T3 Still competitive
#1
T3 Still competitive
I have a question: Is the T3 still competitive in club racing ? I have an old FT long chassis T3 and I was thinking about racing it. (I would consider my self an upper level club racer) Is the T4 and MF2 so much better than the T3 that racing a T3 would be a waste of time. I don't plan on racing it much (I'm a TC racer first) If it is race able any hop ups needed to be competitive. I did try a search before asking this question, So if this question has been asked it did not show up on a search...
#4
Tech Elite
iTrader: (28)
You can do well with it. A guy here keeps right up with the fast losi and T4 guys when he brings it out. Theres another guy who keeps up and can win with a very old traxxas vehicle as well when he gets em out. It's the drivers more than the cars for club racing if you ask me. If everybody was equal drivers and could setup equally as well then I would say the car matters more. But that's not how it is.
#5
Tech Rookie
I still run my T3 for onroad racing around here. Its just as fast, if not faster than most T4s, Losi's, and Traxxas trucks I come against locally. I've won the last 3 points series we've ran with my old T3. I got a chance to drive one of the other competitive racers' T4s a few weeks back, and there was really little or no difference in handling or performance (for onroad setups anyways). Was mostly just different transmitter settings. I'd say get it! I love my old T3!
#6
I'd run it til you run out of parts. It's still capable but will quickly show it's age when you are looking for parts at hobby shops.
#7
Originally Posted by Randy Pike
I'd run it til you run out of parts. It's still capable but will quickly show it's age when you are looking for parts at hobby shops.
#8
T3 still competitive !
I think for club racing the T3 is a great truck. I have found the T3's I bought in 2002-3 to still be competitive locally. Our LHS carries T3 parts on the wall, no problems there for the most part (pun intended).
I had not raced offroad in 3 years, pulled out the T3, ran brushless against electrics and nitro on a large offroad track, pulled off the TQ in qualifying. I blew it in the main getting 4th, but my own fault not the truck's. The following week I ran it in a big local oval race, got 5th in the A main, never having raced an oval before. I didn't lower it or anything, just ran with a 2nd battery pack on the inside to (a) get me enough runtime with just an unplug and replug and (b) the extra weight made it much better handling.
I love running the older stuff. I have a TC3 and I enjoy it also. I may break down next year and get something new to run in TC mod. But for local racing I would go with what you like. Also the older stuff can be easier to afford, makes room for buying the other stuff you need, not to mention taking care of the more important things like feeding the family !
I had not raced offroad in 3 years, pulled out the T3, ran brushless against electrics and nitro on a large offroad track, pulled off the TQ in qualifying. I blew it in the main getting 4th, but my own fault not the truck's. The following week I ran it in a big local oval race, got 5th in the A main, never having raced an oval before. I didn't lower it or anything, just ran with a 2nd battery pack on the inside to (a) get me enough runtime with just an unplug and replug and (b) the extra weight made it much better handling.
I love running the older stuff. I have a TC3 and I enjoy it also. I may break down next year and get something new to run in TC mod. But for local racing I would go with what you like. Also the older stuff can be easier to afford, makes room for buying the other stuff you need, not to mention taking care of the more important things like feeding the family !
#10
That T3 is still very good truck Good luck
#11
TLRacing
iTrader: (25)
Originally Posted by xxxkat
I have a question: Is the T3 still competitive in club racing ? I have an old FT long chassis T3 and I was thinking about racing it. (I would consider my self an upper level club racer) Is the T4 and MF2 so much better than the T3 that racing a T3 would be a waste of time. I don't plan on racing it much (I'm a TC racer first) If it is race able any hop ups needed to be competitive. I did try a search before asking this question, So if this question has been asked it did not show up on a search...
I saw Jeremy Felles (now with Team Losi) take a nearly stock Duratrax Evader to So-Cal and smoke everyone down in Stock Truck for about 2 weeks straight. Point is, driving matters most. Tires Second. Then maybe chassis/batteries/motor/radio....ect. Is the T3 as good as a T4 or a MF2? No. Will it be the difference between winning and losing? Maybe. Will your driving be the difference between winning a losing? Absolutely. Hope that helps..
#12
Thanks for the help, after racing last night I have come to a few conclusions on the T3, I feel that it's still a good truck, not quite as smooth as the MF2 or T4 but you can still win with this truck. In off road tires are still one of the "more" important items...make the wrong choice and it's all over but the... having the right set up also helps, not quite as important as the right tire choice but if your set up is good it makes tire choice a bit easier. If your having a few problems (as in NOT running off road for over 4 years) running Mod only makes it worse. The track I ran on was very technical, tons of jumps, lots of big ones, timing was key. The traction went from good to bad in one or two heats, they were putting water on the track but it seemed like I was a bit off in my tire selection (understatement) I don't think it had much to do with the T3 more to my lack of set up skills at off road. My truck was drivable in practice but the track was dry and I was running hole shots, as soon as they put the water down it all changed, that and the only class was Mod. I did try to use a stock motor but in traffic I was getting punted, in the second heat I put a 19 wind in the truck and it was a bit better on the not getting run over but not much help on the traction woes (being an on road TC racer I don't do "sideways" much) I guess I should work on the set up skills and break down and buy some tires and inserts that work. Overall I don't think I did bad, I qualified third in the A and was about 8 seconds of the leaders pace. In the main I finished 4th...got run over so many times ( ) I got frustrated and it definitely affected my driving...I think I want a B4 or a XXX CR...
#13
an RC10T is still competitive for club racing.
2.25 tranny
aluminum tub
brushless 6.5
its basically a GT and works great with the gt wide axles and cvds with b4 axles to get a wide rear too. T4 crowdpleazer is a direct fit too.
2.25 tranny
aluminum tub
brushless 6.5
its basically a GT and works great with the gt wide axles and cvds with b4 axles to get a wide rear too. T4 crowdpleazer is a direct fit too.
#14
Tech Fanatic
iTrader: (23)
I still run a t3 and can say it is still competitive but your lap times will improve with a t4. me and some of the local fast guys did some testing and on our track the t4 was about .5 to .7 seconds faster per lap (this will very by track). the biggest differance I noticed is the t3 has to be pushed to go fast you can't relax you got to be on it all the time. the t4 is smooth you let the truck do the work you feel slow but lap times don't lie.
the t3 is a tank though I have been racing all season and the only broken parts are one caster block and a steering knuckle. I don't know how many t4 front arms I've seen broken but it is a very big number.
the t3 is a tank though I have been racing all season and the only broken parts are one caster block and a steering knuckle. I don't know how many t4 front arms I've seen broken but it is a very big number.