Gifted an old RC10. Restoration Process

[JoeP]

Hey all. So my neighbor always sees me messing around with my cars out front and it gave me this old RC10 that he didn't know much about. I'm trying to decide if it makes sense to actually give this thing some love and get it back into good running shape or if starting to get into this is going to be a huge pain in terms of finding parts and keeping it running. I must admit that I did not know much about this platform until I received this car as I've only gotten into the hobby fairly recently and mainly have been messing with Traxxas stuff.

I tested the motor and it runs. Honestly I feel like if I was going to use this thing I would be getting rid of pretty much everything except for maybe the motor. The servo is installed in a weird place and does not even turn the wheels all the way. The controller won't support my lipo batteries either of course. Also, I would want to use my existing spektrum radio so I would buy a receiver for that.

My plan was to at least take it apart. Completely, clean it all up and then decide where to go from there. The suspension parts and all that seem to be in decent shape, although I would have to see what everything looks like when taken apart.

So what are my options here? Is it worth modernizing this thing or am I just going to find myself not able to find parts? Am I better off selling this to someone who knows more about them and using the money to buy something else? I must admit, I'm pretty intrigued and the aluminum chassis is quite nice.

Just trying to wrap my head around what my options are since I have never done anything like a restoration to this level.

[Frankentruck]

Welcome. It has a nice motor (Reedy Modified Ultra series Mr.) and speed control. That used battery might be a nice display piece too. Running that motor on lipo could burn it up though in 1 battery pack though because brushed motors like that aren't meant for mire than 5 min at a time. The speed control doesn't have a voltage cutoff but otherwise would be fine with 2s. The nose plate and suspension will not be cheap to replace if damaged in a crash, or the shocks either. I agree the steering servo is in a weird spot. It could be a runner, but replacement parts are not nearly as cheap or readily available as Traxxas parts.
There's a nice example of a stock RC10 in the build of the month contest.

https://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?t=48551

[JosephS]

That car looks excellent. Like with a good soak and a clean it would be good to go.

Most parts are available now and not that hard to get.

I would recommend just getting a nimh battery for this car. They are cheap enough. You might wind up with a runner for under 30 for a battery and a few parts.

If you do replace the electrical parts, get a brushless motor.

The speed controller will handle a lipo if you want to wire it up an run it a bit. As was noted the motor won’t handle long runtimes, lipo or nimh. You have to gear it way down or just limit runs to a timer and 5 minutes. ( I’m doing that on one of my older rc10’s)

Clean it up, rebuild it and give it a few runs. You’ll know quick if it’s something you want to keep up with.

[JoeP]

Welcome. It has a nice motor (Reedy Modified Ultra series Mr.) and speed control. That used battery might be a nice display piece too. Running that motor on lipo could burn it up though in 1 battery pack though because brushed motors like that aren't meant for mire than 5 min at a time. The speed control doesn't have a voltage cutoff but otherwise would be fine with 2s. The nose plate and suspension will not be cheap to replace if damaged in a crash, or the shocks either. I agree the steering servo is in a weird spot. It could be a runner, but replacement parts are not nearly as cheap or readily available as Traxxas parts.
There's a nice example of a stock RC10 in the build of the month contest.

https://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?t=48551

Thanks so much for that info. I will definitely check out that thread.

[JoeP]

That car looks excellent. Like with a good soak and a clean it would be good to go.

Most parts are available now and not that hard to get.

I would recommend just getting a nimh battery for this car. They are cheap enough. You might wind up with a runner for under 30 for a battery and a few parts.

If you do replace the electrical parts, get a brushless motor.

The speed controller will handle a lipo if you want to wire it up an run it a bit. As was noted the motor won’t handle long runtimes, lipo or nimh. You have to gear it way down or just limit runs to a timer and 5 minutes. ( I’m doing that on one of my older rc10’s)

Clean it up, rebuild it and give it a few runs. You’ll know quick if it’s something you want to keep up with.

Thanks so much. Maybe you're right and the best approach is to not jump to any major upgrades for now and just get the thing running with a basic nimh for now. Since the motor works I guess all I would really to do is figure out why the servo is in this weird position since the bottom of the chassis doesn't even allow it to go through its full range of motion and the car cannot turn right at all. I would probably just grab a new servo and rod and get it setup in the correct position.

What exactly is the reason that these motors can only run for 5 minutes? Is that just by design because of the intended purpose being high performance for short sprints? Or is that just a product of these older RC motors in general?

Also, is that a Tamiya connector on the battery? I've only ever used the Traxxas and XT60... And I'm not familiar with this one in particular.

[Frankentruck]

Brushed motors just run hotter than brushless. After 5 min of hard running then are blisteringly hot.

[JoeP]

Brushed motors just run hotter than brushless. After 5 min of hard running then are blisteringly hot.

Dang well I am definitely abusing my Traxxas Slash... I run that thing more than 5 min on 2S lipo for sure. Oh well.

[Frankentruck]

Those Traxxas motors have a built in fan to keep them cool.
.

.
NiCd batteries didn't really give more run time than brushed motors could handle. They were usually 1200mah rated.

Your motor looks to be one like this model:
.

[JoeP]

Ahh I see. Very good to know. I have a lot to learn around here. Thanks so much

[Frankentruck]

Glad to have you on here. It's good to see a new RC10 owner looking to find out more about it.

[XLR8]

Wow, I have great neighbors but none of them ever gave me a vintage RC10. You are very lucky sir.

The car you have is a piece of RC history and a legend in the RC racing world. If you enjoy rolling, back-flipping and bashing your Slash into curbs, this is not the car for you. My advice is to sell it to someone who appreciates vintage RC's and use the proceeds to buy another modern basher -- where parts cost and availability isn't a problem.

If you do decide to rebuild your RC10, be sure to re-hydrate the nylon parts. They will become dry and brittle over time -- and Associated is no longer making them.

[XLR8]

That car looks excellent. Like with a good soak and a clean it would be good to go.

Most parts are available now and not that hard to get.

I would recommend just getting a nimh battery for this car. They are cheap enough. You might wind up with a runner for under 30 for a battery and a few parts.

If you do replace the electrical parts, get a brushless motor.

The speed controller will handle a lipo if you want to wire it up an run it a bit. As was noted the motor won’t handle long runtimes, lipo or nimh. You have to gear it way down or just limit runs to a timer and 5 minutes. ( I’m doing that on one of my older rc10’s)

Clean it up, rebuild it and give it a few runs. You’ll know quick if it’s something you want to keep up with.

... Since the motor works I guess all I would really to do is figure out why the servo is in this weird position since the bottom of the chassis doesn't even allow it to go through its full range of motion and the car cannot turn right at all. I would probably just grab a new servo and rod and get it setup in the correct position.

...

Actually, if the servo is working, you won't need to replace it. The servo should be flipped around and mounted about where the receiver currently is setting. The horn should be pointing vertical when the front wheels are pointing straight ahead. The linkage rod is way too long and will need to be replaced or shortened. You really should have a read through the manual as there is tons of great info there.

[JoeP]

That car looks excellent. Like with a good soak and a clean it would be good to go.

Most parts are available now and not that hard to get.

I would recommend just getting a nimh battery for this car. They are cheap enough. You might wind up with a runner for under 30 for a battery and a few parts.

If you do replace the electrical parts, get a brushless motor.

The speed controller will handle a lipo if you want to wire it up an run it a bit. As was noted the motor won’t handle long runtimes, lipo or nimh. You have to gear it way down or just limit runs to a timer and 5 minutes. ( I’m doing that on one of my older rc10’s)

Clean it up, rebuild it and give it a few runs. You’ll know quick if it’s something you want to keep up with.

... Since the motor works I guess all I would really to do is figure out why the servo is in this weird position since the bottom of the chassis doesn't even allow it to go through its full range of motion and the car cannot turn right at all. I would probably just grab a new servo and rod and get it setup in the correct position.

...

Actually, if the servo is working, you won't need to replace it. The servo should be flipped around and mounted about where the receiver currently is setting. The horn should be pointing vertical when the front wheels are pointing straight ahead. The linkage rod is way too long and will need to be replaced or shortened. You really should have a read through the manual as there is tons of great info there.

Yeah I definitely know its not meant to be bashed. I intend to treat it much better than my Slash. As far as re hydrating the nylon, is that just soaking them in water for the most part? And yes I plan to tear it down totally and do a full rebuild using the manual. It seems like there are a few versions of this kit, any idea which manual I would need? If the servo works, ill use it for sure.

At this point the only thing I guess Ill be replacing is the receiver and battery. Unless I find something broken.

[XLR8]

Yeah, just soak in water.
I will disassemble the car, clean all the nylon with warm water and dish soap and an old tooth brush (use your wife's, she won't mind ) and while the nylon is re-hydrating, I will clean the metal parts and rebuild the shocks.
Your car is early (6-gear and short arms) so you can refer to the original RC10 manual - yellow cover.
Come back if you need help.

[JoeP]

I figured I would use this thread to document this process for myself... could be useful to look back to.

Did most of the breakdown tonight. I will finish up the shocks/wheels tomorrow and start the cleaning process and then the suspension rebuild. I noticed a few mismatched/random screws here and there as well as a bit of cross threading on one or two. I think I probably should grab some replacement hardware so I can get everything matched up. Based on the breakdown, I think the only thing I need is to get a proper threaded rod for the servo.. as everything thing else seems to be intact. Ill know more about the state of the shocks when I get to that.

Trying to keep everything in order because I know I am going to get lost on the rebuild