screw the condor

[pingu_george]

So as some of may have seen my previous post that I bought and acme condor and was have a few issues.
All I've read about them since buying it has been bad so I've decided I'm going to sell it and save up for a decent buggy either 1/10 or 1/8
Any suggestions what I should be looking at saving up for? And should I buy new or second hand? And where from?
Thanks in advance

 

[Greywolf74]

In order to really be able to give some decent suggestions we really need to know what kind of kits interest you the most like monster truck, buggy, stadium truck, short course truck, truggy, on road, drifter, crawler, trail truck, etc. We also need a rough idea of what your max budget is gonna be.

 

[pingu_george]

Definitely off road, swaying towards a buggy but open most others but not monster trucks not sure why but they don't appeal to me.
Willing to spend up to £250 but would like to spend a bit less if possible because its going to take me ages to save that up (student budgets for anything ain't big lol)
Mainly for what I think is called bashing but I want to get a few mates to get some cars and start a bit of racing
Anything more you need to know?

 

[Greywolf74]

If you want to go buggy Id recommend pretty much any buggy by OFNA. All of OFNAs buggys are great bashers and a couple of the more expensive one are also great racers. OFNA probably makes the best budget friendly buggy around. That would be my recommendation for buggies on a tight budget. They start at about $300 here in the US which I believe would be about 200GBP.

 

[pingu_george]

Ofna? Never heard of them.. Do they go by a different name over here in the UK? Can't find anything of them on ebay

 

[griff7373]

HOBAO or HONG NOR I believe are the overseas names.

 

[hotrodrob]

Agreed

 

[Greywolf74]

Griff is right they do go by the names he listed overseas. I didnt think about that.

 

[Rolex]

No need to screw the Condor. They have pretty much recovered from near extinction since they've been screwing each other.

 

[Paul]

Yeah I'll pass on screwing the Condor. I will throw my 2 cents out there about a good kit to start out with though. With equivalent size motors between buggies and truggies the buggy is going to be a bit faster and a touch twitchy compared to a truggy. A truggy will be a little easier to control due to its weight and wider stance and of course a touch slower. OFNA makes a good buggy for a great price and truggies are typically gonna be a bit more expensive (don't think OFNA makes a truggy). Kyosho has a truggy RTR, the Inferno Neo ST Race Spec with EVERYTHING but the batteries fuel and glow ignitor for $479 US (cannot go wrong with Kyosho). OFNA's top RTR buggy kit comes with everything but the previously mentioned items and is $364 US (cannot go wrong with OFNA). If you go for an unassembled kit it will be less expensive for the car its self but you will have to buy everything else which will almost always put you above the cost of an RTR. However with an unassembled kit you'll know the ins and outs of every component by building it yourself and can feel confident it was built right. With RTR's there is always a chance someone at the factory screwed something up so you would be wise to go over a pre-built kit with a fine tooth comb to make sure pieces won't starting falling off on the track.

Also the RTR's typically won't come with high quality servos and the radio equipment is gonna be low end as well, usable for sure but not high quality. You should put a lot of thought into not selling the Condor because you would be doing to another, exactly what happened to you. I know that sucks but its the reality of the situation. Maybe take it completely apart and sell the pieces individually to those who insist on keeping the Condor dream alive and need replacement parts (lol)? Seriously though. Take your time in deciding what to get. Do research and read reviews. If you have a plan and stick to it you'll be rewarded with a kit that you are comfortable with and can be confident in it (mostly) not breaking all the time.

As a complete newb (now 2 years ago) it took me weeks to decide on what kit to get and I researched the poop out of every single purchase. All told I put ~$1600 dollars into my kit and associated components. In every case I went with well known trust worthy manufactures for my needs and then debated on the price to quality ratios of the individual parts these manufactures offered. The only part I took a gamble on was with the Dynamite .21 SG nitro engine. Only a few reviews at the time but the reviews were generally positive. My thinking was that the engine wasn't going to last a super long time at peak performance (none do) so I picked up the Dynamite and I'm glad I did, its a great engine for the money.

Use the same methodology I and others here use when building out a kit and or picking upgrades down the road and you will love this hobby. Be impatient and the opposite will happen. Best of luck to you and keep us all posted on your progress.

 

[Kris407]

Let me say this about used vs. new... if i could get a used Top brand like Losi or Team Associated for the price of a new Ofna then i am going for the used one 10/10 times, you still are going to spend money on upgrades for your new kit just as you would do for the used one. And you are going to end up completely disassembling any RTR at some point to redo the crappy work done at the factory. Look, i bought a used work truck because A. it was more affordable for the features i wanted and needed (7K used compared to 25K new) And B. i know how to repair and maintain the engine on my own. So in a nutshell if you are mechanically inclined there is Nothing wrong with buying used because you will be able to restore it to new or better AND you will have the Name Brand that you will always be wanting. I would rather have $1600 invested in one Team Associated than have two or three cheaper versions for the same amount because every time you see that LST or that RC8 you aren't gonna be satisfied until you get one. Every one's taste is different though

 

[Paul]

Let me say this about used vs. new... if i could get a used Top brand like Losi or Team Associated for the price of a new Ofna then i am going for the used one 10/10 times, you still are going to spend money on upgrades for your new kit just as you would do for the used one. And you are going to end up completely disassembling any RTR at some point to redo the crappy work done at the factory. Look, i bought a used work truck because A. it was more affordable for the features i wanted and needed (7K used compared to 25K new) And B. i know how to repair and maintain the engine on my own. So in a nutshell if you are mechanically inclined there is Nothing wrong with buying used because you will be able to restore it to new or better AND you will have the Name Brand that you will always be wanting. I would rather have $1600 invested in one Team Associated than have two or three cheaper versions for the same amount because every time you see that LST or that RC8 you aren't gonna be satisfied until you get one. Every one's taste is different though

Good points Kris.

 

[ninnon]

So as some of may have seen my previous post that I bought and acme condor and was have a few issues.
All I've read about them since buying it has been bad so I've decided I'm going to sell it and save up for a decent buggy either 1/10 or 1/8
Any suggestions what I should be looking at saving up for? And should I buy new or second hand? And where from?
Thanks in advance

I knew this would happen, it's an Acme Condor. If you want a new buggy look towards either A losi Hyper 7 or a HPI trophy 3.5 (own one myself) the HPI buggy is super tough, and pretty fast with a good tune and a few upgrades.

Ofna? Never heard of them.. Do they go by a different name over here in the UK? Can't find anything of them on ebay

Your from the U.k alas, I don't have to use USD to GBP converter! I'd go for the HPI trophy 3.5 or the Ofna Hyper 7 (that's what it's called in the U.K) they are both around £250, but I got mine for £160, used barely at all broken in, looks in mint condition and came with loads of spares, few hop ups and two bottles of fuel!

 

[pingu_george]

Thanks for all the advice everyone its been really helpful I'm going to take into account everything everyone has said and then post back to let you guys know my progress

 

[Greywolf74]

awesome...can't wait to find out what the next one will be and how you like it in comparison

 

[pingu_george]

Quick question guys.. Do team associated go by a different name in the UK? I'm finding it really hard to track anything of there's down unless its on american sites

 

[Kris407]

i don't know of any other names but maybe these links can help start you on the path.
http://www.teamassociated.com/dealer_locator/?country=GB

http://www.modelsport.co.uk/associated/rc-car-manufacturers/2

i agree with ninnon on the HPI Trophy 3.5 1/8 Buggy, i got mine shipped for $165 with 3 extra glow plugs, 3 igniters and chargers and a bottle of fuel. i stripped it down and threw on a Savox steering servo, rebuilt the shocks and differentials and my girl is having no problem keeping up with expensive Revos, TA and Losi and if they are faster i just ram that expensive rig with my "used" one and drive off laughing.. j/k...not really. And remember this hobby is about having FUN so don't feel like you have to make the "perfect" choice, everything the guys have mentioned is solid equipment no doubt about it, the best.

 

[pingu_george]

UPDATE: just snapped up a hyper 7 on eBay for £100 rtr
Think I done ok

 

[Greywolf74]

Youll like the Hyper 7

 

[hamz9561]

Just make sure to go through the car and check fluid levels and tighten screws and add LocTite where needed.