Newbie Question

[Mick B]

Hi all, as a complete novice, I am getting a bit bogged down with info. I want to make a start into buggy racing but resources are limited. The cars I have been pointed towards all cost upwards of £200. I did read a post about the Baja Champ being a good way to start. To be honest, this is about all I could afford at this time. How is this going to perform against the more expensive models? For starters I would need to run it straight out of the box.
The last thing I want to do is buy something that leaves me way behind everyone else and wishing I hadn't bothered. Surely some people must run the more inexpensive models?
Sorry if this sounds a daft question but all I seem to read always relates to the top end of the market. Any advice would be most welcome.
Thanks in advance.

[jaybee]

well i dont think a baja champ is a bad place to start,or maybe the baja king...i run one of these and have had no probs with it. the one thing i will say to you is the standard rs540 motor that comes with it is a little feeble,you will probably want to upgade this as soon as poss,bear in mind that if you do upgrade,you will have to upgrade your speed controller to an electronic one because it will burn out. (been there).i have a 19x3 motor in mine which is a little ballistic,and it really eats the batteries but is good fun and fast.as for hop-ups i highly recommend the speed tune gearbox (£10 opprox) as it gives you a higher top end speed and keeps the revs down on the motor so you dont cook it,the other one that i see as essential is the shocker upgrade you will need oil filled to keep it on its wheels as they have a tendancy to bounce and flip....hope this helps

[Garry]

Number 1 upgrade - Ballraces.

[Mick B]

Thanks guys, just been out and bought one today. Get used to driving first me thinks. Going down to Batley on Sunday to get a feel for things. Not driving just for the experience.
The one thing that does confuse me is that the motor supplied in the kit appears to be 19 turns? I thought the standard Tamiya 540 motor was 27 turns? Must be right as it came in the kit ???
Anyway, learn to drive first, upgrade later!
Mick.

[jaybee]

oh yes....forgot about the ball races....sorry. the 19t motor doesnt sound right to me,dont mean to sound patronising but are you counting the teeth on the pinion?'cause it does come with a 19 tooth pinion in the box?again please be free to call me few names if i am insulting you.lol

[Mick B]

Yes the pinion in the box is stamped 19T. It has 3 positions in the chassis marked 19, 21, 23. I thought this meant it was a 19 turn motor and you could use a 19, 21 or 23 turn motor??
If it is a motor other than 19 turn, why does it have a 19T pinion?
As I said I am new to all this and I am sure there is a simple answer.

[jaybee]

yes.right......the motor will be a 540...yes?(says on the side)if this is so then it is a 27 turn motor.....the pinion in the box is a 19 tooth,when you mount this on the chassis,the screws go in the 19 hole,there are three different pinions you can use with tl-01...19...21...and 23.the numbers relate to the amount of teeth on it.the least amount of teeth gives you better acceleration,but less on the top end.but the balance between the two(motor and pinion)is a vital one,for instance if you use a 19 tooth pinion on a 19 turn motor,you will fry the motor quite easily,but a 23 tooth will turn the motor slower but make the car go faster...but on ther other hand,if you put a 23 tooth pinion on a 27turn motor it will be slow as hell off the mark(no torque)so a 19 tooth is good for what you have at the moment,they arent expensive,buy them and try them out.......it has a lot to do with driver preference.(if you can make sense of that lot,you are a better man than me).

[Mick B]

Makes my last post sound a bit daft now :-[

I get the idea, seems obvious once someone has pointed it out.

All part of the learning I suppose.

[Garry]

Don't worry, we've all been there. :D