Hey everyone I'm back for one final Instructable...or one of the last at least. I have recently gotten into the hobby of RC cars and at first I didn't know too much about, well basically everything. I have decided to help everyone else out by sharing everything I have learned over the last year. And by the way, I appreciate positive comments since this is still a work in progress. I will be adding on more weekly and most of it will be related to comments. Thanks for the help :)
Step 1: The Brands
These are some of the biggest brands to choose from for buying an rc car. I know there are plenty more but these seem to be the most popular.
TRAXXAS
Traxxas cars are very fast, durable, and high quality. If you buy one of these, you will very rarely need to replace broken or worn parts. However, these cars and trucks start at about $300 and do not always include a battery pack and charger. To buy visit www.traxxas.com
Exceed
Out of all of these, Exceed cars are the cheapest, but they often require spare parts and a rather high level of maitenence. I own an exceed, so I can personally tell you to only get an exceed if you do not want to spend a lot of money and you are willing to pay $10 for shipping every time a few pieces break. The cars start at $90 and are most of the parts are good quality. To buy visit www.nitrorcx.com
HPI
HPI cars are not all that popular, mostly because they are as expensive as Traxxas but not as good quality. There is not much I can say about them other than from what I've read they have good quality parts and will not need many replacements. To buy visit www.nitrorcx.com or www.hpiracing.com
Tamiya
Tamiya is the classic RC car brand. They've been making good cars for more than 30 years. I own the Grasshopper from about 1984 or something but its actually really nice. I have never broken a part on it and I've been driving it offroad for a year now. They start around $200 but are reasonably slower than other brands for that price due to the classical "Low-Tech" designs.
TRAXXAS
Traxxas cars are very fast, durable, and high quality. If you buy one of these, you will very rarely need to replace broken or worn parts. However, these cars and trucks start at about $300 and do not always include a battery pack and charger. To buy visit www.traxxas.com
Exceed
Out of all of these, Exceed cars are the cheapest, but they often require spare parts and a rather high level of maitenence. I own an exceed, so I can personally tell you to only get an exceed if you do not want to spend a lot of money and you are willing to pay $10 for shipping every time a few pieces break. The cars start at $90 and are most of the parts are good quality. To buy visit www.nitrorcx.com
HPI
HPI cars are not all that popular, mostly because they are as expensive as Traxxas but not as good quality. There is not much I can say about them other than from what I've read they have good quality parts and will not need many replacements. To buy visit www.nitrorcx.com or www.hpiracing.com
Tamiya
Tamiya is the classic RC car brand. They've been making good cars for more than 30 years. I own the Grasshopper from about 1984 or something but its actually really nice. I have never broken a part on it and I've been driving it offroad for a year now. They start around $200 but are reasonably slower than other brands for that price due to the classical "Low-Tech" designs.
Step 2: The Car Types
There are about 5 car types. I am not going to explain too much about each since they seem rather straightforward.
STREET
These are your average street cars. They are the fastest and the best on paved, flat surfaces. Do not get this if you are looking to drive in your backyard or want something with more power.
DRIFT
Drift cars are like on-road cars but with slick tires. YOu can slide around turns and still get almost as fast as an on-road car. They are good if regular cars bore you but you like to drive fast. Drifting is hard, however, so be warned.
BUGGY
Buggies are a cross between offroad and onroad cars. They are the second fastest on road but the slowest offroad usually due to their low wheelbase. Buggies are good for those who cant decide what type of car they want, since they can use it for both.
TRUGGY
Truggies are also a crossover like buggies, but they are more for the offroad. It basically takes the frame of a Buggy and puts monster truck tires on it. These are the 3rd fastest on road and the 2nd slowest off.
TRUCKS
Trucks are your monster trucks. They are amazing offroad but very slow onroad. They may flip a lot when trying to make high speed turns so these are not the best foron road and you should get these if you want to drive in the woods or in the grass the most.
STREET
These are your average street cars. They are the fastest and the best on paved, flat surfaces. Do not get this if you are looking to drive in your backyard or want something with more power.
DRIFT
Drift cars are like on-road cars but with slick tires. YOu can slide around turns and still get almost as fast as an on-road car. They are good if regular cars bore you but you like to drive fast. Drifting is hard, however, so be warned.
BUGGY
Buggies are a cross between offroad and onroad cars. They are the second fastest on road but the slowest offroad usually due to their low wheelbase. Buggies are good for those who cant decide what type of car they want, since they can use it for both.
TRUGGY
Truggies are also a crossover like buggies, but they are more for the offroad. It basically takes the frame of a Buggy and puts monster truck tires on it. These are the 3rd fastest on road and the 2nd slowest off.
TRUCKS
Trucks are your monster trucks. They are amazing offroad but very slow onroad. They may flip a lot when trying to make high speed turns so these are not the best foron road and you should get these if you want to drive in the woods or in the grass the most.
Step 3: Electric or Nitro
Now that you know the brands and types of rc cars its time to decide if you want to go with electric or nitro. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Electric
cheaper
"cleaner"
Less Maintence
Better for at-home use
Cars have faster acceleration in general
Limited run times
need to wait hours to recharge batteries
Brushless motors are expensive
Nitro
Longer run times
nice sound
Need to buy gas
Smells bad (my opinion)
a little more expensive to buy the car
cars are more complex (more can go wrong)
Electric
cheaper
"cleaner"
Less Maintence
Better for at-home use
Cars have faster acceleration in general
Limited run times
need to wait hours to recharge batteries
Brushless motors are expensive
Nitro
Longer run times
nice sound
Need to buy gas
Smells bad (my opinion)
a little more expensive to buy the car
cars are more complex (more can go wrong)
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