Looking to Purchase an on-road car

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Ice

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Looking to Purchase an on-road car, so which is the best and why?...which has the least break-downs, best engines, best suspension, an of course SPEED!

Thanks,

-Ice
 
Ice said:
Looking to Purchase an on-road car, so which is the best and why?...which has the least break-downs, best engines, best suspension, an of course SPEED!

Thanks,

-Ice
All I can say is that the best is what you decide is best for yourself. There are many ways to answer this question and it's all personal opinion.

  • Every car, especially onroad, will break down since their high rate of speed and low slung stance.
  • The best engine is all up to you and your driving style.
  • You're a newbie at onroad so the best for your driving style will be of a much lower standard when compared to someone who has been in organized racing for a while.
  • The best suspension is only as good as the setup that accompanies it.
  • The best speed all depends on what you are really willing to spend ...

In all honesty, since you're a newbie to on-road (probably also new to the hobby based on your questions. Please correct me if I'm wrong) I would suggest you get an HPI RS4-3 SS with the .18 engine. You may also be happy with the HPI Evo II RTR. There's also the Nitro TC3 RTR Plus. That would be good for you.

The best for me is my Serpent 710. The best engine depends on what track I'm running but they're all Nova based powerplants. I only buy italian.
 
As a total noob to RC, I have 2 RC's at the moment. the HPI MT2 (1/10 scale stadium) and the HPI RS4-3 SS18 (1/10 scale on-road).

The MT2 was an RTR and took very little effort to get running. If this is your very first RC (maybe even Nitro RC) then getting an RTR is a VERY GOOD suggestion. It alows you to jump into the hobby and enjoy the action, and giving you the chance at repairs as things break (things always break). This was the suggestion given to me when I started.

As my second car, I went with the RS4-3 SS18 as it was a KIT and I wanted to ASSEMBLE the ENTIRE thing. You spend more money this route (as you end up purchasing in most cases the radio and servos seperate from the kit, and sometimes even the mill).

If its your First RC, First Nitro, or if you have had Nitro RC's before and just dont want to take the time to assemble - get the RS4 RTR from HPI (http://www.hpiracing.com/index2.htm) or the TC3 RTR from Team Assiciated (http://www.teamassociated.com/)

If you are experiences in RC and are looking for a more serious race setup - then I'm not the person to suggest anything to you.

As Eddy posted in his link - ask more specific questions and what you want from your new RC and give as much detail as you can and the knowledge on this forum can help you our GREATLY!
 
Don't take my post too hard. It's the way I'll answer anyone. All I have done is on-road, till recently. I started off with the NitroTC3 Team kit (my very first nitro kit). I branched off into the 235mm class with the Kyosho F04 and even went RTR with the Schumacher Fusion21 and even went electric with the CRC T-Fource and Losi XXX-s Graphite plus. I Decided to jump into the racing scene since I realized that onroad is not all about speed, it's about handeling and not just running in the park (for me).

I took my NTC3 racing and never looked back, I outgrew my NTC3 and bought a Serpent710. This is considered by most one of the higher end cars out there since it was designed for racing. To use this in the park to run back and forth is like buying a Triple crown winning horse and using it for kiddie pony rides at the fair ... You won't see it's full potential.

The RS4-3 18SS is good for the park basher. Easy to use and can be taken racing (ask rossb). The NTC3 is nice for ths purpose as well, The RTR plus version gives you the .15 engine. Getting the Factory team kit will cost you more in the beginning but less in the end becuase all of the hopups are already there. If purchased seperatel, the hopups are considerably more.

Please be more specific in your questions. Asking what is the best will only get you a bombardment of answers making you even more confused. Also, be specific with your r/c experience so a proper answer can be given. BE HONEST or you'll just get yourself into more trouble.
 
Well I may be selling my NTC3 if you are interested. PM me if you are interested.
 
Didn't you just get that NTC3?!?
 
Yeah I did and someone locally traded me a Team version for some stuff I had laying in the garage and I no longer need that one. funny how things work..
 
Meaning if I sold you my racing version, you would get rid of the team version you have as well? (only thing original on it are a couple of screws, LOL)
 
No I have not raced it yet. Need to get my driving up to par with the times. THe Team is really what I want.
 
you need state how you are going to use the car. for strictly racing, you need to look into what is best suited to your driving and suspension tuning skills. for engine, you have to choose what is best suited for the track type (technical, fast, etc). for your first on-road car i would get a use NTC3. you should then purchase a good FM radio and servo's. once you feel that you want a higher-end car, you can swap out the electronics. there are many used NTC3's available over the internet.
 
I'm there with s10ge1n. I have an RS4-3 SS 12 with a synthe FM Tx and upgraded Rx, servos. If I stick with road racing I will swap the electronics into an R40 or a V One RRR. I also have a TC4, but that is electric. Sucker handles, though. Nice and low CG.
 
it's good to see someone who appreciates the dexterity of electric touring cars. Revo, you should check out the pictures of my XRay T1FK05 in the electric forum. The car is just awesome.
 
Thanks all. And to answer your questions:
No, i am not a total "noob" to nitro rc, i own a 1/8 mayhem with a picco .27
Yes, i am a MAJOR noob to on road.
Also, i know my questions where very broad and i made them that way so i could get all of your opinions
I would be mainly "bashing" with my car (is it possible to bash with on-road?, lol)
i like the looks of the Serpent 710 because of the positioning of the main components.
 
Thanks all. And to answer your questions:
No, i am not a total "noob" to nitro rc, i own a 1/8 mayhem with a picco .27
Yes, i am a MAJOR noob to on road.
Also, i know my questions where very broad and i made them that way so i could get all of your opinions
I would be mainly "bashing" with my car (is it possible to bash with on-road?, lol)
i like the looks of the Serpent 710 because of the positioning of the main components.(The gas tank is in the center also the engine is mounted so that the syntrifical force dosent come into play with the car)

Also, what do you guys think of the ntc3? Team Associated is a great company and i have had great relationships with them with other vehicles.

Thanks so much for the input,

-Ice
 
Ice said:
i like the looks of the Serpent 710 because of the positioning of the main components.(The gas tank is in the center also the engine is mounted so that the syntrifical force dosent come into play with the car)

Also, what do you guys think of the ntc3? Team Associated is a great company and i have had great relationships with them with other vehicles.

Thanks so much for the input,

-Ice

Well, if you want the S710 that's up to you. I just know that running it in the park will not use the full potential of the car. That car will give you headaches with all the setting configurations that are possible. More bad outcome than good till you get it handeling correctly. But as I said, that's your choice.

I have both the NTC3 and the S710. The 710 is the racer and only sees the track. The NTC3 started off as a park runner then when I got into racing, it was easily converted to a racer with a few adjustments.

The NTC3 is a very capable car. It will grow with the begginer racer up to a point. I have almost every upgrade possible for my NTC3 (version 1 turned version 2 with upgraded parts) short of titanium parts and cf. The only thing original on the car are a few screws.

I love my NTC3 but sadly, it's for sale. I don't bash anymore. I do all my running at the track, except for a few times when I have to tes something out and run to a local spot. I would recomend this car to anyone. The catory team version is the way to go. Don't skimp on the engine and/or Electronics. This is a fairly heavy car and needs a high torque engine to really get her moving well.
 
Thanks guys, looks like the NtC3 or The RS4, these seem like the cars that most people have meaning that there are more parts avalable where as the 710 would be a challenge to find parts for althoe i still like the overall desighn...Anyway what kinda speeds are these cars reaching with the rtr package? (i know this is a noob question but if i get an on-road car it has to go faster than my mayhem). Thanks again,

-Ice
 
I am not sure how fast a stock TC3 RTR goes.

The RS4 RTR EVO with the .15 motor is supposed to go about 45 MPH. The RS4 18ss kit with the bigger motor is supposed to go mid 50s and it accelerates very hard. The 18ss should easily break 60 MPH with a gearing change and still accelerate hard. The 18ss motor is strong. I've run mine in organized racing in both ROAR and Outlaw classes and I've yet to see any motor pull away from me on the back straight. I run the stock pipe, stock gearing, stock plug, 20% O'Donnell, and a Motorsaver filter. The only motor I would fear is the O.S. 18 TZ Turbo. That motor is bad ass.

I would highly recommend a kit over any RTR. The belt cars like a Serpent 710, MX-3, or an R40 offer a better CG than the shaft cars like the TC3 and the RS4. The belt cars mount the fuel tank, receiver, and battery pack right in the center of the car. These are fairly heavy parts on the car and having them in the center gives a better CG. The shaft cars have the shaft running down the center so the tank, Rx, and battery are on the sides.

The shaft cars are better for casual parking lot running. The belt cars are better for organized racing on groomed tracks. With that being said, there is no reason why you can’t be fairly successful in organized racing with a shaft car. Most people drive like nuts on the track and they end up crashing and burning. Run a smooth line at a decent pace, keep off the boards, let the crazy fast people pass when you see them coming up from behind, finish the race, and you should be in 3rd or 4th place. With a few mods an RS4 or a TC3 should be pretty good but I would not expect to beat the really good drivers with the Pro level belt cars.

I bought my RS4 18ss because I planned to mostly run it around in parking lots with my Savage. I quickly found out that running a TC in a parking lot was not fun for me. I think that running on a track is much cooler. When running in parking lots you will go through tires at an alarming rate, rocks will send your car airborne, and pebbles seem to work their way up into the transmission gears (thus damaging them). Rubber tires suck big time, foam is the only way to go.
 
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