Getting back into RC, When did everything become RTR?

[MeltingPlastic]

So I've started to get back into RC with rebuilding my RC10 Black Stealth CE and decided to look at what's available at my local hobby shops. It seems that everything is RTR/prebuilt now a days. One of my favorite parts of RC was building the car up and getting to know everything about it so if I drove it hard and broke something, I knew exactly what to replace and how. When did everything start becoming prebuilt and why?

[GoMachV]

Traxxas both saved and killed the hobby right around the TMaxx era. Prior to that you could get most as a rtr but had options for kits as well. Without rtr the hobby would be dead now tho, people don't enjoy the hobby portion like they did before. It's a different crowd these days. That's why all my stuff is old!

[CamplinP]

People have gotten lazy. No one teaches their kids how to wrench on stuff or fix anything. It is a disposable world. I hardly ever go into my local hobby shop because it is all crap, but when I do it amazes me how many people are in there getting simple things fixed. Good money for the repair shop I guess.

[MeltingPlastic]

Yeah, it seems that the guys at the one shop I went to praised Traxxas because "they kept everything the same" while associated etc kept changing things up. I'm not sure if I agree with that or not. I would always expect things to change as the technology advances. Does it suck that you can't fit everything from one build into another? Sure, but you can make things work if you just put some thought into it.

[Diamond Dave]

but you can make things work if you just put some thought into it.

Nailed it.

[RC10th]

I think Associated was one of the brands with the best support 10/10T/GT/T2 era was all pretty universal while other brands had new cars every 6 months.. Associated is still supporting cars 31 year old cars.

Traxxas keeping everything the same? If you consider keeping boats and quadcopters the same..... sure...

[GoMachV]

The rustler hasn't changed platforms since what like 94? Sure it's gray now but same thing

[yellowdatsun]

What irritates the hell out of me, is when someone brings their car/truck up to the hobby counter, and I overhear them ask a really stupid question about their vehicle. Now, granted, some people may not be the brightest bulbs, but I hear it on a regular basis, from both kids and adults. Something akin to, "can you replace my spur gear for me", or 'I don't know how to set the pinion/spur mesh, can you do it for me?" Or a piece broke, and they want the hobby people to fix it. I stand there and just think in my head, "you can't really be that stupid, and be in this hobby, can you?". This is the problem with the RTR cars, so many people don't have a clue how their car works, and how to fix it. I don't think people are really that dumb, BUT the RTR part of the hobby has completely killed off the chance for a person to learn something, and add to their knowledge base in general.

[duckhead]

People have gotten lazy. No one teaches their kids how to wrench on stuff or fix anything. It is a disposable world. I hardly ever go into my local hobby shop because it is all crap, but when I do it amazes me how many people are in there getting simple things fixed. Good money for the repair shop I guess.

In general I'd agree with this, but the blame largely can sit with parents on this one. However, I think we like to romanticize our upbringings too. At least for me, my Dad never did a single thing for me mechanically on my RC cars. Maybe that in and of itself was a good thing

Now in regards to the whole RTR thing, my first few "RC Cars" were Radioshack junk RTRs, my first proper RC car was still an RTR, a Monogram Lightning and without those I probably would not have gotten hooked on the hobby, and sure as heck my Dad would not have dropped hundreds of dollars at Christmas time on my first RC10 circa 1986/87

Lastly, going to a hobbyshop nowadays is a bizzarro word, agreed. However, I don't envy a hobbyshop trying to compete with the Internet, I mean what do you do? Helping people fix their stuff is about the only value add they have now, outside of the emergency last minute part you need. But to the "fix me stuff" specifically, imagine if we all had the Internet back in the day, Youtube alone

Anyway, my $0.02...

[GoMachV]

Keep in mind too that even "race" cars back in the 70's could be purchased rtr. The Jerobee series of 1/12 nitro, the Associated rc12e, etc were sold in rtr forms. You have had the option for a lot of years. What kills it for me is the lack of a kit option these days

[RC10th]

Kits always come with better parts while RTR's are usually bare bones basic and thrown together. Even if I bought an RTR I'd have to strip it down and build it to my standard.

I think this is half the problem, people expect RTR's would be assembled as good as someone who cared, so when a wheel nut falls off they jump up and down. When people are told to check screws and such they say why, it's RTR isn't it.

[Lowgear]

"I don't know how to set the pinion/spur mesh, can you do it for me?"

Don't even tell me that's true as that is just horrifying. With people's faces buried in technology 24/7, they can't look something like that up themselves? It would have taken a fraction of the time and effort as it did to go to the hobby shop.

[Bruizza]

I too am just getting back into RC. Growing up I had RTR cars and built a kit or two. I ordered a couple kits to build this time around but also ordered a RTR just to have something to play with while I build and fine tune the kits.

[jwscab]

I think it starts even simpler than that. 'Here son/daughter, this is a screw. it has threads. when you turn it one way, it loosens and when you turn it the other, it tightens. Many things in this world are held together with these, and you can move them by your own free will'. I think this simple concept is totally lost these days.

[RC10th]

The best one I've seen is a guy complaining his new truck didn't steer. He turns it on and starts waving the controller from side to side and says "see, it doesn't steer". The shop employee grabs the controller and turns the wheel, followed by an "Ahhhhhh" from the customer.