First post, 1st car

[jondur]

Hi all, this is my my first post on the site. After time away from flying RC, I'm introducing my son to the fun world of RC with cars. I've always wanted an RC10 as a teen in the late 80's but flying was my thing then.

I've been looking at several RTRs etc but I'm drawn to the RC10 re re and building a kit.

I decided to buy the RC10 Worlds Car but I'd like some recommendations on motor, battery, ESC and radio selection to complete the build. I intend to mostly play around but would like to have a set-up that could be decent as a beginner racing rig.

Thanks!

[yellowdatsun]

As for radios, from your airplane experiences, you probably already know this........but more than anything in the RC car world, the old adage stands true, "you get what you pay for". If it's just for your kid, and he won't know any better, get a cheapie for $60. If YOU actually want to get into it as well, don't waste your money on anything under $100, or even $150 for that matter. There's a HUGE gap in how the controllers feel, how they control the car, and the options.

As for batteries, just go straight to Lipo, don't bother messing with the old style and then having to convert later. This is a case where there really is no rhyme or reason as to the relation of price-to-quality. Some of my favorite batteries have been cheap $35 internet jobbies, and I have others that have been $100 and are great. I wouldn't waste your money on Venom's, it's like the Gucci of batteries. Lectron Pro, Peak, and GeForce have been my personal favorites. For him to start out, i'd buy above 3000mah, and at least 35c. My 4000mah batteries last forever in a buggy. As he grows into it, you'll want closer to 4000mah/4200mah, and 75-100c. The mah rating is the capacity, and the C rating is how fast the battery can dump the charge. The higher the C rating, the faster it goes.

For motors and esc's, you can't go wrong with Castle. Especially for the price. This is a case where you really can get a LOT for little money. For around $100/$110 you can have a nice Castle Sidewinder speed control and motor that will be more than enough for that car. Trust me, I have that Sidewinder setup in my 1992 RC10, and we have a hard time keeping the front end on the ground. Very fast.

[JK Racing]

Everyone is going to have their own opinions on what gear to put into the car. Me personally, I like Spektrum radios, and now that the 4 series is out, you can pick up a decent to great 3 series radio for about $100 or less, I have picked up 3 (one for me, one for my son, one spare, all under $50 each). I personally think Venom batteries are great, I have several myself and use them every race day. Their warranty is good as well. For electronics, Castle makes some good stuff, but if you want to break into racing, the Sidewinder system will hold you back. I have been having great luck with Trackstar systems, both ESC and Motor. Very cheap (usually around $60 plus shipping) and race track friendly. Will you be able to pull wheelies and shred the neighborhood? Probably not. Will it move the car around decently, sure. If you hit the track, you will be in the zone and able to dial in your car and be within most class rules.

[jwscab]

The general consensus would be to go brushless and lipo, if you have nothing already, it's an excellent way to start.

the brushless systems from hobbywing are supposed to be good, xerun and ezrun. Likewise turnigy batteries are good.

radios, I think anything that is 2.4Ghz, and in your price range, will be good. certainly more familiar brands will have better quality at a higher price point.

another option for just a general cruise around and get used to it is a pullout system from associated's rtr kits on ebay, 3500kV motors are essentially like a decent 19 turn motor or so.

be sure to get a lipo charger if you don't already have one for your flight packs, and be sure to heed warnings on lipo storage and use, they are generally benign if treated well, but can be dangerous. Go with the hard case packs, anything 3000-4000 and 35-40C willbe pretty cheap. 2s, 7.4V.

[jondur]

Great advice, thanks guys. This is what I was hoping for - a good starting point for the motor, ESC and battery. I'll def spend more on the radio - I'm a Futaba guy for planes and can only imagine that their surface radios are also great.

I'll soon be buying that car from my LHS and get to building it!