The holiday season is in full swing now and the deals are… well, there’s really no good way to say this other than “disappointing.” It seems that the Black Friday deals of yore have gone the way of the dodo and have been replaced with lukewarm-at-best deals from a select few manufacturers while others have artificially inflated their prices to make “sale” prices seem more enticing, when in reality the items cost the same, if not more, than before the Golden Quarter started. I’ve seen this from a few companies already this season, with the most egregious being a $400 increase on a product that was then put on sale for $240 off. Thanks to online tools that can track prices across a longer period we can see that buying this particular product six months ago would have saved you around $500 as it was on sale for $100 off its old MSRP at that point. I won’t name names at this point as i have reached out to these companies asking for the reasoning behind this business decision. Rest assured, if there is a response there will be an immediate “Breaking News” article published as soon as we have an answer.
As for RC news this week we have another “new” RC10 release from Team Associated, this time in the form of another entry into their Trail Truck series (of which may be replacing the Element brand, re-absorbing those models into the Team Associated lineup. We don’t have official word yet but judging by the parts used in the TA Trail Trucks it appears as though this is the case.). Also new this week are a pair of bodies from JConcepts; one for slow and one for go. For fans of the Anvil but that have been calling for a full bed version, your cries have been heard! The new Forge brings the chopped-top styling of the Anvil to a whole new level of awesomeness with its molded in high-arching rear fenders and old-school bed style. Let’s dive in and see what these products are all about!
TEAM ASSOCIATED
The RC10 Trail Truck Cattleman Kit combines the awesome Stealth X transmission with BTA Steering, a splined front axle with adjustable caster and an adjustable tack bar for a nice blend of proven parts that should build easily, if other Team Associated kits are any indication. Gold chassis rails, shock bodies and a motor plate bring the “old-school” RC10 flavor to the package and an RC10 Team sticker sheet is also included in the box. Officially licensed General Grabber 1.9″x4.65″ tires are wrapped around Method 701 Trail Series beadlocks while the body is a generic design fitted with many molded details to bring it to life. Electronics are not included in the package, leaving the end user to choose a power package that suits their needs. As a call-back to our previous mention of Element, Team Associated labels this truck as an Element RC on the product page despite clearly being a TA branded product, further confusing us all as to the future of Element and giving us no clue as to what is going on at the Area 51 R&D lab.
Item #40138 https://60years.associatedelectrics.com/rc10-trail-truck-cattleman-kit/
JCONCEPTS
JConcepts is bringing a classic body style back in the form of the Hi Flow, this time pre-trimmed. This SCT body is vented to reduce parachuting and mass, lowering your CoG while also keeping the truck planted to the track surface. This body was designed in the era of the rear motor short course truck but will fit modern chassis’ like the Team Associated SC7 and TLR 22 SCT 4.0. Included in every package are a complete set of detail decals, window masks and overspray film, making the steps from bag to starting grid a simple affair.
Item #0222P https://blog.jconcepts.net/2025/12/jconcepts-new-release-hi-flow-sct-body-pre-trimmed/
The second and final release in our corner of the hobby from JC this week is the highly anticipated and oft requested full bed Anvil scale crawler body; this time known as the Forge (I love the names the team comes up with!). This body features the same low-slung, chopped roof as the Anvil but instead of simply ending at the back of the cab, JConcepts has added a stylish, yet classic, bed design that looks right at home on the old-school shell. Overspray film, detail decals and window masks are included and the body fits popular 12.3″ wheelbase trail trucks.
Item #0666 https://blog.jconcepts.net/2025/12/jconcepts-new-release-jci-the-forge-crawler-body/
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by again this week. As soon as I can get some studio shots of the current projects I will be passing those along as we’ve been busy beavers behind the scenes as of late. Until next time, be kind to yourself, be kind to each other, be kind to your RC.