HPI RS4 Pro 3 Forum

[S15Racer]

Another way to get that batts out (that I find easier, but it only works with certain chassis') is to take the right side plate off. Usually only 2 screws/nuts. That way you can slide the cells out the side of the chassis.

[Kenny T]

I have the HPI upper deck used on the Hara Edition, no problems getting the battery out for me since you take it from the top not the side. :)

[trickedoutGT]

S15Racer: Too bad I have the stock plastic chassis only:(

KennyT: Are you talking about this one?:

http://www.hpiracing.co.jp/parts/w_hb60103_01.jpg

I have the same one. How do you take it out from the top?

[Kenny T]

No, I have the upeer deck and chassis from that car.

http://slidecentral.rs-scooby.com/RCD///images/hot35.jpg

[trickedoutGT]

Oh, thats the Team PRP one.

[Megatron]

That is still one of the best looking Pro 3's I have ever seen...

[Kenny T]

Originally posted by trickedoutGT
Oh, thats the Team PRP one.

Oh, sorry I didn't know that, I just got my Pro3

[<ans>]

Here's my pro 3 with PRP chassis and most of HPIs hop ups. I've had it for about 2 1/2 years but i bought my first digital camera a week ago :P enjoy

[Megatron]

That Pro 3 looks great. Got any bigger pics?


P.S. Nice finger.:D

[RC-ZOMBIES]

Originally posted by Megatron
That is still one of the best looking Pro 3's I have ever seen...


I think mine is still the best..:D :D :D :D :D


BLUE HARA EDITION (http://groups.msn.com/RCZOMBIES/bluepro3haraeditionreplica.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=43)

[Megatron]

Originally posted by RC-ZOMBIES
I think mine is still the best..:D :D :D :D :D


BLUE HARA EDITION (http://groups.msn.com/RCZOMBIES/bluepro3haraeditionreplica.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=43)

The purple one that you sold (to someone that wasn't me:mad: ) is pretty durned hot.

[RC-ZOMBIES]

Originally posted by Megatron
The purple one that you sold (to someone that wasn't me:mad: ) is pretty durned hot.

thanks!... the car was on rails...
I regret to have sold it... :(

[<ans>]

Originally posted by Megatron
That Pro 3 looks great. Got any bigger pics?


P.S. Nice finger.:D
I think thats my big toe :p :D thank u btw

[S15Racer]

Originally posted by Megatron
The purple one that you sold (to someone that wasn't me:mad: ) is pretty durned hot.

Yeah that was my favorite:D

[Megatron]

Finally! After a 2-year hiatus from the hobby, I finally finished my Pro 3! Check it out!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/pc232285529ff553680779eb5c0674200/fb22154a.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/p6e14762b8fb8b614150128a35ee66536/fb220a91.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/pd09205e33e6be4e21e1f19ba051117ba/fb22073f.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/pb1a0cf9cb24f3056e44eab3261d4bb08/fb221a18.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/p8cc1298221d7d9ccd0014ffcdcf96e1a/fb2217c9.jpg

[Vmax911]

Nice, what chassis is that?

[MDawson]

did hpi ever release .5 degree rear blocks?

[Kenny T]

Originally posted by Vmax911
Nice, what chassis is that?
It's a penguin RC, I think

[Megatron]

Originally posted by Vmax911
Nice, what chassis is that?

Yeah, it's the Penguin chassis after a little dremeling.

[RC-ZOMBIES]

Originally posted by MDawson
did hpi ever release .5 degree rear blocks?

nope... the car does not handle well with less than 2 deg rear toe-in.

[S15Racer]

Dude that pro 3s friggen awesome! I really like what you did with the chassis.

bump^:D

[k_bojar]

All that money spent on that chassis and the graphite parts, and you're still using the "kit" rear body posts?? The graphite rear tower gives you a new location to mount bodies - much more stable, if you ask me...I scraped the plastic body post deck and moved the mounts all the way out on the rear shock tower :)

Either way...a nice chassis :D:)

[S15Racer]

I still use the stock body posts on my pro 3 just beause all my bodies are drilled that way...

[Kenny T]

Can anyone tell me who makes the chassis on Spoolin's pro3?

[S15Racer]

could you post a pic, or tell us which page of the drift thread to look on:D

[Kenny T]

The chassis in the pic on the 4th post on this page.

[agricus]

I just got my hand on a used Pro 3

and I want to know if there is any parts avalible to add a 2 speed tranny on it?

[RC-ZOMBIES]

Originally posted by agricus
I just got my hand on a used Pro 3

and I want to know if there is any parts avalible to add a 2 speed tranny on it?


no 2 speed is avialable for the car... and no the Pro2 2 speed tranny will not fit...

[k_bojar]

Originally posted by agricus
I just got my hand on a used Pro 3

and I want to know if there is any parts avalible to add a 2 speed tranny on it?

The design of this car prohibits the addition of anything like that...This was designed to be a "high-end" race machine, not really a "basher" vehicle

[agricus]

yeah...i guess "high-end" is what I want when i get this car. Another thing is the rear outdrive is kinda weak. Do you guys do anything to make it stronger?

[RC-ZOMBIES]

Originally posted by agricus
yeah...i guess "high-end" is what I want when i get this car. Another thing is the rear outdrive is kinda weak. Do you guys do anything to make it stronger?

If you're looking for stronger outdrive diffs... look into getting the HotBodies outdrives. Tower might have them if not you will have to order them overseas...in Japan or HK.

[Kenny T]

That's exactly what I did with the outdrives, I bought the HotBodies Delrin Diff hubs from www.super-rc.co.jp in Japan along with my Brushless and XS3 which will also be put into my pro3.

[agricus]

Got a another question about the CVDs

I have the stock silver one which is kinda short. I read through the board the MIP's CVD is 3mm longer is this correct?

if so I can just get by with buying the CVD Bone (http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAFM8&P=7)

or do i actually need the whole set (http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAEE9&P=7)

Thanx

[RC-ZOMBIES]

Originally posted by agricus
Got a another question about the CVDs

I have the stock silver one which is kinda short. I read through the board the MIP's CVD is 3mm longer is this correct?

if so I can just get by with buying the CVD Bone (http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAFM8&P=7)

or do i actually need the whole set (http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAEE9&P=7)

Thanx

the stock CVD's are MIPS...
the part that is 3mm longer is the optional delrin outdrives made by HotBodies or OVA... and both only available overseas.

[Megatron]

Originally posted by S15Racer
Dude that pro 3s friggen awesome! I really like what you did with the chassis.

bump^:D

Thanks.:D

[Kenny T]

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.rcworld.ch/archiv.asp&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhpi%2Bpro4%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DU TF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG

Very intersting pro3 but I thought the whole idea of the pro3 was to have a centrally mounted battery pack. Interesting none the less.

[Kenny T]

Damn, the link doesn't work properly but go down to Pro3 dragon.

[S15Racer]

Originally posted by Kenny T
Very intersting pro3 but I thought the whole idea of the pro3 was to have a centrally mounted battery pack. Interesting none the less.

Yeah, the central battery pack location was a really good I dea, but they had to make way to many concessions to make it work properly. The unique blet drive for instance, it seems to work fine on paper, but in reality its a bit inconvieniant. The front belt, on mine anyway, is always dragging against the batt, and my reciever. And having the batts in the middle makes exchanging them a bit tricky with an upperdeck in place. If they couldve worked those problems out, It probably would have sold and performed a lot better.

[Kenny T]

Battery doesn't rub against the belt since it's velcroed in place with a battery strap on it and belt doesn't rub agains the electronics because of the large amount of space on the TeamPRP chassis. Changing the battery is no problem either because I have the Team PRP upperdeck on both my Pro3s. :)

I'd rather stick to my Pro3 than buy a Pro4. :)

[S15Racer]

Well, I have this belt rubbing problem because my belt likes to wobble side to side, my batts stay in place just fine and theres plenty of space for the electronics, its just that the belt swings out and hits stuff:rolleyes: And I keep shattering my left front outdrive! Thats the only one that ever breaks, and yes I do have the retainer ring on it. I've had to buy, I think six of those parts trees, just for that one outdrive, its freakin crazy:rolleyes:

[Kenny T]

A front one way will fix the outdrive problem, and tighten the belt tensioner to stop the belt swinging out.

[S15Racer]

Btoh have been considered, I've tried tightening the tensioner, but it still rubs. And I dont really want a front one way, I'm pretty happy with just the one way pully. Oh well, I can just use the pro 3 for stock racing after I get my pro 4, that way its wont be getting abused as much. I'd race mod with the pro 4, since its driveline will probably be more durable;)

[Kenny T]

Get a delrin diff hub then, want one? I'll get you one from Japan. About the belt, can't you just twist around the axle cam in the front to tighten it more.

One thing, don't put your fingers in the battery slots, I had my hara ed resting on my arm with 2 fingers in the first battery cutout and it swung off my arm and almost broke a finger, IT'S SHARP, and it hurts a LOT. I can still feel it now 8 hours later.

I don't like the Pro4 but it lloks too good to go past.

[S15Racer]

hmmm, how much for the delrin diff hub... could you post a link or a pic? Oh and theres no axle cams in the front, only in the rear. Thats why it has the standard tensioner on the front belt.

I'll remember not to put my fingers through the battery slots:D

[agricus]

I know the kit says 190mm body

has anyone try putting a 200mm body?

[Kenny T]

The 200mm body will look a bit odd without spacers between the wheel and the hex. Put maybe 3mm or 4mm on each side and it should look fine. :)

S15, I was probably thinking of my OB4 when I said about the axle cams in the front. I've never taken the either of my pro3's apart because I haven't got a hex driver :o.

Here ya go, link (http://www.jethobby.com/hotbodies/Hotbodies.html). Using this (http://www.xe.net/pca). It will cost you $US30 + shipping from that site or from me about $US26.1471 + shipping, You'll have to wait a while until I go to Japan and back.

Finger still hurts after more than a day. :( :D

[S15Racer]

Thanks for the offer, next time I break one I'll have to take you up on it:D Unfortunatly I have a limited budget (what else is new:rolleyes: ) at the moment, and I've got other things that are higher up on my fix it list:(

[Kenny T]

You're in the same situation as me. Gotta fix my bike, off goes the money and then RC. Bike's almost done. I rode to the not so local hobby shop (7 mile away) to find that they didn't have any of the parts that I needed to get any of my RC's working again. Ended up going back today and getting some deans plugs for the Novak SS5800 BL. :D

About the diff hub, I'm going to Japan probably sometimes in the next month so give me a decision by then or buy it from the other place.

[S15Racer]

I dont think I'll need it within the next month. So I guess the answer is no. Maybe sometime down the road though. thanks anyway:)

[Kenny T]

No probs mate.

I managed to install the brushless system today took me 2.5 hours. THe motor was too long to fit. In the end I got it to fit without any modifications. :D

I'm dieing to try it out. :)

[microrcdude]

Deans plugs are my best friend!! KennyT, what kinda bike you got??

[Kenny T]

microrcdude, The bike that I snapped the chain on was my yr 2000 Redline Double X, awesome bike IMO, very strong frame, just a tad on the heavy side. My other bike (the one which I ride to the hobby shop) is a old Huffy Superia, very reliable for a huffy.

BTW my sn has a space inbetween Kenny and T. ;)

Brushless Pro3 rules. :D Very long runtime and nice performance.

[S15Racer]

how fast?

:D

[Kenny T]

35-40mph I thinks but that's geared 7.5, for touring cars it should be geared 7.3. Should go faster. :D I so want to get a pan car and put it in that, 60mph easy. :D

[microrcdude]

I gotta 2002 Haro TR2.1. It is awsome!!

[Kenny T]

My friend has a 2001 or 2002 TR2.2, decent bike but I still think my bike is better. Another friend just bought a 2003 Haro Mirra 540 air or something along those lines. Has paint chips and dents before he even bought the bike but it's still a good bike.

I prefer my bike. :D

[microrcdude]

What are the pros and cons of a stiff upper deck???

[S15Racer]

And after weeks of inactivity in this thread, here we go...:D

Pros: less chassis flex (duh) more consistent handling, more responsive to suspension tuning, quicker responses to steering inputs.

Cons: if your a sucky tuner, your going to pay for it (since the stiffened chassis wont absorb tuning mistakes) Less traction on marginal track surfaces, in the pro 3's case, most upperdecks make battery access less convieniant.

Thats all I can think of, Im sure Im missing something.

[microrcdude]

what springs should i use for an ozite track that requires a lot of acceleration?

[nomac]

try #6837 green (progressive) up front. and use#51063 red (proceed rear) in back. that should help. or tc3 yellow fronts and tc3 purple rears. (if sprung too stiff....just drop one rate front & rear)

[nomac]

your chassis IS stiffer than stock right?:rolleyes:

[microrcdude]

Originally posted by nomac
your chassis IS stiffer than stock right?:rolleyes:
nope.

[Kenny T]

Get a Team PRP chassis or Penguin chassis if you can or any carbon fibre/woven graphite chassis will do along with a Team PRP upperdeck.

[agricus]

I broke my front out drive because the front CVD is kinda short and keep hitting the edge of the metal out drive of the front one-way.

I was upset becuase the front one-way is not cheap.

Anyway i started to do some searching on longer CVD's

I found that MIP CVDs for RS4 Mini worked.

Not totally though only the bone work I have to use old axle.

The bone for the front is about 35mm and the rear is 33mm

You can possibly buy two rear RS4 Mini CVD for the front and rear of the Pro 3.


:)

[Kenny T]

Can you just buy the bone, not the whole cvd?

[agricus]

well...at towerhobbies i only saw the whole set....

[GTIRACER]

Wow this is a long thread, years old. Its 2k4 and the Pro4 is out now but i just bought a pro3 from ebay. I got it mainly because i liked the idea of the design..For those of you that have been around for a while, HPI made a similar chassis for the Tamiya TL02 years ago before the 1st RS4. Ive been away from the whole RC scene since the beginning of the Pro 2. I still have a couple of pro 1's in the closet.
So anyway I felt like messing around with the sport again since my friends have gotten into it.
Ive always been a fan of hpi cars and I do see the bad feed back of this car. Im getting the woven molded CF chassis and Team PRP upper deck and leave it at that.Maybe a couple of pieces of eye candy here and there.
Ill be runing in the stock classes so im hoping the car will be competive there. Although i have seen since the car is discontinued it hard to find parts for it. See you at the track:D

[nomac]

welcome back GT! the pro 3 is a good car but it needs lots of prep/tinker-tyme. the mods you listed will help. i would also add the fully alloy motor mount too. (anything to reduce flex). i ran this car at the 2003 roar on-road nats and it was fast! but getting parts (on time) hurt me.

but don't get discouraged...i bought a losi last november and i wish i still had my pro3.:D but all that's gonna change as soon as i get my pro4.:cool:

[Kenny T]

Pro3's are very nice once you've got the necessary mods. Get a aluminium (or aluminum) rear brace for the car as well and Delrin Diff outdrives(if you ever find them). ;)

[GTIRACER]

The question is where do you find the out drives? I know Ultimate Hobbies can get anything from Japan but the are a 2 hr drive from here. Anyone know of any web site that might still Pro 3 parts.As they are getting scarce..It almost seems like it easier to get Pro 2 parts:confused:

[Kenny T]

www.jethobby.com had them the last time I checked (long time ago 2/3 months maybe.)

[newname23]

Ok, I can't find the PRO 3 on HobbyPeople or TowerHobbies.... Is it still out?.. or is it gone from the stores.

[Kenny T]

Pro3's went off shelves a loong time ago. Your best bet might be a Hara edition from Hong Kong or second hand on either here or ebay. mtx3kid is selling one I think.

[C0NTENDER]

Sorry for the splatter guys, here is a statement from HPI Staff on their website.

Thanks for the question. We've been doing the standard HPI Challenge series for several years now and everyone's had a great time. In order to keep getting the race coverage in the magazines we need the series to evolve to keep up with the hot trends in the industry. So this year we will shift our focus a little to emphasize the Savage trucks.

We're planning two Savage Slam events that will be fun events like the one we did last year... racing, Savage Bowling, concours, long jump contests, barbeque, prizes etc. The idea is to get together for a fun truckin' event with friends and family. We're shooting for one event on the west coast and one event on the east coast, both in the Summer so that the whole family can attend.

For the HPI Challenge, we're planning one event with the format basically the same as in previous years (nitro and electric sedans), with selected winners getting a free trip to the HPI Challenge World Finals in Europe. The race will probably be in the Summer, somewhere in the middle of America.

If your not happy about this, please go to
HPI Challange (http://www.rctech.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34825)
If you wish to make you opinion known.

[PIMPN UPN NYC]

holy crap:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: how can you use 80wt oil i race at one of the biggest carpet tracks in the world i use 20 all around

[marvin-pro3]

hi al,
i just bought a second hand pro 3 with the follow options:
-under and upper carbon hpi deck
-hpi purple motormount
-all plastics from graphite
-1 bag full of graphite and stock parts
but i would now install some purple alu and some more carbon fibre and a transponder holder (i drive the pro 3 only on circuit)

but...i cant find any internet shop who sells one of these marks :( , can somebody help my whit a internet shop who sells some pro3 hop ups to holland?:

Hot Bodies, Cross, Jet, Square(or something like that )Penguin, PRP andTheres more, I know

greetz marvin

[Kenny T]

www.jethobby.com should still have some hop ups for the Pro3.

After a quick check http://shopping.rcmodel.com.hk/ also has some Pro3 hop ups.

I don't know if they ship to Holland though but good luck and Welcome to the board.

[preludervtec]

Mayn, this thread has been dead for 4 days!!! I guess I should get it going again. anyways i have a question about proper pinion/spur gear for motors. i know this has been covered countless times but i just want to make sure. i am currently using the stock 35t pinion and 116t spur. i burned out a 12 turn motor earlier that i got from a friend but the motor was like 4 years old. However it was running just fine before i started using it. i thought that maybe it was because it overheated or something to that extent due to improper gear ratios. the transmission ratio for the pro 3 is 2.25. so i had a 7.45 (116/35 * 2.25) internal drive ratio? I heard that you want your internal drive ratio to be around 6.8-7.2. Was i overgearing?

so i ordered a 20t pinion thinking it was going to help. i havent installed it yet tho because i thought id get a new spur gear also. But to get a internal drive ratio of about 7 with a 20t pinion i would need to get a spur gear that is 63t. i wasn't able to find one with a 64pitch.

so now im thinking that i should just use the stock 35t pinion and use a 109t spur, which gives me an internal ratio of 7. does that sound right??

sorry for the long post but yeah any helpful hints or tips would be great. Oh yeah right now im using a 14turn modified motor but i plan on getting either a 12 turn modified or a stock 27 turn. When tuning my ratios id like to have better acceleration/torque than top speed if that helps

thanks all

[Kenny T]

I think running a 12 turn with stock gearing isn't too good, overgeared IMO. I would go down to 32 tooth and see how it goes but for acceleration/torque(you mean drifting don't ya?) I'd go for 30 tooth to get enough torque to drift on rubber. This is if you were using the stock spur. 35/109 sounds good.

I don't know a lot about gearing but I'd say you overgeared that motor.

Have I seen you on RCdrift or somewhere before? Do you have a RS4 3RTR Evo?

[Kenny T]

Welcome to RCZ BTW.

[preludervtec]

hey thanks for the welcome. i am on rcdrift but i dont have a RTR and i haven't posted my body yet because im just using a beater body for the moment. i'll post up a picture when i get one over the summer. plus rcdrift is now combined with rcdrifter. it kinda sucks now. rcdrift was so much better.

ok so u would say try maybe 30-32 pinion w/ stock spur for a 12 turn motor.

OR

i could do my 35/109 ratio and call it a good day.

[Kenny T]

Wait, after some thinking don't use the 35/109, I'd use that on a stock motor on a large sweeping track.

Try 31t with the 116t spur for the 12 turn. This should give you good acceleration.

[Ct_boT]

Hi,

I bought a second hand Pro3 from my LHS and i've been driving it for a couple of weeks now and i love it! Well actually i've been drifting it instead and its alot of fun, especially when u have a couple of buddies drifting with u!

I have one question, how do i change the ride height on the Pro3 ? Because i keep getting high centered from tiny little rocks that are on the roads and its driving me nuts!

Ct

[DrDiff]

I am thinking of selling my Pro3. I know that there have been a couple of you guys that have bought them used. How much did you have to pay for them? I want to set a realistic price so that it will actually sell, but will also provide me with $$$ towards my next car.

[DrDiff]

I have one question, how do i change the ride height on the Pro3 ? Because i keep getting high centered from tiny little rocks that are on the roads and its driving me nuts!

You change ride height just as you would on any R/C car. Change the position of the spring spacers. Simply screw it down lower on the shock body and this will increase ride height.

[DrDiff]

it is for sale... Click here (http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1490532#post1490532).

[Vmax911]

Hi,

I have one question, how do i change the ride height on the Pro3 ? Because i keep getting high centered from tiny little rocks that are on the roads and its driving me nuts!

Ct

Find some Hot Bodies carbon fiber shock towers. Use the stock shock, any your car will be plenty high! :)

[t3racerx]

hey, I'm looking for a decent starting point for carpet. fairly small technical track for foam tires. any help would be great!!!!

[Salica]

I originally got into rc cars because of a friend. Now im the one trying to get him into it. Anyways after driving my TL01 for about two years i decided i needed a better car. I had saved up about 160 for a kit. I went shopping and i saw a pro2 i was so ready to purchase this car. A firend told me he knew a guy who owned a hobby shop and maybe he could give me a good price. When we finally got there i realized all the shop sold was gas cars and trucks. I was pretty angry but my friend then asked the owner "Do you sell any electric rc's?" He said no. but then he said hold on. He went to the back and pulled out a HPI RS4 PRO3. He said, "My friend put this car together for me he wanted me to race with him." He then told me he would sell it to me for 125. I was skeptical but purchased it anyway. I didnt realize it at the time but i got such a bargain. The car had:

the motor heat sink,
titanium turnbuckle set,
aluminum shock set,
stiffer springs,
and lastly the front one way differential,


I love my car. I took me almost a year, on and off, but i finally have the car running just how i like it. Oh yeah HPI rules, PRO3 rules! I am so much faster than all those associateds and losi, Hahahaha. :D

[Kenny T]

I love mine, I just wish I could find a spare chassis for it so I don't have to worry about wrecking my current one.

I've been meaning to race mine but I still haven't got around to doing it.

[TEM]

I love mine, I just wish I could find a spare chassis for it so I don't have to worry about wrecking my current one.

I've been meaning to race mine but I still haven't got around to doing it.


I've got a PRO3 assembled that has HB CF upper deck, full sway bar sets front and rear and a center one-way(nib not installed), box, manual, etc, etc. It was put together and ran for 1 pack on carpet to test it. 99.99% new. Make me an offer, anyone.....

[Salica]

I have been meaning to race mine too. :( I just dont know where to race around here. If you just need a chassis why not buy it off of the hpi website. If not tower has it and is actually cheaper. You can also post a wanted ad in the wanted forum. good luck finding one.

[littlebuddha]

i recently got a pro 3 with hpi upper and lower graphite chassis and front one way. its great, very fast but still feels a bit heavy. i also got an extra stock chassis, i'm been thinking of converting it back to stock but maybe with the graphite top. what do you guys think? is there any difference? i dont really want to ruin the graphite chassis on the rough roads. thanks.

[Salica]

I think alot of people hate the fact the car flex's. The graphite chassis makes the car stiffer. But if you are driving on the street a little flex might be good. If you are worried about the chassis getting scratched up why not buy some laminating sheets and put it on the bottom of the car. I haven't done so myself because i have
http://www.rccaraction.com/rc/stories/listhotnews.asp#345

i am not sure if the link is working?? :mad:

http://www.rccaraction.com/rc/images/stories/lg_chassisprotector.jpg

[Kenny T]

Top link doesn't work but the bottom one is good. I wanted some of that stuff and my lhs had some but when I went back to get some, it wasn't there. Currently, I't covered ith duct tape. :D

I like my PRP chassis. I had a chassis similar to this (http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDBF3&P=7) but I didn't like it so it went. There's not enough room on the chassis.

littlebuddha, invest in some carbon graphite parts like the bulkheads. Should lighten the car up a little.

Flex is not good for racing situations. It is good for getting grip when you're car is not set up. People don't like the flex because it's not supposed to be there since the Pro series cars are supposed to compete with the other top end cars. My car has been spec'ed to almost Hara Edition. All it needs is the power to get it to the top. I can't afford that stuff. :(

[Salica]

Do you know someone who is selling that main chassis. http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDBF3&P=7

I want to buy it but it seems so expensive. I am thinking there is a shop that has one and wants to get rid of it. Can anybody suggest gearing for the pro3, i want my car torquier?

[Kenny T]

Nah mate, can't help you there.

Drop a few teeth on the pinion to get your car torquier.

[Salica]

What main chassis do you use? Do you know if penguin or team prp have a chassis? if so can you tell me the website. thanks

[littlebuddha]

kenny t and salica, thanks for the info. ya the pro 3 is probably the best looking touring car in my opinion. i have the HPI carbon chassis and upper deck. i took out the one way for diffs in the front, its much more controlable now. the only problem is that the whole front end skids on the ground when i brake, i put up stiffer springs, but i only have one pair so the rear springs are lighter after i swapped them over. but i was thinking of laying the shoks down a little more, but that wold probably decrease the front ride height even more. i'll experiment when i get the time, but i'm liking my pro 3.


as for the stock chassis, the problem with tub chassis as with my tamiya ta03f is that its a wastebin for small pebbles and rocks, which become caught on the chassis, with the pro 3's open drivetrain this may be more of an issue. with eh carbon chassis they dont get much chance to stick around and get caught in the gears- so i guess i'm stiking with the graphite for now, but i'll change it back to stock form to see how much of a differnece it makes.

Top link doesn't work but the bottom one is good. I wanted some of that stuff and my lhs had some but when I went back to get some, it wasn't there. Currently, I't covered ith duct tape. :D

I like my PRP chassis. I had a chassis similar to this (http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDBF3&P=7) but I didn't like it so it went. There's not enough room on the chassis.

littlebuddha, invest in some carbon graphite parts like the bulkheads. Should lighten the car up a little.

Flex is not good for racing situations. It is good for getting grip when you're car is not set up. People don't like the flex because it's not supposed to be there since the Pro series cars are supposed to compete with the other top end cars. My car has been spec'ed to almost Hara Edition. All it needs is the power to get it to the top. I can't afford that stuff. :(

[Salica]

You know I bought the car with the front one way. At first I did not know how to use it but then i read up on it. Reading up on it didnt help my driving. I could not control the car. After a year(on and off) i started getting the hang of it. I was so close to buying the stock front diff but something magical happened i set the car up perfectly and i now can drive the car smoothly. Also the front one way seems to give an edge on straights too. Lovin the car and i plan to start racing. :D

Be careful about the pebles i got one stuck near the spur gear and i thought i was going to have reset the car but everything worked out.(Stock chassis) :eek:

I am still planning on buying the graphite chassis i just dont want to pay 58.00. :(

"i'll experiment when i get the time, but i'm liking my pro 3."

keep us posted on your findings.

[Kenny T]

http://www.teamprpracing.com/pro3.html There's PRP's Pro3 page. The chassis I use is the one on the bottom of the page, I have the servo protector as well.

littlebuddha, what does laying or standing up the shocks do for the car other than alter the ride height. (Get some CF towers and it won't change your ride height.)

You have TA03F? I love TA03F's. Wanna sell yours?

One way diff is hard to get used to but whe you have a car like the Pro3 you don't want to take it apart just to replace the diff.

I love the layout and design of the Pro3. I hate all the new cars with battery on one side, electronics on the other. Looks to unbalanced to me and some of them are. The only car I considered getting after the Pro3 was a TA03F (for drift) or a TA04. Now I'm considering getting the JRX-S to race with after I retire the Pro3 back to getting sideways. Similar design but different but the centred battery is enough to win me over. :D

[littlebuddha]

Nop, i love the ta03f, i almost bought a dave jun edition, but i like the simple playful classic tamiya plastic stuff, plus the Pennzoil Nismo body looks amazing (its the special edition one with black parts, bearings, type A tires etc. I'm probably upgrade to a faster motor though, got a 21t fireball or a 27t trinity monster stock motor. which one is faster? think the 21t fireball has higher rpms and should suit the the play mission just fine, plus i dont want to damage the body- i also dont have a front bumper lol.

Ya i'll be experimenting with teh pro 3. anyone have a extra battery strap lying around from a parts tree somewhere, i use stick pack and have it on the chassis using servo tape, which has worked well so far, but i'd like

the problem with most of the desigsn i have seen is that they dont properly utilize the seering posts to anchor the top brace, so there is still a little flex. i only have 2 screws holding it to the front bulkhead. if i could have some plastic/aluminum peices to bring the steeing posts up level with the top plate, there are screw holes where i could properly crank it down.

If HPI had spent some good R.D time with the pro 3, it would have been awesome, maybe someone can come up with a chassis like the JRX-S, where you can remove the batts from the bottom.

THanks for the comment guys, its good to see that a forum for the PRO 3 is still alive, i would have though i was the only one with the car, as most racers didnt seem to like it.

[Salica]

Hey guys I have a doubt. Should my steering be able to move easily or should it be stiff? Apparently i have been really working my servo hard. is that good? the screw (page 13 on the manual step 14 http://hpiracing.com/index2.htm ) should it be tight or lose?I can make my suspension really soft is that good?

[Salica]

Hey guys I have a doubt. Should my steering be able to move easily or should it be stiff? Apparently i have been really working my servo hard. is that good? the screw (page 13 on the manual step 14 http://hpiracing.com/index2.htm ) should it be tight or lose?I can make my suspension really soft is that good?

oops i meant steering really soft.

[microrcdude]

The looser the better. It takes alot of stress off your servo.

[Salica]

it seems that the screw is supposed to be tight. even when i tighten a little bit it makes such a difference. I am not sure I am about to go try the car both ways and see what is better. I notice, when it is loose the is alot of play in the steering. OH well be back. :o



http://hpiracing.com/index2.htm

under instructions, pro3, page 13

[Salica]

Aahhh. finally I understand. If i leave the screw loose it will make my tires shake on a turn so it is better a little tight. I have just figured out that putting the servo up makes the chassis flex super crazy. wow I went back to my original set up. :)
thanks for the help micro

[Kenny T]

21turn should be good for just bashing around.

You don't want to anchor anything down to the steering posts. I tightened up the top and bottom steering screws and my steering ceased up. I loosened them all of, steering worked fine until the screws undid themselves and fell out. So now I have them loose but threadlocked and a piece of duct tape spanning the length of the chassis to hold the screws in(as well as protect the chassis).

The other day at the drift meet, the right hand side bottom screw tightened itself down and I lost steering to one side because the servo couldn't push/pull it to that side.

Any solutions to this problem?

Also, today I was looking through the yellow pages and I found a place that offers carbon fibre(I know it's readily available on the internet but I 'm looking for a local place). If I can get some CF cheap enough I might do a cut of my PRP chassis and if that goes well I might be able to get a copy of the upper deck as well if anyone wants one. :) This is only a low chance though and only if it's cheap enough.

Another thing, my friend brought home some plastic for me so I might cut out a underside battery exiting Pro3 chassis. :D

[Salica]

Hey if the carbon fiber main chassis works let me know. Does the shop mold it into shape for you? I was going to try to make an upperdeck but out of plastic since i cant afford carbon fiber. :( I just need to save for carbon fiber. hahaha good luck I want to see what you come up with. :cool:

[Salica]

I went to the track today it was awesome. Most people have Rs4 pro4's. I was original and had the pro3. Well it was fun although it took me the whole day to set up my car. It sucked because everyone was running 19t and i was the only stock oh well. I need to keep practicing my driving was okay but it was not great. And i want it to be great....

any help on how to be better?

http://www.hpiracing.com/?page=http%3A//www.hpiracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc%3FScreen%3DPROD%26Product_Code%3DA383 %26Category_Code%3D

[Kenny T]

I'm not going to mold it, it costs too much. I'm just going to get them to cut a copy of the chassis I have (PRP chassis). It's a flat chassis so I don't have to worry about the edges being molded up when they fab it, just cut and drill it.

I'd love to hack around a track with a non set up car, it makes it more fun.

Learn to control yor car. Learn to drift on rubber tires, (if you've got race set up, don't bother changing it and get some cheap electrical tape, wrap it around each tire good.) Once you can fluently whip the back out and control it for about 20 feet and exit it start trying to whip the back end while approaching a wall but steer the car (while it's sideways) away from the wall. Once you can do that fine, you should be a pretty good driver in term of controlling the car and maximising it through the corners. This will take a long time to learn.


The only other thing I can recommend is learn the racing lines of your track. Try following the guy in front of you, you should be able to stay pretty close behind him until you get on the straight.

[Salica]

Thanks for the help today is going to be my first race. I am excited I have decided to put my slicks back on because most people have slicks there and it is a high bite track.

[Kenny T]

Good Luck.

How d'ya go?

[Salica]

the never ending task that one must finish before they can enjoy their life. I didnt get to go because my car broke down and i had to drive 100 miles to get the parts by the time i got home racing had started. oh well next time for now i am going to keep practicing so when race day comes i can be ready. Anyways I need a set of batteries and a new charger because what i have is just not racing material. making the car super stiff good or bad? overall?

[Salica]

my daily driver car not RC car.

[Salica]

I have been trying to set my car up with camber. The problem is that i cannot get the alignment straight. any help with a technique on getting the wheels straight when changing the settings. :confused:

[Kenny T]

Car problems always happen at a bad time. Oh, well, you can't do anything about it so you gotta live with it. My friend's Nissan's clutch stopped grabbing this morning so he had to push the car off and walk home. Now the car needs a new clutch and we can't do it ourselves since it's a FWD.

Get a RPM camber gauge from tower for $8 plus shipping, or you could take the links off and measure each of them to make sure they're the same length using calipers.

[Salica]

What is the best car body for the pro3? I like having downforce on the front tires. I really like the lotus elise. What do you guys think?

[LWRDTRSH]

For a long time the stratus was the best body for balanced downforce, but Im not sure now whats the best now.

[microrcdude]

Right now the stratus 3.0, the mazda 6, Acura TSX, alfa romeo, and the croud pleazer are real hot choices. you really cant go wrong with any of them.

[Ct_boT]

Right now the stratus 3.0, the mazda 6, Acura TSX, alfa romeo, and the croud pleazer are real hot choices. you really cant go wrong with any of them.

Did u mean the "Acura RSX" not the "Acura TSX" I dont think that body is out yet.

[LWRDTRSH]

Can you believe it?

I can't believe it. Who has seen the new Team Losi car. Dual belt, battery and motor are in the center. HA, I new the Pro 3 was ahead of it's time. Take that all those people who douted it!!!!!!! The Pro 3 RULES!!!!!!!!!

[Salica]

I guess you where right good thing our cars are ready to race we will definitely beat the losi cars.

[LWRDTRSH]

Did anyone get the HB shock set?

I was wondering if they are any better.

[microrcdude]

Id stick with HPI shocks. the Hot bodies shocks are ceap upgrades for the plastic bodied shocks on the nitro cars.

[bionictony]

just wondering if anyone has a team prp upper deck to sell?

[Salica]

If someone does and they have two i also want one. What is the best way to carry seven cells on the pro 3? I just got a heck of a deal on 3300. they are really good too.

[Salica]

Hey bionictony. I am from CSULB nice to know ther are still pro3 drivers aroound here.

[microrcdude]

put the last cell somewhere else on the chassis, or mount it on the upperdeck

[bionictony]

i emailed team prp and they said it would be cheaper to get more people to buy it but he will get back to me on the cost of one only. he could only do graphite only and no hardware because there's no more.

also i remember reading taking the hot bodies graphite upper plate, splitting it in half, flipping it over so there's battery space. anyone ever seen or heard it?

[Salica]

would it be cheaper if you got two. I would like to get a graphite main chassis. get back to me on the cost. i might want to purchase one also.

[bionictony]

well i got an email back and he said $60 if he made just one. and he said it would cost 35 if he made 10

[microrcdude]

If i were you, buy 25, then sell off all the others. Instant profit.

[Salica]

I dont know about buying 10? 60 is just the same price for the HPI one. Which is better. I have never seen the team prp chassis if some one has a link or picture i would like to see it.

[LWRDTRSH]

I think there is one on a car on page 16. The car with orange tires.

[Salica]

Hey guys i just purchased some new 3300's. How do i solder them together, i am having trouble(not with the way to set them up but putting them together). Will chemoloy work or do i need different solder. Help!!!

using:
chemoloy
flux
30 watt soldering pencil
and trinity copper wattbars

[bionictony]

if u have the stock chassis u shouldn't glue the cells together. lay them in the chassis first because u will see about 1mm gaps between each. my advice is to just not glue them together.

just score the battery ends with a hobby knife and dont let to get hot for too long.

[LWRDTRSH]

does anyone remember the issue where they had a "under the hood" of someones pro 3

[Radio Acer]

Hey everyone, I picked up a Pro 3 off e-bay a while back. Well I finally got around to running it, and this thing is awesome. But it didn't seem fast enough considering there was a 13T motor installed. I'm thinking it's the gearing. What's a good gear ratio for this car with a 13T motor? I was looking at the manual and it did list ratios for 48 pitch spurs and pinions, so i'm wondering...is it possible to use 48 pitch pinions and spur gears with this car? (All my other cars use 48 pitch stuff so it would be a lot more convenient)
Thanx a bunch

[LWRDTRSH]

I ran a 13T and use 27/84 or 26/84 with 24 degrees timing.

[^j!nx^]

does the pro3 have the optional tamiya body mount that the original Pro had? I love tamiya bodys, but hate that they are pre drilled.

[Manny]

does the pro3 have the optional tamiya body mount that the original Pro had? I love tamiya bodys, but hate that they are pre drilled.


The front body mounts are only on the front bumper, so you'll have to re-drill those holes. Having the mounts on the bumper gives you better support for the front of the car.

[bionictony]

has anyone tried hpi drift tires and wheels with the pro 3?

[df78]

just got myself a pro 3. well condition is not too bad. where can i get spares for this? can a pro 4 be used together too?

Thanks.

PS. the battery holder seems a little broken. :(

[Manny]

just got myself a pro 3. well condition is not too bad. where can i get spares for this? can a pro 4 be used together too?

Thanks.

PS. the battery holder seems a little broken. :(


You can still get parts at Tower and also Ebay...since the car is out of production you might have trouble getting certain ones. AFAIK pro 4 parts are drastically different from the Pro 3 except for things like wheels & tires, shocks,...etc.

[df78]

You can still get parts at Tower and also Ebay...since the car is out of production you might have trouble getting certain ones. AFAIK pro 4 parts are drastically different from the Pro 3 except for things like wheels & tires, shocks,...etc.

by the way, for a futaba 2pl controller, will it work with a normal esc?

http://www.futaba-rc.com/radios/futk01.html
http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=45029

I am looking @ the above.

Thanks.

[Kenny T]

has anyone tried hpi drift tires and wheels with the pro 3?

It's funny you ask that on the day I tried it. Borrowed my mate's Stage D stuff and the car handled alright but didn't drift at all. That could be because battery was running out and the surface was rough. On a smooth surface and a good pack I should be able to slide it but on that rough surface it was useless.

df78, I think you can get most parts from HPI directly through BuyHPI.

Get this (http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGNG5&P=0) ESC. It's a bit cheaper and a lot better. Will take a motor down to 15 turns.

I like the 2PL, I would get one if I didn't have a XR3i already. It'll work fine with the above, the ESC you listed or any other ESC.

[df78]

hi Kenny, my hpi pro 3 comes with a tuned silver can motor, will that work with the tamiya esc i mentioned above?

by 15 turns, will it be better?

sorry, i am just starting out :)

[Kenny T]

Yeah, the tamiya ESC will work with the Silver can motor but I suggest you upgrade it as they are in kits just to mkae the car move, you'll bore of it quickly. Get a Trinity P2K2, Reedy MVP or Orion core stock and if you're up for more speed you can run up to a 15 turn motor(with the Novak ESC). If I were you, I'd buy the Novak Dually ESC for $88 from tower as you won't have to upgrade them ever(unless you want to go brushless) and Novak's customer service is great, not that I've had to send a product back.

By 15 turns, the motor will be faster. :) Lower turn motors are faster but use up the battery quicker. :(

Don't worry about the questions, I'm more happy to answer them to get a fellow RC'er up and running. :)

[df78]

yo kenny,

thanks for the advice. as for the hops, what are the important ones i should start with first?

thanks. :D

[df78]

btw, what's the sponge like thing in front of the car? mine seems a little damaged. was wondering, can i use a pro4 one on it? or any other cars?

will brands like tamiya, offers spares that can work with pro3?

thanks.

[Troy Lyman]

You mean the foam bumper or a foam bumper spacer that is attached to the front edge of the foam bumper? IRC, any foam bumper can work so long as it is for a touring car but you may have to trim them somewhat. All the bumper does is protect the chassis (and front of the body) from crash damage.

Was reading through this forum and wondering if there are still a lot of Pro 3 owners out there. I still have my Pro 3 (Geeze...just thought about it and I've had a version of every HPI sedan made...) and had been tossing around the idea of selling it. Looks like the only thing missing is a good chassis update from it. Hmm.

Where are most of your running your Pro 3s? Carpet, asphault, parking lot, et all?

[df78]

not in running condition yet but will probably be parking lot :)

[Kenny T]

My Pro3 gets run every week at a parking lot. Guys look at it and go "WHAT'S THAT!" but mine is very modded. I want to race it one day.

Troy, post a pic of it and show us what it's got.

df78, the first mod I would do to it is to find a aftermarket carbon fibre/woven graphite chassis and a Team PRP upperdeck. Then upgrade the shocks and get a front one way if you like.

[df78]

hi kenny, what do u think of tamiya ta-04?

is it a good car, compare with pro 3?

Thanks.

[LWRDTRSH]

well nothing compares with the pro 3. lol

man am i glad to see people are posting here again. i thought i was the last pro 3 owner here.

[Kenny T]

well nothing compares with the pro 3. lol

man am i glad to see people are posting here again. i thought i was the last pro 3 owner here.

Yeah, in my opinion a better Pro3 from HPI that was properly developed would have nothing to compare to. I love my Pro3, I wish I could still buy brand new Spec-V's or Haras. :(

I'll never stop running my Pro3 unless it's damaged beyond repair. :eek:


df78, I was going to get a TA04 but I just think my Pro3 is better. If you are going to get a TA04, get at least a TA04R. I would have one if I didn't have the Pro3.

[df78]

guys, i will keep to my pro 3 for now. :D

just bought an esc, servo and batteries. can't wait to try this guy out soon :D

Cheers.

PS. I still need help so pls bear with me dudes :D

[LWRDTRSH]

always here for ya with setup or building tips. Ive raced the pro 3 since it came out anything you need to know feel free to ask.

[df78]

always here for ya with setup or building tips. Ive raced the pro 3 since it came out anything you need to know feel free to ask.

:D :) ;)

[bionictony]

where could i get carbon graphite molded a arms and the carbon graphite shock tower/battery brace? does hpi sell them on their website?

second question? is there a difference between progressive springs and pro linear springs? i have on hpi yellow progressive springs and can't adjust height with the shocks. i've seen pro linear springs and they're shorter allowing adjustment with the collar. is there really a difference in handling or somehting?

[Kenny T]

http://www.hpiracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=A451&Category_Code=Pro_3_Parts

There is a difference. The progressives as you know, will get harder as you compress them. I don't know what's better for race application though, I assume linear would be better as it should be more predictable.

When you say these springs are shorter, are they captive? As in the spring can move up and down if the shock is fully extended and the collar is wound up?

[LWRDTRSH]

through trial and error ive found that with the stock plastic chassis and a arms with progressive springs have a great deal of lag in tight corners. if your using that chassis its better to not stray to far from the stock springs, go one stiffer or one softer. but i recomend stiffer

[Manny]

through trial and error ive found that with the stock plastic chassis and a arms with progressive springs have a great deal of lag in tight corners. if your using that chassis its better to not stray to far from the stock springs, go one stiffer or one softer. but i recomend stiffer


He's right the progressive springs were meant mostly for the Rs4 Nitro. The car works well with a softer set of springs.

[struman1]

Dude wants to sell a Pro3 for $120 with Penguin Chassis and its in good condition. Should I pickup a new TA05 or buy the Pro3? Can you still get parts for the Pro3? Thanks

[Manny]

Dude wants to sell a Pro3 for $120 with Penguin Chassis and its in good condition. Should I pickup a new TA05 or buy the Pro3? Can you still get parts for the Pro3? Thanks


A properly set up pro 3 should give you similar performance to a ta05. Having said that, the ta05 should be easier to find parts for since it's a newer car. Pro 3 parts are still available from ebay and tower.

[LWRDTRSH]

still winning races with my pro 3s, hope everyone else is still having fun with theirs.

[Kenny T]

Good stuff man, I wish I had mine running again(snapped shock shaft) but in the meantime, I'm enjoying beating up the old TA02, such a tough car and I don't really care about since it's already held together by superglue. :D In saying that, the Pro3 is a tank too, I snapped the shockshaft without damaging a single plastic part. :confused:

[t3racerx]

hey guys, I have a pro 3 that I love!! I need a good set-up for carpet. it has all the graphite and aluminum goods. any help would be appreciated

[Dongskie Pinoy]

Hi guys!

I got an offer from a friend, he's giving me his Brand New, In-Box and Unassembled HPI PRO3 kit for US$35.00

I though i didn't need it but the price is so tempting that I just said "Yes I'll take it.."

I'm in the process of building it now and seems that everything is in place..

Any advice from your experience is highly appreciated...

Thanks mates!

[bionictony]

really cheap dude. good deal. i use a hobbyknife to smooth out the edges of the molded parts where they break from the parts tree.

[Radio Acer]

Yesterday I ran the Pro 3 for real. Until now it was either raining or snowing, or i had a crap ESC in the car. And i must say, this car awesome. I have an Speed Gems motor with 10T (i believe, it might be 12T) and this thing is a rocketship. I haven't had that much fun with an on-raod car for a long time. It's really a pity that there are no asphalt tracks around here, cause i have a feeling this car would give TC4's and TRF cars a run for their money.
Here's a quick pic of the car.

[crazyjr]

I've had a Pro 3 for a while and play with it every now and then. I just got a pro3 with a few hop ups on ebay for 120.00, it came with 5 sets of wheel/tires, a set of HG billet alumnium wheels, one way, stock motor, Novak cyclone tc2 esc, futaba t3pdf radio (FM)+ extra set of chrystals and a HPI upper deck. I Will be racing it in a few weeks at my local track. I decided to run this car over all others, because i like the center mounted battery for better balance, besides, we can't be too far off cause Losi copied it;))

[E-LST]

Hi guys, I just found this thread, I've been running my Pro 3 for a couple of months now, I want to upgrade the chassis when the funds are right, (single dad, so the 6 yro comes first) anyway, I was wondering if the alum rear brace over the motor is available anywhere. I've been to HPI, HB, Tower, Horizon and no luck. thanks

[E-LST]

Well, it's been 15 days now and nobody is on here, have all the pro3 drivers given up? mine is still competitive at our parking lot races, once I found a set up that works for me. I found the aluminum brace at rc mart and penguin still has carbon chassis parts available at a resonable price. Later

[Manny]

Jet hobby also has a few of the aluminum hop ups available.

[E-LST]

That is who made the brace I got at rcmart, then a week later I got 1 from HPI off of ebay, Also got a front one way that I'm going to try out today at the races and see how it goes. Are you racing a pro3 ?

[Manny]

I recently pulled my old Pro3 from the attic. I raced it almost every week when I first got it in '02 (when they were marked down to $110) and did pretty well with it. Even though it lacks "modern" features like droop screws and adjustable suspension mounts I think it still could be a competive car.

I basically ran it stock with the HB upper brace, motor heatsink plate, the aluminum brace that you have and ocassionally a front one-way. Recently I've picked up the HPI graphite chassis but haven't had a chance to run it. Since I'm thinking about racing it again I'll probably stock up on discontinued spares.

[E-LST]

Funny you should mention oneways, I tried one in mine yesterday and have decided it's not for me. at this time,couldn't hardly get around the track.. I will go back to my base setup and start over. But learned from it, so it wasn't a total loss. Is your chassis really stiff with upper brace on it? Later

[Manny]

Driving with a one-way requires a different style compared to driving with full time 4wd as I'm sure you have figured out. Are you used to using a lot of brakes? (You can't do that with a one way) Try the one way if you're on a really high traction track, and it will help you maintain corner speed. Personally, they're not for me either when I drive my Pro3

When I ran with the plastic chassis and upper brace it wasn't very stiff but good enough for rough asphalt. For carpet, and maximum stiffness you want to run the woven graphite chassis with the upper plate.

[RC-ZOMBIES]

Last time I checked... E-bay has alot of aluminum option parts for the car..
F/R hubs, c-blocks, battery post, etc...

[E-LST]

I don't have any brake dialed in my esc, just the coasting of the motor, which was enough to cause it to be loose on entry. It pulled really hard out, tho. Our track is a freshly paved parking lot, smooth, but not high traction, probably a loose medium traction. Where abouts are you from?

Yes, RC, I saw them, I seem to always be looking there, my LHS's distributors have all but dried up on pro3 parts

I just got a second complete pro3 on the sale/trade forum on here a couple of weeks ago, my 7 yro daughter is driving it in our "run what you brung" class. When she is comfortable with it and feels ready she can move up to the tc class with me, and show me up,,,,hahahahaha
Later

[Manny]

Hey RC-Zombies, how are things in the bay area?

E-LST, we just moved to Hawaii and I'm surrounded by about 150 boxes, my pro 3 is in a second shipment that won't be here for another few weeks! BTW have you tried stiffer springs on the front end of your car or adding spacers inside the rear shocks to keep too much weight from transferring to the front?

[E-LST]

Hey Manny, yeah, I've done the spring thing and a bunch of other tuning on it, The car was quite competitive until I tried the one way. I've gone back to a diff and the "old set up" and will polish on my driving and do a little fine tuning to the set up. Maybe I can sneak a win one of these days. It's amazing how much the reflexes actually slow down when you get in your 50's, back in the late 80's early 90's I could wheel an r/c car pretty well. but age and being away from r/c for a few years shows up now. But I refuse to give up on it and will get decent at driving again, besides, I can't let my 7 yro daughter be better than me, can I ??? hahahah Good luck on your move, hope you get some good racing in while you're there. Later

[Manny]

There are a couple of places to race on Oahu :-) ! As far as getting fast, you know it just takes practice! Unfortunately, with a Pro3, you'll get very few setup tips from local drivers. When I raced mine competively the only "loyal" local guy was RC Zombies. He had the nicest pro 3 you'll ever see!

[E-LST]

I know about the "advice guys" I learned when I first started with the "3" that tc3 & 4 set ups didn't do much to make it better, I got to digging around on HPI's website and actually found 3 or 4 set up sheets from Hara and some one else. That's when I started making progress, Put one from Hara in the car and have been tweaking on it since. oh, well,,,, Later,,,,Bob

[Manny]

Yeah, I hear that Hara guy is pretty good! You can't go wrong starting there! Ironically, I use TC3 springs on my pro 3.....

When it comes to general handling tips, this guy seems to know his stuff about rc cars:

http://www.penguinrc.com/information/tuningguide.shtml

[E-LST]

Same for me, I found it a lot easier to figure out that a 35lb spring is stiffer than a 30lb one, I couldn't make heads or tales of the hpi ratings,,gfr or something,, yes, they have some good info there, Losi's website also has a link to a handling guide, it's pretty good too. I bought the xxx main book and got on track hahaha ,, later

[Radio Acer]

hey everyone, i'm looking for some matched battery packs around $50. I've mostly been looking at Orion GP 3300 and 3700's. I don't know what the new IB4200 and 3800's are like, but i don't want to take a chance with IB because two of the three 3600's I have are pieces of junk even though they are said to be matched. They always false peak and they have no punch at all.
If any of you guys have the GP3300, 3700's, or other battery packs, please let me know what you think of them and any experiences you've had.
And if someone here knows how (and feels like writing it up), could i have the dummies guide to building batt packs? I'd like to give it a shot with my next pack.
Thanx everyone!

[Manny]

I've brought batteries from Pro Match Racing before and I sort of remember them having a tutorial for building batteries on thier web page. Is there a battery thread on here that you can ask the same question on? Some of the larger batteries may be a tight fit on your pro 3.

[E-LST]

I have about 6 or 7 sets of IB 3800's, and love them, run time and consistant punch through out the race. you might try B&T Batteries they have been resonable in the past, pricewise. I think they are in Va. or N.C. Is your charger compatable with Ni-mh bats? what is your delta peak cut off set at? I tried using a ni-cd type charger on the first set of IBs that I bought, had pretty much the same result you described, bought the LRP blue competition charger off of ebay and the bats started performing.
Hey Manny, I used my base Hara setup I was telling you about, and drove like I had some sense, Sunday, and qualified second only a couple of seconds behind the tq. He's running one of the newer Yoko, belt drive cars, and is a good driver. Needless to say, I was happy, finished second in the main also.

[Radio Acer]

I do have a competition grade charger: A Reedy Quasar Pro. My cutoff is set at 5mv/per cell i believe. I was looking at the pulsar chargers before, but what really ticks me off about chargers now a days is that none of them are DC and AC. That's why I bought the Quasar Pro, it's AC and DC capable. The price of a DC charger goes up $70 anyway because you then need a power supply, which is just one more thing to worry about, charge, and pay attention to. Not to mention it's overpriced by $60 dollars anyway. And my charger never leaves the house because I race nitro and bash electric. And if I do race electric, then i charge my batts the day before. I know it doesn't give the punch, performance, run time, etc. if they've been sitting around, but I'm no where near serious enough about racing to worry about that.
I posted about this problem in a different thread and i got my problem sorted out. I made one good pack from the good cells from my two packs. It seems to work fine now. But I still need to get some new batts. I'll let you know how it works.
And I found an old article in RCCA on battery building to get me going.
Thanx guys

[t3racerx]

E-LST, can you email me a copy of that hara set up or post a link of where I might find it. I'm going to give the old pro3 a shot this year on the carpet.
thanks \
ssxxcr@yahoo.com

[E-LST]

Hey t3, I sent you that set up, for some more, go to HPI website, go to electric cars, scroll down to discontinued kits, click on pro 3, then click on set ups, there are 2 or 3 more on there

[Manny]

E-LST, I'm glad that setup worked for you! Since I'm not racing right now I'm gonna have to race vicariously through you!

[Radio Acer]

I ordered an Orion GP3300 two days ago, so I'm gonna give batt building a try. Finally I'll be able to fit a real battery into this car. With stick packs, the largest thing i can put in is a 1500 :(

[Manny]

Radio Acer, when glueing batteries together for the Pro3 (use Shoe Goo or a Silicon type glue), place them in the battery slots then run a bead of glue where the cells almost meet. If you're running the stock (plastic or graphite) molded chassis, there is a very small gap inbetween each cell if you run side x side packs.

If you glue the cells together then place the completed pack in the car they may be a little too close to each other and won't sit snugly in the slots.

[E-LST]

WOW!!! I've never been vicarioused before!!!! I hope I like it.. hahahahaha I hope i can do you proud Manny. I have been making only small changes to the car on race day. nothing drastic. Seems to be working, also I have been concentrating on my driving. Something is improving. Later

[Radio Acer]

Thanx for the tip Manny, I was planning on gluing them with Shoo-Goo, so that's not a problem, but otherwise that gap thing probably wouldn't have occurred to me. Seeing as the other car I want to use them in is a XXX-T with foam spacers, having a slightly longer batt shouldn't matter.

[Manny]

Radio Acer, I just remembered that the gap existed for 3000mah cells. Even though I have a bunch of 3300's I never used them for the Pro3 and I don't recall if there was a difference in diameter. Nevertheless, it makes sense to assemble the battery this way especially if you don't have a battery jig. Have fun!

BTW guys, since the Pro 3 is long discontinued, are you stocking up on Pro 3 parts? If so what parts? What is your source for them...besides Ebay, of course.

[E-LST]

Hey Manny, yeah ebay is the biggest source for me, my LHS can get a few pieces from horizon and great planes(tower), I saw on sheldons hobbies website that they still had a few parts. Sometimes, I'll buy a parts car for spares. I did get an aluminum rear brace from rc mart, in Taiwan,, I have 2 racable 3's right now, one for me and 1 for my daughter, she does really well with hers, she's only 7. I have a new jrxs type R coming, sometime in October, same basic layout as a pro3, just an improved design and Losi's vast supply of parts.

[Radio Acer]

I actually bought my Pro 3 on E-bay, it came with about four sets of extra a-arms, a couple of extra belts, outdrives, a spur gear, and entire bag full of all the plastic parts for the suspension. For some reason the guy also had about 2 or 3 aluminum belt tension stands included, like those are ever gonna break.
I've noticed that Tower still stocks a lot of Pro 3 parts (considering it is discontinued).

I actually don't have a jig, so that would certainly be a a good way to assemble them correctly. I'll let you know how it goes once I get the batt...which'll be round midweek.
Thanx Manny.

[Manny]

Here's a pic of my car before I packed it away to for shipping during my recent move. I just got the graphite chassis for it and I'm currently looking for the HB aluminum suspension mounts. I originally raced it fairly close to stock with the HB upper brace and graphite shock towers.

[E-LST]

Looks good Manny, I have been working on mine after sunday's race, It just wasn't as fast or as nimble as it was, Found a bad outdrive on the front diff. As far as the handling goes, I drove my daughters pro3 after the races were over just for comparison, and it drove better and was faster than mine, I was quite surprised, and that's when I figured I needed to do something. I set mine up the same as hers and will do the final tweaking sunday in practice before 1st heat. I did manage to finish 4th somehow. maybe I can be a little closer to the front this weekend,,,Later

[Manny]

At one time I had two identical Pro 3's. I had a baseline setup for one car that could use when I wanted to see if changes to the other car were really an improvement. It really helped to have something to quickly compare it to especially when you had limited practice time on race days. I had an Orion personal transponder to measure lap times.

[E-LST]

Hey, I'm not sure what was different this Sunday, but both cars were junk, they were snappy loose, and I can't emphasize loose, enough. And nothing I did to take some grip out of the front made any difference, so I have went back to my previous setup and will put it the other one too, I know it works better than what I had. Later

[Manny]

Hmmmm.... the last time something like that happened, I had a suspension hinge pin coming loose and rubbing against a wheel OR I had way too much steering throw and the wheel was rubbing against the suspension arm.. That made the car "snappy" loose. Do you mean that the car quickly spins out without warning?

I've never seen a bad setup just make a car "snappy" loose. In case you haven't already, check to see if any of the drivetrain or suspension is binding anywhere. I know it's pretty basic stuff but even experienced racers need to be reminded of these things once in a while! :-)

[E-LST]

They both would turn in very well and about a third of the way into the corner, (most of our corners are 180's) the back end would act like it was on ice, and beat the front end thru the corner. I try to stay on top of the hinge pins and have the steering set so there isn't any rub, on hers, the steering is actually set at about 75 - 80% to soften her inputs. I went back to the Hara setup I had before and will tweak it a little as needed. I plan to go over to the track tomorrow to do some testing, that way come Sunday, I will have an idea of what to expect

[Radio Acer]

Hey guys, I'm not really following what's going on with the racing cause that's not my thing with this car, but i'd just quickly like to say that I got the batt together and Manny's suggestion really helped. I stuck it in the car, shoe-gooed the cells together and then soldered them. I put them in an equalizer tray today and just charged them at 3.3 amps and somehow a GP3300 got up to 4500mah according to my charger. They seem to work well though. I'm gonna give them their first run in the Pro 3 tomorrow. And I must say, building batts is much easier than I ever thought, and this coming from an average joe stick pack racer.
Anyway, you guys keep it up at the track and show em that HPI can easily destroy the competition. I'll do my part by dominating with a Rush, lol.

[E-LST]

Way to go R A, a lot of things that seem scary aren't that bad once you try it.

Hey Manny,,, good news,,A guy at the track didn't have a tc to run and my daughter wasn't running her pro3 this week, so he drove it, now mind you, I went back to the Hara set up I had used before, on both cars, made as alike a I could, motor, gearing batts, etc,etc,etc,, he proceeds to go out and TQ with 25 laps, I eeked out 21, my best to date, so it proved to me that the setup is good and the equipment is good, I just have to get my driving up to speed. The a main cut off at 23 laps, and I was 10th with my 21, the track was fast for some reason, we only made a couple of minor adjusments all day. So, now, it's up to me to get as good as the car, hahahahahaha, Later dudes

[Manny]

Radio Acer, I'm glad the batteries worked out for you...as far as your charger's numbers. Maybe you got a mutant pack? But seriously, I'm not not sure how accurate many chargers are. I think the numbers are more to used for comparison with other batteries charged by your charger rather than an absolute measuring stick.

E-LST That's COOOOL! It seems like your car is dialed! I wonder what adjustments you made to make it handle so badly last time?

[E-LST]

Hey Manny, news flash!!!!! made the A main with 22 laps finished 4th, I made a few tweaks to my set up during the week, set the rear diff as low in the chassis as I could, and went to a little stiffer spring, front and rear. It was like night and day, It was really planted feeling in the rear and still turned very well, on and off power. I was a happy boy. If you get a chance, check out the VRC simulator, I have one and it is good. It's all nitro cars but I think if I put a little drag brake in it, it'll slow down like a stock motor does.

Done anything else with yours? or still unpacking?

Later

[GuyIsDamGood]

Hey Pro 3 Guys; Nagengast Hobby Shop in Queens, New York has some Carbon Parts for the Pro 3 at a LOW PRICE.

They have a Carbon Lower Deck and Upper Deck.

Take Care.

[Manny]

E-LST, it looks like your driving is catching up with your car! Congrads on an awesome finish! My stash of RC stuff is coming this week and I've been stocking up on parts from Ebay......Unfortunately I'm a little far from NY, otherwise I would pick up the upper deck! But thanks for the tip anyway, GuyIsDamGood!

[GuyIsDamGood]

Hey Manny; give them a call: Nagengast Hobbies(718)821-0958 .....and they will ship parts.


Take Care.

[t3racerx]

anyone know where I might be able to find a battery strap for a pro 3. I lost mine when I moved

[E-LST]

Anybody notice all the Pro 3's that have been on ebay the past 2 weeks? and the prices they have been going for? crazy...

[Manny]

I bid on one just for parts! I've purchased most of my parts through Ebay lately. It's the hopped up ones that are fetching the high prices. I think there was one with a woven tub graphite chassis and a few have the flat graphite chassis. It also seems top decks are in demand.

[E-LST]

I've bid on a couple of them and have been blown away by some of these people. I keep hoping to score a CF chassis and top brace, but I keep in mind what the whole chassis kit from penquin costs so I bid accordingly

[Manny]

I think the flat, woven CF chassis you still might be able to order from Tower, but the top braces are harder to come by.

[E-LST]

I finally bought the cf chassis plate from Tower and the front brace and battery brace from penguin, talk about improving the rigidity!! it is completely different now.I ran just the top braces last weekend and noticed the difference, I changed to stiffer rear springs and raised my rear diff back up to the top setting and the car was still stable. I can't wait to try the "whole" package ,,, Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!

[Manny]

Your Pro 3 probably looks pretty "trick" now! I just picked up some "bling" for my car that's totally uneeded. I'll post a pic....Have a Merry Christmas and a great new year! And I shall be making my return to the tracks soon!

[BillH]

Does anyone have any good pics of the Penguin upgrades? Their web site is not the best lol

[E-LST]

I'll try to get some pics on here shortly for you, probably this afternoon

[BillH]

Thanks alot. Its hard to tell if the conversion is worth it by their web site.

[E-LST]

here are the pics, it's not the clearest while the parts are on the car,so I took the upper deck/ battery holder off. It's a bit of a pain to have to take 4 bolts out to change batts, but the stiffness it gives you is well worth the extra minute it takes. My car went from a flexy flyer to a solid platform that when you make a setup adjustment, you can tell you did something. Just the front brace and the upper deck are penguin, the main chassis is hpi from tower.

[Manny]

I really like the battery holder and chassis brace combination. I probably wouldn't mind the extra time it takes to change the battery....did you order it directly from Penguin? I may go ahead and try it too. BTW are those Tamiya Shocks? Your car looks slick!

[E-LST]

Thanks, yes I use the TRF shocks, Assoc springs. I ordered directly from penguin, PN's P3010 Racing upgrade (top brace), and 3003 front brace. I'm thinking about ordering their rear brace as well, and see how it works compared to the Aluminum one on the car.

[E-LST]

Hey guys, just for grins and giggles, heres my grinning body, done up in SF 49ers colors. It's been raced, so it's not the prettiest face in town :D And a full length of the chassis

[E-LST]

here it is

[BillH]

very nice

[BillH]

You made me do it just ordered the parts

[E-LST]

Bill, I think you'll be happy with it. I had always fought a "tweaked" condition with my other chassis. Last night I was putting a new setup in my car and checked the tweak and it was gone. It had been doing ok before, now maybe it will be consistant. good luck, and keep us informed.
Bob

[Manny]

Bill, did you order the entire chassis? If so could you give us your impressions of it? BTW you can see larger pics of the Penguin conversion here(if you haven't already :) ) : http://www.penguinrc.com/products/hpi/p3000.html#

[BillH]

No I can not swing the whole thing right now too close to the holidays.

[E-LST]

Well, if the weather holds for sunday, I will be able to see if I helped my cause at all. I'm looking forward to it, also I now have a jrxs to tinker with too, I think I'll get there early and see which one I can tear up first :eek: :huh:

[E-LST]

Well,, I must say today was enlightening. I had my pro3 with me and my jrxs, I have been useing a setup from Atsushi Hara in '01 since like June, after becoming accustomed to it I started to make little changes here and there to see what happened. When I put the penguin parts and the full hpi carbon chassis plate on it, I went to a setup from Jonas Anderson In '01 also, when I set it down today to take a few warm up laps, I noticed, even a reduced speeds, that the car was decidely different. Once I got up to speed, it was a real delight to drive. the only thing I changed all day was pinions. It turned in better than ever and only had a slight on power push. Very drivable. I race in a freshly repaved (about a year ago) parking lot, considered to be low to medium traction, outside, with rubber tires and stock motors. Now if my jrxs would have been as much fun today it would have been great, but it was the first day out with it.

[E-LST]

Something I did notice that happens in an impact(crash) the batts will move side to side and get up against the spur gear. Talk about a braking effect!! It almost locks up the back tires, and doesn't do much for forward progress, either. :eek: But, there are holes on either side of the battery that I think could be used to locate the batt side to side, with a little tinkering.

Any way, Happy New Year!!!!! :wave:

[BillH]

Well I got my parts but need the rear brace before install so I ordered it up.

[E-LST]

Hi, Bill, what parts did you get so far?

[BillH]

I bought the front brace and the race kit (upper brace and battery holder)

[Manny]

Thanks for the tips about the battery moving, I'll make suer to rig up a support for my chassis

[E-LST]

hey guys, I got rid of enough unused rc stuff on ebay this last week that I ordered another chassis plate, 2 rear braces, a front brace and top brace/ battery holder. now I can get my daughter's car stiffened up when it all gets here. Know anybody that'll be needing an aluminum rear brace??? ;)

[BillH]

I got my rear brace and assembled it all today. Just need to install radio gear and test it out but it sure looks trick.

[E-LST]

Good to hear, got any pics for us? I worked on mine today and made a "stop" for the batts on the spur gear side. I took a body post, cut off the post and the locator tab on the base, and used a countersunk screw in the existing hole beside the batt slots. I had to trim it a bit on the side to clear the batt bar, but it was an easy fix. Here are a couple of pics I hope you can see it, I couldn't get the lighting just right.

[BillH]

No pics yet I still need to figure out how to mount the side plate kit.

[E-LST]

Hi guys, I recieved all the peices this week for my daughters car and will probably build it tomorrow, I'll post some pics when I'm finished

[mickafet]

Hia, I am new here, but I am a pro 3 racer, I like the whole idea of the car, its just a shame losi took all the good bits and made the Jrx-s. Now to the point, doe any have picture of how the batterys go into a JRXS? I see that only the front batterys have slots to sit in but how do they stay in place? a clip or some thing?

I am asking as I am making up my own C/F chassis for my pro 3 and since I have the flexabilty to do so I am considering having the cells come in from underneith the car.

many thanks
#
keep racing

[Manny]

Guys, I was finally able to race my car at the local track (we got through two qualifiers before it rained)!!!!! The track was so sticky for the first qualifier that the car handled great! I still have some tweaking to do to balance the handling (oversteer).

E-lst, I think the batteries can slide laterally out because the slots were beveled on the side. If you look at the stock chassis only the cylinder part of the battery recieve the bevel and not the flat ends. It looks like you've already solved your problem though.

mickafet, try the team losi web page. They may have an online manual. However, E-lst just picked up a Losi car, I'm sure he'll know.

[mickafet]

good luck manny!!

I ve checked the losi site and from what I can tell, at least on the most recent version of the JRX-S you need to unscrew a plate on the bottom to get the cells out, this is for the models with the motor to the rear of the car, so since me top deck is going to be ala' PRP with the cells coming out the centre there seems little point.

Still a bit miffied at all the stick HPI got for there topdeck tho, then losi does it!!!!!!!