Originally posted by CoSLigo
Hi first time here and I am sure this is asked alot but I could not find anything specific enough. Anyway, I have a couple of teenagers and I am looking to buy a few off-road nitro vehicles. They want to build a course/track on some of our land out back. We were looking around and there is a lot of info but as usual when you do not know what your looking for it can be confusing. We would like to get kits as it seems like they would be fun to build and that you would learn more about the vehicle by building it. Anyway I have a few questions.
What would some of your suggestions be for a off-road nitro kit under $500.00? Over 500.00? I want a couple of different vehicles.
Who is a good online vendor?
Is the kit a good idea or a bad idea for the first jump into the hobby?
Any suggested online resources I should look at?
I know a lot of questions but any assitance you can provide would be appreciated
CosLigo-
those are some great questions. Lets see if we can get you some answers here.
I think the two best choices for you, given your level of expertise and price range would be the 2wd stadium truck and the monster truck. There is also the 1/8 scale buggy, but those tend to be much more expensive, they have bigger engines and such.
Most all monster trucks come RTR(ready to run) with the Savage SS being the exception. This is a killer truck, and would be an absolute blast. They are great bashing trucks, but like all monster trucks they are a little more difficult to set up for racing.
If you go the 2wd stadium truck, there are really two options in kits. The losi xxx-nt drake edition. The Associated RC10GT Factory Team. The benefit of ST(stadium trucks) is that they are easier to maintain and wrench on(which is a big part of the hobby) They are fast, handle great and are a lot of fun. If racing is in the future, the 1/10 gas class is a really fun class to race. They are also a little cheaper to run and maintain. The smaller engines are cheaper, and there are less moving parts to break/maintain.
1/8th scale buggies kick ass, there is not denying that, but money is often a factor that keeps a lot of guys from getting into them, myself included. I know that there are a limited number of buggies that fit in your price range, including the Hot Bodies Lightening Pro. If you decide to go this route, be prepared to want to uprage like crazy. The desire for more power, better handling, etc.. bites people pretty quickly, and these all cost.
As far a starting out with a kit, if you are slightly machanically inclided, you should have no problems with a kit. It is a great way to learn your vehicle, inside and out. I first bought a TMaxx, which is RTR, and it took me a long time to learn about the truck, since I didn't put it together.
Whatever you decide, do some research and stick with a quality manufacturer, like Losi, Associated, HPI. You will be much happier in the long run.
As far as online vendors, here are a few reputable ones that will get you started, they should have just about everything you need.
http://www.towerhobbies.com
http://www.stormerhobbies.com
http://horizonhobby.com
