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Robert Reynolds
Dec 02, 2007, 02:23 PM
I'm going to buy an RC vehicle for myself and my sons for Christmas, and
I need some advice. I've been doing RC planes for almost 20 years, and
I'm highly mechanically inclined. But I am not very familiar with the
ins and outs of the RC car market. I won't buy the baby-toy crap that
breaks if you look at it funny. I want a real RC car with outdoor
capabilities.

Of course I've heard of Traxxas, Losi, etc. But I'm seeing some new
names while shopping the internet and I don't know if they are
fly-by-night vendors or if they are offering decent quality products.

What can you guys tell me about Sportwerks? They're selling those for
very attractive prices. Are there any brand names to stay away from?
And how about the little cars with .05 engines?

I like nitro, but I understand that electric cars are virtually hassle
free. Would I be opening a big can of worms if I were to get a nitro car?

How about new vs. used? I don't mind tinkering. It's what I do best.
But is it better to get a discount for good used items or buy new and
get a discount brand? I'm not rich enough to get into the high end
competition gear, and I'm not really into it anyway. We just want to
have some fun, maybe build a little ramp about 6 inches high for some
light jumping, and do a lot of peeling out in the yard.

We'd like to spend no more than a hundred bucks if possible. Am I dreaming?

KK
Dec 04, 2007, 11:16 AM
In article <13l61kjt21j58d3@corp.supernews.com>,
Robert Reynolds <robbie@kcnet.com> wrote:

> We'd like to spend no more than a hundred bucks if possible. Am I dreaming?

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=CIS96068

Robert Reynolds
Dec 04, 2007, 04:19 PM
KK wrote:
> In article <13l61kjt21j58d3@corp.supernews.com>,
> Robert Reynolds <robbie@kcnet.com> wrote:
>
>> We'd like to spend no more than a hundred bucks if possible. Am I dreaming?
>
> http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=CIS96068

That looks like a pretty nice car for a hundred bucks, but I was looking
for more of an off-road machine. We ended up getting an electric RC18
ready to run for 75 bucks. The tires are worn down from driving on
pavement, but I figured that meant it wasn't beaten to death from
off-road action. I'm pretty sure it's just what I was looking for.

It's kind of funny how I started getting into the nitro cars while
shopping. I bid on one on ebay but lost by ten bucks. It was a nearly
new .15 off-road buggy with only a couple of tanks of fuel through it.
I'm thinking that if my boys and I get into cars in a big way we'll
probably end up with a loud greasy nitro car eventually. With RC
airplanes 50% of the fun is in running the engines as far as I'm concerned.

Robert Reynolds
Dec 06, 2007, 05:58 PM
I ended up getting an RC18 on ebay for about $75 total with shipping.
It's a really nice little car. It just has one leaky shock absorber,
and the tires are worn down a little. Other than that, it's in perfect
condition.

I already went to the hobby store and bought a shock absorber rebuild
kit and a small bottle of oil. This thing should be in perfect
condition by Christmas morning.

I'm still thinking about a nitro car, though.......
Maybe next year.

Dave Allison
Dec 11, 2007, 09:03 PM
Well, too late, but here is my favorite entry electic:
http://cgi.ebay.com/TRAXXAS-BANDIT-RC-REMOTE-CONTROL-ELECTRIC-OFFROAD-BUGGY_W0QQitemZ110203520608QQihZ001QQcategoryZ4401 6QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The Bandit! My grandkids and I have had hours of fun. It's fast, off
road, and durable. ebay has one for $89, but I paid over $130 for mine.
Now the extreme Bandits are $160 and up.

DAve

Robert Reynolds wrote:
> I ended up getting an RC18 on ebay for about $75 total with shipping.
> It's a really nice little car. It just has one leaky shock absorber,
> and the tires are worn down a little. Other than that, it's in perfect
> condition.
>
> I already went to the hobby store and bought a shock absorber rebuild
> kit and a small bottle of oil. This thing should be in perfect
> condition by Christmas morning.
>
> I'm still thinking about a nitro car, though.......
> Maybe next year.