new car

[davieb1969]

Guys, I've decided to get another car to run along side the RC-Lab.

I'm interested in the new TC4, the Pro 4 or the Evo 4. However I want to make sure that whichever car I get at least someone else at the club has got one. What would you recommend?

I know Paul is selling his Evo 4, but I'm worried about getting the parts. You know how many breakages I get :)

David

[Dave I]

Guys, I've decided to get another car to run along side the RC-Lab.

I'm interested in the new TC4, the Pro 4 or the Evo 4. However I want to make sure that whichever car I get at least someone else at the club has got one. What would you recommend?

I know Paul is selling his Evo 4, but I'm worried about getting the parts. You know how many breakages I get :)

David

The new Tamiyas are fantastic, as was my TRF414M, but I got rid off it purely for the spares situation. Everything I wanted / needed had to come for overseas. Fine if it’s just a hop up, but if you break something on the night that’s it you’re stuffed. I know Stuarts goes well, but how many no finishes through breakages?

TC4, not much to say really I know of a couple running at other clubs that people are impressed with, but that said they were big TC3 fans to start with.

PRO4, now there is a car I can comment on! First my only niggle with it.. I have broken 3 or 4 diff screws. The screw really is a bad design with too much undercut on the head. I have now cured this, I hope, with some aftermarket screws. The PRO4 does go well, and is real easy to set up. The only thing I have purchased is a front diff (it come with a one-way) but that was easily available in this country. I've played around with the geometry a bit and now have a very consistent car. Plenty quick enough and it goes where you point it.

My only question would be, why run two cars???? It will do nothing for your driving having two completely different cars. The Lab being belt the cars your questioning being shaft. The Lab certainly has the speed and the handling is there to be found, just look at John and Nathan’s cars. Personally, and please don’t take this the wrong way it is meant only as constructive criticism, it may be worth slowing your car down some. It is very very quick in a straight line but having watched you race it seems to get to corners to quick which makes you slam the brakes on, you really shouldn’t need brakes with a stock motor, and upsets the cars balance. Less speed would give you more time to react and make for less extreme changes in direction etc.

[davieb1969]

Thanks for the reply Dave, Nik said you'd have a good thing to say about the Pro4. :)

I like the RC-Lab but want to try something else, "The grass is greener on the other side", so they say. If the replacement car suits me better then I'll sell the RC-Lab, if not, I'll stick with it.

There seems to be more Pro 4/TC4/EVO4 users out there and a wider range of advice can be obtained. I'm currently having to ask Mike all the time, which I'm sure can get annoying.

As for my driving, the last few weeks have been pretty poor, the wrong tyres and some broken parts causing me a headache. You're right though, I do go to fast, I keep telling myself "slow down". Coincidence, cause that's what I say when driving the Scooby!!! :D

But at £299 the Pro4 is expensive, so I need to make the right choice.

[oliverro]

Got another Lab if you want to run 2 of those :D
Only kidding I'm going to persevere until Christmas: rebuilt the whole rear end last night and now the rear feels softer than the front which is the way Mike says it should be; gone back to the carpet dragons for the lower profile.

So watch out on Friday - "I'll be back", or should that be "I'll be at the back"?

Anyone run the new belted T27s yet? They certainly look nice so I might try a set of those on inch up rims.

Cheers

Rob

[Dave I]

Thanks for the reply Dave, Nik said you'd have a good thing to say about the Pro4. :)

I like the RC-Lab but want to try something else, "The grass is greener on the other side", so they say. If the replacement car suits me better then I'll sell the RC-Lab, if not, I'll stick with it.

There seems to be more Pro 4/TC4/EVO4 users out there and a wider range of advice can be obtained. I'm currently having to ask Mike all the time, which I'm sure can get annoying.

As for my driving, the last few weeks have been pretty poor, the wrong tyres and some broken parts causing me a headache. You're right though, I do go to fast, I keep telling myself "slow down". Coincidence, cause that's what I say when driving the Scooby!!! :D

But at £299 the Pro4 is expensive, so I need to make the right choice.

The PRO4 isnt cheap, I'll give you that. But, the only thing you need to buy after the kit is a diff for the front. I'm running kit springs both indoors and out! The only changes I have made are to the geometry and like I said the car is great. I hope my results this series to last are testement to that. Last series struggling in F2 so far this one pushing for 3rd in F1 not been out of the A yet!!

If you want to have a look / try of mine on Friday not a problem

Cheers

[gatesy]

Well I can put in a good word for the Evo...

Dave, actually not to many non finishes through breakages. Most have been motor problems.

Spares, Well I just ordered a shed load when I first bought the car so I've got the bits when I need them. When I need to stock up I will put in an order for Paul, Some lads at Bedworth and myself, to cut down the postage costs.

Set-up, With Associated Blue and Silver springs as the only exception I'm still on kit set up. I've just put a diff in, which is a pain in the arse as you have to buy the bits seperately, and an M2 locknut (that fits) is hard to find. If you cant be bothered with that then just stick a Speedtech Spool in

Shaft vs. Belt, I think my current results will answer that one. Gone better with the shaft than belts. Just need to crack that A final win (it will happen......one day ;) ) Shaft just picks up and goes, and feels smoother to drive at the same time.

Price, Sorry Stu - had to remove this bit - no price comparisons - Colin :rolleyes:

The TC4 is currently a fairly unknowed quantity. Not a great showing at the worlds, and Paul says it may have been a modded TC3 that made the A and not even a TC4. But is the TC3 is anything to go by....

Pro 4 I can't speak for, but Daves goes very well. And 2nd at the Worlds aswell...

If you've got any other questions just AAsk, or whatever the advert says..

Rob, I'm currently on T27 Evo tyres, they seem nice and grippy, and are lasting longer than old T27's. They seem to wear evenly aswell.

Stu

[Dave I]

Well I can put in a good word for the Evo...

Dave, actually not to many non finishes through breakages. Most have been motor problems.

Spares, Well I just ordered a shed load when I first bought the car so I've got the bits when I need them. When I need to stock up I will put in an order for Paul, Some lads at Bedworth and myself, to cut down the postage costs.

Set-up, With Associated Blue and Silver springs as the only exception I'm still on kit set up. I've just put a diff in, which is a pain in the arse as you have to buy the bits seperately, and an M2 locknut (that fits) is hard to find. If you cant be bothered with that then just stick a Speedtech Spool in

Shaft vs. Belt, I think my current results will answer that one. Gone better with the shaft than belts. Just need to crack that A final win (it will happen......one day ;) ) Shaft just picks up and goes, and feels smoother to drive at the same time.

Price, :rolleyes:

The TC4 is currently a fairly unknowed quantity. Not a great showing at the worlds, and Paul says it may have been a modded TC3 that made the A and not even a TC4. But is the TC3 is anything to go by....

Pro 4 I can't speak for, but Daves goes very well. And 2nd at the Worlds aswell...

If you've got any other questions just AAsk, or whatever the advert says..

Rob, I'm currently on T27 Evo tyres, they seem nice and grippy, and are lasting longer than old T27's. They seem to wear evenly aswell.

Stu

See you've just backed up my point. Everything you need has to be bought overseas! What will happen to model shops in this country if everyone does this... they will disapear!!!!!

It may be cheaper, but when you have a problem who are you going to turn to?

[gatesy]

Not really my problem, its the Hobby Co's problem.

Fair enough, it would be more expensive to buy spares from over here, and me going abroad affects model shops etc, but they dont even import the spares, so as far as I can see, U.K model shops arent missing out.

Its just like taking a holiday abroad, but they wont lock threads on here if I talk about it. :rolleyes:

[Dave I]

but they dont even import the spares, so as far as I can see, U.K model shops arent missing out.


So would you recommend a car that you CAN'T buy spares for over here?? Like I said that waS the reson I goT rid off the 414M. No knocking the cars at all, everyone knows how much I like Tamiyas, its just the backup and having to order EVERYTHING from overseas.

I have to say 2nd major race with the PRO4 I managed to break a front
shock tower ( no fault of the cars a marshall in the way on the fastest part of the track!!!). Now had I still been running the 414 that would have been day over, there were no other 414's there.

A quick walk round the pits and a friendly fellow PRO4 driver has one spare, he has no problems selling it to me as he knows he can pick another up next day at his local Hobby Store.

Thats the difference in being able to get parts from overseas and having parts readily available. If he had to re-order from Hong Kong would he have parted with his spare?? Prob not.

[davieb1969]

Dave, are you saying that if the EVO 4 or TRF414M parts were available easily in the UK then you'd have one of those instead of the PRO 4? And does that mean the PRO 4 was a second choice and not as good?

I've looked at all three cars and they all seem very good, are they better than the lab?

Stu, if I was to be offered a second hand evo 4 then would £150 be about right? ;)

[Dave I]

Dave, are you saying that if the EVO 4 or TRF414M parts were available easily in the UK then you'd have one of those instead of the PRO 4? And does that mean the PRO 4 was a second choice and not as good?

I've looked at all three cars and they all seem very good, are they better than the lab?

Stu, if I was to be offered a second hand evo 4 then would £150 be about right? ;)

I'm saying if parts had been available then I may not have changed. However, I am certainly more than happy with my change. I'm getting on better with the PRO4 than I could have hoped for.

I'm afraid I'm just very pro supporting the model shops in this country. I dont want to see the shops in this country disappear. I buy the odd bit overseas, mainly second hand equipment at the right price.

[Paul_U]

The 415 and Evo 4, without a shadow of a doubt are the Best 2 cars i have EVER driven, been racing for 9 years, so thats a lot of trying different cars, ;) :p :D, i was shocked how easy the Evo was to drive with the one-way.

I dont really see getting the spares from overseas a major problem, as the car more than makes up for this, 3-5 days for delivery, and its cheap, also like stu said if you purchase in bulk youll have no problem, just re-order when you have nearly ran out.

The amount of people running the cars now is on the rise, 6-8 415's at DMS few weekends back, (i know its still not many but its a start).

I have tried a Pro 4, it was good, but dosent have the :eek: factor the tamiyas have, cant comment on TC4 as it has only just been released.

Paul

[Dave I]

The one question David is, Are you going to bet a BETTER car or just a different car by changing? All the cars mentioned above are excellent quick cars. You currently have the same make as John and Nathan who are both well up in the series at the moment so the car is capable without a doubt. The other major advantage I would say the Lab has is that the guy who designed it comes along most weeks and is more than happy to help!

At the end of the day it really is down to driver performance more than car performance 99% of the time, I bet Hara could use a kit sprint and still beat me!!

Like I said all these cars are fantastic bits of engineering, you pays your money you takes your pick.

[gatesy]

Yeah gotta agree with Paul.

I haven't been racing anywhere near as long as Paul, so I haven't tried lots of cars, but first time out with the car I stuck it in the A (I think).
Even when it had the one-way in it felt easy to drive, and Paul was leading the A with a one-way on friday, and I won the first leg of the A a few weeks back with the one-way.

Its the best car I've driven, maybe it just suits me, but it would be hard now to go back to another brand. The TRF team just seem to be out to make the perfect car.

The bonus you have with RC-Lab, as Dave says, is that Mike comes down nearly every week now. It just seems that the Lab takes time to get right. Rob is'nt hitting the form that he had with his Mission, and on paper the Lab is a much better car. John and Nathan have had there Labs for a long time now so they've had the time to get them spot on.

[gatesy]

Dave, are you saying that if the EVO 4 or TRF414M parts were available easily in the UK then you'd have one of those instead of the PRO 4? And does that mean the PRO 4 was a second choice and not as good?

I've looked at all three cars and they all seem very good, are they better than the lab?

Stu, if I was to be offered a second hand evo 4 then would £150 be about right? ;)

Rumour has it you've got yourself one allready.
If you fancy doing a spares order I've got a list of bits I need :D

[Colin Williams]

Get a TC4 :D

Not because I know the're any better, just because I want to see one ;)

[davieb1969]

Guys, please don't get me wrong, the RC-Lab is a great piece of engineering and Mike has been very helpful and definitely knows his stuff.

However I'm still a beginner and like Stu said "It just seems that the Lab takes time to get right". I'm just not patient :)

IMO you need to know the physics involved to get the best out of it.

I just want to try something else, and if it don't work out then I'm happy to stick with the Lab. Is that a crime?

[Dave I]

No its not a crime at all.

Its just I'm very pro supporting Shops in this country. Having a friend who runs one I know its not the shops who are making all the money from the 'sky high' prices in this country. If we dont support the shops, more than internet stores, then these will disappear and help for the average racer will also be lost.

I hope the Tamiya goes well for you, like I said previously I am a Tamiya fan, it what I started with. Just bear in mind though its no use have the best kit if you dont work on the driving side off things.

Cheers

Dave

[Paul_U]

Guys i have a new car too now, its a xray, 12th TC, gonna race it tommorow :D as my 415 is still broken :mad:

Paul

[gatesy]

LOL Muppett

[oliverro]

Yeah gotta agree with Paul.
Rob is'nt hitting the form that he had with his Mission, and on paper the Lab is a much better car. John and Nathan have had there Labs for a long time now so they've had the time to get them spot on.

Well Stu - I think the long lost form is back - albeit about 4 weeks too late to do anything about this series. Typically, with my luck this year, the first time the car performs faultlessly and my PT decides to miss every other lap! I think it may have been the loop position as I had the PT on top of the bumper and I was getting those apexes so sweetly :D ? - should have checked when taking the track apart. Will try one more week as all I'm aiming for is to try and keep in F1 - even this might be a challenge though!

Now the car gets a clean and I can start work on getting it faster ;)

Cheers

Rob

[Dave I]

Typically, with my luck this year, the first time the car performs faultlessly and my PT decides to miss every other lap! I think it may have been the loop position as I had the PT on top of the bumper and I was getting those apexes so sweetly :D ? - should have checked when taking the track apart.

Rob

Your PT is a strange one. No one else has had any problems with PT's and we had no other missed laps with either PT drivers or handouts.

I would fit the PT on the bottom deck over the cutout. If the problem still happens then its either the reciever no delivering a constant voltage or a fault with the PT.

Cheers

Dave

[G.Man]

Ran my Evo IV for the first time on sunday at Bedworth Beginners day.. Went in with the experienced drivers and finished 3rd in the stock Touring b-final but that was not representative of either the car or my ability as I did struggle due to some clapped out rear hub bearings... (stupid size, but I see the reason for it)...

The bad rear bearings meant I had little pace down the straight and it was like the car was massively overgeared (had no real punch)...

Overall I was quite pleased for my first tarmac TC races ever, and my lap times weren't too bad considering...

The front one way meant the car changed ends if you so much as breathed on the brakes, so I got used to lifting and coasting into the corners which isnt a quick way around the track really... and I am sure this situation was agravated by the notchy rear bearings...

Hopefully this friday I will be running my Labs 7-7 GT3 Pro and I am certainly looking forward to trying it. MikeS has been extremely helpful with the car and its great to see he supports his drivers well at Kettering...

Hopefully the Evo will be supported in the UK this year, but if it isnt, then I am sure the Labs car will be good seeing some of the results tables (certainly quicker than my driving)... It definately has good balance...

CU friday

:D

[oliverro]

Dave

Got a replacement for the KO digi fet servo so I'll bring it down on Friday and then you can "evaluate" it for your nitro.

After the christmas break finally got around to thinking about adding new goodies to the lab - ceramic bearings all round and the new one piece layshaft kit. Just about to start fitting the layshaft and discovered my rear diff felt remarkably smooth! Discovered the screw had sheared so I had been running a FWD car for I don't know how long! Got an order in to Mr Smith so hopefully all will be well for Friday!

Happy New Year

Rob

[gatesy]

I should really think about getting my car ready for racing again. Put it down after the last race night and havent touched it since. Had too much fun smashing the 18T up :D

See you on friday.