I used to run RC cars in the late 80's/early 90's and gave up on it so I could spend money on my gaming computer. I decided to get back into it in about 20 years later and bought a Duratraxx Evader for around $100. I had fun with that car, but it felt a slow and a little boring. I didn't even know what brushless or lipos were at the time. After doing some research, I decided to get a Stampede VXL. I don't think I ever even seen one drive before, just pictures of it. I figured with the big tires, it would easily drive through the grass. (something that my rc cars weren't very good at in the 80s) When I finally got the Stampede, I was blown away by it. TONS of power, TONS of torque, crazy fast! I could plow through anything with it. I didn't have a lipo charger, so I started out with an 8 cell NIMH battery. Later that year, I upgraded to a 3s lipo and this car was insane! No matter what I threw at it, it kept on going. Years after I had it, it stopped moving and I thought the spur gear was stripped. When I took the motor out, I realized the motor shaft was not centered and not right. I took the motor apart and found one of the bearings went out. I didn't have any new bearings in my tool box, so I took a bearing out of another part of the car (I think it was the steering block), put and old bushing I had in the steering block, put the motor back together and it worked perfectly fine. I didn't like the collapsible wheelie bar that came with it, so I bought a steel bar from the home depot and made a home made wheelie bar/ skid plate and it works great. I still have the Stampede today and it still lots of fun. It's one of my favorite "toys" of all time. Thanks Mark for the video and your memories of your first Stampede.

Easy to get excited about a new RC - doesn't matter how cheap/expensive it is! 👍👍

Time tested platform been in production for nearly 30 years shares a lot of components with the bandit, rustler and Slash so parts are easy to get. Arguably the most popular RC truck every sold I think Traxxas has sold hundreds of thousands of these 👍

Stampede gets no love. I’d rather brushless though.

The toy comparison was spot on when I'm driving my nitro I definitely don't feel like people think I'm just playing with a toy.

I bought a used broken stampede (The old school with the plastic mid gear) for $40.00 chassis roller no electronics. I ended up making it into a quite nice basher with track abilities. Why did i say track abilities? because I entered it in the Stadium truck class and finished 2nd place. This was a 4 car class with an RC 10 T3 and two RC 10GT's. My setup back them was a Tekin Rooster esc, with a 13 turn trinity (one of the stone motors) I was running Masher 2K's on I want to say HPI 6spoke wheels. best $40.00 I ever spent

My son and I both have 2wd stampedes. We started out in the hobby together. We’ve both upgraded to vxl, rpm parts, and custom bodies. We also have an erevo now. But our stampedes are still our favorite trucks to drive in the yard together.

Basher to race basher to full on onroad + offroad racer all around SoCal then eventually back to basher here. Stampede is iconic to me. It was there for all of it when I wanted to just mess around with something, or throw it down for Gearbox class. I now have two, an original with a revo-spec slipper and 13.5 Novak upgrade, and a XL5 grey chassis version with RPM arms, shock towers, and camber links and STRC aluminum knuckles, caster blocks, stub axle carriers, and skidplates/chassis braces also with a Novak 13.5 and Havoc ESC and badlands tires. Also packed the diff with marine grease for better control. These things are great in the sense that they just keep going. Brother and cousin both got new ARRMA RCs and are impressed still when they drive my Stampede. Love it.

my dad got won in 1994 when they were new and we got it out the lofted got all the bits we needed and 25 years later it is still making us smile

I have a Stampede 2wd. A $200.00 dollar truck turned into a $900.00 truck when I was done with it. Had a lot of good times with it.

I put the rpm wide front A-Arms on mine and it handles so well

My first car was the stampede 4x4 brush edition. It got me hooked quickly. I now own 5 cars. Got the wife and grandkids into the hobby. I agree the design is weird. I lowered the body with lowering mounts and put on Talon tires. It still has good ground clearance and it looks a lot better. However, I put the stock 'paddle' tires on it this past month to run in the snow and ice. Total blast.

G'day Mark people playing Cricket in USA that's cool. Use a small hole punch to put hole in the centre of tread so as you drive the water will fly out the hole. Best to do when you are building new set of wheels and do not use a drill tire use a hole punch 👍👍

Nitro Stampede with the TRX .12 was my first nitro rig, and 2nd hobby grade rc for me. Still have it today. With a little work she may still run....good memories!!

The Stampede XL-5 was my first ever hobby grade RC that I got almost 15 years ago, and I STILL have it today! I got it for $125 shipped from Tower Hobbies back when they still used to sell Traxxas RCs and had coupon codes for them! I remember the first day I took it out, I cartwheeled it on the street and the camber link broke on it - same as yours did lol. Guess that's still a weakness almost 15 years later.

That was my first hobby grade RC truck too. I got it 11 years ago when my son was 3 it's his now at 14 and of course I upgraded to brushless a year after I purchased it . Now days I'm loving my Xmaxx 👍😁👍

I’ve been using my 2wd Stampede for almost 3 years. With maintenance of course. And it’s very durable and also of fun! Highly underrated

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It was my first hobby grade rc car, 6 years ago. It's the best rc car for beginners, it's really cheap and very easy to work on

Vxl 2wd stampede was the first hobby car I bought for my son. It started my addiction.