan or Taiwan, and I make my own pipes :)), but for most people, pipe selection would be troublesome, since there are not so many right-side pipe available yet for various engines.

for most people, on a first run with FW, they'd call it a beast, or an alien,.. coz the feel is quite "different" compared to the "conservative" belt-driven on-road cars.

It's a good car for me, although Kawahara parts could be priced a tad cheaper :) so we can shave off some weight on it. A chassis best suited for short to mid size, twisty tracks.

Since it's only the first incarnation of it, expect some improvements down the road

note: biggest con for me : high wear rate on metal gears (not the plastic spur-gears). you have to consider yourself a real pr racer if you ever consider to buy the FW,... 1 race day (assume you reach the final, so around 2 hours of use, including small practices) and everything is chewed-up at gear departments (stock parts)

the parts for kyosho are not that expensive i get mine from Tower hobbies and the prices are very good!!
Tower Hobbies FW-05R parts page!!!!!

bumpy track can do the same thing to the gears, so does very sticky surface

Everyone,

Thank you for the feedback on your cars.

I really like the "pro's and "cons" idea that Jeff posted. This is what I want to see. I should have asked in the first place.LOL

I am a racer, price is no option been into this for a while, When I give my feedback I consider the build, ease of set-up, ease of working on the car @ the track. strength of a car.

I ran a NTC3 for a while, What I liked:

Layout, ease of maintance and adjustment. ball diffs. CVD's good part tolerances smooth shocks. awsome instructions

What I didnt like: or would like to see changed:

Gears- you hit, your out! it makes it hard to try a locker in the back with a oneway in the front when the gears will go if you hit a dot, I know the white gears are supose to be better but they arent.

Bearings- Their 2 small in my opinion, again you have to check them all the time. that is what i do like about other cars, bigger bearings.

I also just got a 710 to look at. It looks good and I know it will work awsome, but I really didnt like building it, everything was tight and required a lot of hand fitting to get things smooth. the car is quite adjustable but again to change the roll centers, the whole car has to come apart, at a club race their just isnt time. Also where are the down stops? it has up stops but not down stops! I didnt like that. dogbones?? I know Mugen does this 2, Why? we pay $400 for a kit and get dogbones??? instuctions suck! special battery pack needed, Why not include it?

Things I liked:

Bearing size, Pulleys and how they mount
shocks ( once you take the time to sand each piston to a nice smooth fit. Pivot balls are nice and beefy, front oneway is dialed the way you can lock it up. the rear diff is pretty cool to.

I am going to sell this car, before it even hits the track. If anyone wants a brand new 710 that took about 8 hours to build and get everything smooth and right, let me know.

So back to square one for me, more research.

So far the K car sounds the best. from what I understand its strong, the drivetrain is free and smooth and if you replace the gears to the optional ones they don't wear out, is this right?

Every car has its good and bad points, I just want to hear them. what dont you like about your car and what do you love about your car.

Speed2004

P.S. please keep the info coming, I want to see if we come up with a perfect car and then see if a manufacturer's listest to us.

How can you comment on something you have never driven?

I can't comment on any other car but the NTC3 and it has been a really good car for me. Parts availablity is something you should consider.

So #11

What do you like about about the TC3 and what do you not like?

The car is easy to maintain and work on, the drive train is free handles like it is on rails like I said parts are available everywhere. AE has great support you good ask for more. This not my only AE car I have 2 NTC3, 2 TC3, T3, GT and a 12th scale L3 all of them have been good.

:lol:

So the Mugen is the dialed car?

Does it have a ball diff in the back? or is it still use the oil?

thanx

hands down
 

get the mtx3, get the prospec if u have the pocket for it.

the mtx4 is not even close yet and if it was so what, look at all the big races, mugen is crushing the industry right now, if it aint broke dont fix it!!!

mugen fo life!

g4, fragile
ntc3, where are they on the leader boards?
705,710, get a good spare parts inventory
nuf said

:lol:

plus mugens dont break, if every shop has the parts for your car then why? does that car break alot, probably.

the ntc3 has been out for so log shouldnt it be the most popular and most stocked in terms of parts?

look at mugen serpent and trinity they are always looking for another improvement to make thier car the best, i think the tc3 has been out about 4 years or more, correct me if i am wrong.

Anyway save yourself some heartache and talk to your guys at your track and see what they run then get the car they have. Everyone has their favorite car and you will get a million and one answer on this forum but the best help you can get is at your local track. Save yourself time and money and talk to the guys you race with.

The V2 rear suspension was only released in March '04 for the NTC3. The diff gears that were an issue(black ones) were updated as a running change. The Factory Team edition came out in March as well. Just because they don't rename the model, doesn't mean it hasn't improved.

I'm sure if this was Serpent it would have been called the 716 by now :lol: :lol: ;)

/puts on his flame proof suit :batman:

Zoom, amen to that my brother from another country. :D