If you could ask Gene Hustings...

[WebSteve]

What was the reason for the rear shocks to be mounted upside down on the original RC10?
(or I should say the prototype)

Curtis Husting, who built this RC10, answers:

The shock seals at the time we were designing the RC10 were not very good. They leaked easily. We ran the shocks upside down to keep the oil from leaking out so quickly. We developed better seals and then we were able to run the shocks correctly from then on.

[mrlexan]

Steve, a continued HUGE thanks for all the info and effort. Please let us know if we "over stay our welcome"..... we don't want to over do the number of questions and become an annoyance.

Thanks again!

[scr8p]

in regards to the "prototype", how many prototype cars were built before ultimately producing kits? there's obviously changes that occured between the first prototype car to the kit version. mainly the tub, with the addition of the nose brace tubes and the higher kick-up in the rear. the nose plate is longer in the kits too, correct? the one on the prototype looks to be shorter in the area behind the front shock tower.

[Tadracket]

....No offense intended.

Steve H

Totally my bad there Steve. There was nothing offensive about your response. What I meant to say by my reply was don't be afraid to be redundant. We all appreciate everything you are doing and will treasure anything you post, even if it is on your Associated site.

It is amazing how much we take for granted the emotion of communication until we join an online community. Then you realize how easily something can be taken the wrong way because you leave something out or add something to it.

Instead of beating around the bush, I should have came out and said If you have concerns of being redundant, don't. But I dropped the ball on that one. Sorry about that.

[WebSteve]

in regards to the "prototype", how many prototype cars were built before ultimately producing kits? there's obviously changes that occured between the first prototype car to the kit version. mainly the tub, with the addition of the nose brace tubes and the higher kick-up in the rear. the nose plate is longer in the kits too, correct? the one on the prototype looks to be shorter in the area behind the front shock tower.

Curtis Husting writes:

The pictures you have are from the very first prototype car. We never raced that actual car. We did make 6 more prototype cars. These six cars had handmade chassis and front kick-ups along with other handmade stuff like shocks and transmission parts. We raced at the ROAR Nationals with these first 6 prototype cars. I think we finish first through fourth place at our first ROAR Nationals event.

Steve writes:

Curtis also made a seventh race-worthy RC10, but it was used for the box top photography and the manual. He has that and I plan to shoot that when I have time.

[scr8p]

thanks steve. i have more question, then i'll stop being greedy.

i've been working on creating an as faithful as possible replica of jay halsey's 85 worlds winning rc10 (click link to veiw topic), mainly going from this pic.

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=186

wc_car1985.jpg (52.19 KiB) Viewed 2504 times

wc_car1985.jpg (52.19 KiB) Viewed 2504 times

in my thread, there are pics of other halsey cars, but not of that exact one. is there any old pics of his worlds winning car to be found the way it was raced? my biggest issue is with the front shock tower. it's obviously black, but it seems to be taller than a stock tower. was it, and was it a fiberglass tower that was dyed black, or was it graphite?

i guess that's more than one question.

[WebSteve]

I don't have an answer to your question about Jay's car. But, you know, Jay is still alive! He's running Jammin' Products. Why not try to get ahold of him there and ask him? Since he's one of the people who actually ran the car and won, it seems that it would be natural to ask questions of him.

http://www.jamminproducts.com

Unfortunately, I doubt that talking to the support people will get you answers to 1984 RC10 questions, so you might try starting a thread in the forum there. Maybe Jay will show up!

In the meantime, I'll ask my Dad about your question and see what he remembers.

Steve H

[WebSteve]

thanks steve. i have more question, then i'll stop being greedy.

i've been working on creating an as faithful as possible replica of jay halsey's 85 worlds winning rc10 (click link to veiw topic), mainly going from this pic.

in my thread, there are pics of other halsey cars, but not of that exact one. is there any old pics of his worlds winning car to be found the way it was raced? my biggest issue is with the front shock tower. it's obviously black, but it seems to be taller than a stock tower. was it, and was it a fiberglass tower that was dyed black, or was it graphite?

i guess that's more than one question.

Curtis Husting replies:

At that time we AE did not have many tires to choose from to race with. Jay used another brand of tire that worked best on that track. It used a different size wheel than we had.

Shock tower black – I’m not sure what he ran at that race. It could have been just a dyed shock tower.

[aconsola]

Thanks for all the great pictures and answers.
My question is, What would he like to see AE do for the upcoming 25'th aniversary of the RC10?

[hkp]

Thanks for all the great pictures and answers.
My question is, What would he like to see AE do for the upcoming 25'th aniversary of the RC10?

Great Question!!

Surely AE would consider releasing something celebrating their 25 years? Perhaps a B4 with a bodyshell that resembles the box art first RC10?

[WebSteve]

We have so little staff and so much to do. I doubt the 25th anniversary of the RC10 is on their minds. But I could be wrong.

[WebSteve]

Does Gene still run cars? Even For Fun? Being the pioneer and with his involvement in the industry, is he pleased with the direction the industry has gone? Does Gene realize how much he and Roger influenced and started an industry? And with that, when he and Roger sat down and planned this, did they ever imagine that AE would become what it did?
MOmo

Gene Husting answers:

It's a little hard to answer this question, without sounding a little self serving.

I started by racing real cars, in the Russetta timing Associated, who raced on the
Dry Lakes, just a little north of Los Angeles. I had a partner, Reece Adams.
He built a '34 Ford V8 coupe, and I built the Chrysler V8 engine for it. Together,
we received the most points in the year and were awarded
with the # 1 CAR of the YEAR !!

Then I designed, the 1st ever, long dragster, and Reece built the dragster,
and then I put my Chrysler engine in it. And the very first run that we made with it,
we broke the track record with it, at the newest and best track in So. Calif.,
LIONS DRAG STRIP, in So. Calif., in Long Beach.

Right after that, I had to get out of real car racing, because I had 3 children,
and if my engine blew up, I wouldn't have enough money to rebuild it.
So, I sold the engine to Reece.

So, there was a Slot Racing track, just a block away from my house,
so I started slot car racing. I started slot car drag racing, and set a record
that lasted for OVER 28 YEARS !!!!!

Then I started slot car road racing, and built the first ever, sidewinder style,
Slot Road Racing car ever. I broke the track record, and was unbeatable.

Then I heard about RC Car Racing, and bought a Delta car, and won
our So. Calif. Championship Series.

This is when I met Roger Curtis, and ended up selling my Shell Gas Station,
and going into partners with Roger at Associated.

I designed the Associated RC100, RC200, RC300, RC500,
and RC 500 4wd cars.

While I was in the middle of designing the RC5004wd car, I learned about
a new hobby, which was just getting started, off road racing RC cars.
Which I wrote up about in RC10 Talk.

Roger and I are totally two different types of people. I'm a doer.
Roger is more like a deep thinker, but he definitely would not be called a doer.
Roger and I never really talked very much, about anything.
Which was perfect for me. He was a silent partner, leaving me to pilot
"The Good Ship AE" . Which is what I was good at.

To verify everything I just said, go to http://WWW.GENEHUSTING.COM
and check out DVD # 1.2, and all the other DVD's, and you'll see what I mean.

I had to go through all of the above, to be able to answer your question,
so you could understand my answer. I can only answer for me.

At that time there were OVER 60 Slot Car Tracks in So. Calif. IT WAS BIG!!!.
but, as soon as I went into RC Car Racing, I knew this was the way to go.
You actually got to drive your car around the track, instead of using a slot.
If I didn't think RC car racing was going to grow, I never would have joined
Roger, as a partner in Associated. It looks like I did the right thing!!!

For over 20 years, while I was there, Associated had won over 3 times
as many World Championships, as our closest competitor !!!
I looked forward to going to work every day. There were over
6 RC car tracks in So. Calif. at that time. But, we just lost So. Cal.
It makes it much more difficult to do the type of racing and testing
of new models now, so I don't think it's getting any better now.
That's just my feelings, here in So. Calif.

GENE HUSTING

[Tadracket]

...


Gene Husting answers:

It's a little hard to answer this question, without sounding a little self serving...

GENE HUSTING

Serve away. I am enjoying every bit of this.

[Chewbacca]

Yeah tis is really fun a part of history right here on RC10Talk!!

Thanx Steve and Gene for yor time!

[rc10DS fan]

WHY did u KILL the ds seris??