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Technically every stage of the radio controlled car revolution has had its own killer power engines. Way back in the radio controlled cars' early stages it was the "small, nitromethane-powered engine" car that got many people interested in radio controlled cars.

Then, the ZipZaps came along. These are diminutive radio controlled cars being marketed by Radio Shack. They are considered more as miniature monsters waiting for their own killer engines to emerge.

They were first launched in the market as "micro RCs" due to their undersized structures. However, even if they are small, electrically powered radio controlled cars, they appear bigger to some extent than Matchbox and Hot Wheels.

The good thing about ZipZaps is that you can modify them. In other words, you can convert or tailor your radio controlled car's appearance, performance, and power according to your needs and wants.

When you buy ZipZaps radio controlled cars, you already get a pre-constructed chassis with integrated "nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries." However, the tires, gears, and "hubcaps" can be modified for optimum performance and form.

You can also modify the total outer appearance by changing "body shells," which can be attached at the uppermost portion of the chassis. In turn, you can easily disguise your

ZipZaps as any car model that you like such as Ford GT, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz SL, etc.

When it comes to racing, ZipZaps can only be accommodated twice in a race. This means that three or more ZipZaps are impossible to race in a given venue. It is simply because ZipZaps only work at two frequencies - 49 MHz and 27 MHz.

If you are planning to buy ZipZaps radio controlled cars in the future, try to remember these pointers:

1. Set your budget

Even if most ZipZaps are more affordable than most hobby-grade radio controlled cars, they can still cost you a fortune. You must set aside a specific budget for your radio controlled hobby. You really have to set up a budget especially if you are just starting out with your hobby.

Starter kits for ZipZaps radio controlled cars are usually more affordable than other radio controlled cars. Maintenance and repairs are also more reasonably priced.

2. Learn to drive it

Buying ZipZaps may not be advantageous if you do not know how to drive a radio controlled car in the first place. Even if they are mini cars, they can be very powerful.

Just try to remember these pointers and you will surely get the best ZipZaps deals.

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When a person buys a car from a dealer, the only way to make the vehicle last for 5 years or longer is through proper care. This can be done visually or brought to the shop after reaching a certain mileage for preventive maintenance.

The same thing but in a smaller scale is done for radio controlled cars. This should be done after each run that will usually take 30 minutes to an hour. Here are a few tips on repairing radio controlled cars.

1. First, a visual inspection should be made over the entire vehicle. This will make it easy for the person to identify any cracks, leaks or broken parts that have to be glued or replaced.

2. Radio controlled cars using batteries should be disconnected and recharged. Those that use oil should be drained to prevent condensation to build up inside that could damage the engine.

3. The suspension of most radio controlled cars endures a lot of beating after engaging in hair pin turns, long jumps and various terrains. A person can make sure this is still in good condition by pressing on that section of the vehicle and by adding oil to the shocks.

4. The jumps and spins may also cause some screws to come loose over time. The individual should have a screw driver nearby to tighten them. Those that appear secure should be given a coat of thread locking compound to make sure they stay in place.

5. Radio controlled cars use rubber tires. After a few spins, they will develop some cuts and gashes which occur due to the quality of the road. If these are no longer able to maintain a good grip on the road, the individual should have them replaced at once with new ones from the hobby store.

6. If some paint has chipped off or holes have developed around the radio controlled car, the hobbyist can fix them using some paint and a pack of glue.

Once all of these are done, it is time to end the maintenance check using some paper towels and a toothbrush. These will be used to remove any dirt or dust that has accumulated in the undercarriage or in those hard to reach places of the radio controlled car.

The radio controlled car is a not just a toy but a machine that requires a lot of maintenance. A person must learn how to take care of it to be able to enjoy playing with it every time it is taken to the race track.

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There are a lot of radio controlled cars (RCs) and a lot of RC aficionados out there. Across the United States, there are hundreds of RC competitions of all kinds, attracting both young and adults. The RC industry is one that does not look to be out of business in a while. As such, RC manufacturers are trying to outdo one another by trying to come up with innovations relating to their products. This translates into totally new RC models that are said to be faster, sturdier, and more powerful in general. To the RC competitor, that is music to his ears. However, the question remains, what exactly are the best RC models out there?

There really isn't a perfect model that would fit all of the details that an RC owner would want. If you are a competitor and want speed, then the model for you would be one powered by fuel instead of the electric-powered ones. The top speeds reached by gas-powered RCs would be far higher than one powered by an electric motor.

However, the disadvantage that a gas-powered RC would bring up is its high maintenance. Gas RCs produce internal dirt that requires constant cleaning, also to maintain high performance and to lessen breakdowns. Also, due to the high speeds that are brought about by gas-powered RCs, crashes are likely to happen, and we know that high speed crashes result in disaster.

Maintenance is the advantage of an electric-powered RC model. They don't require as much maintenance as gas-powered RCs, since they don't have an internal combustion system. Even though not much maintenance is required, they tend to last longer than gas-powered models, since they don't experience as much wear and tear with a lightweight vehicle, a motor, and electric batteries.

If you're after speed, then the big truck models are not for you, as they are more suited for rough terrain racing. What would be best is to get a gas-powered lightweight vehicle in order to achieve a lot of straight line speed. Likewise, a lightweight vehicle is not fit to go on the rough terrain since it normally has small wheels and a lower body that would only be damaged should you attempt to use it.

The best RC models are the ones that are suited to the type of racing you desire to participate in. If you're simply going to buy one for a hobby, try to get an all-terrain RC with speed, like a Cyclone, which is like an all-purpose vehicle.

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There are a lot of radio controlled cars (RCs) available in the market today. Go inside a hobby store and you will see monster trucks, regular cars and SUVs, racer types, and a lot more. Many hobbyists and RC collectors buy their RCs and several enhancements in order to place them in RC competitions, with the hopes of winning, both for the prize money and the pleasure of winning itself. If you are a person who is into RC racing, specifically those dealing with speed, you may want to get yourself a Cyclone radio control car., which is an RC designed and built with speed in mind.

A Cyclone RC comes with all-terrain rubber tires and suspension shocks. What does this mean? This means that aside from being a speed demon on normal roads, you can bring the Cyclone to a dirt road and it will still leave the other RCs behind in a literal "eat my dust" type of race. You can bring it and use it in almost any kind of terrain, whether rocky, dusty, flat, bumpy, etc. The Cyclone RC is truly an RC that collectors must get their hands on. It is a great combination of speed and power.

Perhaps the only problem you will experience with the Cyclone RC is the fact that it gets dusty and dirty when you use it in that kind of terrain and you will spend some time cleaning it afterwards. It is a minor problem compared with the other problems other RCs experience initially (tire trouble, suspension problems, motor problems, etc.). The silver or black color will come out in a different shade when it goes through dirt, but you will be happy to see the amount of dust it kicks up in the air as it picks up speed. Be sure to watch though, since you might ram an unwanted obstruction which could cause damage to the RC.

RC collectors must have the Cyclone included in their collection. It is a highlight of any RC collection due to the fact that it is a high speed vehicle, yet has no equal of its size when in comes to all-terrain function. It is really easy to control too, as there are two speed controls - one low and one high. The low speed control comes in handy when going through rough terrain, and when the road evens out, push the high speed control to see how fast the Cyclone can go.

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Creating a custom paint job for your new radio controlled cars lexan shell is great fun, I'll show you how to do this with perfect results every time, no artistic skills required, you don't need an airbrush or an entire weekend to do it, and you will be amazed at the fantastic results you can get with a little know how.

For the purpose of this article I have selected an old favorite of mine, the flames. The techniques can be applied to any design you can dream up, all you need is a little imagination.

First things first.

The first thing you need to do is clean the shell, use warm water and soap, be sure to rinse all the soap off and let it dry before your continue, it's critical that the lexan shell is clean or your paint job won't hold, or will have blemishes once your done.

The second thing you need to do is cut the shell out, we do this first for two reasons:

It's easy to line up the wheels and body posts to the chassis

After it's painted you will scratch the paint while you cut out the shell

Imagination is key

Now that we have the body cleaned and cut out we need to look for natural lines on the body that we can use to keep our design perfectly symmetrical, it's often difficult to paint over vents and other highly detailed parts of the car so pick your locations wisely.

So after much debate we have decided to run a two colour flame down the side and the rest of the car is going to be black, in my example I'm going to use metallic red and purple to do the flames, and black for the rest.

Masking the Shell.

First thing I need to point out is that we paint the inside of the shell, the outside has a clear film which prevents over-spray, once the car is painted and ready for decals and stickers this can be removed, leave it intact until after you have painted the car.

For marking I normally use hobby shop masking tape, while you can use the standard masking tape you get from hardware shops, this tends to let tiny specs of paint through, while no-one will ever notice, you'll know about it.

Mask the perfect flame

Now here is the trick, find a good image on google images or from somewhere off the internet, it really doesn't matter where it comes from, if you have the ability you can draw your own, then scan in into a computer. Once you have your digital image, you can print this out using a standard inkjet printer.

At first I tried to to print to A4 Sticker paper, which you can get from any stationary shop, the problem with this is that the glue they use on the back sticks to the lexan, and even if you remove all of it the paint will not stick to these parts correctly. The right way to do it is to either use the wax backing of the A4 Sticker paper or get some other wax paper, apply masking take to the wax side and then print your design out on the marking tape. Remember that you will need to do this as a mirror image should you want text or numbers

Once done cut out your mask and apply it to the inside of the car. Mask out the windows and lights and whatever else you want, then apply the first layer of paint.

The First Layer

Dark colours first then light colours, it always pays to use a backing colour, silver for metallic or white for normal paint.

When you start applying the first layer of paint start very slowly, keep the can about 30cm away from the shell and do one light coat, don't let the paint pool or it will run and look terrible. Leave this to dry then apply another coat, for best results you should apply between 5 and 10 layers for each colour. Once done remove the mask.

Now it's time to do the two tone flame, which should be a clear area on your shell right in the middle of all the black. The black must be completely dry before you do this!

Now starting in the middle of the flame put down a very light layer of one colour, switch direction and do the other colour in the other direction, this will give you a faded two tone flame, repeat until you are happy that enough paint has been applied. The last step is to use white or silver paint to back your entire car.

Finally

Remove the over spray layer and apply your decals and your done. With a little practise you can make some amazing designs that will make you the envy of your local RC hobby club.

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