B4 parts supplies drying up

[RC10th]

In all fairness the B4/T4 had a great run not much different to that of the RC10/T. The B4 was released in 2003 and had a 15+ year run.

But yes, it's sad B4/T4 parts are becoming just as hard to find and prices on some stuff is starting to soar.

[Bottom Feeder]

Yeah, I can see that logic. I just wish there was a Traxxas buggy I really wanted, not just one I'd settle for. And I wish they made kits! A 4WD buggy would be nice.

I guess I may start looking for a Bandit to play with, new or otherwise.

... and now I have a stripped Bandit on its way. I have most of the parts to make it complete runner anyway minus a Bandit-specific body, so I might as well get assimilated into the Traxxas collective after years of resisting.

[JosephS]

Yeah, I can see that logic. I just wish there was a Traxxas buggy I really wanted, not just one I'd settle for. And I wish they made kits! A 4WD buggy would be nice.

I guess I may start looking for a Bandit to play with, new or otherwise.

... and now I have a stripped Bandit on its way. I have most of the parts to make it complete runner anyway minus a Bandit-specific body, so I might as well get assimilated into the Traxxas collective after years of resisting.

It's not bad to get into traxxas, but are there any specific parts that are breaking often that keep you from just running your AE 4 series?

I went though a spell where I felt like that with my original 10's where I wanted to have 2 of every part , just in case. I eventually realized that as a runner there are enough parts around and shapeways(and dhawk) set a ceiling on prices. It may be that the feeling of part insecurity is a bigger problem than actually sourcing parts. At least that was the case for me.

[GoMachV]

The biggest drawback to the bandit is the truck length chassis IMO. If you get wanting to make it more of a racer let me know- this is our TRX-b conversion. Only part that is discontinued is the battery box, and they are around $10 on eBay. (Shown with an RPM trans, the new trans from the drag truck would be an awesome upgrade for the money. Sealed diff, aluminum motor plate etc)

[Frankentruck]

Those look like pretty sweet setups!

[Bottom Feeder]

It may be that the feeling of part insecurity is a bigger problem than actually sourcing parts. At least that was the case for me.

That's pretty much it I guess. I've not actually driven the B4 yet but I was going to throw an old NiCd or two in it this weekend for giggles. I enjoy the building/rebuilding aspect of the hobby way more than driving these things, but with my luck, I'll snap something important and unreplaceable which will only reinforce my 'fear'. But these are only big-boy toys and its only money so I really shouldn't worry about it.

Thanks to everyone for their replies!

[Bottom Feeder]

The biggest drawback to the bandit is the truck length chassis IMO. If you get wanting to make it more of a racer let me know- this is our TRX-b conversion. Only part that is discontinued is the battery box, and they are around $10 on eBay. (Shown with an RPM trans, the new trans from the drag truck would be an awesome upgrade for the money. Sealed diff, aluminum motor plate etc)

Well those sure are pretty! I love double-deck chassis like those. When Associated and Losi buggies started moving away from aluminum tubs and flat plate chassis toward molded tubs is when I started losing interest way back then. Those look fantastic. Does your Bandit chassis shorten the wheelbase? And dare I ask how much they cost? And what dogbones are those?

[GoMachV]

Yeah we offer two lengths, bandit length and trx-3 length. I want to say the trx3 is around 1/2” shorter or so. Makes fitting batteries tough but most seem to run the shorties which are perfect. The worst part by far is the servo fit. I left the design alone and it’s a tight fit with a servo saver. We include our ball bearing bellcranks which does make things a little easier. Running a strong servo and no saver would be a way better fit than a servo that needs a saver.

The bones are our old A&L dogbone conversion. Unfortunately they are gone now. Sold out a couple years back. We have some longer bones left for the lethal weapon conversions and the other pieces but nothing for the stock style trans.

Best to pm for pricing info, not really supposed to sell outside of the proper forums even though we are a business.

[limestang]

Yeah, I can see that logic. I just wish there was a Traxxas buggy I really wanted, not just one I'd settle for. And I wish they made kits! A 4WD buggy would be nice.

I guess I may start looking for a Bandit to play with, new or otherwise.

If just looking for a brasher, Traxxas offers the Slash in a kit. It’s priced reasonable and there are allot of mods available.
- limestang

[JosephS]

It may be that the feeling of part insecurity is a bigger problem than actually sourcing parts. At least that was the case for me.

That's pretty much it I guess. I've not actually driven the B4 yet but I was going to throw an old NiCd or two in it this weekend for giggles. I enjoy the building/rebuilding aspect of the hobby way more than driving these things, but with my luck, I'll snap something important and unreplaceable which will only reinforce my 'fear'. But these are only big-boy toys and its only money so I really shouldn't worry about it.

Thanks to everyone for their replies!

well if you ever snap a caster block or a steering up right I have ... a few...

[JosephS]

It may be that the feeling of part insecurity is a bigger problem than actually sourcing parts. At least that was the case for me.

That's pretty much it I guess. I've not actually driven the B4 yet but I was going to throw an old NiCd or two in it this weekend for giggles. I enjoy the building/rebuilding aspect of the hobby way more than driving these things, but with my luck, I'll snap something important and unreplaceable which will only reinforce my 'fear'. But these are only big-boy toys and its only money so I really shouldn't worry about it.

Thanks to everyone for their replies!

Have some fun with it. There isn't anything irreplaceable in that car, yet. If anything does go wrong you can likely find what you need here. Post pics when you get it.