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I also echo others advice on buying a name brand product. I made the mistake of buying a used Smartech Nitro 1/10 scale as my first nitro car and while it wasn't hard to find parts online, shipping them to Canada would have cost more than the parts were worth, ultimately making it more expensive to replace than a similar HPI or Traxxas part.

I would also make the recommendation of taking your son to your local hobby shop and let him experience the different choices available, as well as the cost of the items. It may help to give him a deeper understanding and appreciation of the hobby, more specifically in regards to the time and monetary commitments associated with it; on the opposite end of the spectrum, it might even discourage him from the hobby.

Depending on your local hobby shop, they may have used nitro buggies for sale and may even demo it for you. It never hurts to ask, and from my experience, the majority of LHS employees/owners are more than willing to answer questions and help wherever then can!

Good luck!