Tamiya F104 Pro v 3Racing F1-09

[Chequered Flag Racing]

pro's & con's for each model, please list

[lochness42]

Didn't run F104, but I did one race with F1'09. For first ever outing with it, ran nicely. I had to add some weight in rear to have enough traction out of corners (we had to dry track before the race a bit, so there wasn't traction at all), but that will be the same with F104. I guess F1'09 is good choice as you can get wide range of F103 wheels and tires (which are also wider than F104 wheels I belive). Oh and F1'09 is also priced very reasonable IMO.

Just to clarify things, I don't own any F1, but one guy bought 13 F1s (there are F1'09, F103, F104 and some 6wheels Tyrrells from Tamiya) and he lends them for some fee complete with electronics apart from receiver. F104 didn't make it to the track so far. As I said this was first F1'09 in my hands that made it to the track. We ran F103 before.

Oh and I hope it makes any sense.

[DCM]

F104 is probably the better car, but you are paying through the nose for it, F109, you add CRC 12th roll springs and a Tamiya yellow TC spring to the centre shock, and you are away, they have also brought out a carbon chassis, better diff and front end stuff.

[lochness42]

If I would have to choose which one to buy - 3racing would be my choice.

[qatmix]

I have both, I would honestly say that the f109 is a much better buy. The F104 pro is very nice but it is quite skittish out of the box. Although they have made a new super traction rear T-bar so that might help. Also even though its a pro kit, Tamiya doesn't include Alloy motor mounts in the kit so you will really need them.

One negative is that the tyres are not std F1 ones so you will have a more limited choice.

The F109 has lots of the essential hop-ups in the box, although you should buy the Alloy caster block and its a good idea to buy either the alloy front uprights or some Tamiya ones as the kit ones are quite soft (which makes them near indestructible but also a pain if you want to adjust camber). Also the F109 can take all f103 etc hop-ups and tyres so you can run a wide range of tyres..

We run brushless (13t) and lipos in our F1's at our club which has a small and tight circuit.

As a curve ball the Tech racing F1 is very smart, its somewhere between the F109 and the F104. One has appeared at our club and its dialed straight out of the box! (these are about £150 from rc mart)

They are all nice cars but for the price the f109 is great.. (And thats from a Tamiya fanatic)

[dubbera]

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[dubbera]

Does anyone know if you can put the Tamiya Ferrari F1-60 body shell onto the F1-09??