Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

So I;m looking to make some money involving RCs. Do y'all think that there is any money to be made by buying old/dirty/only partially working/really used RCs off ebay and then fixing them up and cleaning them up to make them run and look decent and then re-selling them on ebay? I've been wondering about this for a while, because I know people do this with all kinds of other stuff, but didn't know about doing it with RC. For example, there is a Losi Mini DT that I could probably get for $60 max, which the seller says has a bad motor. It looks to be in great condition besides this, and the motor is like $10, right? So if I could get the car and the motor for under $70, then would there be any money to be made, by selling it for around $100? Just wondering guys, looks like it might make me some dough to start doing this and might be kinda fun, too.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

I doubt it would be economical. Some of the crap out there is really.... ...erm.... .....crap. Used RCs are money pits, we all know it. Give it a try, but I think you'll be disappointed.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

Well, I realize fully that it would be no gold mine, but might pull in $20-30 a car. Every cent counts, right? And I don't mean buying old, old POSs that are really really beat up, but buying things that aren't too bad just need a part or two. It would just be on a case by case basis I guess.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

It would really, really have to be case by case basis.

You're more likely to have success buying the stuff on Craigslist or diligently scouring flea markets and yard sales. When it is on ebay, there are (potentially) a lot more guys like you that see the value in the listing.

Only buy the stuff you know is going to sell once it is running, and only buy the stuff that you can get cheap. In other words, you'll have to find a seller who A) doesn't really know what they have and B) is motivated to sell it. They are out there, but they are probably 1 out of every 10 sellers. And the stuff you will make money flipping is probably 1 out of every 20 opportunities you find. Now do the math on the 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 coming together in one listing, and you can see the challenge you have ahead of you.

Even then, you're right, its probably only $20-$30 per car. After you've done that 3 or 4 times, I think you'll find you're not even covering the cost of your time locating the vehicles.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

agree

Most things I found on ebay that looked to be killer deals from the pics and descriptions, turned out to cost me more to repair than buying it new RTR.

Mt 1st used RC(and 1st hobby grade RC) was a used HPI MT1 paid $100 for it. Engine was shot $70, all the plastic was brittle, and broke VERY soon, in 1 summer I put $260 into that RC... A new MT2 would have cost $330.

2nd was a savage X I picked up for $220 shipped.. This one was a deal, hell I could sell it today and still get my money back hell the servo tht was in it was a brand new servo that at the time was going for $60ish along with the rest of the truck(seriously there was no dirt on the truck even) :D

3rd another MT1, paid $50 for(off Craigslist) it this one was in way better shape than the $100 one (was bought as spare parts initially) I could have probably resold it for $100, but instead kept it for other things

4th HPI nitro RS4 cost $30ish... Took me $150 in parts to get it into running shape just to have the damn things spur strip... Scrapped it

5th savage .21 paid $120 for it this one was another good deal, came with a engine with pretty damn decent compression (still gotta test it) this became my flux eventually.

6th Jammin X1 CRT $110 honestly wasn't worth it with how bad of shape it was in, and how many hours of work I had to put in to get it into operational shape(over 7 hours of labor, it was that bad...). the friggin wheel nuts were even missing glad I had 4 sets sitting around that I picked up on a blow out for $5 a set or it would have cost me $40 more to fix it...

7th stampede $65... was not worth it tires didn't match, motor didn't work, ESC didn't work, body didn't even fit guy used creative angles, and slightly blurry pics to hide its issues.

8th Slash 4X4... Sold as a roller in good condition... I had to replace the back end of the truck cause the rear hub was about to fall off... paid $140ish for it. The chassis also had some issues, and center drive shaft was damaged(the center cover was also smashed). Changed it to a pede 4X4 in the end for $40 more in parts :D

So out of 7 off ebay I can only say 2-3 were worth it. If I had to do it over again I wouldn't have went for the others from the condition they were really in. All were advertised as GREAT condition, or runs great.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

Thanks for the input. I am just trying to get an idea of what this might get me.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

but as LaTuFu said about garage sales sometimes you can find some good ones.
My nephew picked up a pede for $45 that had 4 batteries, charger, original body, radio, ESC (yellow xl-5), and was in good shape. Actually he only managed to break the front arm till I put RPM's on it ;)

Craigslist I find it rare (at least by me) to get good deals. Around me I usually see somethign like a stock xl-5 rustler extremely beat up with $1000 NO LOWBALLERS, and as a description something like: I PUT OVER $1500 IN PARTS INTO THIS (aka replacing broken parts with stock parts). I remember the thread a few months back where we were posting stupidly insane CL RC ads :D

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

I bought a Tamiya TA03 and a Losi Micro Rally as my first cars. $210 for both, Losi new TA03 used. I got an E-Maxx for $20 used, used the TA03 electronics, sold the TA03 as a roller for $60 and traded the E-Maxx for a RC18 Castle brushless and a Mini-Z. I traded the RC18 and Losi for a Losi Mini Rock Crawler and the Mini-Z for a Tamiya M03l. I've bought and traded other cars too and that's one of the reasons I like this site.

I didn't necessarily profit, but I got what I wanted and got to try other cars too. With the skills and knowledge I have now, I could've done even better and had a good profit.

Check Craigslist garage sales. There were a bunch of cars and parts where I got the E-Maxx, but I only got that car. The guy who owned them wasn't there so they were cheap, but I had no clue about cars at the time. I wish I would've bought all of them...

As far as profit, there are also guys profiting from custom.ordered scaler builds because they can do custom work for cheap.

I've thought about this often myself, and there is definitely profit to be made... I hope to do it sometime.<br type="_moz"/>

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

Yeah I am hoping to find some deals like this sometime. Last year I almost got a great deal on an HPI Vorza. Used on craigslist for $120. Everything worked but bad motor. I would have just gotten a Leopard motor for $45, so for $165 I would've had a working Vorza, probably worth around $350

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

A guy that I know is willing to sell me an HPI Nitro RS4 RTR with fuel. He says that it has no body, but comes with some tools and spare parts. He's asking $100. He claims that it runs well and I've met him in person before so I'm sure that he's telling the truth. What is it actually worth (gotta be more than $100)???

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

I do this practice myself. I might average about a car a month; give or take. This is generally how I fund my RC hobby and justify the costs to my wife. I actually spend very, very little of "my" money on RC.

Some things to consider are that you have to find great deals. This is obvious but, they are sometimes hard to come by so you have to have patience. I've been lucky a few times and ended up buying out a few different guys who were getting out of the hobby. If you negotiate the right price then this can be lucrative in the end. I would buy a garage sale lot and sift through all the items and start rebuilding. I list the vehicles I don't want and keep the few things I like. I use the profit towards upgrades for my personal vehicles or to buy the next "flip."

You're right, you probably won't get rich. You may score a good deal once in a while and make over $100, but don't count on it. It does consume time; and you absolutely have to buy as low as possible to leave yourself room for replacement parts. Ebay is a pretty good place to sell the finished product, but I find that Craigslist or other local markets are the best way to find the fixer-uppers. Always bring a couple of batteries, a motor andESCand maybe a radio system so you can test before you buy. Check everything because you never know how worn out something is until you've paid too much for it and realize it's beyond repair when you crack open the transmission or differentials.

I find that Traxxas vehicles are popular. You can find Rustlers, 2WD Slashes and Maxx trucks relatively cheap. Usually it's something that someone thought was cool a few years ago then they started working or had a family and now the toys sit on the shelf. Sometimes they just want to get rid of it quick so you can score a good deal. They are usually pretty easy to sell and as long as you buy low enough, you can make some $$$ on the flip.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

It depends on the kind of deal, how bad off the RC is and how readily available the parts are.

I just restored a RC8 that I got off of ebay for $60, it was trash but the diffs and some other parts were good. I ended up adding the conversion kit, a new chassis and some other parts for a total of $180 including the car.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

I saw something like this a while back. A brand-new in box HPI Sprint 1 for $30. He just wanted it gone and first person with $30 gets it. It left in about half an hour, but I would've gotten it if I was closer. Watch Craigslist like a hawk... :P

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

true my bro picked up a vintage pinball machine in excellent shape for $100 before worth around $1k easy to collectors the guy needed to get rid of it immediately.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

Seriously... watching posts on craigslist and F5 F5 F5'in is the best way to get a deal that you could actually profit more than $20 from.

Oh and I forgot about my most profitable RC!

I bought a BNIB Associated RC250 at a thrift store for $5. I didn't know what it was, and got a bunch of offers immediately because I was asking $50. I little while later, Romulus of Golden Years of RC called saying he'd be there in an hour with $300. $285 profit! Thrift stores and garage sales.. got go places where they don't know what they've got or they don't want it anymore.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

also forgot to say best resale is on electrics IMO, as there's generally less to be wrong, and easier to see if you are looking at the RC in person.

A nitro you treat it as the engine is 100% shot. Cause honestly you can get any nitro engine to run for 5mins so the guy going HEY I'LL SHOW YOU IT RUN don't mean squat. Once the engine heats up the sleeve expands causing complete loss in compression (what is meant by engine having no pinch) which takes about 5-6 mins to happen fully. Also there are way more parts that can be damaged than can be seen unless its taken apart.

Vs say an ESC, and motor you can tell if they work right away. If it works immediately it will work (might be over geared but that is a simple cheap fix)

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

Try buying cars at garage sales, estates sales, craigslist, then selling on Ebay, older ones sell really well, just have to watch the adds.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

When i sold my evader, i compared my upgrades that i did to the truck to getting a stock truck and upgrading it. I would have lost quite a bit of money if i havent found a trade. It also took me a long time to get rid of it, so you are not likely going to make easy money.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

Ok, so I scoured craigslist and came up with something. A Losi Ten-T almost new (has only been run several times) in great condition completely stock and RTR for $150. Good deal?

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Losi-Ten-T-R...item3f18f348f9

If he goes down a little, fix it up a bit.. you could probably make around $75.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

Actually I just saw that one, which is why I'm really hoping that he'll hold it until I get my money from my Rustler VXL I just sold, which will probably be next week. Being a first time ebay seller sucks, cuz they have to make sure that you actually get their package shipped and it gets to them before getting your money. But, I am really gonna try to get the Ten-T, but if he sells it then there's a guy who has a Rustler XL-5 RTR in pretty good shape and an old Stampede in decent condition, both for $180. I probably couldn't make as much off of them, but I could probably sell the Rustler for $125 and the 'Pede for $100 after some cleanup.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

Another thing; aftermarket hop-ups that cost a lot don't necessarily increase the value. If you can mend a worn part, replace it with the OEM component or possibly upgrade it with a commonly desirable upgrade then that generally works better than replacing that part with a pricey aluminum alternative. Most people want to do the upgrades themselves.

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

As a rule of thumb, if u can pick it up for 1/3 of what it can be sold for, with more money spent on it it's worth it.
Otherwise u are wasting ur time, and would make more money washing ur neighbors cars

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

I just bought a $125 car with $210 in electronics and $100 engine $35 for the pipe and $50 tires... chassis is pristine and worth another $120, but I'm keeping it.

so yeah, they are out there but more than not you loose your ass in most bargain deals.
but to me, its dishonorable, leave those out there, you taking a rc on the cheap just to sell it and make money, really rains on that broke fella's parade (like me)

RE: Buying Beater and Fixing it Up
 

If this was posted 4 yrs ago I would tell you that you could do it and make a profit. Today there is little room to make anything and often times you break even or end up upside down on a car. For a few yrs I had one of the RC chop shops on Ebay. I would buy used cars and either fix them up and resell or part them out. I would also part out new cars IF I could get a deal on the cars to begin with. Here's an example.

I bought a used Slash 2WD. It looked dirty and beat but I asked for more pics and could tell it was just dirt. It Came with a spare body unpainted, Extra wheels and tires, Had a few Rpm parts here and there but included all the original parts including a couple of batteries and a charger. This truck ran me around $125 shipped to my door. Knowing I could flip it pretty quick I removed the electronics and sprayed the thing down with super clean then hosed it off and dried it. Replaced a couple of bearing and lubed everything up. After about 2 hrs of clean up I swapped an old Slash body I had laying around that was really nice and shot a quick video of the truck running. I posted it on Ebay RTR for $190 with the batteries and charger. I got an offer if $180 plus shipping and took it. I then sold off the extra body, suspension arms, shocks and batteries for around another $75-80. All told I made around $140-150 on that truck. This was the exception.

Other deals were not so good. I bought an old RC10 that t looked to be in excellent condition. Once I got it I realized the tub was bent, dog bones where twisted and the trans needed a rebuild. The wheels, tires and body were really nice. I spent $75 or so on it and put another $75 into it in parts. By the time I was done it was a really nice car that sold for over $200 but I had maybe 10 hrs of time in finding parts and labor. In the end it wasn't worth the effort.

One last positive post. I bought a "BOX" of misc tamiya car off a guy here on the forums. They were given to him by his brother or something and he just wanted them gone. I asked for pics and he just dumped the box an took pics. I could identify a number of cars and a ton of parts. We agreed on $50 + shipping which was another $30 as the box was huge. Once here I opened it up and found a pair of lightly used Grasshoppers, a Hornet in pieces, tons of part for these cars, a Falcon, a 959, most of a lunch box, a complete king cab minus the body in piece and a ton of misc parts. I bring this up as I was able to rebuild and sell 4 hopper / hornet cars, 1 lunch box, 1 king cab, a 959 and an almost new falcon that I kept and sold off dozens of misc parts making several hundred dollars. The 959 alone sold for over $300 with a repo body.

IF you can find cars like examples one and three then there is money to be made. However Ebay has raised their fees to ridiculous levels that basically forced me to stop as I was no longer making money. Here's a list of fees and costs you need to consider.

Ebay Listing fee
Ebay final value fee.
Paypal fee.
Cost of packaging materials like boxes, bubble wrap and tape.
Shipping cost.