HPI Bajas

Just wondering who else on here has one? I know they don't have the instant power that brushless has, but they are still fun. I own 2 right now, and a third will be in my stable soon. There are so many upgrades that you can do, it is ridiculous. Here are a couple pics of my buggy, I also have a truck. The truck looks similar, only everything that is silver on the buggy, is HPI orange on the truck.






Upgrades include, and I'm sure I've forgotten some things:

ADA rear hub carriers
ATC Roll cage brace
Bad Horsie shock covers
Baja Skunkworks CVDs
Blur quick release air filter
Craftwerks titanium layshaft
Craftwerks spur gear carrier
DDM Dominator V2
DDM gas cap
DDM billet fan cover
Darksoul extenders
Full force windows
GBE servo mount
GBE engine brace
GH front shock tower support
GH arm brace
GH transmission case
HPI heavy duty transmission gears (all 3)
HPI HD rear shock brace
HPI HD aluminum brake mount
JR 9100HVT steering servo
JR 9100HVS throttle servo
Killer RC kill switch
Modified RC V2 rear bumper
ONB/TS 27.2 engine
Outerwears pullstart prefilter
Outerwears air filter prefilter
PhatDad fan cover saver
PhatDad Engine brace set
PhatDad shock shafts (front and rear)
PhatDad turnbuckles (Front and rear)
RPM front arms
Scorpion chassis brace
TGN spark plug guard
Turtle Racing HD tranny plate
TR enclosed Clutch system
TR modified diff shafts
TR HD top plate
TR HD front shock tower/mount
TR HD rear shock mount
TR clutch housing
Threshold bulkhead
Threshold umbrella seals
Threshold rezzies
WSE front pin brace
WSE rear pin brace set
Yamadude linkage


SOON TO BE ADDED:

IRP steering turnbuckles and standoffs
VRC pipe
CST rear bumper bracket
Roll cage standoffs

After there, I think I'll be done, for a little while. There is not much else I can do, beside aluminum arms, and things that I don't want to do. Believe it or not this does get driven, even though it is shiny in the pics.

im getting one right now in the mail,and honestly after driving one with a ported and stroked zenoah,brushless doesnt have a whole lot over it.sure its faster on the bottom end but it doesnt sound as cool and wont go for 45min straight! plus the bigger 2-strokes share nothing with a nitro so there is almost no tuning involved that even a retarded monkey couldnt figure out.--josh

Originally Posted by bigsteel

im getting one right now in the mail,and honestly after driving one with a ported and stroked zenoah,brushless doesnt have a whole lot over it.sure its faster on the bottom end but it doesnt sound as cool and wont go for 45min straight! plus the bigger 2-strokes share nothing with a nitro so there is almost no tuning involved that even a retarded monkey couldnt figure out.--josh

You hit it on the head, the runtime is awesome, as is the durability, so you can actually use those long runtimes. To get the best power and max RPMs, there is still tuning almost every time I take it out. Due to the weather here mostly. Much less than nitro though, maybe a 1/8-1/16th of a turn on the high needle is all it takes.

I've got a Zenoah 4 bolt 27.2 top end ported by Oneill Brothers, with a Trevor Simpson reed case. Until the new 36mm Zenoah top ends came out, this was as much power as I could get keeping a Zenoah top end. It has plenty of power, everywhere. There is still a delay in power and response, that I can easily feel. You just drive accordingly though, this is easily my favorite RC right now.

I will admit that with this setup has plenty of power, and plenty of power is wasted in wheelspin, so I don't really need more power, but the engine is going back to ONB to get a new 30.5 Zen top end matched and ported in the next couple months. You can never have too much power.

[pinkpanda3310]

I have one but it's out of action at the moment. Part of the reason I prefer brushless is it is more convenient for a quick bash as I almost never spend a whole day out with rc.

I will have to get running sooner or later. Just got to find a can of enthusiasm.

Originally Posted by pinkpanda3310

I have one but it's out of action at the moment. Part of the reason I prefer brushless is it is more convenient for a quick bash as I almost never spend a whole day out with rc.

I will have to get running sooner or later. Just got to find a can of enthusiasm.

I use my bajas for a quick 20 minute bash as well as an all day outing at the dunes. It is easy to fill up the tank and run for as long as you can. I usually run til the tank is dry, or siphon the rest out of the tank when I'm done, but as you can see in the first pic, there is still a little left in the tank. I'm usually willing to let is sit in the tank as long as I know I will run it within a week. Just get it running.

[Slowkrawl]

I picked up a baja ss last weekend for cheapie, and already have more than what I paid for it worth of parts on the way hahaha. *flame suit on* this truck is more fun to drive than my savage flux on 6s...The savage is faster but doesn't have the noise and the sheer size. I can't mega-huck the 5b like I can the savage but maybe that is a good thing lol.

Parts on the way:

v2 dominator
kill switch
hostile mx's
kold kutter ice racing screws
tgn air filter

When I got her she was a little dirty, but rtr for $300? Couldn't pass it up, a buddy was hurtin for money.
Diiirrrty


Little bit of grass wedged in there lol. Needed a new bearing and the bearing carrier, no biggie.


After a bit of cleaning. To get this thing perfectly clean I would have to tear it apart, which may happen if I pick up a new motor for it.



The savage and the 5b before a bash session.


Keep in mind the savage is extended and widended, and still looks tiny compared to the 5b lol.

I have one that i am most likely going to go BL with it, not that i don't like gas, but it is something really cool about something that big in BL form.

[Gee]

I just got one last friday. It was a brand new kit a fellow put together but never had it started. But this retarded monkey is having problems starting it. Had it going for a few minutes then spent the next several afternoons trying again. Finally got it started yesterday and took it out for break in today. Was running alright. I was easy on the throttle then some mud puddles later the idle started dropping and I made some adjustment but to much one way and killed it when I hit the brakes. Spend the next hour in the brush trying to get the pig started again. Finally took off my belt and strapped it to the front and pulled it home. Frustrated as hell, I started up the savage x ss and made some noise to relieve the pressure. These things flood too easy and when they do it takes forever to get them started again. I really felt like mega hucking this sucker a few times already. A good thing I was wore out from cranking on it and by the time I caught my breath I had calmed down. I imagine it's just a learing curve but I've been startling weed eaters my whole life and haven't had one this freaking easy to flood. It's a brand new kit but I am thinking my first order may consist of another carb to try out. I haven't even had it full throttle yet.

Nice baja billy. What are some essential upgrades for a kit?

Is that the dominator v2 on the your billy? Do you have a picture showing the ass end and the pipe a little better? How does it sound?

These things have problems with water?


Slowkrawl. I like the flames. Looks cool. Why are you getting a kill switch? Is there something wrong with the one on yours?

Originally Posted by Slowkrawl

I picked up a baja ss last weekend for cheapie, and already have more than what I paid for it worth of parts on the way hahaha. *flame suit on* this truck is more fun to drive than my savage flux on 6s...The savage is faster but doesn't have the noise and the sheer size. I can't mega-huck the 5b like I can the savage but maybe that is a good thing lol.

Parts on the way:

v2 dominator
kill switch
hostile mx's
kold kutter ice racing screws
tgn air filter

When I got her she was a little dirty, but rtr for $300? Couldn't pass it up, a buddy was hurtin for money.
Diiirrrty
[IMG]

Little bit of grass wedged in there lol. Needed a new bearing and the bearing carrier, no biggie.
[IMG]

After a bit of cleaning. To get this thing perfectly clean I would have to tear it apart, which may happen if I pick up a new motor for it.
[IMG]
[IMG]

The savage and the 5b before a bash session.
[IMG]

Keep in mind the savage is extended and widended, and still looks tiny compared to the 5b lol.

Why cant you huck it as far as the flux? My baja has seen just as much air as my 6s erevo. Those that know me, know I have hucked my revo pretty good.


Looks like quite a few people have bajas. Seems that they are becoming more and more popular.

[shaunjohnson]

they are missing one very important upgrade though...
BRUSHLESS!!!

[Slowkrawl]

Gee, there is a difference between a kill switch and a failsafe. The failsafe slams the brakes on, which is hard on the servo and brakes. The kill switch cuts the motor when either it goes out of range or you can shut it off with a 3rd channel.

Billy, the difference between the flux and the baja is that the flux doesn't always have to land perfect or even on it's wheels lol and more often than not it will drive away. I already broke a front a-arm jumping the baja but I am slowly learning how to keep it flatter in the air.

Originally Posted by Gee

I just got one last friday. It was a brand new kit a fellow put together but never had it started. But this retarded monkey is having problems starting it. Had it going for a few minutes then spent the next several afternoons trying again. Finally got it started yesterday and took it out for break in today. Was running alright. I was easy on the throttle then some mud puddles later the idle started dropping and I made some adjustment but to much one way and killed it when I hit the brakes. Spend the next hour in the brush trying to get the pig started again. Finally took off my belt and strapped it to the front and pulled it home. Frustrated as hell, I started up the savage x ss and made some noise to relieve the pressure. These things flood too easy and when they do it takes forever to get them started again. I really felt like mega hucking this sucker a few times already. A good thing I was wore out from cranking on it and by the time I caught my breath I had calmed down. I imagine it's just a learing curve but I've been startling weed eaters my whole life and haven't had one this freaking easy to flood. It's a brand new kit but I am thinking my first order may consist of another carb to try out. I haven't even had it full throttle yet.

Nice baja billy. What are some essential upgrades for a kit?

These things have problems with water?

Is a dom just the dominitor brand?

Slowkrawl. I like the flames. Looks cool. Why are you getting a kill switch? Is there something wrong with the one on yours?

They shouldn't flood too easily. If yours is stock it should come with a Walbro 668 carb. They are actually very easy carbs to work with, make sure your H is at 1.5 turns and your L is at 1.25. (I think those are the stock settings for a 668) Also small changes on the needles makes a big difference. Check and make sure you don't have an airleak, also check your spark plug. If its hard starting, I have found those to be two common problems.

Also if it floods just take out the spark plug, tip the baja back, hold full throttle, and pull it a few times. Replace the plug and you should be able to start it.

Essential upgrade? I don't know I would recommend almost everything on mine. I think it really depends on where you drive, but outerwears prefilters, and the TR enclosed clutch setup if you drive in dirt and sand are good places to start.

A little water will be no problem, as usual the radio box is probably the most sensitive part. Obviously sucking water in the airfilter is bad, but an outerwears is water resistant.

The dominator line of pipes are built by DDM (Daves Discount Motors), they are all solid pipes.

The kill switch is just a third channel kill switch. It acts as a failsafe, and also so you can kill the engine using the third channel on your radio.

[Slowkrawl]

Originally Posted by shaunjohnson

they are missing one very important upgrade though...
BRUSHLESS!!!

I always thought a BL 5b would be the ultimate rc...But now that I have torn around with even the stock 26cc motor, it just wouldn't be the same. The flux is faster and more responsive to drive, but just doesn't make the noise lol.

Originally Posted by shaunjohnson

they are missing one very important upgrade though...
BRUSHLESS!!!

That is my 5T, it is brushless. I'll get pics of that one up once I'm home.

I got mine a week or so ago and have cleaned it up and waiting on weather and work to get to try it. Guy bought it, changed the wheels to trenchers, ran less than 3 tanks on it - his neighbors didn't like the noise so he put it up for sale. Then he decided to keep it and then 3wks later decided to sell it again - I got it the 2nd time around.

Its practically brand new. This is one of the FS pics. I see now you can get a kill switch that will kill motor when you turn radio off vs the 3rd channel (KillerRc.com), thats going to be my 1st change. Gotta find a good place to run it too.