Nylon color - through the decades including the 40th
Posted: Tue May 28, 2024 10:10 pm
Since the question regarding the color of the nylon parts for the 40th kit came up, I'm revisiting a question I have had for a long time. First, the 40th kit parts are definitely a shade whiter than old kits ever were - albeit not as big a difference as might be thought. Furthermore though... it seems some original RC10's may have whiter Nylon than others. I'm not talking about dirt or oxidation/aging etc.. just simply as they came, some cars may have had whiter nylon. I say this because I was fortunate enough to buy one in 1986 (one of the best days of my life.. thanks mom & dad). I also saw lots of RC10's around that time at the local track. Every RC10 that I ever recalled seeing back then, including mine, had nylon that was slightly off-white, a little yellowish if you will - even when brand new.
Fast forward to fifteen years ago I bought two never-used, mostly unassembled RC10's in the box. One is a late-Edinger A stamp, the other a Cadillac B stamp. The cadillac one has the very white plastic that I had not seen myself previously. However, when I search listings of them on ebay for new condition unbuilt or unused ones I do see others that have this whiter nylon. They all seem to be Cadillac time period, perhaps later in the production. For my kit, these are definitely original parts, this is before the RC10 classic was released, the parts were in bags when I bought the kits, and the tooling marks are identical. Obviously some people may have treated the parts w/ hydrogen peroxide - but there does seem to be some validity to the notion that some lots of original parts are whiter. So, is it common knowledge that certain production had this whiter plastic? Perhaps later production?
Pics aren't always great but here are a few pics of my well-preserved A stamp, B stamp, and the 40th. The first three pics compare all three. The last three pics compare just the A stamp Edinger and B stamp Cadillac. The 40th kit is definitely a shade more white to the naked eye. They also look more white in my pics (although in the no flash pic the B stamp and 40th look about the same). I will also note that it does not feel like 1986 again or even 2009 when I built the other two... the parts just feel different. The chassis is flimsy, the nylon parts feel harder and more brittle (perhaps lighter), and it feels like the screws are going to strip them out. The soft metal e-clips are trash vs the old hardened steel ones, and it feels overall like a display piece vs something I'm supposed to run. I'm being critical but it's my honest sentiment. I do however like the new screws in the CC and 40th versus the OG with those terrible green soft aluminum ones. I have no doubt that back in the day AE sourced those aircraft aluminum screws locally for pennies. The smooth metal gears are also a welcome improvement.
Lastly, I can't show my original Edinger RC10 from '86 because like everyone else I dyed all the parts after reading that tech tip or article in RCCA magazine circa 1987 
for fun, some might like to see the RC10L that I bought in 1989... that my mom also saved for me and gave back to me several years later. The stickers and dyed parts bring back so many memories.
Fast forward to fifteen years ago I bought two never-used, mostly unassembled RC10's in the box. One is a late-Edinger A stamp, the other a Cadillac B stamp. The cadillac one has the very white plastic that I had not seen myself previously. However, when I search listings of them on ebay for new condition unbuilt or unused ones I do see others that have this whiter nylon. They all seem to be Cadillac time period, perhaps later in the production. For my kit, these are definitely original parts, this is before the RC10 classic was released, the parts were in bags when I bought the kits, and the tooling marks are identical. Obviously some people may have treated the parts w/ hydrogen peroxide - but there does seem to be some validity to the notion that some lots of original parts are whiter. So, is it common knowledge that certain production had this whiter plastic? Perhaps later production?
Pics aren't always great but here are a few pics of my well-preserved A stamp, B stamp, and the 40th. The first three pics compare all three. The last three pics compare just the A stamp Edinger and B stamp Cadillac. The 40th kit is definitely a shade more white to the naked eye. They also look more white in my pics (although in the no flash pic the B stamp and 40th look about the same). I will also note that it does not feel like 1986 again or even 2009 when I built the other two... the parts just feel different. The chassis is flimsy, the nylon parts feel harder and more brittle (perhaps lighter), and it feels like the screws are going to strip them out. The soft metal e-clips are trash vs the old hardened steel ones, and it feels overall like a display piece vs something I'm supposed to run. I'm being critical but it's my honest sentiment. I do however like the new screws in the CC and 40th versus the OG with those terrible green soft aluminum ones. I have no doubt that back in the day AE sourced those aircraft aluminum screws locally for pennies. The smooth metal gears are also a welcome improvement.
for fun, some might like to see the RC10L that I bought in 1989... that my mom also saved for me and gave back to me several years later. The stickers and dyed parts bring back so many memories.