CHUNA's Nitro powered Car/Buggy/Monster Truck FAQs and discussion - Page 4

Squeezer · 16th December 2003, 9:41 AM

Nitro cars / buggies ARE more work than Electric. It is a fact of life.

Higher performance but you will need to do maintenance and expect things to be replaced.

I was down at the local Off Road Track at Mitchell Park ( SA ) running my Electric Tamiya Grasshopper. There were a bunch of 3 guys who had Nitro buggies and Monster trucks and these were original Traxxas models. They werent driving on the tight windy track as those things go soooo fast - they were just hooning all over the oval.

In the 20 minutes I went down there and watched them their $1000 + Trucks had various problems. - Muffler blowing off ( damn it was loud then ). and Tuning Engine / Refuelling etc. They even carried a little box with them of common spare parts.

RC cars / Buggys do require maintenance and ongoing costs unless you dont use them

I think the price that Chuna is selling these for is damn good. If you want to go out and spend $1000+ on a Team Asscociated or Traxxas then go ahead, but you will still have ongoing costs and repairs regardless.

pH@tTm@N · 16th December 2003, 10:29 AM

I think any of these cars/trucks are good value. You will be able to buy another complete engine if you end up hating the stock cheapy one.

You must remember when reading forums on these things, that some young uns dont even know really what rich and lean is, and just keep changing everything at once.

I have a Picco .26 engine in my HPI savage monster truck - arguable the Tmaxx killer - but it cost me closer to $1500 (with a few upgrades - I couldnt help it

)

Now the Tmaxx is still very popular so parts AND upgrades will be easy to come by.

It sounds that apart from the cheap standard radio and cheap engines, these things are winners, im seriously considering getting the buggy.

As for some of the questions they will probably run for about 15 minutes before you need to fill up the fuel again.
a litre is around $20 (based on my 25% I bought this weekend)

Ntiro can be very frustrating at first, especially breaking in etc, but once you have then sorted - they are GREAT fun!

chuna · 16th December 2003, 1:55 PM

Talking about Electric, I can bring them too. Do you think they will sell?

mrayner · 16th December 2003, 2:06 PM

Would depend on how much cheaper they are than the Nitro version I assume.. Though these Nitro versions are so cheap I think most people will get them straight away instead..

I guess some people might like the simplicity of the electric version?

Also, the fuel at my local Hobby Shop is $15 1 litre and $50 for 5, not sure what % it is though

MotoMan · 16th December 2003, 2:09 PM

FOund a few coments on the buggies i thought i would share with you all...
P.s. there are actually 2 versions of the buggy

ver 1. = 1 speed, and not very reliable
ver 2. = 2 speed improved reliability

I just bought the Smartech AWD 2 speed and it's rated at 60 mph+ for $219.00 fully assembled with radio. From what I could make out from the European RC boards, Smartech is as big in Europe as HPI and Traxxas and other major manufacturers that you are familiar with. Also from what I could make out they have a 90% compatibility with other manufacturers parts. Anyways I should get it on Tuesday and plan to buy some small hop-ups for it while I break it in and get it out to the track to test it against some other cars. The only thing they said they have a problem with is the stock servos aren't all that great and they suggested getting a Futaba radio and putting it with it. We'll see I guess......

My Smartech has been working great. I had a problem with the stock pullstart so I replaced it with an HPI Nitro Star pull-start and it works perfectly. The Smartech Winner Pro is almost an exact duplicate of the HPI RS4 only it cost me a hell of alot less than I would've spent on an HPI + it came with a radio.

I've run about 4 gallons through my on road Smartech and the engine still has plenty compression and power but I decided to replace it with a Megatech .16 1+hp engine that I bought off ebay for about 65.00 dollars. This thing flys, that engine was made for the T-Maxx but I made it fit by drilling new mounting holes on the chassis and acouple of other minor things. As far as parts are concerned, excel offers all the parts for very, very cheap and speedy shipping. As a few other guys said it's almost identical to the HPI RS4. I would rate this Smartech 9 out of 10. Alot of guys might think their pieces of crap, but when you ask why they don't have much of an answer. Its made out of metal and plastic just like any other car. Oh yeah, it comes with a metal radio tray and HPI RS4 doesn't. I'm not knocking HPI, I own an RS4 and a Super Nitro but don't be discourage about buying a Smartech because you get a lot for your money...

Thats RIGHT i have a new WINNER SPORT from smartech you cant even buy it from excellhobby they dont even have it yet, i tryed to get a set of cva's for it and they told me it wouldnt be in untiul december.This baby rocks,break in was too smooth.the engine has nice power for a fifthteen(.15)but i want more speed so i'm looking for a good fit.But if your planning on getting one you will not be sorry.thanks for reading.

which ones are you able to get chuna? is the Speedy Tiger (the one your getting) the same as the Winner Sport?

pH@tTm@N · 16th December 2003, 2:22 PM

I think electrics will also do well Chuna, we are sick of making our importers and local hobby shops rich due to huge markups. I already order most my stuff overseas for half the price due to this...

Mako · 16th December 2003, 2:39 PM

yay i just got my car

hmm just have to figgure out how to work it now

edit: and go shopping for some fuel... etc 12 batteries

edit edit me car? my car..

The CK · 16th December 2003, 3:12 PM

congrats mako...

from what i can make out with the buggy there seems to be the winner 3 and the winner sport ie: http://www.smartechracing.co.uk/winnersport.htm

is chuna getting the winnersport... because that seems to be the 2 speed version???
if so i will have to consider it instead of the monster truck... decisions decisions

help me make up my mind

edit: the electric onroad is pretty similar to a tc3 am i right??? if so i think it could sell ok, although with such good prices for nitros its hard to tell... it would be about $250 or a bit more wouldnt it? but then when you facotr in an esc and probably another motor it dosent seem like such a good deal... i suppose its still way cheaper than a proper tc3.

Mako · 16th December 2003, 3:56 PM

dam work... come on 4:30!!!
hmm i think i am feeling sick...

chuna · 16th December 2003, 5:20 PM

Electric will probably sell for around $170 odd.

Mako · 16th December 2003, 5:41 PM

god dammit
anyone know where to get fuel etc in the mornington peninsula\frankston area?

or if not somewhere up town that are good??

MotoMan · 16th December 2003, 5:43 PM

check the yellow pages under hobbies or something...

im sure theres at least one store close to you

Mako · 16th December 2003, 5:47 PM

i did... found 2,
both were closed down

maybe one was taken over but anyway they had no nitro stuff

!JonZap! · 16th December 2003, 6:50 PM

yey, got my car during the day when i was at work, now i have to buy fuel and the glow plug.

mako, what color car did you get?

Mako · 16th December 2003, 6:53 PM

red...
want pics

??

16th December 2003, 9:41 AM	#46
Squeezer Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Adelaide Posts: 6,425	Nitro cars / buggies ARE more work than Electric. It is a fact of life. Higher performance but you will need to do maintenance and expect things to be replaced. I was down at the local Off Road Track at Mitchell Park ( SA ) running my Electric Tamiya Grasshopper. There were a bunch of 3 guys who had Nitro buggies and Monster trucks and these were original Traxxas models. They werent driving on the tight windy track as those things go soooo fast - they were just hooning all over the oval. In the 20 minutes I went down there and watched them their $1000 + Trucks had various problems. - Muffler blowing off ( damn it was loud then ). and Tuning Engine / Refuelling etc. They even carried a little box with them of common spare parts. RC cars / Buggys do require maintenance and ongoing costs unless you dont use them I think the price that Chuna is selling these for is damn good. If you want to go out and spend $1000+ on a Team Asscociated or Traxxas then go ahead, but you will still have ongoing costs and repairs regardless. __________________ Craftypics - Photography, Video, Timelapse Last edited by Squeezer; 16th December 2003 at 9:42 AM.

16th December 2003, 10:29 AM	#47
pH@tTm@N Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: BRISBANE Posts: 1,816	I think any of these cars/trucks are good value. You will be able to buy another complete engine if you end up hating the stock cheapy one. You must remember when reading forums on these things, that some young uns dont even know really what rich and lean is, and just keep changing everything at once. I have a Picco .26 engine in my HPI savage monster truck - arguable the Tmaxx killer - but it cost me closer to $1500 (with a few upgrades - I couldnt help it ) Now the Tmaxx is still very popular so parts AND upgrades will be easy to come by. It sounds that apart from the cheap standard radio and cheap engines, these things are winners, im seriously considering getting the buggy. As for some of the questions they will probably run for about 15 minutes before you need to fill up the fuel again. a litre is around $20 (based on my 25% I bought this weekend) Ntiro can be very frustrating at first, especially breaking in etc, but once you have then sorted - they are GREAT fun! __________________ pH@tTm@n OCAU Projects:-[HT DIY Speakers HUGE Sub] [MAME Arcade Sticks] [Supra NA 2 TwinTurbo 2 Big Single Turbo] \|XEON X5650 6core@??Ghz\|3xCorsair 4Gb 1600MHz DOMs \|2x GTX560Ti OC SLi\|OS 100Gb SSD \| RAID0 2xRaptor 72Gb, Apps RAID0 4xRaptor 36Gb \| 3x DELL 24"\|

16th December 2003, 1:55 PM	#48
chuna OCAU Sponsor Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Lonsdale, Adelaide Posts: 497	Talking about Electric, I can bring them too. Do you think they will sell? __________________ Chuna PADACS iPad Accessories Printomatic - Full Service Printing Solutions SIP Talk - Cheap Phone Calls

16th December 2003, 2:06 PM	#49
mrayner Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: .au.tas.dev Posts: 695	Would depend on how much cheaper they are than the Nitro version I assume.. Though these Nitro versions are so cheap I think most people will get them straight away instead.. I guess some people might like the simplicity of the electric version? Also, the fuel at my local Hobby Shop is $15 1 litre and $50 for 5, not sure what % it is though Last edited by mrayner; 16th December 2003 at 2:07 PM.

16th December 2003, 2:09 PM	#50
MotoMan Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Melbourne Posts: 2,634	FOund a few coments on the buggies i thought i would share with you all... P.s. there are actually 2 versions of the buggy ver 1. = 1 speed, and not very reliable ver 2. = 2 speed improved reliability I just bought the Smartech AWD 2 speed and it's rated at 60 mph+ for $219.00 fully assembled with radio. From what I could make out from the European RC boards, Smartech is as big in Europe as HPI and Traxxas and other major manufacturers that you are familiar with. Also from what I could make out they have a 90% compatibility with other manufacturers parts. Anyways I should get it on Tuesday and plan to buy some small hop-ups for it while I break it in and get it out to the track to test it against some other cars. The only thing they said they have a problem with is the stock servos aren't all that great and they suggested getting a Futaba radio and putting it with it. We'll see I guess...... My Smartech has been working great. I had a problem with the stock pullstart so I replaced it with an HPI Nitro Star pull-start and it works perfectly. The Smartech Winner Pro is almost an exact duplicate of the HPI RS4 only it cost me a hell of alot less than I would've spent on an HPI + it came with a radio. I've run about 4 gallons through my on road Smartech and the engine still has plenty compression and power but I decided to replace it with a Megatech .16 1+hp engine that I bought off ebay for about 65.00 dollars. This thing flys, that engine was made for the T-Maxx but I made it fit by drilling new mounting holes on the chassis and acouple of other minor things. As far as parts are concerned, excel offers all the parts for very, very cheap and speedy shipping. As a few other guys said it's almost identical to the HPI RS4. I would rate this Smartech 9 out of 10. Alot of guys might think their pieces of crap, but when you ask why they don't have much of an answer. Its made out of metal and plastic just like any other car. Oh yeah, it comes with a metal radio tray and HPI RS4 doesn't. I'm not knocking HPI, I own an RS4 and a Super Nitro but don't be discourage about buying a Smartech because you get a lot for your money... Thats RIGHT i have a new WINNER SPORT from smartech you cant even buy it from excellhobby they dont even have it yet, i tryed to get a set of cva's for it and they told me it wouldnt be in untiul december.This baby rocks,break in was too smooth.the engine has nice power for a fifthteen(.15)but i want more speed so i'm looking for a good fit.But if your planning on getting one you will not be sorry.thanks for reading. which ones are you able to get chuna? is the Speedy Tiger (the one your getting) the same as the Winner Sport? Last edited by MotoMan; 16th December 2003 at 2:24 PM.

16th December 2003, 2:22 PM	#51
pH@tTm@N Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: BRISBANE Posts: 1,816	I think electrics will also do well Chuna, we are sick of making our importers and local hobby shops rich due to huge markups. I already order most my stuff overseas for half the price due to this... __________________ pH@tTm@n OCAU Projects:-[HT DIY Speakers HUGE Sub] [MAME Arcade Sticks] [Supra NA 2 TwinTurbo 2 Big Single Turbo] \|XEON X5650 6core@??Ghz\|3xCorsair 4Gb 1600MHz DOMs \|2x GTX560Ti OC SLi\|OS 100Gb SSD \| RAID0 2xRaptor 72Gb, Apps RAID0 4xRaptor 36Gb \| 3x DELL 24"\|

16th December 2003, 2:39 PM	#52
Mako Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Mornington Peninsula, Vic Posts: 808	yay i just got my car hmm just have to figgure out how to work it now edit: and go shopping for some fuel... etc 12 batteries edit edit me car? my car.. __________________ Transmission loss... Woot! Last edited by Mako; 16th December 2003 at 3:02 PM.

16th December 2003, 3:12 PM	#53
The CK Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Adelaide Posts: 723	congrats mako... from what i can make out with the buggy there seems to be the winner 3 and the winner sport ie: http://www.smartechracing.co.uk/winnersport.htm is chuna getting the winnersport... because that seems to be the 2 speed version??? if so i will have to consider it instead of the monster truck... decisions decisions help me make up my mind edit: the electric onroad is pretty similar to a tc3 am i right??? if so i think it could sell ok, although with such good prices for nitros its hard to tell... it would be about $250 or a bit more wouldnt it? but then when you facotr in an esc and probably another motor it dosent seem like such a good deal... i suppose its still way cheaper than a proper tc3. __________________ Snufkin on Alessandro Headphones: "They just have an energy to them that makes you want to tap your feet, air guitar and rock out with your cock out." Last edited by The CK; 16th December 2003 at 3:20 PM.

16th December 2003, 3:56 PM	#54
Mako Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Mornington Peninsula, Vic Posts: 808	dam work... come on 4:30!!! hmm i think i am feeling sick... __________________ Transmission loss... Woot!

16th December 2003, 5:20 PM	#55
chuna OCAU Sponsor Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Lonsdale, Adelaide Posts: 497	Electric will probably sell for around $170 odd. __________________ Chuna PADACS iPad Accessories Printomatic - Full Service Printing Solutions SIP Talk - Cheap Phone Calls

16th December 2003, 5:41 PM	#56
Mako Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Mornington Peninsula, Vic Posts: 808	god dammit anyone know where to get fuel etc in the mornington peninsula\frankston area? or if not somewhere up town that are good?? __________________ Transmission loss... Woot!

16th December 2003, 5:43 PM	#57
MotoMan Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Melbourne Posts: 2,634	check the yellow pages under hobbies or something... im sure theres at least one store close to you

16th December 2003, 5:47 PM	#58
Mako Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Mornington Peninsula, Vic Posts: 808	i did... found 2, both were closed down maybe one was taken over but anyway they had no nitro stuff __________________ Transmission loss... Woot!

16th December 2003, 6:50 PM	#59
!JonZap! Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: enruobleM Posts: 1,574	yey, got my car during the day when i was at work, now i have to buy fuel and the glow plug. mako, what color car did you get? __________________ Past Trades: Daz_07, Tangled Rose, EyesOnMei, Iceazn, The_pimpmister, Heckler, kevinss, Argus, Pc Case Gear, Pc Range, justakid, Chimp, Tangcla, Mr_Caesar, PlusCorp, Tropid, Mappo, Juvenile, Dogga, Fatall, fxr91, aZn, Kedz-Tafe, petal666, arasta, joyufat, HeadKicker, Entity, empacitator, nievac, Johnny_Walker, leith, Wolfy, caironet16, Leedso, Mykal, yoink, cybermatic, Evilhomer, WackyWheelz, RavenKittie, Serpico, Thomas887, themickman007, wenseang, TheImp, dred0r, dainese, noddy, Gristy $10552

16th December 2003, 6:53 PM	#60
Mako Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Mornington Peninsula, Vic Posts: 808	red... want pics ?? __________________ Transmission loss... Woot!