This is my first post to this forum and hope you guys will be able to help. We've got a hechtic weekend, so I won't get a chance to surf here for a while, but I promised my son I'd ask.

My son and I just returned from iHobby, Chicago, last weekend. And while we went with the intent to look for rocketry and R/C airplane stuff, my 11 year old son fell in love with all of the gas r/c cars & trucks. So now the search beings for his upcoming birthday, as well as Christmas. He loved the fact that they were fast and able to perform some moderate size jumps.

I'm looking for opinions here, and realize that I should be able to get a ton of different answers to sort through (which is great). But given the opportunity, what gas r/c truck or buggy would you recommend for a newcomer?

The budget would be around $300. He'd prefer gas powered, with plenty of room for upgrade options. For dad's sake, I'd hope to get something that he could stay with for a while and, likewise, upgrade. We have Hobbytown USA and Mark Twain Hobbies (St. Charles, MO) nearby, so being able to find parts within a local store would be great for him. He loves cars and trucks of all sorts, so having the ability to change things like suspension, tires, wheels, engines, etc. would be a great opportunity for him.

Thanks in advance . . .