Once in a lifetime RC score? Maybe!

[Sixtysixdeuce]

One thing I've noticed is that you don't find very many good deals on RC on Craigslist. For the most part, it's people wanting darn near new price for beat-to-hell vehicles. Or maybe the per-vehicle price isn't bad, but they won't separate a lot of 5 or 6 cars. Every once in a while, though, a sweet deal does come along. On Friday I found one such listing, and made the transaction this afternoon.

The interesting thing is, this what not a new listing. It was 3 weeks old, and I have no idea why it wasn't snatched up on day one. And somehow I had missed it before as well, because I do check CL pretty regularly. Anyway, for $65 out of pocket and a few boxes of .22 LR ammo, I got not one, not two but THREE RC10GTs, one of them a GT2. And we're not talking about mangled rolling chassis; All three are 95%+ complete with good engines, and one was loaded with hop-ups!



The GT2 is the one I was really after, since I don't have one. This one is pretty clean, nothing broken, only missing the throttle servo and radio gear. Nothing real fancy about it, but it is equipped with an OS .12 TZ-not a cheap engine! It's a bump start, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it has pretty good compression. Normally I can't be bothered with such a small engine, but these critters are known to be pretty high output, so I'll run it. With a GT2 in the stable to complement the 2nd generation black tub, 1st gen blue tub and second gen blue tub, all I need now is a 1st gen (white plastics) black tub.



The second truck in the line up is a pretty run-of-the-mill RTR with a TRX .15 that is minus pull start but seems to have good squeeze. This one is missing a few small parts, and is still a bushing truck (except for the trans). However, I have dang near all the parts needed to reassemble it, and if I keep it, I'll put my freshly rebuilt OS .15 CV in it. Or I could make a brushless truck out of it........



The third chassis is loaded with parts I've never seen before. The front & rear arms, rear hub carriers, rear bulk head & upper trans brace are aluminum, but they're not the soft, flimsy GPM parts. These things are hulking pieces of billet aluminum. It also has blue steel CVDs and an RRP steel spur, and a rear exhaust graphite shock tower. It has a good OS .12 CV on it, but once again, a non-pull start engine. I will probably sell that motor and slap my Picco .21 on this to help with the extra weight.



These pics were taken as-received. I spent the last 6 hours tearing them completely apart and detail cleaning, and assessing condition more carefully. I'll put the GT2 back together tomorrow, then decide what I'm doing with the other two.

Like I said, I'm baffled by how these trucks sat on CL for the better part of a month, but I'm definitely feeling lucky right now!

[justinspeed79]

Nice score.

[REMJ666]

WOW is all I can say about that haul...Nicely done...

[Aussie]

Sounds like you got a great deal, GT2 looks like it will scrub up nicely

[vwjuice]

If you decide to sell the trx .15 engine let me know. I need one for my nitro stampede.

[Sixtysixdeuce]

Sounds like you got a great deal, GT2 looks like it will scrub up nicely

It did. I got all three of them cleaned/repaired/reassembled Sunday night & Monday. Plopped a like-new Hitec 256 MG servo and an HK 2.4 Ghz receiver in the GT2, and that .12 TZ is a strong runner. Just need a body now. However, I may very well put my Picco .21 in that truck. Nothing wrong with the TZ, I just hate bump starting engines.

The GT with all the metal parts cleaned up real well, too. I swapped in the RRP metal trans gears from a spare tranny I had, and traded out the bump start OS .12 CV for the pull start .15 CV I just rebuilt. Still breaking that one in since I only ran 2 tanks through it on the engine stand, but this truck will be a good basher.

I'll snap some photos of these two later today.

The third truck is up for sale. I tore it completely apart as well, did a recondition job on it, including replacing some parts with spares I had, both used and new stuff. It's 95% complete now, just needs some clutch parts and a pull start. The TRX .15 started easily and rapped well on a stand, but I was out of flywheels and clutch shoes to actually try it in the truck.

If you decide to sell the trx .15 engine let me know. I need one for my nitro stampede.

I will separate them if the truck doesn't sell after awhile. Or you can pick up the whole thing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221277551612?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

[vwjuice]

Wow that cleaned up nice.

[Sixtysixdeuce]

GT:







GT2:

[justinspeed79]

Trucks look good.

What rear tires are those on the gt2?

[Sixtysixdeuce]

What rear tires are those on the gt2?

They just say "XTM"; no numbers or any name on them.

Just had a chance to take the GT2 out for it's first daylight run where I could actually get into it, and all I can say about that OS .12 TZ is holy crap! Doesn't have the grunt of a big block, but once it winds up a little, it's friggin' gone! I've never had a .12 or .15 run like that. Blows the socks off my Fantom FR-15, which is no slouch. This thing is every bit as quick as my black tub with a brand new HPI .18, maybe faster.

[justinspeed79]

Yeah, the .12tz is no joke. I had one in a gt1 a few years ago. Loved the mid range power wheelies!

[Sixtysixdeuce]

Yeah, the .12tz is no joke. I had one in a gt1 a few years ago. Loved the mid range power wheelies!

The dirt out here is generally too loose for wheelies, but yeah, when it does get a bite, up comes the nose!

I was utterly shocked to see that kind of performance out of such a small "stock" engine. I haven't had another pilot to run them side-by-side, but I'm positive this thing will spank my 3,300 KV/3S gold pan. I actually think it would out-accelerate my .32 powered GT, too (on most surfaces); this GT2 has a much better balance of power & traction. The .32 beast just spins, flips over backwards or breaks parts when you hammer it.