ALL NEW 1/5 8S VIGILANTE from REDCAT

[Snacktime]

Ahh, sibling rivalry! Love it!! LOL I'm the younger by 5 years, but plus 85lb and 6".. big lil' brother, and still a pain in his a$$!!

My lil brother 3 years younger, is 4" taller and as of today I am finally skinnier.

Nicd! That's what the batteries were! Couldn't think of the name. I remember seeing a Clodbuster back then at a hobby shop and being in awe. I also remember the heated debates of nitro vs electric back then, nitro was actually better than the battery powered stuff back in those days if I recall correctly, got way more back to back run-time. That's an awesome story, he has to keep that Stampede in the family forever now lol.

Its in poor shape, getting t-boned by a T-Maxx in the back yard resulted in a wrestling match to the death. Trust me, if my brother shows up at the holidays with a 1/8 scale, I am buying a Vandette and paying next day air shipping.

Remember how long it used to take to charge Nicid...if you didn't fully charge them they would relearn and never charge to full capacity.

20 minutes on the dial charger on max amps! Hot packing it! We would run a pack and jump in the pool all summer.

 

[KnowAir]

Remember how long it used to take to charge Nicid...if you didn't fully charge them they would relearn and never charge to full capacity.

And a string of light bulbs to discharge them!! I remember the batteries needed to be completely discharged before charging to prevent them from developing "memory". I had a Pro tec "fast charger" with a dial timer on it. I thought it was like 15 minutes for a 6 cell.. not sure. I still have the charger, also a Futaba Mag Jr from the 80's tucked away..
Here it is..

 

[305HemiGuy]

And a string of light bulbs to discharge them!! I remember the batteries needed to be completely discharged before charging to prevent them from developing "memory". I had a Pro tec "fast charger" with a dial timer on it. I thought it was like 15 minutes for a 6 cell.. not sure. I still have the charger, also a Futaba Mag Jr from the 80's tucked away..
Here it is..

View attachment 356004

Man you guys are bringing back memories. Perhaps I was off with the charge time, but this is the big hunk of metal charger I remember lol!

 

[KnowAir]

15 minutes..then when the timer went off, another 5 minutes for good measure.. that was "overclocking" in my day, LOL. I always liked mine "extra hot"!!

 

[Snacktime]

Man you guys are bringing back memories. Perhaps I was off with the charge time, but this is the big hunk of metal charger I remember lol!

At $99 for a fast charger it was a big deal to have one. My dad flew rc planes so I permanently borrowed his and my brother permanently borrowed the replacement.

 

[KnowAir]

Man you guys are bringing back memories. Perhaps I was off with the charge time, but this is the big hunk of metal charger I remember lol!

If it was a Traxxas or any other rtr supplied charger, it likely was timed in hours, the Pro Tech was a "high end" unit in its day..

 

[Spider978]

If it was a Traxxas or any other rtr supplied charger, it likely was timed in hours, the Pro Tech was a "high end" unit in its day..

Absolutely...remember this was really before the rtr's. Correct me of I'm wrong, the entry level would be rtr..but all the high ends were kits. Somebody else show their age and chime in..lol

 

[Snacktime]

Absolutely...remember this was really before the rtr's. Correct me of I'm wrong, the entry level would be rtr..but all the high ends were kits. Somebody else show their age and chime in..lol

Google to the rescue! This is with mechanical speed controllers and crap batteries! Also Traxxas ran a scam of sticking red crystals in all the RTR remotes so you had to pay $20 for crystals.

 

[cazrack]

It will be interesting to see the UK version and the EU version of this truck since its probably not gonna be with RedCat branding.
I wonder which company is the true IP license holder of this RC Truck. If I lived in the States the RedCat branding selling seem nice.

 

[Spider978]

Google to the rescue! This is with mechanical speed controllers and crap batteries! Also Traxxas ran a scam of sticking red crystals in all the RTR remotes so you had to pay $20 for crystals.
View attachment 356006

My first rc was the Traxxas Cat for Christmas, my cousin received the Grasshopper. Lol. This brings back memories. Thx bro.

 

[KnowAir]

I don't remember ever hearing of rtr until I heard of Traxxas. Which wasn't until the 90's. I recall any hobby grade rc worth buying being a kit.. which also included unassembled wheels/tires and an unpainted body. Now, rtr comes with all the crap we typically don't want, like another one model cheapo radio, and usually crappy tires.
Race kits come with no tires, wheels or body and cost more than an rtr..

 

[Snacktime]

I don't remember ever hearing of rtr until I heard of Traxxas. Which wasn't until the 90's. I recall any hobby grade rc worth buying being a kit.. which also included unassembled wheels/tires and an unpainted body. Now, rtr comes with all the crap we typically don't want, like another one model cheapo radio, and usually crappy tires.
Race kits come with no tires, wheels or body and cost more than an rtr..

Went to the garage, still have velcro on my esc and deans plugs. I would swap electronics from car to car since I had 1 esc and 1 controller. I know I grew up better off than others but with 4 kids you only got 1 of something.

 

[slick2500]

Idk, while a bit pricey, a vxl 2wd Rustler doesn't need much of anything for upgrades to have a blast with IMO. They hold up to much abuse in stock form.. 2s is fast enough for experienced users too. 3s is pretty crazy..no boredom there! I imagine a Stampede 2wd vxl is much the same other than being MT vs ST. I'm not saying anything about the Gorgon since I've never even seen one much less used one. But my point is, the TRX brushless 1/10 are very reliable and capable for beginners and experienced hobbyists just the same. Yes, they're a bit pricey, but between parts cost and availability, hard to beat for a newb.


Well, I have to believe you, but I can't say my experience was a disappointing one with the Kaiju. It's still a favorite even after 3 years and many more rc's bought since..

The upper arms were a nuisance I know, after I broke one, I switched out for 5mm turnbuckles all the way around. Sleeves over the outdrives, homemade. I even converted my OG to EXT cuz I felt it was worth it. I like the EXT even more. I hope the Vigilante serves you well brother!! Look forward to hearing your experiences with it!!

I love my Rustler 2wd and the Stampede 2wd but neither one of them is remotely stock. Both are fairly durable out of the box as long as you aren't running into everything you can. Once you start crashing them they break like every other rc car.

 

[Hector_Fisher]

Looks like ol' Thunder took a crack at the Vigilante already. Doesn't look like he bashed it super hard, but for the kind of jumps he was doing and with no breakages, I think it looks impressive for $850 5th scale.

 

[Garcbomber]

It’s like Traxxas markets their product to all of the elementary school kids, hands them a transmitter for the first time with the priority goal of it still being functional after. Gotta give props to their design team.

 

[Matt05]

It’s like Traxxas markets their product to all of the elementary school kids, hands them a transmitter for the first time with the priority goal of it still being functional after. Gotta give props to their design team.

Arrma literally came out with a rig with toy action figures and guns. If that doesn’t speak to a preteen, I don’t know what does.

 

[Moirae]

Looks like ol' Thunder took a crack at the Vigilante already. Doesn't look like he bashed it super hard, but for the kind of jumps he was doing and with no breakages, I think it looks impressive for $850 5th scale.

This the best footage of it so far and I'm pleasantly surprised it didn't break. It actually looked worth it in that video.

 

[slick2500]

Arrma literally came out with a rig with toy action figures and guns. If that doesn’t speak to a preteen, I don’t know what does.

They kind of remind me of the GI-Joes I had back when I was 6.

 

[jbull250]

Damn right when I start looking at the Kaiju..

 

[KnowAir]

Damn right when I start looking at the Kaiju..

Wait till June on the Kaiju. For the last couple years Redcat has had deep discounts in June. Join their mailing list for details. RC is in AZ, no sales tax when buying direct..

They kind of remind me of the GI-Joes I had back when I was 6.

That's subliminal marketing right there!!