THE RALLY X GUIDE
ALL THE THINGS YOU WANTED TO KNOW BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!

INTRODUCTION

Racing 1/8 scale rally X cars or as some people call them “buggies” on a Sunday is the foundation of Preston Radio Car Club. We are a club run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts and have a membership covering all age groups and all levels of ability from “total novice” to “national standard” drivers. Although some drivers take their racing very seriously the one thing we all have in common is,” we race these cars for fun” and believe me it is fun ! If you enjoy driving RC cars you will love this, and will go home from you first meeting with a smile from ear to ear.

We realise that visiting your first meeting can be a daunting prospect but please don’t let this put you off, we are a friendly bunch and all had to start some where. With this in mind we make a big effort to make new drivers as welcome as possible, with advice and hands on help if you need it. Don’t forget, if you want to know something just ask.

The following article will be written from experience and will not be a glossy sales pitch as seen in many of the magazines, if something is no good I will tell you, it is however, designed to help you get up and running in this wonderful sport and to offer some advice that will help you get the most enjoyment from racing rally X cars at PRCC and avoid the common pitfalls. At the end of the article I have included some very useful web links for further information.

EQUIPMENT

Choosing a car

Obviously the first thing you will need if you want to race will be a rallyX car of some description. There are a vast range of cars on the market and the choice can be a difficult one. Budget will usually be a consideration and a raw beginner might be better considering one of the ready to run (RTR) packages available from companies such as HoBao,Schumacher and Hot Bodies. These are pre built and will usually come with all radio gear pre installed ,pull start engine, servos and pre painted body. Some even come with a glow starter, fuel bottle and starter box, in fact every thing you need to start racing. With prices starting from as little as £270 these offer excellent value for money. It should be noted that the steering servo on these cars will not be up to the strains of rally X and should be up graded ASAP also the tyres might not be suitable for grass tracks and the engines should be tuned on the rich side to prevent over heating. One final point, it would be worth checking all screws for tightness and apply locktite to the screws on drive shafts etc or these will soon rattle loose. Most of these cars can be up graded at a later date with after market radio gear, engines and clutches etc and parts from more expensive models from the same manufacturer.

The other type of cars available from manufacturers such as Mugen, Kyosho ,Bergonzoni ,Crono , and X Ray are the most popular, they come in kit form and will need to be built by the owner. These cars are supplied without an engine, radio gear, servos or exhaust but they do offer the ultimate in terms of performance and reliability through the use of fully adjustable suspension, top quality, latest technology materials and components. This quality is reflected in the price tag with kits ranging from £400 - £600. It is also worth bearing in mind that cars can very often be found on the second hand market for around £200 but be prepared to spend a few quid on a full re-build before you use it!

Engines

Whether you are upgrading or building a kit from scratch at some point your thoughts will turn to buying a .21 engine. Off-road racing engines range in price from £110 right up to £270 , they offer different levels of performance, different power bands and varying levels of fuel economy.

By far the two most popular engine manufacturers are RB Concept and Nova-Rossi , both companies offer excellent engines at a range of prices to suit most pockets and I can see no reason to look beyond these two respected manufacturers. It is also worth noting that Rex engines , Top engines and Crono engines are simply re-labled Nova- Rossi’s with a different coloured cooling head !!

Before you make you choice it might be worth considering the followings points :

• ANY engine will fail very quickly if it is not tuned properly……if in doubt ask the retailer for help or an experienced racer at the track….they should both be happy to help.
• Most drivers will set faster lap times with a slower engine, especially beginners; they just make the car much easier to drive.
• You don’t need the fastest or most expensive engine to win !!! you will usually just crash faster and more often !!!
• Most second hand engines for sale are only fit for the bin ! that’s usually why they are for sale. If you know what you are looking at and/or trust the seller then fine, but otherwise be very careful……….you have been warned !
• All engines should be fitted with a very securely mounted, top quality air filter soaked in filter oil to ensure NO dirt gets into the engine , if even a small amount of dirt or water gets in your engine it will very soon be bin material !!

OK the big question…..which one should I buy ? Well the answer is simple really

Beginner / low budget ------ RB Concept 5 port Sport £140

Club driver ------- RB Concept S7 ll  £170

Top club/National Driver ------- RB Concept WS7 ll £220 / Nova-Rossi P5 £180

All these engines offer top quality, excellent performance and are more than capable of winning at a club meeting. Should you decide to buy any of these racing engines you will notice that none of them are available with a pull start which means you will have to buy a starter box which is ,in truth a much better way of starting any nitro engine over a pull start. These have a wheel powered by motors which turns the flywheel to start the engine. They range in price from £60 - £90. I would advise that it is best to go for a robust model made from alloy rather than the flimsy plastic ones that are available.

Obviously you will need fuel to run the car on and I would recommend you use either Elite Power (Pink Power) available in both 16% and 25% nitro or O’Donnell Race fuel in 25 % both offer excellent performance and will protect your engine very well. Some of the other fuels on the market might be better employed as weed killers and should be avoided. I won’t be specific with names but one is a very nice shade of blue and the other is yellow.

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Affiliated to the BRCA
Membership Number 5150