That is a very good point too. Kits are primarily the higher end units for true hobbyists though, and usually cost more with more money in options in the kit. The problem is, there are very FEW choices when it comes to entry level nitro kits, especially from the big names- Traxxas for example. So, unless you want to put down $300-400 up to $700-800 for a higher end 'kit' + good radio gear, you are forced to buy an RTR for an entrant into RC Nitro, even if you are a previous RC'er (like me).
I wanted a decent RC Nitro, not sure if I wanted to go all out yet- only choice was an RTR. I think I can evolve my RTR's into better then original- for me RTR was the only option, since I didn't have the cash or know if I had the interest to persue it further.
Exactly! I sold my Losi GTX because I really wanted to go 1/8 scale. I picked up a Hyper 7 PBS about a month ago because I knew that I could get into entry level racing with it. The first thing I did after taking it out of the box was to clean out the diffs and put in 5-7-1 diff oil. Then I removed the stock radio gear and installed what came with the JR XS3 I also bought. I went over the screws and away I went. Just the other day I replaced the stock rear dog bones and hubs with universals. I've also completely disassembled and reassembled the engine. Surprisingly I haven't changed out the shock oils yet. After seeing the amount of money I've spent in the last month, I probably should have gotten the PRO though.