well, after weighing the options I went with the slash 4x4.

I figured (after watching some videos) that the slash body can be raised enough to work with the stampede tires.

So I bought a slash 4x4 off tower hobbies ($365 with $50 savings and free shipping)
And I got a set of brand new pede 4x4 wheels off ebay for $35 shipped.
I also grabbed a traxxas/deans adapter for $10 since all my lipos have deans.
I dont know if I will sell the stock tires or not. I will sell the stock 7cell nimh and battery tho. Thatll get me back $10-$15.

Looking forward to having a 4wd waterproof fast rc. Been taking my sc10 2wd to the lake...but the grass there is mostly too tall. The SCT tires dont get enough traction and alot of the power gets wasted.

When I get more funds, I will likely get a emaxx/savvy sized truck body to replace the SCT body. And at some point I will need to upgrade the driveshafts.