Foo - Is anyone into offroad nitro RC cars?

Just have a few questions.

Just to start, are they actually as fun as they look?


I apologize in advance for being a nerd.

I used to race electric and some nitro back in the mid 90's but nitro wasn't as refined as it is now.

I still have my old cars as well as new. My Traxxas T-Max 3.3 is on bad***** truck. They are fun and they are expensive> This is one hobby I would not suggest getting into by buying a used untested car or truck. Typical the nitro engines have a limited life and can be cut very short by abuse. Most Nitro cars come RTR (ready to run) so you don't have to mess with the assemble of them as it can be very complex. However the engines do need to go through a proper break in stage, you will get a DVD with you truck or car on how to do this. Be ready to buy spares of everything from tires to spur gears, while the individual parts are all that much, their are just so many of them.

I used to race electric and some nitro back in the mid 90's but nitro wasn't as refined as it is now.

I still have my old cars as well as new. My Traxxas T-Max 3.3 is on bad***** truck. They are fun and they are expensive> This is one hobby I would not suggest getting into by buying a used untested car or truck. Typical the nitro engines have a limited life and can be cut very short by abuse. Most Nitro cars come RTR (ready to run) so you don't have to mess with the assemble of them as it can be very complex. However the engines do need to go through a proper break in stage, you will get a DVD with you truck or car on how to do this. Be ready to buy spares of everything from tires to spur gears, while the individual parts are all that much, their are just so many of them.

Are electrics alot simpler i assume? I was just talkin to another guy on a different forum who has had his electric for years and hasnt done anything to it.

I bought a Factory Team RC10GT the day it came out, but quit racing it a year later and haven't touched my RC cars since.

OK I lied, I took out my E-Maxx (original) a month ago and it was awesome, but not the same as when I was sponsored by Associated.

I guess im a sellout and want the "real thing", an nitro car, is this a just desire or is it absurd and electrics 10x better?

http://www.projdm.com/assocciated-mgt-4-60-r-c-nitro-gas-truck-HI6101_3977_15640.html

Thoughts on this?

Are electrics alot simpler i assume? I was just talkin to another guy on a different forum who has had his electric for years and hasnt done anything to it.

They can be, depending on the car. I enjoy nitro over electric since I don't have to wait for my batteries to charge and maintain multi packs. I primarily raced electric off road and had a blast, the fun factor with nitro is about 100 times that over electric but the cost and maintenance of nitro is goes up as well. I'm not trying to discourage you from nitro but rather give you a realistic view. There are times I have parked them just so I would spend any more money on them. It is addicting, adding mods, custom bodies and such.

Enjoy

I bought a Factory Team RC10GT the day it came out, but quit racing it a year later and haven't touched my RC cars since.

OK I lied, I took out my E-Maxx (original) a month ago and it was awesome, but not the same as when I was sponsored by Associated.

I have an RC10GT and that is crazy fast truck, I have always like the Team Associated products.

I guess im a sellout and want the "real thing", an nitro car, is this a just desire or is it absurd and electrics 10x better?

http://www.projdm.com/assocciated-mgt-4-60-r-c-nitro-gas-truck-HI6101_3977_15640.html

Thoughts on this?

For few more bucks you can get a T-Maxx 2.5 (http://www.ehobbies.com/tra4910.html?utm_source=tra4910&utm_medium=shopping%2Bengine&utm_campaign=froogle). You can upgrade to a 3.3 engine latter, parts and mods for the T-maxx are everywhere and easy to get. Traxxas also has a very good engine exchange program for upgrades and replacements.

The truck you listed, I don't know anthing about and may be difficult to get replacement and upgrade parts for it.

How about the HPI firestorm 10t?

http://www.ehobbies.com/hpi10510.html?utm_source=hpi10510&utm_medium=shopping%2Bengine&utm_campaign=froogle


390 + parts and other neccesaries would be too much for me.


I hate to keep bothering you guys but you have been a lot more helpful then the guys on the RC forum.

or possibly the traxxas jato 3.3, (thats the one i want, i just have to make it work financially)

DEFINETLY going for the jato 3.3, after watching vids of that thing on the tube i am just blown away by its power for the price (and im apparently not the only one its a very popular car) so the way i have it worked out is that im going to grab a job at a supermarket for about 2-3 weeks and get a few spare bucks.


thread over

I have had nitro truck and electric buggies (just sold all my stuff) and I really prefer the electric. With the new brushless setups and LiPo batteries electric is far superior in every respect.

If your gonna use it there awesome. I ran electrics at first. then around 23 went to nitro. I bought a ready to rur. Everyone said it was a POS. But I had fun with it, and learned alot ( like, buy ALOT of glow plugs) You'll burn through a few breaking in your engine. But I can't wait to buy another. I would go assosciated or hpi now...

hhehe ... turns back the time... Grasshopper, Rc10,Jrx Pro, Team Losi, Big Foot...it was expensive hobby
I got out of it once i started to drive real cars an started to Modd them, but now im still modding real carz..

I have had nitro truck and electric buggies (just sold all my stuff) and I really prefer the electric. With the new brushless setups and LiPo batteries electric is far superior in every respect.

For everything within 100 bucks of the jato that is electric, the jato beats it all, the electrics have a little bit better acceleration and top speed, but in a speed race the jato wins every time, also I hate charging batteries.

I know what glow plugs do, but whats the general deal with them? do they break all the time? is there some alternative?

It's not that they break all the time. But on a new engine, you may go through two or three the first day breaking the engine in. You have to preheat them with a glow stick when starting the engine ( kind of like a diesel truck. But after the first few runs they last for a decent amount of time. Your local hobby shop can explain everything in detail. I think nitro cars are fun. I had a blast with mine, you should do it.:thumb:

Glow stick? Glow plugs? Starters? what else is there aside from the car itself that i need on this order?

I dont have an RC car shop in my area :(

I used to race electrics trucks and buggies indoors on carpet every weekend. That was alot of fun, clean, setup and driving style end up being very important.

I raced outdoors sometimes too, it was much easier. I've owned 2 XXX-NTs, fun trucks but nitro is just a pain really unless you're racing. Stick with electric to start, its one less thing to have to worry about

here's one of them
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/mx416/DSCF2138.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/mx416/DSCF2144.jpg

here's the other, prepped for some outdoor road racing with foams
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/mx416/2007-05-09-0916-16.jpg

Glow stick? Glow plugs? Starters? what else is there aside from the car itself that i need on this order?

I dont have an RC car shop in my area :(

Check out www.rccartips.com that will show you what you need.....by the way, noticed the lacrosse tag in your sig, nice..goalie here:thumb:

Check out www.rccartips.com that will show you what you need.....by the way, noticed the lacrosse tag in your sig, nice..goalie here:thumb:

:thumb: cool, defensemen here, there is talk of throwing me in goal next year for my varsity team, since i played like 3 years in rec.

My brother was a goalie though.

I play a little D as well, but love the cage......i'm a glutton for punishment.....