Best Budget Friendly Touring Platform Out Right Now

[morrisey0]

Hey all

I am working on a bit of an experiment in regards to power / drivetrain, and I am realizing I don't have good base chassis to work off of around the house. I started working on a TC4, but I have no need for the dual trannys and shaft clearance issues, and I have a TT-02R with the same issue, and a FF-03 that I don't need to deal with the complications of all that. I have loads of pan cars around, but I need independent rear.

So, 1:10, cheap, lightweight, 2wd, readily available, touring car. Heck, maybe something a few years old I can maybe find on the FBMP cheap and still get parts easily. Something I can experiment on, but if the experiment turns out to be a bust, I can still maybe have fun with, or pack away and not feel like a chump with dropping so much dough in a bad idea (which it probably is from the start). Did I mention cheap? Doesn't need to be a proven winner.

Recs?

[Frankentruck]

I've never tried one of these, but keep stumbling across it:

https://www.amainhobbies.com/mst-tcrm-1-10-touring-car-kit-mxs-532194/p1290480

[GoMachV]

I picked up one of those mst front wheel drives, and I have their monster truck. Mst are a fun build and seem like great quality but parts are definitely the tough part.

The car can be built as front wheel drive, rear wheel drive mid or rear motor all from the same kit. Very smooth and efficient as it’s just a pinion and spur like a pan car.

[Frankentruck]

I've never tried an MST, but the 3 drive layout options seemed interesting.

[Lonestar]

MST TRC is not a bad choice, I have had 2, and they are a surprisingly good FWD contender on the track thanks to their lightweight construction. Getting parts can be an issue indeed.

Another good solution is to find a used top-notch mainstream TC from a few years back - Xray ages better than anything else. Obviously the older the less expensive. I have a last gen T3 from 2012 that just refuses to die, and is probably worth $100 at best (but shipping it to you from CH would be a killer )

Lastly, check out Xpress - very affordable.

[Frankentruck]

Did you decide on a platform? Or is it still an 'in the future' pondering?

[morrisey0]

I think the chassis may have chosen me.

"So, 1:10, cheap, lightweight, 2wd, readily available, touring car." I found a chassis that is 5 out of those 6, and best part is that it was free as I already owned it.

And wallah, a Tamiya DT02. Paid a whopping $60 for this Holiday Buggy complete, so now that I have gotten all the bits off of it that I want, I am considering the chassis to be a sunken cost, and if I make it trash, that is where it will end up.