FTX Stinger
As with most of our Models, the FTX Stinger was the choice of my 21-year-old son. RC Drifting is great fun and my son wanted in on the action. If you visit your local hobby shop or RC Specialist you will almost always come across FTX. You will find that FTX offers a wide range of models to suit all budgets. Initially, my son chose a Banzai which is the base drift model from FTX.
Off he went to Rochester RC our local specialist. He looked at the tasty treats on show and, was hooked on the styling of the FTX Stinger. When I choose a Model I normally spend time looking at the technical side and making sure it will fit the bill and do the job with minimal trouble. My son on the other hand loves it when a model is COOL and Fast. I must admit the FTX stinger meets both of these criteria.
It is Pretty
Look at it. It is low, it is wide, it is shiny and it screams American Muscle Car. Available in two great colours, and with a great big wing on the back. Yes, it is a great-looking Model. My son Chose the Metalic Grey and His friend chose the Deep Metallic red.
Great Spec
We must remember that at £239.00 we are looking at a lower end for a proper drift car but, the spec list is impressive. First of all, we are getting a Brushless Motor. This means it will be fast enough to make you smile. The motor is backed up by a Hobbywing 60A Electronic Speed Controller. This means you will get a nice reliable punch, provided by an industry leader. There is a 15kg metal geared servo which controls the steering. A good quality servo is needed for a drift car as they spend lots of time going sideways, and the steering is under lots of pressure. The steering is backed up with Gyro Stability which is a feature that helps correct the steering and help with drifting. You also get a 2500Mah 2s lipo battery which gives that motor a little more punch.
Here is the Techincal feature list
- 99% Ready-to-run
- FTX 2.4ghz 5ch Radio System
- Etronix 3652 KV3300 Brushless Motor
- Hobbywing 60A Brushless Speed Control
- Etronix Waterproof 15kg MG Steering Servo
- Voltz 2S 30C 2500mAH LiPo Battery
- Etronix LiPo Balance Charger
- Gyro Stability Control Option
- Multifunction LED Light Box Control
- Scale finished body with moulded accessories
- Front and Rear Anti-Roll Bars Included (assembly required)
- Rubber Street & Hard Slick Drift tyre sets included
- Front and Rear Metal Gear Sealed Differentials
- Shaft driven 4WD
- Front CVD Universal Driveshafts
- Ball Bearings
- Adjustable Oil Filled Shock Absorbers
- Rear Moulded Diffuser Bumper
- Moulded wide main chassis featuring screwless base
- Quick Release Battery Holder
Out of the Box
Having two models to look at is a bonus. Opening the box of the FTX Stinger is great. It is a very shiny, very good-looking car. The FTX Stinger comes straight out of the box and ready to Go. Everything is here. You will find the usual array of instructions and paperwork in the box. It is a lower-end Radio transmitter which feels pretty good in your hand. Remember that we are still at the budget end but this radio gear is OK and does the job nicely.
You also get TWO sets of wheels. This is a drift car so, you will need some on-road grippy wheels and some shiny plastic drift wheels for sliding around all over the place and having loads of fun smashing into things. Luckily, there are two sets of wheels because this thing eats tyres for breakfast dinner and tea. I have never seen so many tyres go on one car over a short period. We are lucky if a set of tyres lasts more than two hours on our local outdoor track. A new set of wheels will cost you around £11.00 at a local shop or online.
The next step is to take the top off and fit the battery. Removing the top of the stinger is quite a nicely put-together vehicle. Everything is neat with the cables and wires nicely hidden away and protected. The waterproof servo is mounted under a protective cover and the ESC is hidden and protected under a nice plastic cover. The plastic quality seems tough and there is plenty on show.
First Run
The First run for the Stinger was on our driveway and it was soon apparent that it was too fast and not suitable for a small place. We decided to take the Stinger off to a Local underground car park which is ideal because it has wide open spaces and a smooth surface.
Having Two Stingers was great and it made for some interesting driving. The car’s performance was impressive and it did exactly what it said on the box. It went fast and it drifted. Unfortunately, this is where the problems began. After about an hour the first set of tyres was toast. They were completely bald and showed the internal foam of the tyre. The next problem was that the Rear hub carrier snapped after a tiny bump on a slightly raised drain cover. This was not great as it was a small bump and, this was not our only problem because the second Stinger went through a small clump of grass and the Front steering arm Snapped.
Solution to These problems
As a solution to this problem, we decided to upgrade the components on the FTX Stinger. After a visit to AT Models, we ordered aluminium Rear Hubs, Front caster blocks, front steering arms and an aluminium motor mount for good measure. We waited a few days for them to arrive and then fitted the parts. The front wheel bearings were also broken.
The next Run of the FTX Stinger
With a new positive attitude towards the Stinger, it was time to hit the local RC Track. The Stinger stopped steering after about 10 mins. initially, we thought it was the new parts but, after we took the stinger home and investigated we found out the steering servo was fried. There was no response at all. We decided to order a new Servo. We upgraded the servo with a 25kg water-resistant servo we installed last night. and off we went to our local track.
Not Again
There is an outdoor track local to us so, we decided to have an RC evening with some friends. We went to the track with our new upgraded FT Stinger and the Standard red Stinger. Within 5 minutes at the track, the Red Stinger dropped a screw from its front steering knuckle. This is a minor problem but it is still a pain. The upgraded grey stinger was slipping and sliding and doing what it should but, this was short-lived. It Stopped and made the buzzing sound that all RC Car drivers know. The Spur gear had been stripped.
Strip it down
back at home I stripped the Stinger down and looked inside the gearbox. the main spur gear was smooth and melted. Although FTX decided to use metal differential gears and an uprated 3300KV motor, they did not use metal spur gear. This would have been better with a metal spur gear. you can pick up a metal Spur gear from Amazon for less than £10.
What Do I Think About The FTX Stinger?
The FTX Stinger is a Marmite car for me. I love the looks and I feel the spec list is good. I think that FTX has produced a car that needed to have the upgraded parts as standard because the Kids will love the look of the Stinger and buy it for Bashing around the street. There are much cheaper and tougher models out there for this purpose.
We have spent £100 on upgrades for the Stinger which means it is more like a £350 model and not a £239 Model. If you are looking for an entry Level Drift car I would personally go for the Banzai and invest in the upgrades. Drift cars should be used on the track and not on the street. Every time we have run the stinger, we have had problems. Not to mention the massive amount of tyres we are running through.
Check out the video below, a short clip of the stinger after all the repairs and upgrades.
Update on the FT Stinger
Since posting this review we have decided to go Custom. We started with Metal Steering Knuckle and Hubs moving on to an updated Metal Servo and different gearing. Finally, we finished the FTX Stinger it with a custom paint job on a new clear shell.
Checkout the FTX Carnage review HERE
