phenix_racing

i have been running nitro my whole rc life and i love them but i want to get something big so i can stomp some people.
could you guys tell me what the cheapest 1/5 rc would be. also is the baja 5b ss worth the money

looker2756

Because of parts availability & the cost I would say the 5b SS is best choice. Ther are others that cost a bit less, but honestly are not of the same overall quality. There are also several stages more in cost as well. With some of the most awesome vehicles on the planet. Such as MCD's & Competition level FG, Horman, & other european brand vehicles. It is definitely worth switching for though. Once you go 1/5 scale, You'll sell off the nitro stuff. That much better !

sheograth

The Baja 5B SS or RTR is an excellent choice. The quality is top notch, holds its own against models that cost far more. Parts are plentiful and affordable. I'd also recommend any of the vehicles made by FG, they're excellent as well but cost much more and the parts availability can be an issue. Smartech makes good vehicles as well, a lot of people on these forums are very biased towards them, but their vehicles are NOT clones, are affordable, and very fun to drive. All said and done I would still recommend the Baja SS, high quality for a low price.

mopar jake

baja is the best out of box 1/5 scale period

Cal-Torque

IF you want 2WD.

kenazzo2000

this is my new 1/5 on road car its an fs 1/5 4 wd havent tried it yet but it looks good

tizdaz

thats not really going to help the guy. Explain your reasons!?

FG monsters out the box need around £30 ontop to make them bashable (when i say bashable i mean pretty big air & tough) if your not gunna be doing big air/major bashing then FG's out the box are a fine... excpet maybe £5 for a steel pinion

ive literally just came back from delamere forest & i friend brought his Baja SS. We went the usual bashing spot but this was the 1st time my friend came with his baja. Hes using a tuned pipe & stock wheels/tires) ...i have to say i was impressed (although its not the 1st time ive seen a baja in action as ive seen them at a largescale track i went to last year) but the one thing myself & himself noticed was there was very little control/grip! All the weight seemed to be on the back end & just a touch of the throttle made the wheels spin & he could not keep her in a straight line, neddless to say this made jumping on the rhythms/table tops almost impossible as he could never get a straight line.

Like i say he using stock wheels/tires but he has some prolines (i think thats what they are?) hes gunna put on for nex tweek ..so im sure that will make a difference. So if your going to be using it in loose terrain & need good control for take off's ..the baja isnt the best out of the box as you will need better tires at least.

Other than this the baja SS seemed VERY fast & powerful (infact i was suprised on how much more powerful it is compared to the standard Baja).. altho the tuned pipe was probably half the problem with the spining & lack of control.. As nice as power is.. it seems on the Baja SS all it seems to do is make it spin out of control? I've never had this prob with my FG MB Pro [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHekSxZzOH8]see my vid here[/link] as you can see i have no problems getting speed up & I can get the line no problems & im always in control (unless i mess up ofc!!).. when i get the vid off my mate of his baja today i will show you what i mean by the Baja SS being impossible to jump where we were due to the power. Also my FG doesnt have a tuned pipe (yet) but with the weight on FG monsters being alot more even im pretty sure control wont be too much of a problem.

But i will add on the way back he had much more control becuase we were on hard gravel whereas at the jump area it was more loose mud/forest ground.

So what im saying is.. ALL lines of models are good "out of the box" it just depends how you want to drive them, (& depending on your driving style..some will need more £ spent on them than others to make them strong enough for the job) but if your going to be using a baja ss on loose ground you definately need better tires (such as the prolines) If you want to bash your FG you definately need steel pinion & alloy carrier.

Both need there upgrades (out of the box) depending on your driving style. But if your one of these who just like to rip up fields both will be just as good as each other "out of the box" so choose the one you prefer the style of

on a side note..i was gutted today cuz my MB didnt run (damn electrics!!)

Briansshop

Same story you've heard before,I used to have 3 nitros,but after my first Baja a sold 2 of them so I could pick up an SS. The 2 WD Baja is way different to drive than a 4x4 nitro. Takes more skill for sure.The bottom line is,once I got a Baja, the nitro stuff was just sitting collecting dust.

phenix_racing

i do have this burning question. i know the baja 5b ss is a lot cheaper than the rtr version but. how hard is it to build the thing. i think if i build it. then go to start it up something will go wrong. on tower i can get it for like $875 because i have a gift card and some discounts.


is it hard. or are the instruction clear and labeled.

Foxy

If you've built other RCs or tore them down completely and rebuilt them, this will be no harder. HPI's instructions are always very good, so no worries there.

Briansshop

Very easy build,great instructions. The SS is the way to go,it's much better that the RTR.

billzkustomz

its cheaper because it has no throttle servo or radio equipment

Briansshop

Yea, that and because you build it. But it has better shocks,steering servo,pipe,diff,and a bigger engine.

billzkustomz

the pipe it comes with is still garbage.. and the steering servos only difference is it has metal gears.. find a used rtr and install a stroker kit and get the diff cases and your set without even having to build anything..

billzkustomz

if anyone wants a ss pipe.. lmk i got one for sale

Briansshop

I didn't say it was top drawer stuff,but better is better. I have both and if I could do it again,I'd get two SSs.Most of the stuff is going to get upgraded but why not start w/the one that's cheaper and better. Building it can be done in a couple of evenings.

phenix_racing

alright now i am really pumped for it. about the radios i have a spektrum on the way so i am set with that. how much bigger is the engine.
also do you have to break in the car and use after run oil. also is there differential and tranny maintenance. will the needle settings hold the same tune for a while or what. also should i buy a receiver pack.



is it worth the money

Briansshop

Dude, my answer is obvious,I have 2! If you've been only doing nitro you're won't believe how easy a gas motor is! Pull the cord and GO! No roto starter,no glow driver,40 min run time on one tank of fuel.Set the needles and pretty much forget about em.No break in.No after run oil. 3 $ a gal for fuel.You got some clutch,spur gear,diff, and cups & dogbone maintenace you'll have to do.

Oh yea, the RTR has a 23cc motor,26cc in the SS.Doesn't seem like much but it makes a diff.You'll want to go bigger anyway,my RTR has a 30.5cc in it.

Cal-Torque

I don't agree. You just have to get used to it. It's not really more skill...just different.
I had FGs a few years ago, and hated them because of the traction loss. Hit the power band, and you can't go anywhere.
That being said, Baja seems to be the way to go as a first 1/5...just for parts availability.
For me, I waited for a decent, affordable 4wd before trying gas again.

badz

My Feedback: (1)

Everything you're asking is in the owners manual. Buy one, you won't regret it. No it don't need break in, no you don't use after run oil, yes the needles hold settings, and yes you'll need a reciever.

Foxy

Yes, it's worth the money. The engine is MUCH bigger. The Savage for example has 4.6cc, the Baja has 23cc (SS has 26cc), the increase in torque is phenomenal. There is no break in to speak of, just take it easy on the first tank, then on the second tank, you tune the needles (30 seconds usually) and let it rip. The tune will be kept pretty much forever, and it's not like the car won't start if it gets out of tune like a nitro, it'll run fine when fat, not so well if it's lean, but usually, it's just 1/10th of a turn on each needle and you're done. There is no real diff maintenance unless you chew it to bits with a really strong engine, and even then it will take a VERY long time before it's destroyed. The diffs are filled 55% with silicone, just like nitros, and yes, you should buy the HPI 3000mAh Nimh receiver pck from HPI, as it has the handy charge lead on it. The radio box is designed so that the charge lead is always accessible, you do not have to remove the batery to charge it, it's a very nice feature that.

wan6176

i like building it where u learn begins.

phenix_racing

alright i am set for it just got to get a little more money though. you giant scale guys are very helpful thanks a lot. i think it will be easy to build because my savage's instructions are top notch so the baja's wont be any different. i always maintain my savage so i am looking forward to getting this thing going

Briansshop

OK, then it's different. It takes more throttle control,and more steering control. A 4x4 will pretty much go wherever you point it whereas a 2wd w/alot of power will swap ends on you before you can react if you're not paying attention. Have you driven both? I had a Savage and a Hellfire and my Baja w/the 30.5 engine is much more of a handfull to get anound my track at a fast pace. So like you said,different!

Cal-Torque

As per my post, I had FGs...a Marder and an MT5.
I'll agree to disagree. I didn't find it difficult to wheel; I just didn't like it compared to 4wd.
The other think that I really disliked is how they jumped (or didn't jump). The weight distribution doesn't lend itself to a balanced jump, and you can't control in the air like 4wd.