I agree the are brittle but not junk.. They look great but are very weak, if you want a good reinforced body get the 1/8th summit body it has an external cage that takes most of the brunt force when flipping. Not a huge traxxas fan but they make good bodies but are a little pricey
"Realistic & Rugged ExoCage Body
Summit's aggressive SUV-style bodywork doesn't just look tough; with its bolt-on fender flares and tube-style ExoCage skeleton, it's as rugged as a real rock rig. Flexible to bounce back after a rollover yet tough enough to spare the lexan body from rock rash, the ExoCage combines authentic real-rock-rig looks with genuine protection."
http://cgi.ebay.com/Traxxas-Summit-5...item588c12b451
Make sure you get the 1/8th scale body as there is man diffrent sizes,