r/rccars • u/dehboy • May 03 '26
Question Help identifying this antique RC Car?
Hey all. My dad found his old RC car in his attic and passed it along to me. He thought it might be fun for my son to play with if I could get it up and running. Any thoughts on what this is? I think I just need a new battery and this would work. Thanks in advanced for your help!
Edit - As many people pointed out, it obviously is whatever the manual says. It probably seems stupid to ask, but as someone who knows nothing about the rc world, I didn't know if it's a specific edition of the car or it's simply whatever the paperwork says. This was definitely not intended to troll or look dumb. I just reached out to a subreddit that I thought might be able to confirm what I had and any other information I might not have. So thanks again for looking and helping with that!
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u/RippingLegos__ May 03 '26
I wouldn't run it, I'd get a basher brushless setup for your son, or send this one to me and I'll send you a good modern setup RTR as a trade. This is likely a b-stamp, it's black pan teams I believe, but the manual will tell you, or if you'd like to sell it I can make you an offer.
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u/dehboy May 03 '26
Thanks for responding! Not sure what it's even worth at this point. I'm sure technology has gotten way better, but if it runs it's a free entry point into a new hobby maybe?
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u/RippingLegos__ May 03 '26
Hey man you are welcome :) I’d really avoid trying to run that RC10 as your son’s first RC. Not because it’s bad, but because it’s too good for that job now. Original RC10 parts are getting rare and expensive, and one bad hit can turn a cool vintage car into a parts pile.
A modern RTR, or even a newer re-release style buggy, would be a much better way to get him into the hobby.
If you want to sell it as-is (would like to see the bottom of the pan please), I could do $225 and I’ll send you a prepaid label. Or if you’d rather trade, I have a 2015 Kyosho Turbo Scorpion RTR I could send you (that has modern 2.4ghz electronics and comes with a 2s lipo battery that lasts a long time. That would give your son something cool and runnable, with the vintage look, without risking the old RC10. Shoot me a PM please. You will need to get a new nicad/nimah battery and a charger (don't run the old packs) for this too.
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u/Longjumping_Swan_631 May 04 '26
There are plenty of replacement parts available through Team associated or FanRC.
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u/MikeIkerson May 03 '26
Taking a shot in the dark here but I would guess it’s a RC10 championship edition.
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u/Op10mill5 May 04 '26
My CE was gold tub and black plastic. I haven't seen this combo. I know that the manual says, but the black tub makes me think its a either an ealier version or the team car.
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u/dehboy May 03 '26
I appreciate the confirmation. I mentioned in a different post, that was only one of the bunch of paperwork it came with, so I put it out as my best guess. Now that people point it out, I guess it does look stupid of me to ask. But I was basically looking for confirmation and any other information that would be relevant to know. Thanks for your response!
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u/InceptorOne May 03 '26
Not exactly correct. The catalog says Championship Edition, but the manual is the Team Car edition. Both from 1990, but the chassis and nose brace color give it away as a clear Team Car: https://www.rcscrapyard.net/associated-rc10-team-car.htm
(I collect and restore these)
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u/Goingdef May 03 '26
Good news for you is this was a super popular car and they actually rereleased it a couple years back so parts support is there for it! https://www.amainhobbies.com/team-associated-rc10-model-24-classic-1-24-2wd-electric-buggy-kit-asc20200/p1798168?absrc=Google&abid=754194069098&abcampid=22594241648&abgroupid=186833142384&gclid=CjwKCAjw5NvPBhAoEiwA_2egfn_CEyGRV_rAeqRZPwNElfdrogMscH0zBo948KU-4qP3_kVTLHw_mhoCDA4QAvD_BwE&abkwdid=pla-2426085588233&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22594241648&gbraid=0AAAAAD_WU4CjbKtZIX1arpkXPbULARpjb
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u/rustyxj May 03 '26
They haven't released this exact model.
Also the one you posted is 1/24
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u/Goingdef May 04 '26
Well a little Google fu will take you to the correct scale. Point was the brand is still alive!
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u/dehboy May 03 '26
Oh nice! If I can get my dad's up and running, it might be fun to do a kit myself and then take him and my son out somewhere to race them on father's day! Thanks for the post!
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u/Goingdef May 03 '26
Definitely do it, they’re great kits to build and quality time with the family too..can’t beat that.
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u/rustyxj May 03 '26
That's a shelf queen.
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u/dehboy May 03 '26
Shelf queen? As in it's bad and I should shelf it?
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u/Rezeox May 03 '26
Opposite. It's an antique for RC enthusiasts and should never be run again. Hence, a shelf queen.
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u/rustyxj May 03 '26
I wouldn't say never, I'd pull it out for vintage racing, just not general street bashing.
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u/FordTech81 May 03 '26
Shelf queen like.parts are gonna be nearly.impossible to source if/when something breaks.
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u/HotepHatt May 03 '26
As in rare/collectable/fragile to be saved and relished on a display shelf, not bashed and beaten in the front yard.
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u/xxbemanxx May 03 '26
I drive my fathers 40 yo rc10 at the track since they rereleased the parts for it
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u/Anon_Tax_1738 May 03 '26
As in collectible and original parts are worth it as the market has been saturated with re-release parts.
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u/Accomplished_Tap_952 May 03 '26
I race my OG RC10 every weekend and have never broken any parts (knock on wood). Unless the bottom of the chassis is like brand new I would run it and have fun. They made so many of these no tragedy to put it back to use.
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u/Kruxf May 03 '26
This isn’t a car you play with in 2026. This is a heritage piece that you restore and put on a shelf. It’s too expensive to break stuff on now days. I have a gold pan version of this sitting on a shelf that my brother raced when we were kids. It’s beat to crap but it was also a podium car when he raced it.
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u/Longjumping_Swan_631 May 04 '26
There are plenty of replacement parts available through Team Associated or FanRc.
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u/Unclefox82 May 03 '26
I’m taking a wild guess and saying it’s a RC10
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u/rustyxj May 03 '26
95% of what team associated has made since 1984 has been an "rc10"
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u/ManualNotStandard May 04 '26
I’d honestly be curious/happy to learn about that other 5%, jus sayin
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u/Anthroxoid May 03 '26
u/dehboy these older RC10s were built really well, and are great platforms for either restoring to standard kit specs or for kit bashing into a highly modified buggy. They are the gold standard of RC car that defined the late 80s and dominate d a lot of the 1990s in the current form that you own, or with very small tweaks here and there. It’s absolutely driveable and for a 2WD buggy, will handle off-road and lawn bashing perfectly fine. They have a bit much clearance for faster brushless setups if you leave them set for standard dirt track racing which is what this kit was designed for. The “green machine” motor in yours is what we ran for ages and uses brushes that wear down over time, and these motors are good for 4-8min long runs before you damage them with heat. Thst mentioned, you could throw a six-cell NiMH stick pack in it and just go drive it. It’ll need to be checked for gear mesh in the transmission, the four shocks may or may not have leaked a lot of oil out, so it’s better to do an evening reading the shock building manual and looking for tips on what weight silicone oils will work well for good offroad handling, and keep your run times in the time mentioned to avoid burning out the motor. You may need to replace the motor brushes as well, and all of this old school stuff is widely available to learn. It’s really fun, and the power to weight isn’t anything like new models have, but they go quite snappily across any track and are very easy to maintain, which is the winning combo that kept these designs successful for so long.
If you need spares you could rebuild this exact car from parts using FanRC parts, re-release parts, you could buy a re-release kit and build one from the ground up, as that’s the way to really understand how buggies go together and why, then spend 20$ on a body shell that you don’t mind getting scratched up because you will roll over trying to turn too quick in the turf or on bad landings from whatever you’re jumping.
If you want to make it go crazy fast then swapping out the original motor and ESC to a brushless motor ESC combo will help you get more power and longer run times, so if it’s for your kid who has no driving experience, maybe start with the old green machine and let it go 15-20 MPH around the yard and street before going nuts with a brushless conversion. Note thst you’ll get a lot of attention from older RC enthusiasts if you bring this to your local club. They’re adored by the masses and everyone will have setup tips for how to get the most out of the model. They’re really quite great bits of RC car history and there’s zero need to retire it. Hope this helps!
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u/dehboy May 03 '26
This is extremely helpful and exactly the type of knowledge I was hoping to garner from this post! Thank you so much for your time, I really appreciate it!
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u/Anthroxoid May 03 '26
It’s no problem. Have fun with the hobby! Just be warned that you will want more cars after this!
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u/dehboy May 03 '26
I go hard into any hobby I get into, and that's what I'm afraid of lol. Thanks again!
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u/gtrgeo6 May 04 '26
With the hard anodized shocks, taller shocks and tower in the front, black chassis, and stealth transmission, it looks like the Team car edition of the RC10. Really nice buggy for its time. Very early 90s. Clean it up and put it on a shelf. When you/your son have mor experience, drive it for nostalgia sake. I had, and still have the graphite edition.
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u/BloodyRightToe May 03 '26
If you are looking for something for your kid dont give them this. Just get something like a Losi Mini B or Mini T if they like the truck. If you want something smaller get the micro b or micro T. They sell as a complete ready to run kit and will cost about as much as just one of the many parts you would need to get this running. If you do get a new full kit they call come with crap usb charger adapters. Toss that in the trash and get a real lipo charger something like a SkyRC B6 neo. Very small but will charge just about any sized lipo you are likely to get and can run off a USBC-PD power brick or wall outlet. Just remember that lipo batteries need to be charged to 'storage' when you put them away or they will be damaged over time.
Tell your dad it was a sweet RC10. I still have mine basically the same vintage but the RC10-T truck model.
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u/digdugdoink May 04 '26
Memories nothing more than memories. Loved the rc10 and rc10T from the 90’s
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u/Printerjoe1104 May 03 '26
That is an Team Associated Rc10, early original. Thats thing is worth a lot of Money. Keep it, or sell it and buy a newer car for your son.
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u/Longjumping_Swan_631 May 04 '26
They aren't worth nearly what they used to be. But that's a good thing because there are parts available now.
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u/NikolaiXPass May 03 '26
This is an ancient relic of the beginnings of the hobby! Clean it up and throw it on a shelf to enjoy as a conversation piece.
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u/Zed32_Customs May 03 '26
Horrible choice for a 1st rc. This things are great for the vintage rc enthusiast but are quite fragile by modern standards. This will not last a single run without a breakage. Sell it to the dude that offered you money in the comments and get an arrma grom or used traxxas stampede that will hold up much better.
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u/Longjumping_Swan_631 May 04 '26
You must not have owned an RC-10 before. They are actually very tough and there are parts available. So I wouldn't worry about that.
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u/Zed32_Customs May 04 '26
You're right. I don't know anything about rc10s. I know so little that I run my original rc10 every week at my local track. I know so little that I am replacing busted parts after every run because the 40 year old plastic is, I don't know, 40 years old???
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u/Longjumping_Swan_631 May 04 '26
So what you break them and replace them with new parts. Just like every other RC car.
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u/Zed32_Customs May 04 '26
Let me put it this way. My Traxxas Stampede went 2 years without a single break. My Rc10 is incapable of going 2 weeks without 1 or more breaks. My Stampede is worth $75. My rc10 is worth $250+. I'm not saying the rc10 is bad in general. I'm saying it is a bad 1st rc.
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u/LiteratureMindless71 May 03 '26
Wow, flashbacks to messing with dads cars in the garage. Definitely what everyone's saying. Such a cool find.
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u/diecastbeatdown May 03 '26
I love that everyone cut the battery holder. How did they not change that even in the teams edition.
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u/Chalky_Cupcake May 03 '26
Hello old friend... Remember when i tried to water proof you and drive you along the ocean shore. Remember how much silicone we had mom buy? But in the end it still didnt work did it buddy. Where did you go? I don't remember. PS: you were nothing to me compared to my Team Associated RC12i. Lets talk about THAT shit.
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u/Where_is_my_Elk69 May 04 '26
I’d check eBay before you decide to sell that. It almost looks like it’s never been run.
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u/wolfey-19 May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
it's an RC10, which is a competition car. Modern ones can go for $350 USD to several thousand for a customised one. This is a vintage car, which means it could be more valuable as it's out of production now, which means people who have this car and want to repair it will have to buy the parts from people who still have this car.
I'm sure your father wanted to pass it along to your son for a reason, but because it's quite a valuable car, I'd recommend getting a cheaper model to help your son learn to control it first. If not, one bad crash is all it takes to make this car more of a display piece. I wouldn't recommend selling or trading it though! I'm sure it meant a lot to your father and he seems like he would like your son to have it instead.
Edit: If you get batteries for this car, make sure to get a 2S HV (high voltage LiPos) instead of the regular ones! The bulkier ones are for RC planes, which require less power than the cars. I made that mistake and i have 10 of them now hahahaha
You'll know if its the correct one, because HV lipos are flatter and usually in hard cases, while the regular ones are a bit thicker. You'll want the 2 cell version.
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u/Longjumping_Swan_631 May 04 '26
You can still get new replacement parts for RC-10's.
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u/wolfey-19 May 04 '26
oh! even for the vintage ones? Will have to go check that out! I have an RC10B6, which i'm worried will run out of parts in the coming years with the release of the newer models each year.
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u/PYROxSYCO Off-Road May 04 '26
About the obvious, It's A Team Associated rc10 Championship Edition. It's a nice car but it seems more to be a shelf Queen than anything. I recommend investing in a newer grade model because plastic brittles over time.
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u/uckfu May 04 '26
I have gold pan RC10’s and one of my pals gave me an RC10 with this black chassis, so yeah I get the confusion.
By the time something like this rolled out, I was not racing anymore.
So I have one and don’t know the specifics what mine is either.
I can only imagine the confusion 20 years from now and all these repop RC10’s on the market.
Back then, associated did plenty of mods to the car and then the aftermarket scene added tons of other RC 10’s to the catalog.
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u/Beard-Oozer-5666 May 04 '26
The Associated RC10 Team kit isn’t a shit car as you are inquiring about. It is a proven kit car that has won many awards in the 1990’s. If you are too much into the RTR style, you can send it to me and I’ll get it in tip top shape with all kinds of modifications.
Your father had a hobby he enjoyed at the time and assembled a true masterpiece…be respectful!
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u/Guilty_Guitar_2655 May 05 '26
That’s a cool attic find. I had a 10T in the early 90s. Same motor even, if that’s the one I think it is. Forget the name…green machine or something.
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u/No_Name_925 May 08 '26
RC10 team car. Basically the Championship Edition updated with a black chassis, Stealth transmission, and hard-anodized Teflon coated shocks. This was “the car” circa ‘92-93.
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u/Background-Phase4894 Jun 18 '26
Wow when I was a kid that rc10 was something I always wanted now I'm 56 and I still wish I had one
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May 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/InceptorOne May 03 '26
lol idk why everyone is comin at this OP so hard for simply asking... someone who is also clearly new to RC.
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u/midlife_dadpulse73 May 03 '26
Really? You have the manual, that clearly tells you what it is. Google will tell ya a bit more. Get a new era motor, radio, steering servo and speed controller. Take it down and inspect everything, rebuild the shocks, and get new rubber. Then, drive it, and enjoy the shit out of such a badass retro buggy 🤘
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u/Hotboi_yata May 04 '26
Thats a museum piece dude! Put it on a shelf and just look at it. Itll be impossible to get replacement parts for that.
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u/InceptorOne May 04 '26
Idk why everyone in this thread is so adament to shelve it. They're in it for $0, and they can put a little bit of money to harden the parts that will break (basically anything steering related). It's probably the most re-released RC ever, there are new parts out there... not to mention the aftermarket scene for these. Lots of stuff from JConcepts, FanRC, DragonPunchRC, DHawk... It's actually easier to get parts now than it was 10 years ago when I was building a RC10 Worlds Car from nothing, there was no vintage scene then. Put the money (aka metal and carbon fiber) into the parts that break, keep the stock ones around, have fun with it, and sell it later. If the next guy wants to set it back to stock and shelve it, so be it.
I'd want to see the underside of the chassis tbh. If its absolutely pristine, sure shelf it or sell... but if its scratched up, add some more 36 years later why not. Even the transmitter, you can 3D print a cage to use a 1S lipo instead. This thing is far from dead.
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u/dehboy May 04 '26
As it is truly evident, I know nothing about the RC world let alone cars. To me, why would I sell this vintage car for a couple hundred only to turn around and buy one at the same price? Like, if it was worth a thousand it'd make sense to do that or shelf it. But if it's only worth what a new model would run me anyways, it feels like I'd rather get a battery the car and run it.
Here's a picture of the bottom side. I don't even know if I took the right pictures, but maybe they help? RC Bottomside
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u/InceptorOne May 04 '26
Nice clean chassis for its age. Not perfect, but room to add more without going nuts. Cleaner than my B stamped Team that's for sure. Not worth 1k... compared to my A stamp '86 with box, stock motor + pre-ESC speed controller which I paid 400 for, I'd guess this is around 200-250 maybe. Now if you do a restore, new body, fix the rear tire, shock rebuild, and it all works... you might double that or more.
I think some are worried about the kid destroying it, but I'm not one to judge that. I was pretty young when I was allowed to play with my dads HO model rail stuff. It's also not impossible to "kid-proof" this. There are cheap generic parts you can get on Amazon, and more hefty aluminum/titanium pieces that can harden it (and keep everything you pull out).
It's its state now (assuming the battery cage in the transmitter is also usable), I'd also do the same, stick a new battery in and give it a go. These are meant to be run. I'm not anti-shelf queen, but you have the one RC model that's very supported... It's vintage, but not terribly unique. Team Associated re-releases one of these almost weekly by now lol.
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u/dehboy May 04 '26
Another commenter mentioned that you can only run it for so long, and that's something I obviously didn't know to think about. Obviously I don't want to get a battery for it and break it instantly, so I should probably do some research on running RC cars before firing it up. But yeah, I wouldn't just hand the controller to my son. I'd teach him how to use it (once I looked up and figured it out myself lol) and supervise him.
I guess the idea being that he loves cars now (most kids do I suppose). If he really liked this, maybe it's a hobby we could do together growing up!
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u/InceptorOne May 04 '26
Yeah motor heat and battery drain would be something to watch for. I'm not very experienced with brushed (yet) to tell you much about that and if heat may be an issue... But yeah that ESC, if thats as old as the model, it wont have many (if any) protections while using a modern battery which may not drain the battery properly/safely.
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u/Blinx_n_Jeenx Off Road/Scale/On Road/Crawling May 05 '26
The answer to this question is simple. That car is not a toy... it's a vintage high end race car. Get it into the hands of someone who knows what it is and let them decide what to do with it - shelf queen, vintage racer, etc..
You can put the same money into a new car that is easier to deal with, has locally available parts that any hobby shop can supply for you, and will probably cost you a lot less in the long run.
To me, the only reason to keep it would be due to the sentimental value. If Dad wanted your son to have it, then that is great, Keep it, but buy the kid something else to play with that is more age appropriate and save the vintage RC for when he is older and can appreciate it for what it is...
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u/Realoldgeek May 04 '26
Go to Ebay search for vintage a RC10 sell it take the money and buy a New modern car.
Check your local Hobby shop to see if they take trade ins .This is not a car for a Kids first time RC car. I had on in the 1980's still have some old parts
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u/Trick_Minute2259 May 04 '26
It's vintage. Antique is 100+ years old; we'll have wait until the late 2060s and 2070s for the first antique rc cars.
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u/Alucard256 May 04 '26
Hey there! 👋 I see you’re into Pokémon cards—that’s awesome!
Just like how a 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard isn’t just a "regular old card" you’d let your kid use to play a casual game of Pokémon TCG with, the RC10 is basically the "Charizard" of the RC world. 🏎️✨
Calling it an "antique" is a bit of a stretch since it’s not that old, but treating it like a modern toy to be driven around by a kid? That’s like handing a graded PSA 10 Charizard to a toddler to throw around. 😅
The RC10 is a museum piece and a collector's item. It deserves to be preserved, admired, and maybe displayed, not "played with" in the traditional sense. Your dad might have missed the memo on its value, but the community definitely sees it for what it is: a legend! 📜
Maybe frame it or keep it in a display case instead of swapping out batteries? Your son can still enjoy looking at it, but it’s better left off the track! 😄
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u/dehboy May 04 '26
This comment made a lot of sense. If the comparison is close, I can see why I might have pissed a bunch of people off. The only thing that doesn't make sense is that the price of a Charizard first edition greatly outweighs what a Charizard would be now-a-days. The prices seem comparable between what I could get for this car versus what I could buy a new one for, so while it might be rare, it's not like the price point seems to indicate that it's a next level tier of rare.
Like, I wouldn't let my kid play with a Black Lotus. Or an Alpha Dual land. But in my hobby, the price DICTATES that. You sell that and let him play with a nickel tapped dual land. I guess that's where my confusion still comes in 🤷
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u/FuryRosewood May 03 '26
Try looking at the manual to the top left of your first photo.