when i first started in the world of nitro, i purchased an acme condor 1/10th.
the car was quick and initially i was happy with it... however it wasn't very durable.
small stones soon twisted the chassis, and it felt like i was forever stripping the car and straightening it.
I (like you will) had the odd prang or five.... i found that you could only get the parts from one website, and although the parts were relatively cheap... the postage wasn't.
The fact that no modelshops could get me the parts for this car had me waiting more often than not for the postman to come!!!!!!!!
All this aside, i never once had any engine problems and all in all it was a great purchase.... i sold it on ebay, and some poor old chap eventually bid and payed me £20 more than i payed for it brand new...