# Fyrstormer's Garage



## fyrstormer (Oct 26, 2015)

...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


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## BarryG (Oct 26, 2015)

Great looking collection with lots of variety.







Barry


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## nfetterly (Oct 26, 2015)

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

Just kidding, great photos!!


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## Str8stroke (Oct 26, 2015)

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.


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## ven (Oct 26, 2015)

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!


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## Tejasandre (Oct 26, 2015)

Wow. Nice collection.


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## fyrstormer (Oct 26, 2015)

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.


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## KuanR (Nov 19, 2015)

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


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## fyrstormer (Nov 19, 2015)

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.


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## fyrstormer (Nov 19, 2015)

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


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## KuanR (Nov 19, 2015)

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!


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## fyrstormer (Nov 19, 2015)

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.


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## KuanR (Nov 19, 2015)

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


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## badtziscool (Nov 19, 2015)

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.


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## Obijuan Kenobe (Nov 19, 2015)

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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## fyrstormer (Nov 19, 2015)

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


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.


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## fyrstormer (Nov 19, 2015)

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?
> 
> ...


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.


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## Father Azmodius (Nov 20, 2015)

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


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## fyrstormer (Nov 20, 2015)

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


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## Father Azmodius (Nov 20, 2015)

The pretty aluminum upgrade parts bend


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## KuanR (Nov 20, 2015)

What's the maintenance like on the gas powered rigs? I had nitro rigs in the past and the maintenance was a pain the ***. I always assumed the gas rigs were similar to lawn mower and pocket bike engines where maintenance intervals are a lot longer


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## cobrajack (Nov 21, 2015)

a very nice collection, I am wondering about your source for tires and wheels, I have one that is damaged and don't want to buy a set to replace one. cobrajack


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## fyrstormer (Nov 22, 2015)

Father Azmodius said:


> The pretty aluminum upgrade parts bend


That's why I always use plastic suspension arms. Plastic flexes instead of bending, and if it breaks, then it protects other more expensive parts from damage. I only use aluminum where extra weight and extra stiffness are more valuable than the risk of permanently damaging an expensive part. Chassis braces are a good example.



KuanR said:


> What's the maintenance like on the gas powered rigs? I had nitro rigs in the past and the maintenance was a pain the ***. I always assumed the gas rigs were similar to lawn mower and pocket bike engines where maintenance intervals are a lot longer


That is my understanding. However, nitro maintenance has gotten a lot easier since commercial nitro fuel blends started using degummed castor oil mixed with synthetic oil. There's basically no varnish buildup anymore. However, I add 1% pure castor oil to my fuel to improve lubrication, partly because 1% extra oil makes a significant difference on its own, and partly because pure castor oil breaks down into *even better* lubricants. Also, a little bit of varnish helps seal microscopic imperfections in the surfaces of the cylinder and piston. I haven't performed any significant maintenance on my nitro engines all year; I haven't even burned out a glowplug. (I use O'Donnell glowplugs; they last a long time and they seem to glow brighter than other brands, which helps with ignition.)

However, for 1/8-scale gas engines, the ignition is provided by a battery pack instead of a magneto generator, so there's an extra battery you have to charge before you can run the engine. I personally wouldn't bother with a gas engine in a vehicle smaller than 1/5-scale, because those engines are big enough to carry magneto generators to make their own spark.


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## ven (Feb 12, 2016)

From the E savage of many years back, the to the 2 nitro savages and all the faffing involved(and a break) . It was my lads birthday on the 4th and mine on the 10th, so a little starter into RC cars again.

This time for simplicity......i hope! electric

HPI Bullet flux with a castle performance sct motor and a Strada(his choice and what he picked out of several)

keeping the flux on 2s as its just for fun and no serious stuff tbh, as that =£££'s so HPI 4000 and a turnigy 5000, as for the Strada, standard 1800 as back up and a couple of 3700 nimhs

























Gonna get my a55 whooped :laughing:

No chance of trying out yet............


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## fyrstormer (Feb 21, 2016)

Does that Bullet have CVD axles or dogbones? You'll want to get the CVD axles as soon as possible, because the dogbones have an annoying tendency of popping loose and jamming in the front caster blocks. Also the CVDs are made of harder steel.

You'll also want aluminum hubs. The stock plastic hubs are undersized for those big monster-truck tires and you will break one in short order, especially running brushless with LiPo.

You'll want aluminum chassis braces too. The plastic ones flex too much and eventually the chassis will bend. It's easier to install aluminum braces than to replace the entire chassis plate.

Also, make sure the slipper clutch is adjusted properly. The blue fiber pads used on the Bullet have a tendency to stick, so the slipper is probably stuck together from the factory. Loosen the adjuster nut as far as it will go, and mash the throttle a few times to break the pads free. Then tighten the adjuster nut a bit at a time until the truck can just manage to wheelie. This will set the slipper clutch properly and protect the drivetrain from the BONE-CRUSHING POWERRRRR of the brushless motor.


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## fyrstormer (Feb 21, 2016)

Updated info for several vehicles, and added new vehicles.


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## ven (Feb 21, 2016)

fyrstormer said:


> Does that Bullet have CVD axles or dogbones? You'll want to get the CVD axles as soon as possible, because the dogbones have an annoying tendency of popping loose and jamming in the front caster blocks. Also the CVDs are made of harder steel.
> 
> You'll also want aluminum hubs. The stock plastic hubs are undersized for those big monster-truck tires and you will break one in short order, especially running brushless with LiPo.




Thanks for the tip, have read that too, been checking some hop up parts and dont know which is better, any brand or site to use?

Callums as "too slow daddy" so its been traded in and now he is brushless. The nimh pack's did not last long at all, and if a 6yr old is complaining its slow ..............well it must be! 









Tested indoors and adjusted the alignment and camber, just await no rain................:shakehead


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## ven (Feb 21, 2016)

Well just nipped out for a run and Callum is happy, quite nippy so all good there..............for now!

Thinking mine has been fine was a bad thing the front n/s drive shaft slipping has made me google and now seen the upgrade CVD which makes sense. Look far better that the dog bone fitting in the axle cup(looks a sealed unit). So before ordering i will see if local model shop has them in stock. Have some hop up parts on order, steering,front and rear hub holders.........will be a few week though! 

Once over come these weaknesses , it looks a pretty reliable little truck..........he says hoping :laughing:


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## fyrstormer (Feb 22, 2016)

I've been happy with my Bullets. They just need a couple predictable upgrades to work well. I suspect in the long run you'll get better performance out of the Bullet than the Carnage; I'm not sure who the OEM is for the Carnage, but FTX is just a rebrand. That being said I'm using the wheels from the FTX Vantage buggy on my Arrma Raider and they're holding up well, so at least the plastic is good-quality.


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## ven (Feb 22, 2016)

Afaik it's hpi who have the connection as they show the FTX in their manuals. 

Thanks for the tips, hopefully next time the bullet is out , will be a bit longer ! Once sorted CVD front and rear and axle mounts, will leave for that until further failures. Have got some alloy body mounts and steering parts on the way which were ordered prior to this. Pondering over the wish bones but in past they have got bent where plastic flexes/bounces.


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## orbital (Feb 22, 2016)

+

I do some _off road only_ brushless/Lipo running myself,, from 2~5S
on raw/ungroomed motocross style tracks

my 1/8th scale 4WD delivers absolutely instantaneous 2000W*of power, the roost is nuts!!
..can devour diffs very easily though.

Gotta say; I have fun w/ my simple, but very fast 2S 2 wheel drive, easy to fix too:thumbsup:



*likely more


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Feb 23, 2016)

Oops! Nevermind. Need coffee.

~ C.G.


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## ven (Feb 23, 2016)

I remember building/upgrading my savage diffs, geez the amount i must have spent back then on 2 of them. Sausage fingers and little bevel gears dont mix! Saying that, its small fry compared to Frystormer's collection, amazing stuff and great eye candy

Now i want reliability............:laughing: ok maybe not quite, but decent runs before it exploding. Not going to go to 3s, just 2s as i am sure bits will start to undo on me.

May get a 3rd at some point as a back up(think more top gear and the car they end up with if theirs drops out :laughing: ). 

Once my hop ups come, will do a post.......be a few weeks no doubt importing. Not cheap here in the UK, £30 for 2 CVD's or £16 imported, needing 2 sets thats some saving! 

Got a spare (for best) body, standard orange again as not over struck on the black bullet one.


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## orbital (Feb 23, 2016)

Chauncey Gardiner said:


> Oops! Nevermind. Need coffee.
> 
> ~ C.G.



+

Chance, the *S* in my previous post refers to Voltage..
2S=8.4V
3S
4S=16.8V
5S
ect.
ect.

The more Voltage you have running your car, the less Amps you have to consume to generate Watts of power. 
..running high Amps makes everything hot & drains batteries quick
_The kv rating of the motor effects Amps drawn & I'll just leave it at that_

*Watts = Amps x Volts*

Volts are your friend,,, up to a point before breaking lots-o-stuff


--------------------------
Fyrstormer's cars are really well turned out & impressive in every way


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## fyrstormer (Feb 24, 2016)

orbital said:


> Fyrstormer's cars are really well turned out & impressive in every way


Thanks! I have 3 that I'm wrapping up, and rebuilding one that I already have into a different type of vehicle (which is basically done, but I need some consistently warm dry weather to make sure I like its new configuration), but after that I am going to call it quits if I have to run my credit card through the shredder. The new shelf I got for Christmas to hold my RCs is already completely full (it was close to begin with, and then I finished filling it up), so that is _IT_ for a while, dammit, I will only fiddle with cars I already have instead of getting more. Besides, I'll need to move in a few months and I don't need projects hanging in the air and parts shipping from China to make that more complicated.


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## ven (Mar 5, 2016)

Never leave them unattended................lesson learned 























Things happen:naughty:

Couple of little editions just for round the house fun, you know, little ramps and stuff





KD summit , little 1/24 which is quite good fun, reviews on youtube seem fine and its cheap!




Even Rach has been having fun with it around the house, little jumps here and there.

Then picked up a maverick ion MT 1/18 , there are 4 or so to choose from(all look tempting to me). This runs on 7.2v 1200 nimh( youtube vid on 2s but kind of defeats my purpose of getting it so sticking with nimh for now even though it appears to make it quite fast!). Not proper tested yet but nice responsive steering and certainly nippy! . Oil filled shocks as standard and shares the same parts as the other ion models.












Some of the spares have come in frystormer, just await some CVD's and rear hubs, should be fine for a bit..........yeh famous last words :laughing: . Not fitted them yet as i am a believer in "if its not broke dont fix it". So as and when i will throw the bits on as i am not really "bashing" it. 




Few bits i take out for quick repairs etc





The ven garage has grown a little, still a long long way to get a 1/10th of your amazing RC family


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## fyrstormer (Mar 7, 2016)

Looks like a nice collection. I haven't actually needed the aluminum shock towers for my Bullet, but all the other aluminum parts in that picture I've ended up needing.

Was there a picture to go along with the "never leave them unattended" comment? If so, I can't see it.


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## ven (Mar 8, 2016)

No the pic is with them multiplying over night .

Had to take the ion back as the receiver started to smoke  Had this side of 10 mins use with no water or anything to harm it(manufacturing fault). So a quick swap for new and all seems well.....

Callum broke the front hub carrier on the carnage so the part should be with me today (bricks and plastic don't mix!)

Ironically the cheapest one , the KD summit has been faultless and it's had the most abuse!


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## fyrstormer (Apr 26, 2016)

Added info for the SC10B, Twin Hammers DT, and DF-03Ra.


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## orbital (Apr 26, 2016)

fyrstormer said:


> Added info for the SC10B, Twin Hammers DT, and DF-03Ra.



_*PM sent..*_


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## fyrstormer (May 26, 2016)

Updated info for Turnigy Nitro Buggy and DF-03Ra, and updated photos for XV-01 FF and DF-03Ra.


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## fyrstormer (Jun 2, 2016)

Added info for Tamiya TB-04R.


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## fyrstormer (Jun 4, 2016)

Added info for Tamiya CC-01 Unimog.


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## ven (Jun 4, 2016)

Very nice, unimogs are my fav off road truck by a good way!! Portals are awesome but I will presume the model does not have this scale design.


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## fyrstormer (Jun 6, 2016)

Someone figured out how to put portal axles on theirs, but it's more work than I was interested in. If I were going to put portal axles on an RC truck, it would be a dual-solid-axle rock crawler, and there are portal-axle kits for several of the popular models.


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## fyrstormer (Jun 26, 2016)

Added info for HPI RS4 SS.


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## ven (Jul 10, 2016)

Well been ages since me and Callum had been out with the bigger cars(well 1/10) as smaller ones have been used a few times indoors. So off we went to an industrial estate car park, and had about 20m of fun! Callum for 6 ................i will admit it, he kicks my a55. Not one roll(bare in mind i have not done anything to slow it and its brush-less, so respectable speed). Very good control on the trigger, few spins and side ways stuff due to the wet floor. 
Me only 4 flips...........Unfortunately the 20m run was for a reason, Callum got unlucky and clipped my parked car(rc not real one) and broke the front suspension mount (plastic) . So under pressure(from a 6yr old= much head pecking!), part is now ordered @£2.99 , with a mid week deadline set by Callum:tinfoil:

Will be making more effort to get out, but i have a feeling its going to be an endless cost................


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## VenomousSVT (Jul 10, 2016)

fyrstormer said:


> Added info for HPI RS4 SS.



I feel compelled to post to this just to show love for the rs4 mt. I still have my original nitro rs4 mt and I spent years trying to find a better truck that could take a beating like it always did. I've decreased my collection in RC cars/trucks over the years and currently only have a sprint 2 drift, axial yeti, losi comp crawler, losi mini pro comp crawler, my rs4 mt, mini losi 18th scale truck (the name has completely left me at the moment), micro rs4... I got into helis and have collected quite a few but currently only fly my nano qx racer and my 350qx2

Nice collection for sure!


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## fyrstormer (Jul 12, 2016)

ven said:


> Will be making more effort to get out, but i have a feeling its going to be an endless cost................


Parts will always break eventually. There is no indestructible RC car; they have to deal with immense forces compared to their size. 5 bucks to fix the truck isn't too bad; at that price I'd buy a couple spares just so I wouldn't have to wait before repairing it next time.


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## fyrstormer (Jul 12, 2016)

VenomousSVT said:


> I feel compelled to post to this just to show love for the rs4 mt. I still have my original nitro rs4 mt and I spent years trying to find a better truck that could take a beating like it always did. I've decreased my collection in RC cars/trucks over the years and currently only have a sprint 2 drift, axial yeti, losi comp crawler, losi mini pro comp crawler, my rs4 mt, mini losi 18th scale truck (the name has completely left me at the moment), micro rs4... I got into helis and have collected quite a few but currently only fly my nano qx racer and my 350qx2
> 
> Nice collection for sure!


Thanks!

The one I have is the MT2, not the MT, but except for having a slightly longer chassis it's basically the same truck. It's a great stadium truck. The HPI Bullet is very good after a few necessary upgrades to known weak points; I haven't broken either of my Bullets in...years? I guess it _has_ been years. The oversized engine in one of them causes the axle drive cups to wear out faster, but everything else has held up fine.


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## fyrstormer (Jul 12, 2016)

Added info for several shelf-queens.


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## fyrstormer (Nov 8, 2016)

Added info for Losi Baja Rey, HPI RS4 3.4, and Traxxas Slash.


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## fyrstormer (Nov 8, 2016)

Added info for Axial SCX10 v2.


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## fyrstormer (Nov 12, 2016)

Added info for Axial Wraith MT.


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## fyrstormer (Feb 25, 2017)

Updated info for several vehicles, and added info for HPI RS4 2.


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## fyrstormer (Apr 7, 2017)

Added info for Arrma Granite, updated info for ECX Ruckus.


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