+1 for B4 :thumbsup:

4WD
 

I personally would recomend the HPI Cyber 10b as a starter 4WD .

I know 5 people who run them and all love the car :thumbsup:

http://www.hpieurope.com/kit-info.ph...100703&lang=en

Unless cash is really tight I'd avoid anything RTR if racing is gonna be it's use. Sooner or later nearly every single part on the car will need replacing as they are made with inferior quality parts, so when more power is wanted/needed not only do all the electrics need replacing but most of the drivetrain as well.
The new B4.1 does go someway to sorting this problem out, though.

For my 2p I'd but everything secondhand.

after reading some of issues reported about the mad rat/ x-pro cars on this forum i was gonna sell mine, but after beating the c##p out of mine with a 5.5 brushless system all is fine at the moment ,no shock cap issues , no broken T plates , no broken shock towers, spares back up seems good at the moment too but chances are the b4 bits will be easier to get trackside, if you are gonna be racing stock class the ansmann cars are the ones to go for, if you are gonna go for mod class then the b4 will save some snears, if that sort of thing matters to you, just take your time with the b4 shox ( they can be a pain)and search the forums to get a better picture of both cars potential weaknesses, nowt is perfect and you pays your money, good luck

OK....just to confuse matters more...Im looking at Nitro cars too...is this the right thing to do or would I be better sticking with electric?

You'd be better off sticking to electric if that's what your local club runs, all depends on if you want to go racing or not.

OK...electric it is...based on advise on here and my budget Ive narrowed it down to 2 cars, the step up stinger or the Madrat...I know that neither are the ferraris of buggy racing but I can always upgrade as I go along.....anyone agree/disagree?

Both do represent an excellent starting point for racing.
The Stinger is tougher but cruder, and as yet the promised range of hop-ups haven't been released. If you can stretch to the £150 for the brushless version and don't mind that its a truck not a buggy I'd get that.
The Madrat is a cheaper version of an X-Pro which is a full on race buggy. It has a few weak points (rear t-plate) but to some extent this is beginning to be addressed and newer ones seem to be stronger there than the first kits.

Ive also seen the Ansmann Master Smacker in my budget...is that suitable?

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Personally its got to be the B4, its a great car and bits/set-ups are dead easy to get, plus it will be worth something if you decide racing is not for you!

I have seen people trying to sell madrats etc on ebay, but they go for peanuts, a B4 will always be worth a few quid.. :)

+1 for a B4.

Your best bet it to buy one second-hand and then dismantle and rebuild. This way you'll know every component and you'll find it easier to perform maintenance.

Again, spares are more easily sought, advice on setup is also in abundance.

Any slop can be shimmed out: I find this really helps. Ultimately it will also decrease the acceleration of wear.

If you're looking to spend money on anything in particular my advice would be to invest in a good ESC, in my opinion this is the one thing that needs to be reliable and it's also the thing that provides most of the performance.

Don't waste your money on shiny things, rather springs and tyres. And just go and have fun racing.


Julius.

Its good advice, if you rebuild a second hand car you will be able to get a basic set-up on the car before you get to the track, plus if something does break you will already have some experience of how it all goes together..

I have seen second hand RTR B4's on ebay for as little as £100-£150, so they are not overly expensive and give a good base to add bits as you go.

Personally I would consider the Thunder Tiger Phoenix 2 as an alternative to the the Stinger & Madrat
http://www.fusionhobbies.com/Thunder.../tt6540f32.htm

It's basically a rereleased Associated B3 and there are many hop ups available.

However, it's hard to argue against a secondhand B4, it depends what your budget is.

The only time I've seen a smacker was at a Cobra event in Cardiff...when it's electrics went up in smoke!!! Was a while ago, and not a 'master' smacker...from memory it didn't really compete with the other cars that day and looked to me to be more of a toy/bashing car than a racing car.

What's the budget? If you don't mind us asking?

And how much racing do you want to do?

The answers to those questions will really help us to help you :thumbsup:

Budget is up to £200 thats including everything....Im looking at racing at club level every 1 or 2 weeks

You Really do need to wait for the RRP on the Associated B4.1 RTR with brushless and 2.4Ghz radio. This will be the best starter package ever been offered.

Any idea on a date for that RRP?

Suggested retail is $389.99 on AE website so thats £245-ish.

But when shops here in the UK have them in the price may be better than that. :thumbsup:

In that case it sounds like your reasonably serious about giving it go :thumbsup:

£200 is a tight but dooable budget to get going on...and with some careful purchases you'll find some good fun and competitive racing too!

I'd suggest you visit the club your going to race at BEFORE you buy anything...see it first hand...ask to see what people are running...ask the people there for their opinions, see what it's like in the flesh...websites and spec's on paper are one thing...but seeing the real thing first hand is another completely...you'll get what we're talking about a bit more then, and might even meet some people with some bargains while your there...:)

IMO the 2nd hand B4 suggestion is much closer to where you should be looking than the annsman stuff...except maybe the X-Pro which looks to be more race spec than any of the others. That would then allow you to grow into it. Racing regularly you might out grow the smacker in a few weeks and be looking for another car that goes better and is tougher, you'll be breaking stuff to begin with!

I started out with a simliar budget, a B4 and entirely 2nd hand bits and bobs....and gradually spent more money as I got better!

Mostly though...enjoy!!!!