RC10 Graphite /w stealth transmission hard plated shocks

[neuro]

Hi, I have an old RC10 I've had for about 30 years the my dad got me. I still remember building it with him when I was a kid, so it's more than just a car. It's in pretty good shape, but I'm going through it and hoping to replace some bearings and rebuild the shocks.

When I go onto various retailers to find parts, or eBay, I can't quite figure out what goes to this car. I see lots of RC10"B" with some numbers after it. I see no such designators on mine on the box or manual, it just describes like in the subject of this post. It was purchased probably around 1990 or so.

On the box, the shocks are anodized gold, but mine are actually silver if that matters. Can anyone help guide toward what to look for when shopping for parts for this car? There are so many variations/types, I hope to buy the right thing.

I bought some 40weight shock oil (that's what's in the manual illustration.) I would like to preemptively buy some shock kit o-rings and any other seals that might help cleanly re-build the shock assembly.

Please let guide me if you can, thanks!

Edited: Here's a link to a picture of the box https://postimg.cc/DSWSXKqD

[mikea96]

You should post some pictures so we can see what you have to work with.

[juicedcoupe]

https://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=13059

Sounds like you have a Graphite Team Car.

[limestang]

Very cool you are restoring something that you got to build with your Dad. The Team Associated Website has the discontinued manuals available. Find the one that matches and then you can ID all of the parts your looking for. Below is the link and I have also added a photo of an RC10 Graphite. The manuals are very well done with clear pictures and instructions.

https://www.associatedelectrics.com/discontinued_item_downloads/

Hope this helps.

- limestang

[juicedcoupe]

Several of the manuals on the AE website are incomplete.

Here are some more links

http://oldrc.com/TeamAssociatedManuals/associated-manuals.html

http://www.dirt-burners.com/rcdox/?dir=Manuals%2FAssociated

[neuro]

Sorry I would have but wasn't sure how to upload images, found a site to host pics. Here's the box:
https://postimg.cc/DSWSXKqD

Thanks for checking it out!

[neuro]

* mikea96 - sure thing. posted a link above.

* juicedcoup - I believe you’re right, i think its the Graphite Team Car according to the box. Thank you for the links to the manuals. Fortunately I have my original, but these are great to have referenced too!

* limestang - yeah I have a few projects to do that my dad an I worked on… I miss him tremendously and things like this kinda bring me back to him. Yes that more or less looks identical to mine, except for my shocks being grey. I think as juicedcoup mentioned and the box picture I posted, it seems like I have the Graphite Team Car. I haven’t seen that ID listed specifically when hunting for parts.

Are there a lot of variety in shock types that I need to be aware of when deciding/selecting on which o-ring, gaskets etc to purchase?

Thanks for all the feedback, looking forward to getting this thing back on the road. My original viper body kinda feel apart, but I have one more unpainted that my dad bought me when we originally got the car. I’ve noticed no one seems to carry that body anymore, so I’ll have to think of something really special for the pain job and maybe just keep it for display and get another body for racing

[juicedcoupe]

The o rings are easy. -006 silicone for the shaft and 12X1mm for the cap.

I buy mine in bulk, because I have lots of cars. But if I only had one, I'd just buy a kit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shock-Seal-Not-OEM-Rebuild-Kit-Team-Associated-RC10-RC10T-RC10GT-ASC6440-Vintage-/223894135343?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

Clean and reuse the plastic pieces.

[juicedcoupe]

Sorry I would have but wasn't sure how to upload images, found a site to host pics. Here's the box:
https://postimg.cc/DSWSXKqD

Thanks for checking it out!

No need for a hosting service, you can attach images directly. There is an attachments link in the options while posting. Max size is 3mb, resize pics if needed.

[neuro]

Awesome, thanks so much for the guidance - I'll get this car back in shape in no time now, found an aftermarket Viperbody too! Thanks for tip on forum, I thought it just allowed UR/Links, I'll look more closely next time I need to post pics.

[JosephS]

* mikea96 - sure thing. posted a link above.

* juicedcoup - I believe you’re right, i think its the Graphite Team Car according to the box. Thank you for the links to the manuals. Fortunately I have my original, but these are great to have referenced too!

* limestang - yeah I have a few projects to do that my dad an I worked on… I miss him tremendously and things like this kinda bring me back to him. Yes that more or less looks identical to mine, except for my shocks being grey. I think as juicedcoup mentioned and the box picture I posted, it seems like I have the Graphite Team Car. I haven’t seen that ID listed specifically when hunting for parts.

Are there a lot of variety in shock types that I need to be aware of when deciding/selecting on which o-ring, gaskets etc to purchase?

Thanks for all the feedback, looking forward to getting this thing back on the road. My original viper body kinda feel apart, but I have one more unpainted that my dad bought me when we originally got the car. I’ve noticed no one seems to carry that body anymore, so I’ll have to think of something really special for the pain job and maybe just keep it for display and get another body for racing

Take some time when doing your restoration. The people here have a vast wealth of knowledge on how what modern parts fit vintage cars but they have been doing it so long they don’t realize what the new folks don’t know. Ask questions and nearly every part can be purchased from somewhere.

The viper body is made by a few folks but the name the pops up most is team blue groove if you want one to practice on.

This isn’t obvious but before you do much take all of the plastic parts off the car and soak them in water. The white plastic parts are made of nylon and they dry out over time making them easy to break. All you need to do is soak them in water overnight and they should be rehydrated. When I first took my car out of the box I was snapping a piece on each run until I did that.

The parts can then be put in a clear container with hydrogen peroxide. When you leave that in the sun it bleaches the parts white. Regular peroxide from the drugstore works fine, but takes longer to get really white.

Hydrate the parts first , then clean with a soft brush and soap then you can whiten.

Team associated still sells the shock seals that came with the car. Since you only have 4 shocks you are rebuilding you can just get the original ones. The part number is 5407 and it is currently in stock at amain hobbies.com

I am nearly done with my first rebuild of an aluminum team car so I can tell you all the rookie mistakes I made along the way.

[neuro]

fantastic tips, I had no idea. About 8 years ago a neighbor was restoring RC10s and he had jars outside soaking the nylon parts as you describe. I had no idea it was also for the durability, assumed it was just for asthetics. Thanks! I certainly don't want to unnecessarily break these parts, I didn't realize they could/would be so brittle. Thank you for the part numbers on the shocks, I will check that out. I found a reproduction viper body on eBay, hopefully it's close enough. It'll be the first body I've painted, so I'm prepared to mark a mess of it ;P

[JosephS]

I went overboard buying new parts on my rebuild. I don't think I had more fun or made a better car.

For the most part you can restore the car for an investment in time and little else.

You can clean and re-oil the original bearings to make them run like new. Use simple green to soak the bearings and remove the old grease and dirt. blow out all of the simple green and re-oil them high quality, not wd40, household oil.

The diff can be rebuilt with new grease,(black and stealth). Sand the existing rings, diff and thrust , flat and reuse them. Replace the thrust bearing and diff balls while you are at it and the diff will be like new.


The old battery might need replacement. High capacity NiMH packs don't cost much and last much longer then the old ones. Lipo are the new technology. They speeds things up and lasts longer, but unless your racing it can be overkill. Run what you have. If you are happy with it just keep it.

As long as the tires you have aren't falling apart they should be fine. Replacements for your car are available from Schumacher RC racing. People on this board can tell you where to find them.

One awesome find was soft grip pliers. These are regular pliers with nylon jaws. All my old ball joints and shocks have digs from metal pliers. I recommend grabbing a pair. They did make building more enjoyable and they were less than $10.

[neuro]

Thanks JosephS.

Yeah for multiple reasons i'm not terribly interested adding anymore than necessary. If I want to do that, I'll probably start with a new car. This one is sentimental as mentioned above.

I ended ups just putting in new bearings on the front and rear, but I kept the original for later - I didn't know they could be refurbished, I may do that. The dif and transmission seem to be in good shape, so I just did a light cleaning and all seems to be good.

The attached image is the result. All is original, except the shock oil that I replaced and the battery! Car works beautifully after 30 years. I disassembled 99% of the car, soaked all of the parks in waterr for 24 hours. After that, used some dish soap and water and an old toothbrush and cleaned all of the parts. I didn't do the hydrogen peroxide bath/uv light. I just don't care that its a bit yellowed or that theres a little bit of a patina. Having it sit in UV light for extended hours, while it may look nice I can't imagine it does much for the longevity of the material.

Unfortunately my tires shown here, tore while test driving. I can't seem to find any like this anywhere. Kinda makes me want to fabricating my own custom tires to be honest I really like the tread on these. Has anyone seen any like this anywhere? Ebay even?

Thanks again for all the help and advice!

[RC10resto]

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/pro-line-1053-striker-rubber-tires-0-291264705

Look like Proline Striker's