I grew up with an Original Rustler. It was just as slow back in the 90s, which was perfect really. My father frequently used it to introduce people to R/C as it was easy to drive. Not too fast, damn near indestructible and even then replacement parts were still fairly cheap by the late 90s. When we upgraded it to an ESC it didn't get much faster but still just as fun to bash. Our "loaner" Rustler has been through it all, run over by cars, ran full speed into curbs, dunked into ponds... You name it, it kept going.
Full speed into curbs is a tuff one,, my friend and I were out on the road in front his house and we both had our rc’s. I hit a jump and blew my shock cap on my rustler and not more then 2 minutes later he ran full speed into the curb with his stampede and instantly snapped the chassis!
16 mph is what a brand new Rustler did for many years, even in 2000 when I got mine. Remember, the Titan was a significant upgrade from the Stringer. Also, the Traxxas mechanical speed control was desirable over other brands because it mounted directly to the servo and had a whopping 5 steps in forward and reverse. And yes, I definitely burned myself on the resistors haha. Even ESC's back then didn't have linear control; the published specs included how many steps they had. Cheaps ones had like 30 and nicer ones had 60 to 250, and that was a big factor in picking a ESC. And batteries haha, I remember being so proud that I had a 1800 mah instead of a cheap little 1500. That battery gave me 8 minutes of full throttle bashing.
Raise of hands for those who've burned themselves on a Mechanical Speed Controller Resistor? I remember the one on my Grasshopper vividly - placed in such a way that no matter how you picked up the car, it would get 'ya! Another epic video, thank you Sir! That 1994 Dodge Ram body brings back "Twister" memories for sure! "We've Got Cows!"
Amazing how Traxxas changed their company into a big time competitor in the RC world. I remember they were just "another" company selling RC, then I come back into the hobby and what a turn around with great products.
My first RC truck was a Hawk. Great truck but back then RC was serious business and if you weren't a racer you were looked down upon. The premium brands looked down at the backyard basher and totally underestimated how much the fun factor was important to the growth and maintenance of the hobby. Not a fanboy but Traxxas understood that part and was able to build their brand on bashing.
WHOA! The original Rustler. I worked at Continental Airlines at Stapleton in Denver at night. And part time at Colpar Hobbies on Havanna Blvd. We sold Traxxas cars and parts. They were really different, all their transmission and suspension parts were white. Associated and Tamyia were the big players. And pan cars were big. Good times.
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I admit like another viewer, the '94 looks sooo much better, the part list is amazing bonus there!!! Beautiful the more I look at it vintage collecting is really picking up I have seen, you definitely have a gem brother!!!
The '94 Ram was the first time a truck wasn't styled like a shoebox - legendary. And it also has the benefit of not being painted by Joe Exotic like the new one.
I remember the Traxxas Eagle and the Hawk, I wanted those trucks so badly as a youngster, had a Rockbuster at the time. great times! Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
I have an original rustler that started out with the mechanical speed controller then it got upgraded to a novac speed controller with a trinity motor then it got up graded to a first gen castle mamba brushless system. Also in the process it got newer shocks and reversed jato rpm arms on the front and rpm arms on the rear with some proline gladiator tires. Loved ripping that thing around. Sadly it’s been sitting now for about 8 years.
The 1994 rustler came originally with spike tires on the back which worked great off-road but when you ran it on concrete or asphalt it just wore the nubs down fast and turned your tires into slicks when I had mine back in 94 I had to change the tires out a week after I bought it This video made me feel a little nostalgic and you were right they were a little faster than that mine would go 23 miles an hour a police officer in the neighborhood wanted to see how fast he could go and he clocked it when I was playing with it outside
i got into the hobby recently, when my uncle gave me a rustler, and i thought it was a new one because of how similar the chassis layout is, just my chassis was black. after watching this video, i figured out i have a 1994 rustler. very happy it’s stayed to same to parts/upgrades are easy to find and fit.
Honestly, I don't know if I ever would have gotten into hobby grade RCs if it wasn't for the ready to run RCs. For that, I do appreciate Traxxas, and I do have a few of their RCs. Of the two versions, I honestly do like the newer body better. Great job as always 🙂
i still have the 1995 rustler and still kickin...love how they look and handles...even i got about 15 other newer rc's...the retro ones are highly sentimental...
Oh man that was cool bro, to see an old Traxxas still alive from back in the day. I know I remember when they came out I was messing around with tamaya and they're old speed controllers. AWESOME VIDEO FRIEND. 👍
Great video. I remember when the Rustler first came out. Still have an original Traxxas Sledgehammer. all the vehicles back then came with mechanical speed controllers. we all bought Futaba set ups with esc for our vehicles. also has to buy bearings for when we built them. Bringing back a lot of memories. I also still have my original Tamiya Clod Buster, Blackfoot, fox, tamtech, Kyosho Big Brute, Team Losi JRX2 & JRXT. just to name a few. Ahhh the good old days.
I still have my 90s Rustler from when I was a kid. A couple years a go I installed a castle motor, esc, digital receiver, and new gear box. It's still a whole lot of fun!
I had no idea but I have a Traxxas Hawk i got on ebay years ago when i first got into rc, had no idea what i was buying, even has the old esc. popped a titan 12t and borrowed my crawler sidewinder 2 for a test drive before i shelved it so i didnt tear the old dry needle tires off the cracking rims. Glad i watched!
My first hobby grade rc car as a kid was a rustler that I got around 1998, the speed seems about right from what I remember but we were running 1400mAh Ni-cads... I recently won a rustler in a raffle on the snap-on truck and was amazed at how little they've changed in more than 20 years
Enjoyable Video, Tomley. Mechanical Speed Controllers... This is where it all began... Good to see one of these in action. Reminds me of the mid 90s when I was young and proud owner of a Tamiya TA01... I hope I can bring this old baby back on the road... Does anyone else remember the good old days?
Very good video. Tamiya started for the masses but Traxxas took it to the next level. Now you have others all fighting for the spot to be the next big company Losi,Associated,Armma, Witoys, so many others it is a great time to be in to RCing. Cars, trucks, boats, planes, drones and Helicopters
Associated was around back in the day, so was Losi. They served more high end clients though, the ROAR pro circuit, etc. Traxxas made cheap, entry level vehicles back then. They weren't competitive at all, but they were nice bashers for a kid (or big kid) to play with.
I had a few Tamiya kits w MSC’s before my first Traxxas (Stampede) which also had a MSC. I remember being impressed by how much faster the Stampede was. 20T vs Tamiya’s 27T. I remember in the 90’s a 1500mah Piranha NiCad battery being the norm lol.
Yeah. And if you had the 1700 scrc batteries you was the crap. 🤣 and at one time you pretty much just had two different battery connections. You pretty had the standard Tamiya molex and Kyosho connections. Those were the best times in rc.
Still using mine. Upgraded to brushed and the real drive shafts since the extra power likes to snap the original shafts. Goes around 50mph now. Not bad for a 27-year-old rc.
I still have my first electric Rustler. I mowed many lawns in order to buy it ($99.99 US). As well as buy a remote control, 2 nimh batteries and a charger (another $200). This was just before RTR kits became available and no UA-cam. I was 11 years old and I had no choice but to open the assembly instructions to page 1 and get to building. Being forced to assemble from bare parts, tought me everything about it, which made repairs much easier. Just recently bought myself and my son each and some barely used Brushless Rustler’s. These new faster Rustlers bring the same joy to us as my childhood Rustler did for me
Traxxas did retool a few years ago and you can find some small differences in the newest trucks, but the overall design is still the same and parts are compatible. One thing you did miss out is that the old Rustler has scallops in the battery tray to help hold the Sub-C battery packs from the time, whereas the newer one you have has the scallops removed to hold LiPo packs. The early XL5 trucks (with the gray plastic) still had the scallops as well and I think they updated the design of that chassis and battery tray around 2009 or so to remove them.
Front bearing/steering block is different too. The original truck took 5x8 at all 4 wheels...the new truck is 5x10 or 5x11. They now have steel gears in the trans too. The yokes mount slight different as well...the new truck uses a grub screw that goes all the way through...the old truck didnt. I'm sure there are some other changes I'm missing.
It's great to see Traxxas haven't messed with the truck, too much. I do love the old school cars (had a Manta Ray and a King Cab back in the day). At the end of the day, it's what puts a smile on your face, and I know either would do that for my son and I. 👍🏻
I have had an old rustler sitting around in pieces probably for the past 15 years. After seeing this clip I've gotten back into the hobby. The Ole rustler is back together and slowly tearing up my back yard, lol
My first R/C was a duratrax Maximum ST. I was too young to figure out nitro & my dad bought me the E-maxx, it was the best! We made a 16ft plywood jump & a 4ft quarter pipe & would launch that think super far!
Great vid keeping honest as usual when you start pulling out the vintage makes me realise how old I’m and and how good was the days back then lol .ps I still would have the new one haha 👍
Traxxas was what got me into the hobby, advertising and just the name stood out to me when i was younger. I watched a group of people racing nitros and i thought it was so cool there were little engines in a RC car. Years later when i was able to afford my own, i bought the Revo 3.3. If it wasnt for traxxas way back when, i probably wouldnt be in the hobby now. I now own Losi, Traxxas, Arrma, ProBoat and Eflite. I still have my first RC on the shelf and it still runs like it should.
Got my first hobby RC in about 2000. Brand new rustler. Got it for doing chores around the house. Finally got enough cash from putting out mulch around the house. Absolutely loved that. Then it got me into a t-max, then, a duratrax nitro 1/10 scale road car (can’t remember the name) then a thunder quake and a hpi micro RS4. Soon to buy a x-maxx 8s. Very excited.
Being old enough to remember the original Sand Scorchers, Grasshoppers, Frogs, Ultimas, Scorpions, and when RC10s dominated the racing scene. Witnessing many, many changes and fads along the way. Even Witnessing the birth of stadium trucks. Team Losi ruled that back in the day. The Rustlers were and still are great fun. I remember when Traxxas first arrived on the scene. The Hawks were horrible. The plastics would break easily. Traxxas has come along way since then. I currently own the new one and had the old one years ago. I got out of the hobby once and long since passed the old one along to another rc enthusiast. I regret getting rid of it. I do remember it being faster than 16 mph but not quite 21 mph on stock configuration. Thanks for the comparison and the memories.
Fantastic. Phil I have my original Traxxas Nitro Sport purchased in October of 1997. I still have the car, it still runs, and I still have the original owners manual and the engine tuning manual they gave you with it. In the back of the owners manual it had a parts list and prices where you could order replacement parts directly from traxxas.
Bought my rustler in 95 or 96 while in high-school. It was my first hobby grade rc, back when everything was kit only. Had to send in a money order to tower hobbies to buy it. Bought a futaba magnum radio to put in it that still works perfect. I still own the truck.
Man.. I remember wishing SO BADLY that my dad had gone for the Rustler for me rather than the Stampede. He figured I'd prefer a monster truck, but didn't realize I wanted to race and there were no classes that you could race monster. Spent so long slowly upgrading the stampede until it was closer to a rustler and was halfway competitive. Wasn't great, but I raced anyway the best I could.
@@TomleyRC honestly, the old stampede (and all the old traxxas stuff) were very fragile and it was before their warrantee existed so my stampede was down for repairs more than I drove her. I didnt even drive her thay hard usually, mostly just laps and some minor jumps at the local track. My new wltoys 104001 takes more abuse without breaking than my old stampede EVER did and goes easily 3x as fast. Lol traxxas has come a LONG way from barely entry level to mid grade US quality levels.
@@NeoIsrafil That's curious, because my old stampede, was tough as nails, the only thing that broke for me, was the countergear .. that was rubbish. I ran a 13 turn brushed motor in it, jumps, wheelies, the works. I did eventually grind down the body, but it took a while, iw as not disappointed. It should be mentioned, that it was the first variant, with the paddle wheels, they allowed it to powerslide and drift, which may have saved it from the worst hits.
That body is definitely modeled after my favorite truck. The 2nd generation Dodge Ram, which was released in 1994 and was the most revolutionary looking pickup at the time. Also the truck used bu Chuck Norris on the show Walker Texas Ranger.
Amazing how things change, I was wstching some other videos and the energy was just crazy, some people are loud and sometimes even too loud, then I tune to this channel and this guy is so calm and serene, almos made me sleep LOL, CRAZY how personalities just change, same with women, some women are super quiet and some super crazy, I prefer the middle type, I guess women might prefer a quiet super calm guy and some others loud and crazy fools.
@@TomleyRC by the way i have a rustler vxl, the thing stopped working, for some reason as soon as i turn the transmitter ON, the front wheels turn to the right, can't fix it.
Had me the ol' Stampede with the XL-1 speed controller, along with a couple Rustlers. Had entirely too much fun. Good thing about having a Traxxas, even the old ones still have parts and support.
Great looking old beast isn’t she? Just a rebuild of the gear box, a new speed controller and run that motor in a cup of water, it will be as good as new! Great stuff Mr Tomly.
I wish I kept my old rc cars. The viper that spit water was epic and I had a Porsche Tamiya that was extremely fast for the time. And the hover craft I had was so cool
Great video, only just stumbled across it. I have had an original generation rustler since I was at school in early 90's (guy on my work experience sold me it for £40!) I have added the XL-5 running gear, RPM bumpers, chrome period wheels and an replacementn original body sprayed up vauxhall arden blue over the years and she goes great still! Can't bring myself to part with it :) Measured 27mph I think which feels Bob on
Yes I can remember using old speed controller 40 years ago!!! Thanks for reminder 😡lol the new rustler without a doubt ! I have new 2021 xl5 and vxl, was using vxl last night and it rips for a 2wd .,. Great upload thanks 🙏
I had an original 94' Bandit ( same chassis and electronics ) she was a bash queen. Though I use to kill resistors for the manual speed controller. Had to sell it in college for food. I miss her!
Novak probably? My Grasshopper lived with a 2 position mechanical for a long time, for the same reason. I was even jelly over the variable mechanicals like Kyosho had.
@@TomleyRC Yep! I saved up and got a non-reversible Novak ESC for my Kyosho buggy, and after seeing me struggle with no reverse when bashing, my friend paid even more and got Novak's "Rooster" reversible ESC. Yes, I was pb and jelly.
I had a Super Blackfoot with a mechanical speed controller, the mount for the resistor was on the side of the chassis behind the front wheel and you'd have to be careful where you picked it up or you'd get burned. I also remember driving out of range of the transmitter at full throttle and having to chase after it otherwise it would keep going. I soon bought a Novak 410-M5 that was shared with a couple of rc's, I couldn't afford the one with reverse at the time lol.
Love the retro vintage style bodies I think in some way they look better ,it maybe me but I think all the RC car companies just try to out do each other in the grafics race ,if you took the company logos off it would be hard to tell them apart , retro rules in my opinion ,. ,great content as usual by the way Phil, my Tee Murch came today Great quality support this man and get some great stuff
I remember the hawk and hawk2 made a lot of money reselling them. The rustler I just a little late for me when I took a rc break. Good video I be waiting for the next video 👍👍👍
Nice comparison Phil. I like the old one the best and yes I am old enough to remember a mechanical speed controller! I didn't find out about ESC's until I got back into the Hobby in 2012 :-)
Great review..I was given a 90s Rustler and wanted to upgrade being it was missing the body and some parts. The bushings are different can't just swap them with bearings and the internal transmission is all plastic gears leaned that the hard way when I made it brushless. BOOM!!!
not sure how you found something so rare and still in running condition, but that older one is epic! i like the older retro style bodies. to me, it reminds me of a little kid that would want to buy one, but only as an adult can purchase one. :-) cool video!
Awesome video, it's amazing to see the evolution of this car during these past few decades. My 1st somewhat "hobby" grade car when I started this hobby was a wltoys 12423. Then I discovered Traxxas via a coworker. So I purchased my 1st Traxxas vehicle, the Rustler 2WD xl5. This became my 1st speedrun car. Was able to get it up to 87mph (with serious mods lol). Then I discovered Arrma, aaaaaand that was a major game changer lol. I now have a couple of Arrma vehicles, Typhon 6S (which I stretched) & a Limitless. Both which have exceeded the 120s mph. And this whole hobby began because of my kid, was tired of buying him Walmart specials that would break in a day or two & then off to the garbage. So now he has a Traxxas Bandit which is now a Rustler after mods with a Castle brushless system & hopped up with aluminum Integy upgrades lol. It's still kicking almost 3yrs later & we still bash it. 😊
@@arturos.l.2248 Lol, it's an adrenaline rush, racing a stretch of ~2000ft+ maintaining the car straight on the road & from flipping up in the air lol 😂. My record so far is 128mph lol, that was on my Arrma Typhon 6S. I love both worlds, I have bashers, both electric and nitro, and I have my speed runners. And soon, drag racers 😁
I remember running too hot of a motor back in the early 90's and welding the mechanical speed controllers solid, stuck wide open. Anything over a 16 turn would do it.
I remember the mech' speed controllers, I had them on my Hornet and my Manta Ray and the manta ray got a pricey ESC upgrade after a couple years along with a bigger motor. I really wish the hobby class cars were cheaper these days as i'd like to get back into it.
My first r c truck was a rustler kit. I bought it from tower hobbies with an aitrtronics rival 2p and a Novak rooster esc. I still have bits and pieces of it...... Good times
I grew up with an Original Rustler. It was just as slow back in the 90s, which was perfect really. My father frequently used it to introduce people to R/C as it was easy to drive. Not too fast, damn near indestructible and even then replacement parts were still fairly cheap by the late 90s. When we upgraded it to an ESC it didn't get much faster but still just as fun to bash. Our "loaner" Rustler has been through it all, run over by cars, ran full speed into curbs, dunked into ponds... You name it, it kept going.
Full speed into curbs is a tuff one,, my friend and I were out on the road in front his house and we both had our rc’s. I hit a jump and blew my shock cap on my rustler and not more then 2 minutes later he ran full speed into the curb with his stampede and instantly snapped the chassis!
Traxxas - we want rustler and stampede “heritage” model kits. Make it happen.
Agree 😎
Great call!
Trust me...you dont... lol. They were VERY entry level back then. You want their old quality just buy a wltoys model rc.
@@NeoIsrafil hahahahahaha. I was pleasantly surprised by the 1/14 WL buggy I have.
True facts would definitely buy one and put it on my shelves king 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
16 mph is what a brand new Rustler did for many years, even in 2000 when I got mine. Remember, the Titan was a significant upgrade from the Stringer. Also, the Traxxas mechanical speed control was desirable over other brands because it mounted directly to the servo and had a whopping 5 steps in forward and reverse. And yes, I definitely burned myself on the resistors haha. Even ESC's back then didn't have linear control; the published specs included how many steps they had. Cheaps ones had like 30 and nicer ones had 60 to 250, and that was a big factor in picking a ESC. And batteries haha, I remember being so proud that I had a 1800 mah instead of a cheap little 1500. That battery gave me 8 minutes of full throttle bashing.
Raise of hands for those who've burned themselves on a Mechanical Speed Controller Resistor?
I remember the one on my Grasshopper vividly - placed in such a way that no matter how you picked up the car, it would get 'ya!
Another epic video, thank you Sir! That 1994 Dodge Ram body brings back "Twister" memories for sure! "We've Got Cows!"
Hey fancy seeing you here....
@@closewatermelon Howdy neighbor, great way to start the day bro!
Haha... yes
Too many times lol
I really like the Tamiya ones just keep adding cells till the solder starts melting
Amazing how Traxxas changed their company into a big time competitor in the RC world. I remember they were just "another" company selling RC, then I come back into the hobby and what a turn around with great products.
My first RC truck was a Hawk. Great truck but back then RC was serious business and if you weren't a racer you were looked down upon. The premium brands looked down at the backyard basher and totally underestimated how much the fun factor was important to the growth and maintenance of the hobby. Not a fanboy but Traxxas understood that part and was able to build their brand on bashing.
WHOA! The original Rustler. I worked at Continental Airlines at Stapleton in Denver at night. And part time at Colpar Hobbies on Havanna Blvd. We sold Traxxas cars and parts. They were really different, all their transmission and suspension parts were white. Associated and Tamyia were the big players. And pan cars were big. Good times.
Good times indeed!
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Ya ya wanna
I admit like another viewer, the '94 looks sooo much better, the part list is amazing bonus there!!! Beautiful the more I look at it vintage collecting is really picking up I have seen, you definitely have a gem brother!!!
Yeah... Vintage and Retro is certainly the coolest
I really enjoyed this video Tomley, id love to see more of these kind of videos, old vs new!
Thanks mate... I love a bit of Old School
I second that. And Matthew Simms you crazy dog!!!👍
Old Rustler: Back in my day I would do sick jumps off the curb.
New Rustler: Ok Boomer
To be completely honest, I think I prefer the body of the original more
They simply look better while moving. They don’t look like sports shoes or Gatorade ads.
@@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245 Agreed. They someone look like a Ford pickup
The '94 Ram was the first time a truck wasn't styled like a shoebox - legendary. And it also has the benefit of not being painted by Joe Exotic like the new one.
Old school looks way better
Way better, I never liked the modern Rustler look.
Me and my friends had these back in the 90s...So much nostalgia seeing my favorite stadium truck
I remember the Traxxas Eagle and the Hawk, I wanted those trucks so badly as a youngster, had a Rockbuster at the time. great times! Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
Holy cow yah the Eagle there is another one.
I had a Nitro Street a while back... it was in need of rebuild, but had parts missing so sold it on. Love the old school stuff though
I would love to have an old Bullet the Fiero gtp is another one I'd like to have.
Definitely would prefer that older body shell, looks more like a truck per say. Looked in good shape and well looked after for sure,was surprised !.
old one looks better then the new.
the old rims is better then new and dont look as tacky blingy.
@@extec101 Agreed.
They have some awesome chrome versions of the wheels on phill's rustler that look even better than the white ones.
You can buy custom body shells for the rustler buy an old style body problem solved but the things inside are miles better and more fun...
They also had the Eagle, the Blue Eagle and the Blue Eagle LS (long suspension), which is where the Rustler gets it's A-arms from.
I have an original rustler that started out with the mechanical speed controller then it got upgraded to a novac speed controller with a trinity motor then it got up graded to a first gen castle mamba brushless system. Also in the process it got newer shocks and reversed jato rpm arms on the front and rpm arms on the rear with some proline gladiator tires. Loved ripping that thing around. Sadly it’s been sitting now for about 8 years.
Run it !
The 1994 rustler came originally with spike tires on the back which worked great off-road but when you ran it on concrete or asphalt it just wore the nubs down fast and turned your tires into slicks when I had mine back in 94 I had to change the tires out a week after I bought it This video made me feel a little nostalgic and you were right they were a little faster than that mine would go 23 miles an hour a police officer in the neighborhood wanted to see how fast he could go and he clocked it when I was playing with it outside
i got into the hobby recently, when my uncle gave me a rustler, and i thought it was a new one because of how similar the chassis layout is, just my chassis was black. after watching this video, i figured out i have a 1994 rustler. very happy it’s stayed to same to parts/upgrades are easy to find and fit.
your vids keep getting better! Thanks man!
Appreciate it dude 😎👌
Definitely great to see the old and new side by side!
Honestly, I don't know if I ever would have gotten into hobby grade RCs if it wasn't for the ready to run RCs. For that, I do appreciate Traxxas, and I do have a few of their RCs. Of the two versions, I honestly do like the newer body better. Great job as always 🙂
i still have the 1995 rustler and still kickin...love how they look and handles...even i got about 15 other newer rc's...the retro ones are highly sentimental...
Love Retro Rcs
Oh man that was cool bro, to see an old Traxxas still alive from back in the day. I know I remember when they came out I was messing around with tamaya and they're old speed controllers.
AWESOME VIDEO FRIEND. 👍
Cheers dude. Yeah... it’s a cool old school truck!
Great video. I remember when the Rustler first came out. Still have an original Traxxas Sledgehammer. all the vehicles back then came with mechanical speed controllers. we all bought Futaba set ups with esc for our vehicles. also has to buy bearings for when we built them. Bringing back a lot of memories. I also still have my original Tamiya Clod Buster, Blackfoot, fox, tamtech, Kyosho Big Brute, Team Losi JRX2 & JRXT. just to name a few. Ahhh the good old days.
I still have my 90s Rustler from when I was a kid. A couple years a go I installed a castle motor, esc, digital receiver, and new gear box. It's still a whole lot of fun!
I had no idea but I have a Traxxas Hawk i got on ebay years ago when i first got into rc, had no idea what i was buying, even has the old esc. popped a titan 12t and borrowed my crawler sidewinder 2 for a test drive before i shelved it so i didnt tear the old dry needle tires off the cracking rims. Glad i watched!
Hawks were awesome
My first hobby grade rc car as a kid was a rustler that I got around 1998, the speed seems about right from what I remember but we were running 1400mAh Ni-cads... I recently won a rustler in a raffle on the snap-on truck and was amazed at how little they've changed in more than 20 years
Decent Win!
Enjoyable Video, Tomley.
Mechanical Speed Controllers... This is where it all began... Good to see one of these in action. Reminds me of the mid 90s when I was young and proud owner of a Tamiya TA01... I hope I can bring this old baby back on the road...
Does anyone else remember the good old days?
I can't believe it still works that's amazing I gotta admit as dated as the old one looks it looks so cool
Old School cool for sure 😎
What a classic this is, Traxxas is a company with history and traditions. Nice video to see and compare them, Greeting from Poland!
Thanks mate. Yeah... they have some history for sure (good and bad lol)
History like...basically having the same exact vehicles forever? Lol
Very good video. Tamiya started for the masses but Traxxas took it to the next level. Now you have others all fighting for the spot to be the next big company Losi,Associated,Armma, Witoys, so many others it is a great time to be in to RCing. Cars, trucks, boats, planes, drones and Helicopters
I’d also keep and eye on CEN Racing... they have some good things coming from when I’ve seen 👌
@@TomleyRC i will do so
Associated was around back in the day, so was Losi. They served more high end clients though, the ROAR pro circuit, etc. Traxxas made cheap, entry level vehicles back then. They weren't competitive at all, but they were nice bashers for a kid (or big kid) to play with.
@@NeoIsrafil that’s what i am talking about reaching the larger base of the buying public.
I had a few Tamiya kits w MSC’s before my first Traxxas (Stampede) which also had a MSC. I remember being impressed by how much faster the Stampede was. 20T vs Tamiya’s 27T. I remember in the 90’s a 1500mah Piranha NiCad battery being the norm lol.
Haha... 1500mah NiCads... those were the days!
Yeah. And if you had the 1700 scrc batteries you was the crap. 🤣 and at one time you pretty much just had two different battery connections. You pretty had the standard Tamiya molex and Kyosho connections. Those were the best times in rc.
If only two connectors were used today, or better yet, one.
Still using mine. Upgraded to brushed and the real drive shafts since the extra power likes to snap the original shafts. Goes around 50mph now. Not bad for a 27-year-old rc.
Old one was my first RC. My heart strings lol
I still have my first electric Rustler. I mowed many lawns in order to buy it ($99.99 US). As well as buy a remote control, 2 nimh batteries and a charger (another $200). This was just before RTR kits became available and no UA-cam. I was 11 years old and I had no choice but to open the assembly instructions to page 1 and get to building. Being forced to assemble from bare parts, tought me everything about it, which made repairs much easier.
Just recently bought myself and my son each and some barely used Brushless Rustler’s. These new faster Rustlers bring the same joy to us as my childhood Rustler did for me
Yes, it was in a way better back then. Learning new skills... and also the value of money
Traxxas did retool a few years ago and you can find some small differences in the newest trucks, but the overall design is still the same and parts are compatible. One thing you did miss out is that the old Rustler has scallops in the battery tray to help hold the Sub-C battery packs from the time, whereas the newer one you have has the scallops removed to hold LiPo packs. The early XL5 trucks (with the gray plastic) still had the scallops as well and I think they updated the design of that chassis and battery tray around 2009 or so to remove them.
Good info dude 😎👍
Front bearing/steering block is different too. The original truck took 5x8 at all 4 wheels...the new truck is 5x10 or 5x11. They now have steel gears in the trans too. The yokes mount slight different as well...the new truck uses a grub screw that goes all the way through...the old truck didnt. I'm sure there are some other changes I'm missing.
It's great to see Traxxas haven't messed with the truck, too much. I do love the old school cars (had a Manta Ray and a King Cab back in the day). At the end of the day, it's what puts a smile on your face, and I know either would do that for my son and I. 👍🏻
For the looks: the old style is much better! Didn't know it existed. Thanks for the video.
No probs dude
I have had an old rustler sitting around in pieces probably for the past 15 years. After seeing this clip I've gotten back into the hobby. The Ole rustler is back together and slowly tearing up my back yard, lol
Man I remember the Hawk . For some reason back then it was in the unattainable category in my mind like the RC-10 and JRXT
My first R/C was a duratrax Maximum ST. I was too young to figure out nitro & my dad bought me the E-maxx, it was the best! We made a 16ft plywood jump & a 4ft quarter pipe & would launch that think super far!
Great vid keeping honest as usual when you start pulling out the vintage makes me realise how old I’m and and how good was the days back then lol .ps I still would have the new one haha 👍
Traxxas was what got me into the hobby, advertising and just the name stood out to me when i was younger. I watched a group of people racing nitros and i thought it was so cool there were little engines in a RC car. Years later when i was able to afford my own, i bought the Revo 3.3. If it wasnt for traxxas way back when, i probably wouldnt be in the hobby now. I now own Losi, Traxxas, Arrma, ProBoat and Eflite. I still have my first RC on the shelf and it still runs like it should.
great vid! i have a really upgraded rustler and i love it i go it 2ish years ago right before i turned 12 because i saw yours and kevs vids
Awesome! It’s a good hobby to be in 😎👌
I have an old Traxxas Blue Eagle Ls. The truck they had when they actually had a racing team all those years ago
Really cool video. Wat a awesome idea. Loved it man thanks again
Cheers Jason 😎
Love the rustlers. I own a few oldies. Upgrade that old one with brushless electronics... You'll be surprised. Solid platform
Got my first hobby RC in about 2000. Brand new rustler. Got it for doing chores around the house. Finally got enough cash from putting out mulch around the house. Absolutely loved that. Then it got me into a t-max, then, a duratrax nitro 1/10 scale road car (can’t remember the name) then a thunder quake and a hpi micro RS4. Soon to buy a x-maxx 8s. Very excited.
Awesome 👌
Being old enough to remember the original Sand Scorchers, Grasshoppers, Frogs, Ultimas, Scorpions, and when RC10s dominated the racing scene. Witnessing many, many changes and fads along the way. Even Witnessing the birth of stadium trucks. Team Losi ruled that back in the day. The Rustlers were and still are great fun. I remember when Traxxas first arrived on the scene. The Hawks were horrible. The plastics would break easily. Traxxas has come along way since then. I currently own the new one and had the old one years ago. I got out of the hobby once and long since passed the old one along to another rc enthusiast. I regret getting rid of it. I do remember it being faster than 16 mph but not quite 21 mph on stock configuration. Thanks for the comparison and the memories.
I remember and had an OG Rustler with mechanical speed control. Only thing I have left of it is the transmission. It’s in a crawler. Great video
Thanks dude
In 1994 us kids had 20 turns! And we were happy with them and we didn't complain!
My first RC was a stampede of this generation with a mechanical speed controller. I was so impressed at 8 years old.
Cool toy at 8 yrs old!
@@TomleyRC it was my Dad's as much as it was mine haha. I definitely drove it more though. He did the repairs.
Great nostalgia trip vid! I remember the mechanical speed controller in my Kyosho Raider 2wd when I was 9! 👍
Fantastic. Phil I have my original Traxxas Nitro Sport purchased in October of 1997. I still have the car, it still runs, and I still have the original owners manual and the engine tuning manual they gave you with it. In the back of the owners manual it had a parts list and prices where you could order replacement parts directly from traxxas.
I did enjoy your video this time! Thanks!
Bought my rustler in 95 or 96 while in high-school. It was my first hobby grade rc, back when everything was kit only. Had to send in a money order to tower hobbies to buy it. Bought a futaba magnum radio to put in it that still works perfect. I still own the truck.
Decent first truck 😎👌
@@TomleyRC its been a good truck. Very few breakages. Converting it to a drag car currently.
I've still got my old Rustler. It was a kit and it's still got the M-Troniks ESC and Yokomo 17x2 I fitted back in the day!
I still have my 2003 model. Basically identical to your 94 model. Different paint job. Bought the 2017 model and the 2019 4x4 as well. Love all three!
My original rustler was a kit in 94 and I still have it, has a hand full of upgrades.
Man.. I remember wishing SO BADLY that my dad had gone for the Rustler for me rather than the Stampede. He figured I'd prefer a monster truck, but didn't realize I wanted to race and there were no classes that you could race monster. Spent so long slowly upgrading the stampede until it was closer to a rustler and was halfway competitive. Wasn't great, but I raced anyway the best I could.
I bet the Stampede was still cool...👌
@@TomleyRC honestly, the old stampede (and all the old traxxas stuff) were very fragile and it was before their warrantee existed so my stampede was down for repairs more than I drove her. I didnt even drive her thay hard usually, mostly just laps and some minor jumps at the local track.
My new wltoys 104001 takes more abuse without breaking than my old stampede EVER did and goes easily 3x as fast. Lol traxxas has come a LONG way from barely entry level to mid grade US quality levels.
@@NeoIsrafil
That's curious, because my old stampede, was tough as nails, the only thing that broke for me, was the countergear .. that was rubbish.
I ran a 13 turn brushed motor in it, jumps, wheelies, the works. I did eventually grind down the body, but it took a while, iw as not disappointed.
It should be mentioned, that it was the first variant, with the paddle wheels, they allowed it to powerslide and drift, which may have saved it from the worst hits.
Love the old school cars. Ide rather have the new version.
That body is definitely modeled after my favorite truck. The 2nd generation Dodge Ram, which was released in 1994 and was the most revolutionary looking pickup at the time. Also the truck used bu Chuck Norris on the show Walker Texas Ranger.
Very nice 👍👍😁
Nice Side By Side comparation, well done. 👍😎
Thanks mate 😎👌
Amazing how things change, I was wstching some other videos and the energy was just crazy, some people are loud and sometimes even too loud, then I tune to this channel and this guy is so calm and serene, almos made me sleep LOL, CRAZY how personalities just change, same with women, some women are super quiet and some super crazy, I prefer the middle type, I guess women might prefer a quiet super calm guy and some others loud and crazy fools.
Haha... I can do loud... I just don’t think it works for me. Maybe a coffee next time before you watch one of my videos 😅
@@TomleyRC i enjoyed your video, I am not loud either. I was just saying how it made me feel lol.
@@TomleyRC by the way i have a rustler vxl, the thing stopped working, for some reason as soon as i turn the transmitter ON, the front wheels turn to the right, can't fix it.
Had me the ol' Stampede with the XL-1 speed controller, along with a couple Rustlers. Had entirely too much fun. Good thing about having a Traxxas, even the old ones still have parts and support.
Yes... parts support is certainly top notch!
Great looking old beast isn’t she? Just a rebuild of the gear box, a new speed controller and run that motor in a cup of water, it will be as good as new! Great stuff Mr Tomly.
Upgrade video coming soon 😎
I remember back in the 90s when I raced 2wd buggy and stadium truck me and the other racers always thought Traxxas was a joke.
Yeah... they never really hit the spot with proper racers 👍
I wish I kept my old rc cars. The viper that spit water was epic and I had a Porsche Tamiya that was extremely fast for the time. And the hover craft I had was so cool
Much prefer the look of the old one. The new designs put me off buying one but I am old school. Great video 👍🏼
Yeah... I prefer the old ones as well. I have a new ‘old’ body for this one 😎
You could fit an old body on a new one. Or search eBay for an older one. Most current parts will still work.
@@TomleyRC After watching many of your videos I suspected as much 👍🏼 Appreciate all the time you put in to bang out the content. All the best 👍🏼
Super cool video
Ty for sharing
I like the way you ended it rocking n rolling, with both cars
Shout out
From the lower rio grande valley
Weslaco TX
Great video, only just stumbled across it.
I have had an original generation rustler since I was at school in early 90's (guy on my work experience sold me it for £40!) I have added the XL-5 running gear, RPM bumpers, chrome period wheels and an replacementn original body sprayed up vauxhall arden blue over the years and she goes great still!
Can't bring myself to part with it :)
Measured 27mph I think which feels Bob on
Yes I can remember using old speed controller 40 years ago!!! Thanks for reminder 😡lol the new rustler without a doubt ! I have new 2021 xl5 and vxl, was using vxl last night and it rips for a 2wd .,. Great upload thanks 🙏
Haha... they were never all that good were they 😅
this is a awesome video idea, new vs old
I loved my Proline Dirt Hawgs on my my elec and nitro rustlers. They wore very well and had decent traction. I wish they still make them.
I miss the old Traxxas sledgehammer
I had a sledgehammer! Only the real ones will remember 😎
Sledgehammer is a fun lil truck. I rebuilt a black tub Sledge for my son.
He loves the ol pup
Was my first new rc kit! Poor thing didn’t survive a 11 year old me.
I have a version 1 with white plastic and gold oil filled shocks to restore.
i'd definitely be interested in more Old vs New RC videos
I had an original 94' Bandit ( same chassis and electronics ) she was a bash queen. Though I use to kill resistors for the manual speed controller. Had to sell it in college for food. I miss her!
I might have to get a Bandit
@@TomleyRC she's still my favorite R/C, but I may be bias...lol I hear the XVL is a monster!
I remember not being able to afford an esc.
Novak probably? My Grasshopper lived with a 2 position mechanical for a long time, for the same reason. I was even jelly over the variable mechanicals like Kyosho had.
ESCs were expensive back then. A lot didn’t have reverse either!
@@TomleyRC Yep!
I saved up and got a non-reversible Novak ESC for my Kyosho buggy, and after seeing me struggle with no reverse when bashing, my friend paid even more and got Novak's "Rooster" reversible ESC. Yes, I was pb and jelly.
I still have my Rustler and my Stampede from the 90's with the mechanical speed controllers in them. Both still work great.
I had a Super Blackfoot with a mechanical speed controller, the mount for the resistor was on the side of the chassis behind the front wheel and you'd have to be careful where you picked it up or you'd get burned. I also remember driving out of range of the transmitter at full throttle and having to chase after it otherwise it would keep going. I soon bought a Novak 410-M5 that was shared with a couple of rc's, I couldn't afford the one with reverse at the time lol.
That looked like a ton of fun, nice vid 👍
Damn i remember using a mechanical esc on my old grasshopper. Great vid.
Thanks dude
Pretty awesome cars, Tomley! 😃
Awesome bashing there!!!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
They look so cool
Love the retro vintage style bodies I think in some way they look better ,it maybe me but I think all the RC car companies just try to out do each other in the grafics race ,if you took the company logos off it would be hard to tell them apart , retro rules in my opinion ,. ,great content as usual by the way Phil, my Tee Murch came today Great quality support this man and get some great stuff
I love your content tomley, detialed inspection of cars, and kevin, detailed test of cars, 😂
I remember the hawk and hawk2 made a lot of money reselling them. The rustler I just a little late for me when I took a rc break. Good video I be waiting for the next video 👍👍👍
Nice comparison Phil. I like the old one the best and yes I am old enough to remember a mechanical speed controller! I didn't find out about ESC's until I got back into the Hobby in 2012 :-)
My first ever hobby grade rc was a beat up rustler with cracks all over the body they were relatively new back then haha another great video dude 👏
Great review..I was given a 90s Rustler and wanted to upgrade being it was missing the body and some parts. The bushings are different can't just swap them with bearings and the internal transmission is all plastic gears leaned that the hard way when I made it brushless. BOOM!!!
not sure how you found something so rare and still in running condition, but that older one is epic! i like the older retro style bodies. to me, it reminds me of a little kid that would want to buy one, but only as an adult can purchase one. :-) cool video!
Ebay has them all the time
I Love the new one, but thank you for showing off the OG RUSTY!!! Great Vid!!
Great bit of video at the end 👏👏👏
Awesome video, it's amazing to see the evolution of this car during these past few decades.
My 1st somewhat "hobby" grade car when I started this hobby was a wltoys 12423. Then I discovered Traxxas via a coworker. So I purchased my 1st Traxxas vehicle, the Rustler 2WD xl5. This became my 1st speedrun car. Was able to get it up to 87mph (with serious mods lol). Then I discovered Arrma, aaaaaand that was a major game changer lol. I now have a couple of Arrma vehicles, Typhon 6S (which I stretched) & a Limitless. Both which have exceeded the 120s mph.
And this whole hobby began because of my kid, was tired of buying him Walmart specials that would break in a day or two & then off to the garbage. So now he has a Traxxas Bandit which is now a Rustler after mods with a Castle brushless system & hopped up with aluminum Integy upgrades lol. It's still kicking almost 3yrs later & we still bash it. 😊
120 mph in an rc car doesn't even sound fun to me
@@arturos.l.2248 Lol, it's an adrenaline rush, racing a stretch of ~2000ft+ maintaining the car straight on the road & from flipping up in the air lol 😂. My record so far is 128mph lol, that was on my Arrma Typhon 6S.
I love both worlds, I have bashers, both electric and nitro, and I have my speed runners. And soon, drag racers 😁
I remember running too hot of a motor back in the early 90's and welding the mechanical speed controllers solid, stuck wide open. Anything over a 16 turn would do it.
I’ve had a few Tamiyas that have smoked the MSC... and then you have to either chase it down the road, or wait for the battery to die!
I remember the mech' speed controllers, I had them on my Hornet and my Manta Ray and the manta ray got a pricey ESC upgrade after a couple years along with a bigger motor. I really wish the hobby class cars were cheaper these days as i'd like to get back into it.
My first r c truck was a rustler kit. I bought it from tower hobbies with an aitrtronics rival 2p and a Novak rooster esc. I still have bits and pieces of it...... Good times
Seem to remember trying to choose between the Losi JRxT and the Traxxas Blue Eagle - both super cool!