gschofield

Hey guys, I know you might be inclined to give a biased opinion, but I'm looking to make the Nitro Vee my next R/C purchase. I am quite familiar (I'd like to think skilled) in the R/C truck and buggy hobby. I have a T-maxx, Revo, and Jato, as well as some home built kits, plus I bought a Himoto truck. My question is on the stock performance of the NitroVee. Out of th ebox is this thing impressive? I know the other traxxas models I have blow any RTR's out of the water so to speak at my locas tracks, but what about the boat? Does it obviously kill most electric boats or shoul dI be looking somewhere else? I'm pretty good at tuning so that's not a woryr, but th eonly rc boat I have is an old electric I got when I was about 12. Any ideas would be helpful, I want something that is fast. The traxxas catalog says 20 mph...that seems a bit slow. Anyways, let me know.

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

well as for outta the box its ok, but if you read what vertical and i have done to our boats then you should get about 25-30 outta it. more like 25 then 30. but hey if your good at modding then take heed on what we say in this forum....good luck and have fun
[8D]

gschofield

what's the deal with all these guys claiming their boats do 50-60...I know they are modded but to triple the speeds there has to be something different, are their boats faster off that bat. I even read something that I'm sure you have as well about guys getting 100+ outta their boats. Anyways, thanks for the help.

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

sure they are getting that speed but not with a .15 size engine. they move up to higher engines....

gschofield

well obviously, just wondered if it was a big price jump. I know it will be substantial but basically what I guess I'm getting at is is the nitro vee easily upgradeab;e ie: lots of aftermarket upgrade parts that are still reliable

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

you can do the mods yourself also think about goin with the trx 2.5 engine they just came out with

gschofield

yah that's the motor I have with the jato and t-maxx...does it come from the factor with one?

Vertical3-D

My Feedback: (20)

yeah, a 2.5 will boost the speeds. 30 should be easilyt achievable with that motor, but your tacking more than 100 bucks onto the cost of the boat to do that, mine does like 25-30 like NITRO_VEEDRIVER said but it has a bunch of mods done, if you want something to mod on its a decent choice. a big consideration though will be were you plan on running your boat, size of the area along with water conditions, nitro vees are heavy and a deep vee hull so the handle rough water well, and also the steerable outdrive helps handling in rough conditions, one thing that id suggest is putting on dual aftermarket turn fins though, I have yet to do this but I have spun out my boat several times(it scares me every time i think its gonna flip) so if you get one go easy on the steering till you learn what it will and wont do, prop upgrade is a must on this boat though...if you want proof of rough water ability I have run mine in 20mph winds before, like 3-4 inch chop(when the boats only that tall thats alot) only problem it had was it caught wind under the bow and up and over it went, drifted in and took on very little water, also when right side up the RTS system works perfectly...now another thing is speedc on land and speed on water are two different things, if you havent drivin any boat that does over 12-15(which is most electric stockers) then 25-30 will seem like alot, 60mph is alot, race boats do over that, but for a new driver thats a bit much to handle. my boats heavy and at 25 if i hit a small decent sized wave it launches...so basically its a good sport boat after a few simple mods, its heavy, stable and turns well...a cen aquajet is also a nice boat, but its a shallower vee to the hull and has a regular surface drive and rudder, I have heard that they run rough in breakin but after that run nicely....so really its up to you. I baught my boat used for 160 bucks, cant beat that...so Id say check the market place or ebay...if buying new tower carries the nitro vee and www.offshoreelectrics.com has the cen boats...hope that helps you out...when I get a different boat in a year or so Im personally gonna look into the aquajet with a .18 motor in it, nitro vees do reach a limit at round 30mph with the pro .15 and id say round 40 with the 2.5 motor, but at that point youd need trim tabs and spin fins for sure...

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

well put. i couldnt have siad it better myself[8D]

jimbat10

It's been awhile since I wrote,it's to cold out to run.Does it matter how cold it is to run your nitro vee? I've been reseaching the nitro vee.Everyone who actually runs them has cooling problems.Use 4mm inside dia. water pickup and line and exit it out the side is most common answer. The prop. kit is a must everyone says. I ordered mine from offshore electrics,it was in my mailbox 2 days later.I havent got to try it yet.Anyone buying a new nitro vee should paint the inside of the hull with nitro tough paint,this will save big problems later as nitro fuel ruins ABS.I also got these cool fuel line clips from Du-Bro RC,way better than zip ties,easier too.They also came in the mail in like 2 days.I think I'm done with the smarta** at the hobby shop.

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

well there ya have it. get goin on the mods and have fun when you do get to the lake or pond. [8D]

porkchopp71

Hello Vertical3-d and nitro_veedriver!I just got a nitro vee and love it!Thank you both for all the great info on modding the boat.Will get some pics up soon my nitro vee is stock right now,but im ordering the x440 prop kit.Have anyone heard of the "boat buddy",it hooks up to your water intake and to your garden hose so you can run your boat out of water? I saw it on ebay but not there anymore.How hard is it to put in x440 prop conversion kit?Hope to here from you all and really like y'alls boats.

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

its not hard at all. i will let vertical take this one. as mine already had the conversion before i got her. and thank you for the comments on our boats. hope to see more of yours here as well. [8D]

Vertical3-D

My Feedback: (20)

yup ill take it, and as a first note i have decided not to sell my boat, i was looking at it tonight and i cant let it go, i really like driving it, though when i get back from school it may get a 2.5 and we'll take it up a few more levels in here....ok prop kit its an easy install. order one from www.offshoreelectrics.com all thats needed is to grind a flat on the shaft with a rotory tool and i cut the threaded end down so that the bullet nut snugs right up to the prop(you'll understand it when you have the kit in fron tof you), but id suggest going with the version the have with the carbon fiber 40mm prop, its only 14 bucks for the kit, break a prop and its only 7 bucks to replace it(i havent had one problem with the CF prop and its lightly nicked a few small rocks in the pond, not even a dent in it) I am very happy with how mine runs...though sometime soon it will get twin spin fin/trim tab combos, or just maybe fins since i can trim it with the outdrive, but i could then trim the ride with the tabs and set the drive angle for max performance, havent decided yet, I am the only one whos nitro vee(at least that I have seen) has had a race pipe on it, it sounds so sweet rippin down the pond though...I think ill get some new bits for the rotory tool and pull off a perfect port and polish job on it soon also, before my next run, then she'll get out of her own way a little better, and with that the little pro .15 will be about at its max...so maybe ill stick some like 45% nitro in it and see how it likes the hot fuel...well hopefully it warms up so i can get the nitro vee from H*LL out again

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

hey!!!!awesome to hear this decision. you must have heard me from there.....lol anyhow i have a brass prop on mine with nics outta it. but nothing major. will get the rotary tool goin again to solve the problem. as for mine i wont be upgrading to a new engine untill this one blows. then its the 2.5 goin in... i might just go with 35% nitro instead of the 5%. as for a tune pipe. sound good but ....maybe when i get the 2.5 i'll do that...[8D]

Vertical3-D

My Feedback: (20)

wow...just am realizing we are finally gaining a following, seeing as how we are the only ones doing this, also nitro_veedriver if you wouldnt havbe joined in this thread def. woulda died off, hopefully even more ppl find this thread and get into this...

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

its great to be on top of somethings[8D][8D] so far we are doin ok, as like you ,i too hope we get alot more people in this nitrovee spree......i have submitted mine also into traxxas maybe we both will be in the surfers ring. all i see in there are trucks and cars , soon i hope to see our boats dominating the traxxas forum......lol muhwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

porkchopp71

what do you think of the octura x440 prop?Also got the octura stepped stub shaft with tail nut.

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

awesome prop. helps out alot in speed.... [8D]

jimbat10

Questions--Does it matter how cold it is to run your nitro vee?--Can you give me a part # for exhaust pipe?,and what for header will work?I've looked,there are so many,I want something that will bolt up and help preformance.A part #,website to find and order will help me.--As for now I'm with stock exhaust.I'm going to freeze the rubber exhaust tips and ream them to .3 dia.,thats .025 larger than the 7mm upgrade Traxxas sales.I reamed my water pickup .110 I.D. thats as big as I could go with it.My big question is---How exactly do I run water lines if I exit out the side of hull? (using stock exhaust)...Also Vertical 3-D,maybe we could run together sometime,I don't think your to far from Harrisburg.

Vertical3-D

My Feedback: (20)

wow, didnt realize thats where you were, Im about 30 minutes to 45 minutes, bout 10-15 minutes from the frystown exit on 78, I got all my stuff for tower hobbies at the end of this ill post stuff that will work, Im gonna order today fins and a new header I use CVEC exhuast couplers, so ill link that too also from tower...if you still have a cooling problem then you can switch to a brass tube like mine. to run it with the stock pipe and side cooling id say the easiest solution is to put a ahort screw into the muffler where the tap it, then use the t fitting for the water exit to t the now empty fitting on the manifold into the pressure line for the tank, thats how mine is(T'ed together) with the new manifold though I will probablly have to put a pressure tap into the pipe...also to high flow your exhuast you can pull the ends off and remove one or both of the baffle cones inside, though you'll have to richen the setting after this as back pressure will lessen alot(I have the baffle out of my nitro 4-tec,ported and polished, and it absolutly flew, though one time it backfired, i ahve never seen that happen before, shot a blue flame out of the pipe about 3 inches long, it looked sikk)...anyway heres the links, im off to port polish and run on this beautiful day...will report back...[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXBYH5&P=7]coupler[/link]...[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXZ557&P=ML]tuned pipe[/link]...[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJM08&P=0]manifold[/link]...wait till i try and fit that manifold, i dunno yet how that will work out, anyway, im out, later...

jimbat10

Wow,I just left Towers website.I ordered a whole new motor.I ordered a O S .18 marine,MAC header,MAC tuned exhaust.I hope all fits well as I didn't take the time to check dims.,I just ordered before I changed my mind.I'll probley have to find a starter I doubt if the electric starter will fit(that would be to good)I'll try it before I buy another. Any susjustions? I also ordered spin fins and trim tabs from offshoreelectrics.I plan on setting it up like the Shockwave.----Anyone interested in a Traxxas TRX Pro-15 marine engine with less than a gallon of nitro ran through it?----I'll check back later.THANK YOU for all your help.I plan on *****g my Vee.

Vertical3-D

My Feedback: (20)

I sure hope you ordered the .18 with the pullstart on it, because otherwise you'll need to find/probablly machine a flywheel that will fit that clutch and uses a starter belt. otherwise just use the pullstart...I prolly will drop in a 2.5 if i switch, not for a year or so though, I didnt drive mine today then, it got really windy, last time it was windy i flipped it, I did however port and polish the sleeve, put it back together and it fired right up and sounds real healthy, I want traxxas to release the new trx 3.3 in a marine version, then Id have a winner of a boat, I did consider and O.S. >18 but I cant blow that kind of money on r/c stuff at the moment. or when i get back from school(i leave in april) I'll mod it for real and drop in an O.S. .21, thatd be a beast for sure, then itd do 40-50mph...we'll see how it runs with the port and polish though first, my 4-tec used to light all four wheels up when it was set up that way...I also put in wanna-be guide ports will I was radiusing the edges on the transfer ports, and did the normal angling on the the lower edge of the boost port...so Ill see how that does...

jimbat10

Nope,I got the one without pullstart,thinking I might be able to use the traxxas electric starter. So you say you don't think that will work?Dude I don't know a thing about it.I figured if that ele. starter didn't work,I could order a pull start kit or one of those cordless drill start kits can't I??

Vertical3-D

My Feedback: (20)

im not sure, see engines with starters on the back have a little pin on the crank that keys into the starting shaft that sticks out the rear of the engine, I believe tiger drives and such are ment as replacements for pullstarts though I have yet to see an O.S. apart, heres what id do, when it gets there dont touch it, post a new thread bout this question and let some of the ppl with expeirience in these motors help you out, worst case you send it back to tower and exchange it(the pullstart one cost a little more though) but thats what I'd do, Id hate to see you end up struggling with getting it to work, I work at a machine shop and could make a flywheel for a belt start if I choose too, but I'd hate that due to the fact youd then need a heavy battery, heavy airplane starter, and have to worry bout haveing starter belts in the boat, so thats what I'd do, your moving into uncharted teritory, I personally like pushing the to stock pro.15 motors to there limits, they can be a little screamer if they are tweaked right, I may get a quart of like 45% nitro and see how it likes that, and if it blows it blows and I'll drop in a bigger motor in a year or so...I am really interested to see what kinda speed you get, If we do ever rund together Ill try and remember to bring my GPS with, its a tight fit under the hatch but I have had it in there before, though the boat was way outta tune that day and I wasnt using the whole pond for runs gaining me a pitiful 21mph reading, but I have seen the boat go alot faster than that when tuned right and really running out all the way, Ill try it again next time I go, maybe tomorrow if temps are good, It started in like 2 cranks after I ported and polished it...anyway hopefully I helped a little, like I said your kinda into new territory, thats what this whole threads about though, feeling these boats out to gain max performance from them, they have come a long way thgrough our modding so your engine swap is another and the next huge step in the process... Ill have to ditch a bunch of wieght and run some hot fuel to keep up with your .18 if you were running 10%nitro, its gonna be wicked fast...and O.S. are very nice running reliable engines, I have a .32 in my heli and its so sweet and smooth...anyway if you have any other questions I can try and help best I can...hope to here more on your modding soon...and I wanna see how those fins help out,