After THECar was released, we flew over to USA for one month of testing and racing. We went through just over 8 gallons in 2 cars, and we talked to a lot of customers and our US team drivers. We found a few good set ups to use as a base for different track conditions, and/or driving styles, we also found things to improve, and we got valuable feedback from the people we spoke too. In this article we will highlight the main points we learned.

THEBuild

We went to USA kind of as customers, we flew over without cars, they were waiting for us in our US Team Manager Peter Martin's garage. We built THECars according to the manual and headed to the track. We have received complaints about missing parts, wrong parts, and faulty parts, and all of these issues are caused due to the manufacturer being in a rush to get the kits packed, in order to get THECar released on time. For future batches we hope to greatly reduce these problems. Anyone with parts missing or with defective parts can get free replacements through their distributor.

Looking good, ready to go.

As for the build quality, it's ok, I am pretty happy for my first attempt, specially the fact that the diffs don't need to be shimmed. Some parts still need more work, like the steering link from the servo to the servosaver, which is too tight, or the other steering links which have too much play! For the links that are too tight, you can make them work by squeezing the links with plyers until they move freely. The turnbuckles are very tight, and could be looser, and the idea is to have them pre-assembled in the future.

On Track Performance and Set Up

The stock set up has proved to be really good. Most people seem to be happy with it, on numerous different kinds of tracks. When I drove it I found that it was ok, not what I would drive myself, but it worked ok. I need more steering and a more responsive car. Some people have noted that they need more rear traction. Here are a few ideas for how to make THECar easier to drive, by changing the stock set up.

Working hard, to find good set ups.

For low traction tracks, we recommend you try the following:

1. Move the front shocks, to the lower middle hole on the tower, and outside on the arm. This will reduce steering a bit, and make THECar more stable. The rear end will be more planted as the front doesn't steer so much.

2. Move the rear hubs forward. This will increase rear traction, specially on loose tracks. On high grip tracks rear hubs in the back will actually work better.

3. Drill the option, long low hole on the rear hub, and use it. This gives more traction, yet you will still have good steering.

4. Try shortening the links, to medium on the front and rear towers. This can make the car more stable and controllable and is more of a driving style thing. Try it to see if you like it.

5. Increase rear toe in, for more rear traction. However, maximum toe in may not always give most rear traction, remember that and try the different options to find the best.

We found this at PalmDesert Raceway. Someone is paying attention!

For high traction tracks, we recommend you try the following:

1. Move the front shocks, to the lower outer hole on the tower, and outside on the arm. This will make THECar more stable. Standing the shocks up on the tower helps a lot.

2. Move the rear hub back. This will make the car more stable on high traction and more calm.

3. Try thicker swaybars. This will reduce traction, and the chance of traction rolling.

4. Reduce toe in. This will free the rear of the car up, and the car will slide more, and not hook and want to flip over on bumps.

5. For really high traction, try moving the rear hub so you use the top hole in the arm, and top in the hub for the rear outer hingepin. This will reduce rear traction, and free up the rear suspension, so it is easier to drive on a high grip surface.

The suspension seems to work really well with the stock pistons, and in temperatures of around 20 degrees, oils of 450-500 for front, and 500-550 rear, or in losi oils, 30-35 front, 35-40 rear have been used successfully. For colder weather 50cts or 5wt thinner oils arebetter, and for warmer weather 50cts or 5wt thicker oils work better. I feel like the springs are ok, but not great.

Someone doesn't fit in.

From my experience when racing for other brands, I remember how important the shock springs were. I feel like we need to find even better springs. They will make THECar easier and smoother to drive, and give more overall traction. This is something we will be working on. But so far the stock ones are the best we have used. If you want to try different springs, we know that the HotBodies springs fit, as well as Losi. You can probably get most springs to fit if you use a different spring retainer. If you find something great, let us know!

As for the diffs we have tested a bunch of different combinations, but 7-5-3 seems to be the easiest and smoothest for just about every track. At this time I can't really give more advice for diffs, 7-5-3, or 7-5-4 is what we like using. For high traction we have tested thicker oils but still, the stock oils were easier to drive.

Team drivers busy not testing diffs.

In conclusion, some of the set up parameters that we have used, which can be good to try for yourselves are shortening the front and rear links, from inside on the tower to middle row, for more response, steering and in some cases stability due to less roll. The rear hub is a good way to tune the rear grip, forward for loose tracks, back for high grip tracks. Swaybars, thicker for high grip, try 2.5 in the front, or 2.5 front and 2.8 rear. As for shock positions, we have tried standing up the shocks one hole from stock, front and rear and some people prefer this, it gives more forward bite out of corners as the car squares up quicker, and the car jumps a bit better.

Problems to Fix

During our one month test session, we encountered the following issues with THECar

1. The plastic works ok in warm weather, but in the cold it is brittle and breaks too easily. The parts that break are mainly the fueltank posts, swaybar links, inner steering links and rear hubs. In warm weather, the strength of the plastic is good,  like most other cars, but it can be improved. It will withstand normal racing and bashing and crashing, but under extreme impacts, it may break. I used to race Xray, and I know from experience that the Xray doesn't break even in extreme impacts like head on collisions, so that is something to shoot for. So in warm weather THEPlastics are good but can be improved, but in the cold, they definitely need to be improved.

Solution: We will be testing softer plastics for the parts that break, so that at the end of the summer when the weather gets cool again THECar will stay in one piece. For now, a good idea is to boil the plastic parts, arms, hubs, and links, for about 35-45 minutes in order to soften the plastic. The swaybar links seem to break if there are big jumps or burms on the track. If they do, we know that other manufacturers links fit with minor modifications, like for example Mugen and Losi swaybar links. For the steering links, I haven't personally broken them, but I have seen people break them, and I know that Kyosho, Mugen and Losi links fit. For fueltank posts there is an OFNA part that works, # 19074 Post,Fuel Tank. They need to be cut to length, and the pin needs to be removed.

As for me, I only use Mugen swaybar links on the rear in cold weather, otherwise I use everything stock. For any races I will be doing in below 15 degrees celcius I will boil my arms, hubs and links. I am confident enough in THECar even at this stage.

2. The hingepins are too hard, and the front ones break too easily on hard crashes. When the hingepin breaks, it causes the rest of the front end to explode (steering and upper links, and shock cap plastic).

It just fell off, honest!

Solution: We are already testing softer hingepins. We also heard that M2C has released a hingepin kit for THECar that should solve it for now. The hingepins seem to break on heavier than average crashes where one crashes directly on one front wheel. The original hingepins simply seem to have been hardened too much.

3. The steering posts break in half, but you can't tell until you take the car apart for a clean and a rebuild.

Solution: This is a problem that you can't really notice on the track. Just when you pull your car apart. The lower hole in the post has been drilled too far, and in heavy head on crashes the posts break. They will still work as long as the screws are tight, so there is no way of telling if they are broken or not without taking it apart. This problem has already been addressed.

4. Fuel Tank Seal leaks on some tanks. I have yet to come across a tank that leaks, even after loosening the screw that holds the plastic part and the seal in place. So always loosen that screw a bit. If the seal still leaks, take the plastic piece out and put an o-ring or a washer under it, to give more room for the seal. This should solve it for now.

Solution: We will modify these parts so all tanks seal better.

It's not all fun and games. Problems need to be fixed, and it takes time. Eventhough the sun is shining and the track is waiting.

These, (and smaller fit and finish problems) are problems and issues which will be solved and fixed during the next weeks and months. It is not possible to set a date, for when there is an updated car on the market, and there is no way to know what parts are changed or updated in a kit you are buying. The only really serious problem, the maingear, should be the updated one in all kits sold from the beginning of March, then other fixes will be running changes. All manufacturers do this, the difference is, that the others don't talk about it, they keep it quiet, for the obvious reason, that if problems are announced, there will be people who will wait for a revised kit, or who won't buy it at all. We realise this, but we think that it is much more important that a customer knows about all possible issues and can prepare for them and won't be caught off guard at a race. We will be working hard to improve THECar, the production quality, the QC, the packing, and the design. We will keep you posted on when the current issues have been fixed, and of any further issues we find, and the solutions for them. But as you can see from the results from around the world, THECar is already strong, and fast enough to finish races in 1st place, clubraces to bigger races, novice to pro class. We are off to a good start, thank you for the support.