Car & Truck Kits
Most cars and trucks come in easily assembled kits with detailed instructions. Most first timers can assemble a kit in 4 to 8 hours.There are off-road trucks, on-road sedans, electric cars and nitro-burning gas cars-so be sure you get the type of car you really want. Electric cars are usually easier for a beginner.
RTR Cars & Trucks
Some cars are available in ready-to-run (pre-built) form, with everything assembled and installed. Typically, all that's left for you is to trim and paint the body, put in a battery, and go! Ready-to-run cars are usually geared toward the entry-level and backyard driver, but are often as tough and as fast as the competition oriented kits.
Electric Cars & Trucks
Electric cars have many distinct advantages over nitro-powered ones. They are quieter, cleaner, and lighter. They are also easier to get running. As long as the batteries are charged and the wires are hooked up properly, the electric car will work. There are no engine adjustments, no glow plugs to light, and there's no fuel to buy.
As with nitro cars, if you choose to race, choose a car with as many "racing" features as are available. Many cars come in sport or competition versions. The competitive cars have ball bearings and other upgrade parts for the chassis and shocks.
Different models come with different accessories too. Some cars come with the motor and a mechanical speed control. Most competition cars provide the basic rolling chassis, but require you to purchase everything else (i.e. motor, battery, ESC, body) separately. When you choose a car, make sure you understand everything that the car kit includes.
Ready-to-run vehicles are a special breed of R/C car. They are top quality hobby cars,but they come pre-assembled. In most cases, they come with a radio system installed!All you have to do is complete some minor build-up, install eight AA batteries in the transmitter, install the six-cell, 7.2 volt NiCd battery, charge it up, and the car is truly ready to go.
The car or truck body usually comes unpainted and untrimmed. No problem. Just cut it out, put on some stickers and your favorite color paint and you're ready to tear up thetrack.
Nitro Cars & Trucks
These vehicles come in pre-built sport versions and all-out racing kits. There are ready-to-run off-road stadium trucks, monster trucks, and even on-road sedan-stylesport cars.
Nitro cars have several advantages over electric vehicles. First, they will be faster out of the box than the majority of electric cars. Second, they have a much longer run-time, typically 10-15 minutes compared to 6-8 minutes with electrics. You also don't have to wait on batteries to charge. You can refuel while the engine is running and not lose any precious run-time.
For the racer, there are many trucks available that come with many hop-ups geared toward racing. The Associated RC10GT and Losi NXT are probably the two most common racing trucks around. These trucks most often come without the engine, radio, and starting accessories. This allows the driver to customize the vehicle with equipment he has chosen.
For sport drivers, Traxxas and Duratrax make a large line of pre-assembled RTR trucks and cars for the beginner. Traxxas vehicles come with a push-button electric starter that makes starting the engines a lot easier. Duratrax vehicles come with the standard pull-starter. These cars come complete except for fuel and starting accessories.
One of the most common questions a beginner will ask is:
How fast
does it go?
The following chart is designed to give a rough idea how
fast different types of vehicles will go. Keep in mind, these are only
guidelines, speeds vary from model to model. It is also not a good idea to
base the selection of your car on speed alone. You should also consider
your ability level, whether you want to race, how much time and effort you
want to put into it, and how much you can afford.
| Type: | Speed: |
| Off-road - Electric | 15-30 mph |
| Off-road - Gas | 20-60 mph |
| On-Road - Electric | 20-40 mph |
| On-road - Gas | 20-60 mph |
| Monster Truck - Electric | 10-25 mph |
| Monster Truck - Gas | 20-40 mph |
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