Sunday, January 22, 2012
Two new vehicles added!
I've added the Traxxas Villain IV and Hawk to the webpage (links above). Please feel free to read the write-up and check out the pictures. Also, I love to hear from other Traxxas fans so comment or email me with additional information or just to share stories. Thanks again and enjoy!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Nearing the goal.. and a new discovery!
In the past 6-8 months, I have been focusing on completing my collection and gathering information rather than keeping the blog up to date. This post is just to let everyone know where I stand and to announce a completely new discovery. The original list of Traxxas vehicles was as follows:
1987 Cat, Fiero
1988 Bullet
1989 Villain IV (boat), Sledgehammer, Radicator, Hawk
1990 Blue Eagle, TRX eagle
1991 Blue Eagle LS, TRX-1
1992 Hawk 2, Nitro Hawk
1993 LS-2, TRX-3, Nitro Buggy, Nitro Street, Monster Buggy
1994 SRT, Traxxas Rustler, Stampede
1995 Spirit, Blast (boat), TCP, Bandit, Nitro Vee
1996 Nitro Stampede
1997 Street Sport, Nitro Rustler
On the list above, I've managed to find all of them with the exception of a good condition Eagle (I have a Blue Eagle with box, but no Eagle). Everything else I have found one of. Some are mint in box, others are used. For the most part I'm quite happy with my progress. I'd still love to find a line on a good Eagle, preferably in the box.
As for the new discovery: I found a version of the 1/5th scale Monster Buggy that is an on-road car which Traxxas made for a very short time. The model number is 5601 and the one I purchased is new in the box, but missing wheels and tires. I've dubbed it the "Monster Street" until I find out otherwise, but that name seems to fit with the Traxxas naming convention around that time. I'm posting a few pictures of it. If anyone out there has information about this model I would love to hear from you. Also, if you happen to have a set of wheels and tires for the car I would be willing to pay a very fair price for them. As always, thanks for reading, feel free to comment and correct any misinformation and most importantly: enjoy the hobby!
1987 Cat, Fiero
1988 Bullet
1989 Villain IV (boat), Sledgehammer, Radicator, Hawk
1990 Blue Eagle, TRX eagle
1991 Blue Eagle LS, TRX-1
1992 Hawk 2, Nitro Hawk
1993 LS-2, TRX-3, Nitro Buggy, Nitro Street, Monster Buggy
1994 SRT, Traxxas Rustler, Stampede
1995 Spirit, Blast (boat), TCP, Bandit, Nitro Vee
1996 Nitro Stampede
1997 Street Sport, Nitro Rustler
On the list above, I've managed to find all of them with the exception of a good condition Eagle (I have a Blue Eagle with box, but no Eagle). Everything else I have found one of. Some are mint in box, others are used. For the most part I'm quite happy with my progress. I'd still love to find a line on a good Eagle, preferably in the box.
As for the new discovery: I found a version of the 1/5th scale Monster Buggy that is an on-road car which Traxxas made for a very short time. The model number is 5601 and the one I purchased is new in the box, but missing wheels and tires. I've dubbed it the "Monster Street" until I find out otherwise, but that name seems to fit with the Traxxas naming convention around that time. I'm posting a few pictures of it. If anyone out there has information about this model I would love to hear from you. Also, if you happen to have a set of wheels and tires for the car I would be willing to pay a very fair price for them. As always, thanks for reading, feel free to comment and correct any misinformation and most importantly: enjoy the hobby!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
1989 (part 2/4) - Traxxas is Rad! Say hello to the Radicator!
In part two of my series covering 1989, Traxxas brings its next evolution in racing buggy to market- the Radicator. The Radicator had its share of shortcomings and its success was destined to be limited by the infamous RC-10. Much like the bullet, the design was overly bulky and awkward, the transmission was loud and unreliable, the plastics were (yet again) brittle and prone to breakage and the performance was at best, underwhelming. Many of the parts on the Radicator would (for better or worse) be shared with future models and it too was available in several flavors as the years passed. Plastics went from white to black, aluminum changed colors and disappeared altogether (replaced by plastic) but all the parts remained interchangeable.
The Radicator was powered by a single brushed can motor with lackluster power and a manual speed control (3 step) or the electronic speed controller used previously, the XL-1. Introduced around the same time as the Radicator was a new version of the XL-1, deemed the XL-2. The XL-2 was marketed to racers, as it was a forward and brake only ESC. Reverse was not allowed in many races at the time, a rule which remains in place today. That being the case, the XL-2 left out the reversing circuitry and allowed hotter motors to be used without endangering the electronics. Ultimately many people would purchase the graphite Eagle chassis (a vehicle Traxxas later released) which greatly increased the durability and performance of the Radicator. Graphite and aluminum shock towers were made available as well as a ball differential and other performance options. Part of the reason for increased parts availability was due to the "sister" vehicle of the Radicator which will be covered in the final vehicle of the 1989 series- The Traxxas Hawk. The Radicator and the Hawk shared many parts. The Hawk was basically a truck version fo the Radicator and the sharing of parts made offering multiple options and upgrades more feasible due to the larger market saturation of compatible vehicles.
My Radicator is one of the few in my collection which is missing the box. It is in mint condition however- it appears as if it has never been run. It is the white plastic/gold shock version and it's one of my favorite. The hot pink paint job matches the wheels and fits with the florescent color craze of the time in the states.
Up next: Part three of the series covering 1989 is the Villian IV! Traxxas' first shot at tearing up the lake. Look for it in the coming weeks.
1989 (part 1/4) - Traxxas Drops the Hammer.. the Sledgehammer!
1989 was a busy year for Traxxas, which is what has prompted me to separate each vehicle into a single post going forward. In 1989 Traxxas released the Villain IV boat, Sledgehammer monster truck, Radicator racing buggy and Hawk stadium truck. So without further delay, let's have a look at part one of the series... the Traxxas Sledgehammer!!
Part one of my four part series covering the releases in 1989 is dedicated to the Traxxas Sledgehammer. The Sledgehammer was the first monster truck developed by Traxxas, perhaps motivated by the popularity of such offerings as Tamiya Blackfoot and Clod Buster, Kyosho Double Dare, USA-1, etc. This truck met with reasonable success, and ultimately was released in three versions. The earliest versions of the Sledgehammer included the white plastic and gold aluminum parts seen in previous models, followed by a white plastic with black aluminum parts and finally an all black plastic version with black aluminum.
This intimidating platform had a high center of gravity with it's large tires and tall suspension. Speaking of tires, these are some of the better looking monster truck tires introduced to the market to date. While I've never seen tires like this on a full scale truck, the normal truck tread with added near-sidewall spikes makes the truck look like a Misfits fan on steroids. The two shock per wheel setup (inspired by the Clod Buster?) carries on today in the Emaxx truck and while probably not the best performing option, it definitely gives the look of an aggressive monster. The body was that of a Chevy short bed truck with plastic chromed bumpers and roll bar. This added to the realism and although branded bodies became a rarity (presumably because of licensing) I think it serves both the automotive and RC companies well- I'd like to see more of it (outside of Tamiya) these days.
The sledgehammer was powered by a single brushed motor and Traxxas branded ESC which included a much larger heatsink than on previous versions to handle the additional current required by the heavier vehicle. The standard pistol grip transmitter/controller setup was again available with this truck and steering was controlled with a single (albeit underpowered) servo. The performance was on-par if not better than other monster truck offerings of the time. The Sledgehammer's high center of gravity is exaggerated by the rear motor/transmission placement and it suffered from the same brittle white (or in latter designs, black) plastic outdrives. This problem was even worse in the Sledgehammer than previous models because of the additional rotating mass in the wheels and tires. Snapping an outdrive meant taking the entire rear section of the beast apart and splitting the transmission case, leaving most people out of commission for several hours/days. Additionally, the same brittle plastic was used to make the body mounts, which were tall and thin, leading to many body mounts breaking on the first roll. Being a monster truck, rolls were common and therefore so were broken body mounts. Other than a couple of disappointing weak points, the Sledge is fairly durable, and it's a lot of fun to drive.
My Sledge is the second version with white plastics, black anodized aluminum, and original electronics. It has a XL-1 ESC with the signature large heat sink. It took me quite some time to find one with the original white body mounts, as most were either broken or replaced with the slightly stronger black plastic part. The body is in good condition but no original decals are applied. Also, the rollbar is installed but the front and rear chrome bumpers are not. I have the bumpers but haven't had the opportunity to install them yet. Enjoy the pictures, feel free to comment and look forward to part two of Traxxas 1989, the Radicator!
Part one of my four part series covering the releases in 1989 is dedicated to the Traxxas Sledgehammer. The Sledgehammer was the first monster truck developed by Traxxas, perhaps motivated by the popularity of such offerings as Tamiya Blackfoot and Clod Buster, Kyosho Double Dare, USA-1, etc. This truck met with reasonable success, and ultimately was released in three versions. The earliest versions of the Sledgehammer included the white plastic and gold aluminum parts seen in previous models, followed by a white plastic with black aluminum parts and finally an all black plastic version with black aluminum.
This intimidating platform had a high center of gravity with it's large tires and tall suspension. Speaking of tires, these are some of the better looking monster truck tires introduced to the market to date. While I've never seen tires like this on a full scale truck, the normal truck tread with added near-sidewall spikes makes the truck look like a Misfits fan on steroids. The two shock per wheel setup (inspired by the Clod Buster?) carries on today in the Emaxx truck and while probably not the best performing option, it definitely gives the look of an aggressive monster. The body was that of a Chevy short bed truck with plastic chromed bumpers and roll bar. This added to the realism and although branded bodies became a rarity (presumably because of licensing) I think it serves both the automotive and RC companies well- I'd like to see more of it (outside of Tamiya) these days.
The sledgehammer was powered by a single brushed motor and Traxxas branded ESC which included a much larger heatsink than on previous versions to handle the additional current required by the heavier vehicle. The standard pistol grip transmitter/controller setup was again available with this truck and steering was controlled with a single (albeit underpowered) servo. The performance was on-par if not better than other monster truck offerings of the time. The Sledgehammer's high center of gravity is exaggerated by the rear motor/transmission placement and it suffered from the same brittle white (or in latter designs, black) plastic outdrives. This problem was even worse in the Sledgehammer than previous models because of the additional rotating mass in the wheels and tires. Snapping an outdrive meant taking the entire rear section of the beast apart and splitting the transmission case, leaving most people out of commission for several hours/days. Additionally, the same brittle plastic was used to make the body mounts, which were tall and thin, leading to many body mounts breaking on the first roll. Being a monster truck, rolls were common and therefore so were broken body mounts. Other than a couple of disappointing weak points, the Sledge is fairly durable, and it's a lot of fun to drive.
My Sledge is the second version with white plastics, black anodized aluminum, and original electronics. It has a XL-1 ESC with the signature large heat sink. It took me quite some time to find one with the original white body mounts, as most were either broken or replaced with the slightly stronger black plastic part. The body is in good condition but no original decals are applied. Also, the rollbar is installed but the front and rear chrome bumpers are not. I have the bumpers but haven't had the opportunity to install them yet. Enjoy the pictures, feel free to comment and look forward to part two of Traxxas 1989, the Radicator!
Monday, May 16, 2011
1988 - Enter the Bullet (TRX-10)
In 1988 Traxxas released the Bullet, a very interesting design which targeted the growing racing market that Associated Electronics had bolstered in the United States with the release of the revolutionary RC-10. It was available in kit or RTR form (including a pistol-grip transmitter) and met with limited success.
The Bullet was a contender for the RC-10, but was inferior in several areas to the purpose-built competitor. A victim of "over-engineering" as many products of the time were, the Bullet was far more complicated than it should have been for a purpose-built racer. The Aluminum chassis was strong but the "double-decker" design with multiple standoffs added unnecessary weight. Traxxas must have learned many lessons from this vehicle as the designs were vastly improved in the generations to come. The white plastic parts were somewhat brittle, but the main issue I've always had with this vehicle was the use of that plastic in the out drives of the transmission. Plastic wheel shafts (2 part) were common then and are still used today (albeit much better material) but for the purposes of racing, those materials were too weak. Still, those could be easily replaced when broken. The main issue was the out-drives which when damaged, required a lot more effort to replace and were a very common snapping point. The steering setup worked quite well, but it was (like everything) difficult to tune and work on because of the full-length top plate. Overall the chassis was very rigid and it could be made to steer quite well, but the excessive weight, somewhat clunky transmission and difficult maintenance made it a poor alternative to the intuitive, efficient RC-10. While some drivers had some success with this platform, it required a lot more effort on the part of the driver to set up and they would ultimately spend much longer in the pits than the buggies it competed against.
Design flaws aside, the Bullet is one of my favorite vintage Traxxas vehicles. Body off, it is a rolling work of art with the beautifully crafted aluminum chassis and shocks. The body itself has a great amount of detail (for a racer) and the shape and design has a certain "wow" factor that sets it apart from nearly every other buggy on the market. The integrated wing and detailed driver/rollcage gave it a great look despite the added weight.
My particular Bullet is in very good condition but not mint. The box is a little rough but complete. Very nice piece for nostalgic RC advertising and design. Enjoy the pictures and as always- I welcome your input.
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