RC car games can be a great way to spend an afternoon, give the kids something to do or to just have fun. There are countless games that you can come up with that involve your electric RC cars. Some of the games that you can play wil challenge your driving skills, while others will challenge your mind.

Races are the first type of games that you can play with RC cars. One race that you can plan is a simple straight line race between two points. This race can be held on a sidewalk or the street. The next race is a track race. These races can be held on remote control vehicle tracks or on built up tracks that you build. If you are interested in a more mind challenging race then you can develop a more complex track to race on that includes turns, obstacles and hills.

If you are interested in a learning game, then these games are for you. To start with you can create a very challenging obstacle cource for your remote controlled vehicle. In order to complete this course you will need to problem solve and use your creativity to solve problems on the course. Another option is to set up a course that is marked by clues. In order to complete the course you have to figure out each clue. This is a fun game for birthday parties and family gatherings.

As you can see coming up with RC car games is very easy to do. All you have to do is think up interesting ways to move a vehicle through a course. The more challenging the course is the more it will exercise your mind. Do you have ideas for RC car games? I’d like to hear about it.

Posted in Electric RC Cars | 20 Comments »

July is a hot month for family fun, as well as a hot month for weather. If you like to work with your RC cars in the summer months you need to be careful. You could end up damaging your RC vehicle or your health.

When temperatures start to rise they create several problems. First of all you remote controlled vehicles are more like to overheat and your paint jobs are more likely to fade. Also as the temperatures start to go up you run the risk of getting a sun burn or experiencing a heat related illness.

To protect your RC vehicle from damage you will want to either run it in the shade or run it before 11:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. when the sun’s rays are not driectly overhead. This strategy will also help to protect you from being over exposed to the sun’s heat and rays. You can further protect your health by drinking plenty of fluid while playing with your RC units.

Now it’s time to dish. Tell me about your favorite summer RC event, activity or tip. I am waiting for your stories and so our my readers…

Posted in rc cars for summer vacation | 10 Comments »

Father’s Day is right around the corner and your shopping days are numbered. If you haven’t found that perfect gift for dad yet then take a look at the Intimidator Collector Plate. This collectable is great for dad’s that love NASCAR.

Another gift idea that works great for dads is tickets to a NASCAR race. NASCAR tickets can be purchased online. You can turn a NASCAR race into a family vacation or a special outing for the boys.

If dad is not into NASCAR then consider a weekend fishing trip. You can provide dad with a remote controlled boat as a clue to what his real gift is. The fishing weekend can include a gas card, a camping spot reservation, a basket of new fishing gear and a gift certificate for groceries. This gift can be set up so dad can get away on his own, or it can be set up as a family weekend adventure.

If you are looking for an inexpensive gift to give to dad this year then think about breakfast in bed. You can give him a menu to choose from the night before. Then when he wakes up you can have his favorite breakfast dishes ready to go on a tray. You can enhance the breakfast with his favorite movie, a car race or a sporting event on television.

Father’s Day is not about the gifts that you give, but the love and appreciation that you can give to your dad. Gifts from the heart and gifts that show you know your dad mean more than expensive gifts. Keep this in mind when planning your Father’s Day surprises.

Posted in gift ideas | 7 Comments »

Keeping your RC cars safe when you are moving them from one place to another can be a little tricky. This is especially true if you need to transport your remote control vehicles over a long distance. Fortunately there are ways to keep your RC investments safe.

The first step is to determine if it is better to carry the vehicle with you or to ship it ahead of you. If you are flying to your destination then shipping the item is generally a better option then taking it with you. However, if you are only going across town or across the state then you are generally better off just taking your vehicle with you.

If you need to ship your RC cars then you will need to invest in quality shipping supplies. You will need bubble wrap, tape and a sturdy box. To protect your vehicle you will want to first secure the antennae to the top of your vehicle with a little transparent tape. Next you will roll your vehicle in bubble wrap and tape the wrap snuggly around your vehicle. Then you will place the vehicle in a box that is just large enough to contain the wrapped RC vehicle. Then close the box and secure it with packing tape. You can use the same packing technique to protect your remote control vehicle when you take it with you to its new location.

When your RC car or truck gets to its new location you will want to be careful when unwrapping it. Gently remove the tape that is holding down the antennae to avoid snapping it off. If adhesive is left over on the vehicle you can dip the end of a cotton swab in baby oil and rub the sticky spot. This will remove the glue.

Posted in discount rc cars | 15 Comments »

Toy and model car manufacturers spend a lot of money to target collectors. They spend millions of dollars designing their items around the latest trends and consumer preferences. For collectors this is both good and bad news.

Being a prime demographic is good news in that there are dozens of manufacturers created products specifically to support your interests. For example, NASCAR fans are inundated with merchandise from the Dale Earnhardt Intimidator Express Train Collection to NASCAR remote control cars. With thousands of new and classic collectible merchandise to choose between, you are never at a loss for things to buy for gifts and to enhance your own collection.

On the negative side of this coin is victimization of collectors. There are a lot of manufacturers who produce shoddy products that are related to a popular theme. They then escalate the price and market the product to collectors. This is why reputable organizations, like NASCAR have their own official line of merchandise. This gives them control over the quality of the merchandise that carriers their logo.

Another scam that is pulled on collectors is knock offs being sold as authentic collectibles. In this scenario a valuable collectible is replicated and sold as a real collectable. The knockoff can be the entire product or just an autograph.

Do you have a scam to report for RC collectibles? Post your warnings below.

Posted in building an rc car | 1 Comment »

Collecting RC cars and NASCAR models is both a lot of fun and potentially profitable. However, your investment can quickly become worthless if your collectible items like the 1:64 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Motorsport Editions collectables are stored improperly.

Storage issues can depreciate the value of your collectibles in a couple of ways. First of all if the item is not stored properly it can be damaged by wear, tear and abrasions. Crushed boxes, chipped paint and scratches can all lead to a lower value on your collectible. To avoid these problems you will want to keep your collectable in its original packaging. You will then pack this box into a larger box that has reinforced corners. The packing box needs to be large enough to accommodate the original packaging as well as a little padding from foam pieces or air bags.

Another storage problem that can develop is damage caused by exposure to contaminants and other hazards. For example, sun light can fade your decals and paint job and moisture can cause mold damage, decal damage and cosmetic damage. To avoid these problems you will want to store your collectibles out of direct sunlight, you will want to keep it in a moisture neutral environment and you will also want to keep your items stored in a room that has a constant mild temperature. If you live in an area that has high humidity then you can protect your investment by keeping your items stored in an air tight container with desiccant packets.

Posted in collectables | 13 Comments »

If you are an outdoor lover then this is one of the most exciting and frustrating times of the year, pre-spring. The pre-spring season seems to tease you with shorts stretches of nice weather where you can break out your outdoor RC cars, and then before you know it the snow is flying again and you are stuck inside. If you are feeling the effects of cabin fever you can benefit from a little, pre-season, pre-spring tune up of your RC collection.

The first thing that you can do is get out your stored RC cars and prep them for the spring season. The prep will involve cleaning, lubing and minor repairs. This pre-spring prep will allow you to hit the ground running as soon the weather clears.

Another thing you can do during the pre-spring season is to modify your RC units. There are a lot of modifications that you can make to your remote control cars and trucks. For example, you can upgrade the suspension, the wheels and even the engine. If you are interested in smaller modifications then you can update, repair or change the look of your vehicles by changing their paint job or adding new decals.

If you are really bored and want a great weekend project, then consider building a new remote control vehicle. You can work with remote control vehicle kits or you can buy all the parts separately. This option obviously is going to take more time then the above projects, so start now to be ready for the spring thaw.

Posted in building an rc car | 16 Comments »

There are a lot of collectibles that you can buy that are from the NASCAR collectable line. NASCAR collectables are a good investment, especially if you are a NASCAR fan. However, in order to get the most value from your collectible you need to display it properly.

One type of NASCAR collectable is the NASCAR collectible plate. Collector plates, like the Intimidator Collector Plate, will feature a specific NASCAR car, driver or event. In order to display a collectable plate properly you need to have a plat stand or a plate hangar. These items can be found at hobby shops and stores where collectable plates are sold. After the plate has been set up for display you will need to dust it regularly to keep the dust from etching the plate and damaging the paint.

Another type of NASCAR collectable is a NASCAR model car. These collectables usually have an autograph on them. In order to display these items you will want to put them in a clear, plexiglass display box. This will keep dust and fingerprints off of your investment, and prevent you and others from playing with the car.

The third collectable in the NASCAR line is the NASCAR collectable train. These trains carry NASCAR logos and car designs on them. These items can be displayed on a toy train table or in a plexiglass display case. To keep their value you will generally want to keep them in their original packaging, however, if you want to play with it or keep it as a working display model then you will want to keep it set up in an area where it won’t get knocked over or damaged.

Posted in collectables | 11 Comments »

Happy New Year to RC hobbyist everywhere! If you received a great RC toy gift this year then you may be wondering how to keep your toy in top condition. Fortunately, there are several simple steps that you can take to keep your RC toys and collectables in top condition.

The first thing that you will want to do is read through the informational brochure that came with your gift, such as your Dale Earnhardt Intimidator Express Train Collection. This brochure will tell you what the capabilities of the item are and what it can and cannot tolerate. These are the boundaries that you will want to maintain when playing with your toy or collectable.

Step two is to segregate your collectables from your play toys. Play toys are remote control toys and models that you can race, run and operate. Collectables will be the remote control cars, trucks and trains that you don’t want to play with so that you can protect their value. To keep your collectable in top condition you will want to store them or display them in something that will keep the dust and other debris from tarnishing their surface and gumming up their gears. You will also want to keep them out of direct sunlight and away from extreme temperatures.

In order to protect your RC toys from unnecessary damage you will want to clean them periodically, replace worn parts as needed and you will want to maintain them with lubricant and minor repairs as needed. Next you will want to avoid getting your RC unit wet, even the models that claim to be water resistant are still generally susceptible to water damage. Finally you will want to avoid collisions whenever possible. Collisions will damage your RC car’s body and could total it.

Posted in discount rc cars | 10 Comments »

Today is December 26th, the day that retailers brace themselves for every year. This is the day when millions of shoppers descend on stores to return gifts and to use their gift cards. If you will be returning gifts this year, then these tips will help you.

If you received a mail order gift, such as a Dale Earnhardt Intimidator Express Train Collection, and it was either broken or it didn’t work, then you will need to return the train. Returning items to a mail order company is different than returning gifts to physical stores. Each company has a different return policy, so you will need to follow the instructions that are associated with the seller of the item you received.

In most cases you will need to contact the company that sold your gift and tell them what problem or problems you have with the item you received. They will most likely need the order number or receipt number of your gift. They will then issue you a return code and give you information about how to return your item.

In some cases you will not deal with the seller of the item but instead you will talk directly with the manufacturer. This is particularly true if your item doesn’t work. When you deal with the manufacturer you will generally call a toll free number and file a claim. The operator helping you will either send you a return label or tell you where to send your damaged item. When they receive your item they will process your return and send you a replacement item. This can take anywhere from two weeks to eight weeks, so be prepared for a long wait.

Posted in gifts | 1 Comment »