RE: Airplane guy needs help please.
You've got the money and the wide open spaces to really get the most out of a 1/5 scale gasser so i'd go that route.
The [link=http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/products_id/18871]HPI Baja SS kit[/link] looks amazing IMO and superior in many ways to the RTR version. You'd also know it inside out by building it...