You're right, electric rtr's aren't nearly the moneypits that nitro rtr's are. As you've noticed nitros need servo upgrades and the motors are junk, while electrics straight out of the box can be pretty decent competitors as long as you go with a namebrand. But if you can shy him away from buggies, IMO, as they tend to be a little more fragile especially bashing around. Like others suggested look into the traxxas slash as they seem to be the hot item this year and are very durable and are race- and bash-worthy.