Hello friends! This time I make my first build review about Andrew Cooke´s fantastic GP3D Team Associated RC10 Stealth Worlds Car from 1989! I am super excited with this project! Andrew put a lot of effort and time into this kit not only to put it on your shelf - you actually can race this beauty!
Before we start, let´s go back to 1989. The most important things in this year were of course the fall of the Berlin Wall and the IFMAR Worlds in Sydney/Australia!
I remember, some months later, we travelled from Hamburg to Off Road race track near the eastern part of Berlin. We totally lost the way to the track and we stopped the car at the street and asked a young boy, if he know, where the race track is. What is a race track? was his answer. We tried to expain him, that we drive with rc buggies. At a track. With remote controlled cars! He absolutely never heard something like this. He understood absolutely nothing. He was from eastern Germany and they were 40 years behind the western culture and technology. This was one of many eye openers for us about the difference between east and west in this exciting time.
On the opposite site of the planet stand 3 other well known guys in front of another wall. Masami Hirosaka won another IFMAR World Champion title in Sydney/Australia. With the famous Team Associated RC10 Stealth Worlds Car. Jay Halsey and Cliff Lett
More than 30 years later an Australian guy from Victoria - Andrew Cooke - had the idea to make this legendary car as a kit! Andrew learned all about 3D CAD drawings in his free time, bought a 3D printer and started 2015 with his GP3D project.
The kit came with all needed parts. As usual with these kits, you need to get all other parts, like shocks, gears, screws. etc. by yourself.
But GP3D also offers many optional parts, like a screw set, the motor plate and rear bumper (!). He also offers wheels adapters for Yokomo rims and many other needful parts for this project. The highlight is the carbon fibre chassis with a front kick-up! The quality of the material and the machining is absolutely high end! Very impressive!
To keeps the costs down, the kit includes 3D printed Yokomo rear wheel adapters and some other parts, what are made from aluminium at the original car. But they offer all these parts as option parts as well.
No Coast from the USA makes all the high quality aluminium parts. And BEZERK RC is responsible for the carbon fibre stuff. Andrew found some great partners for his business!
Let´s enjoy some pictures from my finished car. I use a Team Associated Viper body, instead of the Protech 2, what Masami used at the Worlds 1989.
Some beautiful colours in the mix.
Left side.
The tires are pretty modern - JConcepts carpet tires for modern Vintage Racing.
I like the look.
Front view.
Rear view.
With the 1989 Worlds Yokomo 870C I finally have the pair together.
Under the hood.
Right side. As always, I try to keep it clean and nice. This car screams RACING!!!
Left side. The LRP/Reedy package with Highest RC steering servo.
The battery is the latest super low LCG LRP Stick LiPo.
What a huge effort from GP3D to produce the motor plate and the rear bumper!
The steering rack is pretty original from 1989.
Cable straps at the servo saver to reduce play.
The mighty LRP Flow-X speedo, what I use in most of my models. Because it is virtually sold out worldwide, I bought the case and electronic boards as spare parts and put them together.
I also cutted the battery tray lower and shorter.
Nice rear! Modern 2 pad slipper.
The 13.5T Reedy Sonic motor.
Original Team Associated universal axles. The ball ends are replicas from FAN RC/Hong Kong!
The Carbon Fibre top deck. Stunning work from BEZERK RC!
Front bulkhead.
Without wheels. The 89 Stealth started the long leg contest.
Love!
Because the new position of the inner upper suspension mounts, you need to cut the motor plate and it´s cover a little.
Some words about the 3D printed parts. I was really surprised about the finish and strength of all parts. The prototype gear boxes are very precise! The ball bearings are not too loos and not too tight. The surface is really smooth! The arms are very strong and stiff. Hope they last my first race, because I forgot to order some spare parts :)
This is for sure one of my favorite builds in my collection!
Andrew sold a huge number of this amazing kit worldwide and made so many people happy. Because this success he has plans to make the legendy Stealth Worlds Car from 1991 as well! And I want to race this thing as soon as possible - and maybe against some other of this legenday cars one day.
We truly live in a strange time. With all the bad things happen at the moment, to build and race this kit makes my world a little bit better.
UPDATE July 2023
Yes, I made it dirty! In July 2023 I had the chance to race the ´89 at one of the most beautiful dirt race tracks at the EDC Kinzigtal in Germany. I also raced the sister model from 89 - the Yokomo 870C at this event!
The amazing race track in the Black Forrest in Germany.
The car went absolutely awesome! The suspension works so smooth and the handling of the Stealth was a dream!
My last dirt track race is more, than 10 years ago. And it took a little time to adjust my throttle finger from digital 0/1 to a nice analog movement.
With some blue groove on the straight, we could make some nice wheelies.
Yes, I crashed a lot! But mostly in the name of science to test the durability of the 3D printed parts :) And all I can say is, that stuff is tough!
I made the 6th position in the end of this race by the way. But much more important than a good result is the fun and joy to drive the old dream models and to meet old friends and racers again on those events and have good jokes and much laugher!