Always glad to hear from a new SC8 brother. Welcome to the fam. I too had most of the same issues you had in the beginning, so you're right on track. And you're right, I'm STILL running the original motor mount and top plate. After all of this time I've owned this truck (almost 6 years), it STILL puts the biggest smile on my face, whether I'm racing it or just driving it around anywhere. It remains my most favorite RC I've ever owned. Throttle on bro!!

I have plenty of SC8 videos on my YT Channel: ENJOY
T3GT2000's YouTube Channel