New Car suggestions

[jasonbd]

I am looking into getting another Car. I wanted to know what you would suggest for an on-road car.

Do you suggest gas or electric?
Any certain model?

I am looking for one that could be upgraded/tuned to go faster.

Thanks
-jb

[MrB1973]

First, welcome to the boards.
Second, generally speaking, the recommendation is to visit your local hobby shop (LHS) and see what they recommend, and also what cars they stock replacement parts for.
Then you need to decide if you are going to be racing or just banging around the streets/parking lots, as that would also impact your decision.

Good luck!

[DBracer]

I would definately go to your lhs (local hobby shop) and see whats good, and see what they all race. if your looking for speed nitro cars will give you that. but if you are looking for cars that dont need much maintenance, id go for electric. Every hobby grade car can be easily tuned with some screws too. And i would go with one thats not built, you will learn a lot more about your car, and be able to tune it much better.

Hope this helps, and welcome.

[jasonbd]

Thanks alot for everyone's suggestions! I should have known to go to my LHS but its so far away from me almost a 45 mintue drive across town. Well its called hobbytownusa and I usually by most of my stuff online anyways. Did ya'll have any suggestions on one that I should build to get familiar with parts and all that good stuff.

Thanks for the warm welcome!
-jb

[TRF Drive Hard]

What is your preference? Tamiya? Losi? AE? just to name a few brands... and since you shop online, i dont think parts and availability would be a prob for you.

[cool head]

more important, what do you plan on doing with it? bashing or racing. clean track, or dirty parking lots? thats very important when choosing a vehicle.

[jasonbd]

Personally I like Losi, for now I will be driving it on a dirty parking lot with small rocks, usually the street. I think a buggy would be good for driving on the street from the different topics I have seen in the forum. I just do not want a kit that has had bad ratings from experienced builders...

[ducati777]

8th scale buggies are really versatile, you can throw foams on em, lower them and hang with the touring car crowd, or run offroad, or even convert to a truggy. I'm a big fan of 8th scale buggies as they can be made into anything you want.

[metalry101]

AE NTC3. NOTHING touches it for value. The RTR is only 300-350 bux depending on where you buy it. Crazy fast out of the box ('bout 55 according to Car Action), handles well, and very very well designed. With the right setup and driver it can win on any racetrack, and it's also great for the street. Any hobby shop worth it's salt stocks Associated parts, so that shouldn't be a problem at all. Upgrades are very easy to come by, but aren't even necessary because the car is so kickass out of the box.

Like ducati777 said, 1/8 scales are ultra-versatile and probably the funnest all around vehicles in r/c (well...I prefer monster trucks, but 1/8's are mean machines for sure), but if you've already got an off-road machine and you're looking for something solely for pavement, the NTC3 is what you want for sure. If you're looking for something to tear up everything you point it at, and fly like a kite (literally), 1/8 scales can't be beat.

[jasonbd]

Great Guys! Thanks for the help!

[murphy3688]

i know youre new to the boards, but you may not be new to rc. if youre still a "newb" somewhat, you might wanna look into electrics. an AE TC3 is a good car (as opposed to the Ntc3 recommended by metalry- n stands for nitro). the first rc i bought was an rc10gt and i had no idea what the heck i was doin. electrics are very simple and nearly maintenence free, compared to a nitro. much cleaner too. i traded the gt for a traxxas rustler (which is also gone by now), but the point is i loved electric so much i dont think im goin back to nitro. good luck

[jasonbd]

Thanks Murphy, I am looking around at both Elec. and Nitro kits trying to figure what would be a good car to take on. Yes, I will admit I am still a newbie.

[metalry101]

If you go electric I'd say the HPI Sprint is probably the best RTR value on the market. The TC3 is a helluva car for sure, but I think it's a bit overpriced given the old-school Hitec Lynx Sport and P.O.S. Runner ESC. The chassis is great, but I've heard good things about that Sprint too. I don't think it has the potential a TC3 has, but as far as beginner cars w/ race-DNA, I think it could compete. It's a bit cheaper than the TC3 too. I think those two are the best values, while the XXX-S RTR is the best overall package if you've got the coin to spend. I personally don't care for the layout of the car, as it's just not something I'm really into, but it's a proven winner on the track, and Losi builds an exceptional vehicle. The electronics that come w/ it are lightyears ahead of anything included w/ any other RTR, and the chassis is as good or better than any other RTR, including the TC3. If you've got the money for it, it's definately the best buy in RTR touring cars. I'd recommend staying well away from the 4-Tec, as it's very overpriced for what it is. I can't think of any other RTR TC's on the market to speak of. Tamiya makes some nice cars, and if you want to build, the TB-02 is a great chassis w/ tons of potential. It comes w/ full ball bearings, oil filled shocks, and Tamiya quality. They run about 160 as an unassembled kit. If you like to build (which I personally LOVE to do), then I'd suggest that car. If you like belt drive, the Tamiya TA-04 is another very very capable chassis. It's every bit as good as the TB-02, but it's a belt driven car instead of shaft. They're both great cars, but the TB-02 is a little newer I believe, and as such is probably a little easier to get parts for. I think there's also a larger selection of bodies that come in the box. I know you can get a Subuaru, Mercedes, NSX, Porsche (the one reviewed by Car Action a few months back)...and a few others that I can't recall. I'm not sure what TA-04's are still in production. I know they made a Corvette that came w/ the painted body, another one that came w/ 2 TT's, and one w/ a Ferrari Modena. There may be others, but those are the ones I can remember being on the shelf at my shop. I'd say those are probably the best two chassis' on the market in kit form in that price range. They combine Tamiya quality and ease of assembly w/ a low price, massive upgradability (you could turn it into a TB Evo 3 Surikarn if you so desired), and good performance. They're definately race-worthy chassis'. Anyways, are you wanting RTR or a kit, or are you still undecided? I'd definately suggest a kit because then you get to know your vehicle inside and out, plus you get the satisfaction of building it and painting your own body and picking all of your own electronics and whatnot. IMO it's the only way to go. Some people don't like to build though...but what are you looking for? RTR or a kit? If you go nitro, I would definately suggest an RTR, as the standard equipment is good enough, and it saves you a ton of money because there are no "entry level" nitro kits. The HPI RS4 3 Type SS is as close as they come, but for the price the NTC3 is a much better car. On the other hand, if you go electric, I would suggest getting a kit. Let us know what you're leaning towards and/or what your preferences are so we can give you some more specific help....