RC cars

My racing journey continues. Getting back into the hobby last year has really been so good for me, meeting so many decent people, joining a really good club and just racing. Doing king of clubs this year and a couple of nationals, competing every week in the club championships :)

As we hit the colder months the high end front wheel drives struggle for grip, mainly due to tyre restrictions as at Eastbourne we race them on bmra tyres, but the M07's just seem to be fun and keep on going in the rain and cold with a better range of tyres and a really fun drive so I now have a M07 to race till spring.
Really pleased with the build. Weight distribution isn't great yet, still working on a better layout but really pleased with how its gone together and the how the paint turned out :)

M07 by Peige, on Flickr

All ready to race :)
 
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The traxxas mess is interesting.

Beyond recall, what’s their risk mitigation plan.

The level of asbestos must be minimal right? Seems like a non issue really. I’d worry more about the people manufacturing the parts than the end users..
 
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peige said:
My racing journey continues. Getting back into the hobby last year has really been so good for me, meeting so many decent people, joining a really good club and just racing. Doing king of clubs this year and a couple of nationals, competing every week in the club championships :)

As we hit the colder months the high end front wheel drives struggle for grip, mainly due to tyre restrictions as at Eastbourne we race them on bmra tyres, but the M07's just seem to be fun and keep on going in the rain and cold with a better range of tyres and a really fun drive so I now have a M07 to race till spring.
Really pleased with the build. Weight distribution isn't great yet, still working on a better layout but really pleased with how its gone together and the how the paint turned out :)

M07 by Peige, on Flickr

All ready to race :)
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Eastbourne you say? Where abouts? I’d love to get back into touring car racing
 
savagesam117 said:
Eastbourne you say? Where abouts? I’d love to get back into touring car racing
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There are a couple of clubs in that area. I race at Eastbourne Electric Car Club, EECC who have a permanent asphalt track near Hailsham. There is also the 1066 club nearer Hastings which I don't go to but the track is supposed to be good. Adur also has two tracks, on road and off, there are lots of tracks in this area really, a few running indoor too in halls etc over the winter.

EECC Hailsham race electric and mainly 1/10th scale, run every Wednesday evening and some Sundays as well as events like King of Clubs which runs across the south east. Then there are nationals which quite a few travel to but I will just do the ones that are local. Currently TT02 and M07 Chassis are most popular in the winter, in the summer we go more "Frontie" touring with 20+ drivers in that class alone each evening, ages 8-80 in extreme but just a good group of people always willing to help each other. A lot of talented drivers race out of EECC.

It has the potential to be a money pit, a top end Awesomatix fwd car coming in at £675 plus without the electrics, but also you can pick up a second hand M07 or TT02 and race for much much less every week. Hop up parts are addictive though ;)

Personally I only started last year back into the hobby, did it when I was a teenager and just had the hankering to get back into it and so glad I did, its been so enjoyable. I now spend evenings tinkering with cars and getting them ready to race and my Wednesdays racing with a great crowd, decent banter and did i mention that there's a really good burger van?

Just turn up and a few friendly questions later you find yourself turning up the next week with a car you've spent every night building...
 
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Skynet5 said:
The traxxas mess is interesting.

Beyond recall, what’s their risk mitigation plan.

The level of asbestos must be minimal right? Seems like a non issue really. I’d worry more about the people manufacturing the parts than the end users..
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Yeah, but the fact is asbestos is banned in EU/UK/Australia, so they're probably forced to do this recall.
 
I have not touched RC cars in many many years.

Where I live there used to be a place called "Models in Motion" (unsure if they are still about these days) that sold Tamiya car kits and shells for them which you sprayed yourself with cans.

They used to hire a hall in a school and had a inside track that changed each week which had carpet down ( was a smooth flooring) and the track was made up of huge hosing filled with sand.

Was great fun but when you broke something it did cost a lot to fix, used to lug around a 12V car battery that we used to connect the charger for the batteries for the RC cars
 
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ED209 said:
I have not touched RC cars in many many years.

Where I live there used to be a place called "Models in Motion" (unsure if they are still about these days) that sold Tamiya car kits and shells for them which you sprayed yourself with cans.

They used to hire a hall in a school and had a inside track that changed each week which had carpet down ( was a smooth flooring) and the track was made up of huge hosing filled with sand.

Was great fun but when you broke something it did cost a lot to fix, used to lug around a 12V car battery that we used to connect the charger for the batteries for the RC cars
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Pretty much how it was for me when I did it as a kid in the 80's. Church hall, carpet down at the start and barriers up then the track was layed out and we raced till 9.30pm when the whole lot would be put away before we all went home. Charging Nicads from a 12v battery or charger, dropping into Heathercraft in Crawley each weekend to buy the bits you'd broken.

The indoor meets are really still like that as far as track is concerned, Tamiya TT02 and M07 are still raced at our club and are really fun starter cars, they are both pretty solid and take a good beating before you break them.

But the top end kits are pretty complex, setup sheets for every aspect of them and a real skill in getting them right with reward of a faster lap or staying in front and getting into the A final. I think the advent of online shops meaning you can get your spares next day and browse dozens of hop up options for your car :)
 
peige said:
Pretty much how it was for me when I did it as a kid in the 80's. Church hall, carpet down at the start and barriers up then the track was layed out and we raced till 9.30pm when the whole lot would be put away before we all went home. Charging Nicads from a 12v battery or charger, dropping into Heathercraft in Crawley each weekend to buy the bits you'd broken.

The indoor meets are really still like that as far as track is concerned, Tamiya TT02 and M07 are still raced at our club and are really fun starter cars, they are both pretty solid and take a good beating before you break them.

But the top end kits are pretty complex, setup sheets for every aspect of them and a real skill in getting them right with reward of a faster lap or staying in front and getting into the A final. I think the advent of online shops meaning you can get your spares next day and browse dozens of hop up options for your car :)
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The same people who organised the racing in the school hall was the company who had the shop so they always took a peg board with common parts people broke so if anything went wrong on the night you get fix your car and carry on.

The parts used to come in different variants like plastic, carbon fibre and metal all costing a small fortune lol.

They used to sell petrol cars as well and had an outside race as well but I always stuck with the lower end of things.

How much are batteries etc these days? The motors for the cars used to cost a fair bit back when I did it and used to change the size of the little gear that went on to this which then linked with a bigger gear to drive the belt.

Then you used to have your Crystals colours for banding so you would not get them mixed up with other cars etc.

used to cost me a fortune back then so god knows how much it is now with everything that's gone on in the world
 
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khevolution said:
Whats the average number of drivers this time of year at Eastbourne?
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This is my first Winter so i'm going by what I have seen so far and what i'm told but obviously its entirely on the weather but even when its raining you get a couple of heats running, each getting three races and a final. I'd say the average is 10 drivers, with 8 being when its rubbish weather and 15 when its just cold. In the summer it was 30+ drivers regularly. Last night was called off, heavy snow stopped most getting there!
 
Might pop down there next raceday, always fancied FWD,My other local track (Adur) doesnt seem to have enough to run a heat. Currently got a Mardave for there indoor series, but thinking about racing in the better weather.
 
ED209 said:
The same people who organised the racing in the school hall was the company who had the shop so they always took a peg board with common parts people broke so if anything went wrong on the night you get fix your car and carry on.

The parts used to come in different variants like plastic, carbon fibre and metal all costing a small fortune lol.

They used to sell petrol cars as well and had an outside race as well but I always stuck with the lower end of things.

How much are batteries etc these days? The motors for the cars used to cost a fair bit back when I did it and used to change the size of the little gear that went on to this which then linked with a bigger gear to drive the belt.

Then you used to have your Crystals colours for banding so you would not get them mixed up with other cars etc.

used to cost me a fortune back then so god knows how much it is now with everything that's gone on in the world
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Local to EECC is Zen Racing and he will deliver to track anything ordered that day. Same with hop ups now, kit version, alli, carbon. Lipo 2s around £50 and up. Radio is completely different now, cheaper and no crystals, you bind your radio to your receiver and thats it, no worrying about being on when others are racing etc. Motor/esc tends to be around £100

I'd say its at a basic level cheaper now to get into, sure you can spend loads and go for the high end stuff but a new M07 is say £300 on the track (and maybe 200 second hand) and you have a whole heap of fun that can if you choose gateway you into the hobby or just get you out each week. A lot of younger drivers run TT02's and they are a good start too.
Yes, you can go faster and get better, drivers sell there older cars in favour of a newer one and you can pick up a decent car with spares for a good price when you get into the group, its not a cheep hobby but it doesn't have to be expensive beyond the car purchase and £4 a week to race.
 
khevolution said:
Might pop down there next raceday, always fancied FWD,My other local track (Adur) doesnt seem to have enough to run a heat. Currently got a Mardave for there indoor series, but thinking about racing in the better weather.
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Eastbourne are just starting indoor for the minis at a local school hall on a Saturday night, second meet is soon. I'm not buying another car for that!

Race every Wednesday but if the weather is awful there will be less of us! Frontie is quieter now as i've said, they really don't like the cold damp track, there will be a few who run them if the track is dry but they won't pick up now until spring, really popular in the summer though peaking at around 24 drivers in that class alone. Meanwhile M07 runs and TT02 in whatever weather we are prepared to stand outside in! I think both of these work as they are robust and have a wider tyre choice.
My Frontie is good in the dry and good in the rain but in between its a struggle, I will have it with me most weeks and put it out if the track suits but meanwhile the m07 will be great fun :)

Come along, its a great friendly club. I actually live closer to Adur but don't want to race at weekends so EECC suits me on a Wednesday.
 
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peige said:
There are a couple of clubs in that area. I race at Eastbourne Electric Car Club, EECC who have a permanent asphalt track near Hailsham. There is also the 1066 club nearer Hastings which I don't go to but the track is supposed to be good. Adur also has two tracks, on road and off, there are lots of tracks in this area really, a few running indoor too in halls etc over the winter.

EECC Hailsham race electric and mainly 1/10th scale, run every Wednesday evening and some Sundays as well as events like King of Clubs which runs across the south east. Then there are nationals which quite a few travel to but I will just do the ones that are local. Currently TT02 and M07 Chassis are most popular in the winter, in the summer we go more "Frontie" touring with 20+ drivers in that class alone each evening, ages 8-80 in extreme but just a good group of people always willing to help each other. A lot of talented drivers race out of EECC.

It has the potential to be a money pit, a top end Awesomatix fwd car coming in at £675 plus without the electrics, but also you can pick up a second hand M07 or TT02 and race for much much less every week. Hop up parts are addictive though ;)

Personally I only started last year back into the hobby, did it when I was a teenager and just had the hankering to get back into it and so glad I did, its been so enjoyable. I now spend evenings tinkering with cars and getting them ready to race and my Wednesdays racing with a great crowd, decent banter and did i mention that there's a really good burger van?

Just turn up and a few friendly questions later you find yourself turning up the next week with a car you've spent every night building...
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Ah okay! I’ve spent many years racing, stopped maybe 7/8 years ago. I sold up though. I’ve got a few monster trucks left.

I’ll pop round, see what everyone is racing and then maybe invest.
 
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