The newer Heng Long Pershing is a better then the original offering in the fact it allows you to remove the wheels without having to drill through the plastic hubcaps or trying to split the glued wheels apart. However the tracks are not as good.
A stock Heng Long with Plastic gears is as good a place to start as any, You are going to want upgraded gearboxes so stay away from the boxes with 3 shafts, and upgrade to a 4 shaft box. For this reason I say buy the cheapest one you can find, that is labeled "smoke and sound" with the knowledge when it comes to gears you are going to be tossing them anyway, The lower gear ratio will make your tank run better, My advice is to change the gearboxes before you do anything else. Swap the gear boxes out and then just run the tank until you discover things that need upgrades. You might be surprised how little it has to cost you to have a tank that is fun to run.
Really ask around when it comes to control boards before rushing into anything. Play around with the basic set up and get a good understanding of all the mechanical electrical stuff in the tank. A complete understanding of the basics will set you up for success when you go the upgrade route.
Cheers
Dan
Last edited by YHR; 12-14-2015 at 03:58 PM.