Have a question or comment?
Talk to us! Send your letters to RC Driver magazine, c/o Editors’ Inbox, 42 Old Ridgebury Road, Danbury, CT 06810, or email editorsinbox@rcdriver.com.
This article was originally published in RC Driver’s February 2016 issue.
Hi Tony. I was wondering if I can put a different body shell on my NB16 Nitro RC Buggy. I want to install a muscle car body shell. Thanks! Kev, Maidstone, England
Hey Kev, Installing a new body shell on your car is the easy part finding one to fit is another story. I’ve seen muscle car shells for 1/10-scale cars but, since the NB16 is a 1/16-scale buggy, you might have a hard time finding one. A quick Google search didn’t come up with anything, so you might have to do a little deeper digging. The NB16 has a 177mm wheelbase and is 187mm wide, so those are the dimensions you’ll want to keep an eye out for. The next part is the body mounts. You might be able to rig something up to mount the body off the front shock tower; for the rear you can probably use the wing mounts. Good luck! —Tony
Hi Tony! I’m at a turning point in my RC life where I would like to start racing. Right now I’ve pretty much just owned bashers. I have a 2WD Traxxas Slash that I tried to set up for track racing and so far (minus the cost of the initial vehicle) I’m in it for $200. I took it to the track but it was slow and could barely make some of the doubles. So I figured instead of dumping more money into the Slash I’m going to get a race buggy and here is where I have the questions. 1) Are Mid Motor buggies the way to go for racing? 2) Should I get a buggy that needs a spe- cific battery size or find one that will fit the 2S LiPos I already have? 3) Should I get an RTR or Kit and build it up? I’m not afraid of a little building; I built my 2 Axial SCX10’s from scratch and my Losi XXX BK1. Thanks for any answers! Chris W. Spanaway WA
Hey Chris, The Traxxas Slash can be a pretty good track truck, but it does require some upgrades to make it consistently competitive with the full blown race trucks. It sounds like you were on the right track, but I’m guessing you had a Slash with a brushed motor not the greatest for clearing jumps on the track. A brushless upgrade would cure that for sure, so that’s an option if you want to keep the Slash, especially with all the time and money you have into it. If not, let’s get to your questions. My first suggestion would be to see what type of tracks are in your area and, lucky you, you’re right near Tacoma RC Raceway. That track is run by a good friend of mine, Scott Brown. He runs a great track and is an extremely helpful guy, so I’d head there and ask some questions. I’ll give you a quick rundown on your questions so you’ll have some info when you get there.
1) Mid-motor buggies were designed for high bite tracks; mainly carpet or sugared tracks. I’d check Tacoma RC to see what everyone is running there; my guess is they are probably running mid-motor cars.
2) You probably have the standard, long 2S LiPos. These packs won’t fit most current racing buggies, so I would dump the older packs you have and get some shorty or brick LiPos to fit your new ride. They’ll have more power and provide longer run times and, well, they’ll fit your car!
3) Kit or RTR – a question I get a lot. An RTR comes with everything you need to get on the track and will be great for starting out, but you’ll eventually want to start upgrades. This could be the best way to start if your budget is low. If you’re looking for a premium racing buggy, you’ll want a kit. It will come with a lot of the high end upgrade parts you’ll probably want, but you’ll need a larger budget since you’ll have to purchase all the electronics separately. I hope this helps – there’s quite a bit to think about before pur- chasing a new car! Good luck.
—Tony
Hi Tony. I have a question about the Axial Yeti XL. When you guys did your test on this car, how did you keep it under control while running 6S? I’ve run mine 2 or 3 times and it’s so difficult to drive! Please help – I love this car but I’m really frustrated right now. Thanks! Jason C. San Diego, CA
Hi Jason, I feel your pain. When we initially tested the RTR version of the Yeti XL, we too had a hard time keeping it on the ground with 6S so we did most of our testing on 4S. However, when I reviewed the kit version, I noticed a small addition to the rig that made a HUGE difference on both 4- and 6S … the rear anti roll bar. This part helps reduce the massive twist the XL has and made it so much easier to drive. So my suggestion is, out of any upgrades you might get, pick up the rear anti roll bar part number AX31252. Best upgrade ever! Enjoy!
—Tony
