On a cold Saturday morning in the fall of 2012 I got a call from a polite sounding fellow interested in purchasing a custom built HPI Baja 5T. Right off the bat we hit it off as he was obviously a dyed in the wool gear-head. We immediately shared our interests in high-performance four-wheelers, RC trucks, and full-size race vehicles. After speaking for a while we again turned to the subject of the 5T. He said that he wanted an HPI Baja that was fast, fun and unique. We began hammering out options and details. I was instantly excited to do this build, as my new customer had great ideas and great tastes.
It wasn’t until we got around to color schemes that the polite fellow at the other end of the line let on that he was in fact Zac Diles, a top linebacker for the Tennessee Titans NFL football team! I hid my excitement and quickly assured him that he would get a truck that he would be more than proud to own.
THE BUILD
As with all my builds, the process began with engine selection. This has become an easy process in the last few years as I have gradually forged a relationship with O’Neill Brothers Racing, an engine building and modding team whose stellar reputation in the large scale RC community is well known and deserved. I chose an OBR 30.5CC Reed Ported Billet engine, a work of art in aluminum that boasts over 8HP at 20,000rpm. This brutal engine is a joint effort between Turtle Racing, which ranks among the finest providers of aftermarket 1/5-scale upgrades, and O’Neill Brothers Racing.
To handle the power and torque the engine would be delivering to the 34-inch Baja, I turned to Turtle Racing for their line of alloy differential cases, clutch assemblies and chassis upgrades. This American company produces parts that seem to be appearing on every Baja I come across, and they have proven themselves to be among the finest providers of aftermarket 1/5-scale components.
To achieve the wide stance the truck deserved, I chose the FastLane Machine extended suspension arm kit. I love the quality and design of FastLane’s products, also another proud American company. To give Zac’s truck a unique look I fabricated a custom tubular roll cage with matching side body mounts. I delivered my work to welder Justin Robertson who contributed his flawless TIG welding work which included the fantastic addition of the 3D metal spider webs seen on the cage.
After all my prep work I made the trip to Meyer Coatings. BJ, the owner of Meyer, is my sole source for coating. His color selection and skill with the application of powder coating is easily seen on the completed build. The powder is a deep candy that really pops in any light. Color selection was headed up by Zac, who wanted to model the build’s color on the colors of his college Alma Mater, The Kansas State University Wildcats.
With colors in hand, I began the process of shaping the unique body for Zac’s truck. I selected the RCP Tripp TT body for the task. I use the Tripp body whenever possible. The shape is fantastic and the Lexan is nearly .100” thick! I contacted my graphics supplier, Automodz in Arizona, for internally applied side graphics and the internal cutouts of Zac’s name for the body. I shipped the body off to Tom at Pitdawg Hydrographics for the application of the unique black, silver, and purple graphics, all internally applied and perfectly done as usual. Tire choice is also an easy decision, as I have become a huge fan of the Hostile brand of tires, another American company. I used their new off road tires which are as durable as they are bold looking. The build was finished off with the finest electronics, including a Killer RC Super Bee remote kill switch for safety.
Assembly of a custom truck like Zac’s may take a few solid weeks, as many custom additions are often fabricated to match the “shape” of the build. After hours of choices and changes, I was proud to ship the truck to Zac’s doorstep. Was Zac impressed? When he told me, “I can’t drive this, it’s too nice,” upon receiving, it I could not stop smiling!
FINAL THOUGHTS
I cannot thank my suppliers enough. Their fine products and services make my job possible. I also have to thank my automotive partner, Roger Decker at Canton Automotive Machine Service for his patience when I storm into his shop and take advantage of his fine collection of machine tools. Overall, the build flows from end to end and I cannot wait for Zac to contact me again for a Baja Buggy or a Baja asphalt speedster.
Links
Automodz, stores.ebay.com/automodz
FastLane Machine, fastlanemachine.net
Mark “Lil’Mark” Himes, winki04@roadrunner.com, 330-401-2117
Hostile Racing, hostileracingproducts.com
CAMS, Roger Decker, 330-453-8383
Meyer Coatings 330-904 4284
Oneill Brothers Racing, oneillbrothers.com
Pitdawg Hydro, pitdawghydro.com
Racecar Prototypes Inc. RC, rcprototypes.com
TIG welding, Justin Robertson 330-206-9406
Turtle Racing, turtleracingproducts.com
