Anyone Into R/C Cars, Trucks, or Buggies?

[Jesse James]

Just a general call to anyone who is into the hobby of Remote Controlled vehicles...  Whether you race them, horse around in your back yard, belong to a club, or whatever...  I'm just curious who maybe has an interest in this hobby.

I used to be into them, starting out with Tyco vehicles when I was a little kid then moving onto the big hobby trucks when I turned into my teen years.

I got a Kyosho Outlaw Ultima Stadium Truck when I was around 14/15 years of age and built the kit myself.  I had a blast with that, but now I'm wanting to move onto bigger and better things.

I'm looking to get into Nitro trucks (gas powered) and even do a little star wars customizing crossover, but mostly I want the truck just to play around with when I'm bored out here in the sticks.

If anyone's into the hobby, please feel free to jump into the conversation...  Share what you have, what you do (race or play), etc...  I'm curious how many here are into it besides myself.

[paploo]

The T-Maxx is said to be the best truck and there are tons of stuff to buy for it, I had an emaxx (the electric version) . I bought some custom motors for mine (it has 2) and it went 35 - 40 mph and that is electric. If you buy a tmaxx make sure it has the 2.5 motor, it is much faster.
The truck is ready to run, but it is not like the tyco things...they are amazing.
TMAXX
I think traxxas makes the best stuff

[Jesse James]

Yeah, that's one I've been looking at, and it's one of the few Nitro cars to have reverse too, which I really want since racing isn't my main thing...  4-wheel drive's a plus too.

I'm hoping to get out there and find some new things out about other trucks...  Run time is a key for me also, tied with the ability to pop into R, so I gotta make sure I check all my options first.  

I am really psyched to get a new truck and drive some...  Maybe make some new friends in the hobby in my area, though I know of absolutely no established tracks around here.  Blah

[paploo]

another thing i like about the tmaxx is it has a 2 speed transmission, and when you hit 2nd gear it just takes off that much faster. it makes all the difference in the world...what part of the country do you live in

[Jesse James]

I live up around Pittsburgh...  RC Cars aren't a HUGE hobby here, but I did find a track not more than 20 minutes from my place though, so that was a plus.

A shop opened in Vandergrift, a town up the river from me, and it's dedicated to RC...  Hobbytown USA opened this past year as well, but is over near the Airport which is on the other side of Pittsburgh entirely.  It'd be about an hour away on a weekend day or evening.  I love that store though.

Another shop is about 20 minutes away and now specialize in RC, but used to not have any RC stuff...  There's other shops around then within the city, but they aren't simple to get to, nor close.  About 45 minutes each at least, but they are RC specific.

There used to be a great shop here when I was into RC when I was young, called TC's RCs, but it burnt down and the owner packed up and left for Florida...  It was real close, like 20 minutes, and had a track in the basement that was great.  

At least I have found a neat place nearby with a track though, and I have options for where to go for help if I need it 1-on-1.  

[paploo]

i live next to princeton, and have only found one hobby shop around here. there are 2 about 1 hour away, but it is not worth it. I have been used to getting everything from towerhobbies.com. I build car models and tower is the only place i can get them b/c the other place stinks

[Jesse James]

I have a handful within an hour, and in all directions, but they're not that great either.  Most of the "Good" shops are down in the city...  It's an hour or so to get to them, but like I said I always have to plan that right.  Not fun trips sometimes.

The Hobbytown store is great, I mean it's just huge and has 1/4 of it devoted to RC everything I would say.  I love it...  Hell, they even had Tamiya paints there!  It's been ages since I found any Tamiya racks at a local hobby shop.
 

I did luck into having that one shop dedicated to RC's open nearby.  Gives me some experts to converse with if I need them, and a mere 5 or 10 minutes away too.  Doubt I buy much off of them but fuel though.  Prices are surely too high.

I think I may run up with my Ultima and see what I can do to get a better run time out of it.  I love that truck but the damn thing's electric so it's run-times are short, and to me that's not acceptable since I'm not into racing.  It's fast, it's fun, it takes a beating like you wouldn't believe, but it just doesn't last.  

[Jesse James]

BTW, here's a cool site I found for that track near me...  This thing kicks ass, it's a nice BIG outdoor track.

Wide lanes too, pretty sweet.

http://www.mcculloughs-offroad.com/index.html

Love this arial shot of the thing.    



It's less than 20 minutes I'd say from my place.  Gotta love that.  Sadly it's the ONLY track here.

In Texas I guess these tracks are semi-common...  Or so I'm finding.  

Anyway, I just hope the people at the racing track are nice guys...  I hate getting into hobbies where there's a distinct dislike for the outsiders.  I was in this hobby long ago, but am sure I don't know anyone in it now.  

Nobody likes that feeling of being the new guy of course, but it's doubly worse when the hobby's full of people who are arrogant and stuck up.  Unfortunately I think the Star Wars hobby is getting that way too.

Check out some of the "Elitists" in it anymore...  Sheesh!  I was tearing through scum tonight, and there's so many guys there now that just look down on anyone...  It's to the point there's even names that are intended to be semi-condescending to the new guys, or to Star Wars fans in general.  

Hiearchey of geek-dome should never exist, but somehow some of the guys involved are making it that way anymore.  That's pathetic in and of itself.

I know from experience that a lot of the vets of RCing aren't privy to helping new people.  It's a competitive hobby too, so maybe that has something to do with it...  Star Wars doesn't have any reason to be that way, yet it still does.