Just got a ZipZap

[Pheran]

Well I picked up a ZipZap today at Radio Shack to test its suitability as a gift for my nephew and to torment my cat.

These things are pretty slick... a tiny remote controlled car about the size of a Hot Wheel, they only cost $20 for the base kit. And if you want to pimp them out you can buy different motors and hubcaps and stuff. I got the red Ford Mustang, but they also offer a Porsche, PT Cruiser, and Civic.

 

[MaxDSP]

bit char g and Tomy imitations most likely. Great toys

 

[Justin218]

I heard about them, I want to go get one tomorrow.

 

[fluxquantum]

cool. i want one.

 

[DrumminBoy]

how fast do they go and how long does a charge last?

 

[Pheran]

Originally posted by: DrumminBoy
how fast do they go and how long does a charge last?

Mine goes pretty fast with the 16000 RPM motor, presumably you can make it go faster if you get one of the 20K+ RPM motors. I haven't used it long enough to run out a charge yet but recharging is very fast (a matter of minutes). Note that these cars are too small to work well on carpet; you need a hard surface.

EDIT: W00t! I'm a senior member.

 

[Justin218]

I just got mine. It's so fun! hehe. I should have gotten the better motors and gears for $7 or whatever it was too. Charge lasts awhile (7-8min?) and it recharges quickly(less than a minute).

 

[fatbaby]

is the remote decent? it looks kinda small to me

anyways, how fast does it go? 1 ft. per a second?

 

[Pheran]

Originally posted by: fatbaby
is the remote decent? it looks kinda small to me
anyways, how fast does it go? 1 ft. per a second?

The remote is fine, though it doesn't seem to have much range. There's a speed calculator at zipzaps.com for the various engines and gear ratios. With my 16K RPM motor and regular gear it says I'm getting 234 ft/min = ~4 ft/sec.

EDIT: Oops, I used the wrong gear for the calculation. Actually I'm getting 192 ft/min = 3.2 ft/sec.

 

[TrueBlueLS]

I saw these in the Radioshack ad and now I want one. I guess I can use part of my $33 left until Thursday to pick one up.

 

[fatbaby]

how durable are the body kits and the cars in general?

Do you think they can withstand 3 ft. drops?

 

[Pheran]

Originally posted by: fatbaby
how durable are the body kits and the cars in general?
Do you think they can withstand 3 ft. drops?

They are plastic, but they are very light so 3 ft drops should be no problem. I just dropped mine from 3 ft, no damage.

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: fatbaby
how durable are the body kits and the cars in general?

Do you think they can withstand 3 ft. drops?

I bought one this weekend, and accidently drove it off of my coffee table while I was testing it out

Anyway, my little Porsche 911 survived the fall without a scratch. I don't think that it would hold up against an angry cat for very long, but it is a fairly durable little car.

Just make sure to have some treezers and a persision screwdriver set around before trying to build one of these, though. All of the parts are tiny!

 

[MaxDSP]

damnit, now I want one of these in addition to the Bit Char G I already have.

 

[TCPpacket]

do these come pre-assembled? or you do you have to put together the motor yourself? i want to get one but im afraid my cats will tear it apart after a day.

 

[geno]

Brookstone has them too - fun stuff

<--- Owns a Bit Char-G Blue Skyline

 

[globalstud]

I own from the hot deals here:

A humvee I got for 15 bucks
Racing ratz for 10 bucks
A blue PT cruiser for what I think was 8 bucks.
I MUST have one of these.

 

[Pheran]

Originally posted by: TCPpacket
do these come pre-assembled? or you do you have to put together the motor yourself?

You have to put it together, but there aren't that many parts, it only takes 10-15 minutes (less once you've familiarized yourself with it). It's not like a real model or anything, there's no glue and just one screw.

 

[TrueBlueLS]

I got mine... Unfortunately the two Radioshacks by me only had the PT Cruiser, so that's what I bought. I wanted the Civic, would have settled for a Mustang or Porsche, but I just had to buy one on my lunch break. The 16K motor is okay, but I want a faster one... The NOS one sweet.