The choice of the first car

After publishing articles on my blog, I received an email with a fairly standard question:

Good evening! I really liked your articles about the Mini-Z, and childhood memories of radio-controlled cars immediately surged. But it's not that. Having looked at various models with electric motors and internal combustion engines, I came to the conclusion that I did not know what to choose. Actually, for this reason I am writing to you. What is better to choose for the task of "driving around the office, home and street"? A budget option in maintenance is desirable (maybe it's just childhood memories, and after playing enough, I'll put it in the far corner).

I want to make a reservation right away, I'm not going to advertise anyone or something in this article. I will just tell you a little about car models, orient in prices and provide links to the sites of manufacturers. Your hobby path may be completely different.


In Russia there is an excellent website with articles, links to stores and the largest and most popular forum for the Russian-speaking audience of modellers - RC Design. This site is a storehouse of knowledge on all topics related to radio-controlled modeling. When choosing the first model in the context of the financial crisis in the country, I recommend using the Flea market section of the forum. In some cases, buying “on hand” saves many from unnecessary spending on their hobby. No one will inject you and push the bullshit to you. Today you bought something from me - tomorrow I will buy something from you. Modellers around the world are very decent people. All ride, fly, swim together. This is a very close-knit and friendly party, in which many people know each other personally for more than one year and always help each other with advice and answers. To hesitate, minus for the incorrectly asked question on the forum no one will be you ... everyone has the same path to a hobby ... first they help you with advice, and tomorrow you are already helping someone.

Now on to the case ...

All car models sooner or later break down. When choosing hobby goods (toys that are sold in markets and toy stores, we do not take into account), we must proceed from the availability of spare parts. For Russia, this is very important. The entire civilized world orders all hobby goods through online stores and receives it at home in 1-2 days with a minimum delivery cost. Our order from foreign online stores depends on many factors, including loyalty of mail, customs, etc. As a rule, it takes from 10 days to a month of paronoidal expectations.

Let's go further ...

You need to decide on your Wishlist and budget. Much depends on it. And, importantly, understand that if you don’t have a company, then any car will get bored and put on the shelf very quickly.

If a hobby attracts, then one more fact must be taken into account:-few people roll the model to full wear. From any model, you grow quickly and want more. In this case, the model will be improved with the help of tuning parts, or you sell it and buy something new. The more expensive you buy, the more expensive you will later sell.

About engines ...

• ICE (internal combustion engine) - personally, I do not like! Stink, dirt, a lot of noise. You won’t ride in the room. We must constantly go out into the countryside. The model has to be carried in the trunk of a car. Again, the eternal stink of fuel, oil, eternal dirt ... he himself is always all like a pig!
• Electric motors - the future is theirs! And no stink. No wonder in cars in a scale of 1: 1 began to install hybrid engines. Progress in the field of power sources is gradually leading to the fact that models with electric motors can compete on an equal footing with models equipped with internal combustion engines, and sometimes even surpass them

Initial investments in a car model with an electric motor are somewhat larger than with an internal combustion engine, but this is subjective. For an electric model, you need to immediately buy a good charger (but it serves more than one year and is not superfluous in everyday life), plus batteries (and not one set) ... and they need to be charged ... and this is TIME and MONEY. But you can ride indoors. On the other hand, ICE - filled the fuel from the canister and drove off. But this is constant money (from 1000 rubles per halon ... 3.78 liters).

And what is cheaper? -Subjectively! There are a number of nuances in favor of both engines. If you want, you can draw up a PRO and CON table for yourself :-) And don’t forget the concept of “COST OF OWNERSHIP” - these are fuel, batteries, consumables, gadgets, etc. Any model serves more than one month ... take a calculator and count.

Now about car models ...

Once again, I’ll make a reservation, and I’ll say: -First, you need to buy a car model for which the store’s assortment always has spare parts available. And, if you suddenly wake up a desire, it is desirable that the model can be tuned by acquiring additional parts, increasing the characteristics of the model.

Types of models:

• On-Road - cars with minimal ground clearance, designed for driving on flat surfaces (asphalt, various decks, specially prepared tracks). Such models are often referred to as Track or Road.
• Off-Road - kings of impassability. Buggy, Traggie, Monsters, Crawlers for trial

On-Road Car Models:

Micro Class (scale 1: 43-1: 24):
about Mini-Z you already know? -This is a Micro class. Scale 1:28 - 1:24. Suitable for enclosed spaces - home, office or special tracks. From the entire Mini-Z series, I want to separately recommend the Mini-Z AWD - a very interesting model with all-wheel drive. Drift can do just fine, and it never bothers if you don't have a company. Not many can drive beautifully in Drift.



Mini-Z Monster and Overland - get bored very quickly (high-quality, reliable Japanese toys). Mini-Z Racer and Mini-Z Formula F1 - car models for special tracks or carpets, for pokatushek in the company of like-minded people or colleagues. There is also a series of dNaNo car models - a scale of 1:43 - this is for gourmets (length 10 cm, weight 40 g., Speed, like a Mini-Z) ... you need to write a separate review about them. There are a bunch of different cheap clones in the Micro class, but they do not deserve special attention.

A complete set of entry-level Micro-car models with equipment, as a rule, costs 5-6 thousand rubles.

Mini class (scale 1:18):
For the most part, these are four-wheel drive cars with electric motors (there are also ICEs). It is best to use such a model indoors. Large offices or special carpet tracks. This class holds annual competitions in Moscow.



A full set of highway cars on a scale of 1:18 entry-level with equipment, as a rule, costs 6-8 thousand rubles.

Class RC-12 (scale 1:12):
Sports chassis for riding on specially prepared tracks with asphalt or carpet. Rear wheel drive chassis with electric motors, but there is also an internal combustion engine. Very fast cars, which are mainly used for competitions. This class is officially included in the grid of the Russian championship in car modeling. You can start with it, but if you know in advance that you are ready to spend and are going to participate in competitions. Initial investments 10-12 thousand rubles.



Scale 1:10
One of the most widespread and widespread in the whole world. As a rule, these are four-wheel drive cars. A mass of diverse chassis models and a huge selection of bodies. Huge selection of different engines, electronics, options, accessories, etc. There are separate chassis series specifically designed for the Drift. The Drift class on this scale has recently become very popular. In Moscow, chassis from HPI, Tamiya, Kyosho, Team Losi, Xray are popular. The stores have spare parts and tuning. A lot of pokatushek and competitions in Russia. Links to stores can be found here. Initial investments of about 9-11 thousand rubles.



Scale 1: 8 and 1: 5 - car models for "adult" boys. Expensive and rich! I do not recommend starting with this scale.



There is also a scale of 1:14 and 1:16but it's too early to talk about him. In Russia, these car models are still very few.

Now about Off-road cars

Off-Road 1:18 - a very versatile class for both beginners and amateurs ... there are monsters, buggies, tragedies. Very peppy cars with good speed and maneuverability. You can please colleagues in the office if space allows, but only if the model is with an electric motor. A huge plus is the relatively low cost of the initial set with equipment (6-9 thousand rubles). I would advise precisely this scale for a start.

Pay attention to the models from Team Associated called Associated RC18 (there are buggies, traggies and monsters)



I had Associated RC18B (buggies) and RC18MT (monster), and I was very pleased.



Very reliable and sturdy chassis. Withstands ski jumping, hitting curbs, etc. In Moscow stores there are both spare parts and tuning. If money allows, you can buy a brushless motor, a regulator for it, lithium-polymer batteries and a charger. As a result, get a BULLET! The speed of the kit with a lithium-polymer brushless collector is up to 75 km / h. A very entertaining device that gives a lot of pleasure. Is an analogue of the car company LRP called Shark

addition can look at the car Mini Inferno by Kyosho ... the Mini the LST , the Mini-T from Team Losi… etc. With ICE on this scale, there are also a lot of car models. You can look at the Mini Inferno in the version with the internal combustion engine from Kyosho. In Moscow and other major Russian cities, competitions are held on this scale.

PS You can search for these models in a Flea market on RCDesign

Off Road 1:10 - also a very common scale of SUVs. They also hold many competitions. Explore the assortment of stores. Everywhere, as a rule, there are spare parts and tuning. The initial set costs 7-10 thousand rubles.



On a scale of 1:10 Off-Road there is another type of car models that are worthy of attention and they are called Crawler . Models are intended for the technical passage of complex tracks. Prices from 10 thousand rubles.


Off Road 1: 8 - the most, most, most common class of car models in the world! Initial expenses from 15,000 rubles. In Moscow and the Moscow region there are competitions, and good tracks, and a sea of ​​people riding on this scale. For the most part, these are models with ICE. Models with an electric motor on this scale tend to cost more than ICE.



Disclaimer: there is a pattern: -The larger the scale of the model, the higher the cost of electricity ... and it does not depend on whether it is a car model, an airplane, a helicopter or a boat. On a large scale, expensive batteries and expensive electronics. But on the other hand, to keep the internal combustion engine is constant money for fuel.

Off-Road 1: 6-1: 5 - again expensive, rich ... on this scale it is already possible to use engines running on ordinary gasoline!



What to choose? -Solve you! ... this is the answer to the letter!