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I'd like to know what people think is the worst vintage rc (car, buggy, truck, etc) ever made and why (poor design, cheap materials, etc)? Please rule out the Toys R Us specials and limit the discussion to "Hobby Grade" vehicles. So what was your worst rc vehicle?

I haven't owned too many but the first one I owned, I'd have to say was the worst. It had a horrible gearbox, completely ineffectual suspension, and the cost to get those things working properly was probably more than the car itself was worth. The Frog.

Varicom Big Grizzly. I was very excited to get one for Christmas '86. I loved it on the cover of the 3rd issue of RCCA and I believe it was the biggest electric monster truck you could get at the time. Then, I tried to build it...what a pain to cobble together. Then I drove it...it actually ran well, but started falling apart after about three packs. I kept it running for about a year or so and then took the best parts (wheels/tires and center gearbox) to make a Bruiser based monster truck.

Now, I have three complete used examples and enough NIP parts to build two more trucks. Gonna get at least one running again someday just for heck of it. Ah, nostalgia .

Also thought I should mention I built the Marui Galaxy for my brother before I got my Frog. The Galaxy was supposedly the inferior car technology-wise, but the Galaxy worked better and was more forgiving than the Frog ever was. I loved what I was able to do to modernize the Galaxy; I wouldn't even bother with the Frog.

Never owned this car, but I have seen several and raced against them. Schumacher CAT - CAT XLS. What I have heard and seen is that quality of parts were poor and You really have to BUILD them not just assemble. Have to use silicone all around lexan covers and other places too. There were belt pulleys that have tilted teeth, one XL car came with lower chassis that was longer than SWB but shorter then LWB what it should have been.

Jirka

well....i'd put the aristocraft kangaroo up there with pretty crappy.....my brothers didn't last too long in one piece....weird design, cheap plastic......

i might ruffelsome european feathers but the pb mini mustang was such a pos (IMO).
COOL DESIGN but cheap materials killed it. i built one for a customer, one crash and it was in peices.

the frog was bad, a hornet is like a ferrari compared to it in stock form.

My first RC was the Blackfoot and it didn't last too long. Things broke left and right, but at the time I thought it was cool that I could fix it After about a year, the chassis snapped in 1/2 and that's when I switched to Associated

Maybe I just had a bad batch of parts in that kit? I don't know. I recall buying dogbones ALL THE TIME since they stripped out so fast. So... cheep plastic and soft metal, not so good IMO
-Kevin

Losi strike.. ..oh sorry vintage ummm Id have to day my Traxxas Rad2 was a money pit

Royal Ripoff, er, Ripper, sorry even worse than the original HotShot!

The BF/MB ate hex dogbones like if there was no tomorrow indeed! I remember all my pocket money was dumped into spare dogbones for my MB...

Yankee Electra racing was a pile'o too. So unreliable despite coming from a WC brand.

There's been plenty, really!!! And that's why we love them

Paul

Tamiya Striker: the uggliest body ever, terrible brittle chassis, total overgeared gearbox with only 2 pinion choices, disastrous front suspension geometry with friction shocks, plastic rear dogbones that won't stay in , drive cups you'd be scared of wearing out just looking at them. Need I go on?
The worst is so much better was out by the same time so the state of art wasn't an excuse.

OOh, vintage resale value : none ,in fact most people would charge you to take it off their hands

ROH73 wrote:Varicom Big Grizzly. I was very excited to get one for Christmas '86. I loved it on the cover of the 3rd issue of RCCA and I believe it was the biggest electric monster truck you could get at the time. Then, I tried to build it...what a pain to cobble together. Then I drove it...it actually ran well, but started falling apart after about three packs. I kept it running for about a year or so and then took the best parts (wheels/tires and center gearbox) to make a Bruiser based monster truck.

Now, I have three complete used examples and enough NIP parts to build two more trucks. Gonna get at least one running again someday just for heck of it. Ah, nostalgia .

Yep, I agree. A friend of mine had a Clodbuster and I got the Grizzly. What a mistake that was. Absolute garbage.

call-911 wrote:Yep, I agree. A friend of mine had a Clodbuster and I got the Grizzly. What a mistake that was. Absolute garbage.

Oh my God...there's another person who actually owned one .

With a locked rear gearbox and no one-ways in the front, the Grizzly was fantastic in the snow, however. No matter how deep, the flat bottom chassis acted like a ski and the tires really pushed it along.

Don't forget the "shocks"...

call-911 wrote:Don't forget the "shocks"...

Yeah, they were terrible, although they looked kinda cool .