Hi Guys

My son's birthday is approaching rapidly and he wants a RC nitro buggy. I know nothing about them (ie what to look for, best brands etc.)

For his first RC nitro buggy is it better to go second hand and get more for your money or new and warranty etc. Budget is c.£150

Any help from the LCB collective would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Jim

I would avoid the cheap ones - I bought a Smarttech and it breaks every time we use it - it's just too fast for the quality of it's construction.

Nitro is a bit of a pain, as they go out of tune and can be hard to start - have you considered a brushless electic one? They are pretty fast and a lot less hassle.

If going for a nitro one get a quality car and some form of electric starter - probably best to get a better quality second hand one than a cheap new one.

Stu

the Nitro buggies are an absolute nightmare i've found, and very very messy.
also the cheaper ones are forever breaking little bits and pieces that are difficult to get hold of. They also forever fall out of tune and starting them can be a nightmare

i have a 30cc 1/6th scale FG Marder that runs on 2stroke, has a pull cord start,
it takes an absolute hammering and i've only had minor breakages, far tougher than my HPI Baja.
both the FG and HPI are supported by loads of rc shops so all spares are avalaible next day

might be worth a look on ebay as you occasionally get some dirt cheap bargains.

[Edited on 4/6/11 by gaz_gaz]

Hello

I have found the newer Nitro cars a lot easier to get on with, they seem to stay in tune and run better

I have an HPI Rush that I bought off a mate the other day and have used it once, Its a bit tatty (the two bodies are cracked), it needs a new servo saver (£8 on ebay) and a new aerial for the transmitter (£3 on ebay) I only want what I paid for it £70 and It has all the bits you need to run it: fuel, glow starter.....

Let me know

Cheers

Dave

Iv got a nitro buggy. Great fun but an absolute bastard to start when u havent used it for a while. The pull start gives u blisters so get an electric start one if you can. Im going to convert mine to a drill starter i think.
They get messy inside aswell as the nitro seems to get everywhere.

kyosho all the way, nearly every rc shop stocks parts and they are very well put together.
If its for a young lad i would go with a truggy (stadium Truck) good for off road, buy a set of tarmac tyres for the car parks and he will gat the best of both.
I still have a £600 credit note for www.modellers-world.com if you want to do a deal?
say £400

Thanks for the advice. I have just spent 2 hrs on ebay and still confused. My son will be 11 and wants a nitro car. I dont want anything too mental / difficult to control but also I don't want him to get bored after an hour.

Sounds like 1:10 could be a bit more useable than 1:8.

This one looks good

Whaddya think?

- Jim

I have had this engine before in car and truck form .. very fast !!

parts available easily

Schumacher Nitro Big 6 3Speed Lotus Elise RTR 70mph+ | eBay UK

hi i race profesionally for schumacher racing www.racing-cars.com

i am willing to talk you through the mine field of nitro cars if you want !!!!

i wouldnt buy the one you listed a link to looks like cheap chinese tatt !!!!

i will say you will need a budget of £200 to get a decent car and all the stuff to run it.

i will be able to help with discount and if its not to far ill help/ teach you how to set it up properly etc etc

if you want advice feel ffree to cal a fellow lcb 07737814426 cheers leon

Thanks guys (in particular Leon) for all the advice.

We ended up buying an Hpi Trophy 3.5. There is a local (Adur RC Club) club that has a race series specially for this category as a good entry point. Should be fast enough for a beginner.

Cheers

Jim