I've been out of RC cars for about fifteen years now but am looking at getting back into them. I used to have an RC10 and RC12L (both electric) which I occassionally raced. Now I know next to nothing about the hobby so I am in need of some input on what to get. Initially I am just going to run them with my friends at our houses. I have five acres and a tractor so I will be able to build a track, some jumps, etc... and have fun. I may also get into racing if I catch the bug. I am thinking I want either a 1/8 or 1/10 scale 4WD nitro powered buggy or truck but I am open to any suggestions. I would like to keep the cost below $500 (would prefer below $400 if possible) for the car, engine and radio but I want something that can be competetive if/when I decide to race. I also like to tinker so something that is tweakable and has a lot of after market parts would be nice. Since racing may be in my future I would like something both size-wise and engine-wise that is pretty common in the racing circuits. I have looked at some different websites and a couple of cars that caught my eye are the Kyosho Inferno TR-15 or MP-7.5, the Associated RC-10GT and the Ofna Hyper 7 or 9.5. My friends have T-Maxxs that are fun as well. I am at the mercy of this forum. What do you guys suggest? Thanks.

Matt

I am normally an "electric" racer, but... This summer I got a LOSI NT RTR, and it was sure fun! Great "package deal"... I ran all summer on one engine, and although the Mach .15 isn't what most would call a "race" engine, the new RTR's come with a rear exhaust version of that engine, and I think it will be even better!

From your description of your interests, that's what I'd recommend you get -- the new LOSI NT RTR II....

Monster trucks are sort of cool, but very "single purpose", (more backyard fun than "race" vehicles unless you mod the heck out of the chassis)... The NT can be raced as-is, and can be upgraded with all the latest LOSI race parts when/if you want...

Yea from the sounds of what you want to do with it I'd have to agree with Tom. Either the XXX-NT RTR or for a little less but older technology, the RC10GT RTR would fit the bill almost exactly. Both have a large aftermarket following so hopups should not be a problem to find, especially for the GT. You might laugh but I picked up a Duratrax nitro Evader about two years ago now and it is a blast. It's very similar to the GT in design but cost a lot less. With that lesser cost however you do get a little lesser quality vehicle. I've found a few things that irk me about the little truck but it holds it's own on the track. The .18 is absolutely ballistic and a handfull on a small track!

Great! Thanks for the responses so far. If anyone else has anything to add please do. It seems that you guys think I should go the truck route rather than the buggy route. Is there a reason for that? I've heard that trucks are easier to drive and generally better for beginners but buggys for some reason are much more appealing to me. Would a 1/8th buggy such as an Inferno MP-75 be total overkill for me? Or how about a 1/10th buggy, how would they compare to the trucks you are recommending? And are there many classes that 1/10th buggys could race in? Don't get me wrong, I value any advice offered and I will definately look into the trucks you recommended but I just want to lookm at all my options so I can make an informed decision. Also, what are the advantage/disadvantages between kits and RTRs? The RTRs seem to be a better value but I think that getting a kit and building the car would provide alot of insight into how it all works and help when I have to trouble-shoot problems later. Plus kits offer more flexibility in terms of radio, engine, etc... Any advice on that aspect? Thanks again for all of the help, I really appreciate it.

Matt

Buggies have somewhat taken a back seat to the trucks, except in So Cal and Florida where there are more people involved in R/C overall. 1/8 scale buggies are usually race purpose vehicles and are fun but expensive and a little too big to run in the front yard, unless you have distant or tolerent neighbors. I think either gas truck Losi or Associated would give you plenty of fun and many of hours of wrenching too.

Yea what Trixter said. :) Actually from the sounds of it you were more into giving 1/10 nitro a try and there aren't really a whole lot of choices in the 1/10 buggy nitro catagory. I'd have to agree that it seems 1/8 buggies are more "race oriented" than play, mostly if you ask me because of the cost factor. Even a good RTR 1/8 buggy will set you back upwards of $450-$600. Just seems to me anybody laying out that amount of cash is going to be more into racing than playing. That $$$ is also why we recommended the RTR route as far as a 1/10 nitro truck. You'll end up spending a lot more on a kit and all the support gear than getting it all in one shot with a RTR. Granted you WILL learn a lot more about your vehicle if you build it and put all the electronics in yourself however. I guess it depends on how "into" it you are planning to get. If you are going to go full bore into racing (unlike what your original post suggested) then I'd almost go kit and put in your own selected items.

OK, so you guys convinced me that I should be looking at 1/10 nitro truck. Now I am mainly concerned with getting something that will keep my racing options open. As far as racing what should I keep in mind when getting a nitro truck? For example, 4wd vs. 2wd - can either typically be raced in a class or do the classes usually only allow one or the other? Also, what about engine size? Are there limits on engine sizes allowed run in certain classes in Nitro cars? I know when I raced electric buggy's you generally had stock or modified but I don't remember what made the difference. Finally, can 1/10 buggies run with 1/10 trucks? These are the main questions that come to mind but feel free to add anything else. I just want to make sure that I don't get a truck and then discover that there are no classes to race it in. Thanks again for all the great help and suggestions.

Matt

10th scale truck racing is almost totally 2wd... At least around here... Local tracks allow RTR engines including .15 and .18 -- "race" engines are normally restricted to the ROAR .12 limit... An RTR .15 or .18 will actually have less race performance (but not by much) than a .12, but I've found the RTR Mach .15 in my LOSI is more "mellow" and "drivable", so I've stayed with it, as it is still faster than MY skill with nitro... :D

Thanks for all of the input. You all have convinced me that I need either the Associated RC10GT or the Losi XXX NT (like you guys originally said). I think I will go the kit route so I can get the experience of building it and be more familiar with how it all goes and works together. It may be more expensive that way and I will probably end up with the same basic car as an RTR but if I bought an RTR I would probably just end up taking it apart right away anyway - like I said, I love to work on this kind of stuff. Thanks again for the help and maybe I'll see you on the track someday.

Matt

You should probably buy the new xxx-t ad2 all graphite and you can build it and put whatever you want in it, and you will also have something nice and quality.