help a newbie decide gas/electric

[brickhead]

Good evening all.

I am new to the whole r/c thing but i want to get into. Not for the racing scene but just rolling around in the street and big parking lots/hard packed dirt. I have been looking at electric cars but sometimes it all get a bit overwhelming! As of now i have Kyosho Mini z and a Tamiya 850 BTCC Volvo.that has been sitting on my shelf for about 3 years.That is strictly for show only. You see, I'm a volvo enthusiast.I own '92 745 turbo and a '90 245 n/a but that is another subject and website. Anyways i was looking at a Tamiya XB Subaru but now i'm thinking of taking the plunge and go Tamiya TGS! Would this be too much since i'm new to this.I really like Tamiya r/c and models because they seem to pay attention to every little detail in the products.
Choices, Choices, tl01 tt 01 tgs chassis, etc, and so forth! I do know i want to be able to run on some hard packed dirt and the concrete/tennis courts. All suggestions/criticisms is appreciated. thanks in advance for the responses.

[Specializer]

Hi, welcome brickhead. Do you want an off-road or an on-road car? how much can you spend?

[C.J.OO]

By the sounds of things your strictly onroad omly so all of the Tamiya Kits you Have mentioned should Be fine..
Thats If you want to saty electric....

If you want to go Nitro On the other hand You have a few More Options..
Do a good saerch of these boards and figure out what you like..
and welcome also..;)

[Noob33]

hey volvo rules its the best heh like all european cars i just say that cause im from europe lol

[stangeroo]

lol, do you happen to post at turbobricks. But for the RC thing, i was in a similiar situation. I have never done any RC stuff before but wanted to get into it. I wanted a nitro just because I like engines and working on them. At school i cant really work on anything or get my hands dirty. I ended up getting an HPI RS4 SS off EBAY that included everything needed except fuel, glowplug wrench and a couple other small things. People say to avoid nitro because of all the work you have to do with them, but that was the exact reason i got one.

Its super fun and i cant tell you how many people have watched me driving it and just stood and watched because they have never seen a gas RC car.

[tadium54]

Well, since you've had an RC before, a nitro might be the next step. anyone know what a Volvo S60R goes for?

[MORTER MAN]

remember, you don;t have ot get that tamiya just because it has a volvo body on it. Often time you can get a volvo body and put it on another truck car ETC...

[rocknbil]

.....I do know i want to be able to run on some hard packed dirt and the concrete/tennis courts. All suggestions/criticisms is appreciated. thanks in advance for the responses....

Welcome aboard brickhead! Hey we have a brickshelf somewhere around here . . . lol . . .

I'd be interested to know what you think of this article (http://www.rc-resources.com/guides/what_to_buy.shtml), geared for beginners asking exactly this question. There are still pics coming for it but have a look and let me know, it addresses all the usual questions, toy vs hobby grade, RTR vs Kit, onroad vs. offroad, and electric vs. nitro.

[Mithan]

Personally I think what you get should depend on the money you want to spend, the amount of tweaking your willing to do, your personal patient level, etc.

I would consider myself a newbie, but lets face it, Nitro are more complex, require more maintenance and tuning to get it running well, etc. Electric are much quicker to get into and stay running, and repairs are usually a lot easier to do than what is required from a Nitro IMO anyways.

It really depends. Nitro, once working fine are a LOT of fun, but I know a few people with tweaked up electric cards and a half dozen battery packs who have their cars going 40-50mph and can almost run all day (with cooling breaks)...

[NitroBoy24]

Personally I think what you get should depend on the money you want to spend, the amount of tweaking your willing to do, your personal patient level, etc.

I would consider myself a newbie, but lets face it, Nitro are more complex, require more maintenance and tuning to get it running well, etc. Electric are much quicker to get into and stay running, and repairs are usually a lot easier to do than what is required from a Nitro IMO anyways.

It really depends. Nitro, once working fine are a LOT of fun, but I know a few people with tweaked up electric cards and a half dozen battery packs who have their cars going 40-50mph and can almost run all day (with cooling breaks)...

You wont have a 40-50mph E-onroad unless you drop down BIG bucks for a hot brushless setup along with a hot lipoly pack. I'm just trying to tell him you won't have a setup like that without big bucks, so he wont be mislead.

Even with that said I would still get an electric if you are new. Nitros are fun if you have an electric to play around with when the nitro is broken down. They are a pain in the ass for sure, but when they are up and running its a blast!

[MORTER MAN]

after racing onroad electric for 3 years then getting my first nitro I will never go back. the extra power, longer run times and sound sold me. Don't be afraid of nitro, there not THAT hard. come to think of it there not hard at all. Fil lthe tank pop in the glow starter and pull the pullstart/ use the electric starter. And nitro does NOT cost more then electric's. With electric's you always want better stuff I.E new batteries betetr charger new motor ETC and that all add's up to more then what nitro cost's. if you are going ot be running on the street and hard packed dirt a stadium truck would be perfect. Nitro OR electric. nitro wise an RC10Gt would be a great truck or the new losi nitro truck. Eletric wise same thing, RC10T4 or the losi staidum truck. but if your still set on that tamiya, thats fine, you will have a blast with that and I guess you could always mod it if you want. What ever you choose you will have fun. Good luck!

[tec_41]

At first, Nitro seems to cost WAY more than electric. This is how I saw it and had 2nd thoughts, but I stuck with it and now it's pretty even. In the long run, its about the same.

[murphy3688]

personally, if i could "go back" i would start with electric. my very first rc car was a (nitro) rc10gt, and i didnt know what the heck i was doin. ive been in rc for about four years now, and im thinkin of gettin my second nitro in a while within the year.

moral: try electric first, much less things to go wrong; more runtime and more funtime for the beginner, and it gives a better idea of what rc is about.