[Closed] Talk to be about remote control cars

Go with electric. Nitro is often fiddly and for 150 quid you'll end up with something less than useful.

Take a look at electric buggies/ trucks at 1:10th scale. Go for RTR (ready to run) models and invest in one or two extra battery packs.
Modelsport.co.uk
Apexmodels.co.uk

http://www.oople.com/

One word -Tamiya.

They make good stuff and you can get spares easily.
Get an electric one
Get extra cells off eBay. They're dirt cheap these days 3000mah is easily enough for a 'toy' with a standard 540 motor.
A 540 motor will be quick enough to learn with, and easy to upgrade if necessary with something like a HPI Firebolt
If your lad is 10 or over, get a kit and learn to build the car. It's great fun and you need minimal tools

I've raced on and off (currently on!) since I was about 12-13, so nearly 30 years 🙂
I started with a Tamiya Hornet, and they are still available and pretty much the same!

OOHH OHH Me Me I want one too!

Definitely electric. I can be complex, but have a look at the modelsport.co.uk forums for lots of guidance.

I recently got back into RC cars after a 25 year gap, and I was amazed at how things had moved on. Now own a Traxxas E-Maxx truck that my son drives (brilliant fun, but a bit much power for a 7 year old!), and Redcat Rampage loonatic racing machine.

For "bashing" (the RC world word for jumping and general mucking about), I would suggest the most accesible brand is Traxxas. A truck in 1/10th scale is a great starting size and the Summit or E-maxx would be very good. Look at modelsport for their complete packs and you'll be up and running in no time.

HTH
Kev

One thing to bear in mind when assessing your play area, you want dirt not grass. If you have less room than you thought then a slower 4WD monster rock crawler would be just as much fun, trials not rallycross.

I had an old 1:10 Tamiya and it was ridiculously tough, I used to mount kerbs by ramming them flat out! When it eventually needed a new bathtub chassis (for some reason 😳 ) it was very cheap.

Everytime I visit my parents I see my old Procat and Losi XX in the cupboard.

Batteries/esc long since died but I keep thinking I should get them up and running again. Procat must be >20yrs old now!

Tamiya is the way to go, you also get the pleasure of building it together. From a good model shop should get a good deal on radio (non tamiya will be cheaper), battery, charger & car kit. You'll probably need some polycarbonate paint for the shell too.

biggest cost after that is tyres they wear very quickly. Spare batteries are also useful.

Hmm, Axial raith or something similar is what my mate got for his 7 year old son recently. It is great fun. Agree with klumpy.

We however went for pppooooowwweeerrrr 😀

my son bought himself one of these:

http://www.storacingproducts.com/hbx-rocket-rtr.html

Pretty fast, rugged and jumps well.

OMG this is a big can of worms!!

Cheers for the links guys, theres loads of info on there for me to have a nose over. I've never been into this kind of thing at all but thought it might be a giggle with my son. He's only 4 so not going to be doing loads of tech stuff but he'll love us heading to the woods with a spade and sitting on my knee whilst we rag some jumps and lil tracks we've built 🙂

Any type of cars better than others? He loves the monster trucks and they look the most robust but is this accurate?

Also how do these things handle the sand? my Mum's based at a coastal town so would be cool to take it down there as well.

Mmmm I can see me get one myself a kit as well and building a bad boy up!!

Something with good cheap spares backup (are mardave still around?). Make him build it, all part of the fun, educational and he'll be able to fix it then too.

Procat? Pah, modern stuff, cat xls was where it was at when I was a lad!

if you want a monster truck and beach compatibility have a look at a Tamiya Lunchbox. We live 200 yards from a beach and it goes ok on the soft sand, really fast on the hard-packed stuff down lower when the tide is out. Does wheelies too! Definitely would advise putting all the electronics inside a couple of balloons and zip-tying the opening tight, even if you stay well away from the water's edge the salt is very invasive. If your lad is only 4 be prepared for some high-speed impacts into immovable objects! It's ok with the new car but I don't let my kids drive the restored 1980s Hotshot with the hot motor I could never afford as a kid...

Another vote for a electric Tamiya.

A group of friends all used to run Tamiya Mad Bulls, we used to meet up every month at either bmx tracks or local parks, race all 8 of them at the same time, it used to be a riot!

The Mad bull is RWD, which on dirt tracks added to the fun trying to get them all round the bends without crashing into each other.

Some of the group started to use hopup kit to try and gain an advantage, but tbh, the stock cars always seemed to win in the end.

Still, they were tough, could take a huge amount of abuse, but still great fun power sliding them round the bends 😉

Should be in your budget too.

[edit] forgot to say, building the kit was nearly as fun as racing them 😉

I've got an original Tamiya Lancia Delta Integral, got it out the other day to have play and the perished tyres lasted about 5 mins before disintergrating. The body is shagged too, would be nice to get it restored but while I can find tyres (how much!) I can't seem to find a bodyshell.

Of course 9 year old son wants one for Christmas now 🙂

As a few have mentioned: TAMIYA.

In a previous carnation i worked for a well known US manufacturer/distributor. (HPI).

and at your price range nothing will come close. Especially in build quality.
Not to mention the huge range, also as mentioned; the best places to order will be modelsport or wheelspin models.

I built up a Tamiya Madcap years ago. Keep meaning to see if I can get it roadworthy again, god knows what the batteries are like now though. On the whole, I got a lot more enjoyment out of building it than running it (though it handled terribly, I think due to crap suspension).

[img] [/img]

Building your own means you know it inside out if you need to maintain it.

I'd love another, but I worry how much use I'd get out of it based on past experience.

Personally I'd opt for this http://www.modelsport.co.uk/lrp-s10-blast-sc-rtr-1-10-short-course-truck-2.4ghz/rc-car-products/368712

Lrp make great cars and have top notch back up for spares through a model shop. The SC truck will bounce around all day long but will track through the rough stuff easier than a monster truck. It's RTR so includes all you need to get going straight away.

Tamiya are still making great cars but have been lef behind somewhat by smaller manufacturers who have explored new materials and construction methods.

That LRP car looks fantastic, apart from the fact it doesn't come as kit.

I don't quite get it why Ready to Run is so popular, as Cougar said the building is the best bit, when I got my Delta 20 years ago I stayed up all night building it.

Go electric, Nitro is a pain in the arse, having to re-tune as the air temp has gone down, or air pressure up.

Monster Trucks - Roll over too easy
Buggy - Doesn't cope with long grass
Truggy - Best of both, Good ride height for long grass and good handling.

Tamiya, Losi, Kyosho, HPI - All good brands. 1/10th or 1/8th scale if you are going to be going off-road.

Get some other family members to buy some extras/spares. Batteries, decent charger, wishbones, etc.

Just read he's only 4... Go careful with some of the RC's, they are rather quick and are ankle breakers. Are you sure this isn't for you!?

I used to race these. Tamiya are toys, I would shove you in the direction of a cheap Nitro car rather that. They go faster and have unlimited run times. Electric cars cost a fortune even more so if you want it to go quick

OMG this is a big can of worms!!

That said, I suspect it's not really for your kid at all. It'll be just like the cliched "dad hogging scalextric at christmas" scene, until he learns to "drive it properly".

That LRP car looks fantastic, apart from the fact it doesn't come as kit.

I don't quite get it why Ready to Run is so popular, as Cougar said the building is the best bit, when I got my Delta 20 years ago I stayed up all night building it.

I agree nick, although I Suspect with a 4 year old on Christmas Day all they will want to do is get out of the box and in the dirt.

@skids. Electric cars have been revolutionised by brushless motors/esc, lipo batteries and 2.4ghz radios. You now get speed and reliability. motors no longer need skimming, radios don't get interference, battery run times are 20 mins+ and speeds are ballistic. My mate got a 2.4ghz radio set up for £20! amazing. I got a brushless motor and speedo for £30 and it's faster than anything i've had before. If you want to run in sand etc, go for a re release rough rider/sandscorcher with brushless and lipo. happy christmas!!!

Not to mention, faff with fuel, starter boxes, batteries (still,)carb settings and clutches. i got rid of my nitro for all those reasons!

nitro/electric = 26/29er

I didnt read the bit about your kid being 4!

I think all the above suggestions are a bit premature for a kid that age. The things are fast and he will have difficulty controlling them.

@ski, does that mean when you've gone from electric to nitro, you go back to electric when the 'revolution' doesn't transpire? 😉

haha def not for me.
Don't get me wrong i'd love to build one up but certainly not a fan of these or even had one as a kid. I'd prob buy a kit to build it up / see how its put together just so its ready for xmas morning.

The Tamiya ones seem to be getting the biggest response from you guys so will prob go for something like that. Love the look of the Mad Bull and they look a bit less top heavy than the monster truck types.
I know 4 seems young but he's a quick learner and will have as much fun building the jumps and bumps and then putting in a straight line for a big jump. I'm not expecting him to be hitting the berms and doing donuts just yet!

Yeah the things being talked about above are powerful, fast and hard to control. And they need a hell of a lot of space.

Definitely not for a 4 year old.

I used to race these. Tamiya are toys, I would shove you in the direction of a cheap Nitro car rather that.

Mate, NOOOO!

I still do race. I suggested Tamia because he DOES want a toy!!! Nitro cars have no reverse, which is poxy for learning with and also poxy for doing tricks with too! A gallon of nitro fuel cosets more than 2 x cells for an electric car these days and I know which will last longer! Decent electric motor for playing with is well under £10. How much is a rebuild on a nitro engine?

🙂

@ nick
tamiya part number 51401 is the delta integrale.
only seems to be available from the states, although places like time tunnel models may be able to order stuff if you know the part number.
@ OP, my experience of a 6 yr old is staring straight at me with the throttle wide open and asking if hes doing it right, result =bent shock which is now empty of oil.
what an adult considers 'a bit slow' will probably be plenty for a kid.
+1 for tamiya, upgradable, reasonably robust, plenty of spares available.

Great thread. 😀 -
[url= http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=68247&st=0 ] Found this RC 2CV build, which is just amazing.[/url]

Am now thinking of how to smuggle a Kyosho Sand Master into the house - looks amazing value for just over a ton.
Anyone have any experience re one of these?

Nick - I've seen some Integrale shells on the internet recently - might have been on a US site though.

I've been looking at a Tamiya XV-01 Subaru as a possible winter project, it appears that teh kits are a dying breed though and it's cheaper to buy teh ready to run models, which is a bit of a shame - I always thought that building it and understanding how it works was half of teh fun....

Realise if you get a 2 stroke one that you will piss everyone off in a half mile radius.
PLEASE get an electric one.

I'll be getting a [url= http://www.hpiracing.co.uk/piw.php?partNo=MV12603 ]Maverick Strada MT Evo 1/10 RTR Electric Monster Truck[/url] when my lad gets a bit older, they sound tough, get good reviews and are good value at £110. They do a brushless version for £185 although he'd probably take his little brother's legs off with that!

I used to have Tamiya RC cars when I was a kid but the kit you get with the RTR models now are way better value.

Caught this thread a few months back and it got me thinking about those teenage years without an rc toy... So I bought a Tamiya Dark Impact off the 'bay for 70 quid a couple of weeks ago.

Not doing too bad - only needed fettling twice in the 3 times it's been run! Great fun, and very very quick...

Can see it being an expensive pastime though.

http://www.modelsport.co.uk/?product_id=39324

Is a barjin