RC10 Truck Value hierarchy

[ghostofsenna]

First post here, and like many of you before me, I am trying to resurrect the hobby from my past. I'm going to start with vintage team associated rc10 trucks because I always favored them over the buggy platform. I feel comfortable buying them in any condition as well... to that end, what is the ranking in terms of value of performance/part availability/bang for your buck (qualitative).

Ready, set, go.

[RCveteran]

Any that I own are worth the most.

[ghostofsenna]

How about in terms of rehabbing? Which ones are most scarce for parts? Which ones have the most transferable parts? Which ones (since I can't use a dollar amount) would yield the most value in performance given the length of time they have been discontinued and availability of used kits/parts?

[shodog]

IMO the T3 great value to performance you get. They can be bought cheaply. They are a durable truck and the parts can be found off of ebay inexpensively.

[Incredible_Serious]

Any that I own are worth the most.

Conversely, any that I sell are worth the least....

[RCveteran]

Are you tyring to actually race with it and on what surface and how serious of a track? If not, I think get whichever you want. The T2 is kind of an orphan but that makes it somewhat cool to me. T3 is great, but then T4 is cheap too. From RC10T to T4 in right hands they are all similair. Some guy a few years ago won the cactus classic (or some big race) with practically a bone stock RC10T against modern trucks to prove my point.

At my local which recently closed on black carpet you would need any of the modern mid engine wonder trucks to keep up.

Long way of saying if your goal is to capture memories and have fun, get which one you like best, if your goal is to win the IFMAR worlds get a new 6.1.

[ghostofsenna]

Are you tyring to actually race with it and on what surface and how serious of a track? If not, I think get whichever you want. The T2 is kind of an orphan but that makes it somewhat cool to me. T3 is great, but then T4 is cheap too. From RC10T to T4 in right hands they are all similair. Some guy a few years ago won the cactus classic (or some big race) with practically a bone stock RC10T against modern trucks to prove my point.

At my local which recently closed on black carpet you would need any of the modern mid engine wonder trucks to keep up.

Long way of saying if your goal is to capture memories and have fun, get which one you like best, if your goal is to win the IFMAR worlds get a new 6.1.

I am going to race at the club level. No points series or anything like that, however, I'd like to remain competitive. I raced T2/T3 during my teens and always made the A main. The example of the cactus classic winner is so cool in my mind. That's the approach I'm looking for on a local scale.

My other hobby is racing BMWs and I prefer older platforms-- for many reasons: cost, aftermarket support, enthusiast community/knowledge, used part availability, etc.

For all of you thinking I'm a garage sale arbitrage investor, does that clear things up? I'm positive this is a vintage forum and all of my comments and posts are legitimate.

[ghostofsenna]

IMO the T3 great value to performance you get. They can be bought cheaply. They are a durable truck and the parts can be found off of ebay inexpensively.

Awesome - I built two T3 team kits during my racing years. That makes me feel good they are not extinct.

I wonder how hard it would be to get an old stock, sealed kit. I'll keep an eye out on eBay.

[jwscab]

if you are planning on racing it with some bit of future in mind, you are probably better off running a t2 or t4, because they use the 2.6:1 ratio trans, which have parts available at this point. Lots of the rc10 based stuff has begun to dry up rapidly, including the trans parts.

it's pretty much at the point where associated is on the cusp on not supporting/selling any of the old parts, so it would be wise to find something and stock up on parts.

its even more disappointing that even moving to a modern associated car is frustrating, as the b4/b5/b6 are being discontinued on a daily basis. latest and greatest and all that.....

[ghostofsenna]

if you are planning on racing it with some bit of future in mind, you are probably better off running a t2 or t4, because they use the 2.6:1 ratio trans, which have parts available at this point. Lots of the rc10 based stuff has begun to dry up rapidly, including the trans parts.

it's pretty much at the point where associated is on the cusp on not supporting/selling any of the old parts, so it would be wise to find something and stock up on parts.

its even more disappointing that even moving to a modern associated car is frustrating, as the b4/b5/b6 are being discontinued on a daily basis. latest and greatest and all that.....

Very insightful on the gear ratio/part availability. If I went the T3 route, would it make sense just to buy like 3 of them (put all the best parts into 1) and keep the extras for spares?

Can you elaborate on the discontinue parts for B4/B5/B6? Isn't the B6 the current platform? Why are the stopping the support? Are you saying it's to push the consumer to buy the latest platform?

[jwscab]

i'm not sure what they are doing from a business perspective, surely doing what they need to do to survive and comply with their overlords.. If you look at their website on the discontinued list vs new models, it's very striking. the b7 stuff is either out or will be soon, so i expect the b6 stuff to start to become hard to get directly. i'm sure there are lots of parts in the aftermarket pipeline, but who knows. it seems the new business model is to discontinue stuff quite rapidly. it certainly makes sense not to carry inventory that won't sell. and certainly the racing circuit is much smaller than it used to be and shrinks every year. die hard guys will always chomp at the bit for the latest and greatest, so it makes sense.

if you are selecting a t3, yeah, definitely scrounge them up; they have a low cost/value ratio for running, ie, can still be had fairly cheap. those trans parts however are just as hard to find as the 2.25:1 trans stuff (2.4:1). so keep that in mind.

[GoMachV]

I modified your original post, removing the part that goes against our rules here (you may want to read them before this happens again..), and the related posts. We are DONE with the bantering back and forth on a topic that is cut and dry.

[broodenburg]

trans part are not that hard to find.
Bare in mind that you probably will use the B4/T4 topshaft (easaly available) and the idler gear is also same as modern cars. So we're talking diff gear. That is still easaly found on ebay. And custom works (4351 Custom Works Differential Assembly) sells the diff gear and last but not least you can try the Thunder Tiger stuff....

[Lonestar]

For the record - the stealth diff spur works on the TRX-1... the other way around must then be true

[Lightning78]

I just recently got back into RC racing at the track after a 25-year hiatus my favorite of all my vehicles is my T3 that thing is awesome on the track at least for me I love that truck I just picked up a T4 I had a GT converted to brushless have a b44.2 a b5m and of all those my favorite is still the T3 by a landslide.
It does need the slipper clutch upgrade though I think I'm going to go all the way to a VTS