RE: Electric motor help
A lot will depend on what you're running for batteries, as in 4 cell nimh, 6 cell nimh or lipo. They have been running 4 cell in pan cars for about 15 years now and are slowly making the move to single cell lipo. If you are using 4 cell with a brushed motor, it's all about finding the right gearing, and getting the most out of the motor. The thing to do is play with gearing and hope you have some good battery packs.
Also, with all the new high tech ESC's coming on the market, you should be able to find some decent used brushless stuff for sale on the message boards or even EBay.