16LikesLooking to get back in to onroad an inexpensive way
06-04-2021, 01:46 AM
#1
Looking to get back in to onroad an inexpensive way
The last on road car I had was a nice YR-4 M2. I miss that car. 😕 On-Road will be starting back up here in Fresno soon and I would like be get back in. I just can't drop $500 plus for a "real" car right now. That said, the SD-9 Sport has my eye. It has soild chassis that's well tested, all be it old. Yes, I know I will have to get some different upgrades for it but I can do that as I get my skills and sight back. I have a nice Novak GT7 and few old 27T stock motors in hand. As well a nice old Airtronics servo for it. That with my favorite Viper body should be a good start. Your thoughts...
06-04-2021, 01:53 AM
#2
RaceVTA and TQ Hobbies have the 3Racing Sakura 64. They’re like $110. Upgradable as time goes on. Much better starting platform than the Yoke.
I bought a 64 for my dad for our local bi monthly temporary track. He built it and the only issue I really see with it is the steering rack is a bit sloppy. Can’t beat it for the price.
I bought a 64 for my dad for our local bi monthly temporary track. He built it and the only issue I really see with it is the steering rack is a bit sloppy. Can’t beat it for the price.
06-04-2021, 04:15 AM
#4
Xpress all the way. And threat yourself with a modern combo, even if it is cheap like SkyRC, it will always be better then 10 years old combo :-)
06-04-2021, 04:53 AM
#5
Tech Prophet
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Far south suburbs of Chicago area
Posts: 17,642
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Like the other l, Xpress or 3Racing. Or go used like I have. The same Serpet s411 I’m running in 21.5TC just sold here for $125.
06-04-2021, 06:20 AM
#6
Welcome back. Go used. ideally from an a-main racer, touring cars are delicate machines, so you want a car that's in good shape, properly assembled and maintained by the right person. A used Xray T4 would be my recommendation. New No-name Hobbywing V2 clone, and pretty much any used BL that hasn't been roasted to death will do the trick and already be competitive enough. Good luck.
06-04-2021, 09:28 AM
#7
Tech Master
iTrader: (5)
Curious what class you expect to run with 27T motor and a Viper body?
They are racing tomorrow, you should drop in and see what everyone is running. Tamiya Semi would be a very cheap and fun class, if there are people to race with.
Talk with the Race Director - he'll give you some good tips.
They are racing tomorrow, you should drop in and see what everyone is running. Tamiya Semi would be a very cheap and fun class, if there are people to race with.
Talk with the Race Director - he'll give you some good tips.
06-04-2021, 05:38 PM
#9
Tech Master
iTrader: (5)
A few years ago I came back from about a 15 year hiatus as well. Forget about all your old equipment except for tools. It's done. Move on.
Buy used to save money. Stick with known brands and popular stuff. You'll have much more support available. Once you're up to speed again and have a sense of current RC racing, you can think about trying some lesser known equipment. Until then, the mainstream is your safest bet for reliable support. I would recommend a 5 year old Xray over a new budget kit.
Go to your track and talk to people. See what cars they run. Xray, Awesomatix and now Mugen are probably popular everywhere. Xray will feel the most familiar to you of the current crop of cars. Something a few years old will be fine for starting out again.
Run what other locals run. Try to run what your local shops sell.
RC racing has never been better in my opinion. Brushless is awesome, and so are lipos. Current cars are absolutely bulletproof compared to what we had back in the day. Tracks are better too.
More than anything, and I truly mean this, don't forget to have fun.
Buy used to save money. Stick with known brands and popular stuff. You'll have much more support available. Once you're up to speed again and have a sense of current RC racing, you can think about trying some lesser known equipment. Until then, the mainstream is your safest bet for reliable support. I would recommend a 5 year old Xray over a new budget kit.
Go to your track and talk to people. See what cars they run. Xray, Awesomatix and now Mugen are probably popular everywhere. Xray will feel the most familiar to you of the current crop of cars. Something a few years old will be fine for starting out again.
Run what other locals run. Try to run what your local shops sell.
RC racing has never been better in my opinion. Brushless is awesome, and so are lipos. Current cars are absolutely bulletproof compared to what we had back in the day. Tracks are better too.
More than anything, and I truly mean this, don't forget to have fun.
06-05-2021, 03:06 AM
#10
Tech Adept
Xpress xq2s is best cheap car fast out box and is a proven platform and also upgradable in so many ways to mid , fwd , carbon.
06-07-2021, 11:35 PM
#11
The best thing to do is to figure out what everyone in your club is running, and get a used chassis based on that.
Having people run the same brand / chassis as you will help you stay in races if something ever goes wrong with your car (which everyone breaks stuff eventually).
The worst thing is to have a car break on you and needing to wait for a shipment to arrive to fix the thing..
However if you want to be going for a new chassis, as most said above the XQ2S Is pretty solid. However I'm unsure how parts are to find locally in your case.
Having people run the same brand / chassis as you will help you stay in races if something ever goes wrong with your car (which everyone breaks stuff eventually).
The worst thing is to have a car break on you and needing to wait for a shipment to arrive to fix the thing..
However if you want to be going for a new chassis, as most said above the XQ2S Is pretty solid. However I'm unsure how parts are to find locally in your case.
06-10-2021, 10:54 AM
#12
Equipment like old radio systems and servos can still be used in r/c racing to this day, assuming that they are in good operating condition. As far as servos specifically, if it was a "race" quality servo with fast speeds it should work today.
Depending on the class structure of your local track, you many be able to run old brushed speed controls and motors assuming the class structure is totally open or a "run what you brung" setup. You can also find examples of tracks that are more focused on the fun aspect of this hobby and go out of their way to make sure that people who show up get a chance to run whatever car they have.
The local track I race at would have no problem letting a 6-cell Nihm/27 turn brushed motor car with a Viper body race in the VTA class or an equivalent class for club racing assuming the car was setup to go similar speeds as the class they would be running. However we would eventually expect this person to conform to the actual rules of the class as this will make the racing experience better for everyone. We would rather let people have fun than turn them away.
Don't let old or "outdated" equipment keep you away from the track. All you really need to enjoy this hobby is to bring a positive attitude to the track and the ability to have fun while you are there.
Depending on the class structure of your local track, you many be able to run old brushed speed controls and motors assuming the class structure is totally open or a "run what you brung" setup. You can also find examples of tracks that are more focused on the fun aspect of this hobby and go out of their way to make sure that people who show up get a chance to run whatever car they have.
The local track I race at would have no problem letting a 6-cell Nihm/27 turn brushed motor car with a Viper body race in the VTA class or an equivalent class for club racing assuming the car was setup to go similar speeds as the class they would be running. However we would eventually expect this person to conform to the actual rules of the class as this will make the racing experience better for everyone. We would rather let people have fun than turn them away.
Don't let old or "outdated" equipment keep you away from the track. All you really need to enjoy this hobby is to bring a positive attitude to the track and the ability to have fun while you are there.
06-10-2021, 06:20 PM
#13
Be careful with this, there's a lot more interference these days compared to back then. I've got a perfectly functioning AM radio that works fine when practicing on the track, but once there's a few other cars out there too (all on 2.4GHz), it glitches like crazy.
06-17-2021, 03:57 PM
#14
Tech Adept
I went through this 'stage' recently, and went with a Flysky radio. Works pretty well, they're like $50-70 on Amazon and receivers are $10 a pop. People say the latency is ~30-50ms higher, but to be honest I don't feel much if a difference even after moving to a $400 sanwa.
Regarding cheap chassis kits... try to pick up something durable. The first cheap kit I bought, came with a paper-thin 2mm chassis and 2mm carbon suspension arms.
They crumpled like tortilla chips, which will detract a lot from your enjoyment. Most people suggest a used XRAY to start. If you can't find a good one, perhaps grab a chassis that can support xray part retrofits for the high-breakage areas like suspension. There's no free lunch though; by the time you buy parts twice, you might as well have bought the genuine article to begin with.
Regarding cheap chassis kits... try to pick up something durable. The first cheap kit I bought, came with a paper-thin 2mm chassis and 2mm carbon suspension arms.
They crumpled like tortilla chips, which will detract a lot from your enjoyment. Most people suggest a used XRAY to start. If you can't find a good one, perhaps grab a chassis that can support xray part retrofits for the high-breakage areas like suspension. There's no free lunch though; by the time you buy parts twice, you might as well have bought the genuine article to begin with.
06-17-2021, 04:02 PM
#15
Curious what class you expect to run with 27T motor and a Viper body?
They are racing tomorrow, you should drop in and see what everyone is running. Tamiya Semi would be a very cheap and fun class, if there are people to race with.
Talk with the Race Director - he'll give you some good tips.
They are racing tomorrow, you should drop in and see what everyone is running. Tamiya Semi would be a very cheap and fun class, if there are people to race with.
Talk with the Race Director - he'll give you some good tips.