ABS Hulls

[cjs]

Starting to get back into F/E boats and things that used to exist don't anymore.

What is today's version of BBY, GTM, DPI, or Astec boats? I am looking for smaller 1/2/3S boats. Also looking for old school crackerbox hulls.

Thanks!

[NativePaul]

ASTec, GTM, and BBY retired quite a while, not sure about DPI.

I don't think anyone is making bare plastic hulls anymore, there are quite a few plastic boats out there but as far as I know all RTR, Volantex, WLtoys, Proboat, Traxxas, Thunder Tiger, Kyosho, Graupner and others make plastic RTRs some sell replacement hulls for but they are often stupidly overpriced, and come with mounts built in which can be a blessing or a curse.

There are plenty of smaller boats out there Naviga (most of Europe and Asia) run 2/3s classes, and mini classes (<430/450mm, about the size of the old ASTec/GTM 6/7cell boats from the '90s), generally these are superbly built vacuum bagged epoxy glass or carbon hulls with a lot of R&D but into them and updated frequently, and the price you pay for that is, the price, generally these are not cheap replacements for ABS hulls. Look to Tenshock, ETTI, Ecomaster, Kukkerelli, RCsails if you are interested in small, but not necessarily small budget.

However Ecomaster specifically, while constantly updating new designs keeps some old hulls around, and if you are not racing these can be outstanding value, world class hulls from yesteryear costing less than an old ABS hull with inflation.

[cjs]

Thanks Paul.

I have seen some of the composite hulls you mention. I can't justify spending quite that much for something I will likely mess up drilling holes in.

I was also looking for a JAE Mini Sprint, but those seem to have dried up too.