I recently got hands on junked-up RC car, specifically a Traxxas Slash 2WD, so I decided to restore it. The instructions should apply to most RC cars out there which have full suspension. The extent of damage is bad, the motor doesn't spin because of all the gunk, suspension arms are fractured, and insulation to the motor is also damaged. Everything is covered with dirt, some items with rust, so I'll show you how to restore a generic RC car. This is my first instructable, so I hope I provide clear instructions on how to de-junk this RC.

Supplies

To restore any RC car, you will need at least a handful (or two!) of tools. Since mine is covered with mud inside and out, I decided to include a 3D printed brush, which you can find https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2283675here()

Tools:

Allen Key set (metric and maybe imperial)
Pliers
Brush
Wet wipes (or equivalent)
Paper towels
Lubricant (I recommend Tri-Flow)
Camera/Phone (Take photos of where each screw goes! Complements below)
Magnetic tray (it's no fun losing a screw so you can't put it back together!)

Repair Items:

Gunked RC car
Suspension arm pins (these usually can be broken)
Shock fluid (I don't have any, but there are other guides as to set it correctly)
Spares (general item, you may need to rebuild the motor, like in my case)

Step 1: Remove the Shell and Inspect Damage

Kind of self-explanatory, but mine was fractured in several places... The previous owner never cleaned the RC car, which is something you should avoid. ALWAYS CLEAN YOUR RC CAR AFTER DRIVING IN MUD OR WATER. There are several videos explaining why and how to clean, if this guide tells anything that should be the main lesson.

Step 2: Remove Electronics

Because we are going to be giving such a thorough cleaning on the car, I recommend removing all the electronics, starting with disconnecting the motor and inspecting the spin and cabling. My motor had burnt cables and didn't spin at all, but my servo and ESC were fine. I removed those, along with the waterproof receiver case.

Step 3: Disassemble the Front Fork

This is where the camera really comes in handy! Make sure to take a photo of the spot you are working in, as well as the screw when you have just removed it, posing for a shot next to where it was removed. This serves as an immensely helpful guide to putting the right screw in place, but online are usually schematics, such as for the Traxxas Slash.

Step 4: Remove & Replace Broken/bent Parts

You want to replace broken parts, to make sure other parts don't break with the extra strain. Sometimes, 3d printed parts are available online on Thingiverse, so If you can't wait 3d print one until you receive your replacement in the mail.

Look out for fractures, discoloration (plastic usually turns white when stretched near breaking point) and gouges. These are listed in criticality, fractures being the most severe, and gouges/scratches the least.

Step 5: Clean and Blast With Lubricant

I took the shocks from the front fork and gave them a stiff brush to remove the dirt, then I wiped it down with some Kleenex. All the other parts I had access to I also gave the same treatment, with the exception of the moving parts.

For those, there are three substeps:

Remove dirt from part
Blast with lubricant
Wipe off excess

Step 6: Restore Front Fork

I put everything back together the way I took it apart, so far the fork looks really clean compared to the rest of the car! I'll post detailed instructions relating to the rear in part 2 of this 'ible, but it might take some time for the rebuild kit to arrive. To repair the rear, it is basically the same instructions, except you have no steering links but instead, the axles.

If you would like, you could skip attaching the fork for now, as I did, because it'll help in getting all the dirt out later.