Recommendations for a beginner's R/C car, please!

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utherjorge

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Hello!

Picked up these cheapie R/C cars from Amazon for less than $30...and the only one I tried to use blew a rear differential almost immediately. It was under a minute and a gear shredded itself. Good times!

I see a million choices all over the web, and I do now understand to get something that I could race three at a time and last more than 30 seconds will cost more.

Can you all recommend some choices that fit the above criteria? Bonus points to things that can actually be upgraded or swapped when it breaks instead of becoming dumpster filler...I'm looking for road-type cars, and not off-road trucks with big tires.

Thanks in advance, people. I appreciate it.
 
utherjorge said:
Hello!

Picked up these cheapie R/C cars from Amazon for less than $30...and the only one I tried to use blew a rear differential almost immediately. It was under a minute and a gear shredded itself. Good times!

I see a million choices all over the web, and I do now understand to get something that I could race three at a time and last more than 30 seconds will cost more.

Can you all recommend some choices that fit the above criteria? Bonus points to things that can actually be upgraded or swapped when it breaks instead of becoming dumpster filler...I'm looking for road-type cars, and not off-road trucks with big tires.

Thanks in advance, people. I appreciate it.
Click to expand...

The Tamiya tt02 chassis might offer what you are looking for. Tamiya makes other on-road specific vehicles.

What is your budget?

Here is my build: https://www.rctalk.com/forum/threads/chapman-tamiya-neo-scorcher-build.139056/page-2#post-1393493
 
Any 1/10 Traxxas or Arrma 2wd or 4wd car.
Losi 1/16 and 1/18 Mini (Mini T, B, Jrx2)
Oop, just saw onroad, not offroad. Well with that, I will say TT02 from Tamiya, or the 4Tec 2.0 or 3.0 from Traxxas. (Don't know much about onroad stuff)
 
the new traxxas BL-2S models can't BE BEAT. id recomend picking one of those up. the slash sounds like it would be perfect.

Edit: i noticed on road.... i still think you should get the slash. it can really be upgraded into anything! rallycar, monstertruck, buggy, streetcar, pretty much anything. this WONT be a dumpster filler.

it even is related to the XO-1, the 100mph traxxas car.
 
DavidB1126 said:
Any 1/10 Traxxas or Arrma 2wd or 4wd car.
Losi 1/16 and 1/18 Mini (Mini T, B, Jrx2)
Oop, just saw onroad, not offroad. Well with that, I will say TT02 from Tamiya, or the 4Tec 2.0 or 3.0 from Traxxas. (Don't know much about onroad stuff)
Click to expand...
OK: thank you! I do see some possibilities in there. I do not rule out later mods, as one potential activity is building them up together. But, looking to stay around $150 or so to start at most.
 
Ah. Are you looking for kits to build up or RTR ready to run? If kits, I'm not sure about onroad kits, but for off-road, can't go wrong with a slash 2wd kit.
 
9x19 said:
Traxxas currently has a sale going on their Factory Five hot rods, buy any two for $299
Click to expand...
This would be better, try to save the school some money
I agree with @luke66 the new BL2S cars, good starter cars, extremely durable because of the HD kit pre installed
utherjorge said:
RTR, please.
Click to expand...
Yep anything we listed is mostly RTRs. 👍
 
9x19 said:
Traxxas currently has a sale going on their Factory Five hot rods, buy any two for $299
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion, though they are out of stock on these, which I can understand
 
luke66 said:
id say you should just bite the bullet and get something a little more expensive
Click to expand...
The additional reason to not go too big is that these will be used by middle school children more than me, so that complicates things
 
Welcome in @utherjorge , first and most important thing to do, research and make sure there is available parts because RCs break. Unfortunately more often than we like but that's the nature of the hobby. No available parts mean no available fun.
On road rigs are less likely to crash and break unless you drive them around curbs, garage cans, power poles, ask me how I know.
Anyways you will see lots of suggestions and they all will be awesome choices.
Stay away from CHEAP. Cheap rigs gets you nothing more than a short ride and rarely is there replacement parts.
Arrma, Traxxas, Losi, Kyosho, to name a few are good brands.
 
Maybe an FTX banzai or a Maverick strada TC?
Never tried them though so I don't know if they're good or not.
 
This may not be a very popular opinion but my son got a litehawk vixen for Christmas. He’s 12 and driven the wheels off this car. It has been really tough (like really really tough). the only time we’ve broken parts is because I keep upgrading it. There are a lot of parts available to repair it too.
It’s been a wonderful starter and he’s now counting the days to Christmas where a new full hobby grade RC awaits him.
 

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