What are the positives and negatives to owning a TC3?

[firefly]

I am looking to get back into RC. A few years back I had a T2 & B2, but I always felt a need for speed when I owned them. I have been looking around and the Factory Team TC3 looks like one of the best deals out there. It will be a big change moving over to on-road racing, but I think it will be interesting.

A couple of quick questions......

What is the top speed out of the box?

Where can you drive something this fast without going to an RC track?

What are some of the pitfalls of this vehicle?

What parts are in constant need of replacement? I am trying to get an idea on how much it would cost to maintain the car, assuming I dont crash too often!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-Firefly

[jackhammer74]

I can help you with part of your query,
the TC3 is one of the fastest things outhere.
so if you're looking for speed, then you're in the right track.
How fast? well, the kit comes with no motor or speed control, and that plus the batteries
is they key to out of the box speed,
are you going to race it? if so, you want an
LRP 7.1 speed controller (worth the dough)
sanyo's 2400 batteries, or panasonic's 3000
I prefer 2400 myself.
as far as a motor that's up to you and your budget. I would start with a good stock motor
like a Trinity P2K, Green Machine, or a reedy MVP, this things geared properly can be you loads of speed. and they're only about $25 to $30 bucks, I got the P2K and I love it.
you noticed I mentioned gearing, don't really worry about that yet.
get the thing going first and then tuned up.

I've heard the TC3 is really durable, so it is a very good choice.
As far as going fast, but not at an RC track, well that's up to you my friend, you'll have to drive around and find fairly smooth parking lots with little or no cars
the weekends are best for this. this is what all of us go through. good luck.

[jackhammer74]

almost forgot,
the LRP 7.1 is one of the best choices for racing, but it doesn't have reverse.
So if you want to play around look for a different one first.
Novak and LRP have many reversible ESCs to choose from.

[firefly]

I was assuming that I would add a good ESC, motor, tires, body, etc. I can see how it may have been confusing when I said "out-of-the-box". What I meant to say was, assuming no major hop-ups, what is the average top speed it can reach?

As for smooth, flat pavement, I have plenty near me. I live near a two malls, three industrial parks and I think there is an old airstrip about 20 minutes away. So, I dont really need an RC track to "open it up" and see what it can do. There is also a real good track in Enfield, CT. (about 20 minutes away) and I have heard about a new complex opening about 30-45 minutes away from me with 3-4 tracks. So, I will plenty of places to give it a whirl.

Thanks for the replies!

-Firefly

[rc51racerx]

firefly, I love my FT TC3. Most common broken parts that I have seen are the block carriers. There have been a few at my track that have broken quite a few of them, but its only after they do countless flips at high speed and hit a wall on the indoor track. I have yet to break a thing on the car, and out of the box if you follow the setup AE gives you the car handles really well. A few tweeks of your own and you can be cornering with a flat attitude in no time. Speed? As fast as you want to go my friend, AE has one they cranked up to 94mph. If you get really good batts and a nice stock motor you will have all the speed you can handle. remember though that speed 'feels' faster in tight places, so in a wideopen airstrip it will be fast but won't look it. Get a good esc, a stock motor for indoors, and then get a hot mod for that air strip and you will see the speed.

--John

[TC3Racer316]

I've had my TC3 since Christmas and all I ever break are the rear suspension arms. My cuz broke a front shock tower, but he hits his share of corners.LOL. If you're racing stock, go for a P2K w/ about a 29 tooth pinion.

[XtremLosi]

Are there any negatives??? :D :D

[TC3Racer316]

The only negatives I know of are how weak the suspension arms are, especially the rears. And that some wheels don't fit. And it doesn't have too much room for electronics. If you run in a rocky parking lot, rocks seem to jump striaght into the steering rack and strip servo gears. But then again, it wasn't designed to run on the rough stuff.

[TC3~Racer]

I've been racing it about a year and broke only a hubcarier (my fault, high speed crash...u get the point) but no arms at all. Of corse i have the racer, (i'm cheap so what? lol) but i've upgraded the important stuff...reason i mention that is that it has composite arms so they will "give" a little in a crash more than graphite which is more brittle. For best handling u want it stiff like graphite but i bet there isnt much of a difference.


Also to firefly: The tc3 hit 94+mph but that was with 14 cells, standard stick/saddle packs have only 6 and depending on wiring (series vs parallel) this is more than double the power pumping into the motor.

[ 05-22-2001: Message edited by: TC3~Racer ]

[rc51racerx]

Also to firefly: The tc3 hit 94+mph but that was with 14 cells, standard stick/saddle packs have only 6 and depending on wiring (series vs parallel) this is more than double the power pumping into the motor.

I suppose I should clarify what I said. TC3~racer is correct, the AE car was running front arms in the rare as well as having 14 cells and a Mike Reedy custom made mod motor that you can't buy. I meant that not to say you could make a six cell roar legal racer to go 94 with it, but that the car was capable with little mods outside of the motivation department of high speeds. I mean we could also look at the 20+ cell RC10L30 with the aveox 2 turn brushless in it that topped 110. but that car only goes that fast of because of the motor and the batteries and its drivetrain being able to take it.

--John

[Interceptor]

I love my TC 3, it beats the crap out of the Ofna Z 10 I had. I reccommend a BRP extended front bumper, That has paid for it's self 5 times over in saving me replacement costs on front arms and carriers. IT is only $7. Also, if you bump the walls alot, I have noticed that it will strip gears in the steering servo. I replaced the gears twice before I finally got a metal geared high torque servo, it is not very fast, but it hasn't broke since I replaced the other one. I wish there was room for a servo saver. I might try and modify mine for one later on. Other than that, I love the car.