In 1985 Jay Hasley won the first IFMAR Off Road World Championship with a nicely optimised RC10. I didn’t want to make a replica of this car but just want to be inspired, using vintage parts collected during some years.
I started with a Composite Craft chassis that needed to be refurbish.
Many scratch, wholes more than it needed. But after some work and some layers of spray paint, it look’s like new !
In my box I found some accessoiries:
CRP nerf wing, Carbide balls for the diff, RPM steering and a rear Associated motor guard.
Turnbuckles from the losi XX will replace the genuine one to faciliate settings.
The steering :
The motor guard for graphite chassis :
Tips : How to easily build a rear wing who look vintage ?
Find a RC10 rear wing like the AS6183 and cut in a sheet of lexan the wing side as the design you want.
This RC10 was built with most of vintage parts. Only the tires, the cupball and shock tower come from the re-release of 2013.
To complete the set I found a brand new in box, Sanwa Machine-1 pistol grip radio at a reasonable price. This radio design is very impressive. You feel like Clint Easwood in Dirty Harry, “go ahead, make my day, punk !” All setting are easy access with the tiny screwdriver.
Built a Vintage RC car without drive it on track is a real frustation. So every car of mine should run. The 17×2 Motor fit perfectly on this light RC10.
On the track, it is very well balanced. Rear grip and no lack of steering. “Thank you” to modern tires and front short arms. As I espected the car is efficient and pleasant to drive. The suspension is outstanding for the age. Even if the original rc10 chassis set a high level handling, all this parts improve a lot.
David from RC4ON
Video :
More pictures in gallery :
6000 Team Associated RC10 1985 Jay Halsey Inspiration
6000 Team Associated RC10 1985 Jay Halsey Inspiration
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
6000 Team Associated RC10 Jay Halsey Inspiration 1985
Introduced in 1990 by Schumacher the RC manufacturer from England, the Cougar was a nice piece of 90’s history. As mentionned on the manual, Schumacher cars had “Performance and technology that YOU CAN BUY !”. And they’re right, even if the quality is lower compare to those other challengers, the Cougar was well armored face to the Team Associated or Losi.
The cougar was the second 2wd buggy from Schumacher, the first was the Top Cat release in 1998 close in design but with different front drivetrain. The TopCat had an “inboard” suspension using cantilevers.
Let me show you how I refurbished this “Fat Cat” to grab the first places during vintage race.
The chassis is aluminium inspired by the RC10 gold pan.
The original rear mount in plastic is very weak. The previous owner made a part in epoxy sheet cut at the right size to reinforce the mount.
Look at this fantatic ingineer idea to attach the wing to the wing mount with elastic
The drives shafts are telescopics like those found on Losi JRX-2 or Traxxas Bullet, both were available on 1988.
The rear wishbone mount solution is innovative. The pivot blocks are attach to the chassis with screws and nuts, but you can change the number of “Nylon washer” to increase or decrease the Toe and the Anti Squat. Economic and clever !
One thing surprise me about this transmission. On the Cougar, all the screws, nuts are “metric”. All the parts for the ball differential are “imperial”
The thrust race, the rear axle, friction washer, thrust washer,….
And you know what ! the balls in pulley are “metric” (3mm)
Disturbing !
There is a friction paper between the washer carrier or the outdrive (as you want) and the pressure plate. Not for me the best solution to prevent the rotation of the pressure plate.
Borrow from the Top Cat the transmission include a belt. The tension can be adjust with eccentric guide.
The front is also innovative as the rear
To change the “kick up” angle of the front drivetrain, just add or remove the spacer. It’s easy, you don’t need option part, just a small spacers and two screws.
The name “Cougar” were use during five years with eleven declension of the chassis. With Truck version, Economic version, Onroad version, Team version and after 1995 Schumacher change the denomination of their 2wd buggy by “Fireblade”. We have to wait 2010 to see this name reborn with the Cougar SV.
Sometime I really like to refurbish a car with periodic electronics but on this Cougar I relocate the electronics at the rear, I use RC10 battery cup and made some battery tray for my lipo shorty. I really want to drive this car more than 5 minutes on the track. So I put modern electronics 17.5 combo.
On the track the car handles very well, jump in air like a Cougar on is prey. In this article I didn’t spoke about the dampers. They look great but even if I refurbished them with new o-ring, they leak and they are not constant. This car is full of innovative solutions. Try to adjust the drivetrain without option parts is simply the best thing to keep in memory.
In 2007 Tamiya release a brand new chassis with 3 speed transmission. A great model for the fans, but instead of putting ugly decals and four ridiculous wheels to create the High-Lift, they should have looked to the past and be inspired by the toyota mountaineer.
That why the first life of my kit was a replica of the Toyota Mountaineer 58111.
My High Lift, the Tamiya Mountaineer tribute
Here it is in video:
After driving and appreciated an Axial Jeep Rubicon as a “Scale”, I wanted to modified this Toyota as a real 4×4 truck.
This is how I did !
Start of operations
The front drivetrain:
Original
Fist of all I reduce the height by removing the shims between the leaf spring. I buy Super Lift damper which they are 20mm longer. They are also screwed at lower place
The front shock stay are also longer. The steering knuckle are reversed and the steering servo put at the front.
The gearbox and motor:
Original
My modifications :
The body is to high due to the transmission and motor. I changed the location with an home made plate cut in carbon fiber.
I stand back the transmission, put a 48dp spur gear with only 75 teeth to minimize the height of body
Tamiya releases the Astute in 1989. The first tamiya buggy where you can beginning to race with. This 2wd was designed to obtain great performance.
Ball differential, suspension adjustment, low profile tires, FRP chassis, roll bar, bell crank steering, everything is present to compete.
Tamiya has develop a new technology for the rear drivetrain. The Z point suspension as named, permit to increase toe -in when the damper is compressed.
The ball differential can be adjusted by adding spacers, there is no spring in outdrive like usual.
A clever idea from engineers was to create a door below the transmission gear case to facilitate access to the differential through a hole in chassis.
All electronics are planted in right place (for a competition buggy) and well protected thanks to the body and his under cowl
Even if others manufacturers use ball cup, Tamiya ajust the upper links with bushing.
I didn’t have the time to drive this freshly refurbished buggy by me. Someone bought it before I put the wheels on track!
Moreover, I remembered when I was a kid and beginning RC with my Tamiya Falcon, my neighbor was offered for his birthday an Astute with Futaba Attack radio.
He was the “king of the hill” with that car, it look so much modern compare to my Falcon. Fast and silent, the low ground clearance and lack of roll was impressive in the park.
After few years, I bought his used Astute and make some run with it on a backyard track. The car wasn’t so impressive on my bumpy track, turning without understeer was really hard.
All the weight is concentrate at the rear. and the front drivetrain were totally overwhelmed.
Although I keep good memories, the Z-Point suspension and bushing in links were not really a good innovation. As you can imagine it was not a success and racers easily swapped them with Tamiya Madcap parts to obtain a rear drivetrain without play in assembly.
David from RC4ON
 Here some interesting documents from my collection:
Even if they are not vintage, Scales cars are also a hobby of mine and I want to share those ones on website.
This is a Man 6×6 from Cross-rc a newborn chinese manufactured. It’s a permanent locked six wheel drive without speed gearbox. Delivered as a kit but some parts are assembled like the transfer case and axle. The light kit, the motor are included.
The manual is well detailed but there is no translation.
The transfer case is epicyclic.
It’s a ladder type frame chassis.
The suspension look like the real one.
Follow the manual and you will obtain this in few hours.
The body take times many more. You should assemble all the parts with glue like a model kit.
The kit is sold as a military truck. But I’d rather to do something different.
A lot of work, some stickers and scale accessories, and here it is, a Truck from the Breslau Rally.
All the suspension parts are reduction of the real Man 6×6. You apreciate the work of them when the truck climb a rock. The wheel travel is not overstate as a crawler or rock racer.
The tire looks scale but lake of grip. They are not sticky as those we found as aftermarket tires. You take your time when you drive, to not damaging the body. This one is pretty weak and will not support rollover as a lexan body.
This heavy truck is fantastic, looks like a real one when you drive it. This Man climb everywhere if you keep in mind its 1:12 scale.
A clever idea from 
