ORIGINAL: chickenfart
Yes the cost of hopping up an RTR isn't cheap but most people i know who have started out regretted spending huge cash on a car they couldn't keep on the track. A decent RTR can set you back $800, make your mistakes on that, sell it then get your dream car. Do it the other way round and your paying big bucks to replace top shelf expensive parts you keep breaking. Go to the track and a good seasoned racers kit car will always have its roof pointing up, these cars are built for speed. most RTR's have speed but are also a lot more durable.
actually rtr's are far less durable!! i went that route with my first buggie<hyper8rtr>and i had a part break 2 laps into a practice<someone hit me in the rear , it wasnt that hard either> i spent as much in upgrade parts as i paid for the buggie in the first place. i learned on that and now i just finished my losi eight pro kit . it's hands down better than my rtr ever was