Nitro RC offroader

Crazyfool

Crazyfool

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When I were a lad, I used to have an electric remote control 2wd truck, which has well and truly had its day. This weekend my son and wife (in that order) decided they wanted to buy me a new one for my birthday, but wasn't really sure what to go for.

I had a quick look in town today and on the internet, but I am not sure what to go for. I looked at the Thunder Tiger Tomahawk BX 1:10 Nitro RC buggy because I want power and good handling, but is it any good? There are various makes and models, but does anyone have any ideas which is the best. I am looking for a good all rounder that my son (he's 6) can have a go at and would be looking to spend between £150 - £200.
 
i have an electric 4wd touring car. and have had a go of plenty of nitro models. the trucks are awesome, if your after an all rounder i suppose it doesnt matter which you get as you wont be competing or anything, id recommend getting one with as many metal parts though, they are soooo fragile. the trucks are so hard to control and make them go where you want them too, but this adds to the fun. its good tinkering with the chassis and suspension set ups though.
 
I did a bit of research on this a while back and IIRC HPI chassis are the ones to go for. Cost a bit more, but apparantly worth it.
 
I have owned alot of r/c gear over the last 10years ranging form 1:10 Touring cars to 1:5 2stroke monsters! Currently own a 3speed 70mph Schumacher truck and a Hong Nor Truggy both nitro

My advice would be to stay away from the Tomahawk. Whilst Thunder Tiger make very good glow engines there chassis are not so good.

This is a little over your budget but if you want something that is not going to break every 5mins then a Hobao Hyper7 is your best bet :icon_thumright:

The Tomahawk has a 18bx engine which will be quite under powered over grass etc.. The Hyper7 has a 21 4-port which has alot more grunt and will keep the smile on your face! Its is a very nippy buggy!

Out of the box the handling is superb, very well balanced for jumps and cornering. Chassis is solid and shocks are huge! Diffs are very well constructed using quality gears so no worry about them stripping.

Honestly you will not be disappointed :yes: Bought my brother one and he has failed to break it yet!

Check it out HoBao Hyper 7 TQ Sport RTR
 
This is my brothers when it was brand new

Hyper7new.jpg
 
Great, thanks for the tips. I am guessing the bigger the model, the better it is at off roading? But then I suppose there is a compromise on speed/performance. I was looking at 1:10; is that a bit small?
 
1:8 is perfect size for a off road buggy. You need a little weight to keep stability. Trust me the Hawk will not come close to the Hobao in any way!

The Hobao will reach around 45mph!

You will not find a better buggy for your monies mate :thumbsup: I promise
 
How easy is it to get the fuel and how long will it last? Do I need to consider any other extras?
 
HoBao Hyper 7 TQ Sport RTR Buy with starter kit.Buggy, Radio Gear, Glow Starter, Fuel Bottle, Few handy tools.

OptiFuel Optimix RTR 16% Nitro Car Fuel - 2.5 Litres OP1002 I would recommend running in the engine using this 16% fuel.

Fastrax Micro Failsafe FT1002M This is a must as it will prevent your buggy from running away if it goes out of range or batteries die in transmitter :thumbsup:

That will get you started bud.

After running in the engine and all other moving parts you could then go up to 20% optifuel. Also a rechargeable battery for the buggy's servo's and receiver :icon_thumright:
 
Oh and fuel is as easy as ordering online or visiting your local hobby store. I would fully recommend the Optifuel, very good cold start and will be very kind to the engine.

The tank is around 100cc and will last approx 10-12mins :icon_thumright:
 
ive got a pirate 10 4x4 with the hyper 7 engine very good and robust once you replace the drive gears which due to a design fault overheat, theres a revised gear that ive had no problems with though, not used mine in years though, its the batteries that **** me off. if someone were to make me an offer im sure i might part with it
 
Noggy, it sounds like you really know your stuff. I've always fancied tinkering around with one of these little pocket rockets just for fun. I'm not sure it would just be a 5min novelty with me though? Also it's finding the blooming time to get out and play around too! If I ever do decide on something I'll be in touch for sure! :D
 
This brings me back...many moons ago i used to race electric buggies, the last car i had was a CAT2000 4wd fully raced specced with the later 'laid down' shocks (EC version) - god i miss that car, used to race it once a week for almost 3 years.

Started off with a Tamiya Astute which was a pile of poo, moved onto the CAT after deliberating over a Yokomo 4wd, cant remember the name of the car itself :)
 
well ill put my 2 pennys in as i write for Radio Race Car International. If you dont want to spend over 200 then 1/8th is normally just over that for a budget one HPI do a very good one the trophy for 220 rtr but if you want to stay in that budget then the Ansmann Virus 2 is a very good option ive seen it at 190. Dont expect the transmitter to be great though
 
Im into 1/5th scale
done loads with electric and nitro
but you cant beat a 2 stroke petrol in a great big chassis.

P1000354.jpg
 
nice work i love the windows, the body on my nitro is just a butterfly clipped on piece of plastic that gets "compromised" every time a run out of talent with the r/c :laugh:
 
Well it has taken a while, but what with thr cr**y british weather and not being in much of a rush I have just this minute ordered the HoBao Hyper 7 TQ Sport RTR and starter kit. All I need now is for it to be delivered and to buy some fuel!
 
make sure you get the right fuel and run it in properly.

also just a bit of advice dont run it in when its freezing cold. Air will be too dense for the car and will go full throttle instead of idling. put the case on aswell. they dont like cold air until its been worn in.

that starter kit is also spot on mate will be fine.

Remember not to pull the pull start more than 4-5 inches. It may come out and u wont be able to wind it back up

i have one of these if ur interested. bit different to ya buggy :p but its a pain in the **** to find somewhere nice to drive it as its soo ****** fast one bump and its doing flips

CEN Racing
 
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Great thanks for confirming and for the advice.

I took NoggyS3's advice on the fuel and failsafe
 
in regards to fuel its advised to run fuel with a higher oil mixture like 16% oil to help preserve the engine in its breaking phase. Dont confuse that with the nitro rating though.

American fuels are generally better also as they are made to work in extreme temperatures so will work even better in our climate.

anyway im gonna shut up now
 
Thanks for letting me know.

I feel so dull considering it is only a remote control car, but now for my next predicament. I have taken the radio linkage box apart to install the failsafe, the only problem is there are three plugs; red battery and two (channel 1 & 2) black plugs. Which one am I supposed to connect it to?

It's a good job I bought a pre-assembled car!
 
2
Steering is normally 1 you want it on the throttle servo. Dont expect the receiver pack to last to long so always worth keeping an eye on it. Pick up a copy of the latest radio race car
 
Scrap that, I just had a brainwave. Channel 2 is for the power...the switch works fine. The only other question I have at the moment is that the car came with a platinum glow plug, which I am guessing needs to go into the glow starter after it is charged.
 
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the glow plug is in the top of the engine. it will have one already installed. just undo it with the wrench from ur starter kit. its inside the heatsink. careful not to over tighten when putting it back/new one in.

once ready to start fuel primed electrics on etc put ur glow starter into the plug and then pull the cord. dunno if ive mis understood there but jump on youtube if you need to see it
 
What does the percentage nitro mean. What's the difference between 16 and 25 percent? And what level of oil should I be looking for? After reading the instructions, it recommends Byron fuel.
 
depands on the size of engine 12 to 18 run 16%, 21 size or more 25% (higher % more nitro)
i race 1/8 scale buggy some people take the **** (boys n toys) but once they go to a race meet and see them race round a track they soon shut up...lol
 
:banghead: I can't for the life of me get this thing started and now I think I have flooded the engine. I have followed the instructions on how to start and remove flooding, but to no avail.
 
Hi Buddy, Good choice going for the Hyper 7. Where abouts in the country are you? My suggestion is you go to a club and ask some of the guys to run it in for you. Not only will they help you run it in but they can check how you've done the linkages and everything is set up correctly.

I'm in the northwest and we have 3 really good rallycross clubs, Blackpool, Kirkham and Pendle. If you manage to run it in yourself and just play with it at a park or where ever you'll eventually get bored, but take it to a club and get it on a track and you'll love it.

I think its amazing how many people have tried model cars. Look on forums like oople.com, Maxbashing and brca.org to find information on local clubs.

Good Luck with it
 
I live on the M4 commuter belt west of London. My intention at the moment is to drive it around parks with my son (6yrs), although I don't think he appreciates how fast it will go. I haven't had an rc car for years and the last was electric, so this is a change for me.

I was thinking the same about meeting at a club, but this is all new to me so I will have a look at some of the forums to see if I can find anything. I found a friendly shop near Newport docks when I was on my way home to see my parents who were willing to help me, but unfortunately I didnt have the car with me.

Thanks for the advice.
 
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Crazyfool said:
:banghead: I can't for the life of me get this thing started and now I think I have flooded the engine. I have followed the instructions on how to start and remove flooding, but to no avail.
Click to expand...

undo the glow plug turn the car upside down and put ur finger on the exhaust then pull the pullstart until fuel stops spitting out. remember to drain the fuel tank before doing this though mate.

on urs ur looking at a 16% fuel. the percentage is the nitro rating. the higher stuff is for the bigger engines.

Byron fuel is very good. I use it all the time. expensive though. The bigger the bottle you buy the cheaper it works out.
 
:happy:I went for the Byron 16% after having a chat with the guy in the shop.

Last night I fueled up, turned the accelerator servo slightly and then let rip. A couple of times the starter became stiff, so I removed the glow plug, turned the car upside down and pulled the cord until it was entirely free again. The problem was; I could see fuel in the line to the carb, but didn't see any fuel spluttering out of the hole. I checked the glow plug a couple of times which seems fine, so the only thing I can think, is that there isn't sufficient fuel in the engine...

Latest update: I can see air in the pipes and yet when I pull the starter it just doesn't seem to be moving?
 
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Hallelujah...I got some inspiration from a kid most probably 20 years younger than me on youtube! After a bit of caughing and spluttering, it is working!

I have it up on a box at the moment just letting it idle, but it seems to be very highly strung. I havent changed any of the settings, but it starts off quite calm then gradually increases in revs. Should it do this at this point in time? It's very noisy in the garage.

The other thing is that I was led to believe that the car should run freely when it is in idle mode, but I think the brakes are applying slightly. Do I need to change the settings on the controller?
 
I take you got the hyper 7, 16% nitro not really ideal you need 25% nitro to get the best out of a 21 size engine,
as for it being highly strung sounds like you've not got your linkage on your thottle servo set up right.
when you first get a new nitro engine it should struggle to keep going (running rich) tell its run in.

here's a good forum that should help you out maxbashing
 
I have had varying advice on fuel, some say 16%, others 25% and I have also had between 16 and 25%. I have found a local shop in the area so may take it there on the weekend, otherwise I am travelling to Wales again in a couple of weeks, so will take it to Newport on route.

In the mean time I will look at some of the forums and have a bit of a tinker myself.
 
16% is safer in the running in stages anyhow. I do vary from engine to engine. once run in and tweaked ull be on different fuel anyway (most likely 25% like my .28) i ran in on 16% as recommended by manufacturer and my local shop.

u chose good fuel anyhow mate :)
 
Cool. Thanks for the tips guys. I'll have another play around tonight once I have got the boys to bed. The only problem is that it will be dark so I will be limited to the messy garage. I set the smoke detector off last night because I didn't have the door open far enough!

I'm guessing that its still a ****** to start because the engine is still bedding in. How often do I have to charge the glow starter. I think it is a basic one, so doesn't have a charge reader on it.
 
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