rc10 questions

[carcrusher]

i was reading this on associated's website and i was wondering if anyone had any info on it. i always love a good mystery/conspiracy/secret plot story. i'd really love to see pictures of that car in action.

"As far back as 1989, there were grainy spy photos and a few sporadic sightings of a radical new buggy under development by Team Associated. Then at the 1991 IFMAR World Offroad Championships in Detroit, the Team unveiled their hand-built prototype cars, noted for their distinctive front suspensions and unusual shock mounting locations. Masami Hirosaka piloted the RC10 buggy to the World Championship win, and the prototypes were whisked back to Team Associated's California R&D department (Area 51) where they would not emerge for over a decade."

can anyone elaborate on this for me? was this the actual first designs of what would end up being used on the b4? or was it just early prototypes of the b2?

 

[JAy jordan2]

This was most likely when Associated was experimenting with long front shocks and the front shocks mounted behind the front shock tower.
Remember back then tracks were more loamy and had more bumps and obstacles.
This is why cars back then had longer shocks ot some sort of traction control system (i.e. Losi hydra-drive).

My guess is they had concepts that were ahead of their time, but the technology to utilize them wasn't out until now.

JAy

 

[William]

back in the late 80's early 90's tracks were just grated up regular turf. Pin spike (long spikes) tires were a must as was long travel suspensions. Tracks had hills,, berms overpasses and "sideboards" that would snap a wheel or suspension arm in a second.

Later on came sifted dirt, then a sand & clay mix on to what tracks are now. I still remember raking dirt over at RC Madness in CT trying to get rid of all the darn rocks.

Cars had no history to fall back on, it was all new and anything and everything was being tried. There was trailing arms, upper/lower arms a type of strut suspension, torsion bars, you name it it was being tried. Some worked, others looked cool but couldn't last long or just plain failed. Race buggies and thier truck counter parts have come a long way.

Jay probably is right, the early days you had sooooo many options to try and every Tom, 0000, Harry had another system to try out for that edge over the rest. It was actually kind of cool, all those neat things, but if you were buying and trying the stuff it was expensive and chased people away. Kind of what happened with pan cars and all the "unobtainium" parts.

 

[JAy jordan2]

I also remember back when 2.2" buggy tires came out. At first it was all an outrage b/c 2.2" tires and rims weren't legal to use.
1.9" is what was written in the rule books back then.
Many thought it gave drivers an unfair advantage. Now they are the norm.
Tekin used to make a chassis conversion for the RC10 which turned the tranny around and made it a mid-motored buggy.
Also longer suspension arms were being experimented with, chassis materials, shock length, etc....

Also back then, the first "stadium trucks" were just buggies with 2.2" MT tires bolted on, just like some of today's truggies which are simply 1/8 scale buggies with bigger tires on them. Recall the original RC-10T which shipped with narrow and normal width front tires.

Those were the good 'ol days of racing!
At the next MJ, come ask me about some of this stuff.


JAy

 

[twisted8]

i remember that buggy. Massamies...that was killer. there are pics floating on the net.

**EDIT**

here it is...

 

[carcrusher]

definately looks much like the buggies of today - surely way ahead of its time. thanks for the pic! it's exactly what i was looking for.