What RC car to get for 7 yr old.....

[bandit67]

Guys, haven't bought a radio controlled car in ages but want to get one for my 7 year old grand boy. What size, I see 1/16,1/18 and 1/24 scales are most available , also see 2.4 MHz advertised a lot , is that what we want. I know these things do eat batteries but is there any that do better. Also, looks like they mostly make 4 wheel monster trucks over cars....not sure what a 7 yr old would like better. Any opinions....

 

[Longknife]

I would get a 1/24 in a monster truck with BIG tires. They handle the outside terrain better, its fun to crawl over objects. Also I would look for one with a rechargeable battery!!!

 

[ZR9B]

I'm no expert but....I bought my kid and myself each a sc10 team associated and they were bad *** but fragile. I then bought him a Traxxas 4x4 truck that was and is bullet proof. We have had these for 10 years + and the traxas would be ready rite now if I wanted, the other need work because I hit a curb.

 

[Fury 440]

If you can, go in person to a hobby shop in your area, if there is still one around. This is what they do, and should be able to set you up with
something that is good for your G son. Also hobby shops will usually have spare parts and such. Most stuff you buy on line is hard to get parts
for or have fixed. If you must do on line, Tower Hobbies is known as one of the best American hobby shops. GOOD LUCK!!!
PS go to Towers web site anyways. They can show you a lot of what RC cars are about.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

South Mason-Dixon, ya can't go wrong with DIGGER!! NC shop, pretty cool place.

 

[Richard Cranium]

https://rcworld.us/kyosho-fazer-rc-car-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-4wd-blue-rtr/

 

[MarPar]

If you can, go in person to a hobby shop in your area, if there is still one around. This is what they do, and should be able to set you up with
something that is good for your G son. Also hobby shops will usually have spare parts and such. Most stuff you buy on line is hard to get parts
for or have fixed. If you must do on line, Tower Hobbies is known as one of the best American hobby shops. GOOD LUCK!!!
PS go to Towers web site anyways. They can show you a lot of what RC cars are about.

To piggy back on Fury's comment, see if you can buy one that you can put together with him and fix with him when it inevitably wrecks. He'll get into it even more that way.

 

[Fury 440]

I agree with MarPar. For me, the best and easiest to build come from Tamiya. Their cars are strong and are usually easy to find parts for. Based in Japan
the Tamiya company has been around for about 70 years and are credited with basically starting the rc car hobby. Also about your question on 2.4 radios.
They are now the industry norm. Older radio sets in AM and FM used crystals for their frequency, limiting the number of cars that could run at one time.
also, their range was usually limited. Stay away from these types of systems and go with 2.4.
Again re. MarPar, many guys I know who are in the car hobby got their love of all things automotive thru the rc car hobby when they were kids.

 

[MIKESPOLARA]

If you want to be a really, really cool grand dad, this one:Amazon.com: Top Race Hobby Grade Remote Control Hydraulic Excavator, All Included Battery, Hydraulic Oil, Transmitter, Ready to Run 1:14 Scale TR-311 : Toys & Games

 

[tonysrt]

My Grandson only knew full speed whenever he ran my nitro car. That took a toll on the car. I bought him an RC tank that only went about 5 MPH to get him to learn how to control it.

 

[BeatersRus]

i have a friend who runs a hobby shop,and the new rc-s are amazing.
what you still have to look out for,is the plastics...
they still make them out of cheap plastics,and they still sell All sorts of upgrades/alum bits to stiffen chassis and so forth.
i was looking at the drift cars,yes they actually have drift cars like the challenger shown above,that will Smolder!

i have a chevy pickup/traxxis chassis/racer chassis,and theres almost a grand into it..
if you didnt know what you were looking at,youd be like,a grand?? for that?? but yes.
ps,mines a gas/glowplug motor,not a battery motor.

the good ones Cost money.
this is a case of buy the best quality you can,esp for a kiddo,and also,whomever mentioned the speed,thats a valid point.
these new ones Fly!

 

[SteveSS]

I bought this one for my son years and years ago when Jurassic Park was big. You drive it like a regular RC car then when you pushed a certain button on the controller the dinosaur pops out of his cage and starts squirting water. I liked to be outside with the kids in the cul de sac and so did the neighbor lady across the street. Nancy was a strawberry-blonde, major-league hottie, very athletic.

My son drove the RC up the driveway, onto her sidewalk where she was seated and nailed her. Whether or not I nailed her later is not appropriate for this board.

 

[MarPar]

I cannot remember what scale these are (1/48?) but my friends and I setup a track in my driveway and used to race em around 4 at a time. Great fun!!

Even had timing lights and a dyno LOL

Oh and a trophy for the winner of the season

 

[Toxic Orange 493]

If you want to build it with him, you can't go wrong with the Tamiya cars and trucks. If you want prebuilt, as others has said, the Traxxas are very durable.

My dad bought me a few different Tamiya trucks when I was little, and it was always fun to get to build them. I have been trying to get my daughters into them as well so that someday I can hopefully get to build one with them.

 

[Cranky]

I got a helo for Christmas some years back and thought 'what am I going to do with this'!? Well, it turned out to be pretty dang cool! It was a small one so flying it outside even in 3mph breeze wasn't good but flying it in the shop was pretty dang cool. Just had to move the 'nice' cars out until I learned how to fly it without hitting things. Got to where it would go under the project car (it was up on stands) and then come out of the engine compartment without crashing it. I did wreck it but not from flying.....and would like to get another.

 

[Budnicks]

I got into RC stuff about 8-10 y/o
my stepfather Bob was an avid drag racer
& an avid RC or Slot Car guy too
we had a lil' place in Concord Ca. 'Buzy Bees'
Corner of Concord Ave, by the 'Service Center performance shop'
(no longer there)
they had scale drags
those lil' bugger ran on Nitro, sounded cool as hell
& an 11 turn (IIRC, copy of Sears Point) road course
they had different classes RC or Slots
most of my stuff was big the 1/12:1 scale or 1/16:1 scale
Mostly were all hand built, many like tube chassis,
with brassing or welding filler rod, lil' flimsy *** light plastic bodies
I had a Chapperal (road course) & a GTO (drags) bodied cars
a lil' Douce coupe, a Willys, a Jeep, an Old 4x4 truck for extra bodies etc.
I had an open front, wood case, Bob & I had built together
I carried all my cars & all my spare parts, different bodies/colors
different compound tires, different style brushes for the track contacts
I thought 'I was the cool kid' when I was doing it,
we had many a quality hrs building & repairing cars, his & mine
I was really good at the slot cars
The RC took a tad bit more finesse

Later in life, in my 20's me & a buddy bought offroad style electric RC cars
bigger 1/18:1 scale IIRC, they were like $80-$100 for everything
lil' sand rail/Truggy style Baja rigs, full suspended ABS plastic
amazingly durable & parts were readily available to fix them
big 9vt (?) batteries like the old Mikita cordless drills used
charge them right off our cars cigarette lighters ports
we had a blast messing around in back yards, open parking lots a lot
or in the pits at the drag races even...

I don't remember the brand name, sorry not of much help there
(I'm sure they were made in Taiwan or Japan at that time)
we went to a hobby store to buy some models,
something to do in the winter
& saw the RC cars, we had to have them
lots of laughs with them too, felt like lil' kids playing again

just thought I'd share
good luck in your quest,
it's a great way to spend quality time with a kid too

 

[MIKESPOLARA]

If you want to be a really, really cool grand dad, this one:Amazon.com: Top Race Hobby Grade Remote Control Hydraulic Excavator, All Included Battery, Hydraulic Oil, Transmitter, Ready to Run 1:14 Scale TR-311 : Toys & Games

View attachment 1194896

Did I mention it's $1700

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

https://www.redcatracing.com/
Try these, my buddy has a bunch of them

 

[bandit67]

Thanks Guys. I am a long way out from any hobby shops, but I will check around to see where is the closest. Yes, $1800.00 spent on a digger.....would have to be mine....as would the Hellcat. The "get something that goes slower till he learns how to control it" really sounds as if that may be the way to go for his first one....so , he may just get two this year.....

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

Just make sure you can get parts for what ever you do buy.