RC10 "retirement" project

[Saito2]

Ok, the title is misleading. Its more like projects.

About 15 years ago, when unscrupulous folks figured old ratty old Tamiya buggies were "collectable", we saw the end of the cheap fleabay project that could be picked up and revitalized. Surprise! Greed ruins everything. With reasonably affordable re-releases coming out by then, I dropped out of the old Tamiya hunt for awhile, refusing to pay stupid prices for crumbling plastic. Instead, I quietly began scooping up old RC10s that happened to come my way. Always being deep in some Tamiya or Kyosho project, the RC10s got squirreled away. I called them my retirement projects. Well, that was dumb.

The concept that a working class schlub like myself is ever going to be able to retire is probably a pipe dream. I'll die on my feet working (if all goes well and the ol' body holds together). Its not to say I haven't saved for retirement. Almost every spare dime goes towards it. We haven't eaten out in over 10 years at this point, lol. But, in the US, many of us are just one medical emergency away from severe financial hardship. Oh and look! Social Security benefits that we've all payed into our whole lives will drop to only around a 75% payout by 2033 if something isn't done to fix it. Fun! Sorry, rant over, I digress.

Admittedly disappointed at the prices of the Thunder Tiger RC10 re-releases, I decided to pull out some of those projects and get a game plan going. Everything will only get more expensive and more unavailable as time goes on. So, here's what I've got:

An old, pretty complete Cadillac RC10

A 2012 re-release I bought for about half price (they were $250 first time around), with little use.

Late, "zebra" RC10 Champ Edition with Stealth trans and fairly nice tub.

Old 6-gear RC10 with white Andy's wide front arms. If I can find some affordable short front arms (not the $30 AE wants for all 4 currently), I'd like to make this a short arm runner. The tub's got enough scratches underneath to warrant it.

This hodge-podge of parts started with a hacked tub that I was determined to save. Its got Andy's wide arms and a crunchy Stealth trans that need rebuilt. This will definitely be a runner.

Tub Team Car. Look! A black tub! How novel.

Graphite Team Car with A&L steering.

 

In addition to those pictured above, there are two more tub cars in pieces sitting in boxes, so 9 RC10s altogether.

I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the RC10. I hated the car got all the press BITD when I worshiped Tamiya (probably still guilty of this although I can both love and criticize RC companies simultaneously. What a concept!). I took great enjoyment seeing the Ultima clobber the RC10 in '87. As time went on, I really began to appreciate all the knowledge, passion and the people behind the RC10. Flawed in places or not, its a great product. The 2012 re-re seemed strangely dead to me and I admit that's weird. I imagine the current ones would too. I wanted to build new one and thrash it but not when I can buy a super-nice Kyosho for the prices Thunder Tiger is asking. I think a Hornet Evo will be more in line with cheaper, care free bashing. I do plan on digging out all those old magazines and following the articles while building up this pile of RC10s.

[River19]

Nothing wrong with a good set of gold pan projects (or black pan for that matter).

Live today while taking prudent care to plan for the future and what may come.......you never know how long we will be on this spinning rock.

Seeing those good pans, especially the top one with OG plastic wheel knockoffs etc brings back a lot of memories.

Keep us posted !!!!!

[F-150]

Associated RC-10, the only radio control car to make it into the Smithsonian museum of American history. Lol that is pretty cool.

[F-150]

I think it's great to rebuild originals rc10. Use as runners and use the best parts cleaned up as a shelf queen. They are the real deal, the O.G 

I did get a 40th, but I also have my beloved and cherished, shelf queen, original Edinger RC10 built, never run car.

 I'm not sure if I'm going to spend more for a team car....I don't know....I'm really thinking of just being happy with the ones I have.  

[Kowalski86]

$30 For a couple of nylon arms does seem pricey...

Is that "hacked up" tub from "Project Dune Runner" by any chance? It looks nicer now that you've cleaned it up and made it less of a hodge podge mess. If you're still running the gearbox that came with it, the bushings are likely worm out.

Prior to my ownership, "Dune Runner" started out as an RC10T (it had RC10 rear arms and shock tower). By the time that I got it, it had a butchered Traxxas Bandit body, the front end of a different 2wd RC of some sort, and mismatched front tires. It had basically been used as a beater by the previous owner.

I ended up mish-mashing some spare gold pan parts in a poor attempt to make it into a better runner, but with the cost and scarcity of old RC10 parts (and AE price gouging us) I gave up on the project.

[Mad Ax]

I do love an old RC10.

Around 15 or so years ago I bought a badly-used gold pan with a blown 6-gear transmission, with the intention of tidying it up and making a better-handling Grasshopper (someone on here had already done that, and it looked fab), but for some reason (I guess I couldn't work out what I needed to fix the transmission) I got bored with it and sold it on.  That's one of my regrets, as is not picking up a Classic re-re for £150 from the LHS.  I'd love to race one now, but not at today's re-re prices.

 

[Saito2]

8 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

Is that "hacked up" tub from "Project Dune Runner" by any chance?

Yes, that's it. I did a little hammer/dolly work at the front of the tub sides, which had been cut back as you recall. Fortunately, Associated nose tubes are longer than they need to be and there was just enough material left at the front of the tub to anchor the nose tubes (with new holes added at the end). The transmission is from another RC10 I bought on here while the Dune Runner's is slated to be rebuilt alongside of it for one of the RC10s I have in pieces. Its hard keeping all the pieces (and plans for them) straight in my head sometimes,  lol.

[Saito2]

I've been spending less and less time on here. Sometimes I question whether the forum influences my desire to keep pushing on with this hobby I've been trucking along with for most of my life by now. Well, as it turns out, that's not the case. I still do it for the love of it and less time behind the keyboard means more time at the bench. 

I have all but 1 of these 9 RC10s pieced together now and recently finished a body for one of them. As a kid, I didn't picture the RC10 in my mind with its iconic box art orange (not the camel yellow AE seems to have defaulted to), but rather a maroon/burgundy/metallic red that was found on an early RC Car Action car that made the rounds in the magazine for a couple of years. Initially, I meant to recreate it as close as possible but A: I absolutely suck at painting intricate stripes and such and B: closer examination shows the stripe design (one of the ones AE themselves painted in early cars in various color combos) is asymmetrical which kinda make me crazy, lol. I went for the standard stripe treatment in colors that matched the metallic red. Its a bit brighter than I hoped (maroon is actually a hard color to come by in rattle cans as is a lot of late 70's/early 80's colors) but it much darker than it shows up in the pictures so I'm fairly satisfied. Upon applying the last decal I thought a rare thought for me, hey, I didn't screw it up! 

 

...and with its competitor of the era, a car I appreciated more than the old gold tub, the Ultima:

 

[Kowalski86]

I think it's neat just seeing an RC10 that isn't box art, with some decade old dirt on the tires. It just needs a long antenna sticking out to complete the vintage look.

[RustyHunter]

That came out really great! If you ever take another crack at the body Tamiya metallic red backed with gunmetal comes out a very dark red, but still not quite maroon.

[njmlondon]

Love it! I have found myself falling into the RC10 Rabbit hole and habe a FanRC on my bench. I am enjoying it so much I can see several more on the horizon. Your paint job looks fantastic.

What’s next?

[Saito2]

9 hours ago, njmlondon said:

What’s next?

Next up is the fifth one pictured with the black tub I managed to save. Its body will be reminiscent of an old RC Car Action feature/project car called the RC10 Torpedo.

[njmlondon]

Are you able to share scans of some Of the articles you have accumulated?

[Saito2]

3 hours ago, njmlondon said:

Are you able to share scans of some Of the articles you have accumulated?

Here's the magazine car in its first stage of development. There's definitely some airbrush trickery going on there too.

Here it is modified further. Again, mine is just "inspired" by this car. The color in my shots is a bit brighter than real-life for some reason. I backed the metallic red with black to darken it. I'd like to get some arms to dye pumpkin orange (I won't dye my vintage white stuff) but at $30 for a set, AE can keep 'em. Maybe someday I'll try to replicate the sweet Bud's bi-level wing.

[Kowalski86]

10 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Next up is the fifth one pictured with the black tub I managed to save. Its body will be reminiscent of an old RC Car Action feature/project car called the RC10 Torpedo.

I'm looking forward to seeing that one patched up, given just how rough that car was before you got it.

[njmlondon]

36 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

Here's the magazine car in its first stage of development. There's definitely some airbrush trickery going on there too.

Here it is modified further. Again, mine is just "inspired" by this car. The color in my shots is a bit brighter than real-life for some reason. I backed the metallic red with black to darken it. I'd like to get some arms to dye pumpkin orange (I won't dye my vintage white stuff) but at $30 for a set, AE can keep 'em. Maybe someday I'll try to replicate the sweet Bud's bi-level wing.

I do like that Burgundy! 

[njmlondon]

On closer inspection the Burgundy car in the top photo also seems to be sporting forged  wheels with 4 holes front and rear … nice!