The RC scene has come a long way in the last decades. Building and racing model cars may have started as an obsession of the weekend hobbyist. Today it appeals to the professional engineer and hobbyist alike. Professional teams have sprung up to make up the rooster of RC races around the world. Winners of professional RC racing tournaments walk away with thousands of dollars in prize money.

The remote control car market hasn’t fallen behind either. Today you can buy professional kits to give your off-road RC monster or your RC touring speedster an edge over the competition. If you are a hobbyist or intend on becoming a professional remote control car racer, there are a couple of things you need to know.

Know Your Engines

For starters, there are two types of RC kits available in the market. You can either buy an electric RC car kit or a nitro RC kit. The difference between the two largely comes down to the propulsion method. Electric RC cars run on an electric motor which makes them quite. On the other hand, the 2 stroke engine on nitro RC cars gives out a distinct noise. It is not the best engine choice if you plan on using the remote control car indoors. Also, maintaining a nitro engine is a more demanding that than an electric engine. You have to know your way around motor engines to keep your nitro RC racer in the right condition.

What Kit Should You Get?

After working out which engine type you want, it’s time to think about the RC kit. You have two options here. Either go for a ready to run (RTR) kit or a DIY kit. Again, the two options come with distinct advantages and disadvantages.

RTR kits do not need a lot of expertise in assembling different parts an RC car. If you do not have the time, and expertise to build your own kit, RTR is the best option. However, if you have the expertise, and the time to tweak a remote control car, grab a kit that lets you work on the nuts and bolts of your RC. It might take time and effort, but the results are worth it. You get to modify your car to get the desired performance.

Tips for the DIY Hobbyist

If you decide to embark on the rewarding, but equally demanding, journey of building your own kit, there are some things you should know.

First, identify the main terrain the finished RC car will run on. If it’s an on-road model, then a lot of resources should go to making sure your model is fast. On-road models need little in the way of suspension compared to their off-road counterparts.

An off-road RC car needs extra suspension and bigger tires to allow it to handle the punishment of the wilderness. Make sure you pay extra attention to these areas while shopping around for components for your kit.

Getting your first remote control car on the road shouldn’t be hard. All the parts you need to build one are available. Not that you know which parts to buy, we would love to hear about the progress of your build in the comment section