I own both Phoenix straight and portal axle trucks, I prefer building mine and putting what I want motor and electronics wise. If someone I know wants to get into rc I will tell them all day the fordyce is the way to go.

Great Talk. Thanks for sharing. I really want a Fordyce.

So i just got back into the hobby recently from when radio shack used to be the hot spot for rc's an i picked up a fordyce. Cant complain at all. I wanted good parts but a basic crawler that got the job done an it does everything i throw at it. I do like the Phoenix but just didnt need all the bells an whistles off the rip. Fordyce all day for getting into the hobby cant beat it. Side note ur question do we need build kits absolutely. Il will be buying a basecamp builders kit next an im looking forward to putting it together with my own spin of electronics. Kits have to be around its part of the hobby. Theres nuthing wrong with the best of both worlds kits an rtrs. Gotta keep the kits tho hands down to many people love to build there own how they want it. Excellent video as always. Take care

Would love to see a full video on that fancy gladiator of yours, i as well would like to see more kits as it is more fun to build it myself but those vanquish fordyce are definitely on my list of rtr rigs to buy.

Dangit Gerry....I have both of these, still in the box and have 100% been planning to use them with hardbodies, but now you go and make me 2nd guess myself with all your "modern interpretation" talk of two trucks I very much love! Oh well, they're a bit of a ways down on the list so I guess we'll see what happens eventually. I don't really get into the debates you mentioned. For me, it came down to I wanted to BUILD a Vanquish and see what all the hype is about and since the Phoenix has portals, the Fordyce with straight axles just made sense. Although, I didn't intend to get both, it just kinda happened :)

I have the Fordyce and made a couple videos with it. One with the factory body and then I did an LCG rail conversion with a VW Beetle Tamiya Sand Scorcher body. I haven’t driven a Phoenix, yet. However, I enjoy the Fordyce as at the time of purchase the Phoenix was not being sold and hard to find.

I enjoy my Phoenix straight axle kit. I thought I tightened the slipper up tight but it irks me when it slips and just has pressure and no bind. I need to break it back down and fix it.

My dig works perfect on my scx10 3, I've had it for 2.5 years same servo. If you don't use a decent servo and set your expo you'll burn the any servo up. No issue at all with mine

Element enduro kits - Axial base camp kit, Axial Pro kit, Vanquish Kit, Vanquish vrd carbon kit, Traxxas builders kit, HPI Venture SBK kit, Rc4wd tf2 kit , I don't think kits are going anywhere. If anything their on fire, Hot Item 🔥 👍🏼

I have a VRD carbon and have since been wanting to make a mullet build with a vs4-10 axles and vfd twin transmission but now I'm not sure I should since they are out of production, may not be able to get parts for reasonable prices after some time... I want dig and am fine with permanent overdrive. Maybe they will make a new product I have to get if I wait a bit longer lol

I just bought a Fordyce. I'll put brushless in it right away. Otherwise, I like the bare bones part of this truck also.

I like my Phoenix RTR, but even today I still like my Traxxas TRX4 the best of all my rigs.

I own a phoenix straight and portal. I do not own a fordyce. The portal is not built yet. Been 2 years.....got busy and building a couple clodbusters as well. Anyway, as far as comparing them for the 20-4- dollar difference is not really apples to apples. One is RTR with basic electronics and not as beefie parts as well as the VFD instead of the twin. For about 20-40 more dollars over the price of the phoenix you could probably get a cheap radio and motor esc combo and have a beefier vehicle. That being said the RTR's I own are the element trailrunner and gatekeeper. I would not compare them to the vanquish stuff. Not to mention i just attended my first even and first time driving my straight axle this past weekend. I did have a blast though. My vehicles are inferior due to my driving skills.

Boy do you love hearing yourself talk.

As to RTR, which would YOU get? Between Fordyce & Pheonix? Also, what about between fordyce vs pheonix vs Axial cj7 ?

I currently own a Phoenix straight axle and I really love it a lot. I also like the Phoenix body a lot more than the Fordyce and in my opinion, I would rather spend the money on the Phoenix that comes with a dig and overdrive option because you won’t need to purchase that at a later time, it’s good to have it and not use it then to need it and not have it.

Don't want a servo for dig because of magic smoke on the scx10? What do you mean?

19:35 Will do!! 👍

Nice table talk topic bud the pheonix is a great trail truck with that twin trans all those options dig & overdrive front drive or rear drive almost like a real truck the fordyce to me is like a weight saver more competitive base trailer most comps by me only allow winch no dig no 2 speed no selectable overdrive choose & lock it in b4 inspection the real bad part to me is that as great as each of these are now you have the carbon or stance to kick thier ass in crawling lol