I dont see how a tornado would be any better for a beginer then a volcano...to me a 1/8th is better for beginers due to the fact that they are usually more durable...at any rate it doesnt matter if the purchase has already been made...and as far as putting aluim on it goes I had one rc I took all the aluim off because it will break or bend and is way more to replace then plastic...fact is that once you learn to drive the rc u will notice your not breaking as much...but that all depends on how hard you bash...if your jumping houses nothing will hold up for very long...my advise is to take this time to read through the forums..you will get alotta info from others and if you follow the good advice you should be ahead of the game...but you need to learn who has good advise and who doesnt..