rarest AE 1/12th car?

[V12]

From all of the Team Associated 1/12th cars what do you think is the rarest one? RC12E, RC12i ?
Until today I thought the RC12E might be the rarest one as it´s the oldest AE 1/12th and I never have seen one in person. Even not on Ebay.
Now a friend told me today he have found 2 RC12E kits here in a local shop one with fixed rear axle and one with rear diff. I even didn´t know there was a rear diff available for the RC12E already.

There was an US military base nearby in the past and the shop was selling cars and things to the guys from the military base. This shop actually just sells trains and plans now but it seems they have some old stuff laying around also.
I think I have to visit them.

[reign79]

Maybe certain versions but by no means is the rc12e rare they made LOTS of them. The lightweight versions are very desirable also graphite parts for them.

[V12]

The RC12E not rare, really? This is the oldest 1/12th they made and I don´t find any at Ebay or somewhere else. Of course there are some other cars what were made in smaller numbers but I think any car what isn´t available or just from time to time is rare. But maybe I´m wrong on this.

Actually I would prefere finding a RC12i as this was a car I raced in the past. but now it´s a RC12E what I could get.

The two kits what I could get seem the older ones what had a very thick radioplate from what I was told. One of them has the fixed solid steel rear axle, the other one is marked as Special at the box what seems rear diff with steel tube axle from what I hear.
Is this correct and which one would you choose?

Graphite parts for the RC12E? Really? I never have seen any RC12E as graphite version and even the RC12i didn´t have a graphite chassis from my knowledge, just one small graphite strip above the chassis. Or I am wrong here?

[a01butal]

This is a post about the RC12e weight saver version which is probably the rarest version of that car except for complete NIB kits that show up every now and then. http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=3023&hilit=weightsaver
next link is the weight saver that I built up a couple of years ago.
http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=3023&hilit=weightsaver and finally here is a link to a RC12i (my car again) with the IFS front suspension which is somewhat rarer than the regular car but does seem to show up on eBay all too often. http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=9834

[V12]

Thanks for the links. I think I will quit the 12E and search for a 12i even with the standard frontend.

Just out of interest. Do you know what "Special" at the 12E box could mean?
Is it really rear diff instead of fixed axle or is this maybe the lightweight version?

[a01butal]

Maybe someone else knows but I have no idea.

[V12]

If nobody knows I will post about this when I have visited the shop.

[V12]

Today I had a look at that RC12E Special kit and from what I could see the differences from the Basic kit were like this:

- 2 radio plates included, the thick plastic one with cutout for 2 servos and a fiberglass one for electronic ESC

- different chassis with additional cutout at the front but not the lightweight version with keyhole cutout
- holes in chassis countersunk for flathead screws
- tube rear axle, also I was told there is a diff included but I forgot looking for this to verify

- ball bearings for rear axle, for the front wheels I don´t know

I did read somehere there was a Basic kit and a Professional kit. Maybe this Special kit actually is a Professional but maybe there are also some other versions.

I have to say there was very little time for me inspecting this kit as I had to look for other parts also. So maybe I didn´t notice all of the differences. But from my opinion this kit looks a lot better than the Basic kit.

[a01butal]

Did you get the kit # on the end of the box? I have a catalog that lists all the different kits.

[V12]

No, I thought of this number when I was on the way back to home.
But maybe you could post this numbers or scan the catalogue. I have found some old catalogue but not that old so the RC12E is in.
Maybe it´s possible getting this number at the kit later.

[a01butal]

RC12E kit #'s from 1979 catalog





RC12E kit #'s from 1983

[V12]

Thanks a lot!

[mrlexan]

Need to dig up my old pics (not on my current computer)

[V12]

What is your favourite AE 1/12th car?
For me it´s the RC12i.

[Charlie don't surf]

12 ifs