Hanging with Paulie: Reviews, Rides, and Regrets… All for Your Benefit…and entertainment
Car Shopping: A Consumer’s Musings
Still searching for the perfect used enthusiast car? In this installment of Paulie's Picks, we break down the best car search tools available right now and compare the top contenders for the ultimate driver's car under $30K.
Car Search Tools Worth Bookmarking
AutoTempest aggregates listings from CarGurus, AutoTrader, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace in a single search. CarEdge's AI negotiator lets you set a target price on any VIN and handles the back-and-forth for you — a genuine time-saver for serious buyers.
Mazda Miata vs BRZ vs GR86 vs WRX
The Mazda Miata remains one of the most accessible used sports cars on the market, with NC2 models available at nearly every price point. The Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 have taken the lead thanks to a second-generation upgrade and the distinctive flat-four boxer engine. The Subaru WRX rounds out the list as a capable but slightly too-practical alternative.
The search is narrowing. Follow along for the final verdict.
Why I’m Taking a Break from Car Shopping
What if buying a car felt like your friend telling you to marry his cousin Olga after showing you a ten-year-old photo? That’s what some dealership experiences feel like. In this comic, I explore the red flags of car shopping—refusing inspections, rushed test drives, and suspicion toward enthusiasts—and why finding the right car should feel more like a good relationship than a blind commitment.
What Car Shopping Taught Me About Enthusiasm
I love the rally heritage of the WRX, but I pointed out to my buddy that I don't want to vape and really don't want to smoke weed. Or I could be in the 1% who drive the WRX… Come on, that was funny!
ARRMA’s Slipper Clutch Upgrade
Upgrading the ARRMA Fury's slipper clutch is one of the best bang-for-your-buck mods you can make. Think of it as manual traction control. The best part is that it takes about 10 minutes.
Four Wheels, Two Wheels, Same Escape?
I want another motorcycle. My wife doesn't like that idea. My friends who've fallen over make me cautious. So I rented both a Miata and a Mustang to answer one question: Can a fun car scratch the two-wheeled itch? After a season of rental cars and backroads, I found my answer—and it surprised me.
Does Tamiya's Audi Quattro Capture the Legend?
It was pushing 8:00 AM, and I'd been at this since 5:30. I needed to get ready for work, but I had to watch one more vintage rally video. Just one more. I was three hours into researching sponsor placement on a UR Audi Quattro. I did all this for a $40 RC body. That's when I realized: I'd become that person.
Audi Quattro: The Rally Car That Changed AWD Forever
I used to think Audis were just quirky, overpriced Volkswagens. Then I watched rally racing and realized something profound: horsepower doesn’t win races—traction does. The Audi Quattro wasn’t just another AWD car; it was a radical rethink of how power gets to the ground. From frozen test courses in Finland to modern RC builds on my workbench, this car represents innovation, perseverance, and the willingness to try something no one else thought would work.
Tried for 40, but Missed the Mark
I set out to prove you could hit 40 MPH with a brushed motor Arrma Fury on a budget. Spoiler: I maxed out at 24 MPH in 25-degree weather. After buying a bone stock brushed Fury and another with a burnt-up ESC, I upgraded the brushed motor, replaced brushes, and experimented with different pinion gears. The goal? Hit that furious 40 MPH mark without going brushless.
The takeaway? If you want high speed, buy brushless from the start. The brushless Fury is only $30 more than the brushed. Yes, you'll need batteries and a charger (another $115), but it's worth it if racing is your goal. That said, upgrading a brushed motor is therapeutic and educational. If you can score a brushed Fury under $150, it's a great platform to learn on. Just know what you're getting into.
Sky RC GPS or Good News Super Sensor?
You've upgraded your RC car, but is it actually fast? Racing your buddy is fun, but it doesn't give you objective data. That's where the SkyRC GNSS comes in—a dead-simple GPS speed tracker that works anywhere in the world. It's tough, easy to mount, and pairs with your phone in seconds. The downside? You can't export the log files, which is frustrating for data nerds like me. But at under $70, it's still a solid tool for tracking your progress. If you want to know whether your brushed motor can really hit 40 mph, this little black box will give you the answer.
How to Fix Tire Rubbing on Arrma Fury (ProLine Badlands)
Installed ProLine Badlands on your Arrma Fury and hearing rubbing? Here's how to trim the body properly without ruining the look of your truck.
Making Warranty Great Again: Horizon Pulls Through!
What started as a confusing shipping notification quickly turned into a standout example of exceptional customer service. After a failed ESC/RX unit went up in smoke, Horizon Hobby surprised me with a replacement shipped in under 24 hours—no charge, no hassle, and no runaround. In a hobby where downtime is expected, Horizon proved that standing behind your product still matters. I hope you also enjoy the pics of the Arrma Fury jumping.
Brightening The Christmas Season with an SCX24
Brightening Christmas with an SCX24 is part RC build, part Christmas reflection, and part memory lane. After a neighbor repeatedly stepped in to help with major home projects, I wanted to say thank you in a way that couldn’t be repaid with cash. I am willing to step out in the darkside of Jeep to say thanks.
Along the way, the project sparked memories of childhood, family, old Jeeps, and stories passed down from my dad’s time driving Jeeps in the military. What began as a simple RC body paint job became a reminder that working with your hands has a way of opening the door to gratitude, nostalgia, and meaning.
This post walks through the build process, the painting and masking techniques, and the lessons learned—most of all, that hobbies can be powerful tools for generosity. Sometimes the best Christmas gifts aren’t expensive; they’re personal.
Proline Beadlock SCT Wheels
If you’re tired of gluing your fingers together instead of your RC tires, this one’s for you. I test Proline bead lock wheels, walk through installation, weigh the pros and cons, and share a few lessons learned along the way.
Dante Can’t Hold the Fury
The Fury charges through the backyard course like a creature unleashed from Dante’s deepest levels. Rocks, roots, and rough terrain can’t cage it. Even the legendary author of the Inferno couldn’t imagine this kind of relentless grind and glorious comeback. Victory isn’t guaranteed — but the Fury never backs down.
Arrma Fury 40 MPH Attempt… Till the Spur Gear
Is your Fury making you furious? Is it squealing so loud that you are scared CPS will show up to your door? Yeah, its annoying, but not all is lost. Here’s how to rebuild the slipper clutch, quiet that squeal, and learn some valuable RC skills along the way. Who knows, you might even learn some life skills as well!
Renting a Transit Van for a Funeral?
A review of our 12-hour family road trip in a Ford Transit 15-passenger van during a difficult week of travel. In this detailed Ford Transit review, I cover the pros and cons of renting a Transit van, real-world gas mileage, storage capacity, comfort, climate control quirks, and how this big adventure van helped our family navigate grief, and build memories. If you’re researching a Transit for road trips, camping, national park travel, or future van-life builds, this post shares practical insights, honest impressions, and how the van helped create unexpected moments of joy.
New Motor and New Problems: DisArrma-ed
When more power meets more problems—upgrading my Arrma Fury’s motor led straight to stripped gears, late-night tinkering, and a few life lessons on patience, perseverance, and redemption. Sometimes fixing an RC car teaches you more about life than driving it.
Proline Body Mounts
If you’ve ever tried fitting an electric Slash body on a Nitro Slash, you know the frustration — they just don’t line up! In this post, I test out the Pro-Line Adjustable Body Mount Kit to see if it really solves that problem. I’ll walk you through what’s in the kit, what works, what doesn’t, and why this little upgrade earned the title of a Paulie’s Pick. Spoiler: it’s not perfect, but it makes swapping bodies a whole lot easier for anyone who loves tinkering with their RC rigs.
2S, 3S, and NiMH…. Oh My!
Inspired by a dad’s comment about the high cost of RC hobbies, this experiment tests an eBay-purchased RC truck’s brushed motor to reach 40 MPH on a budget, using a GoPro Hero 7 on a custom 3D-printed mount to record speeds across 4-6 laps in a parking lot with NiMH (~18 MPH), 2S LiPO (~25 MPH), and 3S LiPO (~25 MPH) batteries; while LiPO offered consistent performance, the GoPro’s weight caused understeer, and a potentially worn-out motor limited results, suggesting future tests with a GPS module and new motor to balance cost and performance.