Off-Topic DiscussionAnything not Challenger-related having legitimate subject matter goes here - must be work-safe. Post ALL social & 'just for fun' threads in the Chat Lounge ONLY). **NOTE: ALL forum rules apply in Off Topic - NO POLITICS**
Been wanting a nitro RC car for the longest time but just cant bring my self to spend up and even over 500 bills on one of them.
Turns out my buddy at work has a 4-tec 3.3 for sale with only about 2 hours on it and always used after run oil and is like brand new he wants 250.00.
A guy online is selling a brand new in box jato for 350.
The 4-tec is so low its only a road car without a doubt so I have always had my eye on the Jato 3.3 to give me a little bit more ground clearance if I ever did want to get into some off road. There is a huge high school parking lot within walking distance of my house so both cars would have plenty of room to stretch their legs out on a road enviroment. But there isnt really any off road areas around.
Anyone have any expericance with this 2 cars? Opinions?
__________________
2012 SRT: Mopar CAI, Mopar front strut brace, Flowmaster American Thunder, BT catch can z mount with black braided lines, Diablo 93 octane tune, Jet 180 thermostat and BT thermostat housing, Hurst shifter, Mopar short throw shifter, skip shift eleminator, Mopar lowering springs, LED bulbs.
I had a Nitro 4Tec Pro and an HPI RS4 Racer... As cool as "on road" cars look.. unless you have a freshly swept and groomed concrete pad.. they aren't much fun! They will get caught up on pebbles, junk gets in the gear boxes or in the belt drive systems, they will flip over and self destruct.
I say go for offroad Now if you was talking Fifth Scale I would say go on-road, but in the smaller scales, the road surface just has too much dramatic effect on them.
I also had an Ofna 1/8th scale Monster Blazer, that thing was nuts... Also had a Duramax Max ST, not much traction being RWD but I ran that thing into everything and hardly ever broke any parts
They are both great rigs....I've been involved in rc for over ten years and if there was one single piece of advice that I could give you that I wish someone had told me it's this....
Go electric!
I've been slowly selling off or converting everything from nitro to electric over the last couple of years. I've even abandoned nitro in my rc airplanes! Electrics run quieter, cooler and smoother. Yeah the sound of the nitro engine is great but the drive line shock, noise and the mess of the two strokes gets old quick.
Modern electronics, batteries and brushless motors are far superior to any nitro on the market. I'm not sure about the Jato but I know there is an electric brushless version of the 4 tech.
They are both great rigs....I've been involved in rc for over ten years and if there was one single piece of advice that I could give you that I wish someone had told me it's this....
Go electric!
^^^^^^^ I second that. I run gas engines in my RC airplanes which is ok because you have to run them primarily at the club site in a less populated area, but run a gas car in the city and people will complain sooner or later. I run an older electric "Raider Pro" off-road car and I have a Team Losi 16th scale Dune Buggy for the grand kids, that they can move into after learning on an older slower car. Both the Raider and the Losi are electrics and are smoking fast and only for more advanced drivers, BUT both can be run all afternoon in front of the house in the city. Whatever you buy though, I recommend buying one or more sets of tires, you'll need em.
It's disgusting how fast electrics have become. You can buy a Traxxas XO-1 that will run out of the box, 100 MPH, you have to have a really fast nitro to top 70... Brushless makes it possible!
Yeah the guy at the hobby shop is always pushing them.
IDK though I just like the smell of nitro I guess lol.
The electric ones just seem boring to me I guess. Now that I have free time and can finally do what I want when I want I need to pick up a hobby. Sounds crazy but the cleaning and caring for the gas motor is what attracts me to them. I need something to tinker with its in my blood.
I can only wax my car so many times and golf everyday like I want to can get expensive after beer fees lol.
Yeah the guy at the hobby shop is always pushing them.
IDK though I just like the smell of nitro I guess lol.
The electric ones just seem boring to me I guess. Now that I have free time and can finally do what I want when I want I need to pick up a hobby. Sounds crazy but the cleaning and caring for the gas motor is what attracts me to them. I need something to tinker with its in my blood.
I can only wax my car so many times and golf everyday like I want to can get expensive after beer fees lol.
I know what you mean about the fuel and the tinkering etc. Sounds like you need to get that out of your blood, so watch Craigs list or buy one of the 2 you mentioned in your 1st post and have a blast they are hours of fun.
Something to remember though, only get a car that replacement parts can be found for and gotten quickly, if they have to come from China forget it. Hopefully get a car that has parts that can be bought at the local hobby shop, you will break things.
Something to remember though, only get a car that replacement parts can be found for and gotten quickly, if they have to come from China forget it. Hopefully get a car that has parts that can be bought at the local hobby shop, you will break things.
Yeah that's why I have to stick with the Traxxas brand. My local hobby shop keeps most their parts in stock.
He deals with other brands but they are usually special order. I want to be able to fix stuff asap when it breaks. I hate waiting.
If you went electric and brushed motors, you could work on them too, suspensions tweaks (geometry, shocks) can be hours worth of tinkering
Adding different bodies with custom paint and decals adds even more possibilities
It's disgusting how fast electrics have become. You can buy a Traxxas XO-1 that will run out of the box, 100 MPH, you have to have a really fast nitro to top 70... Brushless makes it possible!
I have bn in RC since 1984 and I can tell you electric is the way to go if you are getting into the hobby. If you already have all the nitro support gear, then it is an even split with pros and cons on both sides.
I flew my first electric brushless plane about 6-7 years ago. Someone begged me to test fly it, so I did. It had a brushless motor and some of the new second gen lipo packs on it. Let me tell you something. Other than the sound difference, I could not tell the difference in flight characteristics between that and a moderatly powered 4 stroke machine. And flight times were 20 min with the batteries he had. Add to that, no mixtture issues, no glow plug blow out, no oil cleanup. The writing was on the wall! And the cheaper the electronics get, the harder the arguement is for nitro.
The only pros for nitro I see now are the fast refueling and the ability to constantly run. Changing a battery and charging it still takes time compared to some of the high speed fueling devices in the market. This is mostly a car thing. Also with cars, running an electric motor for long periods of time is hard. Either you need a heat sink for the motor, or you need to gear down so the amp draw is low enough to keep heat at bay. Or you need special motor with magnets designed for high heat applications. The electric motors are not really good at unloading their heat without special considerations. Nitro motors can run all day and night if you supply them fuel and plugs. The heat sinks will unload the heat as fast as it builds for the most part.
If you watch some of the electric RC car races, you would think they are playing the video in fast forward mode. This is really true for on road. Check it out on you tube too.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Now if you was talking Fifth Scale I would say go on-road, but in the smaller scales, the road surface just has too much dramatic effect on them.
Linear Mode
