RC10 B3 - still competitive? help needed
 

:confused:Can I resurrect my RC10 B3 buggy ?
A bit of background, I raced RC cars at a club near Swindon in the mid to late 1990’s. My cars were
Tamiya Mini M01 / Tamiya FWD unknown type / Yokomo YRF2 / Yokomo YR4 and off-road wise I had a gold bottom RC10 and finally an RC10 B3 buggy. I have no idea what happened to my cars, the only one I now have is my B3.

My intention is to take it apart and rebuild it to make sure no dirt or dried up oil will stop it running smoothly. However having looked online it seems things have changed quite a bit. For instance I used to run an 8T motor off 2000MHa battery sticks. Now there are brushless motors, but I fear they will make my spur a smooth wheel within seconds! However I don’t know if my ESC works still yet after sitting dormant for the best part of 17 years. I cant even find any of my transmitters so will need to get a lot of basic stuff again.
Basically I need to get batteries, probably a new motor, then check if the servo and ESC work. I cannot find the ludicrously expensive computerised battery charger I had, even if I did it probably wouldn’t work now with the new batteries. You may also tell me to be competitive that my Novak ESC will useless with more modern tech.

My question therefore experts is simple.
1. Can an RC10 B3 be competitive again at local club level? (I was never quite good enough to do anything regionally to any decent standard so would just want it to be a good club car)
2. If it can, can someone recommend the sort of set-up that would be best? To stop me buying stuff too powerful or just plain wrong and killing my beloved car.
Thank you in advance for your help…

I am no expert on B3s, so this is to a certain extent, general observation...

I came back to RC last year after 25yr lay off. Since returning I have seen some very fast drivers win with 10+yr old cars and one old Optima Mid (late 80s) that beats most of the new 4wd cars. Equally I have seen LOTS of modern cars that don't win either because the set up is poor or the driver isn't as quick (I fall into those 2 brackets).

I don't know if a B3 has a slipper, but if it does it would probably cope with a fast set up. If it doesn't then avoid going for silly fast motors - although a 13T in a 2wd is still pretty quick. I only use 13.5T or 9.5T in mine and it is pretty much quick enough in a straight line.

I run an original 1980s Optima with a 17.5 or 13.5 T motor in and it has no slipper. It runs fine and hasn't stripped any gears. I use lost cost electrics from hobbyking in it and they work fine

With regard to electrics, new LiPos are brilliant - 20-30 minute runs easily possible so go for them, but make sure you have an ESC with low voltage cut out as lipos don't like to go below ~3V per cell. Nasty things happen...

Did your FWD Tamiya look like this by any chance?

http://www.tamiya.com/english/rc/beg...r_img/ff01.jpg

Wow! It most certainly did.

I thought it might! I also raced in the mid to late 90's and had a pretty much identical car history to you, Tamiya FF01, YR4 and YRF2 then I went to Schumacher.

I've only just started racing again, but I've gone for all new everything, probably a bit of a mid life crisis haha, but the tech has moved on so much since then, gone are the days of praying to the RC gods that your 2000Mah cells don't dump on you four and a half minutes into your final lol!

That Tamiya FF01 is still my favourite car of all time though, absolutely bullet proof, a mate of mine also had the same car and we used to race them into the ground with zero maintenance, maximum abuse and neither ever let us down, they both took some massive hits! Fun times.

i would say that a b3 would be competetive as a club racer. big difference i found when i moved from a b3 to a b4 was the steering, the b4 has a lot, the b3 always lacked a little. i still find a b3 very easy to drive as i like a car thats quite stable and not too twitchy, if you like lots of steering then get something else. the only thing you probably would benefit from changing on the b3 is the slipper, fitting a b4 slipper is a good improvement. the b3 i use as a fun car is running a brushed 12 double and you can tell the difference between the b3 and b4 slipper, the car is just a little bit happier to put the power down smoothly with the b4 unit in it

Thanks for the replys and for identifying my tamiya ff01. Which I now want again!!

Quick question if I use the new 5200mha batteries and my brushed 12t motor. Can anyone recommend a speed controller as my Novak Electra is supposed to melt if I try and use it. Any ideas?

Hi Foxbat, I've used a Tekin FXR with a 12t brushed, works great. Looks like any of the FX/FXR(Pro) would suit.

Thanks for the advice. Ill post some pics when rebuild is complete.

B2 had more steering with the B3 arms, mine has the B4 layshaft and VTS and is very competitive with a 6.5 in. Much easier car to drive compared to the B4. B4 isnt easy to work with or drive whereas the B3 is fun.

Welshy

Did you think up any ways of making the b4 a more fun car than the B3? I've had some of both and something about the b3 steering was extremely pleasing, the B4 is more like it's on a hairpin or something - is that what you mean?

Would buy both again...

Easy, turn it into a X-6 Cubed;)

I have a very nice b3 for sale. Lol

I couldnt get the front to work with the back, it was very hard to set up and just gave up on it. The B2 with longer front wishbones was very forgiving and Also can set it to have understeer easily or oversteer, like mine. I could compete easily with the 4wds.

Yes, very true, even some of the x factory drivers said that.