Fyrstormer's Garage

...Fyrstormer's RC garage, to be specific.

My flashlight collection has long since stabilized, so I don't have much to do on CPF anymore, but I miss CPF, so I'm going to post my RC collection here in the off-topic forum. Links to all build threads redirect to UltimateRC.com, which is a highly respectable website, but I don't want anyone to be taken by surprise if they click on a link. All of my build threads have detailed descriptions of what I did to make each vehicle work the way I want it to. So here's my garage, listed (approximately) in order of purchase.

- - -

To start with, an overview:

2013

Losi Mini Desert Truck
Status: Sold
Role: My first hobby-grade RC, Mini RWD parking-lot racer
Noteworthy Mods: Losi dual-disc slipper clutch; steel gears; ball diff; headlights and taillight; larger tires from Associated RC18MT; ceramic/stainless bearings
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194528
Reason For Selling: Outgrew it

Helion Animus 18tr
Status: Sold
Role: My second hobby-grade RC, Mini 4WD parking lot racer
Noteworthy Mods: Stronger diff parts from Duratrax Vendetta; GPM aluminum steering knuckles for Associated RC18T; GPM aluminum shocks; larger tires from HSP 1/18 monster truck; ceramic/stainless bearings
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194952
Reason For Selling: Outgrew it

ECX Mini Ruckus
Status: Sold
Role: Mini 4WD off-road truck
Noteworthy Mods: LRP Fusion Micro rebuildable 380 brushed motor; modified Losi Mini 8ight aluminum slipper clutch; Losi Mini Late Model aluminum shocks; ceramic/stainless bearings
Build Thread: (none, never completed build)
Reason For Selling: Fatal flaw -- diffs too weak, no upgrades available

Turnigy Nitro Buggy
Status: Retired
Role: Nitro mini 4WD parking lot racer
Noteworthy Mods: OFNA Picco P-Zero .08 engine; hardened-steel clutch bell and spur gear; stronger parts from Turnigy Nitro Circus 1/16 truck and Kyosho Mini Inferno buggy; HPI Pirelli rally tires; ceramic/stainless bearings
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203772
Reason For Retiring: From a usage perspective, my RS4 rally car can handle the same terrain, and it's faster and quieter, but this was my first nitro and I can't bear to sell it.

HPI Savage XS
Status: Sold
Role: High-speed 4WD on-road/off-road truck
Noteworthy Mods: Hardened-steel diff outdrives; ceramic/stainless bearings; better tires; HPI aluminum shocks; front swaybar; headlights and taillights
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216866
Reason For Selling: Unpredictable handling at high speed, inadequate off-road capability

2014

Associated Mini Rival
Status: Sold
Role: Mini 4WD off-road truck
Noteworthy Mods: MIP Shiny Drive CVDs; MIP steel ball-diff outdrives; Driven productions pinion/spur cover; Losi Mini-T shocks
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203458
Reason for Selling: Just never drove it anymore

ECX Smash
Status: Sold
Role: Lunch-break toy
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197725
Reason For Selling: Didn't use it enough

HPI Bullet ST 3.0
Status: In Service
Role: Nitro high-speed on-road/off-road truck
Noteworthy Mods: Losi 3.4 engine, center differential, dual brakes, hardened-steel outdrives, ceramic/stainless bearings, HPI heavy-duty aluminum chassis braces
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217189

Traxxas Mini E-Revo
Status: In Service
Role: Mini 4WD on-road/off-road truggy with a fun oversized motor, Speedbump jumper
Noteworthy Mods: Traxxas CVD axles; steel transmission gears; RPM A-arms and bumpers; Hot Racing aluminum shocks; TheToyz aluminum chassis braces
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217190

Axial Wraith
Status: In Service
Role: Rock crawler, Trail truck
Noteworthy Mods: RC4WD AX2 2-speed gearbox; endbell cooling fan for motor; all-steel drivetrain; upgraded stock axles w/ 5x13 pinion bearings and steel beef tubes; titanium steering and suspension linkages
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213511

Losi Mini SCT
Status: Sold
Role: Mini RWD parking lot racer
Noteworthy Mods: Traxxas 1/16 Slash tires, modified Losi Mini-T dual-disc slipper clutch; ball diff; lots of lead ballast in the back
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=208631
Reason for Selling: Never handled the way I wanted it to

ECX Mini Torment
Status: Sold
Role: Mini 4WD parking lot racer
Noteworthy Mods: Traxxas 1/16 Slash tires; Losi Mini Late Model shocks; Hot Racing CVD axles; modified Losi Mini 8ight aluminum slipper clutch
Build Thread: (none, never completed build)
Reason For Selling: Fatal flaw -- diffs too weak, no upgrades available

2015

Traxxas Summit
Status: In Service
Role: Large 4WD off-road truck, Rock crawler, Trail truck
Noteworthy Mods: Pro-Line Rock Rage tires, vented; Traxxas sealed center CVD axles; LEM low-lash transmission dog-clutch; purple-stripe front springs, double-orange-stripe rear springs; Installed ball-bearings in Titan 775 stock motor, changed pinion to 15t to take advantage of improved motor performance; HPP 17mm hex adaptors; Blue Bird BMS-373MG micro servos
Build Thread: (none, too stock to justify the effort)

Traxxas Telluride
Status: In Service
Role: Trail truck, Loaner
Noteworthy Mods: Drilled extra lower-shock-mount holes on the front A-arms to increase front suspension travel; added RPM Slash rear bumper to stock wheelie-bar cage; locked front diff; MIP X-CVD axles for the Stampede 4x4; better tires
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221060

HPI Bullet MT 3.0
Status: In Service
Role: Loaner
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219784

ECX Ruckus
Status: Sold
Role: Loaner
Noteworthy Mods: Stiffened servo-saver with extra metal springs; added Circuit wheelie-bar; MIP X-CVD axles from the Stampede 4x4; better tires; 4000KV brushless system
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221994
Reason For Selling: Didn't use it enough when it wasn't being loaned out

HPI RS4 3 Evo+
Status: In Service
Role: Nitro 4WD parking lot racer, Rally car
Noteworthy Mods: Raised and softened suspension; added swaybars; steel brake disc with sintered pads; titanium turnbuckles; stainless suspension pins with rear brace
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223591

Axial Yeti
Status: Sold
Role: Large high-speed 4WD off-road truck, Trail truck
Noteworthy Mods: Front swaybar from the HPI Savage XS; carbon-fiber adjustable rear axle truss; titanium upper-rear suspension links; steel beef tubes in rear axle; Crawler Innovations Double Deuce 5.5" tire foams
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223785
Reason For Selling: Didn't use it enough

Tamiya FF-04 Evo
Status: Cannibalized
Role: FWD parking lot racer
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224736
Reason For Cannibalizing: Not enough forward traction, battery wasn't properly retained

Arrma Raider
Status: In Service
Role: RWD parking lot racer, Speedbump jumper
Noteworthy Mods: BLX metal-gear transmission; Team Durango axles; Team Durango big-bore shocks; better tires; replaced fake headlights with real headlights, added taillight; steel skid-screws on rear shock tower; extra bracing on front shock tower
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225167

Vaterra Slickrock
Status: Sold
Role: Mini rock crawler
Noteworthy Mods: Custom 4-link front and rear suspension; weighted wheels with lead tennis racquet balancing tape; metal-gear transmission; modified Mini-T dual-disc slipper clutch; 380 motor; Chisel 1.9" tires
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224338
Reason for Selling: Too small, got stuck too easily

Associated Mini Apex
Status: Sold
Role: Living-room racer
Noteworthy Mods: MIP Shiny Drive CVDs, MIP ball-diff outdrives
Build Thread: (none, too stock to justify the effort)
Reason for Selling: Didn't use it enough

Traxxas Stampede 4x4
Status: In Service
Role: Wet-weather off-road truck
Noteworthy Mods: As much stainless-steel as possible; ceramic/stainless bearings; Traxxas Slash 4x4 center diff
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227162

Traxxas T-Maxx 2.5
Status: In Service
Role: Large nitro off-road truck w/reverse gear
Noteworthy Mods: HPI T3.0 engine; BuKu adjustable clutch to reduce stuttering on takeoff; Traxxas sealed center axles; MIP X-CVD wheel axles; HPI Savage wheels and tires; RPM bulkheads and center skidplate; Traxxas aluminum chassis braces; GPM sintered brake disc
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227421

Tamiya XV-01
Status: In Service
Role: 4WD parking lot racer, Rally car
Noteworthy Mods: All available Tamiya upgrade parts
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227426

Tamiya XV-01 R
Status: In Service
Role: RWD parking lot racer
Noteworthy Mods: Relocated front gearbox to rear of car
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228025

Caster Racing S10N
Status: Cannibalized
Role: Winter nitro basher
Noteworthy Mods: Aluminum hubs; CVD axles; HPI 3-shoe aluminum clutch w/ 17t 32p Firestorm clutch bell; custom rear chassis brace made from DuBro links and steel all-thread rod, better tires
Build Thread: (none, never completed build)
Reason For Cannibalizing: Fatal flaw -- A-arms too brittle, no aftermarket bodies

Tamiya XV-01T
Status: Repurposed
Role: Trail truck, Scale pickup truck
Noteworthy Mods: Tamiya XV-01 long-damper conversion kit; better-fitting body shell; RC4WD tractor-trailer tires and 1.7" steel beadlock wheels
Build Thread: www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2308852
Reason For Repurposing: Center of gravity was too high, couldn't corner well enough

Tamiya XV-01 SH-AWD
Status: In Service
Role: High-precision parking-lot racer
Noteworthy Mods: FWD drivetrain with part-time 4WD
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228729

Tamiya TB-04R Chassis
Status: Shelf Queen
Noteworthy Mods: (none)
Build Thread: (none)

HPI RS4 SS Chassis
Status: Shelf Queen
Noteworthy Mods: Steel 2-speed clutch bell/pinion gears; titanium turnbuckles; carbon-fiber upper chassis brace; stainless suspension pins with rear brace; MIP CVDs and universal-joint center driveshafts; heavy-duty diff gears and outdrives
Build Thread: (none)

2016

HPI RS4 MT2
Status: In Service
Role: Winter nitro basher
Noteworthy Mods: Stainless fasteners, lots of old HPI upgrade parts, engine tuned for cold weather, tire chains when needed
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230400

Another Traxxas Telluride
Status: In Service
Role: Loaner
Noteworthy Mods: Drilled extra lower-shock-mount holes on the front A-arms to increase front suspension travel; added RPM Slash rear bumper to stock wheelie-bar cage; semi-locked front diff (silly putty); better tires
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2343093

Tamiya XV-01 FF
Status: In Service
Role: FWD rally car
Noteworthy Mods: Removed rear drivetrain, built aluminum long-damper-spec shocks using TRF/Yeah Racing/generic Tamiya shock parts
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231695

Associated SC10B
Status: In Service
Role: Off-road/Winter buggy
Noteworthy Mods: Better tires, removed nerf bars, titanium turnbuckles and aluminum hubs
Build Thread: http://www.rctech.net/forum/electric-off-road/931718-build-complete-associated-sc10b.html

Vaterra Twin Hammers DT
Status: Sold
Role: Solid-axle stadium truck
Noteworthy Mods: Stadium truck tires, big battery tray, swaybars, lowered suspension, widened track-width, ball-cup steering links to eliminate travel-binding from stock links
Build Thread: (none, never completed)
Reason For Selling: Didn't handle the way I wanted it to

Tamiya DF-03Ra
Status: In Service
Role: Mid-rear-motor rally car
Noteworthy Mods: HPI Pirelli rally tires, TRF shocks, slipper clutch, RC-Square steel center driveshaft cups, RC-Square aluminum steering rack, CVD axles in front (but not in rear; the forward-swept rear axles chatter too much unless stock dogbones are used)
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2369645

Tamiya TB-04R
Status: In Service
Role: Mid-rear-motor touring car suitable for rough pavement
Noteworthy Mods: Long shock eyelets, raised shock-tower mounts, front gear diff
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2371316

Tamiya CC-01 Unimog
Status: Sold
Role: Scale-model military/rally truck
Noteworthy Mods: Ball bearings, beadlock wheels, aluminum steering rack, aluminum 4-link kit, high-speed spur gear from www.rc4x4-shop.com
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2371798
Reason for Selling: Didn't handle the way I wanted it to

HPI RS4 3 SS
Status: In Service
Role: Nitro touring car
Noteworthy Mods: OFNA 2-speed transmission, Tamiya shocks, HPI .12R SS engine, carbon-fiber upper deck, titanium turnbuckles
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2376970



Tamiya XV-01TC Chassis
Status: Shelf Queen
Noteworthy Mods: Double-cardan front axles, Exotek aluminum rear stub-axles, tungsten-carbide diff balls, titanium and aluminum screws
Build Thread: (none)



Tamiya FF-03R Chassis
Status: Shelf Queen
Noteworthy Mods: Front spool, double-cardan front axles, 3Racing aluminum rear blind-axles, 3Racing carbon-fiber servo protector plate, stripped swaybars so the original colors wouldn't clash with the rest of the chassis, titanium screws
Build Thread: (none)



Tamiya TA-05 v2 Gold Edition Chassis
Status: Shelf Queen
Noteworthy Mods: Double-cardan front axles, Exotek aluminum rear stub-axles, de-anodized front spool so the original color wouldn't clash with the rest of the chassis, tungsten-carbide diff balls, titanium screws
Build Thread: (none)



Tamiya DF-03Ra Chassis
Status: Shelf Queen
Noteworthy Mods: Lowered suspension, clear-blue shock and chassis parts, RC-Square steel center driveshaft drive cups, RC-Square aluminum ball-bearing steering assembly, tungsten-carbide diff balls, titanium screws
Build Thread: (none)



Losi Baja Rey
Status: In Service
Role: Solid-rear-axle off-road truck (third time's the charm! this one actually works well!)
Noteworthy Mods: 30K silicone oil in center diff, light grease in front diff, lots of Losi aluminum upgrades, modified rear axle with oversize inner pinion bearing, Pro-Line Baja KR2 tires and F-11 beadlock wheels
Build Thread: (none, too stock to justify the effort)



HPI RS4 3.4
Status: In Service
Role: Speed-runner
Noteworthy Mods: Losi 3.4 engine; Single-speed conversion; High-ratio gears; Locked front diff; MIP Shiny Drive CVDs; HPI titanium turnbuckles; Tamiya shocks; Orange, silver, and de-anodized aluminum parts
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2381796




Axial SCX10 v2
Status:In Service
Role: Scale-accurate trail-truck
Noteworthy Mods: SSD steel/titanium links, SSD diff covers, Pro-Line front bumper, Pro-Line FaultLine 1.9" beadlock wheels, Axial Falken Wildpeak 1.9" tires, steel pivot balls, quick-disconnect light harness for body
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2404518



Axial Wraith MT
Status: Sold
Role: Solid-axle monster truck
Noteworthy Mods: Chassis-mounted servo, monster-truck tires, lots of Vanquish parts, 550-size brushless motor, unlocked diffs
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2401228
Reason for Selling: Didn't drive it enough; I guess I just wanted to build it more than I wanted to drive it



Traxxas Slash
Status: In Service
Role: Alright, alright, I finally got a short-course truck
Noteworthy Mods: Pro-Line F-150 Raptor body, Holmes TorqueMaster Pro 550 11t brushed motor, Pro-Line ProTrac suspension, lots of RPM parts
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2400453



Tamiya DF-03Ra RWD
Status:Under Construction
Role: RWD touring car
Noteworthy Mods: (none yet)
Build Thread: (none yet)
(no picture yet)


MST CMX
Status: In Service
Role: A small truck to use my Pro-Line Chisel 1.9" tires
Noteworthy Mods: Metal transmission gears, RC4WD metal bumpers, aluminum suspension links, steel driveshafts, Pro-Line Chisel 1.9" tires
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2408293



Vaterra Ascender
Status: In Service
Role: Something to keep my SCX10 II company
Noteworthy Mods: Full-size battery tray, SSD and STRC upgrade parts, slightly lowered suspension
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2409996



2017

Losi Ten-SCBE
Status: In Service
Role: 4WD off-road buggy (all my other buggies are RWD)
Noteworthy Mods: (none yet)
Build Thread: (none, too stock to justify the effort)



HPI RS4 2 Chassis
Status: Shelf Queen
Noteworthy Mods: Lots of RS4 3 parts, Tamiya TRF shocks
Build Thread: (none)



HPI RS4 2
Status: In Service
Role: Belt-drive nitro touring car
Noteworthy Mods: Modified HPI .15FE engine, lots of RS4 3 parts, Tamiya TRF shocks, OFNA 2-speed transmission
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2421313



Arrma Granite
Status: In Service
Role: Loaner
Noteworthy Mods: Metal-gear transmission, wheelie-bar with shock absorbers, STRC aluminum shock bodies, Traxxas captured-ball turnbuckles
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2429648#post2429648



Tamiya DF-03Ra 2-speed
Status: In Service
Role: A use for the the cool vintage parts I had
Noteworthy Mods: Vintage HPI RS4 MT 2-speed transmission, vintage Tamiya Dyna-Tech 01R motor w/ 12-turn Team Orion armature, titanium turnbuckles, carbon-fiber shock towers
Build Thread: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2439266

Great looking collection with lots of variety.







Barry

I'm disappointed, I thought you were having a garage sale of flashlights :naughty:

Just kidding, great photos!!

The Holy Grail of RC fun! You and I could play and talk for hours. Mostly you would be talking and me listening! Man that is some serious cash & experience you have there. I have had or have a few of those. Your observations for sale are made me smile and spot on!
My latest is The Losi Mini SCT. I bought it for the kids on sale for $75. I got a "Gen 1", as I call it. That is the 27 MHz one. Kids ended up not liking the fact the RF range is horrific. So I started playing with it. I quickly upgraded it to brushless & lipo and got just about every upgrade available that still keeps it looking bone stock. I keep it stock looking so I can race my competitive neighbor. lol

I can say, it is a absolute tire shredder. I did some mods to the steering. Now it actually turns! Plus, I upgrade the parts as the wear out. So when you first get it, it is going to spend a lot of time on the work bench. You know what I mean, lol. I am working on building a better 27MHz wire antenna. Thats whole another story.

Also, a few months ago I picked up a 2 wheel drive Stampede for my 12 year old. I got it because I can lock it into Training Mode and it will go through tall grass with ease. She has almost mastered 50% mode. I am not sure she won't destroy the truck or terrorize the cats in Full mode. So gonna make her wait a little longer. Ha! BTW: She doesn't know it has this feature.

Anyways, I have been thinking really hard about buying me the Slash 4X4 1/10 Electric. I got to drive one a few weeks back, it was 2 wheel drive and I had a blast. I can't imagine the 4x4 brushless. I run mostly in the neighborhood and a nearby field that is grass cut regularly.
https://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/slash-4x4-tsm
Whatcha think?

Footnote: keep me in mind when you want to sell stuff. I am always looking.

wow ,that is some awesome RC stuff there I was expecting 2 maybe 3 cars................awesome!!

I have had HPI stuff, 1st off an electric 1/10 truck that did my head in for lasting minutes........... Then bought a savage truck and upgraded stuff like suspension,diffs,zaust etc etc . Then bought another to race each other but found myself faffing/fixing one whilst the other was running. Very rare both would race against each other for longer than a few mins.......

Now my young one is 5, soon will get into them again...............not sure if i can be bothered with nitro again tbh. Having a varying climate does not help :laughing: . So maybe electric this time as things have advanced from............maybe 10yrs back! Seem to have better battery packs these days with higher mah...........

Do miss my RC stuff and still have a few helicopters, some 3ch for the kids, some 4ch and a couple of 6ch 3d ones which i happily admit i am *beep* at flying :laughing: These are just stored for now...........




Blue one i built from scratch..........very finicky


Some of the kids ones too


Unfortunately i dont have any savage pics as going back 10+yrs i guess, some good times though....................when they ran!

Wow. Nice collection.

Thanks! I kinda went nuts in 2015. I think that's when I finally learned enough about RC to know what I want just by looking at it, and to know which companies make upgrade parts worth buying, and then the floodgates opened. I suppose it's comparable to late 2010 in my flashlight hobby, when I bought several high-end flashlights in a row, including a Tri-V. (I honestly think the only way to contain $2000 in a physically smaller space would've been to buy a gold bar.) Hopefully 2016 will be a saner year. I've been on such a tear building new vehicles the past few months that I haven't actually put many miles on them.

It's safe to say for me tinkering is a big part of the hobby. I like getting the mechanical components to work just-right. I wasn't a big fan of detailing the body shells, and to a certain extent I still don't enjoy it, but when it's the only way to make the car look right, I suck it up and make sure it gets done well. For example, all of those little black bits in the lower grille on the rally car are separate stickers, and I had to cut and trim all the stickers by hand. Yeah, that was a "fun" evening.

I've been out of the RC game for a long time...When I was still in it I was matching my own 3000mah NiMH cells, that gives you an idea how long it's been.

Traxxas has my attention now with the release of the X-Maxx. It's a low maintenance brute force truck I can just leave in the trunk of my car and take out when ever I feel like thrashing it.

After that I can just hose it down and put it away!

This time I'll stay away from upgrades and keep it stock...I always say that and it never happens, even with my own daily driver LOL

The X-Maxx is a brand-new vehicle, so it's highly questionable whether it will really be low-maintenance or whether it will be breaking parts on a regular basis. It runs on 25 volts (6S in lithium-polymer terms) and it's 8"/20cm longer than the Summit, so it has a LOT of weight to break parts if you lose control of it. If you want a vehicle that is definitely proven low-maintenance, get a Summit, and then install a DeWalt 820 motor conversion from Kershaw. The DeWalt 820 makes significantly more torque than the stock motor, so you can gear-up for more speed if you want, and the brushes are replaceable unlike the stock motor.

Updated info for Summit and XV-01T, and added info for XV-01 SH-AWD, TB-04R, and HPI RS4 SS.

That's a good point about the X-Maxx. But if it's anything similar to the E-Maxx and E-Revo, it should be a pretty durable rig. Traxxas parts are pretty easy to source, even in Asia, so I'm not too worried.

I did think about the Summit, especially with its 2 speed transfer case, but if I go that route I would look at other rigs that have solid axles and get a crawler.

Compared to nitro rigs and non water proof electronics in the past, the E-Maxx still looks a lot more robust!

Over at UltimateRC the Maxx platform is considered outdated and weak, but at least there are lots of aftermarket parts to fix the problems. The Maxx platform is 16 years old now, and it hasn't been updated very much to deal with higher-powered motors. The E-Revo platform used by the Summit is only 7 years old, and when it came out high-powered batteries and brushless motors were already available, so it was designed with those in mind. When I got a Summit I started asking if anyone had ever managed to break its chassis, and nobody could think of anyone who had broken one. (lots of people have broken E-Revos, but that's different because people put ridiculous motors and batteries into them.)

As for the Summit vs. a dedicated rock crawler, there is a lot to be said for having a truck that can go fast *and* climb over obstacles. The Summit's only real weakness in regards to rock crawling is its width, which can be narrowed by installing Nitro Slayer 4x4 suspension arms if you really want, but then it will be less stable at high speed. I like the Summit even though I have a rock crawler and multiple high-speed trucks, because the Summit is the one RC truck that I can play with without having to think about what kind of terrain I'm going to drive on -- it works well on pavement, grass, dirt, rocks, even water.

Also: Ding! 6000 posts.

Hmm...you definitely put things into perspective. I do know the Maxx platform is really old but I had no intent to put in a crazy motor and battery set up.

Hearing you say the Summit is more all terrain has me interested again...But I was planning to really jump the X-Maxx over so big stuff...decisions decisions

Very nice R/C collection you have there. I would LOVE to get back into R/C. It's been about 20 years since my last R/C car. It was a Kyosho Inferno with an OS .21 motor. I can't remember exactly what version of car or motor though.

Boom. You make me feel good about my two heli's!!

I am wondering, if I want to get into a nice car for big grass fields and throwing hay donuts, can I do that for under 200?

My heli's are pricey and way too much work for my boys. But a fast car might be just the ticket.

obi

KuanR said:

Hmm...you definitely put things into perspective. I do know the Maxx platform is really old but I had no intent to put in a crazy motor and battery set up.

Hearing you say the Summit is more all terrain has me interested again...But I was planning to really jump the X-Maxx over so big stuff...decisions decisions

Click to expand...

I'd say give the X-Maxx 6 months. That way the big problems will be fixed by Traxxas or by aftermarket parts, or it will be obvious that the platform is fatally flawed. Either way you'll save yourself some frustration.

I did the same thing with the Axial Yeti when it came out. I really wanted one, but it was brand-new, so I talked myself into getting a Wraith for rock-crawling first. By the time I was done tricking-out that vehicle, the Yeti had been released as a kit with upgrades included in the box, and there were a bunch more upgrade parts available from other companies.

Obijuan Kenobe said:

Boom. You make me feel good about my two heli's!!

I am wondering, if I want to get into a nice car for big grass fields and throwing hay donuts, can I do that for under 200?

My heli's are pricey and way too much work for my boys. But a fast car might be just the ticket.

obi

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For a big grass field you'll want at least a 1/8-scale monster truck or a 1/5-scale short-course truck, to provide the necessary ground clearance. A 1/10-scale monster truck might work if the field is mowed on a regular basis. (for the record, Traxxas' "1/10-scale" trucks are mostly 1/8-scale nowadays, but they insist on calling them 1/10-scale anyway; they're from Texas, where everything is bigger.) Unfortunately I don't know of any *nice* trucks that only cost $200, at least not new. You might be able to get a used E-Maxx for that much, or a used Summit, but the problem with buying used RCs is the prior owner almost certainly didn't maintain it well -- either they couldn't afford the maintenance so they're selling it, or they didn't enjoy it that much so they didn't bother to fix it properly before selling it. There are a few exceptions, myself included, but most used RCs will need immediate repairs to work properly.

HobbyKing has a lot of bargain vehicles, some of which are pretty good, but the tradeoff there is HobbyKing doesn't have a well-established presence in the US or Europe yet (though they are working on that), so spare parts can be hard to find.

1/5 scale will chew through just about anything.....except a tree

Very few things can chew through a tree at the speed an RC car moves. It's pretty much a hopeless battle.

The pretty aluminum upgrade parts bend