Correct information on the "Early Edinger" numbers

[Ruffy]

According to Curtis, there were many cars sold out there that we refer to as the Early Edingers. The kits with goodyear tires, notched pistons, early speedo's, light gold anodizing, etc... and with all of the features making them early Edinger RC10's. Accoriding to Curtis, there are at least 3,000 to 5,000 kits that were made as what we refer to as an Early Edinger RC10. He stated that as molds were made they would just continuosly update the kits, tires and parts.
I know there has been speculation about there only being around 500 kits made initially, and that many wondered how many had actually been made, well this came straight from Curtis when I asked the question.
He also told me:
"We machined the square notches in the machined pistons at AE and we had those for a long time before a mold was ever made."

So hopefully this helps those wonder how many kits there are out there that are Early Edinger RC10's.

[skunk.werkz]

I'm starting to cringe upon hearing the word Edinger now....

[slotcarrod]

2000 is a big difference! 3000-5000 is speculation! I'm not saying these numbers are wrong they may even be more. But I bet 5000 did not have Good Year tires!

Unless we can get the actual records from the AE accounts department or AE production reports, or AE purchase reports from AYK. All we can do is speculate based off of peoples memory of 25+ years ago!

I do know when Cliff Lett held my car with papers and box in his hands, he said it was from the first 500 made! Was he right or wrong? I don't know! Just what I was told!

[Eau Rouge]

I do know when Cliff Lett held my car with papers and box in his hands, he said it was from the first 500 made! Was he right or wrong? I don't know! Just what I was told!

I bought my car in 1985 and it had Goodyear tires with the thin grove hard front tires and a light colored chassis. These cars aren't as rare as everyone makes them out to be. Unless you have an "Edinger" car new in the box, it's just an RC10 in my book.

And I don't know how Cliff would know about anything of the early run of cars--he wasn't at Associated in the beginning.

[Ruffy]

Remember Cliff wasn't there in the raw beginning with Associated. I would trust the guy that was, as Curtis was there from the 1st production sale.
The way he stated it to me, I would say there are probably more than 5000 kits of raw Early Edingers out there .
He flat out told me that the 500 number was 100% wrong.

[Eau Rouge]

I would trust the guy that was, as Curtis was there from the 1st production sale. The way he stated it to me, I would say there are probably more than 5000 kits of raw Early Edingers out there. He flat out told me that the 500 number was 100% wrong.

I would believe that over anything else from anyone else.

[slotcarrod]

And my point that was missed is: It is not the "correct information" and it's all "speculation".

"Unless we can get the actual records from the AE accounts department or AE production reports, or AE purchase reports from AYK. All we can do is speculate based off of peoples memory of 25+ years ago!"

A 2000 difference in production is a BIG difference!

[Eau Rouge]

I didn't miss it, I just didn't think it was relevant or poignant. I know for a fact that at least 2 years after the kit was released, I bought a car with "early" parts on it. However many they made isn't much of an issue. I think we have all seen enough "early" cars on eBay and in garage sales to know that there aren't only a handful of them out there.

People can make anything seem like it's "RARE" or "LIMITED PRODUCTION," but the truth is, there are very few truly collectible RC10s out there, and most are owned by the original designers or their family members. Every other RC10 out there is just another gold pan with parts of various ages on them.

[Charlie don't surf]

This has been asked more than a few times to the Hustings' with no real response until now, maybe
Ruffy has more influence than the general forum. But, as much as a story goes the 500 sounds really neat, but that would mean only 10 per state by numbers--no way. And the 2000, well that is still only 40 per state, and if you include Ca LHS's at the time alone then only a hand full got these kits-- I would think that the 3-5k number sounds more like reality.








But my kit seems so much more special

[RC10resto]

Every other RC10 out there is just another gold pan with parts of various ages on them.

What about the black pans? Doug are you racist

I agree with most of this thread but I still would love to have a "Goodyear" count. My kit bought in So Cal in mid 1985 had the thin ribbed fronts and large rears with no Goodyear script. We need to see that AYK purchase order..........

[Eau Rouge]

Every other RC10 out there is just another gold pan with parts of various ages on them.

What about the black pans? Doug are you racist .

Hahahaha... I actually never owned a black pan RC10. Which means that they are completely irrelevant to me. Still trying to find a Worlds car, though. Someday.



Why is everyone so hung up on production numbers? They made a LOT of them. They sold a LOT of them. There were more than a dozen stacked up at the hobby shop I bought mine from in 1985. You see them on eBay relatively consistently. If you are in to rare and low production numbers, don't collect RC10s. Try Radiants, or Schumacher CATs, or Mugen Bulldogs. FAR less of those in the US than RC10s.

If you open up a new boxed RC10 and it has fiberglass battery straps and concave lower shock spring cups, you might have something relatively special. But considering they made RUNNING PRODUCTION CHANGES throughout the lifespan of these cars, you are never going to get any solid numbers on anything. Part numbers didn't change with the updates, no one could possibly know.


It's a lost cause trying to figure it out. The original folks at Associated said they don't remember, but it wasn't a small run. There ya go, that's what you have to go on.

[Ruffy]

We are just old friends and they knew me and my wife for a long time, not only as one of their Team Driver couples, but more as friends and/or collegues as we conversed together over the years. We shared quite a bit with each other when we were abroad racing, and month to month. Also, with me working within the industry as one of the lead design engineers for Composite Craft, while also being a team driver for Associated created avenues for us to communicate within the RC industry.
If you knew Curtis personally, you'd know that he is a quite, intelligent person and chooses his words wisely when addressing questions and/or making comments. With Curtis being there from the time that he personally made each and every prototype RC10 car, to overseeing the design, manufacture and packaging of the first RC10's ever to be sold, make his words on this subject gospel to me.
Please realize none of us may ever hear or see numbers as some of you are asking for, since with Associated's move from location to location may also possibly mean that some records could have either been thrown-out, lost (like when we ourselves move from house to house) or stored and/or will not be revealed to the general public at any time.
As charlie don't surf pointed out, by just doing the math for hobby shops across California, and the United States and Canada during this time, not to mention abroad as they showed the cars off in Europe, can give us insight on the numbers of kits there had to have been in order to not only have some for sale at the '85 Worlds but also you can imagine the fever pitch for sales through-out the World right after they won the '85 World's. All of these cars would have been "early edinger RC10's" for many years.
We can each choose to believe what we want or not, but I think we all should truly realize that his words carry quite a bit more weight within Associated's historical books than most anyone else's.

The only reason I approached him on this subject was to see if we could help provide everyone with 'rough numbers' , and not to create controversy or to de-value anyone's keepsakes.

[xanadu]

I think 500 is a pretty low number. If they could only put out, say 10 kits per hour (very low number) that would only be about one week of production! I think the number is waaay more than 500.

[tamiyadan]

.

[slotcarrod]

How rare something is, is always reflected in the going price at auctions. Demand and condition is a factor as well!

At no point did I ever state that there were only 500 Edinger's made! I simply stated that mine was from the first batch of 500. I also doubt the first 5000 made all had Good Year tires!

I'm sure that Associated made hundreds of thousands of 6010's over the years! That part number (6010) should be in Associated's yearly sales accounts records! That would be neat to find out, but highly confidential, I would think!