# RC Driver review of SC18V2 !!!!!



## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

RC Driver had a review of the BRP SC18V2 , M18 and Micro RS4. The SC18V2 was faster hands down. But WE no that. The first test was done right out of the box no hop up's that was a BRP with no ball diff. and on 4 cell. I know the car would be better on 6 cell like it was designed for. Check it out!!


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## ChrisHarris (Feb 26, 2002)

That was great to see that! Can't wait for the future installments. Hopefully it will still make those others look slow!


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Wish they could replace the Spy with a XRS I tested the spy and it was .03 a lap slower on our little track.25X50 on the oval.


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## ChrisHarris (Feb 26, 2002)

Heck, let the guy know! I mean, he is trying to soup these things up for the later portions of the test. Let him know how it should be done! I checked the site I beleive his report was supposed to be on:www.race18.com and there isn't even a forum for the BRPs. (and I actually never found his report either). If that's the case, he needs all the hlp he can get!


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## silverbullet146 (Dec 24, 2002)

Bud,
Do you run oval and road course on your 25' X 50"?

Silver Bullet


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

We run both.


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## jozimoto (May 2, 2003)

Pan cars rule! Touring cars drool.


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

When We race indoor the top BRP guys would be like 4th in the TC class if You compare laps and time. Some fast little cars that don't cost a bundle


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## DWBryan (Dec 8, 2001)

Ya go that right... The BRP is FAST, more DURABLE, and great handling, as well as more body designs to choose from than any other 18th scale on the market... PLUS some tracks (like mine) the entry fee to race is less than 10th scale racing soooo adding that all up its the MOST cost eficiant racing you can get into... lower maintance and GREAT FUN!! 
Hmmm I know there are several bodys for BRP already out there.. but how about a legands style... say 41 ford & chevy. (just a thought)


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Dave>> How are things going?? When is the Indiana champs this year?


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## DWBryan (Dec 8, 2001)

Well Im still trying to schedual that one in... it will be around the same time as last years was. 
This year we are also running em in our anual Independace 500 race... that is July 2nd starting at 2pm for all 1/18th scales... the top 10 will run the feature for a 10min main (stock) and Mods will run a 6min.
This year the classes will be split up just like the IN champ race... its gong to be FUN!
Im still trying put it all together for prizes and trophys and ect... But I'll keep yta posted on the events and stuff.
Im in BAD need to ordering more from ya asap... I took on a job that keeps me wraped up a lot... but had to get it to mkae the ends meet.. the track and store just isnt doing well at all anymore.... seems everyone is doing other things now instead or racing rc's.
I have high hopes it will pick up soon.
Im trying to get mine up to speed for this years competition against all you pro drivers that keep teaching us a lesson on just how fast these little cars car go. heheheh
In the beginning I dominated around here.. now Im just another wana be... practice, determination, motivation, as well as home court should let me do better this year.... every one has gotten so fast Im just hanging on and racing. 
Cant get anywhere near that warp drive run you layed on us.. but still trying to get close anyway... its going to be a real challange but I know it can be done.
My V-2 is a super handling machine.. I LOVE IT!!!
I bought that Mod Sprinter off of Tim W. and getting it around there pretty decent... sooo I'll maybe run it in the mod or Super mods class. (super mod = brushless 6 cell)
Stock maybe a bit slower pace but is stil my favorite.


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Cool keep us informed!!!


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## Micro_Racer (Mar 27, 2002)

Yes ... I would like to race you guys again!


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## Micro_Racer (Mar 27, 2002)

When will Part 2 of the story be out?


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

I think he said every two months or so. Or else they put a STOP to it since the BRP car was so much better out of the box.


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Just got the new RC Driver with stage two. The BRP SC18V2 dominated by laps.
Will post results when I remember to bring the mag home. They had lot's of parts on the RS4 and M18 all they had on the V2 was the ball diff, orange fronts and a hand picked motor. and that test was done on 5 cell since the other cars don't fit 6 cell too well.
BRP Number 1 :thumbsup:


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## Donald Deutsch (Sep 29, 2001)

Just read it,great outcome. One for the Kipper.


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Yes but then We all knew what was the best!!! Right


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## OrangeRacer (May 15, 2003)

Just read part 2 of the review. BRP definately smoked the competition and seems to be causing a bit of a stir.

Hopefully Bud gets some well deserved recognition!


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## Micro_Racer (Mar 27, 2002)

BRP SC-18 V2
Built by a racer for racers......

No show -- JUST GO


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Orangeracer>> So far nothing !!!


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## Donald Deutsch (Sep 29, 2001)

I see you. There your recognized by someone, keep up the good work.


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## jozimoto (May 2, 2003)

I think the author was too kind to the Xray and the Micro RS4. Stage 2 was pretty much a total rebuild for these two cars. The author puts more expensive radio equipment in the SC18 to equalize the money spent as opposed to the other two. The author should have used the Novak pieces in the SC18 to make it more equal as far as equipment. I have no doubt that the results would have been no different, the SC18 would still dominate. Minus the electronics,the 39.50 in hopups is a bargain compared to the $186.94 spent on the HPI and the $221.94 spent on the Xray. For that kind of money one could have a couple of SC18 back ups. The SC18 has proven to me SIMPLE IS BETTER! And definitely MORE GO FOR YOUR DOUGH!


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## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

Haven't gotten to that part of my magazine yet but it's good to finally get a magazine that recognizes there is more to a vehicle than just the hop up potential. Seems to me all the others have given the SC18 low marks just because it doesn't have $10,000 worth of hop up parts available for it. They never even consider the way the car runs against the others without the parts.


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Don't forget to add the foam tires they put on the other cars. Why he listed the 391 rears as a hop up?? They come in the kit.


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## ChrisHarris (Feb 26, 2002)

Bud just doesn't spend enough in their magazine advertizing. Nah, they couldn't be THAT biased, could they?  

The total dollars spent for the other two "competitors" is adding up pretty darn fast! I seem to have lost the first article so I don't have a running tally for all of them. Shame those guys couldn't sell a car with a chsssis worth running huh?

They do not list the price of the motors. Anybody have a number on those?


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

The first review was box stock with 4 cell. The BRP also was best in this confg.
Next will be brushless and Li Po there is no way the BRP should shine in that confg. We have run brushless and they are super fast but that is with reg 2/3 A cells the Li Po will be tooo lite for the car to handle properly. It is like putting a AA fuel motor in a Cooper!!!
We don't run any ad's at all since the cost is crazy. I fig it out and I would have to sell like 150 kits just to cover the cost of the ad and that is not going to happen with one ad. 
Thanks for the support


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## DWBryan (Dec 8, 2001)

Good Job!! BRP RULES! as we all know... Best car on the market. 
I had a couple of questions reguarding the Indiana 18th state champ race... we are holding it on Sept 17th starting at 4pm.
The only classes racing that day are Outlaw stock 18th scale cars and Outlaw Stock 18th scale trucks as well as the Outlaw nitro trucks.
What I call Outlaw stock is example BRP must have the parma motors that Bud sells.. you can run any body that is 18th scale... you must have only 6 cell packs and up to a 10t pinion with a 45t spur.
18th scale Outlaw stock trucks the motor (Example the RC18T) comes with the 370... this is the out of box stock motor you can run.... again 6 cell pack and up to a 15t pinion and 55t spur... but any 18th scale body.
You can run bearings or any other hopup availible for your car/truck... any speed controller.
Entry fee to race is $10 for the 1st RC and $5 for each other class.
Only we will run 10 at a time max feild, 3 qualifyers of 5 min and the top 10 only will race the 6 min Feature for trucks and the cars will run a 10 min Feature.
Trophys will be issued to 1st 2nd and 3rd place... but everyone will get somthing.
Sooooo Stock 18th scale cars such as the BRP, Xray and others will race together and must have the manufacturers stock motor and pinion/spur is needed (better brushes are ok) 
18th scale trucks the same rules apply... Exaple Losi miniT and RC18T will race together and only with the manufacturers stock motors.
Outlaw Nitro Truck is a run what you bring.. BUT fuel can only be up to 30% nitro and must run a 10th scale body.
The max feild will be 8 at a time for 3 5 min heats and only the top 8 will race the 20 min Feature and will be the last race run.
The will be 5 min between each race and 10 min between each round.
No other class will be excepted the day of the championships.
Starting at 4pm I estimate all races should be done by 9:30 at the latest.
Hope to see ya.


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## patcollins (Sep 29, 2001)

Just read part 2 in RC Driver and having both a micro RS4 with the Penguin chassis and a M18 with a Penguin chassis I have to say there was definately something wrong with the M18 there. 

I also disagree with people that think that the M18 needs any aftermarket parts, in fact I found no improvement using any aftermarket chassis on the car. The aftermarket stuff "should" be better since the stock chassis is really flexable but it just doesn't materialize in track performance for me. 

I have no doubt that the SC18 is faster it should be its a pan car compared to a touring car, the only thing they share in common is their scale.


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Thats what the review was about 1/18th scale road cars!!!


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## patcollins (Sep 29, 2001)

Its like comparing a 12th scale pan car and a 12 scale sedan.


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## Micro_Racer (Mar 27, 2002)

OHHH NO -- another 2WD vs 4WD.....look at the Losi Mini-T and the RC18T, one is 2WD and the other 4WD. The RC18T is faster, better on the track, but by your theory it should be slower than the Mini-T......


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## patcollins (Sep 29, 2001)

No, they both have a transmission, the SC18 does not have a transmission. For each gear to gear (or belt to tensioner and pully) contact there is losses associated with it. 

The reason the Mini T is slower in a straight line even with the same motor is the horrible job Losi did with the transmission. The mini T has the most bound up transmission that I have ever seen on an RC car sold at a hobby shop. Their first mistake was to put three bearings on the topshaft, it is nearly impossible to align three bearings on one shaft one will almost always bind.


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Why does everone always talk speed, less ball bearings, bound up ect. Maybe it all comes down to handling. My Mini T gear box was not bound up and the RC18T has a extra gear box!! We have raced against Micros that would pull us by 10 ft on the straight and by the time We hit that straight again the BRP car was 20 ft ahead. That is called handling


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## Micro_Racer (Mar 27, 2002)

Right...everyone told me that a 4WD touring car is better in the corrners...so the M18 and Micro should kill the BRP in the corrners, but that is not the case...


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

Sorry, guess I just gotta pop in here  To me the test is showing "value". For those that want to race "mini" cars (1/18th scale) then what car on the market gives you the most performance for the buck? The vast majority of people who buy these cars don't care if it's 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive or 6 wheel drive other then the hype they read in advertisements. IMHO, in the end it's want car performs the best and how much do you have to spend on it to make it perform.


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## Donald Deutsch (Sep 29, 2001)

Even if the BRP cars blows them away in round three, do you think Bud's sales will go through the roof? It would be nice, but I dought it will happen. The buying public is more infuanced by flashy ads not actual on track results unless it is at major races by major companies.


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## Micro_Racer (Mar 27, 2002)

The SC-18 V2 down fall.....no bling - bling...


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

NO Bling baby just go !!!!


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## jozimoto (May 2, 2003)

Gosh Hankster, I thought I said that earlier on page 2. MORE GO FOR YOUR DOUGH! I think the test will change some peoples minds. I believe the SC18 to be a pure and simple racing machine. I think Micro Racer has a point about the "BLING" factor, if your into that. But I also think that the 4WD cars are overly complicated with all their tiny parts. More to break and more to lose. Plus out of the box the 4WD are dogs. Too much money to fix them up. I own both a Buds SC18 (v1) and a Micro RS4. The RS4 is a piece of JUNK out of the box. The SC18 RULES! MORE GO FOR YOUR DOUGH!


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

jozimoto>> You sum it up just right!!!!


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## patcollins (Sep 29, 2001)

BudBartos said:


> Why does everone always talk speed, less ball bearings, bound up ect. Maybe it all comes down to handling. My Mini T gear box was not bound up and the RC18T has a extra gear box!! We have raced against Micros that would pull us by 10 ft on the straight and by the time We hit that straight again the BRP car was 20 ft ahead. That is called handling


Micros that would pull you 10 ft on the straight, darn that is impressive. I dont understand why people argue the fact that a pan car is naturally going to be faster than a car that is 3x as complicated, heavier, and more can go wrong. 

I never said 4wd will be faster through the corners. 

Point in case the Associated TC4 vs the Associated RC10L3 both are made by the same company that has big advertizing bucks. The pan car will outperform the sedan only on 4 cells vs 6 cells. The pan car is the perfect machine for a smooth carpet track and pretty darn good for very smooth asphalt. But I wonder how many TC4's they sell for every pan car, I would guess about 100. 

People just are not interested in pan cars, as a class they died more than 10 years ago. Oval pan cars have a little bit of interest but not a lot compared to 4wd electric sedan. People flock to the 18th scale sedans because its a small version of their 10th scale sedan


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

The Mamba Li Po test will be interesting :wave:


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## Donald Deutsch (Sep 29, 2001)

Does the term STUPID FAST ring any bells.


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## patcollins (Sep 29, 2001)

Which Mamba are they planning on using?


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

I would guess the fastest since that is what the world out there wants!!!!
The 10 ft I mentioned was on a 1/10th nitro track that we used to run in Columbus OH. Not a small indoor track.


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## RAFster (May 29, 2002)

I don't think people are flocking to the HPI RS4 Micro...it is on it's last breath and slipping under the deep waters of end of lifecycle. The rate at which dealers and distributors are shedding inventory and not restocking is interesting, as is the timing of the same which was in full swing last Christmas the Micro was struggling and dying. The Xray M18 didn't make it to market quick enough to breath life backinto 18th 4wd on-road in most areas I'm aware of...
The 18th on-road segment hasn't seen new blood of any quality in the 4WD arena in a while. In this country, BRP is the only 2WD 18th competition and overseas the German cars, forget the name of the top of my head, are the closest competition and they don't hold up to the SC18 V1 much less the faster and more nimble V2. They branched out into 4WD but I don't know how they compare.
18th off-road is bigger, but it is only in pockets of the country where it is thriving and the trucks are racing. The Micro RS4 was never intended to be a race car. But then again, maybe that is HPI's total philosophy. Put out a product you have to replace most of the components with upgrade parts so it is a more durable & raceable product.

Will Losi redesign the MiniT? probably not as tooling is very expensive and the market came and went for their car with a steep rise and steep decline for the product lifecycle. Can you have fun with it still? Certainly, as long as you aren't racing against Associated RC18Ts.

Cars that are closely matched in performance can be fun to race, if people don't start skirting the rules trying to gain an edge in a very gray area. Racing together with friends and concentrating on your driving to beat the other guy can be very exciting. That is what keeps people coming back. If you are getting beaten week in and week out and not having fun you will lose interest.
Having a shelf queen like so many RS4s were, won't keep it alive as boredom sets in...
Look at the lifecycle for the 10th 2WD pan cars... Very long...
Ask Bud how long he's been making 18th scale pan cars. The answer will surprise you.

To me it is bang for the buck and fun quotient. You spend a lot on a car and keep replacing parts then the fun quotient drops pretty rapidly. Fight with the car for setup or consistency because of handling and it can drop. 
The RC Club in Columbus saw a resurgence of interest in Pan Cars one year because lots of 4WD drivers wanted cheap fun racing that was closer. RC 10Ls through 10L3s and lots of other makes showed up and raced with GTP bodies and we had a blast.
The work of supporting and racing 2 cars on a race day caused some attrition but those that raced the pan cars did have fun with them. More laughter and kidding in that class than any other.

Oddly enough the Kyosho Mini-Z (not an 18th scale) will probably have a long profitable life because it hooked the slot car crowd and the bodies being pre-painted is right up the alley of many people. Coming completely assembled with a radio was appealing to many consumers and some racers.

RAFster


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## okracer (Mar 11, 2002)

the radio shack xmod is a surprizeing good car also


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Yes all made in CHINA !!!!


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## okracer (Mar 11, 2002)

too bad you couldnt get a cheap radio like the one in the mini z to work in the brp car then that car could be race ready for about 150 with a charger


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## k1m (Sep 25, 2001)

*The votes are in!!*

Part three of RC Drivers Micro Sedan Showdown is complete. No expense was spared to equip the three competitors with all avaliable go fast goodies and Mamba brushless motors. Each car's performance was enhanced with the hopups they were provided with but when the tire dust cleared, one was said to be the best choice "hands down". The BRP SC18V2 dominated every round of testing for this project. (_And the crowd Roars!)_ The neat thing about it is the only thing that wasn't stock on the V2 was the motor plate for the Mamba!
Simple, cheap, and effective....I've been saying it for years and it's good to see that the word is getting around! 

Congrats, Bud....you have a right to be proud of your work. :thumbsup: 

Thanks also to Steve Trebing [email protected] for his part in recognizing 1/18 scale as "real r/c racing".


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## BudBartos (Jan 1, 1970)

Yes Now I hope We sell some!!!!!


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