The XTM has proven to be a great truck! I've always been one to run something different that what other guys use, so I took a chance on the X-Cellerator a year or so ago, and it worked out great (Infact, I just won the mod truck class yesterday with the XTM at "The Barn" track in Hampton). Lots of parts interchange (Losi wheels, T4/B4 gears, XX-T front arms, etc).
One downside is that the esc that comes with the XTM only handles motors that are 20 turns or more, so you'd have to upgrade the esc if you want to get a hotter modified motor. Oh, and none of the local shops carry parts, so you gotta order everything online thru
www.hobbypeople.net.
MazdaMN02, what kind of heli do you have? Heli's are a load of fun, but are very expensive when you crash. A buddy of mine that is currently in Iraq that I fly with comes home in August, so we'll be firing up the heli's again soon. He's got a blinged out T-Rex, and it sounds like I'll be buying his backup 'Rex when he gets back, as I'm currently heli-less.
You guys should check out
www.rcflightsim.com. I use this sim, along with a USB controller I picked up on eBay for $20. Works great, costs a LOT less than the other sims out there, will help with flight orientation, and make learning a lot faster.