Build Your Own RC Cars and Trucks
From a kit or buy your own parts and plans, building your own RC car or truck can be the ultimate thrill for the RC modeler. Find plans, instructions, and project ideas to build your own RC cars and trucks.
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Team Associated SC10 1:10 Scale Electric 2WD Offroad Race Truck Kit
The Team Associated SC10 Short Course RC Truck is a 1:10 scale 2WD electric offroad race truck. You can have your pick of either a RTR or kit version. This is a review of the kit version of the SC10 RC truck.
Building the AX10 Scorpion
There are 36 steps to building the Axial AX10 Scorpion Radio Controlled Rock Crawler (is that an RC/RC?). This gallery is not a tutorial but it helps you see some of the complexity involved in the assembly of this hobby-grade rock crawler kit.
Axial AX10 1:10 Scale Scorpion Electric RC Rock Crawler Kit
The Axial AX10 Scorpion 1:10 scale RC Rock Crawler kit is both a challenging and a rewarding experience. Although I wouldn't call this a beginner RC kit, with a little help from an experienced builder a beginner could learn a lot and get a great deal of enjoyment from this kit. And once completed, you'll have an awesome rock crawlling beast that is great as-is or can be further modified with seve…
Building The Grasshopper
First released in 1984, The Grasshopper was a popular kit for young modelers and first-time RC owners before ready-to-run became the norm. The re-release is still a great entry-level kit for new modelers and RC enthusiasts of all ages. With only a few hitches along the way I (a first time RC kit builder) built the car in one day, painted it the next. It looks good, runs perfectly.
1:5 Scale Kit Version HPI Baja 5B SS 2WD Gas Buggy
If you thought that the Baja 5B was tough and exciting than you'll love the Baja 5B SS (Super Sport). This is a kit version of the Baja 5B but has the option to choose how you want to build it.
Tamiya Grasshopper 1:10 Scale Off-Road Racer Kit
The Grasshopper has been around for many years. The latest kit version is a good kit for kids and for first-time RC builders of any age. Not only is the kit easy to build, it creates a fast, fun radio controlled off-road racer.
Tamiya Tractor Truck Series of Radio Controlled Big Rig Kits
The Tamiya Tractor Truck series of radio controlled big rigs are available as unassembled kits. You have to build them yourself. It takes a lot of time and patience so these kits are not really for beginners. But if you know and love the big trucks like I do and you have some scale model-building experience they are great examples of radio controlled trailer trucks.
Building the HPI Baja 5B SS Tutorial Video Series from TeamFastEddy
This is a series of step-by-step tutorials from Team Fast Eddy on building the kit version of the HPI Baja 5B SS. Tutorials follow the instructions page by page and show all the steps for assembling this radio controlled vehicle from HPI.
Kids Can Build Their Own RC
It's always fun when you can combine radio controlled vehicles with another activity that kids love -- and make it educational too. LEGOS, those plastic building blocks that provide endless hours of entertainment make building your own RC a snap. Elenco and Learning Resources also have cool construction sets that allow novice mechanics from 4 to 16 to experience the fun of building their own car without any automotive expertise.
Build a Car the Right Way
Gary Katzer details the tools, prep work, and some of the key steps involved in building an RC from a kit. He focuses on those areas that have the largest impact on the performance of your RC vehicle.
Build an RC Car from a Floppy Disk Drive
For the electronics tinkerer, here's a little robotics project you can try with some old computer parts. In this two part tutorial Chris Barron details and illustrates how to convert a floppy disk drive into a simple robot - a radio controlled car.
Build Your Own RC Car
Here's a checklist of things you'll need -- from the manual to abundant patience -- if you want to build your own RC.
How to Build Your Own RC Car
Matt Garrett boils it all down to one simple step.
How to Build Your Own RC Race Car
More of an overview than a tutorial but it does discuss your work area and tools.
How to Make a Robot Car
For a different sort of RC, you need a cheap RC as a starting point. Jason Striegel tells you how to put together a bunch of stray parts to make a robotic car.
Radio Control Car Assembly
This 2-part article from the DIY Network illustrates what is involved in building your own RC.
Part 2.
RC Car or Truck Kit Building Tips
Make your RC building experience an enjoyable one by heeding this advice and helpful tips.
