You're probably spot on regarding the RedCat haters and the hobby shops response. (I guess in some way you can't blame them!)
I'll check out for some rims at my 'local' hobby shop and see what they have. Yes I think it's 17mm hex. The HPI Vorza V7 rims look real sharp.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will certainly have a look at the proline wings

I'm not overly concerned about the lexan body as I intend to reinforce the inside with carpet tape and shoe goo in any case, to give it some added strength and longevity.
I had a quick look at the Redcat clear 1/8 lexan buggy body, which I would have considered, however for some reason it's a fraction more expensive than the painted bodies (doesn't make any sense at all!) and also it does NOT come with window masks, which is absurd!, especially at the price point. Identical bodies (and spares) can of course be sourced from any of the other identical rebrands (HSP, EXEED etc)

The main reason I will likely change the transmitter is due to the 8 bloody AA's. I have more than enough 'crap' around the house that use plenty AA's, .... the last thing I need is another bloody AA battery hungry addition lol.
The stock Tx will suffice for the moment, I'm not in any immediate rush! (Better Lipos, wheels & tires are more of an 'immediate' priority.)

Regarding the FS GT3C Tx, I don't think one has to even switch out the stock receiver in the XTE if using the FlySky FS GT3C as I think it's the same protocol so it 'should' bind. (please don't quote me on this lol)
There are 3 available colours (orange, silver, green) of the FS GT3C Tx. Apparently the ORANGE color has or had issues with the On/Off switch (apparently 'corrected' on the silver and green models) ... The On/Off switch is located in the center of the wheel which is really a dumb location and idea IMHO.
It has been reported that the Orange ones, after a few months have started to lose signal at times when the wheel is turned. I think the problem is due to switch been in the center of the wheel which gets turned often, eventually causing a loose connection with the On/Off switch. (I think all they did to fix it was to hot-glue the wires inside, so they were more secure and less prone to disconnecting from continual use of the wheel.
While the overall design and features offered on the FS GT3C, it's beyond me why they would have though locating the On/Off switch in the center of the wheel would be a good idea.?

Here's an unbiased review on the FS GT3C which also covers the issue with the On/Off switch on the ORANGE Tx (As mentioned above, it has been reported the issue has been 'fixed' on the the other 2 colours)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NAaiTODv7A

Well I appreciate all your help and anyone else's for that matter. I'm not new to hobby by any means, been flying (planes, helis and more recently quads) for many years, however this is my 1st. step into 'hobby grade' RC cars. Cars are certainly more technical in terms of many more parts, gearboxes and differentials and slipper clutches etc, which can seem somewhat daunting for the newcomer to RC cars.

Since I have no plans to be race and/or be competitive, I really didn't want to invest too much $ into an RC car that I'm only going to casually bash around with from time to time. I don't see the point! So the Redcat's and other rebrands of the same products, seem to fit my needs perfectly, which is what they were originally intended for I'm sure! - casual bashing!

I only flew gas models in the past and it's only in the past year I decided to switch to brushless electric, which has been another learning curve for me, which I have managed to wrap my head around finally

So now I have a competent charger that suits my needs (Hitech 320W 4 port charger) and a 520W PSU (server PSU) which one of the members on RCCanada made up for me for $80 shipped and numerous lipos for my current models. So I'm good to go!

Of course I will be needing better batteries for the XTE, which I will order over the next few weeks or so, probably from Hobbyking as they do have the best prices without a doubt, especially for us Canadians. BTW if you order your lipos from Hobbyking warehouse in the US and select PUROLATOR ..(NEVER. EVER use UPS under ANY circumstances) ... shipping is inexpensive and NO brokerage fees. IN fact my last order of lipos which came to $98, I didn't even pay tax Hobbyking has only recently added PUROLATOR as a shipping option from the US warehouse.