New selection

[Nitro Nerd]

I think I'm going to ask Santa Claus for a new buggy.

I've narrowed my list down to four.

Do any of you own one of the following? If so, I'd LOVE your feedback.

XRay XB808: I've never owned an XRay, and everyone raves about what a great build they are. I'm very interested in this design. XRay's North America office is HQ'd a few miles from my house. Our track has some factory drivers, so XRay very well supported in our racing scene.

Serpent S811B: The specs are probably top of the 1/8 nitro class. This buggy looks like a freakin' menace. They are fluid, tough as anything out there, and I salivate over all the quality parts that make up this buggy.


VP-Pro Intech BR-6: It shares much of the same design as the Mugen MBX series, which means it is a bad-ass buggy. However, I drive a Mugen already, and I like to try a different designs and compare. I am, very concerned about parts availability...not mainstream like the others.

Kyosho MP9 TK13. These are the most impressive buggies I've seen on the track (and it is most popular buggy at our track). While money is not an issue with my selection, not sure if that extra $250-$350 would be better spent on upgrading one of the above. Still, these buggies make me stop down and say "wow".

The buggy I select will be stricly for 1/8 Nitro Racing and driven by me. I am a bad driver, but love building quality machines.

 

[ozziii]

Have you had a look at the JQ Products buggies, "THE Car" is a very capable buggy & very tuff, probably close to the strongest of the lot IMO. The JQ Product company is always testing & improving things & releasing new products & upgrades to make the cars even better & the latest upgrades with new wide chassis, new steering ackerman & the new radio tray set up have produced an even better handling buggy with the strength to match.
One of the best things about JQ Products is the customer service, it is the best in the business, mainly because the company owner & car designer, Joseph Quagraine, is a racer just like the rest of us, he was also a sponsored driver but then decided to build a buggy the way it should be, thats why its so strong & why he is always testing & improving.
I think this buggy will have a big future & if it was in the hands of some of the worlds top drivers then you would see it on the podium at the bigger races, but JQ don't have the funds of the big companies to pay top level drivers, he did steer the buggy to a 6th place at the NEO 13 race though in both nitro & electric, against the best in the world.
The JQ Buggies & parts are also cheaper than virtually all others which means you get more for your money & thats always a good thing & if there is a problem you can get on facebook or the RC-Tech forum & speak directly with JQ himself or team manager Ilias & they will help you out. I went with JQ buggies & I'm glad I did, it will take an awful lot for me to change to another brand, if I did then it would be Mugen.

 

[Nitro Nerd]

Yes, I'm familiar with JQ and have driven one. I know a few guys that have one (although they are not completely thrilled with them - but they can compete for sure). In fact, I came very close to getting my son one when he started racing...but we opted for the Losi 8ight 2.0 (which has been a great buggy too). I drive Mugen, and absolutely love it. I've only got 2 gallons through it, but they've been 2 hard gallons (I crash a lot), and nothing - I repeat nothing - has broken on it yet. I saw the pic of your JQ in the previous post. It looks mean!! Here's one back at ya! ;-)

 

[ozziii]

Yeah the JQ are good buggies but they can take a bit to get the setup right as they can be pretty twitchy with the narrow chassis, the new wide chassis does make the car more stable & easier to drive though so your friends should try it out.
I really like the Mugens, great buggies for sure, & if I didn't have the JQ then it would be the MBX7, I also like the pivot ball suspension to.
I have wanted a truggy for a while & JQ Products don't do a truggy so if I do get one then it will be a Mugen, but unfortunately over here in Australia the truggy racing classes have slowly been getting lower in numbers so I will probably just go with an electric JQ 1/8 Buggy so I can race two classes. Our RC racing scene is alot smaller than the U.S, we have a similar sized country but only abit over 20mil in population & everything is spread right out, it can be a long drive just to race.

 

[Nitro Nerd]

Cool. I know 1/8 nitro racing is alive and well where live, and am very appreciative and fortunate to live close to a thriving track (it's stating to host regional races now).

One thing about JQ that I also really like is this:
http://jq-products.com/the-news/43-the-testing/160-the-guide

I'm sure you've read it, and for anyone else - it's a good read. They took the time to show people how to find their preferred setup.

 

[ozziii]

I'm moving house shortly & luckily enough where I'm going will put me with in 1.5 hours drive of a couple of good tracks & 2 hours from another one so more racing will be available. We have a good amount of racing here but its just spread out a fair bit so travel time can be a bit much. Australia isn't much smaller than the U.S, just alot less people,lol.

THE Guide from JQ is pretty good, & also Set up Talk but thats mainly to do with THE Car.
http://jq-products.com/the-home/37-the-story/332-thecar-yellow-edition-setup-talk

Alot of people run Mugen & kyosho over here so it will be good to get to a few tracks & test the JQ Buggy against them.

 

[Nitro Nerd]

At a certain point, these race buggies can become homogeneous. Durability, parts availability, and tuning options (in that order) are--to me--the most important factors. It's also important to find one that suits your driving style, because there are subtleties among the makes (AE being sensitive, Mugen more linear and forgiving, TLR aggressive, etc.). My son (who's 13) races Losi, and he cannot drive my Mugen very well, and vice-versa (eh, I can't drive my Mugen very well either - that's another story). ;-)

He's a good driver because he's consistent, whereas I drive like a bat out of hell. He's always telling me "slow is fast" (something I'm working on).

In the end, it's about getting that feel for the car. As noted, I only have about 2 gallons through my Mugen, so still trying to become more consistent before too many setup changes. With something like my Losi 810 (which if you can believe is my favorite car), I can feel the most subtle changes--lower the rear upper link and I'll easily feel the roll center, etc.

This is one reason why I like to try different makes (instead of being only Mugen, or only Hot Bodies, etc.). Let us know how The Car does on the track. As noted I have a good friend who raced one for a few seasons. He modded the crap out of it (especially the gearing)...but it he did well, and The Car was as competive as any buggy out there!

p.s. What engine/clutch setup are you running? Thx