Let’s take a look at a very misunderstood part of RC cars and trucks, the BEC of your electronic speed control. This part performs an important function so understanding how it works can help you keep your electronics in good …

Cool builds take time and Lonnie Sexton has built a rig that is beyond cool and has taken more than five years to complete. In late 2007, I was online on a forum and remember running across his idea to build an RC EarthRoamer Xpedition vehicle. I ensured that I had the post marked so that I could track the progress. Lonnie indicated that the idea for the build had started when he was on scale4x4rc.org and he had seen a group of builders starting a competition for a camper build-off.

The world of Spektrum radios is one of constant evolution, sprinkled with a bit of revolution now and again. From the early days of the module systems that converted existing radios to 2.4 GHz, people have looked to Spektrum for the latest spread spectrum innovations to keep them glitch-free. The newest release is the DX4S, which introduces DSMR, an update to DSM (Digital Spectrum Modulation) and DSM2. With each iteration, DSM technology has become more reliable with less chance of interference.

Parma always comes up with interesting bodies that fill a niche market, and I always happen to be in that market. I loved that they made a dune buggy body for a short course chassis, and now they have come up with this, a classic car desert racer! I have seen pictures of these cars off road, and the little angel on one shoulder tells me I should stick to the theme of a classic Baja racer, but when I look at this body, the little devil on the other shoulder says, “Hot rod flames!”

Set yourself up with a quality set of RC-specific tools like the Pro-Series tools from HPI and you will find wrenching much more enjoyable. These eye-catching, high-quality tools are sold individually so you can just purchase the ones you know you will use. HPI offers everything from Allen drivers to box wrenches to blade and Phillips head screwdrivers, and even a body reamer. Each tool features a great-looking CNC machined aluminum handle that is polished for a shiny finish. The handles were quite comfortable to hold with the diameter sized just right to allow you to apply the proper amount of pressure to your hardware. Knurled grips at the tip ends of the handles are a nice feature that kept my fingers from slipping. The opposite end is fitted with a plastic cap that sits nicely in your palm. HPI laser etched each tool to make identification effortless and the tips are factory-ground and then hardened and black-coated for a long life and a high-end appearance.

The Vaterra name is one that you will be seeing a lot of in RC. Horizon Hobby recently launched this “adventure driven” brand of ultra-cool, ready-to-run (RTR), scale-looking vehicles, each purposefully designed to be driven in the type of terrain native to its full-scale inspirations. To this end, each is equipped with a proven Spektrum 2.4GHz radio system, a powerful Dynamite motor system, waterproof electronics and a handy Dynamite battery charger.

The world of RC is filled with choices. If you’re reading this, you’ve already made one choice—you want to drive a land-based RC vehicle. That was the easiest of your choices and it only gets harder from here. Let’s take …

We all must have plenty of old CDs sitting around our computer spaces. Put them to good use by repurposing them as a tool to aid in setting camber and toe for your race buggy or truggy. The CDs will …

You can’t avoid the baked on mess if you run your nitro vehicles frequently. Pipes and headers can get pretty nasty looking. One of our lead contributors, Chris K., has a solution that he says has been working well for …

When I was a kid I loved Stompers! Older readers might remember them, but for younger readers, they were little motorized 4x4 trucks with realistic bodies that looked like the real trucks. My favorite was always the Jeep Honcho. Parma made a Honcho body back in the eighties for 2WD monster trucks. For a while they were hard to find and sought after, but Parma released a slightly revamped version not too long ago.

Drifting is one of those segments that rolls back and forth in popularity, but there are a number of groups out there that have never strayed away from their passion for driving sideways. With that underground following, the drift scene has evolved in many ways. No longer are people just converting sedans or adapting bodies, there are plenty of purpose-built kits and bodies that fit the part. Companies like Tamiya have addressed the needs of this segment with cars, bodies and accessories and now we’re seeing the evolution of some intense products. Tamiya’s latest high-end offering, the TA05 VDF II, is loaded with performance design that will give you the control you expect in a competition ready drifter. It’s time to look deep into this machine and see what makes it tick, and then we’ll see how it performs.

One of the more challenging parts of doing this column is continuing to come up with original ideas, while also addressing all different skill levels. When I originally painted Parma’s Ford Raptor SVT body for the special RC Short Course Driver issue #1, I felt that with all the decals, including the factory graphics that this body comes with, it was best to do a basic one-color paint job to show beginners how easy it is to create a nice body

Words: Dean Berry Photos: Walter Sidas Arguably, Traxxas started the short course truck craze when they released the Slash back in 2008. Since then, everyone has released a short course truck in one form or another.The question that has been …

Back in the day when I started racing, the transmitters were pretty simple. There were no digital readouts or hidden antennas and if someone was on your channel, you had to run back to the pits to change the frequency crystals in your car and radio. Dials were limited to EPAs and Dual Rates and, if you had the big bucks and could afford it, you had an awesome black antenna. Not only were the transmitters much simpler, but the drivers were much thinner too (from all the running around)!

Aluminum wheel lovers will dig these new 1.9 rollers from Gear Head RC. Made from 6061-T6 aluminum, these CNC-machined beauties will mount to any 1.9 rock crawler, rock racer or scale truck using the included 12mm hex. These wheels use …