Haha, you could probably print all that on a shirt and people would buy it and wear it as their OWN story!...It know most of what you wrote was certainly true of my progression into the hobby scales.
I noticed you didn't mention the Epoch though...They're 1/43rd scale and the precision/quality of the car is also top notch (the stock Tx leaves a bit to be desired though...BUT, since it's a TRUE propo vehicle, you can use any 27MHz band Tx...I use my Mini-Z Perfex with it).
If you're definitely going to step up to the 1/18th scale and you're on a tight budget...The Propulse might be a good option.
Good luck with the addiction!
