Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i RC Car Action

It’s not often that we get to see custom paint jobs on largescale RCs, such as the one seen on this Arrma Felony. From what we can discern, the Felony’s ample 1/7-scale body was hydro-dipped and painted by Pitdawg Hydro in the company’s Nightmare patterned graphics and is backed by a rust-colored paint. The look is further enhanced with a set of Powerhobby gold wheels that are mounted with Powerhobby Gripper belted tires. Great-looking ride, Dion! BUILD HIGHLIGHTS - Chassis: Arrma Felony- Body: Arrma Felony- Motor: Spektrum- Speed Control: Spektrum- Battery: Spektrum- Wheels and Tires: Powerhobby gold wheels mounted with Powerhobby Gripper belted tires- Paint: Pitdawg Hydro- Decals: Pitdawg Hydro- Radio System: Spektrum…

Zeroing in on the fringe RC disciplines is something that Redcat does really well. Take for instance Redcat’s highly successful line of RC lowriders. They are fun to drive, endlessly modifiable and are among some of the best-looking scale RC vehicles to be released by any manufacturer. As Redcat dominates the lowrider market, the company looks to widen its reach with an all-new vehicle, this time targeted towards RC drifters. Long considered a niche genre, RC drifting has a rabid following throughout Asia, Europe and in pockets around North America. Although drifting hasn’t caught on quite as much as crawling has here in the States, Redcat has a plan to help expand its popularity by way of its latest release, the RDS 2WD Competition Spec Drift Car. WHAT IS RC…

Scale garages have become a must for the super-scale fans. These days you have a bunch of options if you want a scale shop. From backdrops like the ones Real Sticky makes to Element RC boxes, it’s now easier to get a scale shop up and running than it ever has been in the past. Back in the day, if you wanted a scale shop you had to make it by hand. Before I went full-throttle into the scale RC world I used to collect action figures, and one day I stumbled across dioramas made for “toy photography.” At that time, I went online and saw how much people were charging for them. After seeing the expensive price tags, I decided to check out some YouTube videos to try and…

The VW Beetle is undoubtedly one of the most widely known, and oftentimes most loved, mass-manufactured vehicles in history. I’m sure if you take a moment, you’re bound to recall a fond memory involving a VW Beetle. Whether it be working on one, driving one around, or simply seeing a cool-looking Beetle at a car show, this humble little car has earned its place in history and our hearts, truly making it a car for everyone. Almost as a way to commemorate this fondness, RocHobby recently re-created the well-known little Bug with their 1/12-scale RC iteration of The People’s Car, a scale rendition of the early-model VW Bug. This true-to-scale RTR brings some impressive details along with being a fully functional RC model. Let’s jump in and take a closer…

As Traxxas’ main entry into the crawler world, the TRX-4 is a proven favorite that has stood the test of time, not to mention many challengers. The venerable off-road crawler platform is incredibly capable out of the box and infinitely customizable, which makes it the preferred truck for custom builds and bashing, as well as competition. For quite some time now, we wondered how Traxxas could top the TRX-4. We recently found out—and it wasn’t what we were expecting. Instead of going bigger, Traxxas instead did the opposite. They shrunk it. TRX-4M is a 1/18-scale version of the brand’s full-size 1/10-scale crawler. In keeping with recent RC trends, where smaller RCs are becoming more popular, Traxxas had the foresight to develop, from ground up, an all-new 1/18-scale crawler. We quickly…

Tube frame crawlers have become a very popular style in recent years. With that in mind, I figured it would be worth highlighting some customization for these cool kits. There are tons of mods available, but one that recently caught my eye was the humble job of making your own custom panels to cover the chassis. This can be done with several types of materials, but the cheapest and quite possibly most fun option is using aluminum cans from your favorite drink. Join me as we go over the process of cutting your own custom panels using this thrifty method. NEEDED TOOLS As always, let’s take a closer look at the tools needed for the job. The first thing I recommend is setting aside a good quality utility knife or…

FEATURES The Powerhobby RC Multi-Function Shock Pliers are designed for building and maintaining RC shocks and shock parts. At the front, the pliers feature a stepped set of jaws, opening between 4mm and 15mm, to help press in and assemble rod ends and ball links. Just behind the jaws, the pliers feature three different cutouts to hold various sizes of shock shafts, from 2mm up to 5mm in diameter. Two differently sized shock body cutouts sit just behind the shock shaft grooves. The smaller cutout is meant for 1/10-sized shocks, while the rear cutout is perfect for larger 1/8-scale shock bodies. The rear also features a handy notch to hold onto Deans and T-style battery terminals, great for quick solder jobs at the track. Located just behind the shock body…

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Benjamin’s 9-year-old son is a huge fan of old iron and classic 4x4 trucks and had been asking Santa for one of these trucks for months. Not to disappoint, Benjamin repainted a set of JConcept wheels and tires he had left over from another project and moved them to the truck you see here. Of the project, he says, “After a few hours of trial and error with some fit and finish, we had it dialed in where we wanted it. I used ¼ aluminum spacers to make a body lift and raise the side steps to match. We also mounted the bumpers directly to the body to close the gaps and make everything look as factory as possible. The truck has an awesome classic 4x4 look now with the…

Don’t call it a comeback; Tamiya’s Hotshot has always been around, or at least it feels like it has. Since it was first released in 1985, the Tamiya Hotshot has been one of the most beloved four-wheel-drive RC buggies around. Its iconic look, unique dual-shock suspension setup, and fun-to-drive attributes have been seared into the memories of those lucky enough to grow up during the 1980s golden age of RC. In 1987, Tamiya released the well-regarded followup to the Hotshot, the Hotshot II. As with movie sequels, it’s hard to follow up a hit, but somehow Tamiya did. With improvements such as a three-shock suspension setup and easier transmitter crystal access (old timers will know what I’m talking about), it was essentially an improved Hotshot that didn’t mess with the…

There are those who enjoy a weekend out rock crawling with their RC vehicles, and there are those who live and breathe RC rock crawling on a daily basis. These are the individuals that don’t merely see a pile of rocks and tree roots, but instead see driving lines and crawling routes that are meant to be conquered. These enthusiasts are known as extreme crawlers. On challenging hiking trails, where getting past obstacles even on foot can give people trouble, extreme crawlers see it as an opportunity to see what they and their RC crawlers can do. Extreme crawlers know their rigs inside and out and know when they can be pushed right up to the limits of grip and balance. Axial Adventure has released a new dedicated rock crawler…

FEATURES Bittydesign Vinyl Paint Stencils are a line of pre-cut stencils intended for DIY painters as a relatively easy way to add graphic elements to any RC paint job. These stencils are laser-cut for precision and feature no adhesives so they’re completely reusable. The thin, flexible sheets are available in multiple designs so you can choose your favorite one. The stencils are resistant to both water- and solvent-based paints, making them an excellent choice for all types of RC painting. Each stencil is neatly packaged and comes with a laser-etched Bittydesign logo and stencil SKU so you can reference the exact design if needed. TESTING Full disclosure: I originally bought these thinking they were vinyl sticker sheets. I purchased several designs from a popular online RC retailer, and to be…