Mike's 91 stealth build

[mikea96]

So thought I would go ahead and start a thread on this even though I still have a lot parts to find. Big thanks to Justin (jbmeyer13) for the chassis, top deck, standoffs and towers. I have some more parts that aren't shown that are soaking in cleaner. This will be built as if I was there myself.

[XLR8]

Awesome Mike. Looks like you have a great start. Finally, right?
If you won't be needing those standoffs I sent you a while back, could I please have them back -- I could use them for my replica build.

[mikea96]

Yes I was going to message you tommorow. PM me your address and I will send them back.

[NomadRacer]

Nice Mike, very nice. That chassis plate is fantastic.

[XLR8]

Yes I was going to message you tommorow. PM me your address and I will send them back.

PM sent.
All's well that ends well; Justin's standoffs look nicer than mine anyway.
I wish I had Nomad's skill on the lathe.

[jbmeyer13]

Very excited to see this build come together. Hopefully you'll find a nice 10T donor. 2-years ago I saw a NIB go for $500 on Ebay and thought that was a bit much at the time. However, finding minty shocks and stealth tranny are becoming harder. Hopefully some good stuff pops up around Christmas.

[mikea96]

I've got a couple 10T's in my watch list but already spent a lot this month so we will see what happens.

[XLR8]

Since you'll only use the 10T's front shocks and steering parts (bell crank pivots and saver parts), will you need to buy the whole truck? Aren't the trans and rear shocks standard buggy parts?

[jwscab]

A 10t is useful because it's the whole shock set as well as the trans and front axles battery cups hinge pins and misc hardware, plus bearings and rear hub carriers. Especially if you are not doing a full on resto, and trucks are/were generally easier to get cheap.

[XLR8]

My knowledge here is very limited but the early 10T's with white nylon parts I've seen posted on ebay can often reach crazy prices. The later black ones are cheaper. I reckon I've been lucky enough to find just the parts needed for far less money. I guess you'll pay more for the convenience of getting everything needed to complete the buggy at one time. Plus, you can always sell the leftovers and recover some of your investment.

[jbmeyer13]

Just a nice set of team shocks with black aluminum caps and Stealth tranny could run $150+ a la carte so finding a 10T roller is the way to go. Rear bulkhead, tranny, battery cups, front axles, bellcrank screws and all the hardware start to add up. I don't see a lot of examples of those parts for sale. My guess is that there are people here on the forum who have those items but aren't necessarily listing them for sale so it becomes a lot of asking around.

[XLR8]

I guess that would explain the steep rise in 10T prices over the past few years.
When it comes to discretionary spending, I'm always on the hunt for a bargain and have been really lucky so far. While I would describe myself as "incredibly cheap", some of my kinder friends will just say that I'm "aggressively thrifty".
There's one thing for certain, as new parts are discontinued and supplies of vintage originals dry up, prices will only continue to rise. ... at least until there are none of us around who care about these old RC's then the remaining stuff will likely be tossed into the landfills.

[jbmeyer13]

... at least until there are none of us around who care about these old RC's then the remaining stuff will likely be tossed into the landfills.

I was just at trains and lanes in Easton PA last weekend and saw a slew of Lionel locomotives in th $2k+ range and wonder how long that market can sustain itself. I don't see younger generations having the interest nor the means to keep demand up. Then again the secondary market for 80's-90's RC is crazy too. Tracking down the Yokomo tires and wheels 4-yrs ago was difficult; I saw a set of Tf-330 go for $110!

[scr8p]

This will be built as if I was there myself.

I thought about doing that with mine too. But ended up going the replica route. I am however building a tub car as if I were a B-team AE member at the 91 Worlds. They'll look good sitting on the shelf together one day.

[jwscab]

that b-team car is going to be cool.