Kemo

Ever notice XTM's "new" monster? Notice the 3 letters on the side "SMT"... stands for "Smartech Racing". I did my homework and decided to go to smartechs website... low and behold, its what it is... the xtm grizzly is a chinese built truck... by Smartech Racing.

tashspop

My Feedback: (1)

link? can't find website.

fantomas

My Feedback: (3)

Not trying to be rude, but isnt all of today's popular models built over sea's???

Some may be designed in the US , but most are designed and built over sea's and re- badged

I thought this was common knowledge

FE_Chris

My Feedback: (2)

Yeah really, how about a link? or two? All this talk and no proof.....Hook us up!!!

Kemo

I have yet to buy an R/C that was rebadged, or even made in china. So obviously MOST is not a word to use, because MOST companies design their own vehicles.

XTM Grizzly:

SMT BigFoot:

FE_Chris

My Feedback: (2)

Sooooooooooo about that link......???

BAMF90

My Feedback: (1)

www.smartechracing.com

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

Ever heard of the term OEM? Looks like Smartech is the OEM for more than just the Grizzly. Their 1/5 gasser buggy looks just like Duratrax's.

Producing your products overseas is hardly news and nothing to get excited about. Whether it is necessarily a bad thing depends on your politics.

FE_Chris

My Feedback: (2)

Why don't we all just get a 50cc quad and put a radio and servos in it!!!! LOL

Kemo

That "Duratrax" buggy came out after the Smartech buggy did... long after it did.

Its one thing if their factory is overseas, but its another if the company BUYS the same product that some other company uses... and then calls it their own. XTM and Trinity are famous for it.

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

And that would be bad, how?

Seriously, I don't disagree that a company that adds no more value to a product has no right to claim it as their own. Then again, IMHO Duratrax and XTM and Trinity do add some value to the products, in the form of larger distribution, brand awareness, service and support. As far as I know, Smartech does not have much of a distribution/retail presence here in the States. So if I really want their Big Foot, I'd be better served by buying the Grizzly.

Kemo

But then you run in the problem of not knowing where or what it came from so you can browse the product at heart.

I could easily distribute all of the good chinese market cars/trucks here in america, but I need a pre-order to match 1000 bucks to become a distributor. Hell, parts would be dirt cheap for those who need them instead of paying the 300% markup that XTM and Trinity offer.

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

Hey, I would love to do it too. Unfortunately, it takes money to make money. You'd need a heck a lot more than 1,000 bucks to run a successful RC import business. When you realize how much capital expense it take to pay for staff, warehousing, transportation, advertizing, parts & service support, taxes, etc., etc., then an only then should you complain about how much the importers are charging for bringing products to the US.

No sense griping about something you can neither do anything about, or compete on equal footing.

Sure you can sometimes buy grey market (parallel import) goods on Ebay that are very similar or exactly the same, but these leaches are taking advantages of the hardwork and money spent by the legitamate importer to promote & service the brand. If XTM doesn't sell the Grizzly here in the US, I doubt very many people would even think about buying a Smartech Big Foot on Ebay - however cheap the price is.

In case you still aren't convince a brandname is worth 300% markup ... Ever consider why people are willing to buy a T-shirt with a brandname printed on it for $14.95, when you can buy the same 100% cotton T-shirt at Walmart for $2.99? You do the math...

Mr. R0§E

smartech also had a truck identicle to the t-maxx, they're just copiers. Not they have a clone of the grizzly.

Kemo

Traxxas actually sold the tmaxx design to smartech. Wow... what are you trying to say in your last sentence cuz it makes no sense. If you are saying they copied the grizzly, you really have no place in rc! The Smartech Bigfoot has been around LONGER than XTMs "grizzly".

Mr. R0§E

i read rcca. They are probably acasiated, like... hot bodies and hpi.

Kemo

associated with eachother i assume what you mean.

The answer is no. Smartech has been around since the 70s, 1972 i think. They have been building up many many cars, whatever good ones they have end up being upgraded by Acme tech, or bought by companies like Trinity and XTM for example.

Mr. R0§E

AAA... i see. There vertion of a t-maxx isn't that good, CHEAP, but not that good. I bet you could use t-maxx hop-ups on it.

Kemo

Almost all of them. Its the first generation maxx, therefore the diffs are garbage, the engine (its some "leo" bs engine) and obviously the shocks and suspension arms. THEN you have a tmaxx worth talking about.

upgrade to widemaxx, drop in OS cv-rx .18, drop in dynamite inline system for first gen maxx, find some kick ass diffs and you are set. If you really want to show up on RCCA or R/C car's magazine, pick up a nice body, spray it pretty well (i use rattle can and do pretty good at it), pick a set of decent RPM wheels, some Proline tires and use that in a picture.

It'd be the prettiest Smartech out in America.

Edit - Damn, prettiest is a word :P

Making2MuchMoney

*COUGH! smarttech *cough* sucks

fantomas

My Feedback: (3)

OK now your post makes sence.. You are tying to make a buck by pushing smartech.. try RCU market place

Kemo

See now thats a pointless post. What do you think the Trinity T-spec was? They race those at almost all electric regional races and national races.

PedeBeater

Not to be rude but I am pretty sure that the SMT on the side of the Grizzly stands for "Super Monster Truck". Sounds corny but I have seen it advertized that way many times. And I am not saying that smartech doesn't make the grizzly, because I agree that they do.

twomanytoys

Dude this post is 3 YEARS OLD! Why?

MadManAndrew

Most of the good RC's and nitro motors are designed and built in Europe. Except traxxas, Traxxas Corp. Headquarters is on ly 30 miles from my house.and gt this, my dads business partner, was best friends with the ceo in highschool...