The Backyard – “Rotten Apple” Vanquish H10 Optic Kit Build
Hey everyone, Happy Friday!
I have finished my Vanquish H10 Optic kit build! At some point I’ll share some detailed post-run impressions after its had a few trail runs under its belt, but in the meantime I wanted to talk about my build experience.
The kit is top notch. This is my first experience with a Vanquish rig, and its made a strong first impression. Great instructions, solid hardware, and high quality components with excellent fit and finish.
If you are a beginner that enjoys crawling but has never built a kit, this would be a good one for you to tackle IMO. It’s not that this is beginner’s kit perse, in fact the final result is a hardcore trailing machine…but it’s laid out nicely, goes together smoothly, and isn’t overly complex. The platform is mega-popular, so if you have any questions, you can find detailed YouTube videos and social media posts that can answer any questions you may have.
And you don’t have to paint it! Yes, I did paint mine, but that’s because I wanted it to look specific. The kit comes with one of six different color/decal schemes, and no painting is required whatsoever.
My truck went together great. The gears that are included in the kit are top notch, and from what I understand this is a good upgrade over what comes in the RTR. They are heavy duty machined steel. The ring and pinions are spiral cut with no slop, and the transmission gears have large flat cut surfaces where they mesh. I’d imagine the gears will have no problem withstanding any kind of power you put into it.
For power, I pulled the trigger on a Hobbywing QuicRun Fusion Pro FOC 2-in-1 ESC & Motor System (2300Kv). These systems have been all the rage in the crawling world as of late, but I had yet to try one in a rig. The system fits the transmission no problem. It’s snug, but the fit is good. After an initial test around my house, I do understand why people rave about it- the low speed control is insane and it seems to have torque for days. I used the stock pinion in the kit, and plan to run it that way first (with 3S) as a baseline to see how I like it.
The steering feels wonderful. The range the front axles allow are stellar, and the engineering of said front axle is one of the highlights of the kit. The faux hydraulic ram steering is sick, and the servo is well protected behind the axle.
For rubber, I’m using the new JConcepts Bossman 1.9 Tires that are 4.75″ tall, perfect for this rig. I needed a set of trick wheels to match my paint scheme, and I went with a set of Treal 1.9 Beadlock Wheels, that are machined aluminum. It seems like using one brands tires and another brands wheels can sometimes be tricky, but I am happy to report that the Treal Wheels were an effortless install with the JConcepts Bossman tires. I can’t wait to try the Bossman tires out on the trail- they feel mega grippy and they look awesome.
Ok, so lastly the paint.
My kit originally came with orange panels, and that doesn’t jive with my Rotten Apple color. I first primed them with Tamiya white fine surface primer. I then used a coat of Tamiya TS-52 Candy Lime Green for the green base, hit it with a very light layer of Spaz Stix Green Pearl, broke out the airbrush for the dark “rotten” highlights and squiggly lines via Tamiya XF69 Nato Black, and then hit it with two coats of Tamiya X-22 Gloss Clear to bring out the shine AND hopefully protect it at least a little bit on the rocks.
The last step was eschewing the driver head that comes with the kit, and using an Axial Deadbolt AX10 airbrushed head that I’ve had in my extras bin for many years. It originally came from a truck that we reviewed in 2013!
I’m so happy with how it turned out. The Optic is one of the coolest looking rigs in my fleet, and I can’t wait to get it dirty and scratched up! Look for detailed post-run impressions soon.
Until next time, keep it on all 4’s!
