Introduction
RC cars have been around for the best part of half a century now and show no sign of slowing down in terms of popularity.
That’s because there are thousands of RC car enthusiasts all around the world who regularly race and compete in well-established events as part of their RC car hobby.
In fact, as a hobby, RC cars can be customized and modified much like a real car — this gives petrolheads the ability to scratch their car enthusiasm itch without needing to spend thousands or even millions of dollars each year on real car parts.
It’s this customizability combined with the ability to partake in sociable events that make RC cars so popular; basically, you can show off your hard work not just in terms of the aesthetics, but also in terms of how your RC car performs too.
Why spend millions on real cars when you can shrink them down and reduce the cost by an order of magnitude?
4 Reasons Why We Love RC Cars and Why We Think They’re a Great Hobby to Get Into
1. RC cars can scratch your petrolhead itch
If you love cars but can’t afford to buy them (or even the parts for them) then you might feel frustrated that you can’t scratch the itch that working on cars will allow you to scratch.
This is where RC cars come in because they’re basically a smaller version of a car.
Because of this miniaturization, the cars and even the parts become far less expensive meaning you’ll be able to achieve similar dreams albeit at scale.
In fact, working on cars at a smaller scale can be far more satisfying as there are more opportunities for creativity that working on real cars wouldn’t allow you to implement.
Similar to racing real cars or customizing cars, you’ll be able to show them off at various events, competitions, and meetups all around the country, and even around the world depending on how dedicated you are.
2. RC cars can help you make new friends and meet likeminded people
Having a mind that thinks in gears, machinery, and engineering is quite rare and we know how frustrating it can be when talking to your family about things they don’t understand.
Because of this, partaking in RC cars as a hobby will allow you to attend social events that will get you in touch with like-minded people who can easily become your best friends over time.
You’ll be able to work on your RC cars together whilst sharing all your best ideas together over a pint and some good grub.
Throughout the year you’ll be able to meet up with them on a few occasions when the big events are being hosted which can make for a great getaway experience from your regular day-to-day musings.
Your new friends might come in handy too as you never know what can happen during RC car events and they might be able to help you with repairs or borrowing certain equipment to get you up to speed again.
3. Working on RC cars can give you a better understanding of car mechanics
We’ve already mentioned why RC cars are a great hobby for petrolhead enthusiasts, however, we haven’t mentioned the benefit they can bring for the average person who doesn’t know anything about mechanics.
That’s because hobby-grade RC cars are built from real components, similar to a working car; they can be built from the ground up to eventually become a working machine.
Yes, you’re working at scale, however, the components used within RC car machinery are very similar to real cars.
The concept of car building is something that has become refined and perfected over the years meaning the same standard is carried into RC car building too.
The only notable difference is that RC cars place a greater emphasis on electronics and automation as they have to be controlled from a distance rather than being a passenger inside them.
4. You can start an RC car collection
RC cars can be just as rare and as interesting as real cars; this makes them just as collectible as the real thing meaning you’ll be able to start your own collection from day one that can be displayed in your home as a source of pride.
Collecting hobbies don’t have to be expensive, however, just like real cars, RC cars can command a heavy premium depending on your tastes and how invested you become in the hobby.
With that said, RC cars are still far cheaper to collect than a real car collection and in fact, you’d probably have to be a multi-millionaire to start a real car collection which isn’t very realistic for most people.
This is the joy of doing things at scale, it’s often similar enough to provide the same satisfaction but at a fraction of the cost.
Popular Questions Answered: RC Cars
Is RC cars a good hobby?
You should already have an idea about what RC cars can entail as a hobby from what we’ve mentioned, however (and to recapitulate), RC cars can be a good hobby for many reasons including the fact it can teach you about car mechanics, can help you meet like-minded people, and can allow you to do things that wouldn’t be feasible with real cars such as starting a car collection.
Is RC cars an expensive hobby?
Working at scale cuts the costs down dramatically; that doesn’t mean to say that RC cars are a cheap hobby because they definitely aren’t, however, they do make your childhood dreams more of a reality purely because you won’t be consuming as much material to make the parts and thus keeps the costs realistic for the average person.
Is the RC hobby dying?
RC cars are just as popular as they ever were, and even more so since the advent of popular viewing mediums like YouTube which can help to spread awareness, however, the way we obtain RC cars is dramatically changing from brick-and-mortar stores to online outlets as the preference for the way we shop is shifting.
In fact, we dare say that as the internet gets older and more markets open up, it’ll become even easier to get invested in RC cars and find the parts you need at a competitive price, and thus, making the hobby more widespread.
Is an RC car considered a motorized vehicle?
Generally speaking, RC cars are not considered “true” motorized vehicles as they’re not road-legal, however, the legality is a grey area meaning you’re unlikely to be fined or arrested for driving them on the road as most people consider the activity to be within the realms of acceptable fun.
With that said, do not consider our answer as strict legal advice; you can still get in lots of bother if you’re not following appropriate road safety laws if people decide to complain or if a cop is having a bad day.
Always speak to your local governments office or seek advice from your council before making the decision to drive your RC car on the road.
Conclusion
RC cars are a great hobby to get into as they can teach you lots about car mechanics, engineering and electronics, and can even help you make new friends.
Your yearly calendar will be packed with events that you can attend that can give you an opportunity to escape from the daily rat race a few times a year with friends or even your family.
As a hobby, RC cars can be expensive, though, it’s far cheaper than investing in real life-sized cars meaning it’s far more accesible for the average person.
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