MCD Clone!

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I own MCD and FS.

for the price FS is a good value though. equal or less than cost of a hpi baja 5b. and it's 4 wheel drive and the chassis is versatile can be onroad, offroad buggy, monster truck.

i don't think anyone disputes the fact which one is better of course, the original MCD but you get what you pay for.

just threadlock the car, rebuild the shocks with better shock oil, and improve the radio electronics. it's a fun vehicle just like that.
 
Wolverine said:
Thanks JQuest. Nice to have some feed back and not just sledging.

Its interesting to read the various opinions on what is basically a copy. I got right into the HPI Bajas awhile back and bailed out to pursue other projects but now the RC bug has bitten again. A few mates have bought Baja copies so I went looking online for something different, CHEAP & RTR. I've done the BAJA thing and didn't really want to go back. I've already got a specty DX3R so no failsafe is not a problem. I saw the FS Racing BAJA buggy (even had HPI Baja colors, sad I know.) for less than 1/3 of what I paid for one HPI Baja (and the FS even came with a power pipe.) so I took the plunge. Its already got an Ally roll rage, 30 cc engine and metal diff. All those thing I had to add to my HPI Baja so in actual fact the FS is probably only costing me 1/4 in initial outlay. Its due here anyday. I've read all the instructions I can find and they all basically say the same thing - CHECK EVERY NUT AND BOLT BEFORE YOU RUN IT. I don't doubt they're slapped together, the price says it all, but you cant complain if you took it out of the box to beat up on without first going over it with a spanner, some grease and a little dab of loctite. I recon EVERY RC vehicle needs a good going over before the first run, not just the clones. My Bajas got stripped regularly and had everything from stripped spur gears to diff explosions so I'm not expecting a revelation from the FS Buggy. I just think it will be a good toy to test the water with to see if I have the commitment to go out and blow a couple of grand on a REAL MCD. And in the mean time if the FS is problematic the experience will be handy when I do upgrade. Besides I like to tinker... :lol:

View attachment 1467

Plus I've got a stack of spares left from my Baja days to keep the new beast going.. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Hey Rob good to see your back in the r/c's:clown: I'm still here supplying bits hope I can still be of service to ya:lol:
 
Thanks EA77. Nice to get some feedback from someone who has owned both vehicles.

Hey Mike, Hows things? Yep got the bug again to get back into the world of RC. Not sure if I'm prepared to go all the way just yet so went looking for something cheap and 2-stroke as I could never go Nitro after owning a BAJA. Been watching your site for the specials. The King Motor looked too much like the BAJA so I wanted to try something different. Love the look of the MCD Race Runner but didnt want to go in too hard just yet. I picked up the Spectrum/FS Baja & Set of Hitec servos for the less than the price of the MCD Kit. I'll strip the FS when I get it and give it a good going over. Only plan on running it for a few months and if I get hooked again I'll be stripping out my good gear and heading for your site with credit card in hand....:clown::clown::clown:.. Its good to be back....
 
Wolverine said:
Thanks EA77. Nice to get some feedback from someone who has owned both vehicles.

Hey Mike, Hows things? Yep got the bug again to get back into the world of RC. Not sure if I'm prepared to go all the way just yet so went looking for something cheap and 2-stroke as I could never go Nitro after owning a BAJA. Been watching your site for the specials. The King Motor looked too much like the BAJA so I wanted to try something different. Love the look of the MCD Race Runner but didnt want to go in too hard just yet. I picked up the Spectrum/FS Baja & Set of Hitec servos for the less than the price of the MCD Kit. I'll strip the FS when I get it and give it a good going over. Only plan on running it for a few months and if I get hooked again I'll be stripping out my good gear and heading for your site with credit card in hand....:clown::clown::clown:.. Its good to be back....
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Would be wise to change the bearings while you have it apart as the fs ones tend to crap out after half a tank. We have ABEC5 bearing kits to suit.
Hopefully you ordered the 4x4 version, taking a chassis designed to be 4x4 and making it 2wd just doesn't work:no:
 
Would be wise to change the bearings while you have it apart as the fs ones tend to crap out after half a tank.
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QFT, I could swear I heard some of my FS bearings failing while I took my first look at the truck.

It simply must be done, and if you plan to tear it down before you ever run it (which is another must do) it only makes sense to do it.

I kinda feel bad for my FS right now, picked up a Baja Evo III and have not touched the FS since I got it.
Maybe I will treat it to a new mill and rekindle the flame!!
 
Got the FS Baja the other day and did a quick strip down. It came with an AM radio so I fitted Hitec metal gear high torque servos and a spectrum radio. Stripped the diff and repacked it with grease. The bearings were all sealed metal type so I left them in for now. Fitted my power pipe and set the mixture screws to 1-1/2 on high and 1-1/4 on the low needle. I did have to grind out the mounting hole on the pipe slightly so it all lined up. I used the Truck/On Road car power pipe. The pipe isn't really designed for the buggy as the rear a-arm was touching it at full travel. A little bit of gentle persuasion with the plastic hammer resulted in heaps of clearance with only a mild dent needed in the pipe. Changed all the shock oils to 20 wt and just did a general check of all the nuts and bolts. I did have to put a nut on one of the engine mount bolts so it would hold tight. Mixed up some good quality 2 stroke at 25 to 1 and took it for a bash. First thing I noticed as this thing goes much harder than my HPI Baja did with a 29 and Mielke pipe. Handling and braking is much better than the BAJA and it turns so tight its easy to flip if your not careful. Makes it great fun to drift on concrete. 2WD is definitely good fun and easy to get sideways. I rolled mine about half a dozen times on the grass and it seemed to hold up to the big flips and hard landings. Funnily enough it always seemed to land on its wheels, well 9 times out of 10 anyway. The inital damage seemed minimal. The c-clips inside the front and rear shocks on the left gave up, I think theyre made of butter. They were almost an easy fix. The front one came apart easily but I nearly destroyed the rear one trying to get it apart. Finally opened them up and got the new clips in and was all good. The power pipe hides the butchered rear shock from view. The only other hiccup was the idle. The power pipe I fitted has some tiny pin holes in a couple of the welds that leak oil and suck air. Ive gone back to 1 turn on the low setting but left the high at 1-1/2 as I do like to do high speed runs. The next big run saw the foam spin inside the rear tyre. It all bunched up in one spot so I ended up cutting the tyre off the rim from the inside, re wrapped the foam around the rim with some insulation tape and then glued the inner edge back on. Was a little messy but seems to be holding up ok. I've ordered a set or traveller rims as spares just incase. One of the front rims came unglued but that was a quick and easy fix. All up I've come in at about 1100 for a basically stock car running good radio gear that in my opionion handles better and goes harder than a stock RTR BAJA which retails for around 1400 with stock radio gear. Its definitely got the made in China feel to it but with regular maintenance, no more than my BAJA got, I recon it'll be a top unit. I'm running it without a body cover at the moment but may pick up a 4WD cover if I can get one at the right price. Its still early days but I'm happy with my purchase so far and the more I drive it the more I get inspired to take the next step up to a proper MCD. Definitely good fun and value for money if you take the time to give it a good once over before you take it out.
 
Thanks sickboy will check it out. For those of you interested the Hitec servos I used were a HS5745MG and a HS5645MG. The digital servos give awesome response with the Spectrum transmitter. The 5645 for the throttle/brake dropped straight in. The 5745 for the steering also dropped straight into the hole in the chassis but I did put the holding screws in on a slight angle as the holes didnt quite line up right. It all screwed down ok and seems to be holding up ok. Am loving this buggy. :clown:
 
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man i cant beleive these people are selling a Gasser with an AM, talk about helping you out buying new parts.
if its RTR and doesn't atleast have an 27mhz FM, i wouldnt touch it with a BIG STICK.
 
For the money its not a bad unit and anyone with any interest in RC would usually upgrade the radio gear and servos anyway. At the very least you'd do the transmitter and reciever so you could take it bashing with a few other guys. Its not the flashest unit out there but pretty hard to beat in the value for money stakes if your just after a hack.
 
Does anyone know good shock that will fit the FS buggy that is lower then MCD price and better then the FS stock? Does anyone else's FS stock shock leak like a pooping huming bird?
 
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fg shocks, check rcu thread, i have rebuilt my shocks and limited the travel with some fuel tubing on the shock shaft(check mcdrc thread), filled it with 20wt oil and have not had problems since.
fg shocks work no problem, and are cheaper than the MCD ones but make sure you get the tuning shocks from fg.
good luck
 
Bolt it down

I bought a cheap TQ 23cc bigfoot today and followed a true rc mans advice. I striped the hole thing and put it back together and found a lot of missed points, and the rear stabelizer arms were both stripped. So i scaned it and put it in the cnc mill and i think i will fit the whole truck with t6160a aluminium stabelizer arms and drive it tomorow. This is my first 1/5 scale and the workmanship of the cheaper trucks is not that good but sometimes you just have to go over the whole thing and then enjoy don't just fill her up and go bashing, spend some time to get to know your truck and she will look after you. Thanks for your advice it have helped me a lot so far!!!!!
 
well congrats on the buy mucker well its sounds good with all the work you will do to it would realy like to se some picks or vid of it when its done
 
hi all well just a few photos of my alloy parts i had made for my fs mt and there's more to come
Diffhouse002.jpg
and this one a friend has this on his car we can get them made complete set left and complete for the right
Rw59071.jpgKf14605.jpg
Ig11193.jpg
 
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