Too many cars to run?

[Will16 45]

Hi guys,

I've had this question rolling about in my mind for a while. It is: Why have so many RC cars? I mean I only have 3 and struggle to use them all! I don't see the point in people buying loads of cars and then never using them. I understand buying, restoring selling but why have lots of runners if they don't get run??

Apologies is this has be discussed before,

Will

[oz-trash-cowboy 63]

Who was it that said, "He who dies with the most toys wins?"

[Skottoman 306]

I have about 16+ Runners at this time, and I do run them all. Maybe some time between when they get run, but I do use them.

They all provide different driving experiences, so it's fun to run one right after another and see how different they handle, speed, etc.

Yes, you can have so many you don't use them, but if that's the case you can always sell them, or just drive them into a brick wall!

The only ways a car leaves a collection is through selling, trading, breaking, or just tossing it in the trash!

Cheers,

Skottoman

[Daves956 157]

I have diiferent types for different weather conditions and what I want to drive, offroad for anywhere, a couple of bad weather ones and speed cars. The simple truth of it is that 3/4 of them are time fillers for the chance to break out the 2 I truly enjoy. This winter has driven me crazy waiting to get the 956s back out. I've picked up 4 more runners and passed along 2 just killing time. It's a sloppy mess outside right now but at least 3 cars will be driven. On a good weekend I usually drive at least 6 different ones. I'm evaluating a couple to determine if they need to move on but they too just add to the driving experience. Those are the astute and the TT01.

[speedy_w_beans 4272]

Almost all of my cars are run. Some are run more than others. Not having any experience in RC prior to two years ago, I wanted to try as many chassis types as possible to experience the pros and cons of different designs. There is no one single chassis that does it all. When we go to the beach, we bring the Lunch Boxes. When we go to the mountains, out comes a crawler or truck. When we play in the driveway or street, the touring/rally/drift cars get some use. If we go the track, the buggies and short course trucks see some use. So, it starts with trying some different chassis types, and then multiplies with trying different brands and quality levels within each category. Some vehicles are run more than others, but they all see some use depending on where we are going or what the mood of the day is.

I do have a few cars that are not run very often. Usually these are models that aren't much fun, or they are models that I put so much time and energy into I don't want to risk damaging them. I have a speed run car that can go relatively fast in a straight line, but that's about it. It hasn't been run since last summer. I also have a few customized shells or custom paint jobs that I don't want to damage, because each one represents nearly 40 hours of work. A nick or a scratch would really annoy me, so they get cleaned and very gently run every now and then.

-Paul

[Percymon 2184]

I buy some of mine for projects to enjoy the rebuild/conversion rather than to necessarily run them. I've sold off a few over the last couple of months but seem to have quickly replaced them number wise

Some I will only run very occasionally and only for a few minutes, others get more use. I probably haven't run the gmade r1 or manta ray for 8 months, astute for 6. The 1/16th slash in contrast has been run 10 times this year.

[SteveAdair 2]

I have 10 models and they all get run regularly. Like others who have posted, I have some buggies for off road and some TCs and scale for on road. I also have an RC bike and a monster truck, plus a mix of electric and nitro. Whenever I go out for a run I generally take at least 2 vehicles, sometimes three, and I roster them so they all get run fairly regularly. Now, If I had, say, 20+ models then I would struggle to run them all regularly and would sell the ones I used the least. Whilst I can really appreciate the work that has gone in to shelf queens, for me, an RC car should be run, not stuck on a shelf. Now, I'm sure that's gonna start another debate !

[markbt73 5316]

I don't see a problem with having a "runner" that hasn't seen outdoors in a couple years. I have a few. I'll get around to running them again eventually. If I put a car away for a while, then dig it out again later, it's like getting a "new" car without having to buy anything.

[taliesin 260]

Why have so many cars? Because I can!

I've got about 60 runners that I could drive right this minute - more if you consider the NIB and project cars that will all be runners when built or repairs are complete, e.g. fairly imminently, certainly in the next few months for most of them.

I've got touring cars, drift cars, 2wd, 4wd, fwd, rwd, rally cars, gentle runners that I just like to see in motion because of the outstanding Tamiya realism and nice body shells.

I also have stadium trucks, military trucks, monster trucks, crawlers, scale/trail, short course, 2wd, 4wd. Some are "go fast" trucks w/ hot motors or brushless systems, while others are "go slow" trucks with lathe motors. Some are for tracks and some are for trails, most are for bashing and back alley hijinks. Some are for jumping while others don't ever leave the ground. Some get used very, very gently so as to not get damaged, while others have who knows how many replacement parts after years of being loved/driven nearly to death. Most importantly though, trucks have big wheels and 4wd and can be waterproofed so I can drive them in the winter snow and the mud and the crud, and smash through the terrain where I live. Plus, my LHS is primarily truck-oriented, so you run what they run if you want to enjoy some companionship, fun times, and loads of helpful tech support! I am one of the few Tamiya-heads, but I'm cool with that.

Buggies are just a favorite of mine; some are for show, some are historical interest in the Tamiya family line-up, most get driven on the street or at the park, some in the sand or gravel, and a few at the track (I would race buggies if there was a class/track that was more convenient.) Most are because I like Tamiya buggies and enjoy the build and collecting process, but they are all runners. Wish I had a beach sometimes though.

Mini/Micro, tanks and Tamtechs - these give me something to run indoors in small places when the weather is just lousy and I can't really enjoy R/C otherwise. (Other than building, which is a winter-time favorite activity of course.)

Mostly though, it comes back to because I can. If I couldn't run them I would probably not be in this hobby, and I do get frustrated when I can't drive any type of R/C, but honestly, when I do have free time there is nearly always some vehicle and someplace to run. Just grab a battery pack and I'm good to go.

[ozace 20]

I like to build them so i find kits that appeal and buy them. It means i have lots of runners that dont get much run time but they do get run.

[matman 1499]

Hi guys,

I've had this question rolling about in my mind for a while. It is: Why have so many RC cars? I mean I only have 3 and struggle to use them all! I don't see the point in people buying loads of cars and then never using them. I understand buying, restoring selling but why have lots of runners if they don't get run??

Apologies is this has be discussed before,

Will

You do understand this is a HOBBY , Most collect as hobbyist do . Some use there cars etc , Some don't .

Simple & there are so meany types of RC'S, That you want to have & run at them all .

Rock , trail , buggy , onroad , 12th to 1/5 . There is so meany options , most would to try them all .

But that's just the addiction talking

[commiedoor 18]

hmm good question .. i have at the moment 35 cars and of them only 7 are shelf queens , mostly the old vintage on and off roaders , with the exception of the fav , jgsdf apc , the xr311 and the humvee , which are rtr . the onlty problem is apart from some where to show the cars , is where to store the transmitters !!! 19 radios ( some run 2 receivers) take up a fair bit of room .. unless i find one of those futarba transmitters that can store up to 10 cars settings cheap enough ..

[Theibault 1535]

32 cars and 2 tanks. All get run with the exception of my RS4nitro racer as that is kind of taco'd due to the last time I ran it...into a curb. Some may get run only once or twice a year, but it all depends on my mood. Wish I had some RC friends, then I'd do theme weeks for different chassis etc. I decided a few years ago that this would be my main hobby. I've had many hobbies and interests over the years, but RC has been the one constant in my life since I was 12 (38 now). I no longer ride motox, play video games, table top miniatures, or any of the other money sinks. I just love RC almost as much as my family. I guess its in my blood and many of the peoples here on the forums. Eventually, when I pass, people will wonder what to do with all the RC cars lol. Hope they get run .

[greg123 0]

Mostly though, it comes back to because I can. If I couldn't run them I would probably not be in this hobby, and I do get frustrated when I can't drive any type of R/C, but honestly, when I do have free time there is nearly always some vehicle and someplace to run. Just grab a battery pack and I'm good to go.

very cool! You are most certainly an enthusiast, and enjoying every minute of it!

I dsiplay my small collection as shelf queesn, even though they are used as runners too. I'm down to about 5 of them. All different chassis, 2wd, awd, and 4x4. It's enough for what I use them for. I like to be able to drift and practice with a tt-01. Fly fast my my Group C, go crazy with performance with a ta-05 vdf, let family use the lunchbox, and then do some light scale 4x4'ing with my high-lift. I contemplated selling my tt-01, but it's a great beginner car, and I worked on it a lot, and spent a lot of time with one of the shells for it. I am more into it for the building and learning experience. I like to drive them when location permits though. It's not every day, but there is something about spending a hot lazy saturday in August sitting at a picnic table around sunset and driving my 4x4 around until the sun goes down. Something about midnight racing my ta-05 in closed parking lots, and seeing family enjoy the crazy wheelies and funny action of the lunchbox.

RC's = good times! Whether building, viewing, or operating, and actually discussing as well! I'm not huge into them like a lot of enthusiasts, but this is a great hobby to be into. It's a lot of fun. I totally get why someone could have 50+ cars and enjoy every minute of it, even though they are not "hand's on" with all those cars every weekend. "Because I can", sums it up nice I guess.

[MadInventor 3884]

Hi guys,

I've had this question rolling about in my mind for a while. It is: Why have so many RC cars? I mean I only have 3 and struggle to use them all! I don't see the point in people buying loads of cars and then never using them. I understand buying, restoring selling but why have lots of runners if they don't get run??

Apologies is this has be discussed before,

Will

You can have too many cars to run, especially if you are a modifier. I run something, either don't like the performance, or break it, then spend many hours modifying it, try it once, then it get shelved for 12 months whilst my interest goes elsewhere. Would be a lot easier to just have 2 or 3 runners, as I could concentrate on getting them perfect. Trouble is, I keep getting ideas for the 'next project' faster than I can finish the current one(s), so spend most of my time building rather than running. I've got an idea floating in my head at the moment, and if I start it that will be another 18months worth of spare time gone, with little or no running time, and only one more model to show for it at the end of that time.

[greg123 0]

I can agree with you there MadInventor! Modifying, testing, coming up with better preformance ideas, then modifying, then testing, the trial, then back to the drawing board again.

[neobrunox 13]

I don't see a problem with having a "runner" that hasn't seen outdoors in a couple years. I have a few. I'll get around to running them again eventually. If I put a car away for a while, then dig it out again later, it's like getting a "new" car without having to buy anything.

+1