As a kid growing up in the 80’s, I always wanted an RC car. My friend Steve had a couple, I think they were a Tamiya Grasshopper and Tamiya Hotshot. They were cool, and he let me drive them a few times as well as his neighbor’s who had a Tamiya Falcon.
Tamiya was the big brand back then, and they were only sold as kits that you had to assemble, paint, buy a receiver, crystals, charger – all that good stuff.
Well, I had no money as a kid and RC cars were expensive, so I never got one. Fast-forward 30 years as an adult with kids of my own, I figured it was time to see what this was all about. With two boys (aged 10 and 7), RC cars looked like a fun hobby that all of us could enjoy. To that end, I did a little research.
My requirements for a car were:
- durable
- easy to get parts
- brushless motor, lithium-polymer battery ready
- ready-to-run (RTR)
- basher-friendly
After doing some research, and heavily influenced by Jang’s YouTube videos, I decided to buy my first RC car, a Traxxas Stampede 4x4 VXL.
Here it is at the local BMX park.
