I've done it . . . !

Yesterday I finally went out and bought my first R/C kit.

I bought a Tamiya TL-01 . . . Lexus IS200.

Included in the package was a mechanical 3-step forward, reverse MSC.

I bought a prepackaged controller/servo/battery/charger combo ("Trackpack II").

It included a JR Racing AM controller with some cool features . . . it stores settings for two cars (!?), it has a digital readout that shows me remaining battery power . . . excessive trim functions (like SUB-trim), and servo reversing settings . . . plus a bunch of stuff I don't even understand, so I'll just pretend that it doesn't do anything else :)

It also included a Dynamite Mega-Peak charger and I think a 6-cell battery . . . can't remember.

I spent my entire evening putting the car together, and I enjoyed every second of it.

I didn't break anything . . . everything works well . . . it took me 7 hours total . . . from 5:30-12:30 . . . minus about an hour spent in Home Depot and Target . . .

See, I ran out of the grease that Tamiya supplied for me, I used most of it up when I was piecing together the two differentials. Anyhow . . . Target and Home Depot didn't have anything I could use . . .

I ended up back at home using a spray can of white lithium grease that I had in my "everything" bag that I keep in my trunk . . .

Congrats!!! There is nothing like finishing your first car!!:)

Later down the road you will want to upgrade:
Ball bearings
Oil shocks
Electronic Speed Control
Stock motor

Careful... this hobby is dangerously addictive and can drain wallets at rates which seem unlikey.;) :bloated:

3 words.....GET AN ESC! Best 80 bucks ever spent, I promice.

Yeah I second getting an ESC, they are a very good investment.
You also will need bearings soon.

Oh I don't see how you used a whole thing of tamiya grease, as mine last me about 2 years. That could also be because my car has no grease anywhere (its stops the dirt being attracted, and makes it faster). But the white lithum grease you used will probably be better then the tamiya stuff. To lubricate my cars I spray them with CRC 2.26.

So have you painted the body yet? or does it come pre-painted?

good luck on you r/c car!

sarujin

Yea...bearings aren't a bad idea either. I had my little tube of Tamiya grease for years as well. You musta doused it. It's all good.

What kida body do you have? You gunna paint it your self?

About the body . . .

I bought Lexus IS 200 model, painted it silver (did a GREAT job), and was really satisfied.

It was beautiful.

THEN . . . my brother talked me into tinting the windows with that window tint spray (Pactra RC294), and that's when things got ugly.

I sprayed it a little thick, and it leeched into the paint . . . creating a very bad look on this beautiful body.

So . . . long story short . . . I didn't bother finishing with the decals and such, and I now use that body for bashing, and getting used to driving my new RC.

A month ago I splurged on a Skyline body (HPI), new wheels and tires . . . I painted the body metallic black, backed it with silver, and followed up with another coat of metallic black.

Looks real good, I'll take pics later . . .

sorry im a little late here, lol. but thats great, this is a fun little hobby. i second what those guys said for upgrades, they are great upgrades. and i dont know how u used that whole thing up either, i still have a tube from my first clod that i got like 5 or 6 years ago.