I always wanted to get into the gas versions but never could afford it. Now I got too many hobbies to start a new hobby!
It was my last hurrah before I moved into high school and focus changed to quads and cars. I got it out last winter, bought a new remote in hopes of putting some time into it this year, but that hasn't happened. Like you said, too many hobbies!
I was given a nitro rc car a few years ago. Before I could use it I was 80 dollars into it for a new remote control and servo. First drive I hit a tree and snapped the front control arm. Now I am trying to find parts for a 15 year old rc car, which I finally found. All that thing did was smoke the tires and break stuff. Shredded gears in trans, just one thing after another. Sold it and have not looked back.
I got a nitro car in college one of the summers I stayed on campus, my experience is similar to yours, once i got it running, it just went like a bat outta hell, till you hit something, then it was a 30min drive to the hobby shop to buy parts. It stayed broken for years, sat in a box until I wrapped it into a barter for a ford ranger with the warped head! lol