What's Everyone Running???

The choice of what to run within the buggy world really starts off whether you want to go with 4wd or 2wd, so first up I needed to look into this. The starting point I took, and I guess the best for most people, is to see what the local clubs to you are running. Simply because the bigger the number of people running that class, the more help and assistance you can get. Also, with a larger group of people running your class the wider the spread of abilities and the more people close to your level there will be. As someone just starting out, I don't think anyone will realistically be expecting to be at the front, but it is no fun running around the track with the few people racing you constantly lapping you, it is demoralising. So in my mind, more people, more practice, more banter, more fun!

So when I went to Dynamix and spoke to Paul, and the others, I found out that most people ran 2wd there so that was where most of the action was. But that was not all! Paul gave me some great bits of extra advice when it comes to choosing what to run which I have to say I'm now really glad I followed:

1. 2wd is cheaper on spares etc as it has less mechanical parts that can break. This also means there is less to learn initially when it comes to building and maintaining your pride and joy.
2. The driving style of a 2wd is trickier to master, but is a more traditional style of driving. You can drive a 4wd like a 2wd, but, not the other way round. If you learn to drive a 2wd well, then the 4wd will be a doddle to pick up if you want to go into it, but driving a 4wd first may lead you to learn driving habits not helpful if you try to go to 2wd.

With the information, and the extra pieces of advice form Paul, I decided that 2wd would be best for me to go with to start! On to which one now, as there are a few to choose from.............
There are in fact, many, many, many to choose from, with even more coming to the market since I bought my first buggy a year ago:
Associated B4.2, Losi 22, Schumacher SV2, Team Durango DEX210, Kyosho RB6, Yokomo BMAX2, Tamiya TRF201, LRP Twister, Maverick Strada, HoBao H2, Team C TM2 and there will soon be many more in the XRay XB2, Serpent SRX2, In-Tech...........

So it can seem very confusing what one to choose as each has its advantages, each has its downsides, each has its champions and each has it haters. With this in mind, I did what was probably the worst thing to do - I placed a post on oOple asking the forum world what they thought was best!
This opened up a discussion with everyone waiding in to give comments on why their current car is the greatest one they have ever driven, and hobby shop owners chipping in to say why their latest deal kit is the best for newbies! But, a couple of sane people gave me some real advice on what to base my choice on, which I will pass on to anyone reading this, below, as I think it is the best way to go:

1. See what people are running at your local club of choice - more cars equals more spares for if you break something you didn't expect to and more advice on maintenance and set-up.
2. If you can con/sweet-talk someone into letting you try theirs then you can get a feel - if you try two or three and one feels particularly comfortable (you will feel it when it happens, this isn't based on talent/experience) then that will probably be first choice.
3. Set yourself a budget and check what you get in each kit from different online dealers or local hobby shops as your prefered car may be £350 but your second choice only £200 (if going new) and fits your budget better.
4. If going second hand then you may have more flexibility, but it all depends on what is available at the time and how quick you want to get up and running, but look for deals that have spares included, these will massively help to keep initial and future costs down.
5. Check out online and ask at the clubs about durability and parts/spares availability. If a particular manufacturer can only get parts sent from China once every three months then it may be tricky to always have what you need, so will need a bigger store of parts at all times which will cost more money.
6. Even if you have little long term experience, don't ignore your gut feeling about a car. This is your hobby, your joy, your release from work etc. Much like your road car, house or gadgets there may be an emotional pull to one in particular because there is a "certain something" about it, either its looks, its name, the country it's made in. Whatever it is, if you can, follow it.

This was my chosen buggy:-

Team Durango DEX210 (my actual car after painting)

Now, I didn't follow all of these rules myself (number 2 is the one I missed, which is why I have since changed from my initial buggy, but more on that later), but I was buying new and followed the rest of them. This meant I had a very good piece of kit, within a good price, with a good support network at my local track, and all I needed from a very, very good first car. The rules above also apply for all the other kit you will need, if not buying a Ready-to-Run kit, so you should end up with everything you need to start.

This is where my attentions moved to next, the equipment you need to actually run the car.................