North East and New. Advice and opinions needed

[Stew73]

Hi all.
Well what a strange two weeks. Two weeks ago today I was sitting looking out of the window at the wind and lashing rain, downhearted that I couldn't go and fly my model aircraft at my local club, when a strange thought popped into my brain from an eon ago. Buggies.
Hmmm, where on earth did that come from? Ah yes I remember, must have been '87, '88 or something close, and I had a Tamiya Boomerang. Man the fun I had with that car, a clockwork fast charger and an Acoms Techniplus. Most of my friends had Grasshoppers, well... because Grasshopper! and a few had Bigwigs, Hotshots etc. I also had a Mardave Marauder!
I used to go to the model fair at Newby Hall in North Yorkshire and watch the buggy racing there, standing for hours, fascinated at all these machines that were so out of my reach.
Anyway, life intervened for close to 30 years and then suddenly here I am back with buggies zipping through my consciousness and a daft grin on my face.
Two weeks of browsing forums, reading magazines and general internet trawling have me realising that a lot has changed, whilst some things are happily the same.
Good grief, the sheer choice available!! Back in the day I remember when the original CAT came out, that was the holy grail for us kids, I honestly couldn't believe opening a new magazine the other week that they're still making new a new CAT! crazy.
Tamiya are even re-releasing their old buggies! I'm now here in my official capacity of 'living memory'! I may even order a Grasshopper....because, well....Grasshopper!
Now to business. I'd like to get into racing. Both for me, as I do like a bit of competition, and eventually, for my young son, who may like it eventually? I don't know yet.
I have contacted 1 club in my area (TRCC) at Eaglescliffe and I will pop along after new year to ask questions and see what goes on, and I believe there is another club at Seaham that I will also visit.
I'd like to drive 2WD, but other than that I'm quite open minded. I am tending towards RTR at the moment, not because I can't build, but because it will contain most of what I need and will get me started with minimum fuss.
There seem to be some good deals out there at the mo, with Associated, and Team C looking good. At the budget end I've read that even the Traxxas Bandit and Tamiya Neo Fighter are OK at a club level for beginners, and are upgradeable.
Remember, I've not driven for nearly 30 years.
I am slightly worried however about the fly-by-night likelihood of some of these Chinese companies who seem to blaze brightly and then dissappear.
I've also seen the RC10 Worlds re-release and it looks wonderfully old school. Would it still be OK to use something like that at club level? I would guess spares and knowledge will be plentifull.
I have no real desire to compete at anything more than my local club, I'm just after a drive, a bit of competition and a chinwag! I like the club scene, I like meeting people, and just as in my model flying hobby, I like to get involved and I don't shy away from the more mundane club tasks.
Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. Happy to be back talking about buggies, and happy that there is still a 1/10 buggy scene available!

Best wishes of the season

Stewart.

[Steven Forster]

Hi Stewart,

We will be running extra days over xmas at Seaham Youth Centre.......22nd, 27th (NE Indoor Regional), 29th and back to normal racing every sunday from the 3rd of january.

Check on here and our FB page NEAM RC for any updates

[Stew73]

Cheers Steven. I'll be coming with a list of questions mind! I will likely come up on the 27th. I think I'll need to get out of the house by then...

Stewart.