HPI Bajas

Starting to have second thoughts on the Baja. Again.......

[Nard Cox]

Because?

[Slowkrawl]

Originally Posted by Freezebyte

Starting to have second thoughts on the Baja. Again.......

If you havn't even bought it yet, and are second guessing yourself, don't buy it. Buy a used one or something. These trucks are cheap to run when they run, but they need a bit of money put into them to get them reliable enough. I bought mine a little over a month ago and not including buying it I am about $2000 into it, and I sure as hell don't have any fancy aluminum parts.

Originally Posted by Unsullied_Spy

I've heard of people getting significantly higher RPMs out of reed case engines, like 21,000 out of a 25.4.

21k out of a 25.4 isn't hard. The OBR full mod 27.2s are hitting 21k. My TS 27.2 should hit about 21k. It all depends on porting, how much the piston has been lightened etc. I was mostly generalizing how OBR does their porting since they are who build my engine and I have talked with them about their porting extensively. Their full-mods generally rev slightly higher than their reed ports, but you can have them port your engine however you want.

Originally Posted by Slowkrawl

If you havn't even bought it yet, and are second guessing yourself, don't buy it. Buy a used one or something. These trucks are cheap to run when they run, but they need a bit of money put into them to get them reliable enough. I bought mine a little over a month ago and not including buying it I am about $2000 into it, and I sure as hell don't have any fancy aluminum parts.

He isn't joking, mine on the first page is 4-5 grand now with all the aluminum and such, plus it started life as an original RTR with all purple. There is very little left from the original truck. Used may not be cheaper though, depending on upgrades they have done, and how much needs maintenance/replacing when you get it.

There is no fooking way I'm gonna dump that much money into an RC vehicle.

you dont have to dump that much cash into a baja to love it more than any other RC you've got.to make a damn near bulletproof 5b you need just a little aluminum in the right places. TGN clutch setup,shock limiters,RPM arms,TGN axles and drive cups,TGN top plates and few more misc. things that will make it bulletproof.even the 23cc engine in my opinion with a DDM ported headkit and dominator pipe makes plenty of power.just my .02 --josh

[lucias]

I have thought about getting one of these in the past.. Do you like the baja more or the 5T? is there any advantage/disadvantages of one or the other?

the 5b and 5t are essentially the same truck,except the 5t has a 26cc fuelie (the 5b SS has one though...but no radio) and a few parts are a bit beefier.all-in-all a 5b can be turned into a 5t and vice versa.--josh

[Slowkrawl]

Originally Posted by lucias

I have thought about getting one of these in the past.. Do you like the baja more or the 5T? is there any advantage/disadvantages of one or the other?

Obviously since I own a 5b, I am a bit biased. But the cons of the 5T are they are several pounds heavier, if your worried about it. The other thing is the bodies are EXPENSIVE. One nice thing about the 5T is that the body can be used to protect and aftermarket pipe a bit more. The 5b side mount pipes look pretty exposed, but I have been told it really isn't that bad. I will let you guys know in a few weeks since I have one coming from ONB.

Originally Posted by lucias

I have thought about getting one of these in the past.. Do you like the baja more or the 5T? is there any advantage/disadvantages of one or the other?

I own both, I think they are both good. If I could only own one, I think I would choose my buggy. I like the look of the truck more, but the handling of the buggy better.

The difference is the appearance including the side trays, 19 vs. 20 tooth input gear in the transmission, and the engine if you compare to the RTR. The truck wheels have a little less offset and are narrower than the buggy wheels to keep the tires tucked in the fenders. A few other differences, but it is quite easy to change from a buggy to a truck or vice versa, cheaper to go from a truck to a buggy though. Also as mentioned bodies for the truck can be expensive.

[Unsullied_Spy]

Honestly, I think they're tough enough out of the box. Bryce: You've seen my YouTube vid of mine at the BMX track, that's basically the stock v1 RTR with some air filters and the DS/Sikk engine head. I think it's safe to say I beat the ever-loving piss out of it and it never broke. I was jumping it at my LHS from the corner of the building out into the street (landed upside down a few times and cracked my cooling shell a little, but that's just cosmetic) and still nothing broke, though I have some gouges in the chassis from hitting the ground so hard. I would go so far as to say it's the toughest RTR you will ever buy. Parts are pricey but damnit the Baja is worth it! A failsafe, good radio, some outterwears, and a pre-filter are really the basics for what you NEED to have on your Baja. Aluminum parts and pricey aftermarket upgrades are all just gravy and which ones you need (or want) depends on what you end up breaking the most.

Just run the thing with those few basic upgrades until you break it, when you break it you can either upgrade it to make it tougher or write off the breakage as normal wear and tear on a bashing RC. I must say, though, that the Turtle Racing HD Clutch System is the best money I've spent on my Baja. Very expensive but I will make that money back in time from no broken pinion bolts, longer clutch life, longer bearing life, etc.

I may be late, but im part of the party now!