Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Land Models / January 2004

Agreed.  Going to any motor with advanced timing will likely be faster
than the stock Stinger.

I put in a generaic  27t, 24deg stock motor and it was noticeably
faster than the 20t, 0deg Stingeer.

The stampede mph is radar-confirmed using a 7-cell batt.

Matt,

I have to jump in and say get the Stampede first.

I started with an electric Rustler (VERY similar) and after getting into it
bought a T-Maxx, RC10GT, Tamiya M03 Mini, Tamiya TA03F-Pro, Losi XXX-T, a
couple of old RC10T2s, and an old Tamiya M02- in that order, over the span
of a few years.

My interest level in driving my R/C vehicles rose and fell- like any hobby,
but out of all of my R/Cs the Rustler is the one that has been used the most
often. It's not the best handling, the fastest, or the most up-to-date
design, but it remains one of the most fun R/C vehicles per dollar ever
made.

The Stampede has a few differences and they help more than they hurt the
overall fun factor.

The high ground clearance means you can run in rougher terrain and grass
that isn't golf-course short. It wheelies easily and handles big jumps with
ease. The Rustler handles better, being low to the ground- but a Stampede on
pavement is still a blast.

Here are some favorable points for starting with an electric Stampede:

1. Electrics are quiet and can be run anywhere. I've run mine late at night
on my apartment complex tennis courts and parking lots, for example.

2. Traxxas parts are very tough, easy to find, and cheap! They've been
making their trucks for a long time practically unchanged- whereas (for
example) Associated T2 parts are hard to find as they have moved on to T3
and now T4 models.

3. They require less maintenance than most because of their planetary gear
differentials. Ball diffs work great, but need adjusting and rebuilding
fairly often.

4. There are some inexpensive hop-ups that greatly increase performance
available- mostly from
http://www.rpmrcproducts.com/products/traxxas/index.htm.

5. They are uncomplicated designs and don't require "tuning" to run.

So- get yourself three Venom 3000 battery packs and a Duratrax peak charger
and have a great time.

If you get into it, save up and get an Associated RC10GT and try nitro power
and stadium truck handling on for size. By then you'll be more willing to
travel to a R/C friendly spot to run it without being hassled- and when
you're there you can get pointers on breaking in and tuning a nitro engine.
If you get that wrong it can be an expensive mistake to fix and the hassle
of trying to start and run an out-of-tune nitro motor can turn some people
off to R/C forever!

Worst-case scenario: You find out after a while that electrics can be a
little slow and battery charging is sometimes a drag.

What then?

Sell it on eBay or to a local and you'll get a decent price- because there
will always be fans of a Traxxas Electric Stampede, trust me!

(dang, I have to check out which parts I need to convert my Rustler to one
after all this hooplah!)