Beginner planning an RC drift telemetry project (looking for chassis advice)
Hi everyone,
I’m a Mechanical Engineering & Management student from TU Vienna, and I’m planning a small engineering portfolio project around RC drift, vehicle dynamics and telemetry.
The idea is to build or modify a 1:10 RWD RC drift car, add sensors to the chassis, and collect data such as acceleration, yaw rate and possibly steering/throttle input. I want to use the data to compare how different setup changes affect drift stability and vehicle behavior.
I’m not looking for a toy-grade RTR car. I’d like something hobby-grade that I can learn from, modify and document properly. Ideally, I’m looking for a platform with:
- good spare parts availability
- many setup and upgrade options
- clear build guides or community support
- enough space to mount a small telemetry setup
- ideally carbon/graphite chassis or at least carbon upgrade options
My questions are:
Would you recommend starting with a kit or an RTR car for this project?
Which chassis would be best if I want good upgrade potential and interchangeable parts?
Are carbon/graphite chassis parts worth it for a beginner project, or should I start simpler and upgrade later?
Where would you mount an IMU/sensor module on an RC drift chassis?
Which setup changes would be most interesting to test first? For example tires, weight distribution, gyro gain, springs, camber or toe?
I’d really appreciate any advice, recommended chassis, build guides, or examples of similar telemetry/data projects.
Thanks a lot!