NathanMarks

Hey guys,

I am completely new to RC cars and just wanted to ask one quick question that i'm sure will be easy to answer.

I want to build up my first car from scratch, as that part of it is more than half the interest I have in RC cars, it'd be no fun to buy a prebuilt one for me.

But what I need to know is, what do I need to buy to have everything I need to make a fully functional nitro powered RC car?


Thankyou


-Nathan Marks

Foxy

Depends on brand. The best tip I can give you is to select a car first, then download the manual from the website of the manufacturer, in the first few pages it will tell you exactly what you need. Here is a short list of stuff it's good to have...

Needle nose pliers
Heavy duty pliers
Accurate calipers
Good set of Hex wrenches
Good set of screwdrivers
Threadlock (blue NOT RED!!)
CA (Superglue)
Grease
Machine oil (bearing oil)
Side cutters
Large (stanley type) knife
Small scalpel type knife
Heavy duty scissors
Curved body scissors
Reamer
Tweezers
Dremel
Sandpaper
Flywheel tool (ask your LHS)
Sticky pads (like the ones they stick posters up with)
Sticky velcro

This may sound like a lot, but most of it is stuff you should have around anyway if you have an interest in building stuff. Good kits use hex hardware (with very few exceptions), so the good set of hex wrenches is absolutely the MOST important thing and worth spending money on. HUDY make the best RC tools, if you can get a set of their hex wrenches you will be well covered. If you take one of the cheaper kits, it will probably be mostly philips screws and the hex wrenches will be less important (only the engines ALWAYS use hex). Allen keys will NOT do. I can't stress enough the importance of good hex tools.

[X(] Nearly forgot the glowplug wrench! Also known as a cross wrench. An adjustable spanner (small) is useful too. And a 7mm nut driver if it's not on the cross wrench (it usually is).

NathanMarks

I have most the tools/equipment needed already due to my profession

Alright, I'll go find a car and download the manual, thanks for the help!

NathanMarks

Oh and, where can you suggest are good places to find a car to start with?

Foxy

Ah, I love this conversation...1st decision you need to make is budget (be flexible!!). 2nd decision is off or on road. 3rd decision is racing or bashing only. I race in 3 different classes at the moment, it's a bit crazy. Let me know what you are thinking thus far and we'll take it from there.

NathanMarks

Haha, well, budget isn't too much of an issue for me fortunately, but i'd like to avoid the most expensive stuff since i'm just starting out and don't want to splash out too much before I get really into it.

If I need to though I will (if its worth it).

On road, definately. I don't know what you mean by bashing, but I don't plan on it by the sound of it and hope to take part in some racing at some point.

Foxy

Well, you're in a difficult bracket then. You could go for a shaft driven club racer like an HPI RS4 18SS, or a Team Associated Nitro TC3 Factory Team kit, but hese are by no means track weapons. If you go for a pro car, you will not be able to 'bash' with it (bashing is defined as driving up and down in streets and parking lots aimlessly, as opposed to racing), it will only be useful at a track. The HPI or AE (team associated) cars can be run in car parks or wherever the road is fairly smooth. Their shaft drives mean that little stones are not a problem, and they ride a bit higher than pro kits (which are belt driven). Of course there is no comparison in terms of handling. Have a read of these, all in the on-road nitro forum...especially the last one.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5787061/tm.htm

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5787061/tm.htm

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5772180/tm.htm

NathanMarks

Alright

Well I would rather start with a car that I can bash around with rather than race, since by the time I start racing I will likely have made further investments

Can you recommend an on road car for bashing with?

FYI, The roads all around where I live are less than 6 months old, they're beautiful

Foxy

The two I mentioned are ideal starting cars. you can't do better for the money. Also consider the Kyosho FW05R, it's a shaft driven car but slightly more geared toward competition.

NathanMarks

Fantastic, thanks for all your help!

Foxy

Anytime. Since you're getting a kit, you'll need to find radio, engine etc (unless you choose the HPI 18SS, which comes with a pretty good .18 engine). If you take one without engine, get a fast .12 size engine (a competition .12 will RAPE an .18, with VERY few exceptions, plus .12 is racing legal, bigger is not). And when you buy radio stuff, make sure you buy a radio that has EPA (end point adjustment) and DR (Dual Rate steering), and put a good servo on the steering.

nitro _ burner

i know what the EPA is but i dont understand what the dual rate steering is........could you explain??
Cheers

Foxy

They basically do the same thing, except EPA can adjust independenty left and right, dual rate affects both directions. The EPA is for setting limits of movement for the servos, so they are not hitting bulkheads etc. The dual rate steering is for reducing the throw of the servos on the fly, thereby reducing steering. Some people run it low through the fast sections of the track, then turn it back up to 100% through the technical sections to get more steering. Usually it can be adjusted very quickly via a thumb wheel or something similar.

nitro _ burner

ok thanks for the reply, i understand it now
BTW i swear you had a hyper 21 thing in your sig, wheres it gone[&:]

Foxy

Sold 3 days ago. Gone but not forgotten. Simply no comparison to the XB8, and I have a Savage for bashing. No reason to keep it.

nitro _ burner

what no reason to keep the hyper or the savage??

Foxy

The Hyper...I have a competition level 1/8th buggy (the XB8), so there was no reason to keep another buggy I hadn't run for over a year. The savage is my basher, the other cars are all race cars, the Xrays. NT18 - micro nitro touring car, the NT1 1/10th hi competition touring car, the XB8 - pro spec buggy. the M18t is an electric I'm panning to mamba up when the prices come down, that will just be for a laugh...

I'm racing in 3 classes this season (1.18th nitro touring, 1.8th buggy, 1.10th nitro touring car). It's a bit crazy actually. Depending on my results with the NT1, I might take a break from the buggies. I love the dirt, but asphalt is in my blood, I was a touring car racer long before I got the buggy.

nitro _ burner

ooookkk would you like to be any more of a RC nerd?? LOL jk but seriously thats alot of cars, im assuming you love team xray?? ive never thought of them before mabye i should have a look at thier cars.

Foxy

They are the best racing cars on the market. Period. European company though, don't know what part support will be like in Oz.

PS Funny thing is I'm a computer nerd too! NOOOOOOO! Seriously, I'm an IT consultant for a top global consulting firm. Somehow I still find the time to party. Nobody who knows me would describe me as a nerd. I cenrtainly don't look like one!! (there's a pic of me in my profile).