Losi Motor Man
10-01-2007, 10:56 AM
Money
R/C car racing can be a bottomless pit for your money if you let it. My advice to you is to think very carefully before you spend your hard earned bucks on new gear. As a retailer, I’d rather you were careful with your spending, enjoyed your racing, and stayed in the sport for many years, than have
you spend heaps of money, get disillusioned, and give up after a few months.
Don’t rush out to buy every option part manufactured for your car. Good car performance comes more from practice and hard work than spending money indiscriminately. There are certainly things
you should consider buying, but be sensible and approach it from a cost benefit basis.
Here’s a rough priority for spending money on your car:
1. Ball Bearings for Wheels and Transmission. Bearings will enhance run time, performance, reliability, and strength. If your car doesn’t have them, they are your first priority.
2. Spare Batteries & Radio Crystals. If you’re racing with just one battery, you should make it a priority to get two more. Three is ok, but five (enough so that you have a fresh pack for each race on each race day) is ideal. You don’t need big buck matched packs. Pick up a spare set of radio crystals as well. To race, you’ll need at least two pairs, preferably three. They’re
cheap. If you take care of them, they’ll last a long time.
3. Spare Pinion & Spur Gears. The ability to alter the gear ratio is very important. Pinions and spurs are relatively cheap, so always carry a range.
4. Spare Tires are very important (possibly the most important) tuning tool you have. As you
can afford it, try to build up a range of tire choices. Some races require that you use a particular type of tire.
5.Electronic Speed Control. If you’re struggling with a manual speed control - this will turn your life around. Electronic speedos give more power, more run time, and much more reliability. Best of all, if you sell your old car, you can move your electronic speed control straight into your new one.
6. Spare Springs & Shock Oil. Most manufacturers offer a choice of softer or stiffer springs for your car. Pick up some optional springs and shock oil to help you tune the car. Usually it’s best to get the springs and shock oils that are slightly softer and slightly stiffer than the kit
parts.
7. Reliability Parts. By reliability parts, I mean items that will help you car to be stronger, break down less, or be more consistent, not necessarily to perform better. Things like titanium
turnbuckles, or ‘un-popable’ ball joints.
8. Performance Parts. Performance parts are items that may help your car to go better, such as lightweight transmission parts, optional graphite chassis parts, different tuning options such as anti-roll bars, or different toe/anti-squat blocks.
9. Appearance of Parts. If you’ve still got money left over, you might want to make you car look better. Like Anodized alloy screw sets, different bodies, wings, wheels, sticker sets etc. ****The options are almost endless.****
Let me say one more thing on this topic. If you’re running a cheap low-end buggy not specifically made for racing (say some other non-high-end brands) it’s best for you not to spend too much money trying to hop up your buggy and make it competitive. Instead you should concentrate on saving ( this is a Key word ) for a better car. Even a well looked after second hand race car is a good investment. If you want to go faster, concentrate on items that you can move into another car if/when you save the $$$. Things like batteries, electronic speed controls, radio gear etc. Will make a bette choice.
R/C car racing can be a bottomless pit for your money if you let it. My advice to you is to think very carefully before you spend your hard earned bucks on new gear. As a retailer, I’d rather you were careful with your spending, enjoyed your racing, and stayed in the sport for many years, than have
you spend heaps of money, get disillusioned, and give up after a few months.
Don’t rush out to buy every option part manufactured for your car. Good car performance comes more from practice and hard work than spending money indiscriminately. There are certainly things
you should consider buying, but be sensible and approach it from a cost benefit basis.
Here’s a rough priority for spending money on your car:
1. Ball Bearings for Wheels and Transmission. Bearings will enhance run time, performance, reliability, and strength. If your car doesn’t have them, they are your first priority.
2. Spare Batteries & Radio Crystals. If you’re racing with just one battery, you should make it a priority to get two more. Three is ok, but five (enough so that you have a fresh pack for each race on each race day) is ideal. You don’t need big buck matched packs. Pick up a spare set of radio crystals as well. To race, you’ll need at least two pairs, preferably three. They’re
cheap. If you take care of them, they’ll last a long time.
3. Spare Pinion & Spur Gears. The ability to alter the gear ratio is very important. Pinions and spurs are relatively cheap, so always carry a range.
4. Spare Tires are very important (possibly the most important) tuning tool you have. As you
can afford it, try to build up a range of tire choices. Some races require that you use a particular type of tire.
5.Electronic Speed Control. If you’re struggling with a manual speed control - this will turn your life around. Electronic speedos give more power, more run time, and much more reliability. Best of all, if you sell your old car, you can move your electronic speed control straight into your new one.
6. Spare Springs & Shock Oil. Most manufacturers offer a choice of softer or stiffer springs for your car. Pick up some optional springs and shock oil to help you tune the car. Usually it’s best to get the springs and shock oils that are slightly softer and slightly stiffer than the kit
parts.
7. Reliability Parts. By reliability parts, I mean items that will help you car to be stronger, break down less, or be more consistent, not necessarily to perform better. Things like titanium
turnbuckles, or ‘un-popable’ ball joints.
8. Performance Parts. Performance parts are items that may help your car to go better, such as lightweight transmission parts, optional graphite chassis parts, different tuning options such as anti-roll bars, or different toe/anti-squat blocks.
9. Appearance of Parts. If you’ve still got money left over, you might want to make you car look better. Like Anodized alloy screw sets, different bodies, wings, wheels, sticker sets etc. ****The options are almost endless.****
Let me say one more thing on this topic. If you’re running a cheap low-end buggy not specifically made for racing (say some other non-high-end brands) it’s best for you not to spend too much money trying to hop up your buggy and make it competitive. Instead you should concentrate on saving ( this is a Key word ) for a better car. Even a well looked after second hand race car is a good investment. If you want to go faster, concentrate on items that you can move into another car if/when you save the $$$. Things like batteries, electronic speed controls, radio gear etc. Will make a bette choice.