<p>If you have no technic and no power functions you will need to get quite a lot. You could buy small technic sets to get enough parts to build the moving parts and you your current collection, or buy a big set and just add power functions to it. The <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/42029-1" rel="noreferrer">Customized Pickup Truck</a> is a good starter set that has all the right moving parts, but pretty much any Technic truck/car contains steering and a drive chain that you can attach a motor to.</p>

<p>For steering I recommend the <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/88004-1/Servo-Motor" rel="noreferrer">servo motor</a>. As a kid I spent a lot of time making cars that would lock left or right but not flick back to exactly straight afterwards.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/zINbP.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/zINbP.jpg" alt="88004 Servo Motor"></a></p>

<p>For propulsion you have a whole array of motor options, the biggest and strongest (but also the slowest) is the <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/8882-1/XL-Motor" rel="noreferrer">XL motor</a>. I've seen the Customized Pickup Truck converted to full RC using two M motors.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/SOvV1.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SOvV1.jpg" alt="8882  XL Motor"></a></p>

<p>One <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/8884-1/IR-Receiver" rel="noreferrer">IR receiver</a> can control two wires so if you're only thinking about propulsion and steering one will do.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/CvGHj.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/CvGHj.jpg" alt="8884 IR reveiver"></a></p>

<p>You'll need a battery pack. I prefer there <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/8881-1/Battery-Box" rel="noreferrer">one that takes AA</a>s because years from now AA battery will still be purchasable and may be even longer lasting, plus you can keep spares near by, as opposed to the <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/8878-1/Rechargeable-Battery-Box" rel="noreferrer">Lego rechargeable battery</a> which will wear out over time and not be available forever.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/E5UIq.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/E5UIq.jpg" alt="8881 Battery Box"></a></p>

<p>And finally a remote. The <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/8879-1/IR-Speed-Remote-Control" rel="noreferrer">speed remote</a> lets you control the speed of the motors, not just forward/backwards at a fixed speed. However you'll need some extra parts to make left/right steering make sense on there. The other option is  the basic <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/8885-1/IR-Remote-Control" rel="noreferrer">IR remote</a>. Either one can control two functions.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/civfk.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/civfk.jpg" alt="8879 Speed Remote"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/aU2Dj.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/aU2Dj.jpg" alt="8885 IR Remote"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-11T23:56:44.780Z
2016-12-11T23:56:44.780Z
Craig
<p>I want to make a car or truck that can be driven by a controller.</p>

<p><strong>Q: what Power Functions sets do I need in 2016? Any other suggestions?</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>I have no Technic nor Power Functions</li>
<li>I'm willing to buy anything</li>
<li>I am at an Expert level for brick-based construction</li>
<li>...but know almost nothing about beam-based construction</li>
<li>my existing library of beam parts comes from whatever parts happened to come with brick-based sets</li>
</ul>

<p>References from older questions:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/45/what-are-the-best-options-for-building-a-lego-rc-car">What are the best options for building a LEGO RC car?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/845/does-the-power-functions-ir-remote-control-8885-make-a-good-remote-for-a-car">Does the Power Functions IR Remote Control 8885 make a good remote for a car?</a></li>
</ul>

<power-functions>
2016: which Power Functions for controllable car?
MonkeyWidget
# 2016: which Power Functions for controllable car?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-12-10)

I want to make a car or truck that can be driven by a controller.

**Q: what Power Functions sets do I need in 2016? Any other suggestions?**

* I have no Technic nor Power Functions
* I'm willing to buy anything
* I am at an Expert level for brick-based construction
* ...but know almost nothing about beam-based construction
* my existing library of beam parts comes from whatever parts happened to come with brick-based sets

References from older questions:

* [What are the best options for building a LEGO RC car?](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/45/what-are-the-best-options-for-building-a-lego-rc-car)
* [Does the Power Functions IR Remote Control 8885 make a good remote for a car?](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/845/does-the-power-functions-ir-remote-control-8885-make-a-good-remote-for-a-car)

**Tags:** power-functions


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-12-11. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

If you have no technic and no power functions you will need to get quite a lot. You could buy small technic sets to get enough parts to build the moving parts and you your current collection, or buy a big set and just add power functions to it. The [Customized Pickup Truck](http://brickset.com/sets/42029-1) is a good starter set that has all the right moving parts, but pretty much any Technic truck/car contains steering and a drive chain that you can attach a motor to.

For steering I recommend the [servo motor](http://brickset.com/sets/88004-1/Servo-Motor). As a kid I spent a lot of time making cars that would lock left or right but not flick back to exactly straight afterwards.

[![88004 Servo Motor](https://i.sstatic.net/zINbP.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/zINbP.jpg)

For propulsion you have a whole array of motor options, the biggest and strongest (but also the slowest) is the [XL motor](http://brickset.com/sets/8882-1/XL-Motor). I've seen the Customized Pickup Truck converted to full RC using two M motors.

[![8882  XL Motor](https://i.sstatic.net/SOvV1.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/SOvV1.jpg)

One [IR receiver](http://brickset.com/sets/8884-1/IR-Receiver) can control two wires so if you're only thinking about propulsion and steering one will do.

[![8884 IR reveiver](https://i.sstatic.net/CvGHj.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/CvGHj.jpg)

You'll need a battery pack. I prefer there [one that takes AA](http://brickset.com/sets/8881-1/Battery-Box)s because years from now AA battery will still be purchasable and may be even longer lasting, plus you can keep spares near by, as opposed to the [Lego rechargeable battery](http://brickset.com/sets/8878-1/Rechargeable-Battery-Box) which will wear out over time and not be available forever.

[![8881 Battery Box](https://i.sstatic.net/E5UIq.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/E5UIq.jpg)

And finally a remote. The [speed remote](http://brickset.com/sets/8879-1/IR-Speed-Remote-Control) lets you control the speed of the motors, not just forward/backwards at a fixed speed. However you'll need some extra parts to make left/right steering make sense on there. The other option is the basic [IR remote](http://brickset.com/sets/8885-1/IR-Remote-Control). Either one can control two functions.

[![8879 Speed Remote](https://i.sstatic.net/civfk.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/civfk.jpg)
[![8885 IR Remote](https://i.sstatic.net/aU2Dj.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/aU2Dj.jpg)


---

