My New Gold Runner w/ 6 gear

[Ruffy]

I had planned for this with a contingency plan, to either use it with a chassis protector or use an A chassis and noseplate I purchased thru ebay, if it would arrive in time. Well I had both items arrive (protector and ebay items) the same Friday afternoon! Smartly I chose to change the chassis, in case the big jump that they had supposedly removed was still there, and I made the right choice. No protector could have saved any car from the hard ground smacking/slapping we were all getting on that track with a very ill conceived method of "removing" the hazard, basically with the cars free falling, then hard slapping and botoming out from about 7 to 8 feet high going about 20-30 mph down the straights. I had to replace the servo tape on my Novak ESC 3 times, and more than one other person broke the heatsinks off of their brushless LRP speed controllers in the car, just from the very hard landings. These extrememly high and not well shaped, high jumps are ridiculous. Not like real racing to me, but more like "luck of the draw".

[JHarris]

I watched the video from yesterday. A bad day all around for us, but even worse was listening to the chassis slap. I may post some video later. The racing was bad, but you can definitely see and hear what we're talking about.

[SnoopMaxx]

Ruffy I really like your new body
it look like a modern "Old School" RC10

I'd love to see the video from that race ... and 7-8 Foot drops don't belong on a 10th scale track
that's just my personal opinion

[Ruffy]

Thanks!
Yeah a few guys noticed as it ran around the track, gold shocks and all that it looked like the box cover version car.
Luckily the car still looks the same as the previous picture I posted. Not a single scratch on her at all.

[Ruffy]

This last Saturday I was lucky enough to find a guy taking a lot of pictures of the racing action and he sent me these, of my gold runner qualifying and racing. The last two shots show I qualified 2nd in the 2WD Modified A-Main, with Paul an Associated racer in 1st. I had the TQ position until the end of the 2nd round of qualifying. Every other car here is a B4, or Xfactory B4 car.
The last photo shows the first corner of the A-Main with the old gold dinosaur10 in second behind the leader entering turn #1.

Unfortunately my result was not as good as other weekends due to being my fault: I used a very old 15 year old set of proline tires, and the inner foam disintegrated a few turns later during the main and the car was out of control. Kinda felt like having two flat rear tires and trying to go 120 mph. I had to withdraw from the race. I won't be using old tires glued on over 14 years ago anymore! They were old Proline Holeshots that the foam just gave out.

By the way, the tires I used during qualifying were the front proline ribs they sold back in the 90's (fronts are old tires too, not recently glued) with the rears being Losi X-2000 tires I had glued since around 1994 I believe. My buggy is running all original wheels and tires, no mods at all, even using the old gold shocks (.71 in front) with black springs in front and green rear springs. Car handles like a dream and I can easily run with the fastest local sponsored guys with almost no effort. Now if I can get the car to fly thru the air and land like a B4, as this quality holds me back a tenth or two a lap. It's probably just me and I need to figure this out as the RC10 does not land as nicely as the newer cars.
I am also sporting one of Miguels front bumpers on this car! Thanks Miguel for making these as this track has huge jumps!

Here are the action shots in sequence lap after lap.

Lined up in 2nd for the Modified Class A-Main: Notice the size diff. of my 27mhz antenna!

Turn 1 action in the main event.

In the end, it was cool to have a few guys come over and one guy exclaimed "now what is going on here!? Either that car is just as good as the B4's, or you are one hell of a driver!" I told him it is definitely the car is just as good as the current B4's, but just needs to be tuned right and run correctly and that in the hands of a better pilot would have TQ'd and won the main probably. My driving skills have diminished a bit over the years, not to mention being away from RC racing completely for over 14 years didn't help them either.
A better driver would do much better with it. I just wish I could do it justice.

I did mention that nobody should use 15 year old tires, if they wish to do well though!
I still need to find a blue groove setup. During qualifying I am as fast or faster than most all of the B4's, but as the track blue grooves, some of the B4's (mainly a few sponsored racers) go faster by more than a few tenths over my goldie's setup, but not like a full second. Just enough though. I may experiment this weekend with sway bars and having a second set of shocks setup for lowering my car and stiffer shock fluid to use when the track goes high bite.

[Charlie don't surf]

Assuming that you have changed tires by now, but if you have not I have a pair of NIP white B3 front and rear Proline rims with the correct front and rear offset for you- Just in case that was holding you up.

I had some similar experiences with my buggy, after a few heats I seemed to gather a small crowd to cheer for the 10' every lap-it was kinda cool.

[Ruffy]

I really need those! Wheels are my biggest dilemma for running completely stock.
PM sent to you.
Thank-you for the offer, I really need these.

I am glad you mentioned that you too had people cheering you on! That's great to hear. My crowd are only the elder racers that remember the goldie's racing. I have had a few that have come up and said "It does my heart good to see you running that old RC10 and beating up on the B4's. I used to race those way back when!"
Always brings a smile to my face. I think this is my joy, that if I run a B4, I'm just another B4 on the track, nothing more. Win or lose, just another B4, but with the RC10, it's like something completely special. Even if I lose, it's still very special and rewarding!

I still need to find a blue groove setup. During qualifying I am as fast or faster than most all of the B4's, but as the track blue grooves, some of the B4's (mainly a few sponsored racers) go faster by more than a few tenths over my goldie's setup, but not like a full second. Just enough though. I may experiment this weekend with sway bars and having a second set of shocks setup for lowering my car and stiffer shock fluid to use when the track goes high bite.

[m_vice]

This is awesome Ruffy, great story and photos. I am with you 100%, it is not worth it to go B4 when the gold 10 is running so good and specially the reward of actually racing it today like back in the days.

[vintage AE]

I love hearing that people with RC10s are doing well against the modern buggies. I think it all comes down to skill.

[Jeep-Power]

I love it, as well.

I'm glad to hear you are still running the car-- keep it coming!

[Charlie don't surf]

I still need to find a blue groove setup. During qualifying I am as fast or faster than most all of the B4's, but as the track blue grooves, some of the B4's (mainly a few sponsored racers) go faster by more than a few tenths over my goldie's setup, but not like a full second. Just enough though. I may experiment this weekend with sway bars and having a second set of shocks setup for lowering my car and stiffer shock fluid to use when the track goes high bite.

I really think that all of the 10's faults on a bluegroove is in the front, the B4 just has so much more forward momentum in the corners. I started running a B4.1 3 hole front castor block, with the camber link 2 holes past the outer hinge pin location, and saw some nice mid corner improvements-

[craigc8791]

At a glance I thought your rear spoiler said Ruffy instead of Reedy.

[joeh51]

Ruffy,nice pics , is this the offroad asylum track?Have you been to the Lil Dover offroad track in Seffner yet?

[Ruffy]

Yes it is the Asylum. I haven't been to lil' Dover yet though.

[DerbyDan]

I am glad you mentioned that you too had people cheering you on! That's great to hear. My crowd are only the elder racers that remember the goldie's racing. I have had a few that have come up and said "It does my heart good to see you running that old RC10 and beating up on the B4's. I used to race those way back when!"
Always brings a smile to my face. I think this is my joy, that if I run a B4, I'm just another B4 on the track, nothing more. Win or lose, just another B4, but with the RC10, it's like something completely special. Even if I lose, it's still very special and rewarding!

I'm hearing you! I'm in the same situation - come back to racing off road after a 10 or so year break - but with an old RC10, now I've done ok & I'm getting lots of kind comments... & people want to talk to you etc. Now I've got a Losi XXX with an Atomic Carbon mid motor conversion that i'm preparing ready for next year - now although I know that the CR2 is likely to be quicker (& easier to drive) on our unusual Astro turf tracks, I'm just going to be yet another mid-motored 2wd modern buggy

P.S, I'm loving the pictures - your RC10 looks great on the track, by the way what class are you running in/motor are you running? (you may have mentioned this in an earlier post?)