Digging out the Vintage Team Associated RC10! 

Your nicad battery is toast...happens with time. Replace it. I had one one the timer core type chargers, but I recommend getting a peak detection charger, dynamite and other companies had budget peak detection chargers and you could prolly score one for cheap since nicads aren't that popular anymore. The steering servo issue is probably cause you are indoors or in a basement. The old radio systems like your magnum Jr are wideband and they get interference. I have the same exact transmitter and it was kinda a big thing back in the day. I can't recall if mine has End Point Adjustments (EPA) for thei steering but I think it did, I know it did for the throttle. The transmission issue...that's the original 6 gear trans which is pretty durable. I am thinking the differential needs attention with either tightening up the nut on the spur gear or replacing the diff balls and plates and be sure to use the correct clear differential grease on those items. It's special stuff but readily available. If that doesn't work, then I would suggest you open the Assembly manual and tearing apart the transmission. If it doesn't have balls bearings, you may have gears worn out due to stuff running off center. Boca bearings has all sorts of bearing kits for your 6 gear car. Original was stainless steel shielded bearings btw. There is a website dedicated to the rc10. It's called rc10talk.com , lots of vintage guys have stuff up there. Check out the gallery! It's a free site/ forum . I hope this helps. Didn't mean to write a bible lol

Get rid of the old remote and receiver get a new 2.4 gig get a fly or a tactic

Derp, nobody bought Team Associated (recently, ty Joe) . They just changed their website and the landing page is Associated Electrics.

Go buggie with it. Keep it original. Or make it a little of both, some of you and some of your dad.

I have NiCd batteries from the mid-90s that still take a charge and work decently. They might need a few cycles to come back to life…they might be done for as well, but it’s worth a shot. And, I say do what you want with the car, but those old white plastic parts might not stand up to much abuse, and replacements probably aren’t cheap, unless there are reasonably priced reissue parts. If it were mine, I’d restore it to boxart appearance and sit it on the shelf…or maybe opt for the truck body that your Dad liked.

Nice I have that same pro tec charger still! I gotta dig all of my rc cars and trucks out and revive it .I also built some with my dad in the 80s! I still have many Tamiya trucks I bought in the early 80s!

You gotta get a new remote and battery. Thoes old remotes arnt safe now today because of the frequency they use. They can pick up random signals and send the car flying.

There are still OG parts available on Ebay and Facebook marketplace (RC10 chop shop). Maybe get what is needed to make it original for the value of it, and restore it, set it up to what you and your Dad had it configured as and put it on a shelf. When you have kids (if you don't already) you can share the experience and feed the imagination and interest in them as well. Good luck on your build.

It will gain value if you leave it be. Memories that make money are hard to come buy.

Wow. Just watched your 85 rebuild and now I see this. I've got a vintage gold tub as well. Those are starting to become valuable, so I'd say restore it and make it a shelf queen. I have a few other vintage R/C's as well. Those are fun to mess with.

Just put it away and keep it how it is and buy a new car. Or sell it to someone who will take care of it.